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Sky News
an hour ago
- Health
- Sky News
A PATTERN OF DEADLY ATTACKS ON GAZA FAMILIES By Ben van der Merwe, Michelle Inez Simon, Kaitlin Tosh and Sophia Massam
This is Ahmed Al-Hatta. He was killed by an Israeli strike on his family home on 18 March. The strike took place at around 3am - when he was with his wife and their six children . All of them were killed. The youngest, twin girls Banan and Janan, were just six years old. Many more families were killed in their homes that night, by far the deadliest since late 2023. By sunrise, the Al-Hattas were among at least 242 people killed. By the end of the day, the total would stand at 465. Since then, over 8,500 people have been killed. That has brought the total number of fatalities during the conflict to over 60,000. Data shared exclusively with Sky News by Gaza's health ministry allows us, for the first time, to show the date of every death since the war began. Click to read how Sky News verified the data. Across almost two years of war, 17 days stand out as the deadliest – those when more than 450 people died. Women and children made up a much higher share of deaths on these days than on others. Looking further into the data, we found out why – a pattern of strikes on family homes. Click to read how Sky identified families in the data Almost half of all people killed on these days (44%) died alongside a family member, compared with less than a third (30%) on other days. Strikes on families reached their peak on 18 March, accounting for almost two-thirds of all deaths. The Israeli military said it was targeting Hamas, but most of those killed were women and children. Mourners pray next to the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes, at Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in the central Gaza Strip on 18 March. Pic: Reuters/Ramadan Abed In order to understand how those strikes led to so many civilian casualties, Sky News analysed all 465 deaths recorded that day by Gaza's health ministry. Out of 112 strikes verified by Sky News, just 16 killed known or suspected Hamas officials and militants. On average, nine family members were killed alongside them. The 11 deadliest strikes on that day, those which killed 10 or more people, all took place before dawn – when families were most likely to be at home and sleeping. These 11 strikes killed six Hamas militants, along with 207 of their neighbours and family members "It's reasonable to expect when people go home at night they... will be surrounded by family members," says Brian Finucane, who spent a decade advising the US State Department on conflict law. In April 2024, Israeli outlets +972 and Local Call reported, based on conversations with six anonymous Israeli intelligence officers, that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was routinely targeting suspected militants in their homes at night. The officers reportedly said that this was "because, from what they regarded as an intelligence standpoint, it was easier to locate the individuals in their private houses". "It seems clearly an excessive use of force and not proportional." Dr Craig Jones, a senior lecturer at Newcastle University and an expert in conflict law, has been interviewing survivors of such attacks, which he terms "familicide". He says Israel has previously demonstrated the ability to wait until targets have left their family home before striking. "They're also showing now a capacity to wait, but... [they're now] waiting for the operative to go into a place where civilians are living," he says. "It seems clearly an excessive use of force and not proportional." In response to Sky's findings, an IDF spokesperson said its directives instruct commanders to apply the basic rules of the law of armed conflict, "particularly distinction, proportionality, and precautions". "Exceptional incidents are subject to lessons-learned processes and are thoroughly examined and addressed by the appropriate enforcement mechanisms," they added. "The IDF remains committed to the rule of law and will continue to operate in accordance with [the law of armed conflict]." Hamas did not respond to a request for comment. Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a residential building in Jabalia in northern Gaza on 18 March. Pic: Reuters/Mahmoud Issa How the attacks on 18 March unfolded At around 8pm on the evening of 17 March, Palestinians started to notice flares in the skies over Gaza City. It was two months since a fragile ceasefire had been agreed, and negotiations over a second phase were about to collapse. Shortly after midnight, the bombing began. Using satellite imagery and more than 30 geolocated videos from social media, Sky's Data and Forensics Unit has mapped the violence that unfolded that night. The first airstrike, in North Gaza, was reported at 12.46am. Within minutes, there were reports of explosions across Gaza. Residents captured footage of the strikes as they landed through the night, like this video from Gaza City. Rescue workers immediately began searching the rubble for the dead and wounded. This video was posted at 2.53am. As the sun rose, bombs continued to fall on family homes. That included the home of Abdulqader and Wafa al Salihi, who lived with their one-year-old son Nasser in a block of flats in central Gaza. All three were killed in a strike on their building, along with Wafa's eight-year-old nephew. Sky News found no evidence that either parent had any ties to Hamas. Elsewhere, Palestinians surveyed the damage from the night before. The strike on this house killed Mohammed al Madi and his two adult daughters. One of the deadliest strikes on a family home that night, and among the deadliest of the entire war, happened