RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine has used US-made chemical weapons – Russia

Washington and Kiev have violated articles of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as Ukrainian forces have used illegal munitions on the battlefield, Russian Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov has claimed.

The head of Russia’s Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection Forces provided several examples of Kiev’s alleged use of banned chemical weapons and non-lethal chemical agents that he said were obtained from the US. 

Kirillov claimed that Ukraine used drones to drop US-made gas grenades on December 28, 2023 containing “CS” compound – a chemical classified as a riot-control tool that irritates the eyes and upper respiratory tract, and can cause skin burns, respiratory paralysis and cardiac arrest when used in high concentrations.

He said the delivery of such munitions by the US to Ukraine was a direct violation of the rules of the OPCW, which states that a country must “never, under any circumstances, transfer chemical weapons directly or indirectly to anyone.”

He also reported that, on June 15, 2023, Moscow’s forces were attacked by a drone carrying a container filled with chloropicrin, which is classified as a Schedule 3 compound under the Chemical Weapons Convention and is strictly prohibited – even for law enforcement purposes. The same chemical was also used by Kiev on August 3 and 11, 2023 near the village of Rabotino, according to Kirillov.

The general also provided several examples of Kiev using toxic substances against Russian military personnel, as well as poisoning high-ranking officials such as the head of Russia’s Kherson Region Vladimir Saldo in August 2022.

Kirillov said Russian intelligence believes that Ukraine’s forces, under the guidance of its Western backers, are developing a new military tactic that would use a “chemical belt.” This would involve blowing up containers with hydrocyanic acid and ammonia to prevent an advance by Russian forces.

He added that plans for such a large-scale use of toxic chemicals were evidenced by the fact that Kiev had asked the EU to supply it with hundreds of thousands of antidotes, gas masks and other personal protective equipment in 2024. That’s in addition to 600,000 ampules of organophosphorus antidotes, and 750,000 bottles of drugs for the detoxification of mustard gas, lewisite and hydrocyanic acid derivatives that were supplied by NATO countries in 2023.

“It is obvious that the volumes requested by Ukraine are excessive for a country that does not have chemical weapons,” Kirillov stated.

There has been no response from the OPCW despite all of this evidence being presented to the organization four months ago, the general said, accusing it of being run by Washington as a tool to target its political opponents.

In November, Russia lost its seat on the OPCW Executive Council after failing to get enough votes from other members of the organization. Kirillov said Moscow was effectively “pushed out” of its seat and was replaced by Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania, who he claimed were pursuing an obvious anti-Russia policy.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

After retreat, Ukraine digs in to repel new Russian attacks in east

Ukraine's military said on Monday its troops had taken up new defensive positions in the east after retreating from the captured town of Avdiivka and were repelling Russian attempts to develop the offensive thrust.

Russia took full control of devastated Avdiivka after Kyiv's troops withdrew over the weekend, handing the Kremlin its biggest battlefield advance since capturing the city of Bakhmut in May.

Avdiivka's fall was the clearest sign the tide of the war has turned in Russia's favour as Kyiv struggles to regenerate manpower and U.S. Republicans scupper attempts to rearm Washington's ally battling a much larger and better armed foe.

"The Ukrainian military has established itself on new lines of defence and is successfully repelling attempts by the Russian invaders to develop an offensive," Brigadier-General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi wrote on Telegram messenger.

Russian forces were regrouping and searching for pockets of resistance in Avdiivka, while attacking near the occupied eastern town of Mariinka and near a Kyiv-held southeastern village, military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy said.

The capture of Avdiivka pushes Ukrainian forces further from the Russian-held bastion city of Donetsk, an important logistics hub used by Moscow to support its operations across partially-occupied eastern Ukraine, a region known as the Donbas.

Serhiy Zgurets, director of the Kyiv-based Defence Express consultancy, predicted Russian forces would try to "straighten out" the front line around Mariinka and launch a fresh push around the town of Vuhledar, which is held by Kyiv.

