Ceasefire elusive as Israel continues to pound Gaza: Live

Israeli fighter jets continued to pummel the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Wednesday, flattening residential buildings and killing at least four Palestinians, including a journalist.

The latest raids came as Palestinian groups launched more rockets towards cities in southern Israel. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

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EU, minus Hungary, calls for Israel-Palestine ceasefire

Israeli forces kill Palestinian protester in occupied West Bank

Mapping Israeli occupation

Israel closes Gaza border crossing again, halting aid deliveries

Earlier, Israeli forces shot dead four other Palestinians and wounded scores more during protests and a historic general strike in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.

At least 220 Palestinians, including 63 children, have been killed in Gaza since the latest violence flared on May 10. About 1,500 Palestinians have been wounded.

Twelve people in Israel have died, including two children, while at least 300 Israelis have been wounded.

Despite the escalating violence – now in its tenth day – diplomatic efforts for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers have failed to make much headway.

The United States continued to block the UN Security Council from issuing a joint statement urging an end to the hostilities, telling diplomats that a public statement would not help calm the tensions.

France, however, says it is working with Israel’s neighbours, Egypt and Jordan, on a new ceasefire resolution. China said it was “supportive” of the French proposal.

Here are the latest updates:

22 mins ago (07:22 GMT)

50 schools in Gaza, three in Israel damaged

Fifty schools in Gaza have been damaged by Israeli air raids over the past week, according to Save the Children, impacting a total of 41,897 children.

Three further schools have been damaged in Israel by rockets fired from Gaza, according to UNICEF.

 

 

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30 mins ago (07:15 GMT)

UNRWA appeals for immediate humanitarian access

UNRWA is “deeply worried” about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza, while it appealed for the immediate opening of the Erez and Karam Abu Salem crossings into the enclave.

The two crossings would enable the movement of critical humanitarian personnel, such as security officers, trauma coordinators and humanitarian supplies.

The ongoing hostilities are also taking place along a COVID-related health crisis in the Palestinian territories. “The pandemic, with people crowding seeking refuge, remains a serious emergency: Gaza and the West Bank just had the highest COVID-19 outbreaks recently, worse than India in terms of rate,” read a statement from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

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1 hour ago (06:34 GMT)

21 Palestinians arrested in the occupied West Bank

The Israeli police arrested 21 Palestinians protesters in various cities across the occupied West Bank, according to Wafa news agency.

Three were arrested in the city of Hebron, three in Nablus, three in Jenin and four on Bethlehem, local media reported.

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2 hours ago (05:42 GMT)

Chile’s Palestine community protest against Israeli raids

Chile’s Palestinian community – the largest outside the Middle East, with more than 300,000 people – staged a protest in Santiago on Tuesday, denouncing Israel’s deadly air attacks against Gaza.

More than 1,000 people met at the Club Palestino football headquarters in eastern Santiago, the AFP news agency reported.

Palestinians and pro-Palestinian supporters protest against Israeli attacks on Gaza amid Israeli-Palestinian fighting, in Santiago, Chile May 18, 2021 [Ivan Alvarado/ Reuters]

Maurice Khamis, president of the Palestinian Community of Chile, said the protesters wanted to add “to the demonstrations that have taken place around the world… and also to support the hundreds of Palestinian civilian victims who have died in these Israeli attacks and bombings”.

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2 hours ago (05:23 GMT)

Israel dropped 122 bombs on Gaza in 25 minutes

The Israeli military dropped 122 bombs on Gaza during a 25 minute period on Tuesday night, the Times of Israel reported.

The raids, which began at 10pm local time, targeted an underground Hamas tunnel network in Gaza, the website said, quoting military spokesman, Hidai Zilberman.

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3 hours ago (04:49 GMT)

Radio journalist killed in Gaza

A fourth Palestinian was killed in Israel’s continuing raids on Gaza Strip, according to local media.

Yusef Abu Hussein was a journalist at the radio station, al-Aqsa Voice, according to the Wafa news agency and the Shehab news agency.

