Syrians rejoice during first Eid after Assad’s fall

ISTANBUL: Many Istanbul residents spent the night outdoors, too fearful to return to their homes, following a strong earthquake and over 180 aftershocks.
The magnitude 6.2 quake tremor that struck Wednesday deeply impacted the city of 16 million residents, leaving many inhabitants shaken and wary of a possible more destructive tremor. There were no reports of serious damage but the temblor, the strongest felt in Istanbul in recent years, prompted widespread panic and scores of injuries.
The earthquake had a shallow depth of 10 kilometers, according to the United States Geological Survey, with its epicenter about 40 kilometers southwest of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. It was felt in several neighboring provinces.
At least 236 people were treated for injuries they suffered while trying to jump from buildings or for panic attacks. Most of the injuries were in Istanbul, where residents remain on edge because the city is considered at high risk for a major quake.
In fear of a stronger earthquake that could demolish homes, residents sought refuge by sleeping in their cars or setting up tents in parks and other open spaces. Many lit campfires to keep warm after the temperature dipped.
Turkiye is crossed by two major fault lines, and earthquakes are frequent.
For many, the memory of a devastating earthquake that struck 11 southern and southeastern provinces two years ago, remains vivid.
The 7.8-magnitude earthquake on February 6, 2023, claimed more than 53,000 lives and destroyed or damaged hundreds of thousands of buildings. Another 6,000 people were killed in the northern parts of neighboring Syria.
The Turkish disaster and emergency management agency, AFAD, said Wednesday’s earthquake was followed by 184 aftershocks – seven of them of a magnitude 4 or stronger.
Environment, Urbanization, and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum stated that authorities had received 378 reports of structural damage in various buildings. At least 12 buildings had been evacuated as a precautionary measure, he said.
Only one building – a derelict, long-abandoned structure in the city’s historic Fatih district – collapsed.
Germany’s GFZ seismological research institute said the earthquake was the strongest in the area in over 25 years and extended the fault zone toward Istanbul.
The institute said the development presented two possibilities: either the region could experience a temporary decrease in seismic activity, or the stress caused by the earthquake could lead to a more destructive tremor.
“The area beneath the Sea of Marmara south of Istanbul is the only area of the entire plate boundary that hasn’t generated a strong earthquake in over 250 years and is therefore overdue for an earthquake with a magnitude of up to 7.4,” the seismology center said.

DEIR AL-BALAH,GAZA: Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 28 people, mostly women and children, the territory’s Health Ministry said Thursday.
Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas and renewed its air and ground war over a month ago. It has sealed off Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians from all food and other imports since the beginning of March to pressure Hamas to release hostages.
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 59 captives, 24 of whom are believed to be alive, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal. Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting 251 hostages. Most have since been released in ceasefire agreements or other deals. Israel’s offensive has killed over 51,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. Israel says it has killed around 20,000 militants, without providing evidence.
Here’s the latest: At least 28 dead as Israel pounds Gaza
Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 28 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.
At least nine people were killed in a strike on a police station in the northern Jabaliya area, the ministry said. The Israeli military said it targeted a command and control center for Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group.
At least seven people were killed, including a mother and her two children, and another two children, in three strikes on the southern city of Khan Younis. Strikes in central Gaza killed six people, including two women and two children. An airstrike on a home in Gaza City killed four children and their parents, the Health Ministry said.