Zgurets said Moscow forces had around 80,000 troops deployed around Bakhmut and a further 40,000 troops around Avdiivka, and would likely try to push towards the town of Chasiv Yar.

COMPLETELY SURROUNDED

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the capture of Avdiivka as an important victory, and Moscow has said Kyiv's pullback was chaotic and rushed, with some soldiers and weapons left behind.

"The withdrawal was prompted by the threat of an enemy breakthrough that would have cut all supply routes for the grouping in the eastern part of the Avdiivka," Zgurets said, adding that he believed the pullback was well executed.

Some troops from Ukraine's Third Assault Brigade, which was rushed into the town to reinforce Kyiv's troops last week, were completely surrounded at one point, but managed to break out, their deputy commander, Maksym Zhoryn, said.

Pavel Mogila, commander of an armoured unit in a Russian militia force fighting for Ukraine, said they helped evacuate forces from the city using three vehicles.

"We were standing in the Lastochkyne area. If the Russians had neared the road, taken the tree lines around it, then that would have been it, the road would have been blockaded and Avdiivka fully surrounded."

Andrii Taran, a commander in the 110th Brigade, said Russia had "exhausted" the defenders with constant attacks by small groups of three or four soldiers, while bombing with guided aerial bombs.

Oleh Zhdanov, a Kyiv-based military analyst, said: "Russia will most likely try to seize as much territory as possible in the near future, especially within the borders of those territories that Putin has declared to be Russian."

Moscow unilaterally declared it had annexed the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia in 2022 despite not fully controlling any of them.

RT/Reuters

A veterinary technologist working at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Olabode Olawuyi, was on Monday attacked and killed by a lion at the institution’s zoological garden.

The development is contained in a statement issued by the university on Monday and signed by its Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju.

Olarewaju, who gave the age of the lion as nine, said the deceased had been in charge of its care since it was born on campus.

He said Olawuyi was mauled by the animal during feeding at the zoological garden, and that efforts by other workers to rescue the deceased proved abortive.

The statement, however, added that the lion was eventually put to death in a humane manner following the death of the official.

The statement reads in part: “The management, staff, students, and the entire campus of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, have been thrown into mourning following the untimely death of Olabode Olawuyi.

“…Olawuyi, a Veterinary Technologist, who had been in charge of the zoological garden for over a decade, was attacked this afternoon, Monday, 19th February, by a nine-year-old male lion when he was feeding them in their den at the Zoological garden of the university.”

University management mourns Olawuyi

According to the statement, the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Adebayo Bamire, was reported to have led the management members to the scene of the incident for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.

Olarewaju said the vice-chancellor and his team who abruptly ended an ongoing meeting to visit the scene were briefed on the failed efforts to rescue the deceased by the Acting Director of the institution’s Health and Medical Centre, Tirimisiyu Olatunji.

The statement further reads in part: “The other members of staff who were at the scene of the incident did everything within their power to rescue their boss but the wild cat had already caused severe fatalities.

“On hearing the sad news, the management team, led by the Vice Chancellor, abruptly ended an ongoing meeting for an on-the-spot assessment.

“The Vice-Chancellor, Adebayo Simeon Bamire, was informed, on arrival, by the Acting Director of the University Health and Medical Centre Tirimisiyu Olatunji, that all first aid and medical efforts to save the life of the victim proved abortive.”

He said the university already sent a delegation to the widow and children of the deceased, “imploring them to take solace in God who gives life and also has the power to take life.”

Lion euthanised

The statement said the development threw the university into mourning, and that to allay the fear of members of the community, the university ordered that the dangerous animal be made to die humanely.

“Saddened by this tragic event, the aggressive lion has been euthanised,” the statement noted.

Meanwhile, the university said the vice-chancellor has ordered “a comprehensive investigation into the immediate and remote causes of the incident.”

