International

Fresh Israeli strikes in Gaza kill over 60 Palestinians

Published

3 months ago

July 17, 2024

Israeli strikes in Gaza kill more than 60 Palestinians, including in ‘safe zone’

Fresh Israeli strikes in Gaza kill over 60 Palestinians

GAZA: Israeli airstrikes killed more than 60 Palestinians in southern and central Gaza overnight and into Tuesday, including one that struck an Israeli-declared “safe zone” crowded with thousands of displaced people.

Airstrikes in recent days have brought a constant drumbeat of deaths of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, even as Israel has pulled back or scaled down major ground offensives in the north and south. Almost daily strikes have hit the “safe zone” covering some 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) along the Mediterranean coast, where Israel told fleeing Palestinians to take refuge to escape ground assaults. Israel has said it is pursuing Hamas militants who are hiding among civilians after offensives uprooted underground tunnel networks.

Tuesday’s deadliest strike hit a main street lined with market stalls outside the southern city of Khan Younis in Muwasi, at the heart of the zone that is packed with tent camps. Officials at Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital said 17 people were killed.

Apparently referring to the strike, the Israeli military said in a statement that it targeted a commander in Islamic Jihad’s naval unit west of Khan Younis. It said it was looking into reports that civilians were killed.

The attack hit about a kilometer (0.6 miles) from a compound that Israel struck on Saturday, saying it was targeting Hamas’ top military commander, Mohammed Deif. That blast, in an area also surrounded by tents, killed more than 90 Palestinians, including children, according to Gaza health officials. It is still not known if Deif was killed in the strike.

The new airstrikes came as Israel and Hamas continued to weigh the latest ceasefire proposal. Hamas has said talks meant to wind down the nine-month-long war would continue, even after Israel targeted Deif. International mediators are working to push Israel and Hamas toward a deal that would halt the fighting and free about 120 hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.

Israeli forces have repeatedly had to launch new offensives to combat Hamas fighters they say have been regrouping in parts of Gaza that the military has previously invaded. Still, the military has sounded increasingly confident that it has severely damaged the militants’ organization and infrastructure in its 9-month-old campaign.

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The military said Tuesday that it has eliminated half of the leadership of Hamas’ military wing and that some 14,000 militants have been killed or detained. It said it killed six brigade commanders, over 20 battalion commanders, and approximately 150 company commanders from Hamas’ ranks, and that over the course of the war, it has hit 37,000 targets from the air within the Gaza Strip, including more than 25,000 terrorist infrastructure and launch sites.

The figures could not be independently confirmed.

Israel’s ground campaigns have focused on northern Gaza and the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, where it says it has destroyed extensive Hamas tunnel networks. The offensives have left entire neighborhoods flattened. While ground operations continue in Rafah, airstrikes now appear to be hitting heavily in the areas untouched by previous offensives in the center and the coastal “safe zone.”

Strikes late Monday and on Tuesday hit the Nuseirat and Zawaida refugee camps in central Gaza. Strikes on four houses killed at least 24 people, including 10 women and four children, according to officials at Al Aqsa hospital in the nearby town of Deir Al-Balah.

Another hit a UN school in Nuseirat where families were sheltering, killing at least nine people. AP footage showed the school’s yard covered in rubble and twisted metal from a structure that was hit. Workers carried bodies wrapped in blankets, as women and children watched from the classrooms where they have been living.

Israel’s military said Hamas militants were operating from the school to plan attacks. Its claim could not be independently confirmed.

Other strikes in Khan Younis and Rafah killed 12 people, according to medical officials and AP journalists. An AP journalist counted the bodies at the hospital before a funeral was held at its gates.

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The military said air force planes struck some 40 targets in Gaza over the past day, among them observation posts, Hamas military structures and explosives-rigged buildings. Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the militants operate in densely populated areas.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week — a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and trigger more large protests in the community. Under long-standing political arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men had been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men — an exemption that created resentment among the general public in Israel.

The war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, has killed more than 38,600 people, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The war has created a humanitarian catastrophe in the coastal Palestinian territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million population and triggered widespread hunger.

Hamas’ October attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants took about 250 hostage. About 120 remain in captivity, with about a third of them believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities.

Violence has also surged in the West Bank. On Tuesday a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli policeman, wounding him lightly, before another officer opened fire, killing the assailant who was identified as a 19-year-old from Gaza.

Fresh Israeli strikes in Gaza kill over 60 Palestinians

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Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar feared killed in Israeli Gaza operation

Published

10 hours ago

October 17, 2024

Trends Admin

Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar feared killed in Israeli Gaza operation

Yahya Sinwar, a senior leader within Hamas, is feared to have been killed during an Israeli military operation in Gaza, according to emerging reports.

Sinwar, who allegedly played a pivotal role in the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, is at the centre of an investigation by Israeli authorities, though confirmation of his death is still pending.

Sources cited by the BBC suggest that preliminary assessments point toward Sinwar, 61, being among those killed in recent strikes, but final verification has not been made.

Disturbing images circulating online depict a lifeless body resembling Sinwar amid the debris of a targeted building, showing visible injuries.

