Gaza rescuers say Israeli forces kill 23, including children
Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli air strikes and gunfire killed 23 people in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory on Sunday, including at least three children.
Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that his services "transported 23 martyrs, including several children and women" killed in various locations around the Gaza Strip.
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 to root out the Islamist militant group after its October 2023 attack on Israel.
Bassal said two children were killed in an air strike on their home in Gaza City's Zeitun neighbourhood in the early morning, adding "the house was completely destroyed".
A family member, Abdel Rahman Azzam, 45, told AFP he was at home when he "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."
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, while four more people were killed by Israeli gunfire in Rafah, also in the south.
Restrictions on media in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by rescuers.
- Israeli soldier killed -
The Israeli military said in a statement on Sunday that a 20-year-old soldier was killed "during combat in the northern Gaza Strip".
The military had issued an evacuation order earlier in the day for parts of Gaza City and nearby areas in the territory's north.
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 on X.
He told residents to "evacuate immediately" to the Al-Mawasi area on the southern coast.
The civil defence agency later said an Israeli air strike hit a house in Gaza City, killing three people.
AFP video footage filmed from southern Israel showed large plumes of smoke rising from northern Gaza.
- House destroyed -
A resident in the northern town of Jabalia, Ahmed Arar, 60, said his family's house was destroyed after they received a warning it would be bombed from a person identifying himself as an Israeli army officer.
"About half an hour later, they bombed the house, and it was completely destroyed," he told AFP by telephone.
He said the family had already evacuated the house several days ago due to repeated shelling and air strikes.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's October 7, 2023 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 campaign has killed at least 56,500 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the 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.
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A week into the fragile Israel-Iran peace agreement, here's what we still don't know
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Trump didn't offer any further explanation for his optimism. But Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is expected to be in Washington this week for talks on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other matters, according to an official familiar with the matter. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. ___ Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna, Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and David Klepper in Washington contributed to this report.
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You're reading an excerpt from the WorldView newsletter. Sign up to get the rest, including news from around the globe and interesting ideas and opinions to know, sent to your inbox on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. It's not clear how much of Iran's nuclear program is destroyed or inoperable. But the 'total obliteration' declared by President Donald Trump after U.S. warplanes joined an Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic does not seem accurate. An initial U.S. intelligence report assessed that airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities have set Tehran's program back by months, but not wholly eliminated it. On Sunday, my colleagues also reported on intercepted communications between senior Iranian officials who seemed to believe the attacks were less devastating than feared.
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- Associated Press
A week into the fragile Israel-Iran peace agreement, here's what we still don't know
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — It's been a week since the United States pressed Israel and Iran into a truce, ending a bloody, 12-day conflict that had set the Middle East and globe on edge. The fragile peace, brokered by the U.S. the day after it dropped 30,000-pound 'bunker-busting' bombs on three of Iran's key nuclear sites, is holding. But much remains unsettled. How badly Iran's nuclear program was set back remains murky. The prospects of renewed U.S.-Iran peace talks are up in the air. And whether U.S. President Donald Trump can leverage the moment to get Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's government and Hamas focused on a ceasefire and hostage deal that brings about an end to the 20-month war in Gaza remains an open question. Here is a look at what we still don't know: How far Iran's nuclear program has been set backTrump says three targets hit by American strikes were 'obliterated.' His defense secretary said they were 'destroyed.' A preliminary report issued by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, meanwhile, said the strikes did significant damage to the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites, but did not totally destroy the facilities. