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Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
A week of fending off hunger in Gaza
Naeema, a 30-year-old Palestinian mother, carried her malnourished 2-year-old son, Yazan, in their damaged home in the Al-Shati refugee camp on July 23. The World Food Programme said nearly one in three people in Gaza are not eating for days at a stretch and "thousands" were "on the verge of catastrophic hunger." OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images .image { margin-top: 100px; } .image figcaption { display: block; max-width: 750px; margin-right: auto; margin-left: auto; font-size: 18px; caption-side: bottom; line-height: 1.5; } Men carried sacks of flour after raiding a truck that was carrying foodstuffs, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22. -/AFP via Getty Images A Palestinian woman grieved over the body of a man killed at a food distribution point in the southern Gaza Strip, at the Nasser hospital on July 19. -/AFP via Getty Images Palestinian children waited for a meal at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22. -/AFP via Getty Images A displaced Palestinian child sat next to a pot of lentil soup that he received at a food distribution point in Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip on July 25. OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images Palestinian mothers sat with their malnourished children as they awaited treatment at the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 24. -/AFP via Getty Images A Palestinian boy waited for a meal at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22. -/AFP via Getty Images Israeli activists took part in a protest against the war in the Gaza Strip, Israel's measures regarding food distribution, and the forced displacement of Palestinians, in Tel Aviv on July 22. Ohad Zwigenberg/Associated Press Rama, a 4-month-old malnourished Palestinian girl, laid in a hospital bed as she awaited treatment at the Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 24. -/AFP via Getty Images A woman caressed a child's head as Palestinians waited at a food distribution point in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 19. EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images People carried sacks of flour walk along al-Rashid street in western Jabalia on June 17 after humanitarian aid trucks reportedly entered the northern Gaza Strip through the Israeli-controlled Zikim border crossing, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. BASHAR TALEB/AFP via Getty Images The mother of Yahya Fadi al-Najjar, an infant who died due to malnourishment, mourned as she held his body during the funeral at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 20. -/AFP via Getty Images A Palestinian girl sought out a meal at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on July 22. -/AFP via Getty Images Crowds struggled to get to the beginning of the line at a food distribution point in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 19. EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images A displaced Palestinian girl took a sip of lentil soup that she received at a food distribution point in Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip on July 25. OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images Palestinians gathered at a food distribution point in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on July 19. EYAD BABA/AFP via Getty Images Mohammed al-Mutawaq, an 18-month-old Palestinian boy suffering from medical issues and displaying signs of malnutrition, lay on a mattress inside a tent in the Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, on July 24. OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images
Herald Malaysia
5 days ago
- Politics
- Herald Malaysia
Israel says ‘deviation of munitions' led to deadly strike on Gaza Catholic church
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said a 'deviation of munitions' led to the accidental strike on Holy Family Church in Gaza, an incident that resulted in three deaths and multiple injuries last week. Jul 24, 2025 A picture shows a view of a damaged facade of the Holy Family Church on July 18, 2025, a day after it was hit in an Israeli strike in Gaza City on July 17. | Credit: OMAR AL-QATTAA/AFP via Getty Images By Daniel Payne Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said a 'deviation of munitions' led to the accidental strike on Holy Family Church in Gaza, an incident that resulted in three deaths and multiple injuries last week. The July 17 strike claimed the lives of three civilians at the church and injured nine, including the pastor, Father Gabriel Romanelli. The church has served as a shelter for more than 600 people since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in October 2023, including Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims. Israeli officials said last week that the parish was 'mistakenly' hit by IDF fire. In a statement on July 23, meanwhile, military spokesman Nadav Shoshani said an IDF inquiry showed the church was struck 'due to an unintentional deviation of munitions.' 'The impact caused damage to the structure and injured several Gazan civilians,' Shoshani said. The statement did not mention the three deaths at the parish. The IDF 'directs its military strikes solely at military targets and works to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure as much as possible, including religious institutions,' the statement said. The Israeli military 'regrets any harm caused to civilians,' the statement added. 