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4 hours ago (03:23 GMT)

Israeli jets hit Gaza, three Palestinians killed

Israel continued to bomb the Gaza Strip as dawn approached on Wednesday, according to local media reports, hitting a residential building in central Gaza City and killing at least three Palestinians.

Three others were also wounded, the Wafa news agency said.

Palestinian armed groups also continued firing rockets towards Israel. An AFP photographer reported streaks of light in the sky late on Tuesday as Israel’s air defence system intercepted the rockets.

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5 hours ago (03:04 GMT)

UN chief appeals for humanitarian funding for Gaza

Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the UN, called on the international community to ensure adequate funding for the global body’s humanitarian operations in Gaza.

“We are seeing immense human suffering and extensive damage to homes and vital infrastructure in Gaza,” he said in a tweet.

Earlier, the UN’s humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock called on Israel to provide “unimpeded humanitarian access” to Gaza.

“The crossings with Gaza need to be opened and to remain as such for the entrance of essential and humanitarian supplies, including fuel for basic services and supplies to curb the spread of COVID-19,” he said in a statement.

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5 hours ago (02:27 GMT)

Pro-Palestine rallies in New York, Boston, Los Angeles

Hundreds of protesters gathered across the street from the Israeli consulate in the US city of New York, denouncing Israel’s continuing attacks on Gaza.

Rallies in support of Palestine were also held in Boston and Los Angeles.

Gunmen invade court in Katsina, kidnap Judge

Gunmen have reportedly invaded a Sharia Court in Bauren Zakat village in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State and kidnapped a judge identified as Alhaji Husaini Sama’ila.

It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 3pm on Tuesday.

It was, however, unclear why the judge was in court amid the industrial action embarked upon by the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN).

Recall that JUSUN embarked on an indefinite strike on April 6 demanding the financial autonomy of the judiciary.

When contacted by Daily Post correspondent on phone, the Kastina State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Gambo Isah, confirmed the incident.

He, however, expressed shock on the assignment that took the judge to the court citing the strike action by JUSUN.

The PPRO said the court had been relocated from the area to Safana due to security issues, stating that he must have been there for a personal issue.

Insecurity: Primate Ayodele releases fresh prophecies on open grazing ban, S/East, IBB, others

The Leader Of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele has revealed what God told him about the agreement of Southern governors to ban open grazing in the Southern Region.

Recall that the Southern governors made this decision some days ago, even though some of their colleagues from the North are not happy with the move.

Primate Ayodele, in a statement to DAILY POST on Wednesday, revealed that he foresees betrayal among the southern governors who made the agreement, which will affect the effectiveness of the decision they made.

“Southern Governors will betray each other in the consensus to ban open grazing for herders, there will be betrayal among the governors, the decision will not be effective because of this betrayal that I foresee,’’ he said.

Continuing, he spoke about the insecurity crisis in the South-East, explaining that Imo State needs to be given serious attention because the crisis in the state is capable of threatening peace in the whole of the South-east.

He recalled his statement on Governor Hope Uzodinma, maintaining that until he leaves the governorship position, there won’t be peace in Imo State because the forces of the land are fighting him.

‘’South-east will face serious confusion as the Imo State crisis will keep escalating, there is a need to handle the Imo crisis well because it can lead to unexpected troubles.

‘’As I said before, the Imo crisis is caused by injustice, the governor is not the right person to be there, and as long as he stays there, there will be no peace, the forces of the land are fighting him,’’ he added.

Furthermore, the cleric warned against some evil occurrences in Nigeria, while calling the attention of some prominent Nigerians to pray for their health.

‘’Let us pray against helicopter crash in Nigeria

‘’Ibrahim Babaginda, a prominent Oba, An Emir in the north, should pray for their health not to fail, I see death lurking around them as a result of failed health conditions.

‘’More confusion will still engulf Buhari’s government, this is what the Lord showed me,’’ he added.Insecurity.

Insecurity: France agrees to support Nigeria

President Emmanuel Macron of France has pledged to support Nigeria combat insecurity bedeviling the Lake Chad basin area and the entire stretch of the Sahel region.

Macron spoke at a bilateral meeting between him and President Muhammadu Buhari.

