(TAIWAN) — A magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred in Taiwan at 7:58 a.m. local time, with an epicenter in eastern Hualien,Taiwan.
It was followed by a 6.5M earthquake a short while later, according to the U.S. Geological Society.
There is no information about injuries, fatalities or the overall scope of destruction from the earthquake.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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(GAZA) — Seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen were killed during an Israel Defense Forces attack in Gaza, the food-relief organization said, adding that it plans to pause its operations in the region.
“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war,” CEO Erin Gore said in a statement. “This is unforgivable.”
WCK identified all seven victims on Tuesday. The youngest was Palestinian Saifeddin Issam Ayad Abutaha, 25.
There were three victims from the U.K.: John Chapman, 57; James “Jim” Henderson, 33; and James Kirby, 47.
The victims also included Damian Sobol, 35, of Poland; Jacob Flickinger, 33, of the U.S. and Canada; and Lalzawmi “Zomi” Frankcom, 43, of Australia.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Joe Biden spoke with WCK founder Jose Andres and “conveyed he is grieving with the entire World Central Kitchen family.”
“The president felt it was important to recognize the tremendous contribution World Central Kitchen has made to the people of Gaza and people around the world,” Jean-Pierre said. “The president conveyed he will make clear to Israel humanitarian aid workers must be protected.”
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby offered the administration’s strongest reaction to the deadly strike.
“We were outraged to learn of an IDF strike that killed a number of civilian humanitarian workers yesterday from the World Central Kitchen, which has been relentless and working to get food to those who are hungry in Gaza, and quite frankly, around the world,” Kirby said. “We send our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones.”
Kirby added, “This incident is emblematic of a larger problem and evidence of why distribution of aid in Gaza has been so challenging. But what — beyond the strike — what is clear is that the IDF must do much more, much more to improve deconfliction processes so that civilians and humanitarian aid workers are protected.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his first comments about the deadly incident as he was leaving a hospital after undergoing successful hernia surgery.
“Unfortunately, in the last day, there was a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said. “It happens in war, we check it to the end. We are in contact with the governments, and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again.”
Netanyahu later released a second statement, saying, “Israel deeply regrets the tragic incident which claimed the lives of seven humanitarian aid workers.”
“Our hearts go out to their families and to their home countries,” Netanyahu said. “The IDF is conducting a swift and transparent investigation and we will make our findings public. Israel is fully committed to enabling humanitarian aid to reach the civilian population in Gaza and we will do everything in our power to ensure that such tragedies do not occur in the future.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also called Andres on Tuesday to express his condolences. In a statement, Herzog said he conveyed to Andres “Israel’s commitment to ensuring a through investigation of the tragedy.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese demanded accountability for Frankcom’s death while describing her as having “the sort of values that are shown by someone going into a very dangerous place in order to assist mankind, your fellow humans, people who she didn’t know.”
“She just wanted to help out through this charity,” Albanese said. “It says everything about the character of this young woman, and so this tragedy and my sincere condolences and that of the Australian government go to Zomi’s family, to her friends and all who knew her.”
WCK, a non-governmental organization, has been operating in Gaza for months and has said it’s served more than 33 million meals since the start of the conflict. It operates over 60 community kitchens in Gaza with the help of about 400 Palestinians on the ground.
U.S. officials are “heartbroken and deeply troubled” by the strike, Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said in a statement on social media.
“Humanitarian aid workers must be protected as they deliver aid that is desperately needed, and we urge Israel to swiftly investigate what happened,” Watson said.
A representative from the organization said WCK was still gathering details about the incident that took place early Tuesday morning.
According to the WCK statement, the aid workers were traveling in a three-vehicle caravan, including two armored cars, all branded with the WCK logo. Despite coordinating its movements with the IDF, the team was hit as it was leaving Deir al-Balah warehouse in central Gaza, where it had helped unload more than 100 tons of humanitarian aid brought to Gaza on the maritime route, according to the WCK statement.
“This is a tragedy. Humanitarian aid workers and civilians should NEVER be a target. EVER,” the representative said in a statement.
The IDF said in a statement that it was conducting a “thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.”
