Latest news with #GazaAttack
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Middle Eastern Headlines at 11:34 a.m. GMT
Israeli strikes kill at least 20 in Gaza, health officials say Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
WHO says Israeli forces attacked residence and detained staff; IDF shelling kills 12 in tent encampment - Israel-Gaza war live
Update: Date: Title: WHO says Israeli forces attacked staff residence and main warehouse in Gaza Content: The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Israeli military attacked its staff residence and main warehouse in Deir al-Balah on Monday, compromising its operations in Gaza. The WHO said its staff residence was attacked three times, with airstrikes causing a fire and extensive damage, and endangering staff and their families, including children. On Monday, Israeli tanks for the first time pushed into southern and eastern districts of Deir al-Balah, an area where Israeli sources said the military believes hostages may be held. Tank shelling in the area hit houses and mosques, killing at least three Palestinians and wounding several others, local medics said. The WHO said: Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward al-Mawasi amid active conflict. Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot, and screened at gunpoint. Two WHO staff and two family members were detained, it said in a post on X. It said three were later released, while one staff member remained in detention. Its director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: 'WHO demands the immediate release of the detained staff and protection of all its staff.' Deir al-Balah is packed with Palestinians displaced during more than 21 months of war in Gaza, hundreds of whom fled west or south after Israel issued an evacuation order, saying it sought to destroy infrastructure and the capabilities of the militant group Hamas. But the area is also the main hub for humanitarian efforts in the devastated territory and Gaza health officials have warned of potential 'mass deaths' in coming days from hunger. Update: Date: 2025-07-22T07:01:28.000Z Title: Opening summary Content: Hello and welcome back to the Guardian's coverage of the Middle East. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Israeli military attacked its staff residence and main warehouse in Deir al-Balah on Monday, compromising its operations in Gaza. The WHO said its staff residence was attacked three times, with airstrikes causing a fire and extensive damage, and endangering staff and their families, including children. On Monday, Israeli tanks for the first time pushed into southern and eastern districts of Deir al-Balah, an area where Israeli sources said the military believes hostages may be held. Tank shelling in the area hit houses and mosques, killing at least three Palestinians and wounding several others, local medics said. 'Israeli military entered the premises, forcing women and children to evacuate on foot toward al-Mawasi amid active conflict. Male staff and family members were handcuffed, stripped, interrogated on the spot, and screened at gunpoint,' the WHO said. Two WHO staff and two family members were detained, it said in a post on X. It said three were later released, while one staff member remained in detention. Its director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: 'WHO demands the immediate release of the detained staff and protection of all its staff.' Israel on Monday rejected the joint statement published by over 20 countries calling for an end to the war in Gaza, 'as it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas', the foreign ministry said. The international statement – signed by Australia, the UK, France, Canada, New Zealand and Japan among others – warned 'the suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths'. Israeli tank shelling killed at least 12 Palestinians and wounded dozens others in a tent encampment in western Gaza City north of the territory, local health authorities said early on Tuesday. Medics said the tanks stationed north of Shati camp fired two shells at tents, housing displaced families, killing at least 12 people. There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the incident. In other developments: In its daily update, Gaza's health ministry said on Monday at least 130 Palestinians had been killed and more than 1,000 wounded by Israeli gunfire and military strikes across the territory in the past 24 hours, one of the highest such totals in recent weeks. An Israeli army strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza last week has pushed the Vatican to change its tone on Israel and blame it more directly in the dragging war. The strike killed three people in the Holy Family Church in the centre of Gaza City, prompting condemnation by politicians and by religious leaders of various denominations. Pope Leo XIV on Sunday slammed the 'barbarity' of the war and the blind 'use of force', denouncing 'the attack by the Israeli army'. An Israeli undercover force detained Marwan Al-Hams, a senior Gaza Health Ministry official, outside the field hospital of the International Committee of the Red Cross in the southern Gaza Strip on Monday, the ministry said. It said that Hams, in charge of field hospitals in the territory, was on his way to visit the ICRC hospital in the city of Rafah when an Israeli force 'abducted' him after opening fire, killing one person and wounding another civilian nearby. Belgian authorities said on Monday that they had briefly held and questioned two Israeli citizens who attended an electronic music festival, after pro-Palestinian groups accused them of war crimes. Prosecutors said they received legal complaints alleging that two Israeli soldiers responsible for 'serious violations of international humanitarian law' in Gaza were spotted at the Tomorrowland festival near the northern city of Antwerp last week. Syrian authorities evacuated Bedouin families from the Druze-majority city of Sweida on Monday, after a ceasefire in the southern province halted a week of sectarian bloodshed that a monitor said killed more than 1,260 people. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said the ceasefire was largely holding despite isolated gunfire in areas north of Sweida city, with no new reports of casualties. US president Donald Trump was 'caught off guard' by Israeli strikes in Syria last week, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, adding that he discussed the issue with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel had launched strikes on the capital Damascus and the southern Druze-majority city of Sweida, saying it aimed to put pressure on the Syrian government to withdraw its troops from the region amid ongoing clashes there. Iran has no plans to abandon its nuclear programme including uranium enrichment despite the 'severe' damage caused by US strikes to its facilities, the country's foreign minister said ahead of renewed talks with European powers. Iran is scheduled to meet Britain, France and Germany in Istanbul on Friday, to discuss its nuclear programme, with Tehran accusing European powers of scuppering a landmark 2015 nuclear deal. The meeting will be the first since Iran's 12-day war with Israel last month, during which the United States carried out strikes against Tehran's nuclear facilities. Visiting US envoy Tom Barrack said Monday that disarming Hezbollah was a domestic issue, even as Washington presses the new authorities for action after the group was weakened by war with Israel. Lebanese leaders who took office in the aftermath of more than a year of hostilities, including two months of open war between Israel and Hezbollah, have vowed a state monopoly on bearing arms, while demanding Israel comply with a November ceasefire. The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen toward Israel that triggered sirens across several areas in the country. The launch from Yemen follows an Israeli military attack on Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the Iran-backed militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it. Iranian authorities have asked people to limit water consumption amid severe heatwaves and a water crisis across the country. Iran is experiencing its hottest week of the year, according to the national meteorological service, with temperatures exceeding 50C in some areas. On top of the extreme heat, the country is in a serious water crisis.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Faith leaders condemn Israeli strike on Gaza's only Catholic church
(NewsNation) — Fallout continues to grow after an Israeli tank shell struck the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza on Thursday, drawing strong condemnation from international faith leaders. The shell killed three people, wounding 10 and damaging the building. Hundreds of Palestinians had been using the church compound for shelter and aid during the now 21-month war between Israel and Hamas. The site was providing refuge to both Christians and Muslims, including children with disabilities. Religious leaders condemn the attack Top Christian leaders in Jerusalem visited the church on Friday in a show of solidarity after the strike. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, and Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Jerusalem, led a delegation to the compound, helping to evacuate injured individuals for treatment outside of Gaza and announcing plans to provide food and medical aid to those in need. The leaders 'express(ed) the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza,' according to a press release from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Pope Leo spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by phone and 'reiterated the urgent need to protect places of worship and, especially, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel,' according to the Holy See Press Office. Pope Francis had a special connection to the church, having spoken frequently with its members over the phone throughout the war and in the months leading up to his death. Israel, Netanyahu apologize The attack was described as an accident by Israeli officials. 'Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza's Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful,' Netanyahu said in a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. The incident is currently under review by the Israel Defense Forces. Pressure to reach a ceasefire deal continues to mount amid the ongoing conflict that has resulted in nearly 60,000 Palestinian deaths following the Oct. 7 attack in Israel that killed nearly 1,200 Israelis and resulted in the abduction of 251. President Donald Trump also expressed his dismay with the attack in a phone call with Netanyahu. The Associated Press contributed to this report Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Al Bawaba
