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More than 100 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in 48 hours
At least 120 people have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza in two days, Palestinian health officials said, as Israel intensified its bombardment across the besieged territory.
At least seven people were killed when a residential home was hit overnight in the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City, health officials said on Saturday. The other deaths were recorded in central and southern Gaza.
Israeli air raids caused significant damage to al-Faruq Mosque in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, according to a social media video verified by Al Jazeera.
Israeli forces also deepened their ground offensive and bombardment of northern Gaza, where one of the last partially operating hospitals was hit, wounding several workers.
Hussam Abu Safia, director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, said in a statement on Saturday that Israeli forces “directly targeted the entrance to the emergency and reception area several times, as well as the hospital courtyards, electrical generators, and hospital gates”.
The bombardment “resulted in 12 injuries among doctors, nurses, and administrative staff within the emergency and reception areas”, he said.
The Israeli military rejected the allegations and said it was “not aware of a strike in the area of the Kamal Adwan Hospital” following an initial review of the situation.
On Friday, Gaza’s Ministry of Health said hospitals have fuel left for only about two days before it needs to start restricting services.
Israel’s military imposed a siege and launched a renewed ground offensive in northern Gaza last month, saying it aimed to stop Hamas fighters from waging more attacks and regrouping in the area.
The United Nations warned earlier this week that almost no aid had been delivered to northern Gaza since Israel’s renewed offensive as aid groups and food security experts warn of a famine in the area.
In a call with Defence Minister Israel Katz on Saturday, United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin pressed Israel to “take steps to improve the dire humanitarian condition in Gaza”, the Pentagon said.
Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 44,000 people and wounded more than 104,000 since October 2023, according to Palestinian health officials.
Israel launched its assault on Gaza after the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which at least 1,139 people were killed and about 250 others seized as captives.
A spokesperson for the armed wing of Hamas, Abu Ubaida, said later on Saturday that a female Israeli captive in the group’s custody had been killed in northern Gaza in an area under attack by Israel’s forces.
“The life of another female prisoner who used to be with her remains in imminent danger,” he added, accusing the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of being responsible and of undermining efforts to end the war.
[Aljazeera]
Salman Ali Agha said that he would have done things ‘differently”, after Mehidy Hasan Miraz ran him out in controversial circumstances in the second ODI in Dhaka.
Agha, who made 64 from 62 balls, had been backing up at the non-striker’s end when Mohammad Rizwan drove the ball back towards him. He was still out of his ground as Mehidy swooped round behind him in an attempt to gather, and Agha had appeared ready to pass the ball back to the bowler before Mehidy reached down to grab it first and throw down the stumps.
Agha reacted furiously to the dismissal, throwing his gloves and helmet down in disgust at the decision. However, he later came to the post-match press conference, ahead of captain Shaheen Shah Afridi and player of the match Maaz Sadaqat, to clear the air.
“I think sportsman spirit has to be there,” Agha said. “What he [Mehidy] has done is in the law. I think if he thinks it’s right, it’s right, but if you ask me my perspective, I would have done differently. I would have gone for sportsman spirit. We haven’t done this [type of thing] previously, we would never do that in the future as well.”
Agha explained that he had been trying to pick up the ball to give to Miraz, thinking it was likely to have been called dead. “Actually, the ball hit on my pad and then my bat,” he said. “So I thought he can’t get me run-out now, because the ball already hit on my pad and my bat.
“I was just trying to give him the ball back. I was not looking for the run or anything like that, but he already decided [to make the run-out].”
Agha however regretted his angry reaction. “It was just heat-of-the-moment kind of stuff,” he said. “If you ask me what would I have done, I would have done things differently. But it was everything, whatever happened after that, it was in the moment.”
He was also involved in a robust exchange with Bangladesh wicketkeeper Litton Das, though he didn’t divulge many of the details.
“I can’t remember what I was saying and I can’t remember what he was saying,” he said. “I’m sure I wasn’t saying nice things, and I’m sure he wasn’t saying nice stuff as well. But it was just heat of the moment, so we are fine.
Asked if he had patched things up with Mehidy, Agha said: “I haven’t yet, but don’t worry, I’ll find him.”
Pakistan won the match by 128 runs via the DLS method.
[Cricinfo]
Latest News
US embassy in Baghdad hit by strike as Trump says military targets ‘obliterated’ on Iran’s key oil island
The US embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, has been hit by a missile – video shows fire and smoke rising in the aftermath.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump says “every military target” on Iran’s key oil island has been “totally obliterated”, but there was no damage to oil infrastructure.
Kharg Island is a tiny but strategic terminal in the northern Gulf, 22 miles off the coast of Iran In response, Tehran warns oil and energy infrastructure belonging to firms that co-operate with the US will be “turned into a pile of ashes” if Iran’s energy facilities are attacked
Elsewhere in the Middle East: Israel and Iran both warn of fresh attacks, and at least 12 medical staff have been killed in an Israeli strike in Lebanon
Meanwhile, more US Marines and warships are expected to be deployed to the Middle East, two officials tell BBC’s partner CBS News
[BBC]
The Bahrain and Saudi Arabia Grands Prix that were scheduled for next month are set to be cancelled as a result of the war in the Middle East.
A formal decision to call off the races has not yet been made but is expected before the end of the weekend.
Freight would need to start being shipped to the Middle East in the coming days. With no sign of the conflict between the US/Israel and Iran coming to a conclusion, holding the races would put personnel at too great a risk.
Neither event will be replaced, with the season being cut to 22 grands prix and F1 taking a commercial hit of more than £100m, given Bahrain and Saudi Arabia pay two of the highest hosting fees.
The race in Bahrain was scheduled to be on 12 April with Jeddah the following weekend.
Consideration was given to holding events at Portimao in Portugal, Imola in Italy or Istanbul Park in Turkey.
But it was accepted that the time to organise a race at any of those locations was too short, and there was little chance of securing a hosting fee.
The decision will mean there is a five-week break between the Japanese Grand Prix on 29 March and Miami on 3 May.
(BBC)
Agha calls for ‘sportsman spirit’ after controversial dismissal
US embassy in Baghdad hit by strike as Trump says military targets ‘obliterated’ on Iran’s key oil island
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