here in eastern Rafah. The strike, which took place at around 1am, hit the home of the Jarghoun family. Among those killed were 71-year-old Eid Jarghoun and three of his adult children. Two of them were killed alongside their own wives and children. In total, 17 family members were killed, including four women and seven children. The youngest victim, Lian, had celebrated her second birthday just five days earlier. The video below, verified by Sky News, shows their bodies being retrieved from the rubble of the house. The IDF told Sky News that one of those killed, Jihad Jarghoun, ran a weapons manufacturing workshop for Hamas. Sky News could not independently verify this claim. Conflict-monitoring group Airwars, which has compiled reports on over 1,100 Gaza airstrikes, says the IDF frequently assassinates targets at night in their family homes, leading to large-scale civilian casualties. "This is actually the conflict we have documented with more families killed alongside each other than any other conflict we've looked at over the last decade," says Airwars executive director Emily Tripp. View of destruction in North Gaza, as seen from the Israeli side of the border between Israel and Gaza, 18 March 2025. Pic: Reuters/Amir Cohen As the number of deaths in Gaza passes 60,000, there is still no end to the war in sight. At around 10.30pm on Monday night, a bomb hit the tent of the Agha family, killing the parents, uncle and brother of 11-year old Safa al Agha. On Tuesday morning, Safa mourned over the body of her mother. "We haven't been happy yet," she said. "We were sitting in the living room, then all of sudden..." "Who did you leave us for?" she said. "My dear mama, may God have mercy on you." The Data and Forensics team is a multi-skilled unit dedicated to providing transparent journalism from Sky News. We gather, analyse and visualise data to tell data-driven stories. We combine traditional reporting skills with advanced analysis of satellite images, social media and other open source information. Through multimedia storytelling we aim to better explain the world while also showing how our journalism is done. CREDITS Data journalism: Ben van der Merwe Reporting: Ben van der Merwe, Kaitlin Tosh, Michelle Inez Simon and Sophia Massam Editors: Chris Howard and Natasha Muktarsingh Production: Michelle Inez Simon, Mary Poynter, Kaitlin Tosh and Reece Denton Shorthand development: Kate Schneider and Kaitlin Tosh Graphics: Taylor Stuart, Annie Adam and Bria Anderson Top Built with Shorthand
Sky News
an hour ago
- Politics
- Sky News
'Simmering' division in town where hotel for asylum seekers is beacon for unrest
In Altrincham near Manchester, two opposing groups have gathered to throw insults at each other across the A56. "Fascists! Racists!" shouts one lot. On the opposing verge, they shout back: "Shame on you!" Then both sides chant: "Whose streets? Our streets!" Cars flash between them, some adding hoots to the noise. It's 5pm on Sunday and much of the nation is united watching the Lionesses in the Euro finals. Yet here is a dual carriageway of division formed in front of what has become a beacon for unrest - a hotel housing asylum seekers. Sky News has been testing the mood in Altrincham since locals were first informed last November that the Cresta Court Hotel was being repurposed from accommodating short business stays and local events into lodgings for hundreds of male asylum seekers who crossed the Channel on small boats. Over the course of eight months there have been angry town meetings, regular low-level protests and last Sunday around 80 people from each side turned up outside the hotel with banners, flags and loudspeakers. "We stopped the Germans, why can't we stop dinghies," says local man Dave Haydock under a St George's cross cap. "We're paying for them to be in there and there's British people out on the streets," added local businessman Steve, who is waving a Union Flag. "They're not fleeing a war to come to Britain - they're coming from France - they are coming because of all the benefits - and everyone in the UK now knows that." Cost, benefits and risk to women are recurring themes. "These people coming over without any documentation," says local Clare Jones as she points in the direction of two schools. "I'm not a racist. I'm just a concerned mum. I don't feel safe in my own community." A man behind a mask who didn't want to appear on camera says the media "sneers" at these protests because the media is middle class and "this is a working-class movement". Altrincham is one of Manchester's most affluent towns, but there are much poorer areas close by. The social demographic at the protests was mixed. On either side of the A56 I met business owners, nurses, teachers and pensioners. Both groups were also largely made up of locals. A handful of social media "professional" protesters also turned up, pointing cameras at anything they could film - making selfie videos for their TikTok and YouTube followers. A small line of police officers was in place to keep the peace. The counter-protesters forming a line to protect the hotel. Described as "lefties" by the anti-migrant demonstrators, the counter-protesters feel that the people opposite are either "far right, fascists" or "being manipulated by the far right". Altrincham resident Alison O'Connell said "this is very frightening" as she pointed at the anti-migrant demonstrators. "We are just here to show support for the refugees in the hotel," she added. Counter-protester Steph Phoenix said: "Knowing personally people in the hotels, I know they are not coming for our money. These people are desperate. They don't come over for a laugh, they are coming over because they are escaping something terrible in their own country." Nahella