Search and rescue operations will continue until the missing aircraft carrying Malawi's vice president, Saulos Klaus Chilima, is found, the southern African nation's president said late on Monday.

Chilima, 51, was aboard a military aircraft with nine others that left Lilongwe, the capital, at 09:17 a.m. (0717 GMT), Malawi's Office of the President and Cabinet said in an earlier statement.

It said efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the aircraft since it went off the radar had failed. The plane had been scheduled to land at Mzuzu Airport at 10:02 a.m.

The plane was unable to land at the airport due to poor visibility and was ordered to return to the capital, President Lazarus Chakwera said in a televised address to the nation.

"I'm holding on to every fibre of hope that we'll find survivors," he said, adding that the search area was concentrated around a 10 km (6 mile) radius in a forest reserve.

"I have given strict orders that the operation should continue until the plane is found."

He said Malawi had reached out to neighbouring countries, and the U.S., Britain, Norway and the Israeli governments for support in the rescue efforts.

Chilima, seen as a potential candidate in next year's presidential election, was arrested in 2022 over graft allegations.

However, a Malawi court dropped the corruption charges against him last month after the director of public prosecutions filed a notice for the case to be discontinued. Chilima has denied any wrongdoing.

Reuters

At least 50 people were killed and an unspecified number kidnapped, including women and children, when gunmen attacked the village of Yargoje in Katsina state, northwest Nigeria at the weekend, residents said on Monday.

A year after President Bola Tinubu came to power promising to end widespread insecurity, attacks in the northwest by armed gangs, often referred to as bandits, have become almost routine, with authorities seemingly powerless to stop them.

Dozens of gunmen on motorbikes stormed Yargoje in the Kankara local government area of Katsina state late on Sunday, according to resident Hassan Ya’u.

"They shot sporadically at people, claiming the lives of more than 50 (of us), including my younger brother," he told Reuters by phone. He added that an unknown number of villagers had been abducted and properties looted.

Another resident, Abdullahi Yunusa Kankara, said he narrowly escaped the onslaught and that it continued into the early hours of Monday. "Our town has turned into a death zone. Almost every house in the village has fallen victim to this attack."

Kankara added: "We are currently carrying out a headcount to determine how many people have been abducted. More dead bodies were recovered this morning."

Katsina police authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Attacks in rural areas and kidnapping for ransom are rife in northern Nigeria, a region blighted by a 15-year-long Islamist insurgency in the northeast and frequent deadly clashes between farmers and herders in north-central areas.

Reuters

UN Security Council backs Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan

The United Nations Security Council on Monday backed a proposal outlined by President Joe Biden for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip and urged the Palestinian militants to accept the deal aimed at ending the eight-month-long war.

Hamas welcomed the adoption of the U.S.-drafted resolution and said in a statement that it is ready to cooperate with mediators over implementing the principles of the plan "that are consistent with the demands of our people and resistance."

Russia abstained from the U.N. vote, while the remaining 14 Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution supporting a three-phase ceasefire plan laid out by Biden on May 31 that he described as an Israeli initiative.

"Today we voted for peace," U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council after the vote.

The resolution welcomes the new ceasefire proposal, states that Israel has accepted it, calls on Hamas to agree to it and "urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition."

Algeria, the only Arab member of the council, supported the resolution because "we believe it can represent a step forward toward an immediate and lasting ceasefire," Algeria's U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama told the council.

"It offers a glimmer of hope to the Palestinians," he said. "It's time to halt the killing."

The resolution also goes into detail about the proposal, and spells out that "if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one, the ceasefire will still continue as long as negotiations continue."

ISRAEL'S GOALS

However, it did not contain enough detail for Moscow. Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia asked what Israel had specifically agreed to and said the Security Council should not be signing up to agreements with "vague parameters."

"We did not wish to block the resolution simply because it, as much as we understand, is supported by the Arab world," Nebenzia told the council.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan was present for the vote, but did not address the council. Instead, senior Israeli U.N. diplomat Reut Shapir Ben Naftaly told the body that Israel's goals in Gaza had always been clear.

"Israel is committed to these goals - to free all the hostages, to destroy Hamas' military and governing capabilities and to ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future," she said. "It is Hamas that is preventing this war from ending. Hamas and Hamas alone."