The meeting was hosted by the Nigerian leader on the sidelines of the Financing Africa Summit in Paris.

The French President pledged his steadfast support for the West African that is currently facing a number of security challenges.

In a statement signed by Garba Shehu, Buhari Spokesman, and made available to media houses, the French leader said that his country will “absolutely be there on the side of Nigeria and it is willing to support with everything to assist the country to overcome the security threats.”

Macron promised to help the most populous black nation in the world in confronting the challenges of COVID-19 vaccines.

He added in the statement that “President Buhari outlined the challenges all round facing the country as well as its neighbours and spoke about the steps he has taken to reignite response to the situation, which he said included the appointment of the new Service Chiefs.”

The Nigerian leader said his country was willing to work with France and all international partners to overcome the West African country’s security challenges.

Israeli airstrikes pound Gaza despite cease-fire calls as clashes erupt in the West Bank

 

Israeli fighter jets pounded targets in the Gaza Strip and Hamas militants fired rockets and mortars at cities in southern Israel on Tuesday, as Palestinian demonstrators staging a general strike in solidarity with Gaza faced off against Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military said 62 fighter jets dropped 110 “guided armaments” overnight and early Tuesday on targets in Gaza, including Hamas commanders, rocket launchpads and the militant group’s tunnel network in the territory.

Here’s what to know:

• The Palestinian death toll in Gaza had climbed to 213, including at least 61 children, as of Tuesday afternoon, according to local health officials. In the West Bank, at least 16 Palestinians have been killed since Friday, officials there said.
• The death toll in Israel stands at 12, including two children. In southern Israel on Tuesday, two Thai workers were killed by rockets fired from Gaza, police said.
• Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that the Biden administration “received further information” regarding Israel’s strike on a high-rise building in Gaza that hosted offices of Al Jazeera and the Associated Press. But he declined to comment on the intelligence information.
• Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel staged a general strike Tuesday to protest Israel’s air campaign in Gaza and ongoing occupation. Clashes erupted between Israeli soldiers and protesters in the West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Ramallah.
• President Biden added his voice to those calling for a cease-fire on Monday, urging both Israel and Hamas to “protect innocent civilians” in a subtle rebuke of Israel. House Democrats will ask the Biden administration to halt the sale of precision-guided missiles to Israel pending a review, according to Israel’s Haaretz newspaper

Palestinian militants targeted nearby Israeli towns and cities with rockets and large-caliber mortars, the armed groups said in statements Tuesday.

Dramatic footage circulating on social media Tuesday showed a rocket slamming into the side of a high-rise building in Ashdod, a port city north of Gaza.

Israeli police said Tuesday that rocket fire from Gaza killed two Thai workers in the Eshkol region in southern Israel. One Israeli soldier was injured in a mortar attack near the Gaza border and was evacuated to a hospital for treatment, the Israeli military said.

The armed wing of Hamas said earlier that it had “bombarded” the city of Sderot, launched missiles at Ashdod and attacked a group of Israeli soldiers north of Gaza.

The fresh fighting prompted Israel to shutter the Kerem Shalom border crossing it said was opened earlier Tuesday to allow for some aid to enter the besieged enclave.

Israel showed little sign of scaling back its campaign despite growing international pressure and Biden’s call for a cease-fire. Israel has so far declined entreaties from outside mediators, including Egyptians, that it agree to a halt, two officials familiar with the cease-fire talks told The Washington Post. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations.

“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] is not talking about a cease-fire. We’re focused on the firing,” the military’s chief spokesman, Brig. Gen. Hidai Zilberman, told Israel’s Army Radio Tuesday, Reuters reported.

Blinken said the United States received intelligence from Israel on its bombing Saturday of a high-rise building in Gaza that housed media offices of the Associated Press and other outlets, but he declined to comment on the substance of the information.

“We did seek further information from Israel on this question,” the secretary of state said at a news conference in Iceland as a part of his tour of Nordic countries. “It’s my understanding that we’ve received some further information through intelligence channels, and it’s not something I can comment on.”

