New Israeli Strikes in Central Gaza Kill at Least 21, Including 5 Children

A Palestinian boy inspects the rubble of the destroyed Al-Aqsa Martyrs Mosque following an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, 06 October 2024. (EPA)
A Palestinian boy inspects the rubble of the destroyed Al-Aqsa Martyrs Mosque following an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, 06 October 2024. (EPA)
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New Israeli Strikes in Central Gaza Kill at Least 21, Including 5 Children

A Palestinian boy inspects the rubble of the destroyed Al-Aqsa Martyrs Mosque following an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, 06 October 2024. (EPA)
A Palestinian boy inspects the rubble of the destroyed Al-Aqsa Martyrs Mosque following an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, 06 October 2024. (EPA)

At least 21 people, including five children and two women, were killed in strikes in central Gaza on Monday night, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, where the bodies were taken.

The strikes took place on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that triggered the war between Israel and Hamas.

Two strikes hit houses in the Bureij refugee camp. An Associated Press journalist counted the bodies along with about a dozen wounded, including several children.

Emergency responders said more people are thought to be under the rubble.

The Palestinian death toll in the war in Gaza is nearing 42,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn't differentiate between civilians and fighters.



France, Qatar Deliver Urgent Aid to Lebanon, Foreign Minister Says

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in Beirut on September 30, 2024. (AFP)
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in Beirut on September 30, 2024. (AFP)
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France, Qatar Deliver Urgent Aid to Lebanon, Foreign Minister Says

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in Beirut on September 30, 2024. (AFP)
Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati meets with French Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot in Beirut on September 30, 2024. (AFP)

France and Qatar delivered urgent humanitarian aid to Lebanon on Tuesday, France's foreign minister said, as Paris pushes for broader humanitarian efforts and a ceasefire in the country.

"If we don't do anything, then Lebanon tomorrow could resemble what Syria has become," Jean-Noel Barrot told lawmakers in parliament. "(That is), a hub of instability for smuggling, terrorism and a point of departure for a large migration of civilians seeking refuge in Europe."

French and Qatari military planes delivered some 27 metric tons of medicines and basic necessities, including blankets and hygiene kits, diplomatic sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Paris has historical ties with Lebanon and has been working with the United States in trying to secure a ceasefire in the Middle Eastern country. Those talks stalled at the end of September when Israel heavily bombed Beirut's southern suburbs, killing longtime Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.

It has since launched a ground offensive displacing thousands of people. Tuesday's Franco-Qatari aid aims to support local aid groups to help the wounded and displaced.

The two sides must accept the ceasefire proposal, Barrot said, to "give peace and negotiations a chance to guarantee the sovereignty of Lebanon and security for Israel."

France is also working to put together a conference on Lebanon soon that will center around three pillars: humanitarian aid, reinforcing the Lebanese army and discussing the ongoing political vacuum in the country, Barrot said.