logo
Israeli military says Gaza church was struck accidentally

Israeli military says Gaza church was struck accidentally

News186 days ago
Agency:
Last Updated:
Jerusalem, Jul 23 (AP) Israeli military on Wednesday said a church in Gaza was struck accidentally.
The Holy Family Church in Gaza City was struck last week by an Israeli shell, an attack that killed three, wounded 10 and damaged the church's compound.
The military said an internal inquiry found the church was hit after an 'unintentional deviation of munitions." The strike drew condemnation from Pope Leo XIV and US President Donald Trump, and prompted statements of regret from Israel.
Holy Family is the only Catholic church in Gaza. Top church leaders from the Holy Land visited the site a day after the incident and said they encountered a Gaza 'almost totally destroyed." (AP) NPK NPK
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Iraq's PM Al-Sudani seeks closer US ties while keeping armed groups at bay
Iraq's PM Al-Sudani seeks closer US ties while keeping armed groups at bay

Business Standard

time19 minutes ago

  • Business Standard

Iraq's PM Al-Sudani seeks closer US ties while keeping armed groups at bay

The prime minister of Iraq has kept his country on the sidelines as military conflicts raged nearby for almost two years. This required balancing Iraq's relations with two countries vital to his power and enemies with each other: the US and Iran. The feat became especially difficult last month when war broke out between Israel, a US ally, and Iran and the US struck Iranian nuclear sites. Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said he used a mix of political and military pressure to stop armed groups aligned with Iran from entering the fray. In an exclusive interview with The Associated Press, Al-Sudani explains how he did this, how he plans to keep these groups in check going forward and as he seeks a second term why he wants to get closer to the Trump administration, even as he maintains strong ties to Iran-backed political parties that helped propel him to power in 2022. Staying on the sidelines as Israel and Iran traded blows After Israel launched airstrikes on Iran and it responded by firing missiles at Tel Aviv, armed groups in Iraq attempted to launch missiles and drones toward Israel and at bases in Iraq housing US troops, al-Sudani said. But they were thwarted 29 times by Iraqi government security operations that he did not detail. We know that the (Israeli) government had a policy and still does of expanding the war in the region, al-Sudani said. Therefore, we made sure not to give any justification to any party to target Iraq." Al-Sudani said his government also reached out to leaders in Iran "to urge them toward calm and to make room for dialogue and a return to negotiations." The future of the US presence in Iraq is in flux The US and Iraq last year announced an agreement to wrap up the mission of an American-led coalition in Iraq fighting the Islamic State and in March al-Sudani announced that the head of IS in Iraq and Syria had been killed in a joint Iraqi-US operation. The first phase of the coalition's drawdown was supposed to be completed by September 2025, but there has been little sign of it happening. Al-Sudani said the US and Iraq will meet by the end of the year to arrange the bilateral security relationship between the two countries. He also hopes to secure US economic investment in oil and gas, and also artificial intelligence which he said would contribute to regional security and make the two countries great together." A variety of militias sprung up in Iraq in the years after the 2003 US invasion that toppled former autocratic leader Saddam Hussein. And since the war between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023, sparking regionwide conflicts, an array of pro-Iran armed factions have periodically launched strikes on bases housing US troops. Al-Sudani said the presence of the coalition forces had provided a justification for Iraqi groups to arm themselves, but that once the coalition withdrawal is complete, there will be no need or no justification for any group to carry weapons outside the scope of the state." The fate of Iran-backed militias in Iraq is unclear One of the most complicated issues for al-Sudani is how to handle the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mostly Shiite, Iran-backed militias that formed to fight IS. This coalition was formally placed under the control of the Iraqi military in 2016, although in practice it still operates with significant autonomy. The Iraqi parliament is discussing legislation that would solidify the relationship between the military and the PMF, drawing objections from Washington. The State Department said in a statement last week that the legislation would institutionalise Iranian influence and armed terrorist groups undermining Iraq's sovereignty. Al-Sudani defended the proposed legislation, saying it's part of an effort to ensure that arms are controlled by the state. Security agencies must operate under laws and be subject to them and be held accountable," he said. Indications of weak state authority In recent weeks, a series of drone attacks have targeted oil facilities in northern Iraq's semiautonomous Kurdish region. Kurdish regional authorities accused groups in the PMF of carrying out the attacks. Authorities in Baghdad disputed this, but haven't assigned blame. Al-Sudani called the attacks a terrorist act and said his government is working with Kurdish authorities and coalition forces to identify those responsible and hold them accountable. Just as the drone attacks have called into question Baghdad's control over armed groups, so has the case of Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, who went missing in Iraq in 2023. Her family believes she is being held by the Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, and there have reportedly been US-mediated negotiations to negotiate her release. Al-Sudani did not name the group responsible for Tsurkov's kidnapping, but he pushed back against the idea that his government has not made serious efforts to free her. He said his government has a team dedicated to finding her. We do not negotiate with gangs and kidnappers, he said, but the team has been in discussions with political factions that might be able to help locate her. Rebuilding relations with Damascus Relations between Iraq and the new government in Syria have been tenuous since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in December, after a lightning offensive led by Sunni Islamist insurgents. Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa was formerly known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Golani. He once joined the ranks of al-Qaida insurgents battling US forces in Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003. Al-Sharaa still faces a warrant for his arrest on terrorism charges in Iraq. Al-Sharaa has since broken with al-Qaida and has fought against the Islamic State. Al-Sudani said his government is coordinating with the new Syrian government, particularly on security matters. We and the administration in Syria certainly have a common enemy, ISIS, which is clearly and openly present inside Syria, he said. Al-Sudani said his government has warned the Syrians against the mistakes that occurred in Iraq after Saddam's fall, when the ensuing security vacuum spawned years of sectarian violence and the rise of armed extremist groups. In recent weeks, sectarian violence in Syria has shaken the country's fragile postwar recovery. Al-Sudani called for Syria's current leadership to pursue a comprehensive political process that includes all components and communities. We do not want Syria to be divided," he said. "This is unacceptable and we certainly do not want any foreign presence on Syrian soil, apparently alluding to Israel's incursions into southern Syria.