'Grave dangers' In a Wednesday statement, the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said it learned of the results of the inquiry through media reports. 'The published findings of the investigation only underscore the grave dangers of conducting military operations in the vicinity of religious and civilian sites,' the statement said. The findings 'once again highlight the vital importance of upholding the principles of international humanitarian law.' The Wednesday statement from IDF said the military has 'facilitated the entry of humanitarian aid, including food, medical equipment, and medication, to the Holy Family Church in Gaza,' though the patriarchate said on Wednesday that aid 'has not yet been delivered' to the parish. Aid workers would distribute food and medical supplies to the parish and surrounding neighborhoods upon being let into the area, the patriarchate said. The bombing has greatly stirred tensions in a region already fraught with conflict, particularly in the nearly two years since Hamas invaded Israel, touching off a protracted conflict that has left tens of thousands dead. Holy Family Church, the only Catholic parish in Gaza, has often been at the center of media and international attention amid the conflict. It has provided shelter and aid to hundreds in the war-torn region. Pope Francis made regular nightly calls to the parish in the roughly year and a half leading up to his death, with the parish children calling the Holy Father 'grandfather.' Though IDF issued an unprecedented admittance of error last week, Patriarchate Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa stirred tensions further when he suggested to an Italian newspaper that the strike may have been made on purpose. 'They say it was an error. Even if everybody here believes it wasn't,' the prelate said last week.--CNA
Toronto Sun
02-07-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Hamas open to ceasefire as Netanyahu says there's no room for them in Gaza
Published Jul 02, 2025 • 5 minute read Palestinian men carry the bodies of children killed earlier in the day in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, during a funeral precession from Baptist Hospital to a cemetary, on July 2, 2025, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas militant group. Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images CAIRO — Hamas and Israel staked out their positions Wednesday ahead of expected talks on a Washington-backed ceasefire proposal, with the militant group suggesting it was open to an agreement while the Israeli prime minister vowed that 'there will be no Hamas' in postwar Gaza. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Both sides stopped short of accepting the proposal announced Tuesday by U.S. President Donald Trump. Hamas insisted on its longstanding position that any deal bring an end to the war in Gaza. Trump said Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept the deal before conditions worsen. The U.S. leader has been increasing pressure on the Israeli government and Hamas to broker a ceasefire and hostage agreement. Trump said the 60-day period would be used to work toward ending the war — something Israel says it won't accept until Hamas is defeated. He said a deal might come together as soon as next week. But Hamas' response, which emphasized its demand that the war end, raised questions about whether the latest offer could materialize into an actual pause in fighting. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said 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 was expected to meet Wednesday with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo to discuss the proposal, according to an Egyptian official. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because he wasn't authorized to discuss the talks with the media. Disagreement on how war should end Throughout the nearly 21-month-long war, ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas have repeatedly faltered over whether the war should end as part of any deal. Hamas said in a brief statement 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. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hamas has said it's willing to free the remaining 50 hostages, less than half of whom are said to be alive, in exchange for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war. Israel says it will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms and exiles itself, something the group refuses to do. 'I am announcing to you — there will be no Hamas,' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a speech Wednesday. An Israeli official said the latest proposal calls for a 60-day deal that would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a surge in humanitarian aid to the territory. The mediators and the U.S. would provide assurances about talks to end the war, but Israel isn't committing to that as part of the latest proposal, the official said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The official wasn't authorized to discuss the details of the proposed deal with the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. It wasn't clear how many hostages would be freed as part of the agreement, but previous proposals have called for the release of about 10. 'I'm holding my hands and praying that this will come about,' said Idit Ohel, mother of Israeli hostage Alon Ohel. 