“The IDF makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has been working closely with WCK in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” the statement said.
Also on Tuesday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant referred to the tragic nature of the incident and emphasized the importance of conducting a thorough, professional investigation, which will be followed by the implementation of lessons learned. Gallant highlighted the important work undertaken by international aid organizations, as well as Israel’s commitment to working closely with partner countries and organizations and facilitating the distribution of humanitarian aid.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday in Paris that the U.S. has spoken to the Israeli government about the missile strike on the WCK team.
“We’ve spoken directly to the Israeli government about this particular incident we’ve urged the swift, thorough and impartial investigation to understand exactly what happened,” Blinken said.
Blinken said the seven victims “join a record number of humanitarian workers who have been killed in this particular conflict.” At least 196 aid workers, including 175 members of the U.N. staff, have now been killed in the Hamas-Israel conflict, according to U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
“I can only say that for so many of us, we extend our condolences to the loved ones, to the families, friends, colleagues of those who lost their lives, or who were injured,” Blinken said. “They have been doing extraordinary, brave work day-in and day-out, and critical work … starting with the most basic thing of all: food. These people are heroes. They run into the fire. They show the best of what humanity has to offer. They have to be protected.”
Officials in the United Kingdom were “urgently working” to verify whether British citizens had been killed, David Cameron, the U.K.’s foreign secretary, said in a statement.
“We have called on Israel to immediately investigate and provide a full, transparent explanation of what happened,” he said.
Andres, the founder of WCK, said he was “heartbroken” and “grieving” for the families and friends of the workers who were killed.
“Today @WCKitchen lost several of our sisters and brothers in an IDF air strike in Gaza,” he wrote on X.
He added, “I am heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family. These are people … angels … I served alongside in Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Bahamas, Indonesia. They are not faceless … they are not nameless. The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon. No more innocent lives lost. Peace starts with our shared humanity. It needs to start now.”
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a taped message that he had spoken with Andres and “expressed the deepest condolences.”
“We will be opening a probe to examine this serious incident further. This will help us reduce the risk of such an event from occurring again,” he said, adding, “We will get to the bottom of this and we will share our findings transparently.”
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Bill Hutchinson contributed to this story.
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(NEW YORK) — Seven aid workers with World Central Kitchen were killed during an Israel Defense Forces attack in Gaza, the food-relief organization said, adding that it plans to pause its operations in the region.
“This is not only an attack against WCK, this is an attack on humanitarian organizations showing up in the most dire of situations where food is being used as a weapon of war,” CEO Erin Gore said in a statement. “This is unforgivable.”
The dead included Australian, Polish, British and Palestinian aid workers, WCK said. One worker was a dual American-Canadian citizen, the organization said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his first comments about the deadly incident as he was leaving a hospital after undergoing successful hernia surgery.
“Unfortunately, in the last day, there was a tragic case of our forces unintentionally hitting innocent people in the Gaza Strip,” Netanyahu said. “It happens in war, we check it to the end. We are in contact with the governments, and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again.”
WCK, a non-governmental organization, has been operating in Gaza for months and has said it’s served more than 33 million meals since the start of the conflict. It operates over 60 community kitchens in Gaza with the help of about 400 Palestinians on the ground.
U.S. officials are “heartbroken and deeply troubled” by the strike, Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, said in a statement on social media.
“Humanitarian aid workers must be protected as they deliver aid that is desperately needed, and we urge Israel to swiftly investigate what happened,” Watson said.
A representative from the organization said WCK was still gathering details about the incident that took place early Tuesday morning.
“This is a tragedy. Humanitarian aid workers and civilians should NEVER be a target. EVER,” the representative said in a statement.
The IDF said in a statement that it was conducting a “thorough review at the highest levels to understand the circumstances of this tragic incident.”
“The IDF makes extensive efforts to enable the safe delivery of humanitarian aid, and has been working closely with WCK in their vital efforts to provide food and humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza,” the statement said.
Officials in the United Kingdom were “urgently working” to verify whether British citizens had been killed, David Cameron, the U.K.’s foreign secretary, said in a statement.