Sinwar gained prominence in Hamas after his release from an Israeli prison in 2011 as part of a widely publicized prisoner exchange. Known for his militant stance, he championed military actions over diplomatic negotiations with Israel.

For years, Israel has considered Sinwar one of its most wanted targets in Gaza. He is accused of orchestrating the deadly October 7 attacks that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of over 250 individuals into Gaza.

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Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, recently invoked a passage from the Torah, underscoring the nation’s determination to retaliate: “You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword.” Gallant emphasized Israel’s commitment to targeting those responsible for assaults on its people.

Anonymous officials quoted by Reuters revealed that the Israeli security cabinet has been briefed on the likelihood that Sinwar has been killed. Similarly, Channel 12 reported that government insiders believe Sinwar was neutralized during the ongoing offensive in Gaza.

An Israeli security source told AFP that DNA testing is underway to confirm whether the body recovered from the rubble belongs to Sinwar. His DNA and biometric data, obtained during his previous imprisonment in Israel, are being used for identification.

The strike reportedly occurred during an operation in Rafah, southern Gaza, where Israeli troops clashed with militants. The Israeli military announced that three fighters were killed in the encounter, with indications suggesting Sinwar may have been among them.

If verified, Sinwar’s death would represent a significant achievement for Israel, dealing a symbolic blow to Hamas amid the ongoing conflict. His leadership role in coordinating Hamas’ militant operations, including the recent attacks, has made him a prime target.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar feared killed in Israeli Gaza operation

International

Elon Musk donates $75m to support Trump’s presidential campaign

Published

13 hours ago

October 17, 2024

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Elon Musk donates $75m to support Trump’s presidential campaign

In a significant display of political backing, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has contributed nearly $75 million to a political action committee (PAC) he established to support Donald Trump’s 2024 U.S. presidential campaign.

According to Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings made public on Tuesday, this large donation highlights Musk’s growing involvement in Trump’s bid for the presidency.

Musk, the world’s richest man, has become an increasingly prominent figure in Trump’s campaign. Recently, he appeared on stage with the former president at a Pennsylvania rally, where he made his support clear.

Musk has also been vocal on social media, frequently criticizing Trump’s Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.

Trump has often mentioned Musk in his speeches, even promising to appoint him to a committee aimed at reducing government bureaucracy if he wins the election.

Currently, the race between Trump and Harris is extremely tight, with polls indicating a neck-and-neck contest for the White House.

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Musk’s America PAC, which was launched to mobilize grassroots efforts for Trump, has raised $74.95 million between July and September 2024.

The PAC has directed much of its efforts toward battleground states like Pennsylvania, where the overall outcome of the election may be decided.

The group’s website advertises paid opportunities for individuals to help boost voter turnout, offering $30 per hour with bonuses for high performance.

Musk has also promised $47 to anyone who convinces a registered swing-state voter to sign a petition supporting free speech and gun rights.

Musk’s endorsement of Trump came after the Republican candidate survived an assassination attempt in July 2024, a moment that seemed to solidify the tech mogul’s support.

On the other side of the race, Kamala Harris has been no less aggressive in her campaign efforts. The vice president’s Harris Victory Fund PAC raised $633 million in the same period, according to FEC filings.

Harris entered the race following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal after a poor debate performance against Trump earlier this year.

Since launching her campaign, Harris has energized the Democratic base, focusing heavily on key battleground states. Her PAC’s year-to-date fundraising is close to $1 billion, standing at $931.2 million, indicating the high stakes in this closely watched presidential race.

With both candidates neck-and-neck and political donations pouring in from both sides, the 2024 election is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested in recent history.

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Biden okays $4.5bn student debt relief as vote nears

Published

14 hours ago

October 17, 2024

Trends Admin

US President Joe Biden

Biden okays $4.5bn student debt relief as vote nears

US President Joe Biden announced Thursday further student debt relief for public servants — amounting to around $4.5 billion — with just over two weeks to go until the presidential election.

The action affects about 60,000 borrowers across the country, said the White House, touting Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’s efforts to improve loan forgiveness since taking office.

Harris is the Democratic nominee in November’s White House race, running against Republican former president Donald Trump.

The announcement comes as households feel the weight of higher costs of living since the Covid-19 pandemic, with voters citing the economy as a crucial concern in polls.

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Biden said in a statement that with the latest move, more than one million people have had their debt cancelled under Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

The promise of the program — supporting teachers, nurses and others — involved student debt forgiveness after 10 years of public service and 10 years of payments.

“But for too long, the government failed to live up to its commitments, and only 7,000 people had ever received forgiveness,” Biden said.

“I will never stop working to make higher education affordable,” he added.

Harris said in her own statement that higher education “should be a pathway to economic opportunity — not a lifetime of debt.”

She, too, promised to “continue our work to lower costs, make higher education more affordable, and relieve the burden of student debt.”

Biden has embarked on efforts to cancel student debt for millions of Americans, after a student loan payment freeze instituted by Trump during the coronavirus pandemic.

Americans hold $1.6 trillion in student loans, and some end up repaying them over decades as they start jobs and families.