Middle East
19 members of same family killed in Israeli air strike in southern Gaza
Abu Quta, 57, thought he and his extended family would be safe some hundred meters (yards) away from the house that was alerted to the pending strike, AP reported.
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The evacuation warning came shortly after dark. The Israeli military fired the shot just a short distance from Nasser Abu Quta’s home in the southern Gaza Strip, a precautionary measure meant to allow people to evacuate before airstrikes.
He huddled with his relatives on the ground floor of his four-story building, bracing for an impact in the area.
But the house of Abu Quta’s neighbor was never hit. In an instant, an explosion ripped through his own home, wiping out 19 members of his family, including his wife and cousins, he said. The airstrike also killed five of his neighbors who were standing outside in the jam-packed refugee camp, a jumble of buildings and alleyways, AP reported.
The army says that it conducts precision strikes aimed at militant commanders or operation sites and that it does not target civilians. It also points to its adversaries’ practice of embedding militants in civilian areas throughout the impoverished coastal enclave of 2.3 million people, which is under a under a severe land, air and sea blockade by Israel and Egypt.
But human rights groups have previously said that Israel’s pattern of deadly attacks on residential homes display a disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians and argued they may amount to war crimes.
In past wars and rounds of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants, individual Israeli airstrikes have killed great numbers of civilians — for instance, 22 members of the same family. AP
Israel and Hamas initiated a four-day ceasefire beginning on Friday. During this period, the militants are scheduled to release 13 Israeli women and child hostages later in the day, and aid is expected to enter the besieged Gaza enclave. This marks the first temporary halt in the nearly seven-week-long conflict, Al-Arabiya reported.
The truce began at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT), involving a omprehensive ceasefire in north and south Gaza, and was to be followed by the release of some of the more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack inside Israel, mediators in Qatar said. A number of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli prisons were to be freed in exchange.
As of Monday, authorities in Gaza reported that the death toll resulting from the continuous Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7 has surpassed 13,300.
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In a statement cited by Anadolu agency, the Gaza-based government media office said the death toll includes 5,600 children and 3,550 women.
It added that the death toll also includes 201 medical staff, 22 members of civil defense rescue teams, and 60 journalists.
Since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, Israel has launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip.
Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel’s air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave.
The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.
The inauguration of Empire Cinema’s multiplex in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, marks a historic moment as the city’s first-ever cinema, situated within the Al-Rashid Mall. Featuring 10 screens and 764 seats, including a dedicated children’s theater and play area, this branch signifies Empire Cinemas’ 10th complex in the country.
CEO Gino Haddad expressed that this expansion is a significant step in their Saudi presence.
The lifting of the cinema ban in 2018 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman under Vision 2030 aimed at enhancing the quality of life and diversifying the economy.
AMC Entertainment became the first operating cinema in 35 years, followed by Saudi Arabia’s substantial investments in the entertainment sector, including a $100 million film fund announced at the Cannes Film Festival.
Recent reports from the Ministry of Commerce highlight a 28% growth in the Saudi cinema industry in the second quarter of 2023 compared to the previous year. Predictions from PwC Middle East suggest that Saudi Arabia’s cinema revenue could reach $1.5 billion by 2030.
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