PT

Most successful business leaders will tell you that their primary motivation is to "change the world" and to build something lasting, not to make a lot of money, while the conventional wisdom is that employees work for money, above all else.

Yet my own experience leads me to believe that non-cash motivators may be more effective in the long term than financial incentives.

I agree with Charles P. Garcia, who ties motivation most strongly to leadership, in his classic book, Leadership Lessons of the White House Fellows, based on this group of more than 600 prominent leaders from every sector of American society.

They assert that employees value having strong leaders, who incentivize them to do their best, just as much if not more than money does. 

For action, he provides a list of principles for business owners and managers alike, derived from his first-hand discussions with some of the nation's greatest leaders.

We all need to learn from these as we rebuild employee morale following tough economic challenges, with limited budgets: 

1. Energize your team

Instead of being the type of leader who sucks the energy away from others, resolve to be the kind of leader who strives to bring passion and positive energy to the workplace every day.

Your employees have just helped you pull your company through one of the nation's worst economic periods. It's time they had a source of positive energy.

2. There's more to life than work

Great leaders have deep reserves of physical, spiritual, and emotional energy and that energy is usually fueled by a strong and supportive relationship with the people they love, regular exercise, a healthy lifestyle, and setting aside time for reflection.  

3. Put your people first

No organization is better than the people who run it. The fact is that you are in the people business – the business of hiring, training and managing people to deliver the product or service you provide.

If the people are the engine of your success, to be a great leader you need to attend to your people with a laser-like focus.

4. Act with integrity

In a time when news reports are filled with the stories of private and public leaders who've acted inappropriately and have gone against the best interests of their employees or constituents, showing your employees that you value integrity can help motivate them and create a sense of pride for your organization. 

5. Be a great communicator

Leadership is influencing others and this cannot be achieved without effective communication. If you're struggling with communicating with your employees, first work on your ability to influence individuals by choosing impactful words to carry your message. Then you need to figure out how to communicate to a larger audience.

6. Be a great listener

The most effective leaders are the ones who take the time to listen not just to their team members' words but to the priceless hidden meaning beneath them.

Remember that during good times and bad, sometimes your employees just need someone to talk to. Communicate to them that you are always waiting with open ears.

7. Be a problem solver

Post a sign above your office door that reads, "Don't Bring Me Problems. Bring Me Solutions."

Then set about the task of guiding each person on your team toward the goal of becoming a top-notch problem solver during this crucial period. 

8. Lead through experience and competence, not through title or position

Mentor your employees, encourage them, and make partners out of them and your organization is sure to benefit. If you want to survive the tough economy, that's exactly the kind of leadership motif you need for your organization. 

The fundamentals of leadership don't change between good times and bad. But when money is in short supply, these principles can be the difference between success and failure.

Now is the time to start motivating your employees by applying these principles, and your team may lead you through the next challenge.

Inc

The active fleet of domestic airlines has shrunk in recent times leaving many of the airlines gasping for breath, findings by Daily Trust have shown.

From a fleet of over 100 aircraft, less than 50 are active while many of the planes are either grounded or have gone for maintenance abroad.

Many of the airlines are said to be facing acute shortage of foreign exchange to carry out scheduled maintenance abroad while airlines that already sent their aircraft abroad were accruing millions of dollars in demurrage in addition to the actual cost of maintenance.

Virtually all the airlines are affected in the current impasse worsened by the hike in foreign exchange with the dollar hitting an all-time high of N1,536 to a dollar in the official market.

A comprehensive check (C-check) on a Boeing aircraft for instance costs around $1m to $1.5m which is about N1.5bn and N2bn. It is expected to be carried out between one to two years depending on the maintenance programme for the aircraft.

For a D-check which is the most intensive and comprehensive check on an aircraft, the cost could be higher as such a check involves structural check of the aircraft.

With the foreign exchange scarcity and the depreciation of the naira, many airlines are unable to carry out scheduled maintenance of the aircraft, leaving many of the planes on ground.

