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WORLD NEWS Monday 22 april 2024
Israeli strikes on southern Gaza city of Rafah kill 22, mostly

children, as U.S. advances aid package

By MOHAMMAD JAHJOUH and the U.S. against Iran and
and SAMY MAGDY allied militant groups across
Associated Press the Middle East. Israel and
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Is- Iran traded fire directly this
raeli strikes on the southern month, raising fears of all-
Gaza city of Rafah overnight out war.
killed 22 people, including 18 Tensions have also spiked
children, health officials said in the Israeli-occupied West
Sunday, as the United States Bank. Israeli troops killed two
was on track to approve bil- Palestinians who the military
lions of dollars of additional says attacked a checkpoint
military aid to Israel, its close with a knife and a gun near
ally. the southern West Bank
Israel has carried out near- town of Hebron early Sun-
daily air raids on Rafah, day. The Palestinian Health
where more than half of Ministry said that the two
Gaza’s population of 2.3 mil- killed were 18 and 19, from
lion has sought refuge from the same family. No Israeli
fighting elsewhere. It has forces were wounded, the
also vowed to expand its army said.
ground offensive against the Later, the military said its
Hamas militant group to the forces shot dead a 43-year-
city on the border with Egypt old Palestinian woman after
despite calls for restraint, in- Palestinians inspect the destruction following an Israeli military raid in Nur Shams refugee camp, she tried to stab a soldier in
near the West Bank town of Tulkarem, Sunday, April 21, 2024.
cluding from the U.S. Associated Press the northern West Bank near
“In the coming days, we will Beka’ot settlement.
increase the political and received the bodies. The those killed. A woman and The $26 billion aid package The Palestinian Red Cres-
military pressure on Hamas woman was pregnant and three children were still un- approved by the U.S. House cent rescue service said that
because this is the only way the doctors saved the baby, der the rubble. of Representatives on Sat- it had recovered 14 bodies
to bring back our hostages the hospital said. The sec- The Israel-Hamas war has urday includes around $9 from an Israeli raid in the Nur
and achieve victory. We ond strike killed 17 children killed more than 34,000 Pal- billion in humanitarian as- Shams urban refugee camp
will land more and painful and two women from an estinians, according to local sistance for Gaza, which in the West Bank that began
blows on Hamas — soon,” extended family. health officials, at least two- experts say is on the brink late Thursday. Those killed
Prime Minister Benjamin Ne- “These children were sleep- thirds of them children and of famine. The U.S. Senate include three militants from
tanyahu said in a statement. ing. What did they do? What women. It has devastated could pass the package as the Islamic Jihad group and
He didn’t give details. was their fault?” asked one Gaza’s two largest cities and soon as Tuesday, and Presi- a 15-year-old boy. The mili-
The first Israeli strike in Ra- relative, Umm Kareem. Mo- left a swath of destruction. dent Joe Biden has prom- tary said it killed 14 militants
fah killed a man, his wife hammed al-Beheiri said that Around 80% of the territo- ised to sign it immediately. and arrested eight suspects.
and their 3-year-old child, his daughter, Rasha, and her ry’s population have fled to The conflict, now in its sev- Ten Israeli soldiers and one
according to the nearby six children, the youngest 18 other parts of the besieged enth month, has sparked border police officer were
Kuwaiti Hospital, which months old, were among coastal enclave. regional unrest pitting Israel wounded.q

Venezuela’s main opposition bloc

agrees on candidate to challenge

Maduro in presidential election

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ally register González on Maduro's administration has
— Venezuela's main opposi- March 26 after the govern- cracked down on the op-
tion coalition agreed Friday ment came under a wave position before the July 28
to unite behind former diplo- of criticism when opposi- presidential election despite
mat Edmundo González as tion leaders said they were promises to pave the way to
its challenger to President blocked from registering fair elections in exchange for
Nicolás Maduro in this sum- their candidate of choice. sanctions relief. The Biden
mer's election, acting one Saturday was the deadline administration on Wednes-
day before the deadline to to make his candidacy final. day reimposed crushing oil Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a rally
formalize its candidate. The opposition group need- sanctions, criticizing Madu- marking the 22nd anniversary of the late President Hugo
The decision was reached ed to replace its first candi- ro's moves. Chavez's return to power after a failed coup attempt, in Caracas,
unanimously by the 10 par- date, María Corina Macha- The governments of Colom- Venezuela, Saturday, April 13, 2024.
ties in the Unitary Democratic do, who easily won a primary bia and Brazil also have ex- Associated Press
Platform, Omar Barboza, the organized by the bloc in Oc- pressed concern, and Gua- the criticism a "gross inter- would last until 2031.
coalition's executive secre- tober but was barred by the temalan President Bernardo ference in matters that only The election is likely to have
tary, said after a five-hour government from running af- Arévalo accused Maduro's concern Venezuelans." more than 10 candidates,
meeting that included dis- ter the ruling party-controlled government of "consolidat- Maduro, a self-proclaimed but except for the main op-
cussions of other possible State Comptroller's Office ing an anti-democratic sys- socialist leader. officially position coalition, none are
candidates. The bloc had disqualified her from hold- tem." Venezuelan Foreign launched his candidacy last expect to pose a threat to
been allowed to provision- ing public office for 15 years. Minister Yvan Gil has called month for a third term that Maduro's power base.q