Children among 14 killed in Gaza by Israeli forces, say Gaza rescuers
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told news agency AFP that 13 people died in air strikes at four locations around the Gaza Strip, and another from Israeli fire near an aid distribution centre.
The Israeli military told AFP it was not able to comment on the reported incidents but said it was fighting 'to dismantle Hamas military capabilities' in a campaign launched in 2023 against the Islamist militant group.
Restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP, along with many other outlets, is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers.
Bassal said two children were killed in an air strike on their home in Gaza City's Zeitun neighbourhood in the early morning, and 'the house was completely destroyed.'
A member of the family, Abdel Rahman Azzam, 45, told AFP he was at home and 'heard a huge explosion at my relative's house'.
'I rushed out in panic and saw the house destroyed and on fire,' he added.
'We evacuated more than 20 injured people, including two martyrs – two children from the family. The screams of children and women were non-stop,' Azzam said.
'They bombed the house with a missile without any prior warning. This is a horrific crime. We sleep without knowing if we will wake up.'
Advertisement
Elsewhere, Bassal said a drone strike on a tent housing displaced people near the southern city of Khan Yunis killed five people including a child.
He said that other casualties included a young man killed 'by Israeli fire this morning while waiting for aid' near a humanitarian distribution centre in the southern city of Rafah.
Gaza evacuation order
Palestinians are seen near a site of an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City on Friday, 27 June.
Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
The Israeli military issued an evacuation order on Sunday for parts of Gaza City and nearby areas in the territory's north, warning of imminent action there.
The military 'will operate with intense force in these areas, and these military operations will intensify and expand… to destroy the capabilities of the terrorist organisations', military spokesman Avichay Adraee said in a statement posted on X.
He told residents to 'evacuate immediately south' to Al-Mawasi area on the coast.
Israel launched its offensive in October 2023 in response to the deadly Hamas attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 56,412 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers these figures to be reliable.
After claiming victory in a 12-day war against Iran that ended with a ceasefire on Tuesday, the Israeli military said it would refocus on its offensive in Gaza, where Palestinian militants still hold Israeli hostages.
Yesterday,
at least 72 people were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza
, the health ministry there said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
an hour ago
- Irish Examiner
Benjamin Netanyahu vows ‘there will be no Hamas' in post-war Gaza
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that 'there will be no Hamas' in post-war Gaza. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The US leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement, and bring about an end to the war. Hamas said in a brief statement on Wednesday that it had received a proposal from the mediators and was holding talks with them to 'bridge gaps' to return to the negotiating table to try to reach a ceasefire agreement. Mr Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war, something Israel says it will not accept until Hamas is defeated. He said that a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas' response, which emphasised its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialise into an actual pause in fighting. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said that the militant group was 'ready and serious regarding reaching an agreement'. He said Hamas was 'ready to accept any initiative that clearly leads to the complete end to the war'. A Hamas delegation is expected to meet Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official.
The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
Dalai Lama says he plans to reincarnate after his death, meaning he will have a successor
THE DALAI LAMA has said the centuries-old Tibetan Buddhist institution will continue after his death, ending years of speculation that started when he indicated he might be the last person to hold the role. Speaking at prayer celebrations ahead of his 90th birthday on Sunday, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism said the next Dalai Lama should be found and recognised as per past Buddhist traditions, while signalling that China should stay away from the process of identifying his successor. The Dalai Lama's succession plan is politically consequential for most Tibetans who oppose Beijing's tight control of Tibet and have struggled to keep their identity alive, in their homeland or in exile. It is also profound for Tibetan Buddhists who worship him as a living manifestation of Chenrezig, the Buddhist god of compassion. The statement is expected to anger China, which has repeatedly said that it alone has the authority to approve the next religious leader. It insists the successor must be found in China's Tibetan areas, giving communist authorities power over who is chosen. Many observers believe there eventually will be rival Dalai Lamas — one appointed by Beijing, and one by senior monks loyal to the current Dalai Lama. Tenzin Gyatso became the 14th Dalai Lama in 1940. He fled Tibet when Chinese troops crushed an uprising in the Tibetan capital Lhasa in 1959 and has since been living in exile in the Indian town of Dharamshala. Tibetan Buddhists believe the Dalai Lama can choose the body into which he is reincarnated. The current Dalai Lama has said in the past that his successor will be born outside China. He laid out his succession plan in a recorded statement that was televised at a religious gathering of Buddhist monks in Dharamshala. He said the process of finding and recognising his reincarnation lies solely with the Gaden Phodrang Trust — an organisation founded by him in 2015. Advertisement 'No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter,' he said, adding that the search for a future Dalai Lama should be carried out in 'accordance with past tradition'. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said 'the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama must adhere to the principles of domestic search in China' and 'approval by the central government'. She added that the process must 'follow religious rituals and historical settings, and be handled in accordance with national laws and regulations'. The Dalai Lama pictured in 1991. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The Dalai Lama has often urged his followers to reject anyone chosen by Beijing. The self-proclaimed Tibetan government-in-exile he once headed before relinquishing his political role in 2011 supports this stance. Penpa Tsering, president of the government-in-exile, said Tibetans from around the world made 'an earnest request with single-minded devotion' that the position of the Dalai Lama should continue 'for the benefit of all sentient beings in general and Buddhist in particular'. 'In response to this overwhelming supplication, His Holiness has shown infinite compassion and finally agreed to accept our appeal on this special occasion of his 90th birthday,' he said at a press conference. Tsering warned China not to meddle in the process of the succession, saying it is a 'unique Tibetan Buddhist tradition'. 'We strongly condemn the People's Republic of China's usage of reincarnation subject for their political gain, and will never accept it,' he said. The search for a reincarnation begins after the incumbent's death. In the past, the successor has been identified by senior monastic disciples, based on spiritual signs and visions, and it can take several years before the next Dalai Lama is identified as a baby and groomed to take the reins.