The council in March demanded for an immediate ceasefire and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.

For months, negotiators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been trying to mediate a ceasefire. Hamas says it wants a permanent end to the war in the Gaza Strip and Israeli withdrawal from the enclave of 2.3 million people.

Israel is retaliating against Hamas, which rules Gaza, over an Oct. 7 attack by its militants.

More than 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies. More than 100 hostages are believed to remain captive in Gaza.

Israel launched an air, ground and sea assault on the Palestinian territory, killing more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Reuters

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine's air force may keep some F-16 warplanes abroad to protect them from Russian strikes

Ukraine may keep some of the F-16 fighter jets it’s set to receive from its Western allies at foreign bases to protect them from Russian strikes, a senior Ukrainian military officer said Monday.

Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway have committed to providing Ukraine with over 60 U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to help it fend off Russian attacks. Ukrainian pilots are currently undergoing training to fly the warplanes ahead of the deliveries expected to start later this year.

Serhii Holubtsov, head of aviation within Ukraine’s air force, said that “a certain number of aircraft will be stored at secure air bases outside of Ukraine so that they are not targeted here.”

Holubtsov told the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that those F-16s could be used to replace damaged aircraft as they undergo repairs as well as for training Ukrainian pilots abroad.

“This way, we can always have a certain number of aircraft in the operational fleet that corresponds to the number of pilots we have,” he said. “If there are more pilots, there will be more aircraft in Ukraine.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow could consider launching strikes at facilities in NATO countries if they host the warplanes used in Ukraine.

“If they are stationed at air bases outside the Ukrainian borders and used in combat, we will have to see how and where to strike the assets used in combat against us,” Putin said last year. “It poses a serious danger of NATO being further drawn into the conflict.”

In March, the Russian leader again warned Ukraine’s Western allies against providing air bases from where the F-16s could launch sorties against the Kremlin’s forces. Those bases would become a “legitimate target,” he said.

“F-16s are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and we will also need to take that into account while organizing our combat operations,” Putin stated.

On Monday, Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the defense committee in the Russian Parliament’s lower house told the state RIA Novosti news agency that NATO bases hosting Ukrainian F-16s would be “legitimate targets” for Moscow if the warplanes are used to launch attacks on Russia.

The F-16s require a high standard of runways and reinforced hangars to protect them from attacks on the ground. It’s not clear how many Ukrainian air bases can meet those requirements, and Russia would be certain to quickly target a few that could accommodate them once the jets arrive.

Holubtsov noted that the F-16s will help protect front-line and border regions from Russian glide bombs that have inflicted significant damage to both troops and residential areas, including Kharkiv. Glide bombs are heavy Soviet-era bombs fitted with precision guidance systems and launched from aircraft flying out of range of air defenses.

“I think we will succeed, first of all, in pushing back the aircraft that drop glide bombs farther from the contact line,” he said. “If we manage to push them back at least another 30-50 kilometers (19-31 miles), this can already be considered a turning point and an achievement, if not of superiority, then of parity in the airspace.”

Ukraine’s Western allies are trying to bolster military support for Kyiv as Russian troops have launched attacks along the more than 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) frontline, taking advantage of a lengthy delay in U.S. military aid. Ukraine is currently fighting to hold back a Russian push near its second-largest city of Kharkiv, less than 30 kilometers (less than 20 miles) from the border.

Russian troops have also continued their slow offensive in the eastern Donetsk region. On Monday, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the Kremlin’s forces had captured the village of Staromaiorske, the claim that hasn’t been confirmed by Kyiv and couldn’t be independently verified.

Ukraine has struck back with regular missile and drone attacks on Moscow-occupied territories and areas inside Russia.

In the latest strike, Ukrainian forces hit Russian air defense systems in Dzhankoy, Chornomorske and Yevpatoriya in the Moscow-occupied Crimea with missiles, Ukraine’s General Staff said Monday. The Russian Defense Ministry hasn’t commented on the Ukrainian claim, which couldn’t be independently confirmed.

The U.S. and other NATO allies have responded to the latest Russian offensive by allowing Ukraine to use weapons they deliver to Kyiv to carry out limited attacks inside Russia. The decision could potentially impede Moscow’s ability to concentrate its troops for a bigger offensive near Kharkiv and in other border areas.