7 days ago
- Politics
- Al Bawaba
Netanyahu phones Pope after striking church attack in Gaza
Published July 18th, 2025 - 12:59 GMT ALBAWABA - Israeli planes attacked the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, which was the only Catholic church in the surrounded area. On Friday, Pope Leo XIV called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to voice his great worry and repeat his call for a strike happened early Thursday morning and killed three people and hurt at least ten more, including Father Gabriel Romanelli, the church priest. The Vatican called the situation in Gaza "tragic," pointing out that children, the old, and the sick are suffering a Vatican said in a news release that the Pope, who was speaking from his home in Castel Gandolfo, strongly told Netanyahu to work for peace and protect places of worship. The statement said, "The Holy Father stressed again how important it is to protect places of worship, the faithful, and everyone in Palestine and Israel."The call came after the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem made a strong plea for world leaders to "raise their voices" and move quickly to stop what it called a "unjustified human and moral tragedy." At the same time, the White House revealed that U.S. President Donald Trump had also talked to Netanyahu after what was called a "negative reaction" to the news of the church bombing. It is said that Trump talked to Netanyahu about what happened, which made the Israeli leader say that the attack on the Catholic spot was a "mistake." Pope Leo XIV has called Benjamin Netanyahu by phone to discuss the 'military attack by the Israel army' that killed three Christians yesterday Leo XIV expressed concern at the suffering in Gaza, called for places of worship to be safe and for an immediate end to the war — Catholic Arena (@CatholicArena) July 18, 2025 White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said that Netanyahu told the president that the bombing wasn't done on purpose and that he was sorry for the deaths of civilians. The event has caused anger around the world, putting more pressure on Israel to protect civilians and start up new diplomacy efforts to end the 21-month-long war. Pope Leo's repeated pleas show the Vatican's moral stance on the need for peace, protecting religious freedom, and keeping people's respect in times of conflict. © 2000 - 2025 Al Bawaba (
Fox News
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Pope demands ceasefire after Gaza's Catholic church is hit in apparent Israeli strike
Pope Leo XIV expressed sadness and called for a ceasefire after Gaza's only Catholic church was hit in an apparent Israeli strike, leaving at least two dead and several injured. "His Holiness Pope Leo XIV was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack on the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza, and he assures the parish priest, Father Gabriele Romanelli, and the whole parish community of his spiritual closeness," read a telegram sent by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin on behalf of the pope. Parolin added that the pope "renews his call for an immediate ceasefire, and he expresses his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peace in the region." Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also condemned the attack and slammed Israel. "Israeli raids on Gaza also hit the Church of the Holy Family. The attacks against the civilian population that Israel has been carrying out for months are unacceptable. No military action can justify such an attitude," Meloni said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it was "aware of reports regarding damage" to the church and that the "circumstances of the incident are under review." "The IDF does not target religious institutions and takes many precautions to avoid harm to civilians or holy sites. We remain committed to safeguarding the freedom of religion for people of all faiths," IDF International Spokesperson Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani wrote in a post on X. Israeli Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oren Marmorstein echoed a similar message, saying that the country "expresses deep sorrow" over the damage to the church and the loss of life. He added that "Israel never targets churches or religious sites and regrets any harm to a religious site and uninvolved civilians." The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said on Thursday that the community's parish priest, Father Gabriel Romanelli, "sustained light injuries" in the apparent strike. "The people in the Holy Family Compound are people who found in the Church a sanctuary—hoping that the horrors of war might at least spare their lives, after their homes, possessions, and dignity had already been stripped away. On behalf of the entire Church of the Holy Land, we extend our deepest condolences to the bereaved families, and from here, we offer our prayers for the swift and full recovery of the wounded," the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a statement. The Latin Patriarchate added that it "strongly condemns" the incident "and this targeting of innocent civilians and of a sacred place."