“We have called on Israel to immediately investigate and provide a full, transparent explanation of what happened,” he said.
Jose Andres, the chef and founder of WCK, said he was “heartbroken” and “grieving” for the families and friends of the WCK workers who were killed.
“Today @WCKitchen lost several of our sisters and brothers in an IDF air strike in Gaza,” he wrote on X.
He added, “I am heartbroken and grieving for their families and friends and our whole WCK family. These are people…angels…I served alongside in Ukraine, Gaza, Turkey, Morocco, Bahamas, Indonesia. They are not faceless…they are not nameless. The Israeli government needs to stop this indiscriminate killing. It needs to stop restricting humanitarian aid, stop killing civilians and aid workers, and stop using food as a weapon. No more innocent lives lost. Peace starts with our shared humanity. It needs to start now.”
IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a taped message that he had spoken with Andres and “expressed the deepest condolences.”
“We will be opening a probe to examine this serious incident further. This will help us reduce the risk of such an event from occurring again,” he said, adding, “We will get to the bottom of this and we will share our findings transparently.”
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this story.
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(WINDSOR, England) — King Charles III stepped out Sunday for the royal family’s traditional Easter Sunday service at St. George’s Chapel.
Charles, 75, walked alongside his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, as they made their way to church, marking a rare public appearance for the king since being diagnosed with cancer earlier this year.
After the service, the King and Queen thanked members of the congregation, workers and members of the general public in attendance. The Queen Consort wore a green dress by Anna Valentine, a hat made by Philip Treacy, and an emerald and diamond brooch formerly owned by Queen Elizabeth II, according to Buckingham Palace.
The royal family’s appearance at the Easter Mattins Service was smaller this year due to the absence of Charles’s son, Prince William, his wife Kate, the Princess of Wales, and their three children, Princes George and Louis and Princess Charlotte.
The family’s absence from Sunday’s service — which they attended last year — was expected after Kate, 42, announced earlier this month that she had been diagnosed with cancer and had begun preventative chemotherapy as treatment.
In a video message announcing her diagnosis, Kate asked for privacy for her family, saying, “We hope that you will understand that, as a family, we now need some time, space and privacy while I complete my treatment. My work has always brought me a deep sense of joy and I look forward to being back when I am able, but for now I must focus on making a full recovery.”
Kensington Palace also said at the time that the Wales family would not attend the Easter Sunday service and that Kate would return to her royal duties when she is “cleared to do so by her medical team.”
Kate’s last major public appearance was on Christmas Day, when she and William and their kids joined royal family members in attending church at Sandringham, the king’s estate in Norfolk, England.
In mid-January, Kate underwent planned abdominal surgery and was hospitalized for nearly two weeks. The palace said at the time that Kate would step back from public duties until at least Easter.
That timeline was delayed further after Kate shared her cancer diagnosis. The cancer was discovered in post-operative tests after her abdominal surgery, she said.
“This of course came as a huge shock, and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family,” Kate said in her video message, shared on March 19. “As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok.”
She continued, “As I have said to them; I am well and getting stronger every day by focusing on the things that will help me heal; in my mind, body and spirits.”
Kate’s video was shared on George, Louis and Charlotte’s last day of school before their Easter break.
William is also taking time away from public duties until his children return to school later in April, according to the palace.
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(BREUIL-CERVINIA, Italy) — A skier is speaking out after surviving a terrifying chair lift ride at an Italian ski resort during high wind conditions that picked up to over 60 miles per hour.
Barnaby Dunning, an experienced skier, told ABC News’ Zohreen Shah there were at least a couple of times he didn’t think he and his friend Stephanie would make it through the unsettling ordeal last Thursday in Breuil-Cervinia.
“I never even knew chair lifts could rotate the way that they were rotating,” Dunning said of being violently swung around on a chair lift at Cervino Ski Paradise.
Dunning said he and his friend had both noticed a major weather change while they were riding the ski lift.
“This wind had kicked up and was getting quite strong. You couldn’t really see much in front of you,” Dunning recalled.
Dunning said he thought the ski lift could take the two of them to safety but wind conditions had reached up to 70 miles per hour at the time they were on the chair lift, a ride that lasted 40 minutes.