A visitor to the domestic terminals of the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos, would be regaled with dozens of aircraft grounded because they are due for maintenance.

While our correspondent could not ascertain the number of aircraft on ground, sources in the industry said the operating aircraft of domestic airlines have reduced by more than half in recent times.

One of the domestic carriers, Azman Air, had vowed to resume domestic operations last year but only one of its three aircraft on maintenance had arrived.

A source in the industry said, “The number of aircraft on ground that are due for maintenance or those that have been sent for maintenance abroad is more than the operating aircraft.”

According to the source, the development has disrupted the schedules of the airlines leading to frequent flight disruptions.

Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) at the weekend cried out that they were facing existential threat, citing difficulty in raising foreign exchange to carry out maintenance and other activities that are essentially dollar-based.

AON spokesman, Obiora Okonkwo, said, “We are making losses on factors that are beyond our control. We are not only faced with the problem of scarcity of dollars; even the aviation ecosystem is feeling the heat. Handling companies have increased the cost of their services, airports have increased their charges and those that service the aircraft have also increased the cost of their services.”

Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) recently directed airlines to align their schedules with the existing capacity to minimise the cases of flight disruptions with the attendant inconveniences to passengers.

Chief Executive Officer of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, said, “The forex issue has affected those that have planned to bring their airplanes back because now they have to pay more naira to get their aircraft back, especially those that have taken their airplanes out of the country to do maintenance.”

Daily Trust

Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has said the reform agenda of President Bola Tinubu has added to the plight of the citizens and worsening their conditions.

President of the CBCN, Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji, said this at the formal opening of the 2024 First Plenary Assembly of the CBCN at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) Resource Centre, Abuja, on Sunday.

The programme had as its theme, ‘Synod on Synodality: Areas of Concern for the Church in Nigeria’.

Ugorji said with the end of the fuel subsidy regime and the unification of the foreign exchange market, there has been a significant increase in the pump price of petroleum products and a steep decline in the value of the naira, thus increasing the hardship experienced by Nigerians.

Ugorji said rising inflation has made it difficult for average Nigerian to access basic commodities, including food items and medication.

“The reform agenda of the present government has added to the plight of Nigerians.

“With the withdrawal of fuel subsidy and the unification of the foreign exchange market, there has been a sharp increase in the pump price of petroleum products and a steep decline in the value of the naira. Indeed, there is a free fall in the national currency.

“As a result of the government’s reform agenda, millions of Nigerians have been reduced to a life of grinding poverty, wanton suffering, and untold hardship as never before in our national history.

“In a bid to survive, an increasing number of the poor have resorted to begging. With more than 80m Nigerians living below the poverty line of less than two dollars a day, our country, according to the recent disclosure of the World Bank, is the world’s second-largest poor population after India.

“While many impoverished Nigerians continue to suffer and die as a result of the hardship caused by the government’s economic reforms, the president has continued to urge the populace to make even more and more sacrifices with the assurance that brighter days lay ahead,” Ugorji said.

The CBCN President noted that as the government demands additional sacrifice from the struggling masses, Nigerians are expecting to see a drastic cut in the cost of running the government at all levels.

He said, “On the contrary, it is worrisome to watch top government functionaries live by the sweat, toil, and tears of the poor. They continue to spend huge public funds on ostentatious and luxurious lifestyles and seem incapable of feeling compassion for the outcry of the poor.

“It is no less worrisome to note that corruption among many public servants has gone beyond scale and measure. Corruption is a complex reality involving moral rottenness, defilement, and loss of integrity.”

On insecurity, Ugorji said despite the huge sums of money appropriated monthly as security votes, communities have continued to experience persistent insecurity.

He said recently that there has been an upsurge in kidnapping for ransom and increasing incidents of senseless bloodshed across the nation.

“Unarmed citizens are brutally slaughtered on our highways, in their homes, and even in the sacred precincts of places of worship. Killer herdsmen, bandits, and unknown gunmen seem to be on the rampage.

