International

Gaza school strike which killed 22 targeted one Hamas figure, BBC told

Published

1 month ago

October 3, 2024

Trends Admin

Amal says she and other children in her shelter wake up and go to sleep terrified

Gaza school strike which killed 22 targeted one Hamas figure, BBC told

Warning: This story contains details which some people may find upsetting

An Israeli air strike that killed multiple children at a former school twelve days ago had been targeting one local Hamas figure, the BBC has been told.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said a Hamas “command and control centre” had been embedded inside the compound in Gaza City, which it targeted in a “precise strike” on 21 September.

It killed 22 people, including 13 children and six women, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The school, closed during the war, had been housing displaced people, the health ministry said.

One young girl, Amal, told the BBC she had been inside the school building when it was hit and saw bodies “torn apart”.

“What have we done as children? We wake up and go to sleep terrified,” she said.

Huda lost two of her children in the Israeli air strike on 21 September

“At least protect the schools; we don’t have schools or homes – where do we go?”

Sources have told the BBC that one of those killed was a local Hamas figure, meaning many civilians died due to a single main target.

Huda Alhadad lost two children – son Muhammad, 13, and daughter Hanan, 12.

“I was coming from the hallway when the missile fell. I came and found my husband screaming, saying, ‘My children, my children, my children,'” she told the BBC.

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“I asked him, ‘Where are they?’ I searched for them and found them under the rubble.”

Damage to the roof of the former school building in Gaza City

In the twelve days after the air strike, at least eight more fatal strikes took place in Gaza on school buildings housing displaced families – the latest in a series of attacks on such buildings, which provide little safety.

Unicef has said more than 50% of schools used as shelters in Gaza had been directly hit during the current war, with “devastating consequences for children and families”.

In each of the latest strikes, the IDF released public statements saying the former schools had contained Hamas terrorists or “command and control” centres.

In their public statement about the 21 September strike, the IDF incorrectly named the former school they hit – Al-Zeitoun C – instead identifying another one nearby, Al-Falah.

We confirmed that Al-Zeitoun C was the one that had been hit by speaking to local people, as well as comparing videos of the attack aftermath with satellite imagery.

The Hamas-run Gazan authorities also named it as Al-Zeitoun C.

The relevant area is in the Al-Zeitoun neighbourhood and includes four distinct schools: Al-Falah, and Al-Zeitoun A, B, and C.

When asked about incorrectly naming the school, the IDF refused to comment.

It would also not comment on who was targeted.

The Hamas-run government media office said the Israeli military had committed a “horrific massacre” by bombing Al-Zeitoun C school, which shelters displaced people. It said that, in addition to those killed, the attack also caused severe injuries, including nine children who needed limbs amputating.

Dr Amjad Eliwa, an emergency physician who treated those injured in the strike, described over 30 injuries reaching his hospital, saying they were “mostly among children and women, with cases of amputations and very severe injuries”.

He described one of those who died as a woman who was six months pregnant.

This was corroborated by images of a foetus at the site of the strike, and residents said the dead woman was Barah Deraawi, who died along with two young daughters, Israa and Iman.

Gaza school strike which killed 22 targeted one Hamas figure, BBC told

BBC

International

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Published

12 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.

The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.

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Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.

He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.

Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

International

Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

Published

19 hours ago

November 13, 2024

Trends Admin

Alejandro Arcos

Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

German Reyes, a local security official in Chilpancingo, Mexico has been arrested for the murder of the city’s mayor, Alejandro Arcos.

The Mexican authorities announced his arrest via a statement on Tuesday, November 12.

The Mayor was killed in the month of October as security officials discovered his lifeless body in his pick-up truck with his head chopped off and placed on his body.

The brutal killing and decapitation of Mayor Alejandro Arcos, which occurred just days after he assumed office, stunned the nation.

Guerrero prosecutors confirmed the detention of the security official who was identified as German ‘N,’ in line with Mexican practice of withholding the full names of suspects.