Last week, Putin responded by warning that Moscow “reserves the right” to arm adversaries of the West worldwide. “If they supply (weapons) to the combat zone and call for using these weapons against our territory, why don’t we have the right to do the same?” Putin said.

He didn’t specify where such arms might be sent. The U.S. has said that Russia has turned to North Korea and Iran to beef up its stock of relatively simple weapons, but Moscow could dip into its stock of high-tech missiles to share with adversaries of the West if Putin decides to fulfill his threat.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

NATO using AI to track Russian aircraft – top official

NATO is utilizing artificial intelligence to track Russian aircraft and fueling stations, the US-led bloc’s Assistant Secretary General for Innovation, Hybrid and Cyber, David van Weel, has revealed.

Speaking at the NATO-Ukraine Defense Innovators Forum at AGH University of Krakow, Poland, the top official pledged to deepen cooperation with Kiev, with a new agreement on “battlefield innovation”already in sight.

“The energy for more collaboration between Ukrainian and Allied innovation ecosystems was contagious, and is exactly why Allies and Ukraine are working together on a new innovation agreement in the NATO-Ukraine Council,” van Weel stated.

As an example of the integration of various AI solutions, he said the bloc utilizes it to analyze satellite imagery in order to track and count Russian aircraft and fueling stations. The assistant secretary general said that using AI in such a manner was in accord with NATO’s principles on ethical Al use.

“It’s low-risk,” van Weel said. “Nobody gets killed if you get the number off.”

In recent months, Ukraine has reportedly ramped up its effort to strike Russian airfields, both those close to the combat zone and deep inside the country’s territory. Moscow appears to have significantly expanded its use of frontline aviation as well, primarily to launch aerial bombs fitted with UMPK (Universal Glide and Correction Module) winged guidance kits.

Various Ukrainian military sources have noted the growing use of UMPK-fitted bombs by Russia, attributing frontline setbacks to the effectiveness of the weapon.

UMPK modules, widely regarded as an analogue of US-made Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits, fit most freefall bombs in Russia’s arsenal. They are frequently upgraded with thermobaric and cluster munitions, which have already been observed being used on the frontline.

AP/RT

Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying hopes took a heavy blow with a 2-1 defeat by Benin on Monday, but Ghana and Algeria salvaged wins while Egypt drew after all three were behind at halftime.

Ghana's Jordan Ayew got a hat-trick as they beat the Central African Republic 4-3 in Kumasi after trailing 2-1 at the break, while Algeria were 1-0 down to Uganda in Kampala but second-half goals from Houssem Aouar and Said Benrahma secured a 2-1 win.

Mohamed Salah came to Egypt’s rescue with a sensational equaliser for a 1-1 draw in Guinea Bissau.

Nigeria lost away to Benin, who were forced to move the match to Abidjan in the Ivory Coast because their own stadium in Cotonou was declared unfit for use in international games.

Nigeria were ahead when Raphael Onyedika netted in the 27th minute, hesitating at first before squeezing the ball home, but Benin bounced back with goals by Jodel Dossou and Steve Mounie.

Dossou sprinted onto a breakaway chance to score but hurt his hamstring in the process and had to come off soon after the 37th minute goal while Mounie had a free back post header to win the game as he profited from poor Nigeria defending.

The Super Eagles, who were favourites in Group C, have not won any of their opening four group matches and sit on three points while Benin lead with seven.

The victory was particularly sweet for coach Gernort Rohr, sacked by Nigeria three years ago on the eve of taking them to the Africa Cup of Nations finals, and he was carried on the shoulders of his players at the final whistle.

Ghana battled the rain to stage a spirited comeback with Ayew the hero, after being presented with a commemorative shirt before the match to mark 100 caps.

Ghana moved top of Group I with nine points after the victory, which followed an away triumph in Mali last week where Ayew snatched a late winner.

Egypt have a four-point lead in Group A while Algeria’s away win restored top spot in Group G after Guinea lost 1-0 to a last minute penalty for Mozambique, who join Algeria on nine points.

Botswana are on six points in the group after a 3-1 away win over Somalia.

