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Dozens shot dead in Gaza, authorities say

Dozens shot dead in Gaza, authorities say

9 Newsa day ago
At least 32 people have been killed by Israeli fire while on their way to aid centres in Gaza, according to local officials.
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A generation of Palestinians have had virtually no access to education since the war in Gaza began
A generation of Palestinians have had virtually no access to education since the war in Gaza began

Los Angeles Times

time12 minutes ago

  • Los Angeles Times

A generation of Palestinians have had virtually no access to education since the war in Gaza began

KHAN YUNIS, Gaza Strip — Two years ago, Sarah Qanan was a star high school student preparing for final exams and dreaming of becoming a doctor. Today, the 18-year-old lives in a sweltering tent in the Gaza Strip and says she is just trying to stay alive. She's part of a generation of Palestinians from grade school through university who have had virtually no access to education in the territory since the war began in October 2023. Classes were suspended that month and schools were transformed into crowded shelters as hundreds of thousands fled their homes at the start of Israel's campaign of retaliation after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack. The closure of schools has removed a key social outlet for young people as they grapple with war, hunger and displacement. For younger children, it has meant missing out on basic skills like reading and simple arithmetic. For older students, advanced subjects, graduation exams and college applications have all been put on hold. Even if negotiations lead to another ceasefire, it's unclear when anything in Gaza will be rebuilt. Vast areas have been completely destroyed, and the U.N. children's agency estimates that nearly 90% of schools will need substantial reconstruction before they can function again. Like many in Gaza, Qanan's family has been displaced multiple times and is now living in a tent. When an Israeli airstrike destroyed their home in early 2024, she dug through the rubble in search of her books, but 'there was nothing left.' 'My sole dream was to study medicine,' Qanan said. 'I stopped thinking about it. All my thoughts now are about how to survive.' More than 650,000 students have had no access to education since the start of the war, according to the U.N. children's agency, UNICEF. That includes nearly 40,000 students who were unable to take university entry exams that largely determine their career prospects. It's the first time in decades that the exams were not administered in Gaza. Israel's bombardment and ground operations have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and displaced 90% of Gaza's population. School-age children in crowded shelters and tent camps are often forced to help their families find food, water and firewood. A complete Israeli blockade imposed in early March that was only slightly eased 2 ½ months later has driven the territory to the brink of famine. Local education officials, working with UNICEF and other aid groups, set up hundreds of learning spaces to try and provide education during the war. 'We're trying to salvage what we can of the educational process, so that the next generation doesn't slip through our fingers,' said Mohamed al-Asouli, head of the education department in the southern city of Khan Yunis. During a six-week ceasefire in January and February, some 600 learning spaces provided lessons for around 173,000 children, according to UNICEF. But since March, when Israel ended the truce with a surprise bombardment, nearly half have shut down. 'The impact goes beyond learning losses,' said Rosalia Bollen, a UNICEF spokeswoman. 'Children in Gaza have been trapped in a cycle not just of exposure to unprecedented violence, but also a cycle of fear, of toxic stress, of anxiety.' Some have tried to continue their studies through online learning, but it's not easy in Gaza, where there has been no central electricity since the start of the war. Palestinians must use solar panels or hard-to-find generators to charge their phones, and internet is unreliable. 'The mobile phone is not always charged, and we only have one at home,' said Nesma Zouaroub, a mother of four school-age children. She said her youngest son should be in second grade but does not know how to read or write. 'The children's future is ruined,' she said. Ola Shaban tried to continue her civil engineering studies online through her university after the campus was destroyed by Israeli forces in April 2024. She had to walk long distances to get a signal in her hometown near Khan Yunis, and she eventually gave up. 'I couldn't continue because of lack of internet, continuous displacement and the constant sense of fear,' she said. 'Two years of my life are gone.' Israel's offensive has killed over 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government, does not differentiate between combatants and civilians but says over half the dead are women and children. Its figures are used by the U.N. and other international organizations as the most reliable statistics on war casualties. Hamas-led militants killed some 1,200 people in the Oct. 7 attack and abducted 251. They are still holding 50 hostages, less than half believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire deals or other agreements. Qanan's father, Ibrahim, a local journalist, said his family did everything it could to support Sarah's ambition to study medicine, only to see it go up in smoke when the war broke out. 'The war stunned us and turned our life upside down,' the father of six said. 'Our dreams and hopes were buried in the rubble of our home.' Magdy and Hana write for the Associated Press. Magdy reported from Cairo.