However, a local government official later identified him as German Reyes, who was the security chief for Chilpancingo, a city of around 280,000 residents in southwestern Mexico prior to his arrest.

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“The Guerrero prosecutor’s office, the Mexican army and the National Guard, arrested a man for the crime of qualified homicide in Chilpancingo,” the statement said.

The arrest seems to provide more proof of the extensive infiltration of organized crime in local governments across large parts of Mexico, as well as the corruption among local officials.

Reyes had a lengthy career in Mexico’s military, according to his public profile.

Further reports by the police revealed that the Mayor had prior to his death, left Chilpancingo in his truck without a driver or security detail, heading toward the nearby town of Petaquillas, Mexico.

Local media also suggested that Arcos had met with members of Los Ardillos, a criminal group operating in Guerrero, Mexico.

Local security chief arrested over murder of mayor in Mexico

International

COP29: Islamic bank supports WHO Impact Investment with $10m

Published

1 day ago

November 12, 2024

Trends Admin

COP29: Islamic bank supports WHO Impact Investment with $10m

The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) has committed a $10 million grant to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the Health Impact Investment Platform (HIIP), bolstering its mission to strengthen primary healthcare systems worldwide.

Announced on November 12, 2024, during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, the grant highlights IsDB’s dedication to enhancing health resilience and climate adaptation in low- and middle-income countries.

In a statement on Tuesday, IsDB described HIIP as a groundbreaking partnership among Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), WHO and nations seeking robust health and climate solutions.

“This initiative focuses on the investment in essential, climate and crisis-resilient primary health care services and systems,” the bank stated, emphasizing the aim to reinforce the health system, especially in low- and middle-income countries and in underserved communities, ultimately aiming to foster resilience against emerging health threats and climate challenges.

Fifteen countries are identified as part of phase one of the Health Impact Investment Platform: Burundi, Central African Republic, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia Guinea Bissau .

Other countries included Jordan, Maldives Morocco, Senegal, South Sudan, The Gambia, Tunisia and Zambia.

Supporting WHO’s technical assistance goals

The $10 million grant will specifically support the technical assistance that WHO provides to countries around the world to assess investment needs and to design the most impactful health projects.

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“These projects will serve as the foundation for co-investment by the MDBs, ensuring that resources are directed toward areas with the greatest potential for positive health outcomes,”IsDB added.

Over the next four years, WHO aims to strengthen climate resilience as part of its Fourteenth General Programme of Work, which includes implementing national climate adaptation plans and making 10,000 health facilities fully operational, including solar-powered electrification.

Unlocking $500m in health investments across the region

In addition to the $10 million grant, IsDB’s contribution is projected to unlock at least $500 million in health investments across the region.

“This collective goal is part of a broader effort to mobilize a total of US$ 1.5 billion in concessional loans and grants, focusing on critical areas, this way addressing national health priorities.”

Advancing health resilience, leadership statements

IsDB President Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser said, the Islamic Development Bank is proud to support the Health Impact Investment Platform as part of our unwavering commitment to advancing universal health coverage and resilience in our Member Countries.

“These Multilateral Development Banks and WHO partnerships enable us to scale up primary health care where it is needed most, creating a stronger foundation to withstand future crises and addressing the pressing health challenges of today.”

“Together, we are fostering a healthier, more equitable future for communities across the globe,” he said.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that low- and middle-income countries need access to sustainable financing to strengthen their health systems through primary health care, to make them both more resilient to pandemics and more equitable in delivering essential health services.

“The Health Impact Investment Platform combines WHO’s public health expertise and on-the-ground presence with the resources and financing expertise of the Islamic Development Bank and other multilateral development banks. By working together, we can make a significant difference in improving health outcomes and creating a healthier future for all.”

The IsDB, along with its partners, remains committed to fostering partnerships that will advance healthcare and improve quality of life globally.