Only the winners of the nine African groups qualify for the 2026 World Cup in North America but the best runner-up also has a chance for a slot via a lengthy playoff system.

More African qualifiers are being played on Tuesday, which marks the end of the fourth round of group matches.

Reuters

I often write down my goals in a tiny notebook that I keep close to my bed. Most of the time, I don’t go back and read what I wrote — I just move on to the next.
But maybe I’ll start revisiting the aspirations in my notebook after reading Julia Stewart’s success story. Stewart, who became IHOP’s first-ever female CEO in 2002, types out her “life’s goals,” then prints and frames them on her desk.
It’s something the 68-year-old has been doing for roughly five decades, and says it helped her succeed in her career.
“I started my first life goals when I graduated from high school. I’ve changed them, usually, around every 10 years,” Stewart says. She’s spent about two decades as a chief executive, currently at Alurx, a wellness company she founded in 2020, 3 years after leaving IHOP's parent company, DineEquity. 
Her goals have always focused on three categories, she says: career, personal life and giving back. Right now, her list contains 10 entries, ranging from the family-centric — “love, encourage, and commit to” her husband Tim; “love and nourish” her children — to work goals like “build Alurx to be the #1 wellness app” and “mentor women from all walks of life.”
The list also includes personal reminders: be a great friend; practice gratitude every day; take care “of my body, heart, and soul.”
There’s something useful about writing your goals down, experts say — both the short-term and long-term ones. It can help you think more strategically about what you want to achieve and make it easier to track your progress.
Looking back, there are several goals that I’ve met, but haven’t celebrated, simply because I forgot about them. Though I probably won’t keep them framed at my desk, I’ll set them as my phone's lock screen as a constant reminder.

CNBC

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) says Nigeria recorded a N6.5 trillion trade surplus between January and March of 2024.

NBS made this known in its foreign trade report for the first quarter (Q1) of 2024 on Sunday.

In the first quarter of the year, NBS said Nigeria’s exports totalled N19.1 trillion and total imports were N12.6 trillion — indicating a trade surplus of N6.5 trillion.

A trade surplus is an economic indicator of a positive trade balance in which the exports of a nation outweigh the country’s imports.

“Nigeria’s total merchandise trade was N31.8 trillion in Q1, 2024. This represents an increase of 46.27 percent over the value recorded in the preceding quarter and rose by 145.58 percent compared to the value recorded in the corresponding period of 2023,” the bureau said. 

“Data revealed that export accounted for 60.25 percent of total trade in the reviewed quarter with a value of N19.1 trillion, showing an increase of 51 percent compared to the value recorded in Q4 2023 (N12.6 trillion) and by 195.47 percent over the value recorded in the first quarter of 2023 (N6.487 trillion).

“On the other hand, the share of total imports accounted for 39.75 percent of total trade in the first quarter of 2024 with the value of imports amounting to N12.6 trillion in Q1, 2024. 

“This value indicates an increase of 39.65 percent over the value recorded in Q4 2023 (N9 trillion) and rose by 95.53 percent compared to the value recorded in Q1 2023 (N6.4 trillion). 

“The merchandise trade balance for Q1 2024 was positive at N6.5 trillion.”

The exports trade in the first quarter of this year was dominated by crude oil exports valued at N15.48 trillion, representing 80.80 percent of total exports while the value of non-crude oil exports was N3.68 trillion accounting for 19.20 percent of total exports; of which non-oil products contributed N1.7 trillion or 9.28 of total exports.

FRANCE TOPS NIGERIA EXPORTS IN Q1 2024

NBS said that in the first quarter of 2024, the top trading export partners were France, Spain, the Netherlands, India, and the United States. 

The bureau added that the most exported commodities included crude oil, liquefied natural gas, sesame seeds, urea (whether or not in aqueous solution), and superior-quality cocoa beans.

“Export destinations by countries during the quarter under review show that the highest export destination was France with a value of N2.1 trillion or 11.09% of total exports, followed by Spain with N2 trillion or 10.56% of total exports,” NBS said.

“The Netherlands with goods valued at N1.6 trillion representing 8.85% of total exports, India with N1.6 trillion or 8.41% of total exports, and the United States with N1.3 trillion or 6.84% of total export.”