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said on CBS' 'Face the Nation' on Sunday that the three Iranian sites with 'capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion and enrichment of uranium have been destroyed to an important degree.' But, he added, 'some is still standing' and that because capabilities remain, 'if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again.' He said assessing the full damage comes down to Iran allowing inspectors access. What future US-Iran relations might look like After the ceasefire deal came together, Trump spoke of potentially easing decades of biting sanctions on Tehran and predicted that Iran could become a 'great trading nation' if it pulled back once-and-for-all from its nuclear program. The talk of harmony didn't last long. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in his first public appearance after the ceasefire was announced, claimed Tehran had delivered a 'slap to America's face.' Trump responded by suggesting the supreme leader own up to the fact Iran 'got beat to hell. The president also said he was backing off reviewing any immediate sanction relief, because of Khamenei's heated comments. White House officials say the U.S. and Iran are already in early discussions about resuming negotiations that had ended after Israel began launching strikes. But Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says there's no agreement in place to restart talks. It's unclear if Iran's leadership is ready to come to the table so soon after the fighting has ended — especially if Trump holds to the position that Iran must give up nuclear enrichment for even civilian use. And Trump has offered conflicting statements about his commitment to talks. 'We may sign an agreement,' he said Wednesday at a NATO summit press conference. He added, 'I don't think it's that necessary.' What role Iran's supreme leader will play Khamenei's age and recent diminished appearance have raised questions about the scope of his involvement in U.S.-Iran relations and the Islamic Republic's response to both American and Israeli strikes. But despite having spent the last few weeks in a bunker as threats to his life escalated, there is little indication that the ayatollah does not still reign supreme over the country's massive military and governmental operations. Khamenei has ruled three times longer than his predecessor, the late Ruhollah Khomeini, and has shaped life for the country's more than 90 million people perhaps even more dramatically. He entrenched the system of rule by the 'mullahs,' or Shiite Muslim clerics. That secured his place in the eyes of hard-liners as the unquestionable authority, below only that of God. At the same time, Khamenei built the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into the dominant force in Iran's military and internal politics. How Iran might strike back Iran's retaliatory missile attacks on a U.S. base in Qatar following the American bombardment were sloughed off by the White House as a half-hearted, face-saving measure. The U.S. was forewarned and the salvos were easily fended off. Yet Iran remains a persistent threat, particularly via cyberwarfare. Hackers backing Tehran have already targeted U.S. banks, defense contractors and oil industry companies — but so far have not caused widespread disruptions to critical infrastructure or the economy. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security last week issued a public bulletin warning of increased Iranian cyber threats. And the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, is urging organizations that operate critical infrastructure like water systems, pipelines or power plants to stay vigilant. Whether the Israel-Iran ceasefire will holdIt remains a fragile peace. Immediately following the U.S. strikes, Trump got on the phone with Netanyahu and told the Israeli leader not to expect further U.S. offensive military action, according to a senior White House official who was not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive diplomatic talks. But even as he agreed to deal, Netanyahu made clear that Israel will strike again 'if anyone in Iran tries to revive this project.' The ceasefire deal came without any agreement from Tehran on dismantling its nuclear program. Khamenei claims the attacks 'did nothing significant' to Iran's nuclear facilities. Trump expressed confidence that Iran, at the moment, has no interest in getting its nuclear program back up. 'The last thing they're thinking about right now is enriched uranium,' Trump said. Still, Trump says he expects Iran to open itself to international inspection to verify that it doesn't restart its nuclear program by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, or some other organization 'that we respect, including ourselves.' Whether Trump can now press Netanyahu on Gaza The president took a big gamble with his decision to order strikes on Iran's nuclear fortress. As a candidate, he promised to quickly end Russia's brutal war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, but has failed to find a resolution to either. He also vowed to keep the U.S. military out of foreign conflicts. But after helping Israel with U.S. strikes on Iran, Trump — in conversations with Netanyahu and other world leaders in recent days — has made clear he wants a deal completed soon, according to two people familiar with the private discussions and were not authorized to comment publicly. On Friday, Trump told reporters, 'We think within the next week we're going to get a ceasefire.' Trump didn't offer any further explanation for his optimism. But Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer is expected to be in Washington this week for talks on a Gaza ceasefire, Iran and other matters, according to an official familiar with the matter. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. ___ Madhani reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Stephanie Liechtenstein in Vienna, Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sam Mednick in Tel Aviv, Israel, and David Klepper in Washington contributed to this report.
