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

‘Pioneer Of Cable TV News’: Key Facts About CNN Founder, Ted Turner

Published

3 days ago

May 9, 2026

Editor

Ted Turner, the media businessman who founded CNN died at the age of 87. He died peacefully on Wednesday, surrounded by family, according to Turner Enterprises.

Contents

Launched 24-hour news television

Built a media network

Expanded through sports

Recognition and influence

Philanthropy and global causes

Environmental efforts

Health and later years

Early career path

Leadership and legacy

Personal life

Exit from business

Family

Below are key facts about his life and impact:

Launched 24-hour news television

Turner founded CNN on June 1, 1980, introducing the first 24-hour news channel and changing how audiences follow global events.

Built a media network

He moved from billboards into broadcasting, turning an Atlanta TV station into a national superstation in 1976. His business later grew to include CNN International, TNT, Turner Classic Movies and Cartoon Network.

Expanded through sports

Turner invested in sports broadcasting and owned teams including the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks, using television to reach wider audiences.

Recognition and influence

In 1991, he was named Time magazine’s Man of the Year for his role in shaping modern news coverage.

Philanthropy and global causes

He founded the United Nations Foundation and supported campaigns against nuclear weapons. In 1997, he pledged $1 billion to the United Nations.

Turner supported conservation work, including reintroducing bison in the United States, and backed environmental education through the “Captain Planet” cartoon.

Health and later years

In 2018, Turner revealed he had Lewy body dementia. He also recovered from a mild case of pneumonia in early 2025.

Early career path

He took over his father’s billboard company at 24 after his father’s death and later expanded into radio and television, despite limited experience in journalism.

“I worked until 7 o’clock, and when I got home the news was over,” he once said. “So I missed television news completely. And I figured there were lots of people like me.”

Leadership and legacy

“Ted was an intensely involved and committed leader, intrepid, fearless and always willing to back a hunch and trust his own judgement,” Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO of CNN Worldwide, said in a statement. “He was and always will be the presiding spirit of CNN. Ted is the giant on whose shoulders we stand, and we will all take a moment today to recognize him and his impact on our lives and the world.”

Personal life

Turner married actress Jane Fonda in 1991, and they later divorced after 10 years, though they remained close.

“I would never love anyone like I love him,” she said. “But I just couldn’t keep moving in his world, along the surface for the rest of my life. I knew that I would get to the end of my life and regret not doing the things that I also needed to do for me.”

Exit from business

He sold his company to Time Warner in 1996 and later stepped away following its merger with AOL.

Reflecting on his life, Turner once said: “I lost Jane. I lost my job here. I lost my fortune, most of it. Got a billion or two left. You can get by on that if you economize.”

Family

He is survived by his five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Headline

Iran’s Nationwide Internet Shutdown Hits 70 Days

Published

3 days ago

May 9, 2026

Editor

NetBlocks, a monitoring group, has disclosed that an internet shutdown enforced by the Iranian regime has entered its 70th day, severing key access from swathes of the population under the shadow of war.

NetBlocks reported on Friday that the blackout has now surpassed 1,656 hours, marking more than two months since US-Israeli strikes pounded Tehran and escalated across the Middle East.

“Digital connectivity is vital in times of crisis,” NetBlocks said in a post on X. “Limiting service harms those most in need – people with disabilities, students, small businesses and the general public.”

According to CNN, Iran imposed a separate internet shutdown on the country’s 92 million people earlier this year, when it launched the most lethal crackdown on anti-government protesters since the Islamic Republic’s founding 47 years ago.

CNN further reports that the latest blackout has cut off another potential lifeline for Iranian residents faced with high unemployment and economic pressure exacerbated by the US-Israeli campaign.

(CNN)

Headline

Gas Prices In US Edge Down After Two Weeks Of Increases

Published

3 days ago

May 9, 2026

Editor

The cost of a gallon of regular gas in the United States (US) has edged down a little more than a penny to $4.55.

According to AAA’s readings, this marks the first decline in the average gas price after 15 straight days of increases.

The decline is minuscule compared to the large increases in gas prices over the last two weeks.

According to CNN, gasoline costs rose an average of nearly 4 cents a day during that period and had several daily increases of between 7 and 9 cents.

Also Read: Trump insists US-Iran ceasefire intact despite recent exchange of fire

CNN also reports that based on past gas spikes, it will likely take weeks for gas prices to get down below $4 a gallon.

The report, however, states that a previous two-week stretch of gas price declines only shaved 14 cents off the average price, taking the average price to $4.02, before the recent 15-day run of increases.

According to CNN, it could take months for the average price to fall below $3 per gallon, as it did before the war in Iran.

CNN further reports that only one state – Oklahoma – now has an average price of less than $4 a gallon, and its average stands at $3.98. California has the highest average price at $6.16.

(CNN)