Northern Gaza is shattered. The spirit of returning Palestinians is not

Northern Gaza is shattered. The spirit of returning Palestinians is not
Displaced Palestinians arrive in the northern Gaza Strip, following Israel's decision to allow thousands of them to go back for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)
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Updated 28 January 2025
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Northern Gaza is shattered. The spirit of returning Palestinians is not

Northern Gaza is shattered. The spirit of returning Palestinians is not
  • Under the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Palestinians were allowed starting Monday to return north
  • Those returning crossed through the Netzarim corridor, a swath of land bisecting the Gaza Strip that Israeli forces turned into a military zone to seal off the north

WADI GAZA, Gaza Strip: They walked for hours loaded with whatever clothes, food and blankets they could carry. Many smiled, some hugged loved ones they hadn’t seen for months. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians filled Gaza’s main coastal road as they streamed back to homes in the north.
The mood was joyous, even though many knew their homes had been destroyed in Israeli offensives against Hamas that leveled large parts of Gaza City and the surrounding north.
The important thing was to go back, they said, to prevent what many had feared would be a permanent expulsion from their homes.
“By returning, we are victorious,” said Rania Miqdad, who was heading back to Gaza City with her family.
Ismail Abu Mattar returned with his wife and four children to the ruins of their Gaza City home, which was partially destroyed by Israeli bombardment early in the war. Like many others whose houses are damaged, he planned to set up a tent nearby and start clearing the rubble. 




Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip, following Israel's decision to allow thousands of them to go back for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)


“A tent here is better than a tent there,” he said, referring to the vast, squalid tent camps that arose in central and southern Gaza where he and much of the territory’s population have lived for months.
“We had thought we wouldn’t return, like our ancestors,” said Abu Mattar. His grandparents were among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven from what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding its creation.
A mass return on foot and by car
Under the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Palestinians were allowed starting Monday to return north. UN officials estimated that some 200,000 people made their way back over the course of the day. The scenes of celebration were a sharp contrast to the misery and fear during the war as more than 1 million people fled south on the same routes to escape Israel’s assaults.
Associated Press photos, videos and drone footage showed huge crowds heading north on foot along Gaza’s main coastal road. On one side was the Mediterranean Sea; on the other stretched a landscape of destroyed buildings and bulldozed land left behind by withdrawing Israeli forces. Armed Hamas fighters were visible in some spots, a sign of the militant group’s continued power in Gaza despite Israel’s vows to eliminate it. 




Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the northern Gaza Strip, following Israel's decision to allow thousands of them to go back for the first time since the early weeks of the 15-month war with Hamas, Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP)


Families carried bags of belongings and rolled up blankets. On their shoulders, men carried young children — or sacks of food and metal cannisters of cooking gas. Women balanced infants in their arms with satchels of clothes and jugs of water.
A little girl dressed in teddy-bear pajamas held her younger sister’s hand as they trailed their mother. A teenager strapped a pet carrier to his chest with his cat inside.
Others returned in cars and trucks piled high with mattresses and other belongings via a second route, Salah Al-Din Road.
Many were smiling. A child waved a “V-for-victory” sign. People tearfully hugged relatives and friends they’d been separated from for months.
One old woman being pushed in a wheelchair sang a traditional Palestinian song of perseverance dating back to 1948.
“Stand by each other, people of Palestine, stand by each other. Palestine is gone, but it has not bid you a final farewell,” she sang with a smile on her face. Then she added, “Thank God, we’re returning to our homes, after suffering so much ruin and hunger and disease.”
The joy was tempered by war’s cost and future’s uncertainty
Those returning crossed through the Netzarim corridor, a swath of land bisecting the Gaza Strip that Israeli forces turned into a military zone to seal off the north. The north saw some of the most intense Israeli offensives, aimed at eliminating Hamas fighters operating in densely populated areas.
Throughout the war, Israel repeatedly ordered civilians to evacuate the north – for their safety, it said – but barred their return. Under the ceasefire’s terms, Israeli troops pulled back from the main routes to allow returns and are eventually to pull out completely from the corridor.
For some, the joy of return was blemished by the deaths of loved ones. 




