Headline

Ground Battles Rage In Gaza After Israel Escalates Bombing

Published

2 years ago

October 28, 2023

Battles raged in Gaza on Saturday as Israel’s army said it expanded ground operations after intensifying its bombardment of the Palestinian territory three weeks after the deadliest attack in the country’s history.

The United Nations warned of a looming “unprecedented avalanche of human suffering” inside the Gaza Strip, after weeks of relentless Israeli bombing, while the General Assembly called for an “immediate humanitarian truce”.

“We are confronting an Israeli ground incursion in Beit Hanoun (in the northern Gaza Strip) and east Bureij (in the centre) and violent engagements are taking place on the ground,” Hamas’s armed wing the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said.

Israeli military spokesman Major Nir Dinar told AFP: “Our troops are operating inside Gaza as they did yesterday.”

Israel launched its bombardment of Gaza after Hamas gunmen stormed across the border on October 7, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and taking nearly 230 others hostage, according to Israeli officials.

The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said Friday that Israeli strikes had now killed 7,326 people, more than 3,000 of them children.

With tens of thousands of troops massed along the Gaza border ahead of an expected full-blown invasion, Israeli forces had also made limited ground incursions on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

“The ground forces are extending the ground operations tonight,” military spokesman Daniel Hagari said late Friday.

The Israeli army said it had increased its strikes “in a very significant way”, while the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said on Telegram it responded with “salvos of rockets”.

In overnight raids, Israeli fighter jets hit 150 “terror tunnels, underground combat spaces and additional underground infrastructure” and “several Hamas terrorists were killed”, the army said on Saturday morning.

‘Why are they bombing us?’

AFP live footage had shown air strike after air strike light up the night sky of northern Gaza late Friday as thick black smoke clouded the horizon.

In a bombed-out street in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood, 50-year-old Om Walid Basal said her apartment block had been destroyed by Israel.

“This was our house. We lived here just with our children. It was full of children,” she said.

“Why are they bombing us? Why are they destroying our homes?”

Hamas insisted it was “ready” for an invasion.

“If (Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu decides to enter Gaza tonight, the resistance is ready,” Ezzat al-Rishaq, a senior member of the Hamas political bureau, said on Telegram on Friday.

“The remains of his soldiers will be swallowed up by the land of Gaza.”

Internet cut

Hamas said all internet connections and communications across Gaza had been cut, and accused Israel of taking the measure “to perpetrate massacres with bloody retaliatory strikes from the air, land and sea”.

Human Rights Watch also warned the near-total telecommunications blackout in Gaza risks providing cover for “mass atrocities”.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the communications outage had disrupted ambulance services.

“We have completely lost contact with the operations room in the Gaza Strip and all our teams operating there,” it said on X, formerly Twitter.

Lynne Hastings, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, also stressed on X that “hospitals & humanitarian operations can’t continue without communications”.

Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf, whose inlaws are trapped in Gaza, voiced alarm at the communications shutdown.

“Telecommunications have been cut. We can’t get through to our family who have been trapped in this war zone for almost 3 weeks,” he wrote on X.

“We can only pray they survive the night.”

‘Stop the war’

The reports of ground fighting came after the UN General Assembly called on Friday for an “immediate humanitarian truce” in Gaza.

The non-binding resolution received overwhelming support, with 120 votes in favour, 14 against and 45 abstentions.

“Today the General Assembly declared a call: stop the war,” the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, told reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

It was also welcomed by Hamas, but it was harshly criticised by Israel and the United States for failing to mention Hamas, with Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan calling it an “infamy”.

Washington had earlier said it supports a “humanitarian pause” so aid can get into Gaza.

Israel’s bombardment has displaced more than 1.4 million people inside the crowded territory, according to the UN, even as supplies of food, water and power to Gaza have been almost completely cut off.

And Israel has blocked all deliveries of fuel, saying it would be exploited by Hamas to manufacture weapons and explosives.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that misery was “growing by the minute”.