The 12-story al-Jalaa tower was destroyed during an Israeli bombardment of Gaza City following a barrage of Hamas rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. The leveling of the building prompted international condemnation. Israel said the tower contained military assets belonging to Hamas.

The ongoing fighting in Gaza came amid a nationwide strike by Palestinians in the West Bank and Arab citizens of Israel in solidarity with residents of Gaza.

Demonstrators participating in the strike clashed with Israeli soldiers near Ramallah, the Palestinian Authority’s administrative capital, and in Bethlehem in the West Bank. In Bethlehem, witnesses said Israeli forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at demonstrators.

Scenes of violent chaos unfolded at the demonstration near Ramallah, where Israeli forces fired on crowds of Palestinian protesters, injuring at least 16, local health officials said.

Earlier images from the demonstration showed protesters chanting and waving Palestinian flags under a cloud of dark smoke from burning tires.

The atmosphere quickly changed, however, and Israeli drones were soon shown on a live broadcast dropping tear gas canisters on demonstrators as medics ferried the wounded to ambulances and protesters threw stones at army vehicles.

The Health Ministry in Ramallah said most of those injured at the protest outside the Israeli settlement of Beit El were wounded by live ammunition. At least three were in critical condition, the ministry said.

Also Tuesday, the Israeli military said that soldiers thwarted an attack by an armed Palestinian man in the restive city of Hebron.

The general strike, organized by an array of grass-roots groups and political parties, also included Arab communities in Israel. In Jaffa, a historically Palestinian neighborhood south of Tel Aviv, shops were shuttered and streets were quiet Tuesday.

In the Beit Sfafa neighborhood, which straddles both East and West Jerusalem, most shops were shut. A worker at a bakery, who declined to give his name, said that most residents were striking but that bakeries and pharmacies were allowed to stay open.

Ines Abdel Razak, a Palestinian activist from Jerusalem, described the strikes as a “moment of mobilization and rising,” adding: “I think we’re all trying to follow and build this momentum.”

A woman holds her dog as she runs for a shelter after hearing sirens warning of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip near the site of a rocket hit on May 17, 2021, in Ashdod, Israel. (Amir Levy/Getty Images)

In Gaza, the assault has devastated the civilian infrastructure, according to the United Nations and other relief agencies, disrupting power lines, sanitation networks and other basic services.

Israeli airstrikes have damaged or destroyed nearly 450 buildings across Gaza, displacing more than 52,000 people inside the territory, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Tuesday in Geneva.

Of those displaced, about 47,000 have sought refuge in 58 U.N.-run schools in Gaza, the United Nations said.

Smoke and flames rise following an Israeli airstrike on Gaza City, May 18, 2021. (Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Berger reported from Jerusalem, Balousha from Gaza City and Cunningham from Istanbul. Steve Hendrix in Erez, Israel, and John Hudson in Reykjavik, Iceland, contributed to this report.

Total ban on Okada takes effect in two months, says Sanwo-Olu

 

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday revealed that the total ban on commercial motorcycles popularly called Okada will take effect in two months.

Speaking at the launch of 500 First and Last Mile Buses (FLM) meant to be deployed to inner roads in Lagos, Sanwo-Olu said this had become important because motorcycles are being used for criminal activities.

Sanwo-Olu also said Okada riders contribute to fatal accidents in the state.

The governor also warned those driving against traffic to desist as repeated offenders would not only lose their vehicle, they would contend with a three-year jail term, while first offenders will face a one-year jail term.

NLC chairman replies El-rufai, says come and arrest me

        

The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba, has reacted after he was on Tuesday declared wanted by the Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-rufai.

Wabba had on Monday led workers in Kaduna State on a warning strike to force El-rufai to rescind his decision to sack workers in the state.

The action by the NLC led to the grounding of economic and social activities in the state with workers in the railway, aviation, medical sector and others joining the protest staged by the Congress.

Reacting, Governor El-rufai, in a tweet yesterday, said the NLC and its protest displayed some unlawful actions. He accused the Congress of “shutting down electricity, coercion and restraints of personal freedom, trespass into public facilities and denial of access to healthcare for several of our citizens.”