'I hope the world will help this happen, will put pressure on whoever they need to, so the war will stop and the hostages will return.' On Monday, Trump is set to host Netanyahu at the White House, days after Ron Dermer, a senior Netanyahu adviser, held discussions with top U.S. officials about Gaza, Iran and other matters. Trump issues another warning On Tuesday, Trump wrote on social media that Israel had 'agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize' the 60-day ceasefire, 'during which time we will work with all parties to end the War.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,' he said. Trump's warning may find a skeptical audience with Hamas. Even before the expiration of the war's longest ceasefire in March, Trump had repeatedly issued dramatic ultimatums to pressure Hamas to agree to longer pauses in the fighting that would see the release of more hostages and a return of more aid for Gaza's civilians. Still, Trump views the current moment as a potential turning point in the brutal conflict that has left more than 57,000 dead in the Palestinian territory. Gaza's Health Ministry said the death toll passed the 57,000 mark Tuesday into Wednesday, after hospitals received 142 bodies overnight. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its death count, but says that more than half of the dead are women and children. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Since dawn Wednesday, Israeli strikes killed a total of 40 people across the Gaza Strip, the ministry said. Hospital officials said four children and seven women were among the dead. The Israeli military, which blames Hamas for the civilian casualties because it operates from populated areas, was looking into the reports. The war began on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking roughly 250 hostages. The fighting has left the coastal Palestinian territory in ruins, with much of the urban landscape flattened in the fighting. More than 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times. And the war has sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, pushing hundreds of thousands of people toward hunger. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The director of the Indonesian Hospital, Dr. Marwan al-Sultan, was killed in an apartment in an Israeli strike west of Gaza City, a hospital statement said. The hospital is the Palestinian enclave's largest medical facility north of Gaza City and has been a critical lifeline since the start of the war. The hospital was surrounded by Israeli troops last month and evacuated alongside the other two primary hospitals in northern Gaza. The bodies of the doctor, his wife, daughter and son-in-law, arrived at Shifa Hospital torn into pieces, according to Issam Nabhan, head of the nursing department at the Indonesian Hospital. 'Gaza lost a great man and doctor,' Nabhan said. 'He never left the hospital one moment since the war began and urged us to stay and provide humanitarian assistance. We don't know what he did to deserve getting killed.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In central Gaza, the Al Awda Hospital said an Israeli strike near the entrance of a school housing displaced Palestinians killed eight people, including three children, and wounded 30 others. The hospital also said Israel struck a group of Palestinians who gathered near the entrance of the hospital's administration building in Nuseirat refugee camp. In other developments, Israel said an airstrike last week killed two Hamas members who allegedly took part in a June 24 attack in which seven Israeli soldiers were killed when a Palestinian attacker attached a bomb to their armoured vehicle. — Bassem Mroue reported from Beirut. Moshe Edri in Tel Aviv, Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut, and Josef Federman in Jerusalem, contributed to this report. Sports News Money News MLB Editorial Cartoons
Toronto Sun
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
82 killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza as desperately needed aid fails to reach Palestinians
Published May 21, 2025 • 4 minute read Displaced Palestinians look through the debris inside a classroom after an Israeli airstrike hit the Mussa bin Nusseir UNRWA school, serving as a shelter for people who left their homes in the besieged Palestinian territory, in Gaza City's Daraj district on May 20, 2025. Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza (AP) — Israeli strikes continued to pound the Gaza Strip Wednesday, despite a surge in international anger at Israel's widening offensive. The attacks killed at least 82 people, including several women and a week-old infant, according to the Gaza Health Ministry and area hospitals. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Israel began allowing dozens of humanitarian trucks into Gaza on Tuesday, but the aid has not yet reached Palestinians in desperate need. Jens Laerke, the spokesperson for the U.N.'s humanitarian agency, said no trucks were picked up from the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom, the Israeli border crossing with southern Gaza. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday that although the aid had entered Gaza, aid workers were not able to bring it to distribution points, after the Israeli military forced them to reload the supplies onto separate trucks and workers ran out of time. The Israeli defence body that oversees humanitarian aid to Gaza said trucks were entering Gaza on Wednesday morning, but it was unclear if that aid would be able to continue deeper into Gaza for distribution. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said its staff had waited several hours to collect aid from the border crossing in order to begin distribution but were unable to do so on Tuesday. