7 killed in attack on ‘safe zone’ in Gaza
GAZA STRIP
At least seven people were killed overnight in Israeli air strikes on tents in the Al Mawasi humanitarian area in western Rafah, Palestinian Wafa news agency reported on Wednesday.
Scores of others were injured and tents occupied by displaced Palestinians caught fire, local sources said.
Israeli warplanes and artillery also bombed the Al Saudi neighbourhood of the southern city, amid heavy fire from drones.
In northern Gaza, civil defence teams recovered the bodies of six people and a number of injured from under the rubble of a house hit by an air strike in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza city.
Gaza officials demand Israel release 310 health workers “subjected to torture” and call for an international investigation “to reveal the fate” of dozens of “kidnapped” Palestinian health personnel.
Israeli strike on Syria kills army officer
A Syrian army officer was killed Wednesday in an Israeli air strike in the country's south, the official SANA news agency reported, citing a military source.
"The Israeli enemy carried out an aggression using drones against two military positions of our armed forces in the provinces of Quneitra and Daraa," the agency said, adding the attack resulted in the death of the officer and material damage.
Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on its northern neighbour since the outbreak of Syria's civil war, mainly targeting Syrian army positions and Iran-backed fighters including from Lebanon's Hezbollah group.
Israel's attacks causes 39 million tons of debris: UN
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported that Israeli attacks on residential areas in the Gaza Strip since October 7 have caused 39 million tons of debris.
UNEP published a report on the environmental impact of the attacks on Gaza.
Noting that the report was prepared remotely due to the security situation and access barriers, and with the information obtained from the United Nations activities on the ground, it was noted that field work will be carried out when the security situation becomes favorable.
"The environmental impact of the war in Gaza is unprecedented," the report said, pointing out that Gaza society is exposed to the risks of soil, water and air pollution and irreversible damage to the natural ecosystem.
The report called for an immediate ceasefire to protect lives and minimize the impact on the environment.
In the report, it is reported that the steps taken so far in Gaza regarding environmental management have been lost due to the conflict, "The attacks have caused 39 million tons of debris in the Gaza Strip. This corresponds to 107 kilograms per square meter of Gaza and 5 times more debris than the conflict in Mosul in 2017."
