News
Gaza Hospital Director Says 179 Buried In ‘Mass Grave’ In Compound
The director of Gaza’s biggest hospital said Tuesday that 179 people, including babies and patients who died in the intensive care unit, had been buried in a “mass grave” at the complex.
“We were forced to bury them in a mass grave,” said Al-Shifa hospital director Mohammad Abu Salmiyah, adding that seven babies and 29 intensive care patients were among those buried after the hospital’s fuel supplies ran out.
Tanks were massed near the gates of Gaza’s main hospital where Palestinians were trapped in dire conditions as US President Joe Biden pressed Israel to protect the complex.
After days of heavy air strikes around Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital, witnesses said tanks and armoured vehicles were metres (yards) from the besieged facility, which has become a focal point of the five-week-old war.
The United Nations believes that thousands, and perhaps more than 10,000 people — patients, staff and displaced civilians — may be inside and unable to escape because of fierce fighting nearby.
Amid reports of premature babies dying for lack of electricity and patients facing gunfire, a surgeon working for Doctors Without Borders said the situation inside the hospital had become “very bad”.
An injured man reacts by the bodies (not pictured) of Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli forces during an operation in Tulkarm, at the Thabet hospital morgue in the same city in the occupied West Bank early on November 14, 2023. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
“We don’t have electricity. There’s no water in the hospital. There’s no food,” said the doctor, who was not named by his organisation. “It is inhuman.”
Israel accuses Hamas fighters of using tunnels under the hospital as a command “node”, effectively engaging the sick and injured as human shields. It is a charge that Hamas denies.
Israel says it is not targeting the hospital, but has vowed to destroy Hamas in response to the attacks of October 7, which killed an estimated 1,200 people, mostly civilians and resulted in 240 hostages being taken back to Gaza.
The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says Israel’s assault has already killed 11,240 people, also mostly civilians, including thousands of children.
Israel says 46 of its troops have been killed in fighting in Gaza.
Biden called on Israel to use “less intrusive action relative to the hospital”, some of his most pointed comments on Israeli operations to date. “The hospital must be protected,” he told reporters.
Israeli military spokesman Peter Lerner insisted Al-Shifa was “central in Hamas’s command and control capabilities”, but said troops were currently “stand-offish”.
“The idea is to try to evacuate the people, evacuate as many as possible,” he said.
Underscoring the role that global public opinion is playing in the war, both sides have repeatedly given vastly different accounts of events.
Lerner put the number of people inside the hospital at “a few hundred”, while the Hamas government’s deputy health minister Youssef Abu Rish, who is present in the hospital, said about 20,000 displaced people had sought refuge there.
‘Window Of Legitimacy
People mourn as they stand behind a metal fence near the bodies of victims who were killed in Israeli bombardment before their burial, outside the morgue at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on November 14, 2023 amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS / AFP)
Hamas’s brutal attacks of October 7 and Israel’s massive response have sparked protests around the world, with hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets in the Middle East, Europe and beyond.
Israel’s supporters insist it must protect citizens after the worst attack in the country’s 75-year history — an attack that brought painful echoes of past pogroms against the Jewish people.
But Israel’s critics point to the toll of a blockade and near-relentless bombing campaign on long-suffering civilians in Gaza.
International aid agencies speak of hundreds of thousands of people displaced and a rolling humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel’s top diplomat admitted Monday that his nation has “two or three weeks until international pressure really steps up.”
Quoted by his spokesman, Foreign Minister Eli Cohen added that Israel is working to “broaden the window of legitimacy, and the fighting will carry on for as long as necessary.”
Truce Talks
Israeli forces keep watch near a checkpoint as Palestinians demonstrate in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on November 10, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
In the face of mounting pressure, Israel has agreed to daily pauses in military operations around specified humanitarian “corridors” to allow Gazans to flee fighting.
Israeli leaders have so far insisted there will be no broader ceasefire before hostages are released.
But Qatar is mediating talks on a possible deal to free the hostages.
Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas’s military wing, said Monday that a possible deal would involve the release 100 Israeli hostages in return for 200 Palestinian children and 75 women held in Israeli prisons.
“We informed the mediators we could release the hostages if we obtained five days of truce… and passage of aid to all of our people throughout the Gaza Strip, but the enemy is procrastinating,” Abu Obeida said in an audio statement.
Biden said he was “somewhat hopeful” the Qatar-mediated talks could lead to a deal.
As security officials and diplomats continued negotiations, Hamas released a video of a young woman who was said to be an Israeli soldier held in Gaza.
The Israeli army later confirmed the identity of the woman.
“Our hearts go out to the Marciano family, whose daughter, Noa, was brutally kidnapped by the Hamas terrorist organisation,” the army said in a statement.
Fear Of Violence Spreading
A girl stands through the entrance of a tent among others pitched by Palestinians taking shelter from Israeli bombardment around Nasser Hospital, in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on November 14, 2023 amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas. (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS / AFP)
Army spokesman Daniel Hagari said troops “found signs that indicate that Hamas held hostages” in the basement of Al-Rantisi children’s hospital, showing footage of a baby bottle and a rope near a chair.
In the video he showed neatly arranged assault rifles, grenades and what Hagari said were “vests with explosives”.
The war in Gaza has also spurred violence on other fronts.
In the northern West Bank, five Palestinians were killed in clashes around the city of Tulkarem, the director of a local hospital told AFP on Tuesday.
After repeated strikes on US forces in the Middle East, the United States launched air attacks that killed at least eight pro-Iran fighters in eastern Syria, a Britain-based monitoring group said.
On Monday, Israel used fighter jets to strike what it said were “operational command centres” belonging to Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah inside Lebanon.