“I repeat my call for a humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of life-saving supplies,” Guterres said.

“Without a fundamental change, the people of Gaza will face an unprecedented avalanche of human suffering.”

‘Nothing more than crumbs’
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has cautioned that “many more will die” in Gaza from catastrophic shortages.

“People in Gaza are dying, they are not only dying from bombs and strikes, soon many more will die from the consequences of (the) siege,” said UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini.

A first tranche of critically needed aid was allowed in last weekend, but only 74 trucks have crossed since then. The UN says an average of 500 trucks entered Gaza every day before the conflict.

“These few trucks are nothing more than crumbs that will not make a difference,” Lazzarini said.

Between the bombardments and the fuel shortages, 12 of Gaza’s 35 hospitals have been forced to close, and UNRWA said it has had to “significantly reduce its operations”.

Israel’s military accused Hamas of using hospitals in Gaza as operations centres for directing attacks, an allegation Hamas swiftly denied.

The growing toll in Gaza has spurred demonstrations in the occupied West Bank and across the Muslim world, but also in a number of Western countries.

Late Friday, hundreds of people were arrested when police broke up a large demonstration of mostly Jewish New Yorkers who had taken over the main hall of Grand Central station to protest Israel’s bombardment of Gaza and demanding a ceasefire.

Violence has also risen sharply in the occupied West Bank since the October 7 attacks, with more than 100 Palestinians killed and nearly 2,000 wounded, according to the UN.

AFP

Headline

Fire Guts Nigerian Pilgrims’ Hotel In Makkah

Published

10 hours ago

June 7, 2025

Editor

The Imaratus Sanan Hotel on Shari Mansur Street in Makkah, which accommodates about 484 Nigerian pilgrims, was today gutted by fire while the pilgrims and others from around the world were at Mina performing their Hajj rites.

Nigerian pilgrims, like others globally, had departed Makkah for Mina — also known as Tent City — on Wednesday for the five-day Hajj observance. At the time of the fire, the pilgrims were on the second day of the stoning ritual at Jamarat.

The fire guts hotel in Makkah incident, according to a statement made available to Sunday Tribune by the Assistant Director, Information and Publication, National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Fatima Sanda Usara, occurred around 12 noon Saudi Arabian time (10 a.m. Nigerian time) on Saturday, June 7, 2025.

Usara disclosed that the affected pilgrims were from six Nigerian private tour operator companies and confirmed that no lives were lost in the fire.

“The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) regrets to inform the public of a fire incident that occurred earlier today, Saturday, 7th June 2025, around 12:00 noon (KSA time), at one of the hotels accommodating Nigerian pilgrims on Shari Mansur Street in Makkah,” she said.

“The affected hotel, Imaratus Sanan, was hosting about 484 pilgrims from six Nigerian private tour operator companies. Thankfully, no lives were lost, and all pilgrims are safely in Mina. Immediate emergency response by Saudi authorities and the hotel management helped to contain the fire swiftly and prevent it from spreading throughout the building,” she added.

NAHCON Chairman/CEO, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, led a delegation to the site of the incident to assess the extent of the damage and ensure the welfare of the pilgrims.

“Following the incident, the Chairman/CEO of NAHCON, Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman, alongside Commissioner for Policy, Personnel Management and Finance, Alhaji Aliu Abdulrazak, and Deputy Makkah Coordinator, Director Alidu Shutti, promptly visited the location to evaluate the situation and ensure that the welfare of the affected pilgrims is prioritized,” the statement read.

During the visit, Professor Usman expressed concern and ordered the immediate relocation of the affected pilgrims to a new hotel. He assured them that the commission would provide every possible support to cushion the impact of the incident.

“He thanked Almighty Allah that no life was lost in this unfortunate incident and promised that NAHCON would collaborate with the affected tour operators to ensure the smooth resettlement of the pilgrims,” Usara stated.

The Chairman and his team have since inspected the new accommodation, and arrangements for the pilgrims’ resettlement have been finalized.

