Extreme Heat in Morocco Claims 21 Lives

21 deaths, most of them elderly or suffering from chronic illnesses, were recorded in Morocco due to a heatwave (dpa)
21 deaths, most of them elderly or suffering from chronic illnesses, were recorded in Morocco due to a heatwave (dpa)
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Extreme Heat in Morocco Claims 21 Lives

21 deaths, most of them elderly or suffering from chronic illnesses, were recorded in Morocco due to a heatwave (dpa)
21 deaths, most of them elderly or suffering from chronic illnesses, were recorded in Morocco due to a heatwave (dpa)

A heatwave in Morocco has killed at least 21 people in a 24-hour period in the central city of Beni Mellal, the health ministry announced on Thursday
The meteorology department said soaring temperatures affected much of the North African country from Monday to Wednesday, reaching 48 degrees Celsius (118 Fahrenheit) in some areas.
In Beni Mellal, "the majority of deaths involved people suffering from chronic illnesses and the elderly, with high temperatures contributing to the deterioration of their health conditions," the regional health directorate said in a statement.
Morocco has suffered a sixth consecutive year of drought, and record heat this past winter with January the hottest since 1940, according to the meteorology department.
The rising temperatures and prolonged drought, which have lowered reservoir levels, are a threat to the vital farm sector.
Water evaporation reached 1.5 million cubic meters per day, Water Minister Nizar Baraka said at the end of June.
Globally, Monday was the hottest day recorded since measurements began in 1940, the European Union's Copernicus Earth observation program said.
Morocco's record temperature -- 50.4 degrees Celsius -- was set in August last year in the coastal resort city of Agadir.

 



Israel Orders Beefed Up Troops around Gaza as Ceasefire Shows Signs of Faltering

 An Israeli soldier sits on a tank on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as seen from Israel, February 11, 2025. (Reuters)
An Israeli soldier sits on a tank on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as seen from Israel, February 11, 2025. (Reuters)
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Israel Orders Beefed Up Troops around Gaza as Ceasefire Shows Signs of Faltering

 An Israeli soldier sits on a tank on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as seen from Israel, February 11, 2025. (Reuters)
An Israeli soldier sits on a tank on the Israeli side of the border with Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as seen from Israel, February 11, 2025. (Reuters)

An Israeli official says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the army to beef up troops in and around the Gaza Strip after Hamas threatened to call off a scheduled hostage release on Saturday.

The official said Netanyahu also ordered officials “to prepare for every scenario if Hamas doesn’t release our hostages this Saturday.”

The preparation plans come after Netanyahu met with his Security Cabinet for four hours on Tuesday to discuss Hamas’ threat, which has put the fragile ceasefire agreement in danger.

Under the ceasefire, Hamas has released 21 hostages in a series of exchanges for Palestinian prisoners. But it said Monday it was delaying the next release of three more hostages after accusing Israel of failing to allow enough aid into Gaza under the deal.

President Donald Trump has said Israel should cancel the entire ceasefire if all of the roughly 70 hostages held by Hamas aren’t freed by Saturday.

The Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a closed-door meeting, was not clear if Netanyahu’s order referred to all hostages, or the three scheduled for release on Saturday.