Ten Key Moments In Israel’s War With Hamas

Published

2 years ago

January 5, 2024

The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7 when Palestinian militants rampaged through southern Israel.

The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel responded with a devastating military campaign in Hamas-ruled Gaza that has killed at least 22,600 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the besieged territory.

AFP looks back at key moments in the three-month war which has devastated the Gaza Strip and sent shockwaves across the region.

Oct. 7: Hamas attacks

At dawn on October 7, at the end of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, hundreds of Hamas fighters infiltrate Israel from Gaza by land, sea and air.

They kill civilians indiscriminately in the streets, in their homes and at a desert music festival, and attack troops in army bases, in the worst ever attack in Israel’s history.

They also take about 250 people hostage.

Israel vows to destroy Hamas and begins bombarding Gaza.

Oct. 13: exodus from north Gaza

On October 13, Israel calls on civilians in northern Gaza to move south within 24 hours, declaring the north, which includes Gaza City, a war zone.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians flee to the south as entire districts in the north are razed to the ground.

Oct. 17: hospital blast

On October 17, an explosion in the car park of Gaza’s Al-Ahli hospital leaves scores of people dead.

Hamas accuses Israel, which denies responsibility and blames a misfired rocket launched by Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian militant group — a claim backed by the United States.

Oct. 27: tanks enter Gaza

On October 27, Israeli tanks roll into Gaza at the start of a much-feared ground offensive.

The troops fight their way towards Gaza City.

Nov. 15: outcry over hospital raid

On November 15, Israeli troops launch a night-time raid on Al-Shifa hospital, Gaza’s biggest medical facility where bodies had been piling up after food, fuel and anaesthetics ran out.

The raid causes an international outcry, and Israel claims Hamas is running a command centre below the hospital, which the armed group denies.

Nov. 24: truce and hostage swap

On November 24, a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas takes effect.

Hamas releases 80 hostages over seven days in return for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, and aid shipments are allowed into Gaza.

Twenty-five other hostages, mainly Thai farm workers, are released outside of the scope of the deal.

Dec. 4: tanks in south Gaza

As the war resumes Israel expands its actions against Hamas into southern Gaza, which had previously been considered relatively safe.

On December 4, dozens of tanks entered the south of the territory, which is packed with internally displaced Palestinians.

Dec. 8: US veto

The United States vetoes a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire, despite a growing international clamour for an end to Israel’s campaign.

Two weeks later Washington approves a resolution demanding more aid be allowed into Gaza but not a halt in the fighting.

Dec. 18: Red Sea coalition

The US announces the formation of an international naval coalition to protect container ships in the Red Sea from a surge in attacks by Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen.

The Huthis say the drone and missile strikes are in solidarity with Gazans.

Jan. 2: Hamas deputy leader killed

Hamas’s deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri is killed along with six other Hamas members in a missile strike on south Beirut.

He is the most high-profile Hamas member to be killed since the war began.

Israel does not deny responsibility.

AFP

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

Headline

US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

2 days ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”