More schools hit in heavy Israeli bombing of Gaza

Dozens of academics in Ireland have co-signed an open letter

Academics urge Irish universities to suspend ties with Israeli institutions

calling on universities in the country to suspend ties with Israeli institutions.

Here are some extracts from what they wrote:

• Many Irish universities and EU-funded research projects have active collaborations with Israeli universities. Israeli universities are, in the words of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, “major, willing and persistent accomplices in Israel’s regime of occupation” and its military infrastructures.
• Several Palestinian universities in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli air strikes, and about 70 academics and 2,000 students are among the civilians killed.
• The academics call on all universities in Ireland to immediately sever any existing institutional partnerships or affiliations with Israeli institutions. They say those ties should be suspended until the occupation of Palestinian territory is ended, the Palestinian rights to equality and self-determination are vindicated and the right of Palestinian refugees to return is facilitated.“We have US citizenship and were told to head to Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt. Our names were on the list of those allowed to leave through Rafah. As we were travelling on the coastal road leading south, our bus was shelled.

  “My daughter, aged 17, lost her arm. Shame on the Israelis, may God punish them. This is my US citizenship [shows her passport]; no one is spared.

  “The bus was destroyed and we came to this hospital all this way by foot. We were almost killed.”

  “The US embassy called me and told us to leave through the Rafah crossing. I will sue them all.”

  Displaced people warn of disease spreading in crammed shelters

  Displaced people in Rafah in southern Gaza are appealing to the UN and other bodies to take action to improve the poor living conditions inside the crowded facilities sheltering families fleeing the war.

  Sawsan Abu Tayla said drinking water and electricity are not available inside the UNRWA schools, adding that she cannot prepare milk for her infant son.

  “We do not receive food aid for the children,” the Palestinian woman said.

  Abu Tayla also pointed out that there is a lack of cleanliness in classrooms, bathrooms and courtyards, which has led to the spread of diseases among children, such as “diarrhoea, intestinal infections, fever and vomiting”.

  Generators at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza shut down: Ministry

  The generators of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip have “completely” shut down due to the fuel shortage, the Interior Ministry in Gaza says.

  Decoding Nasrallah: What to make of Hezbollah chief’s speech

  In his highly anticipated address on Friday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hinted at a protracted conflict, setting the tone for what he anticipates will be an enduring war.

  The speech marked the first in a series intended to solidify his argument and strategic position. Rather than issuing outright threats, Nasrallah delineated his “red lines” concerning Gaza with a level of ambiguity that sought to construct a calculated narrative. He carefully chose his moment, leveraging the speech to communicate with key players on the international stage instead of adopting the expected populist rhetoric.

  In his highly anticipated address on Friday, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hinted at a protracted conflict, setting the tone for what he anticipates will be an enduring war.

  The speech marked the first in a series intended to solidify his argument and strategic position. Rather than issuing outright threats, Nasrallah delineated his “red lines” concerning Gaza with a level of ambiguity that sought to construct a calculated narrative. He carefully chose his moment, leveraging the speech to communicate with key players on the international stage instead of adopting the expected populist rhetoric.

  About 2,200 people buried beneath rubble: Health Ministry

  The Health Ministry’s spokesperson also says an estimated 2,200 people, including 1,250 children, are buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza.

  105 medical facilities ‘deliberately targeted’ by Israeli forces: Health ministry

  Here is some more information provided by Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra at a press briefing:

  • 150 paramedics have been killed since October 7
  • 27 ambulance vehicles have been totally destroyed, including two carrying the convoy of victims headed for Rafah on Friday
  • 105 medical facilities have been deliberately targeted, 16 of which are now out of service
  • 32 primary care medical facilities are out of service, either due to lack of fuel or their total destruction.
    

    ‘Where do we go?’

    We have more accounts from inside al-Fakhoora school in Jabalia refugee camp.

    A verified Instagram video shows a displaced person in the aftermath of the attack.

    “Where do we go?” he cries, saying that nowhere is safe for residents in Gaza, whether they are sheltering in sites for displaced people or they decide to move.

    Struggling to contain his pain, he also calls on Arab countries and the UN to stop the war on Gaza.

    Mostly women and children killed in Israeli school attack: Health ministry

    In his latest update from Gaza, Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra says at least 15 people were killed and another 54 were wounded in the Israeli bombing of al-Fakhoora School.

    Most of the victims were women and children sitting in the schoolyard who were torn to pieces; their bones and flesh were collected in plastic bags, he said.

    At least 231 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours alone, al-Qudra said.

    This brings the overall death toll since October 7 to 9,488 Palestinians, including 3,900 children.

    Mostly women and children killed in Israeli school attack: Health ministry

    In his latest update from Gaza, Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra says at least 15 people were killed and another 54 were wounded in the Israeli bombing of al-Fakhoora School.

    Most of the victims were women and children sitting in the schoolyard who were torn to pieces; their bones and flesh were collected in plastic bags, he said.

    At least 231 people were killed in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours alone, al-Qudra said.

    This brings the overall death toll since October 7 to 9,488 Palestinians, including 3,900 children.