“There were like, multiple moments of total panic and fear,” Dunning said.
“It’s literally just like you’re in a washing machine, I guess,” he added. “You’re just getting thrown around all over the place.”
Other ski resortgoers captured video clips of the chair lift at the resort being tossed around by the violent wind conditions.
Dunning said he and his friend were blasted repeatedly with sheets of snow and held on for life.
“Three different times, literally, my butt is hanging out and there’s nothing underneath me,” Dunning said.
In a statement, Cervino Ski Paradise said “the weather conditions changed suddenly and unexpectedly” and lift access was “immediately closed” but there were still “users on the seats, who were taken to the station … unharmed.”
After their harrowing ordeal, Dunning said other skiers should trust their instincts if something doesn’t feel right.
“When you’re skiing, you trust the lift operators … I felt that they just let the lift keep on going at a time when it was really far too dangerous,” Dunning said.
Dunning said he was still grateful for the lift rider operators. Despite the scary experience, he ended up returning to hit the slopes again on Friday.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will undergo surgery for a hernia on Sunday, his office announced, during which time he’ll be under full anesthesia.
Yariv Levin, deputy prime minister and minister of justice, will fill in as prime minister while Netanyahu is under anesthesia, the office said.
The hernia was discovered Saturday night during a routine checkup, after which it was decided Netanyahu would undergo surgery, the prime minister’s office said.
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ROME and LONDON — Pope Francis on Sunday presided over an Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square and later used his Easter message on Christianity’s holiest day to invoke prayers for victims of war and to call for an end to ongoing conflicts.
Francis delivered his Easter message and blessing — the Urbi et Orbi, or “to the city and the world” blessing — that also included a call for the return of hostages and prisoners of war.
“Jesus alone opens up before us the doors of life, those doors that continually we shut with the wars spreading throughout the world,” he said, speaking in Italian.
He said his “thoughts go especially to the victims” of ongoing conflicts, including the fighting between Israel and Hamas.
“I appeal once again that access to humanitarian aid be ensured to Gaza, and call once more for the prompt release of the hostages seized on 7 October last and for an immediate cease-fire in the Strip,” he said.
Speaking at the Vatican after concelebrating the mass with about 350 cardinals, bishops and priests, Francis called for an exchange of prisoners in the Russia-Ukraine war. He called for an end to fighting in other conflicts, including those in Haiti, Syria and elsewhere.
“On this day when we celebrate the life given us in the resurrection of the Son, let us remember the infinite love of God for each of us: a love that overcomes every limit and every weakness,” he said.
He said he hoped for peace between Israel and Lebanon, as well as between Armenia and Azerbaijan. And he said leaders in the Western Balkans should seek “enrichment” from their differences as some in the region move closer “towards integration in the European project.”
The pontiff also asked for peace throughout Africa, noting the ongoing fighting “in Sudan and in the entire region of the Sahel, in the Horn of Africa, in the region of Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the province of Capo Delgado in Mozambique.”
He asked God to “bring an end to the prolonged situation of drought which affects vast areas and provokes famine and hunger” in the horn of Africa.
Francis, 87, had arrived in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday two days after he skipped the Way of the Cross procession on Good Friday. He skipped that ceremony “to preserve his health” so that he’d be able to attend the Easter Saturday vigil and Sunday Mass and blessing, the Vatican press office said in a statement on Friday.
Francis has been battling breathing difficulties after a cold and flu this year, but papal Easter ceremonies are a test for a young man.
Sunday’s Mass, commemorating the day Cristians believe Jesus Christ was resurrected, began at 10 a.m. with the pope seated in the square in front of the altar. He stood to introduce the mass, then sat during much of the proceedings. In front of him, tens of thousands of worshipers filled the Vatican’s main square under a mostly overcast sky.
The pontiff followed Sunday’s Mass with a tour of Saint Peter’s Square in a white open-topped vehicle. He appeared relaxed and in good spirits as he waved to the throngs of faithful, many of which called out to him as he passed.
Moments later, the pope imparted his Urbi et Orbi blessing from the central loggia of St. Peter’s façade.