“They closed several hospitals and chased away the patients,” he added.

In an update today, the governor said, “Ayuba Wabba & others of @NLCHeadquarters declared wanted for economic sabotage & attacks on public infrastructure under Miscellaneous Offences Act. Anyone that knows where he is hiding should send a message to @MOJKaduna KDSG. There will be a handsome reward!”

Reacting, the NLC Chairman, while leading a protest of striking workers to the government house on Tuesday, dared the governor to arrest him.

“Let him come and arrest me. We are here and waiting for them,” he was quoted by Dailytrust.

BREAKING: Buhari seeks Senate approval for fresh N2.3trn external loan

The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has asked the Senate to approve another N2.3trillion ($6.18bn) external loan.

This is contained in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and read at plenary on Tuesday.

Buhari said the proposed loan which is equivalent to N2.3trillion is to finance the 2021 budget deficit of N5.6 trillion.

Buhari said the loan would enable the Federal Government to fund critical infrastructural projects in transportation, health, and education among others.

This is coming barely a month after the Senate approved the sum of $1.5bn and €995 million external borrowings for the Federal Government.

According to Punch the loans were part of the $5.5 billion and €995 million external borrowings Buhari had, in May 2020, asked the Red Chamber to approve to finance various priority projects of the federal government and to support the state governments facing fiscal challenges.

Details later…

Military needs $2billion yearly to fight insecurity, says NAF

Director of Procurement, Nigeria Air Force (NAF), Air Vice-Marshal M. A Yakubu, yesterday, said that, for a start, the military needed an annual budget of at least $2 billion to fight terrorism and other causes of insecurity in the country.

Explaining reasons for such a bulk sum, Yakubu said many manufacturers of military equipment were insisting on full payment before beginning production, adding that the cost includes training of personnel to man certain equipment.

He spoke at a public hearing organised by House of Representatives Committee on Defence on Armed Forces Support Trust Fund Establishment Bill 2021, which seeks to explore alternative sources of funding for the armed forces in addition to the annual budgetary allocations.

Yakubu further explained that at a time, NAF needed a Tucano aircraft for which 100 per cent payment was made in 30 days, otherwise the procurement would not have been possible.

According to him, no budgetary allocation would fund such procurement, hence the need for alternative sources of funding for the military to be able to meet up with its responsibility.

Chairman of the House committee, Babajimi Benson, emphasised the need for alternative and additional sources of funding for the armed forces, saying it had become more apparent, considering the myriad of security challenges facing the country.

According to Benson, only approximately nine per cent of annual budgetary allocation is available for capital expenditure as a large chunk goes for recurrent expenditure.

The lawmaker said that efforts in the past by the armed forces to procure needed military hardware and provide requisite personnel training to tackle insecurity currently being faced by the country hit brick wall due to limited financial resources, underscoring the importance of the bill.

According to the committee chairman, globally, no country adequately finances its armed forces solely through annual budgetary allocations.

“Nigeria ranks very low on global defence spending and occupies the fourth position in Africa, below Algeria, Morocco and South Africa, despite its numerous security challenges.

“In 2020, while Nigeria spent only $2.6 billion on its military, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa expended $9.7 billion, $4.8 billion and $3.1 billion to fund and equip their military,” Benson said.

The bill seeks to address many inefficiencies in the military by creating an exclusive five-year funding plan, outside the annual budgetary allocations, for revamping the nation’s armed forces through special training for personnel, provision of modern kits and defence equipment.

16-year-old female student allegedly commits suicide in school dining hall: Photos

A 16-year-old final year student of Miracles Senior High School Sunyani in the Bono Region, Ghana, identified as Leticia has allegedly committed suicide. 

According to a journalist with Sunyani 88.1 FM, Hon. Asabee Asabee, the incident happened inside the school located at Baakoniaba, Sunyani east municipality. 

 

It was gathered that the student was found hanging from the celing of the school dinning hall by her colleagues on Monday, May 17, 2021, around 9:45pm.

 

Sunyani Municipal Police Service said the body has been deposited at the morgue of Sunyani Regional Hospital for autopsy.