Gaza City Blast Kills 1, Injures 10, Shakes Crowded Area

FILE: A Palestinian sells socks on a stall near the rubble of his old store that has been destroyed in an Israeli air strike, ahead of Eid Al-Adha holiday, in Gaza City, on July 14, 2021. FILE/Reuters
FILE: A Palestinian sells socks on a stall near the rubble of his old store that has been destroyed in an Israeli air strike, ahead of Eid Al-Adha holiday, in Gaza City, on July 14, 2021. FILE/Reuters
TT

Gaza City Blast Kills 1, Injures 10, Shakes Crowded Area

FILE: A Palestinian sells socks on a stall near the rubble of his old store that has been destroyed in an Israeli air strike, ahead of Eid Al-Adha holiday, in Gaza City, on July 14, 2021. FILE/Reuters
FILE: A Palestinian sells socks on a stall near the rubble of his old store that has been destroyed in an Israeli air strike, ahead of Eid Al-Adha holiday, in Gaza City, on July 14, 2021. FILE/Reuters

One person was killed and 10 injured Thursday when an explosion tore through a house in a popular market, the interior ministry said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion.

The blast in the Al-Zawiya area collapsed large parts of the house and damaged dozens of buildings and shops nearby, according to the statement.

Police explosives engineering teams continue to investigate the causes of the explosion. Civil defense teams and the police were able to control the resulting fire.

The blast shook the neighborhood on the third day of Eid al-Adha, a Muslim holiday.

The Israeli army signaled it wasn’t involved, calling the crisis an “internal” matter in Gaza, The Associated Press reported.

Gaza City already was struggling with heavy damage it sustained from an 11-day war in May between Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers. At least 254 people were killed in Gaza during the conflict, including 67 children and 39 women, according to the Gaza health ministry. Hamas has acknowledged the deaths of 80 militants. Twelve civilians, including two children, were killed in Israel, along with one soldier.

The World Bank earlier this month said rebuilding Gaza would cost $485 million, including up to $380 million to repair the physical damage alone.



Lebanon’s New PM Sees Positive Atmosphere in Cabinet Formation Talks

This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaking to the media at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency / Handout/ AFP
This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaking to the media at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency / Handout/ AFP
TT

Lebanon’s New PM Sees Positive Atmosphere in Cabinet Formation Talks

This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaking to the media at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency / Handout/ AFP
This handout picture provided by the press office of the Lebanese presidency shows Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam speaking to the media at the presidential palace in Baabda, east of Beirut on January 17, 2025. (Lebanese Presidency / Handout/ AFP

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam said on Friday the formation of a new government would not be delayed, indicating a very positive atmosphere in discussions over its composition.

Salam was nominated by a majority of lawmakers on Monday to form the new government, although he did not win the backing of the Shiite parties Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, led by parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

"The atmosphere is more than positive among all the blocs and today from Speaker Berri," Salam said, speaking to reporters after a meeting with President Joseph Aoun, who was elected by parliament on Jan. 9.

Berri, a close Hezbollah ally, said on Friday he held a "promising meeting" with Salam.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah and Amal had wanted the incumbent Prime Minister Najib Mikati to stay in the post, but a majority of lawmakers opted for Salam, who formerly served as president of the International Court of Justice.

Government formation discussions are often protracted in Lebanon, due to bartering among its sectarian factions over cabinet positions.