“Why? Why all this death? Why all this destruction? War is always an absurdity and a defeat!” he said. “Let us not allow the strengthening winds of war to blow on Europe and the Mediterranean. Let us not yield to the logic of weapons and rearming. Peace is never made with arms, but with outstretched hands and open hearts.”
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(GAZA) — Some children in Gaza are going to sleep thinking they may die amid the ongoing fighting in the Israel-Hamas war, according to an official with the U.N. organization focused on delivering aid to children.
“You lie in bed and the building shakes and you feel like you’re lying in a coffin,” UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, speaking from Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, told ABC News on March 27. “You don’t know what’s going to happen, if you’re going to get hit.”
More than five months into the war, Elder said a cease-fire and getting more aid into Gaza is critical, “A cease-fire means a child will go to bed with knowledge that they will wake up.”
International organizations have said it has been challenging getting aid into Gaza, something Elder said he is frustrated by, describing how parents are standing over their “desperately emaciated” children, while there is a crossing 10 to 15 minutes away.
He said Israel has a legal responsibility to allow more aid into Gaza and that many other aid agencies agree Israel’s restrictions mean a fraction of the supplies needed are reaching Gaza.
Israel, with the support of Egypt, has restricted the movement of goods and people in and out of Gaza since the terrorist group Hamas came to power in 2007.
Those restrictions tightened following Hamas’ surprise terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing at least 1,200 people in Israel, according to Israeli officials.
More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 72,000 others have been injured in Gaza since then, amid Israel’s ongoing ground operations and aerial bombardment of Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has previously said Israel doesn’t provide enough authorization to deliver sufficient aid and, even when it does give authorization, the fighting makes it difficult to deliver that aid.
Israeli officials have claimed Hamas steals aid once it enters Gaza and said looting is also a problem. Israel continues to deny all accusations that it isn’t letting enough aid into Gaza and encourages other countries to send in aid, with Israeli officials saying the U.N., its partners and other aid agencies have created logistical challenges, resulting in a bottleneck. Hamas disputes the claims that it steals aid and the U.N. disputes the claims that it is responsible for the bottleneck.
n a recent report, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) initiative said famine is “imminent” in northern Gaza. On Friday, Israel’s Civil Department of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) dismissed the report, saying it paints an “inaccurate” image of famine in the Gaza Strip and said Israel does not place any limit on the amount of humanitarian aid that can enter the Gaza Strip.
Elder said people on the streets approach him explaining how they need water and medicine. He added that he believes because of the trauma of this war, every child will now require some kind of mental health support.
“You talk to adolescent girls and some of them say, ‘I want to die. I want this to be over,’ and it’s not an out-of-the-ordinary comment anymore,” Elder said.
Save the Children President and CEO Janti Soeripto is also sounding the alarm on the mental health crisis children in Gaza are facing.
“One of the women I spoke to today told me, and that’s something I’ve never heard before in another crisis, she said, ‘We need more mental health support than we need food,”’ Soeripto told ABC News.
“So that tells you something about the needs here and the absolute utter desperation and utter inadequacy of humanitarian assistance that’s making its way to vulnerable people,” she added.
Soeripto said there is a long list of diseases and complications arising from the dire conditions under which children in Gaza are living, including hepatitis, diarrhea, rashes and wounds that are not healing properly.
“We see a lot of health problems that can spiral out of control if you don’t treat them,” said Soeripto, “And of course, we have this massive wave of children that ultimately will need special treatment for malnutrition.”
Earlier this week, the U.N. Security Council voted to adopt a resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire for the remaining days of Ramadan, the holy month observed by Muslims, and the immediate unconditional release of hostages being held by Hamas. The Council voted in favor 14-0 with the U.S. abstaining. Israel does have a vote on the Council.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled his delegation’s visit to the White House to discuss Rafah after the vote. However, Netanyahu agreed to reschedule his delegation’s visit, a U.S. official told ABC News on Wednesday.