NBS said these five countries collectively accounted for 45.74 percent of the value of total exports in Q1 2024.

On the other hand, China ranked highest among the top trading partners on the import side, followed by India, the United States, Belgium, and The Netherlands. 

“Analysis by trading partners reveals that imports originated mainly from China and were valued at N2.9 trillion, representing 23.18% of total imports,” the bureau said. 

“This was followed by imports from India with ₦1 trillion (8.46% of total imports), USA with imports valued at N1 trillion or 7.98% of total imports, Belgium with N955 billion (7.56% of total imports) and the Netherlands with N591 billion or 4.68% of total imports.”

Furthermore, NBS said the most traded commodities were motor spirit ordinary, gas oil, durum wheat (not in seeds), cane sugar meant for sugar refinery, and other liquefied petroleum gases and other gaseous hydrocarbons.

The Cable

State governments in Nigeria are preparing to eliminate electricity subsidies and introduce different tariffs within their jurisdictions. This initiative is part of a broader effort to operate their power markets independently under state laws.

A document from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), titled ‘Development of the National Integrated Electricity Policy and Strategic Implementation Plan Policy Recommendations by State Governments to the Federal Ministry of Power,’ outlines these recommendations. These changes follow the enactment of the Electricity Act 2023, which replaces the Electric Power Sector Reform Act and serves as the current legal framework for Nigeria's electricity industry.

The Electricity Act 2023 establishes a dual-tier electricity market framework, consisting of a single wholesale federal electricity market and various retail sub-national electricity markets. These markets are interconnected through policies and regulations. The Act mandates the transition of regulatory powers from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to State Electricity Regulatory Commissions once states meet the necessary requirements.

In the NGF document, obtained in Abuja, governors also urged the Federal Government to continue addressing the N4 trillion legacy debts in the power sector, emphasizing that these liabilities were created under a unified electricity market.

The Federal Ministry of Power confirmed receipt of the document, noting that state governments are now empowered to enact their own electricity laws.

Commenting on the removal of electricity subsidies, the NGF stated, “Electricity is a commodity and a product that must be paid for by consumers. States believe that federal subsidies and financial interventions in the power sector over the past 15 years have been inefficient and ineffective.”

They highlighted that these subsidies have not improved service quality or reliability and have primarily benefited customers connected to the national grid, leaving many underserved communities to pay significantly higher costs for electricity.

The NGF pointed out that the 2001 National Electric Policy recommended limited use of subsidies to promote universal electricity access. They agreed with this policy and proposed reducing and eventually eliminating wholesale and retail electricity subsidies, except for specific customer categories or as part of national economic initiatives.

The governors also suggested that if subsidies continue, a cost-of-service analysis should be conducted to determine the appropriate subsidy for each state. They called for transparency and clear criteria in the application of federal electricity subsidies to avoid discrimination against states with more efficient electricity markets.

The NGF document emphasized that ongoing subsidies could undermine the viability of state electricity markets. They recommended a collaborative framework between the Federal Government and states for administering any future subsidies.

Regarding state electricity laws, the NGF noted that several states have already enacted their own laws, which do not cover national grid operations or interstate electricity activities. They encouraged the Federal Government to support states wishing to enact their own electricity laws and for NERC to issue necessary Transition Orders and support.

The governors reiterated that a multi-tier legal and regulatory environment is standard in a federation like Nigeria and that state electricity laws are not in conflict with the Electricity Act 2023, provided they apply solely within the state and do not cover national grid operations.

Finally, the NGF urged the National Assembly to reject any amendments to the Electricity Act 2023 that would create legal conflicts with state electricity laws or invalidate their provisions.

As governments at the three tiers continue to share more revenues from FAAC allocations, a dire crisis unfolds in the northern part of the country. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has reported a dramatic rise in the number of severely malnourished children, with admissions at their facilities doubling in some areas compared to last year. This alarming situation calls into question the allocation and utilisation of Nigeria's financial resources, especially given the backdrop of opulent living among government officials and widespread corruption.

