News
Death Toll in Gaza Climbs to 2,215, With More than 1,300 Buildings Left in Ruin
Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since Hamas’s attack on southern Israel one week ago have killed at least 2,215 people, including 724 children, the Palestinian territory’s Hamas-controlled health ministry said Saturday.
Some 458 women were among those killed, the ministry said. It added that 8,714 people have also been wounded, after an earlier statement said at least 324 people were killed in the past 24 hours alone.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the bombardment is “just the beginning” as Israel seeks to retaliate against Hamas after their fighters killed more than 1,300 people a week ago.
More than 1,300 buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed so far, the United Nations said Saturday.
The UN’s humanitarian agency OCHA said “5,540 housing units” in those buildings were destroyed and nearly 3,750 more homes were so badly damaged they were uninhabitable.
“According to the Gaza Ministry of Public Works, 1,324 residential and non-residential buildings, comprising 5,540 housing units, have been destroyed,” OCHA said.
EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / A Palestinian shouts following an Israeli strike, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on October 14, 2023, as fighting between Israel and the Hamas movement continues for the eighth consecutive day. (Photo by YASSER QUDIH / AFP)
“Another 3,743 housing units have been damaged beyond repair and rendered uninhabitable.”
A further 55,000 housing units have been partially damaged, said OCHA.
The UN has been monitoring the number of people displaced from their homes within the Gaza Strip, with more than 423,000 recorded by the end of Thursday.
Israel then warned that some 1.1 million people in the north of the enclave quickly needed to evacuate to the south, ahead of an expected ground offensive.
EDITORS NOTE: Graphic content / Palestinians carry the body of Mahmud Shadeh, 27-years-old, who was injured the day before during clashes with Israeli soldier in his home town of Jericho, and brought to the hospital in the West Bank city in Ramallah where he died on October 14, 2023, as fighting between Israel and the Hamas movement continues for the eighth consecutive day in the Gaza Strip enclave. – (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
As of 1800 GMT Friday, “it is estimated that tens of thousands have fled”, OCHA said.
“Currently, the precise scope of internally displaced persons in the Gaza Strip is unknown,” it said.
Citing the Palestinian health ministry, it said “vehicles of those evacuating the north were hit, killing more than 40 people and injuring 150 others.
“These incidents prompted many people to abandon their evacuation efforts and return home.
“No safe corridors were initially provided for people to safely comply with the orders to move southwards. Hundreds of people, including families, had to flee on foot.”
OCHA said most people in the Gaza Strip were now without access to clean drinking water.
“As a last resort, people are consuming brackish water from agricultural wells, triggering serious concerns about the spread of waterborne diseases.”
OCHA said that since the start of hostilities, six water wells, three water pumping stations, one water reservoir, and one desalination plant serving over 1,100,000 people had been damaged by air strikes.
The full electricity blackout has brought essential health, water and sanitation services “to the brink of collapse”, and exacerbated food insecurity, it said.
As Nigerians celebrate Christmas amidst festivities and reflections, the Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo state, Engr. Aderemi Oseni has sent a heartfelt message to Nigerians, emphasising the importance of unity, compassion, and selflessness in nation-building.
In his Christmas message on Wednesday, contained in a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the lawmaker described the season as a time to reflect on the love and sacrifice demonstrated by the birth of Jesus Christ.
He urged citizens to embrace the spirit of giving, kindness, and shared humanity that Christmas symbolises.
“Christmas is a season of hope, joy, and renewal,” Oseni said. “It reminds us of our shared duty to show love to one another, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliations. Let us work together to foster unity and peace in our country, especially as we navigate through challenging times.”
The lawmaker also highlighted the significance of collective responsibility in nation-building.
“As we celebrate, we must remember the less privileged in our communities. Acts of charity and kindness, no matter how small, can make a significant impact on someone’s life,” he added.
The APC chieftain expressed gratitude to his constituents in Ibarapa East/Ido for their unwavering support, assuring them of his commitment to delivering more impactful governance.
He also called for patience and cooperation as the government works towards addressing issues affecting the nation, including infrastructure development, economic stability, and security.
“Let this Christmas inspire us to continue building bridges of hope and fostering the true Nigerian spirit of togetherness,” he stated.
As the year draws to a close, Oseni encouraged Nigerians to remain optimistic about the nation’s future, assuring them that better days lie ahead with collective effort and unwavering faith.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has initiated enforcement action against five airlines—two international and three domestic operators—for various violations of its regulations under Part 19.
The offenses include non-payment of passenger refunds within the stipulated timeframe, non-responsiveness to NCAA directives, mishandling of luggage, short-landed baggage, delayed and canceled flights, among other infractions.
Addressing journalists at the NCAA’s corporate headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Michael Achimugu, the Authority’s spokesman, stated that airlines must adhere to regulations regarding flight disruptions. He emphasized that failure to comply attracts sanctions.
“Although airlines are not always responsible for flight disruptions, NCAA regulations stipulate actions that airlines must take during such incidents. Failure to comply attracts various levels of sanctions,” Achimugu said.
He reminded airlines of the NCAA’s recent directive mandating refunds to passengers within 14 days for online ticket purchases and immediate cash refunds for tickets bought with cash.
The yuletide season has seen a rise in passenger complaints about delays and cancellations, largely attributed to harmattan-induced poor visibility. Achimugu clarified that airlines are not liable for cancellations due to force majeure but stressed that the enforcement actions are for cases where airlines are found at fault.
“This is harmattan season, so there is poor visibility. Flights must get canceled. This is force majeure, and the airlines do not owe passengers anything in those instances. The enforcement we are initiating today is on cases where the airline is deemed to have been at fault. More will come,” he explained.
Achimugu further disclosed that the NCAA would summon the chief executives of all airlines this week to address flight disruptions and regulatory breaches.
While the names of the sanctioned airlines were not officially revealed, sources close to the Authority identified them as Ethiopian Airways, Royal Maroc Airways, Arik Air, Aero Contractors, and Air Peace.
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management, and Social Development, Nentawe Yilwatda, has announced the Federal Government’s plan to reach 15 million households, representing 75 million people, through its conditional cash transfer scheme.
Speaking on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Yilwatda explained that the initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to mitigating the economic hardships faced by vulnerable Nigerians.
“The president was so specific,” Yilwatda noted.
“There are policies that he brought in to see if that can ease those challenges for people at the lower end of the pyramid. One of those policies is to reach out to 15 million beneficiaries under the conditional cash transfer, targeting households rather than individuals. Each household will receive ₦25,000 monthly, paid three times a year.”
Yilwatda further clarified that the 15 million households being targeted translate to 75 million Nigerians, assuming an average of five persons per household.
So far, the Federal Government has reached five million individuals but is facing challenges in fully sanitizing the social register, particularly with the implementation of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) policy mandating digital identities for transparency and traceability of payments.
“Currently, only 1.4 million people on the social register have digital identities. Many of those we are targeting are outside the formal banking system,” the minister disclosed.
Yilwatda emphasized that women are specifically targeted as household leaders under the program to ensure the funds are used effectively for the benefit of children and other vulnerable members of society.
The conditional cash transfer programme, which is administered under the National Social Investment Programme, had earlier been suspended by President Tinubu in January due to allegations of corruption. However, the scheme was reinstated in February, with plans to extend the initiative to an additional 12 million households.
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