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
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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.



EU Announces 235 Mn Euro Aid Package for Syria, Neighboring Countries

This handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency SANA, shows Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) meeting with EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib in Damascus, on January 17, 2025. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency SANA, shows Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) meeting with EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib in Damascus, on January 17, 2025. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
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EU Announces 235 Mn Euro Aid Package for Syria, Neighboring Countries

This handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency SANA, shows Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) meeting with EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib in Damascus, on January 17, 2025. (Photo by SANA / AFP)
This handout picture released by the Syrian Arab News Agency SANA, shows Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa (R) meeting with EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib in Damascus, on January 17, 2025. (Photo by SANA / AFP)

EU crisis management chief Hadja Lahbib announced a 235-million-euro aid package for Syria and neighboring countries on Friday during the first visit by a senior EU official since Bashar al-Assad's ouster.

The trip comes two weeks after foreign ministers from France and Germany visited, calling for a peaceful, inclusive transition, amid a flurry of diplomatic activity by countries seeking to engage with war-torn Syria's new authorities.

"I come here to announce a new package of humanitarian aid of 235 million euros ($242 million) in Syria and in neighbouring countries," Lahbib told a press conference in Damascus after meeting Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa.

"Our funding will contribute to basic needs like shelter, food, clean water, sanitation, health care, education and emergencies among others," she said.

Neighboring countries have taken in millions of Syrian refugees over the years.

"We count on the authorities to ensure unrestricted and safe access for humanitarian actors to all regions of Syria including those in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected areas" in the east, Lahbib added.

"We are at a turning point and the decisions that will be taken in the coming days and months will be crucial," Lahbib said.

According to AFP, her meetings were expected to focus on the future of the sweeping economic sanctions that the 27-nation bloc imposed on Syria during Assad's rule.

The transitional government has been lobbying to have the sanctions lifted, but some European governments have been hesitant, wanting time to see how the new authorities exercise their power.

"We want to see a bright future for Syria and for that, we need to see the rule of law being respected, human rights, women's rights," Lahbib said.

"What I've heard from the mouth of the current authorities (is) really encouraging... Now we need action.

"Let's help Syria but without being naive," she said.