The Grim Reality of Malnutrition in Northern Nigeria

In Northern Nigeria, the severity of child malnutrition has reached unprecedented levels. MSF's in-patient facilities are overwhelmed, with children lying on mattresses on the floor due to lack of space. In Borno State alone, the number of severely malnourished children admitted to MSF's therapeutic feeding center in Maiduguri doubled in April 2024 compared to April 2023. Similar alarming increases have been reported across other northern states, including Bauchi, Zamfara, Kano, and Sokoto.

This crisis is not new. MSF and other humanitarian organisations have been sounding the alarm for years. Despite these warnings, the response has remained inadequate, leading to a worsening situation. The urgent appeal for $306.4 million to address nutritional needs in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states highlights the scale of the crisis, yet this amount is still insufficient to meet the broader needs of the region.

Increasing Revenues: A Double-Edged Sword

Contrasting this humanitarian disaster is the significant increase in government revenues. In 2023, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) reported that the three tiers of government shared N10.14 trillion from the federation account, a 23.56% increase from the previous year. This uptick is attributed to improved revenue remittances, the removal of petrol subsidies, and the floating of the exchange rate.

While these increased revenues should be a boon for public welfare, their benefits are not being felt by those who need them most. Instead, reports of opulent living among government officials and pervasive corruption paint a stark picture of inequality and mismanagement. The disconnection between rising government revenues and the persistence of severe malnutrition among children underscores systemic issues in governance and resource allocation.

Corruption and Misallocation of Funds

Corruption remains a significant barrier to addressing the malnutrition crisis effectively. Funds meant for public welfare are often siphoned off for personal gain, leaving essential services underfunded. The lavish lifestyles of some government officials starkly contrast with the abject poverty and suffering experienced by many Nigerians, particularly in the North. This misallocation not only exacerbates the malnutrition crisis but also erodes public trust in government institutions.

The Need for Urgent and Sustained Action

Addressing the malnutrition crisis requires more than just emergency responses; it demands long-term, systemic changes in governance and resource allocation. Here are key steps that must be taken:

1. Enhanced Accountability and Transparency: There must be stringent measures to ensure that funds allocated for public welfare, particularly for combating malnutrition, are used effectively. Transparency in financial management and robust anti-corruption mechanisms are crucial.

2. Prioritizing Health and Nutrition: Increased revenues should translate into higher investments in health and nutrition programmes, especially in vulnerable regions. This includes scaling up therapeutic feeding programmes, ensuring timely provision of supplementary food, and strengthening healthcare infrastructure.

3. Integrated Development Approach: Tackling malnutrition requires addressing its root causes, including poverty, food insecurity, and lack of access to clean water and sanitation. An integrated approach that combines immediate relief with long-term development initiatives is essential.

4. Community Engagement and Education: Local communities must be involved in planning and implementing nutrition programmes. Educational campaigns can also help in promoting better nutritional practices and hygiene.

5. International Support and Collaboration: Given the scale of the crisis, international organisations and donors must continue to provide support. Collaborative efforts can enhance the effectiveness of interventions and ensure a comprehensive response.

Conclusion

The increasing revenues in Nigeria present an opportunity to make significant strides in public welfare. However, this potential will only be realised if there is a genuine commitment to addressing corruption, improving transparency, and prioritising the needs of the most vulnerable populations. The malnutrition crisis in Northern Nigeria is a stark reminder of the urgent need for systemic change. Government officials must demonstrate accountability and responsibility, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy and free from the devastating effects of malnutrition.

Israel keeps pounding central Gaza as Palestinian death toll in hostage rescue raid rises to 274

Israeli forces pounded central Gaza anew on Sunday, a day after killing 274 Palestinians during a hostage rescue raid, and tanks advanced further into Rafah in an apparent bid to seal off part of the southern city, residents and Hamas media said.

Palestinians remained in shock over Saturday's death toll, the worst over a 24-hour period of the Gaza war for months and including many women and children, Palestinian medics said.

In an update on Sunday, Gaza's health ministry said 274 Palestinians were killed - up from 210 it reported on Saturday - and 698 were injured when Israeli special force commandos stormed into the densely populated Al-Nuseirat camp to rescue four hostages held since October by Hamas militants.

Sixty-four of the dead were children and 57 were women, the Hamas-run Gaza government media office said on Sunday.

Israel's military said a special forces officer was killed in exchanges of fire with militants emerging from cover in residential blocks, and that it knew of "under 100" Palestinians killed, though not how many of them were fighters or civilians.