Ashraf, co-chair of Greater Manchester Stand Up To Racism, said: "There needs to be an honest conversation about what the problems are in society. Refugees are not to blame. People are worried about the cost of living crisis, but it's not caused by refugees. By housing people in these hotels, we've not taken accommodation away from anyone in Britain." Migrants disappeared into their rooms during the protest, some peering out of their bedroom windows. Their voices are rarely heard in this debate. The next day, hotel security advised them not to talk to us. Those we did speak to all had stories of fleeing instability and threat. Some had just arrived, others had been here months. Many were anxious about the protests, but equally not put off from their decision to come. One said he had recently told a local who had been abusive: "I struggled to get here. It was just luck you were born here." The fears of increased crime expressed by residents in November don't appear to have transpired. But Conservative councillor Nathan Evans, who called the first town meeting, says groups of men in the park, men praying in the public library and warning letters from schools to parents about groups of men near the school gates have all caused "an unease across the town". He says he has warned the police of a "simmering issue". Protesters on either side don't agree on much but both see the hotel as a symbol of broken promises from successive governments - a failure to manage migration in a way that doesn't inflame communities. What remains is anger.
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
‘Crazy leftists' unleash on Sydney Sweeney for ‘ridiculous' reason amid controversy
Sky News host Freya Leach discusses a new ad campaign for American Eagle which features actress Sydney Sweeney and has caused outrage on social media. 'These are not millennials, these are Gen Z, these are the sub-30, and the thing is, what is so shocking is these videos have millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes online,' she said. 'People are genuinely buying this stuff, which is so ridiculous. 'The crazy leftists are panicking, and so now they're having to come up with anything to stop this.'
News.com.au
2 hours ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Pauline Hanson shares fiery comeback to Charlotte Walker
One Nation senator Pauline Hanson has responded to Australia's youngest senator Charlotte Walker after she was accused of 'completely disregarding' the next generation and farmers by calling for Australia to abandon its net zero target. Senator Hanson, a long-time climate change denier, introduced the motion on Monday following Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce's private members Bill calling for the same thing. The motion failed, with just the four One Nation senators, United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet and coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic voting in favour. In the debate preceding the vote, Labor's new senator for South Australia Charlotte Walker fired back at the motion. 'All I can say is, are you kidding?' the 21-year-old told the Senate. 'The motion put forward on net zero indicates a severe lack of knowledge and a complete disregard for the future of our generation, the future of our country. 'Without a net zero target, there will be no Australian farmers, businesses or industries to support us. 'Net zero is waking up to a reality that Senator Hanson has not been able to grasp. In fact, Senator Hanson seems to be hellbent on exacerbating all of the consequences of climate change.' However, following Ms Walker's remarks, Hanson shared a fiery comeback on Sky News, accusing Walker of being a hypocrite. 'She said she grew up on the farm – a farm that uses diesel and petroleum products to actually do the farming. I don't think she really understands about what net zero is,' she told Sky News host Danica De Giorgio. 'Most of those parliamentarians have no idea about net zero … they can't debate you on the issue, they don't know the facts or figures, and this is why they just come in there and they just vote whatever way the winds blowing.' Senator Hanson laughed, and added Walker shouldn't come in thinking she's going to 'tell me what I know or what I don't know when I have been dealing with this for many years'. 'She's no sooner out of bloody university and out of her nappies than she's telling me I don't know what the hell I'm talking about when I've been on the floor of parliament for the last nine years,' she said. 'I don't take any notice of her, who's just trying to make her place in this parliament – and congratulations.' 'They're gutless' Earlier, Senator Hanson challenged Coalition opponents of net zero to stand up and support her motion. Senator Hanson said her motion would out opposition 'cowards'. 'They're gutless, you know, they're cowards,' she told Sky News when asked about the prospect of Coalition senators not backing her motion. 'Because a lot of these people on the floor of parliament have no understanding, cannot debate you about climate change. 'They don't even know anything about it. 'They're making decisions and voting on it.' Mr Joyce's Bill proposes to abandon Australia's carbon-neutral target by 2050. The target is in line with goals set by other developed economies, but the task has been complicated by rapid energy demands from emerging economies and global disruptions driven by increased conflicts, such as Russia's war in Ukraine. Among Mr Joyce's supporters gathered outside Parliament House was fellow former Nationals leader Michael McCormack, another hefty voice in the party. Liberal MP Garth Hamilton also joined him, making him the only member of the senior Coalition partner to do so.