“Many communities across the nation have been taken over completely by criminals. Families have lost their ancestral lands to armed invaders and land-grabbers. The social and economic lives of communities have been paralysed due to insecurity.

“Schools have been shut down, and children can no longer continue their education. Farmers are unable to access their farms out of fear of either losing their lives or being kidnapped,” he said.

Daily Trust

African Development Bank Group announced in its latest Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook (MEO) report that Africa will host eleven of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies in 2024.

The continent’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth is projected to average 3.8% in 2024 and 4.2% in 2025, surpassing the projected global averages of 2.9% and 3.2%, respectively.

Africa is poised to maintain its position as the second-fastest-growing region after Asia.

The 11 fastest growing economies and their projected growth rate for 2024 are;

• Niger – 11.2%
• Senegal – 8.2%
• Libya – 7.9%
• Rwanda – 7.2%
• Cote d’Ivoire – 6.8%
• Ethiopia – 6.7%
• Benin – 6.4%
• Djibouti – 6.2%
• Tanzania – 6.1%
• Togo – 6% and
• Uganda – 6%.

Niger, which has the highest GDP growth rate, is currently led by a military junta.

Speaking on the report, President of the African Development Bank, Akinwunmi Adesina called for more financing in the face of the positive outlook noting that 15 African countries already posted growth rate above 5%.

He stated, “Despite the challenging global and regional economic environment, 15 African countries have posted output expansions of more than 5%,”

Regional outlook

Across the five regions in Africa, the bank projected East Africa to experience the fastest economic growth in 2024 at 5.1% followed by West Africa at 4.0%.

On the other hand, North and Central Africa are expected to grow at 3.9% and 3.5% respectively while Southern Africa will see the weakest growth at 2.2% in 2024.

More Insights

• While the report cast a bright light at Africa, the continent still grapples with several risks such as inflation, currency depreciation, elevated debt levels, and political risks with the rise of coups across the Sahel.
• Inflation continues to pose a threat to Africa’s population owing to monetary policy tightening across Europe and the United States, geopolitical tensions in Europe and the Middle east leading to stress in supply chains of energy and agricultural products.
• By the end of 2022, around 19 African countries posted double-digit inflation rates leading to reduction in consumer spending thereby plunging vulnerable populations deep into poverty. The figure remained unchanged in 2023. The continent averaged around 17.3% inflation in 2023.
• In the previous year, many African countries experienced severe currency depreciation with commodity exporters the most vulnerable. This was primarily due to hawkish inflation targeting monetary policies in the United States.
• Political risks due to internal conflicts and coups also threaten the economic growth across the continent. Last year, the continent saw coups in Niger and Gabon. However, since 2020 putschist have struck 9 times with varying degree of success mainly across the Sahel region.

Nairametrics

Commodity trader Olam Group said that its investigation found no evidence to support allegations of a reported scandal at its Nigerian units, spurring a surge in its Singapore-listed shares.

The audit and risk committee, assisted by external counsel and independent accountants, had completed the review, without identifying any evidence, the company said in a statement.

No charges have been brought against the subsidiaries nor any of their officers, with local businesses operating normally, it said.

The company — which is about 51% held by Temasek Holdings Pte, Singapore’s state-owned investment fund — has been under scrutiny following news reports in Nigeria that its domestic branches were involved in a multibillion dollar fraud and being probed by local authorities. The company denied the allegations in the articles in September, and ordered a review into the matter.

Olam Group shares collapsed to the lowest close since 2005 in late October following the fraud allegations, which added to setbacks facing the company including a profit slump and IPO delay. On Monday, the stock leapt as much as 15% to S$1.01.

“Olam regards Nigeria as an important part of its future strategic plan and it will continue to seek future opportunities to grow its business there,” it said.

The commodity trader is scheduled to announce full-year earnings later this month.

Bloomberg

Some bandits in the early hours of Sunday invaded Gindin Duste Makyali of the Kufana District, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing at least 12 people during the attack.