Palestinians, who were displaced to the south at Israel's order during the war, make their way back to their homes in northern Gaza, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, January 27, 2025. (Reuters)


Kamal Hamadah was returning to Gaza City, where his eldest son, his daughter and her children were killed by bombardment early in the war. Their bodies were left buried under rubble in the streets, even as the rest of the family fled south, he said.
Then just over a month ago, another of his sons who fled with him was killed.
“When his mother learned we were going back home, she was struck by a great sadness that she was returning without the boy,” he said.
Returning home, Yasmin Abu Amshah had a happy reunion with her younger sister, Amany, who had stayed in Gaza City throughout the war. “I thought it wouldn’t happen, and we wouldn’t see each other again,” the 34-year-old mother of three said.
Her four-story building was damaged but not destroyed, so she and other members of her extended family will stay there.
Those returning face an uncertain future. If the ceasefire collapses, they could face new Israeli offensives. If peace lasts, it’s not clear when Palestinians will be able to rebuild homes, leaving much of the population in temporary housing.
Ibrahim Hammad, his wife and five children walked five hours back to their neighborhood in Gaza City – knowing their house there had been destroyed by an airstrike in December 2023. His family will stay at his brother’s house until he can clear a space in the ruins of his house to set up a tent.
“We had to return, even to the rubble,” the 48-year-old told the AP. “Here we don’t have a house, but our family is here, and we will help each other.”


Italy pledges 68 million euros in aid for Syria

Italy pledges 68 million euros in aid for Syria
Updated 11 sec ago
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Italy pledges 68 million euros in aid for Syria

Italy pledges 68 million euros in aid for Syria
  • EU countries have also suspended a range of sanctions against Syria, including restrictions related to energy, banking, transport and reconstruction
ROME, March 27 : Italy has earmarked some 68 million euros ($73.20 million) to finance humanitarian projects and rebuild infrastructure in Syria, Rome’s foreign minister told lawmakers on Thursday, saying it was crucial to support the transition in Damascus.
“An initial package has been earmarked for humanitarian initiatives in the hospital and health sector, in infrastructure, and in strengthening food supply chains,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told a parliamentary hearing.
“New cooperation projects will start in the coming weeks. And we also intend to organize a business forum aimed at reconstruction,” he added.
Earlier this month, donors at a European Union-led conference pledged 5.8 billion euros to help Syria’s new authorities with the challenges of the transition.
EU countries have also suspended a range of sanctions against Syria, including restrictions related to energy, banking, transport and reconstruction.
The new authorities this month issued a constitutional declaration that retains a central role for Islamic law in the country.
Tajani said the constitutional declaration represented a “positive step” and a “progressive and cautious” easing of sanctions should continue to foster institutional consolidation and economic recovery.

(Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Alvise Armellini and Sharon Singleton)

Police use force to break up protests at university in Turkiye’s capital

Police use force to break up protests at university in Turkiye’s capital
Updated 27 March 2025
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Police use force to break up protests at university in Turkiye’s capital

Police use force to break up protests at university in Turkiye’s capital
  • At least 1,400 people were detained first six days of the protests, the interior minister said Tuesday
  • A group of students gathered to read a statement near the university gates, pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV and local media reported
ISTANBUL: Police used pepper spray, plastic pellets and water cannon against protesters in Turkiye’s capital early Thursday, potentially reigniting tensions after two days of relative calm in the country’s biggest anti-government protests in over a decade.
The demonstrations began last week following the arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Imamoglu, jailed on corruption charges many see as politically motivated, is also accused of supporting terrorism. The government insists the judiciary is independent, but critics say the evidence is based on secret witnesses and lacks credibility.
Early Thursday, student demonstrators tried to march and gathered to read a statement near the gates at Middle East Technical University, pro-opposition broadcaster Halk TV and local media reported. They were met by security forces who deployed pepper spray, water cannon and plastic pellets. A standoff ensued where the students hid behind a barricade of dumpsters until the police charged to detain them.
Melih Meric, a legislator with the Republican People’s Party or CHP, was seen soaked with water and suffering from pepper spray exposure. “My student friends only wanted to make a press statement, but the police strictly did not allow it, this is the result,” Meric said in social media videos.
Officials have not said how many people were detained.
Ozgur Ozel, the leader of party to which Imamoglu belongs, had promised that lawmakers would stand alongside protesters in the hope of lowering tensions. He also warned Tuesday that if the police provoked demonstrators he would “make a call for 500,000 people to (come to) the place that will disturb” the authorities the most.
At least 1,400 people were detained first six days of the protests, the interior minister said Tuesday.
Demonstrations involving hundreds of thousands have swept across major cities, including opposition-organized rallies outside Istanbul City Hall. Other major protests have been held in Istanbul’s districts of Kadikoy and Sisli districts in recent days.
Erdogan has accused the opposition of “sinking the economy” by calling for a boycott of companies it says support the governmen. The president said those responsible for hurting financial stability would be held “accountable.”
Meanwhile, Imamoglu, speaking from prison via social media Wednesday, denounced police violence against protesters, “I cannot call them police because my honorable police would not commit this cruelty to the young children of the nation,” he said.
Imamoglu has been confirmed as the main opposition party’s candidate for presidential elections due in 2028 but which could come earlier. He has performed well in recent polls against Erdogan, for whom his election as mayor of Turkiye’s largest city in 2019 was a major blow.