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
‘No idea': Hanson hits back at 21yo senator
One Nation senator Pauline Hanson has responded to Australia's youngest senator Charlotte Walker after she was accused of 'completely disregarding' the next generation and farmers by calling for Australia to abandon its net zero target. Senator Hanson, a long-time climate change denier, introduced the motion on Monday following Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce's private members Bill calling for the same thing. The motion failed, with just the four One Nation senators, United Australia Party senator Ralph Babet and coalition senators Matt Canavan and Alex Antic voting in favour. In the debate preceding the vote, Labor's new senator for South Australia Charlotte Walker fired back at the motion. Pauline Hanson has shared a comeback to senator Charlotte Walker. Credit: Supplied 'All I can say is, are you kidding?' the 21-year-old told the Senate. 'The motion put forward on net zero indicates a severe lack of knowledge and a complete disregard for the future of our generation, the future of our country. 'Without a net zero target, there will be no Australian farmers, businesses or industries to support us. 'Net zero is waking up to a reality that Senator Hanson has not been able to grasp. In fact, Senator Hanson seems to be hellbent on exacerbating all of the consequences of climate change.' However, following Ms Walker's remarks, Hanson shared a fiery comeback on Sky News, accusing Walker of being a hypocrite. 'She said she grew up on the farm – a farm that uses diesel and petroleum products to actually do the farming. I don't think she really understands about what net zero is,' she told Sky News host Danica De Giorgio. 'Most of those parliamentarians have no idea about net zero … they can't debate you on the issue, they don't know the facts or figures, and this is why they just come in there and they just vote whatever way the winds blowing.' Charlotte Walker earlier accused Pauline Hanson of disregarding the future of younger generations and farmers. NewsWire / Martin Ollman Credit: News Corp Australia Senator Hanson laughed, and added Walker shouldn't come in thinking she's going to 'tell me what I know or what I don't know when I have been dealing with this for many years'. 'She's no sooner out of bloody university and out of her nappies than she's telling me I don't know what the hell I'm talking about when I've been on the floor of parliament for the last nine years,' she said. 'I don't take any notice of her, who's just trying to make her place in this parliament – and congratulations.' 'They're gutless' Earlier, Senator Hanson challenged Coalition opponents of net zero to stand up and support her motion. Senator Hanson said her motion would out opposition 'cowards'. 'They're gutless, you know, they're cowards,' she told Sky News when asked about the prospect of Coalition senators not backing her motion. 'Because a lot of these people on the floor of parliament have no understanding, cannot debate you about climate change. 'They don't even know anything about it. 'They're making decisions and voting on it.' Mr Joyce's Bill proposes to abandon Australia's carbon-neutral target by 2050. The target is in line with goals set by other developed economies, but the task has been complicated by rapid energy demands from emerging economies and global disruptions driven by increased conflicts, such as Russia's war in Ukraine. Among Mr Joyce's supporters gathered outside Parliament House was fellow former Nationals leader Michael McCormack, another hefty voice in the party. Liberal MP Garth Hamilton also joined him, making him the only member of the senior Coalition partner to do so.