UK joins call for 'immediate' end to war in Gaza as IDF moves into Deir al-Balah
UK joins call for 'immediate' end to war in Gaza as IDF moves into Deir al-Balah

STV News

time12 minutes ago

  • STV News

UK joins call for 'immediate' end to war in Gaza as IDF moves into Deir al-Balah

The UK government and 25 others have called for an 'immediate' end to the war in Gaza, as the IDF has launched an assault on Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. The joint statement, released by the Foreign Office, condemns the 'horrifying' killing of Palestinians seeking aid, and brands Israeli government's aid strategy in Gaza as 'dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.' It comes as the IDF ordered the evacuation of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, with charities in the city reporting Israeli military vehicles on the ground. The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new 25 other partners, the UK message is clear: the war in Gaza must end now. We need an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages and a full resumption of — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 21, 2025 The statement was signed by the Foreign Secretary David Lammy and foreign ministers of other 24 nations including Canada, Australia and France, and the EU Commissioner for Equality. They condemn the 'drip feeding of aid' and the 'inhumane' killing of civilians, including children, while searching for water and food. It continues: 'It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. 'The Israeli Government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law. 'The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release. A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families. 'We call on the Israeli government to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life-saving work safely and effectively.' Meanwhile, the IDF has ordered Palestinians to evacuate Deir al-Balah in central Gaza and move south towards Al-Mawasi. Deir al-Balah had previously been considered one of the less hard-hit parts of the territory, and had been a key hub for humanitarian efforts. Posting on X (formerly Twitter), a spokesman for the IDF said the army continued to operate with 'great force' and was expanding its operations into 'an area it has not operated in before.' #عاجل ‼️ إلى جميع المتواجدين في المنطقة الجنوبية الغربية من دير البلح، في البلوكات 130، 132-134، 136-139، 2351، بما في ذلك المتواجدين داخل الخيام الموجودة في المنطقة ⭕️يواصل جيش الدفاع العمل بقوة كبيرة لتدمير قدرات العدو والبنى التحتية الإرهابية في المنطقة حيث يوسّع أنشطته في… — افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) July 20, 2025 A spokesperson for charity Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP) has described the situation in Deir al-Balah as 'extremely critical.' They added: 'Shelling is taking place all around our office, and military vehicles are just 400 metres away from our colleagues and their families, who endured a harrowing night after relocating there. 'Everyone is now evacuating, with most unsure where to go next. One colleague shared that the area is filled with shelling and quadcopter strikes, and there's growing fear about both staying and attempting to leave.' Smoke was seen rising over the Gaza Strip on Monday as Israel widened evacuation orders. On Sunday, Medical Aid for Palestinians confirmed the IDF's evacuation order area included humanitarian and primary healthcare sites it operated. It said the forced displacement orders do not allow for the transport medial equipment or supplies. Steve Cutts, MAP's Interim CEO, said: 'This latest forced displacement order is yet another attack on humanitarian operations and a deliberate attempt to sever the last remaining threads of Gaza's health and aid system. 'MAP now has to suspend critical services we have been providing to the Palestinian population, including a primary health clinic that serves hundreds of civilians every day. 'With Israel's systematic targeting of health and aid workers, no one is safe. Not only are we prevented from carrying out our lifesaving work to support Palestinians, we are also unable to protect our own teams.' As talks for a ceasefire continue, the death toll in Gaza has reached more than 59,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

Israeli military attacks Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port
Israeli military attacks Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port

The Hindu

time13 minutes ago

  • The Hindu

Israeli military attacks Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port

The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday (July 21, 2025) in its latest assault on the Iran-backed militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said the army was "forcefully countering any attempt to restore the terror infrastructure previously attacked." The Houthi-run Al Masirah TV said on Monday that a series of attacks on the port was under way, without providing any details. The Israeli military said in a statement that the port it attacked had been used "among other things, to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are then used by the Houthi to execute terrorist attacks against the State of Israel and its allies." Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian militant group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians. Israel has responded by launching attacks on Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, including the vital Hodeidah port. "As I have made clear – Yemen's fate is the same as Tehran's. The Houthis will pay a heavy price for launching missiles toward the State of Israel," Katz said. The Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said on Monday that the group attacked several targets in Israel with drones, which was in response to Israel's recent attack on Hodeidah port and the continued military campaign against Gaza. Earlier in July, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on the Greek ship Eternity C that maritime officials say killed four of the 25 people aboard. In May, the United States announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.

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