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A few dozen Israeli activists opposed to Israel's decision to allow aid into Gaza while Hamas still holds Israeli hostages attempted to block the trucks carrying the aid on Wednesday morning, but were kept back by Israeli police. Diplomats come under fire in Jenin A group of diplomats came under fire while visiting Jenin, a city in the Israel-occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Authority. The diplomats were on official mission to observe the humanitarian situation in Jenin when shots rang out. An aid worker, who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal, said a delegation of about 20 diplomats was being briefed about the situation in Jenin by the Palestinian Authority. The group of regional, European and Western diplomats were standing near the entrance of the Jenin refugee camp when they heard gunshots just before 2 p.m., though it was unclear where the shots came from, she said. No one was injured, she added. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Israeli military said the visit had been approved, but the delegation 'deviated from the approved route' and Israeli soldiers fired warning shots to distance them from the area. The military apologized for the incident and said they will contact all of the relevant countries involved in the visit. Footage shows a number of diplomats giving media interviews as rapid shots ring out close to the group, forcing them to run for cover. Jenin has been the site of Israel's widespread crackdown against West Bank militants since earlier this year. On Jan. 21 — just two days after its ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza — Israeli forces descended on Jenin as they have dozens of times since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The fighting displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians, one of the largest West Bank displacements in years. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Palestinian women bid farewell to loved ones at Gaza City's Al-Ahli Arab hospital, also known as the Baptist hospital, following an Israeli airstrike that hit an UNRWA school, serving as a shelter for people who left their homes in the besieged Palestinian territory, on May 20, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP) Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images International pressure increases against Israel On Tuesday, the United Kingdom. suspended free trade talks with Israel over its intensifying assault, a step that came a day after the U.K., Canada and France promised concrete steps to prompt Israel to halt the war. Separately, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc was reviewing an EU pact governing trade ties with Israel over its conduct of the war in Gaza. Israel says it is prepared to stop the war once all the hostages taken by Hamas return home and Hamas is defeated, or is exiled and disarmed. Hamas says it is prepared to release the hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from the territory and an end to the war. It rejects demands for exile and disarmament. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Israel called back its senior negotiating team from ceasefire talks in the Qatari capital of Doha on Tuesday, saying it would leave lower-level officials in place instead. Qatari leaders, who are mediating negotiations, said there was a large gap between the two sides that they had been unable to bridge. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued across Gaza. In the southern city of Khan Younis, where Israel recently ordered new evacuations pending an expected expanded offensive, 24 people were killed, 14 of them from the same family. A week-old infant was killed in central Gaza. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strikes, but has said it is targeting Hamas infrastructure and accused Hamas militants of operating from civilian areas. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday urged world leaders to take immediate action to end Israel's siege on Gaza, issuing the appeal in a written statement during a visit to Beirut, where he is expected to discuss the disarmament of Palestinian factions in Lebanon's refugee camps. 'I call on world leaders to take urgent and decisive measures to break the siege on our people in the Gaza Strip,' Abbas said, demanding the immediate entry of aid, an end to the Israeli offensive, the release of detainees, and a full withdrawal from Gaza. 'It is time to end the war of extermination against the Palestinian people. I reiterate that we will not leave, and we will remain here on the land of our homeland, Palestine,' Abbas said. The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 others. The militants are still holding 58 captives, around a third of whom are believed to be alive, after most of the rest were returned in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel's retaliatory offensive, which has destroyed large swaths of Gaza, has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count. Columnists Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists Basketball
Toronto Sun
07-05-2025
- Health
- Toronto Sun
Israeli strikes across Gaza kill at least 59 as Israel prepares to ramp up its offensive
