Day: October 19, 2023
A building on the premises of the St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church campus in Gaza City was hit by an Israeli strike on Thursday night, causing casualties and damage to one of the oldest churches in the world. The blast occurred while dozens of Palestinian families were sheltering there, seeking refuge from the ongoing Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
According to witnesses and rescuers, several people were injured and some were trapped under the rubble of the church council building, where the explosion took place. About 500 people had been staying on the church campus, including about 80 in the destroyed building. Dozens more were reported to be inside the assembly hall of the church, which was also damaged by the strike.
The St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church is a historic landmark that dates back to the 5th century AD. It is named after a Christian saint who was born in Gaza and became the bishop of the city. The church has survived many wars and invasions throughout history, and has been a symbol of coexistence and tolerance among different faiths in Gaza.
The Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemned the attack on the church compound, calling it a war crime and a violation of international law. It also called for an immediate end to the Israeli aggression against Gaza and for the protection of civilians and holy places.
Drones and rockets fired Thursday evening targeted Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. and other international forces in western Iraq, and multiple blasts were heard inside the base, two security sources said.
The Iraqi military said it closed the area around the base in Anbar province and started a search operation. It was not clear yet whether the attacks caused casualties or damages, the sources said.
Rockets hit another military base hosting U.S. forces near Baghdad’s international airport, Iraqi police said Thursday, without providing further details.
The latest attacks were the third and fourth within 24 hours to target Iraqi military bases that host U.S. forces in Iraq.
U.S. military forces in Iraq were targeted on Wednesday in two separate drone attacks, with one causing minor injuries to a small number of troops even though the U.S. military intercepted the armed drone.
Last week, Iraqi armed groups aligned with Iran threatened to target U.S. interests with missiles and drones if Washington intervened to support Israel against Hamas in Gaza.
The United States has 2,500 troops in Iraq, and 900 more in neighboring Syria, on a mission to advise and assist local forces in combating Islamic State, which in 2014 seized swaths of territory in both countries.
Drones and rockets fired Thursday evening targeted Ain al-Asad air base, which hosts U.S. and other international forces in western Iraq, and multiple blasts were heard inside the base, two security sources said.
The Iraqi military said it closed the area around the base in Anbar province and started a search operation. It was not clear yet whether the attacks caused casualties or damages, the sources said.
Rockets hit another military base hosting U.S. forces near Baghdad’s international airport, Iraqi police said Thursday, without providing further details.
The latest attacks were the third and fourth within 24 hours to target Iraqi military bases that host U.S. forces in Iraq.
U.S. military forces in Iraq were targeted on Wednesday in two separate drone attacks, with one causing minor injuries to a small number of troops even though the U.S. military intercepted the armed drone.
Last week, Iraqi armed groups aligned with Iran threatened to target U.S. interests with missiles and drones if Washington intervened to support Israel against Hamas in Gaza.
The United States has 2,500 troops in Iraq, and 900 more in neighboring Syria, on a mission to advise and assist local forces in combating Islamic State, which in 2014 seized swaths of territory in both countries.
NATO is stepping up patrols in the Baltic Sea following recent damage to undersea infrastructure in the region, the transatlantic military alliance said Thursday.
“The increased measures include additional surveillance and reconnaissance flights, including with maritime patrol aircraft, NATO AWACS planes and drones. A fleet of four NATO minehunters is also being dispatched to the area,” NATO said in a statement.
The move followed announcements by authorities of damage to a Baltic Sea telecom cable connecting Sweden and Estonia and to a Finnish-Estonian pipeline and cable at around the same time earlier this month.
Officials from the countries involved have said they have yet to reach firm conclusions on who caused the damage or whether it was accidental or deliberate.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we remain in close contact with our Allies Estonia and Finland, and our partner Sweden,” said NATO spokesperson Dylan White.
“NATO will continue to adapt its maritime posture in the Baltic Sea and will take all necessary steps to keep Allies safe.”
The buildup illustrates that NATO allies are vigilant and ready for action, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.
“The decision does not mean that there is an increased military threat. Instead, it shows that relations between Allies are strong, and NATO as a whole sees the protection of critical infrastructure as an important issue,” he added.
Two of the four minehunters are expected to visit Tallinn on Friday.
NATO, the European Union and national governments have made protection of undersea pipelines and cables a high priority since explosions in September 2022 ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea and cut Europe’s supply of Russian gas.
Investigators have said those blasts were an act of sabotage but have not yet decided who was responsible.
NATO is stepping up patrols in the Baltic Sea following recent damage to undersea infrastructure in the region, the transatlantic military alliance said Thursday.
“The increased measures include additional surveillance and reconnaissance flights, including with maritime patrol aircraft, NATO AWACS planes and drones. A fleet of four NATO minehunters is also being dispatched to the area,” NATO said in a statement.
The move followed announcements by authorities of damage to a Baltic Sea telecom cable connecting Sweden and Estonia and to a Finnish-Estonian pipeline and cable at around the same time earlier this month.
Officials from the countries involved have said they have yet to reach firm conclusions on who caused the damage or whether it was accidental or deliberate.
“We continue to monitor the situation closely, and we remain in close contact with our Allies Estonia and Finland, and our partner Sweden,” said NATO spokesperson Dylan White.
“NATO will continue to adapt its maritime posture in the Baltic Sea and will take all necessary steps to keep Allies safe.”
The buildup illustrates that NATO allies are vigilant and ready for action, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said.
“The decision does not mean that there is an increased military threat. Instead, it shows that relations between Allies are strong, and NATO as a whole sees the protection of critical infrastructure as an important issue,” he added.
Two of the four minehunters are expected to visit Tallinn on Friday.
NATO, the European Union and national governments have made protection of undersea pipelines and cables a high priority since explosions in September 2022 ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines under the Baltic Sea and cut Europe’s supply of Russian gas.
Investigators have said those blasts were an act of sabotage but have not yet decided who was responsible.