Sources said in the incident which happened around 5am, no fewer than 17 houses were razed while noting that the bandits in large numbers stormed the town shooting indiscriminately.

The attack, which our correspondent gathered lasted many hours without security operatives in sight, was in the wake of another attack in two local governments of Igabi and Kauru, all in the state on Friday night.

In those attacks, bandits raided two communities of Gwada and Kassam in Igabi as well as Kauru Local Government Areas where nine people were killed, and seven injured while scores, including a retired Central Bank of Nigeria director and his wife, were abducted.

While Igabi is in the northern part of the state, Kauru is in the Southern Kaduna axis.

The breakdown showed that six persons were killed, five abducted and two injured in Kauru LGA, while three persons were killed, seven injured, and  30 others kidnapped in Igabi LGA of the state.

There was no official confirmation yet from the police but the source confided in our correspondent that the attack occurred close to a security post.

According to the source, 12 of the residents were burnt to death in their houses while nine sustained injuries.

The state governor, Uba Sani, condemned the renewed attack.

The governor who spoke through the Overseeing Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, said he received the news of the latest attack with shock while directing the State Emergency Agency to urgently assist the affected communities in Kajuru and Igabi.

“Sani who has been leading meetings with security forces, condemned the attacks in strong terms and prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased. He also directed the State Emergency Management Agency to, as a matter of urgency, assist the affected communities in Kajuru and Igabi LGAs following the razing of some of their houses and valuables.

“The governor further reiterated the government’s dedication and commitment in tackling the security challenges experienced across the state,” he added.

Punch

Armed bandits have attacked the divisional headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force in Zurmi town, the headquarters of the Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State

The bandits were said to have invaded the town Sunday evening, killing seven persons including a police officer.

An indigene of the town, Babangida Zurmi, told Channels Television that he was yet to speak with any of his relatives as of 9:45pm because most of their numbers were switched off.

“As we speak now, I can’t get in touch with anybody in the town, their numbers are switched off. That means the bandits are still around. We need help from relevant authorities,” he said.

Another source who spoke with our correspondent said the bandits attacked the town with a mission to revenge the killing of two persons by local vigilante in the area.

He said several shops were burnt and the divisional headquarters of the police in Zurmi was also razed.

Another bandit group operating in the Maradun Local Government Area had killed four persons and abducted several others.

According to sources, the four persons were killed when bandits opened fire on the people clearing bushes along the road.

Spokesperson for the police in Zamfara State, Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the attack.

He said he was still gathering more information on the Zurmi attack on the Divisional headquarters of the police in the town.

CTV

Israel vows to 'finish the job' in Gaza as War Cabinet member threatens a Ramadan deadline for Rafah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday brushed off growing calls to halt the military offensive in Gaza, vowing to “finish the job” as a member of his War Cabinet threatened to invade the southern city of Rafah if remaining Israeli hostages are not freed by the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Israel’s government has not publicly discussed a timeline for a ground offensive on Rafah, where more than half the enclave’s 2.3 million Palestinians have sought refuge. Retired general Benny Gantz, part of Netanyahu’s three-member War Cabinet, represents an influential voice but not the final word on what might lie ahead.

“If by Ramadan our hostages are not home, the fighting will continue to the Rafah area,” Gantz told a conference of Jewish American leaders. Ramadan, expected to begin March 10, is historically a tense time in the region.

As cease-fire negotiations struggle after signs of progress in recent weeks, Netanyahu has called demands by Gaza’s ruling Hamas militant group “delusional.”

The United States, Israel’s top ally, says it still hopes to broker a cease-fire and hostage-release agreement, and envisions a wider resolution of the war sparked by Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel.

The U.S. also says it will veto another draft U.N. resolution calling for a cease-fire, with its U.N. ambassador warning against measures that could jeopardize “the opportunity for an enduring resolution of hostilities.”