Hamas' armed wing said on Sunday three Israeli hostages, including one with U.S. citizenship, were killed during the raid, but provided no names. It released a video of what appeared to be corpses with censor bars obscuring their faces.

A Hamas assertion on Saturday that some hostages had died was rejected as "a blatant lie" by the Israeli military.

Gaza's health ministry said another 798 Palestinians were injured in the Israeli raid, and one of them, 4-year-old Tawfiq Abu Youssef, was in critical condition when visited in hospital on Sunday by his father Raed.

The boy was first thought to have died before he moved his hand slightly while in the arms of a relative rushing him to hospital - captured in a video that went viral on social media.

"I had already dug his grave," his father told Reuters, adding that most members of his extended family were among those killed in the raid.

MORE AIRSTRIKES IN CENTRAL GAZA

In central Gaza on Sunday, Israeli airstrikes on houses in the city of Deir Al-Balah and in the nearby Al-Bureij refugee camp killed three Palestinians in each location, while tanks shelled parts of Al-Nuseirat and Al-Maghazi camps, medics said.

The Israeli military said in a statement its forces were continuing operations east of Al-Bureij and Deir al-Balah, killing a number of Palestinian gunmen and destroying militant infrastructure.

Israel sent forces into Rafah in May in what it called a mission to wipe out Hamas' last intact combat units after eight months of war, in which Israeli forces have bombed much of the rest of Gaza to rubble while advancing against fierce resistance from militants embedded in crowded cities and built-up camps.

Israeli tank forces have since seized Gaza's entire border strip with Egypt running through Rafah to the Mediterranean coast and invaded many districts of the city of 280,000 residents, prompting around one million displaced people who had been sheltering in Rafah to flee elsewhere.

ISRAELI TANKS ADVANCE FURTHER IN RAFAH

On Sunday, tanks advanced into two new districts in an apparent effort to complete the encirclement of the entire eastern side of Rafah, touching off clashes with dug-in Hamas-led armed groups, according to residents trapped in their homes.

Palestinian medics said an Israeli airstrike on a house in Tel Al-Sultan in western Rafah killed two people.

The Israeli military said troops of its 162nd division were raiding some districts of Rafah where they had located "numerous additional terror tunnel shafts, mortars, and (other) weapons" belonging to Palestinian Islamist militants.

Hamas precipitated the war with a lightning cross-border attack into Israel last Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing over 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. About half the hostages were freed during a brief November truce.

Israel's ensuing air and ground war in Gaza has killed at least 37,084 Palestinians, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said in its Sunday update. The ministry says thousands more dead are feared buried under the rubble.

Attempts by the United States and regional countries to broker a deal that would release all remaining hostages in return for a ceasefire have repeatedly stumbled on Israeli and Hamas intransigence over terms for an end to the war.

A humanitarian catastrophe has unfolded as the war has dragged on, with over three-quarters of Gaza's 2.3 million population displaced, malnutrition widespread and basic infrastructure in ruins.

Gaza's conflict has destabilised the wider Middle East, drawing in Hamas' main supporter Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah, which has been clashing with Israel along its northern border for months, raising fears of all-out war.

Concern about an escalation in Israeli-Hezbollah hostilities and a sharp decline in expectations of a Gaza ceasefire have weakened Israel's shekel currency by 3% to 3.75 to the dollar since June 4.

** Israeli PM Netanyahu's majority safe after Gantz departure

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz announced on Sunday that he was quitting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's emergency unity government formed shortly after the Hamas Oct 7. attack on Israel.

His departure still leaves Netanyahu's nationalist-religious coalition in control of parliament with a 64-seat majority in the 120 seat Knesset.

Gantz, a former armed forces chief and defence minister, heads the centrist National Unity party which holds eight seats.

Netanyahu's conservative Likud party, the largest faction, has 32 parliament seats. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant is a member of the party and has clashed with Netanyahu and some nationalists in the government over Gaza strategy.

Settler party Religious Zionism, headed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, holds seven seats.

Ultra-nationalist Jewish Power, headed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Noam hold six and one seats respectively.

The ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties Shas and United Torah Judaism hold 11 and 7 seats respectively.

Reuters