She further noted that both Professor Usman and Commissioner Abdulrazak commended the prompt response of Saudi emergency services and the cooperation of the hotel staff in controlling the situation.

Reports reaching Sunday Tribune indicate that the fire guts hotel in Makkah caused considerable structural damage, but NAHCON has secured alternative accommodation where the pilgrims will be housed upon their return to Makkah on Sunday.

Headline

Elon Musk Deletes Post Claiming Trump Was ‘In The Epstein Files’

Published

11 hours ago

June 7, 2025

Editor

Elon Musk has deleted a controversial tweet in which he claimed—without offering evidence—that US President Donald Trump appeared in documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The Tesla and SpaceX founder’s post, made on Thursday, alleged that Trump was named in the Epstein files. The accusation, unsubstantiated at the time, quickly ignited a political firestorm.

Responding to the claims in an interview with ABC News, Trump lashed out at the billionaire, saying Musk had “lost his mind.”

The clash marks a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two once-close allies.

It follows Musk’s suggestion of launching a new political faction in the United States, tentatively dubbed the “American Party.”

The idea was floated in a poll to his 220 million followers on X (formerly Twitter), where 80 per cent of respondents supported the proposal.

“This is fate,” Musk commented.

Musk’s shift comes as he fiercely criticised the president’s flagship economic proposal, which he labelled the “Big, Beautiful Bill.”

He warned the policy could explode the national debt by $2.4 trillion (£1.8 trillion), undermining his own reform work while leading the now-defunct Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

Musk has even called for Trump’s impeachment, suggesting he be replaced by Vice President JD Vance—a bold move just days after stepping down from DOGE.

Trump dismissed the criticism, claiming Musk’s opposition stemmed from cuts to electric vehicle incentives included in the bill.

He added that a full review of Musk’s substantial federal contracts, including $22 billion (£16.2 billion) in agreements with SpaceX, may now be necessary.

In a symbolic jab, sources say the president is considering selling a Tesla vehicle he previously purchased.

The public feud has already had financial consequences.

Tesla shares tumbled 14.3 per cent on Thursday, wiping out approximately $150 billion (£111 billion) in market value.

The high-profile rift continues to develop amid rising tensions in US politics and speculation about third-party movements ahead of the next presidential election.

(THE STANDARD)

Headline

US: Over 100 Dogs Rescued From Suspected ‘Puppy Mill’ In North Carolina

Published

11 hours ago

June 7, 2025

Editor

Over 100 dogs have been rescued from what appears to be a puppy mill operating out of a home in North Carolina, according to the SPCA of Wake County.

The shelter said the dogs were kept in “egregious conditions,” and many are now receiving treatment for severe health issues.

“Many of the dogs are being treated for skin and dental issues,” the SPCA reported in a social media post on Friday. They also described dogs with “matted dirty fur” coming off in “heaps.”

“This is the biggest moment in these dogs’ lives, and we are feeling so grateful to be a part of their healing,” the shelter added.

The rescue operation took place on Thursday in coordination with Raleigh Animal Control.

“They were housed in egregious conditions, surrounded by their own waste, packed 5 or 6 to a cage and stacked floor to ceiling, or free roaming in cramped quarters and filth,” the SPCA stated.

Following their removal, the dogs were given immediate care and a much-needed break from the conditions they were trapped in.

“They’ve been getting the spa day of their lives — and their first taste of fresh air, possibly ever,” the organization said.

Among the rescued animals were numerous mother dogs nursing their puppies.

Nineteen of the dogs are not currently in the shelter’s direct care, but assessments and treatment are ongoing.

To support the massive rescue and rehabilitation effort, Care First Animal Hospital has pledged to match donations up to $150,000 in veterinary services.

Photos shared by the SPCA on Facebook show the rescued dogs and puppies beginning their journey toward recovery, marking a hopeful turn after enduring horrific neglect.

(ABC News)