Thailand, Cambodia ceasefire holds as wary displaced villagers return home
Thailand, Cambodia ceasefire holds as wary displaced villagers return home

News18

time43 minutes ago

  • News18

Thailand, Cambodia ceasefire holds as wary displaced villagers return home

Surin (Thailand), Jul 29 (AP) A ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appeared to hold Tuesday as tensions lingered despite a truce agreement to end deadly border clashes following economic pressure from the US The ceasefire that was reached in Malaysia was supposed to take effect at midnight, but was quickly tested. The Thai army accused Cambodia of launching attacks in multiple areas early Tuesday, but Cambodia said there was no firing in any location. The Thai army later said fighting had stopped after military commanders along the border from both sides met. They agreed to halt troop movements, avoid escalation and establish coordination teams ahead of a joint border committee meeting in Cambodia on August 4, army spokesman Major General Winthai Suvaree said. Cambodian Defence Minister Tea Seiha said he spoke to his Thai counterpart about 'incidents" that occurred during the implementation of the ceasefire but stressed the Cambodian army abided by the truce. He said Cambodian defence officials will lead a delegation of diplomats, foreign military attaches, and others to observe the situation. The Thai government separately said it has lodged complaints to Malaysia, the US and China about Cambodia's alleged breach of the ceasefire agreement. Along the border, there were signs of calm with some of the more than 260,000 people displaced by the fighting returning to their homes. The agreement was made under US pressure Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Thailand's acting Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai had agreed Monday to an 'unconditional" halt in fighting that has killed at least 41 people. The meeting was hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim as the annual chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He called the ceasefire a 'vital first step towards de-escalation and the restoration of peace and security." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US applauded the ceasefire declaration. 'President (Donald) Trump and I are committed to an immediate cessation of violence and expect the governments of Cambodia and Thailand to fully honour their commitments to end this conflict," Rubio said in a statement. Hun Manet said Tuesday that Trump had called to offer congratulations on the peace move. He posted on social media that Trump pledged the US would join the monitoring process along with Malaysia to ensure the ceasefire is implemented. Trump also called Phumtham after his return to Bangkok. Phumtham said Trump told him that Thailand's talks with Washington to negotiate tariff levels on Thai exports could now proceed and that he would seek to make them as favourable as possible. The ceasefire comes days before the US is expected to announce new trade tariff decisions. Cambodia and Thailand have both been two of the hardest-hit countries as a result of Trump's trade war, with a 36 per cent tariff on goods from both countries taking effect this coming Friday. Trump had warned that the US might not proceed with trade deals with either country if hostilities continued, giving both sides a face-saving justification for halting the clashes. Residents along the long-disputed border are wary Cambodia and Thailand have clashed in the past over their 800-kilometre border. The fighting began on Thursday after a land mine explosion along the border wounded five Thai soldiers. Tensions had been growing since May, when a Cambodian soldier was killed in a confrontation that created a diplomatic rift and roiled Thailand's domestic politics. Residents on both sides of the border expressed relief about the ceasefire but remained wary, unsure how long the peace would last. 'I am very concerned that new fighting may break out. Thailand often provokes the fighting first, but then accuses Cambodia. Their aim is to occupy our temples (along the border). I really don't want to see any new fighting happen," said Soklang Slay, as he helped his daughter move back into her home in Cambodia's Oddar Meanchay province, where heavy fighting had occurred. Soklang Slay and his family dug a bunker to shield themselves from artillery when fighting started, but fled on the second day when bombings intensified. In Thailand's Surin province, village chief Kitsada Jindasri said he heard heavy firing and explosions Monday night before silence fell at midnight. 'We are still cautious. We still don't totally believe (that it would stop). We still wait to assess the situation," said Kitsada, who had stayed back along with 60 other community leaders after some 400 villagers evacuated last week. His brother, Jirayu Jindasri, returned home after seeking refuge with relatives. 'I still don't feel comfortable, because they just announced it for the first day. I'm not confident. If it breaks out again, I'll have to go," he said. Analysts said the ceasefire remains tenuous and politically complicated. top videos View all Kokthay Eng, a Cambodian researcher in history, politics, and international relations, said Trump's 'trade leverage and strongman mentality have helped save Thai and Cambodian people from further bloodshed." But he warned that the ceasefire may not last if the Thai government fails to secure lower US tariffs. 'It is risky and will require clear markers to build traction," said Southeast Asian political expert Bridget Welsh. 'A proper border survey should begin immediately. Right now, it's on pause because the roots of the conflict have yet to be addressed." (AP) SKS SCY SCY view comments First Published: July 29, 2025, 13:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

'Have You Ever Been To Border': Amit Shah Mocks Gaurav Gogoi's Pakistan Visits
'Have You Ever Been To Border': Amit Shah Mocks Gaurav Gogoi's Pakistan Visits

News18

timean hour ago

  • News18

'Have You Ever Been To Border': Amit Shah Mocks Gaurav Gogoi's Pakistan Visits

Last Updated: 'Have You Ever Been To Border': Amit Shah Mocks Gaurav Gogoi's Pakistan Visits 'Have You Ever Been To Border': Amit Shah Mocks Gaurav Gogoi's Pakistan Visits view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store