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Ageing Dalai Lama sets up chilling clash with enemy China as he reveals succession plan in defiance of communist regime
THE Dalai Lama has reignited a long-standing feud with the Chinese government after he confirmed he will appoint his own successor. Xi Jinping's communist regime has warned only they will get the final say over who takes over as the next Buddhist leader. 5 The Dalai Lama has reignited a long-standing feud with the Chinese government after he confirmed he will appoint his own successor Credit: AFP 5 The announcement from the Dalai Lama came via a video message Credit: Reuters 5 The ageing Buddhist leader has suffered from several health complications in recent years Credit: AFP The announcement from the Dalai Lama on Wednesday put an end to decades of uncertainty over the future of the Tibetan spiritual religion. In recent years, speculation had grown that the 14th Dalai Lama currently in power could be the final one. Just four days before his 90th birthday, the head of the religion announced: "I am affirming that the institution will continue." Tibetan tradition holds that the soul of a senior Buddhist monk is reincarnated in the body of a child upon his death. read more in China It often takes years to identify the child who is said to be the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama. His recorded video message also appeared to take aim at China as he said: "No one else has any such authority to interfere in this matter." The Chinese have tried to muscle their way into conversations around the Dalai Lama across the past few decades. Beijing sees the spiritual leader as a 'separatist' who is seeking independence from Tibet - therefore weakening China's grip on the region. Most read in The US Sun The Chinese army first invaded Tibet to bring them under the control of the Communist Party in 1959. Since then, the 14th Dalai Lama, born Tenzin Gyatso, has been living in exile in Dharamsala, a Himalayan town in Himachal Pradesh in northern India. Dalai Lama explains how to train your mind to tackle destructive emotions in India The Nobel Peace Prize-winning Buddhist leader has traveled the world to advocate for nonviolence and the 'true' autonomy and cultural and religious freedom of Tibetans. Angered by the Dalai Lama's comments, China has been trying to bring elements of the Tibetan religious institution under state control. They also want to absorb the people into one nation around the Communist Party. The Chinese government has reportedly assumed they will select the next Dalai Lama. Beijing insists the next Dalai Lama needs government approval before being declared with the best way of deciding being through a lot-drawing system. But Beijing's hopes appear to have been dashed as the sitting leader gathered senior Tibetan Buddhist monks in Dharamsala today and said his office has the 'sole authority' over the next reincarnation. He said he consulted with the heads of Tibetan Buddhist traditions and other religious leaders to search for and recognize a successor as per the traditions. He has said in the past that his successor would be born in a 'free country', indicating that the next spiritual head could come from Tibetan exiles. How is the Dalai Lama chosen? APPOINTING the Dalai Lama has been a centuries-old tradition upheld by Tibetan buddhists. Believers say the next leader is always reincarnated once the previous one passes away. Senior monks are tasked with discovering who the holy successor is by searching for them far and wide. Many believe the chosen one harbours the soul of his predecessor. The current Dalai Lama, the 14th ever, was identified when he was just two years old. The sitting Dalai Lama has set up the Gaden Phodrang Foundation to help maintain and support all religious duties - including his successor. The group's senior officers, which include his aides, will carry out the procedures of search and recognition in accordance with past tradition, The successor has always been a male child from Tibet but in recent years speculation has grown that the future pick could not be male. The Dalai Lama himself has even admitted his successor will not be from Tibet or China due to the growing number of believers living outside of the region. Of the 140,000 Tibetan exiles, half live in India. He has also expressed being open to a successor who isn't a child, or not a man, in a break with centuries of tradition. The Dalai Lama was born Lhamo Dhondup in 1935 to a family of buckwheat and barley farmers in what is now the northwestern Chinese province of Qinghai. At the age of two, he was deemed by a search party to be the 14th reincarnation of Tibet's spiritual and temporal leader after identifying several of his predecessor's possessions. Nine years after he assumed his position, fears grew that the Dalai Lama could be kidnapped by Beijing. A subsequent crackdown by the Chinese army forced him to escape disguised as a common soldier from the palace in Lhasa, where his predecessors had held absolute power. In 2011, he announced he would relinquish his political role, handing over those responsibilities to an elected leader for the Tibetan government-in-exile. Penpa Tsering was appointed as he said today Tibetans from around the world made an earnest request with single-minded devotion that the position of the Dalai Lama should continue for the "benefit of all sentient beings in general and Buddhist in particular." He said in a statement: "In response to this overwhelming supplication, His Holiness has shown infinite compassion and finally agreed to accept our appeal on this special occasion of his 90th birthday." Tsering also warned China not to meddle in the decision-making process of the successor due to it being a unique Tibetan Buddhist tradition. "We strongly condemn the Peoples Republic of China's usage of reincarnation subject for their political gain, and will never accept it," he added. 5 King Charles with the Dalai Lama back in 2012 during a visit to London Credit: AFP 5 A 1986 snap of Pope John Paul II and the Dalai Lama in New Delhi Credit: AFP