Published May 07, 2025 • 4 minute read Palestinian men mourn over a body wrapped in a blanket at the Al-Ahli hospital, also known as the Baptist or Ahli Arab hospital, on May 7, 2025 following an Israeli strike in Gaza City. Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP via Getty Images DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes across Gaza killed at least 59 people, including women and children, hospital officials said Wednesday, as Israel prepares to ramp up its campaign against Hamas in a devastating war now entering its 20th month. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The strikes included one attack on Tuesday night on a school sheltering hundreds of displaced Palestinians, which killed 27 people, officials from the Al-Aqsa Hospital said, including nine women and three children. It was the fifth time since the war began that the school in central Gaza has been struck. An early morning strike on another school turned shelter in Gaza City killed 16 people, according to officials at Al-Ahli Hospital, while strikes on targets in other areas killed at least 16 others. A large column of smoke rose and fires pierced the dark skies above the school shelter in Bureij, a built-up urban refugee camp. Paramedics and rescuers rushed to pull people out from the blaze. The Israeli military had no immediate comment on the strikes. Israel blames Hamas for the death toll because it operates from civilian infrastructure, including schools. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The new bloodshed comes days after Israel approved a plan to intensify its operations in the Palestinian enclave, which would include seizing Gaza, holding on to captured territories, forcibly displacing Palestinians to southern Gaza and taking control of aid distribution along with private security companies. Israel is also calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers to carry out the plan. Israel says the plan will be gradual and will not be implemented until after U.S. President Donald Trump wraps up his visit to the region later this month. Any escalation of fighting would likely drive up the death toll. And with Israel already controlling some 50% of Gaza, increasing its hold on the territory, for an indefinite amount of time, could open up the potential for a military occupation, which would raise questions about how Israel plans to have the territory governed, especially at a time when it is considering how to implement Trump's vision to take over Gaza. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Israel's offensive has killed more than 52,000 people in Gaza, many of them women and children, according to Palestinian health officials. The officials do not distinguish between combatants and civilians in their count. Trump on Tuesday stunned many in Israel when he declared that only 21 of the 59 hostages remaining in Gaza are still alive. Israel insists that figure stands at 24, although an Israeli official said there was 'serious concern' for the lives of three captives. The official said there has been no sign of life from those three, whom the official did not identify. He said that until there is evidence proving otherwise, the three are considered to be alive. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive details related to the war, said the families of the captives were updated on those developments. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing the families of the captives, demanded from Israel's government that if there is 'new information being kept from us, give it to us immediately.' It also called for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the war in Gaza until all hostages are returned. 'This is the most urgent and important national mission,' it said on a post on X. Since Israel ended a ceasefire with the Hamas militant group in mid-March, it has unleashed fierce strikes on Gaza that have killed hundreds and has captured swaths of territory. Before the truce ended, Israel halted all humanitarian aid into the territory, including food, fuel and water, setting off what is believed to the be the worst humanitarian crisis in 19 months of war. Key interlocutors Qatar and Egypt said Wednesday that mediation efforts were 'ongoing and consistent.' But Israel and Hamas remain far apart on how they see the war ending. Israel says it won't end the war until Hamas' governing and military capabilities are dismantled, something it has failed to do in 19 months of war. Hamas says it is prepared to release all of the hostages for an end to the war and a long term truce with Israel. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Against the backdrop of the plans to intensify the campaign in Gaza, fighting has also escalated between Israel and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthis fired a ballistic missile earlier this week that landed on the grounds of Israel's main international airport. Israel responded with a series of airstrikes over two days, whose targets included the airport in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. The Houthis have been striking Israel and targets in a main Red Sea shipping route since the war began in solidarity with the Palestinians. On Tuesday, Trump said the U.S. would halt a nearly two-monthlong campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, after the rebel group agreed not to target U.S. ships. Israel does not appear to be covered by the U.S.-Houthi agreement. The Israeli official said the deal came as a surprise to Israel and that it was concerned by it because of what it meant for the continuation of hostilities between it and the Houthis. — Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Columnists Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Toronto Blue Jays Toronto & GTA