But Netanyahu opposes Palestinian statehood, which the U.S. calls a key element in a broader vision for normalization of relations between Israel and regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia. His Cabinet adopted a declaration Sunday saying Israel “categorically rejects international edicts on a permanent arrangement with the Palestinians” and opposes any unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

The international community overwhelmingly supports an independent Palestinian state as part of a future peace agreement. Netanyahu’s government is filled with hard-liners who oppose Palestinian independence.

Netanyahu wants Israel to achieve “total victory” over Hamas. In response to international concern over a Rafah offensive, he has said Palestinian civilians will be evacuated. Where they will go in largely devastated Gaza is not clear.

The suggested timing for the offensive came as the World Health Organization chief said southern Gaza’s main medical center, Nasser Hospital, “is not functional anymore” after Israeli forces raided it in Khan Younis last week.

Israeli strikes across Gaza continued, killing at least 18 people overnight into Sunday, according to medics and witnesses. A strike in Rafah killed six people, including a woman and three children, and another killed five in Khan Younis, the main target of the southern Gaza offensive in recent weeks. Associated Press journalists saw the bodies.

“All those who were martyred were those whom the Jews asked to move to safe places,” said a bystander after the Rafah strike, Ahmad Abu Rezeq.

In Gaza City, which suffered widespread destruction early in the war, an airstrike flattened a home, killing seven people, including three women, according to relative Sayed al-Afifi.

Israel’s military rarely comments on individual strikes and blames civilian casualties on Hamas because the militants operate in dense residential areas.

UN SAYS RAIDED HOSPITAL NO LONGER FUNCTIONS

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a WHO team was not allowed to enter Nasser Hospital on Friday or Saturday. In a post on X, he said about 200 patients remain, including 20 who need urgent referrals elsewhere.

Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant said at least 200 militants surrendered at the hospital. He also claimed that Hamas in Khan Younis is defeated, and that Hamas is largely leaderless in Gaza. He gave no evidence to support the claims.

The Gaza Health Ministry said 70 medical personnel were among those arrested, along with patients, leaving 150 patients without medical care. It said Israel refused to allow patients, including newborns, to be evacuated to other hospitals.

The military says it is looking for the remains of hostages inside Nasser Hospital and does not target doctors or patients.

The Oct. 7 attack killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took around 250 hostage. Militants still hold around 130 hostages, a fourth of them believed to be dead. Most of the others were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November.

The war has killed at least 28,985 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. On Sunday it said 127 bodies were brought to hospitals in the past 24 hours.

Around 80% of Gaza’s population have been displaced, and a quarter face starvation. Wael Abu Omar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Crossings Authority, said 123 aid trucks entered Gaza through Israel’s Kerem Shalom border crossing Sunday and four trucks of cooking gas entered through the Rafah crossing with Egypt. That’s well below the 500 trucks entering daily before the war.

In the occupied West Bank, a shootout erupted when Israeli forces went to arrest an armed suspect in the town of Tulkarem. The military said the suspect was killed, and a member of Israel’s paramilitary Border Police was severely wounded. It described the target of the raid as a senior militant. The Palestinian Health Ministry said two Palestinians were killed.

The war in Gaza has threatened to ignite wider conflict in the region. The U.S. Central Command said it conducted five self-defense strikes Saturday against cruise missiles and drones in area of Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebel group.

US OPPOSES A NEW CEASE-FIRE RESOLUTION

Algeria, the Arab representative on the U.N. Security Council, has circulated a draft resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza, and rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the draft “will not be adopted” and runs counter to Washington’s efforts to end the fighting. The U.S. vetoed previous resolutions that had wide international support.

The U.S., Qatar and Egypt have spent weeks trying to broker a cease-fire and hostage release, but Qatar said Saturday the talks “have not been progressing as expected.”

Hamas has said it will not release all remaining hostages without Israel ending the war and withdrawing from Gaza. It also demands the release of hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, including top militants.

AP