The Minister-designate for Power, Joseph Olasunkanmi Tegbe, has firmly clarified that he never promised to fix Nigeria’s national electricity grid within three months, describing such claims circulating in sections of the media as a misrepresentation of his Senate screening remarks.
A statement issued after his appearance before the Senate stressed that Tegbe was deliberate and cautious in his presentation, avoiding unrealistic timelines while outlining a structured reform pathway for the power sector.
According to the clarification, Tegbe explained that while Nigerians can expect early signs of progress, particularly in grid stabilisation within his first 100 days in office, comprehensive reforms will be guided strictly by technical assessments, stakeholder consultations, and sector realities.
He noted that critical challenges such as gas supply constraints, metering gaps, infrastructure decay, and commercial inefficiencies require coordinated interventions that cannot be resolved through arbitrary timelines.
“My commitment to this distinguished chamber and to Nigerians is clear: we will deliver visible and measurable improvement in the power sector,” Tegbe stated during the screening.
He assured that his focus would include stabilising the national grid, modernising transmission and distribution infrastructure, strengthening commercial frameworks, and enforcing accountability across the electricity value chain.
On tariff policy, the minister-designate reaffirmed that reforms would be carefully designed to balance sustainability with social protection, ensuring that vulnerable households are shielded while also restoring investor confidence in the sector.
The statement further emphasised that Tegbe’s approach reflects discipline, technical understanding, and a reform-minded agenda aimed at delivering lasting solutions rather than short-term political promises.
It added that he remains open to responsible media engagement and constructive clarification where necessary, noting that accurate reporting is essential to public understanding of ongoing efforts to reposition Nigeria’s power sector.
Tegbe reaffirmed his readiness to lead a transparent, results-driven reform process anchored on accountability, realism, and measurable progress.
A grand cultural renaissance celebrating the enduring legacy of legendary Yoruba war hero and statesman, Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, will take centre stage as the 2026 edition of Ogedengbe Fiesta holds from July 29 to 31 across Osun State and Ekiti State.
The three-day heritage festival, unveiled by organisers on Wednesday, is themed, “Ogedengbe Agbogungboro Legacy: Leadership, Security, and Statecraft for Modern Governance in Nigeria.”
The event is designed to preserve Yoruba cultural heritage, deepen historical consciousness, promote tourism and stimulate national conversations on leadership, peacebuilding and governance.
According to the organisers, the fiesta will commence with traditional homage at Atorin and heritage excursions to notable Kiriji War historical sites in Imesi-Ile, where participants will relive significant moments in Yoruba military and political history.
The programme will also feature guided visits to the historic Ogedengbe Cave, Ibu Latoosa Site and the Yoruba Peace Treaty Grove, all regarded as symbolic monuments of Yoruba resilience, diplomacy and unity.
As part of activities lined up for the celebration, participants will tour the gardens of renowned legal icon and elder statesman, Afe Babalola, in Okemesi-Ekiti.
The organisers further disclosed that a Legacy Awards and Hall of Fame Investiture ceremony would hold in Ilesa to honour individuals who have contributed immensely to the promotion of Yoruba culture, leadership and community development.
A distinguished personality lecture in honour of Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, OFR, CON, and Arole Fabunmi of Okemesi-Ekiti is also expected to headline the event, with scholars, traditional rulers, cultural enthusiasts and public intellectuals billed to discuss pathways to strengthening governance and security through indigenous values and historical lessons.
The organisers noted that all activities would commence daily by 11am, adding that the festival would serve as a rallying point for lovers of Yoruba culture, history and tourism across Nigeria and beyond.
They described the fiesta as not only a celebration of the heroic exploits of Ogedengbe Agbogungboro, but also a strategic platform to inspire a new generation of leaders through the ideals of courage, unity, patriotism and visionary leadership.
The Federal Government on Tuesday ruled out any plan to reinstate fuel subsidy despite worsening economic hardship and mounting public pressure.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, stated this in Paris, France, during a meeting with global investors alongside President Bola Tinubu.
Oyedele said the government would also not introduce price controls, stressing that market forces remain the preferred mechanism for determining petrol prices.
“We will not bring back fuel subsidy because it creates distortions for the economy, and we won’t introduce price control because we believe in the market,” he said.
The minister argued that the subsidy regime had long undermined economic efficiency, adding that emerging global energy shifts, including developments in Iran, present fresh investment opportunities for Nigeria.
The removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023 triggered a steep rise in inflation, worsening the country’s cost-of-living crisis.
Nigeria’s headline inflation climbed from 22.41 per cent in May 2023 to 34.19 per cent by June 2024 — its highest level in nearly two decades — driven by surging fuel, food, and transportation costs.
Food inflation further accelerated, exceeding 39 per cent by October 2024, while transport fares soared by nearly 300 per cent, compounded by currency devaluation.
Despite the economic strain, Tinubu defended the policy, saying it had stabilised the foreign exchange market.
“Subsidy that was a burden to the entire country was removed, and ever since we have achieved FX stability,” the President said, according to his Special Assistant on Social Media, Dada Olusegun.
In a related statement, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the administration’s reforms were aimed at eliminating structural distortions, strengthening macroeconomic stability, and laying the foundation for inclusive growth.
He added that the government remained committed to fiscal discipline and transparency.
Highlighting economic progress, Oyedele disclosed that Nigeria recorded an 11.2 per cent growth in Gross Domestic Product in dollar terms in 2025, describing it as a major step towards the country’s ambition of building a $1tn economy by 2030.
He also pledged that the government would begin publishing quarterly financial reports to enhance accountability and public trust.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Debt Management Office, Patience Oniha, assured investors of Nigeria’s commitment to prudent borrowing and sustainable debt management.
The Federal Government has continued to defend its reform agenda despite growing public discontent, insisting that the long-term gains will outweigh the current economic pains.
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