Hamas spokesperson Qanoua killed in Israeli airstrike, Al-Aqsa TV reports

Hamas spokesperson Qanoua killed in Israeli airstrike, Al-Aqsa TV reports
Updated 27 March 2025
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Hamas spokesperson Qanoua killed in Israeli airstrike, Al-Aqsa TV reports

Hamas spokesperson Qanoua killed in Israeli airstrike, Al-Aqsa TV reports
  • Al-Qanoua was killed when his tent was targeted in Jabalia in northern Gaza
  • Earlier this week, Israel killed senior leaders Ismail Barhoum and Salah Al-Bardaweel

CAIRO: Hamas spokesperson Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza, Hamas-affiliated media said early on Thursday, the latest group figure to be killed since Israel resumed its operations in the enclave.
Al-Qanoua was killed when his tent was targeted in Jabalia, the Hamas-run Al-Aqsa television said. The same strike wounded several people, while separate attacks killed at least six in Gaza City and one in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis, medical sources said.
Earlier this week, Israel killed Ismail Barhoum, a member of Hamas’ political office, and Salah Al-Bardaweel, another senior leader.
Both Bardaweel and Barhoum were members of the 20-member Hamas decision-making body, the political office, 11 of whom have been killed since the start of the war in late 2023, according to Hamas sources.
Last week, Israel ended a two-month-old ceasefire by resuming bombing and ground operations, increasing pressure on Hamas to free the remaining hostages in its captivity.
At least 830 people, over half of them children and women, have been killed since Israel resumed major military strikes in Gaza on March 18, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Israel and Hamas accused each other of breaching the truce. It had broadly held since January and offered respite from war for the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza, which has been reduced to rubble.
Hamas, which still holds 59 of the 250 or so hostages Israel says the group seized in its October 7, 2023 attack, accused Israel of jeopardizing efforts by mediators to negotiate a permanent deal to end the fighting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he ordered strikes because Hamas had rejected proposals to secure a ceasefire extension. He repeated threats on Wednesday to seize territory in Gaza if Hamas failed to release the remaining hostages it still holds.


Trump: Houthi attacks will continue for long time

Trump: Houthi attacks will continue for long time
Updated 27 March 2025
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Trump: Houthi attacks will continue for long time

Trump: Houthi attacks will continue for long time

US airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen will continue for a long time, President Donald Trump said Wednesday.

His comments came shortly after Houthi media said new US strikes had hit the capital Sanaa, AFP reported. Earlier reports said there had been 19 US raids elsewhere in Yemen.

The US said it was launching a military offensive against the Houthis on March 15, to stop the group attacking shipping in the Red Sea - a key global trade route.

The militant Iran-backed group started the attacks after the start of the Gaza war, claimig they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians.


Iraq gives British Petroleum final green light to redevelop Kirkuk oilfields

Iraq gives British Petroleum final green light to redevelop Kirkuk oilfields
Updated 27 March 2025
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Iraq gives British Petroleum final green light to redevelop Kirkuk oilfields

Iraq gives British Petroleum final green light to redevelop Kirkuk oilfields
  • First phase of project will cover their Baba and Avanah domes and three adjacent fields
  • British Petroleum helped to discover the giant Kirkuk oilfields in the 1920s

 

LONDON: BP has received final government approval for the redevelopment of Iraq’s giant Kirkuk oil fields, with an initial plan to produce 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent, the company said on Wednesday.
The project is a breakthrough for Iraq, where output has been constrained by years of war, corruption and sectarian tensions, and a cornerstone of BP’s drive to refocus on its oil and gas business and away from renewables.
Tuesday’s signing of a final agreement on the project between BP CEO Murray Auchincloss and Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani follows an initial deal signed last month and a memorandum of understanding last year.
BP said its remuneration will be linked to incremental production volumes, price and costs, and that the company will be able to book a share of output and reserves “proportionate to the fees it earns for helping to increase production.”
The first phase of the redevelopment of the Kirkuk fields, which BP first helped to discover in the 1920s, will cover their Baba and Avanah domes and three adjacent fields Bai Hassan, Jambur and Khabbaz, BP said.
A new operator will be set up, including staff from Iraq’s North Oil Company (NOC) and North Gas Company (NGC) as well as people seconded from BP.