Netanyahu and Israel have continued to defend themselves against criticism of the invasion of Gaza and the conflicts over aid. In a case brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023, South Africa alleged Israel has committed and is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. In its order in January 2024, the Court ordered Israel to take measures to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza but did not grant South Africa’s request to order Israel to suspend military operations in Gaza.
Earlier this month, South Africa filed an urgent request with the Court for additional provisional measures against Israel including a cease-fire, citing starvation in Gaza. Israel urged the Court to reject South Africa’s request for more emergency orders.
“South Africa has failed yet again in its cynical attempts to exploit the ICJ in order to undermine Israel’s inherent right and obligation to defend its citizens from the ongoing Hamas attacks and to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza in brutal captivity,” Lior Haiat, spokesperson of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on Thursday.
ABC News’ Mary Kekatos contributed to this report.
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(GAZA) — Hala Fayyad is proud of her handmade kite, decorated in the colors of the Palestinian flag. The four pieces of colored plastic — red, white, green and black — are held simply by white plastic sticks and a few strings.
“We fly kites instead of warplanes,” the 13-year-old told ABC News as she held her kite, moments before setting it free to ride the wind.
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a religious non-governmental organization, hosted a kite festival at a school in Rafah this week. Hundreds of children of different ages participated in the day of games and activities, which culminated in the children flying their kites, carefully crafted in the past few days, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.
Of the more than 32,000 Palestinians killed in the military response from Israeli forces since October, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, 45% have been children, they have said. Hamas terrorists launched a surprise attack in Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 others hostage, according to Israeli officials, who say roughly 100 hostages may remain alive inside Gaza. Israel maintains that their goal is to free the hostages and eliminate Hamas, ensuring it no longer remains a threat to Israel.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that children are the majority of the over 70,000 injured, too. UNICEF estimates that 1 million children in the Gaza Strip have been affected by the conflict.
UNICEF, Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders), Save the Children and other international organizations have warned of the disproportionate cost that children in Gaza are bearing in this conflict in terms of food insecurity and starvation, thirst, displacement and lack of basic healthcare.
“We saw the change in the behavior of Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip as a result of displacement, living in tents and shelters,” Firas Ramlawi, the director of AFSC in Gaza, told ABC News. “So we wanted to alleviate this, through games and recreational activities.”
The kite activity, in particular, provides more than that, the organizers told ABC News. Gazans have a long history of kite-making and flying, connected with symbolic calls for freedom among Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict with Israel, they have said.
Gazans even set a Guinness World Record in 2011 for most kites flown simultaneously, flying over 12,000 kites in one day. Ramlawi said the kites they made this time bore the names of children who were killed in the war.
On March 30, the AFSC says it will host a parallel kite festival in Washington, D.C., aimed at raising awareness about the price that Palestinian children are paying in this war and calling for a cease-fire in the war.
This will happen as a part of the annual National Cherry Blossom Festival and will have a tribute to the late Palestinian professor and poet Refaat Alareer, who wrote the viral poem “If I Must Die” around the kite symbolism. “Refaat said, ‘let the kite be a symbol of hope,’ which is exactly what we need at this moment: hope to keep our people safe,” Jennifer Bing, the organizer of the parallel festival in D.C. and a friend of Alareer, told ABC News ahead of the event.
Alareer was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in early December, according to human rights monitor Euro-Med.
“He was 44, so we are having 44 white kites, and a multitude of Palestine-themed others,” Bing said, adding that they hope to send a pacifist message to the powerful decision-makers in the United States.
“We fly kites in order to rest our souls from the occupation planes, even for one day,” said Basil Ayman, a child who participated in the festival in Rafah. “Why do wars happen anyway? I hope the war stops.”
-ABC News’ Samy Zyara contributed to this report.
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(KENYA) — A baby eastern black rhino has been born in Kenya, an event wildlife researchers are dubbing as a conservation success for the critically endangered species.
The calf, estimated to be 6 months old, was discovered in the Chyulu Hills in southern Kenya via a complex system of cameras and motion-sensor monitoring rangers in the region, Amy Baird, deputy director of Big Life Foundation USA, a conservation nonprofit, told ABC News.
The birth is considered rare because there are only about eight individuals in the small population of rhinos that live in the region. The rangers “didn’t quite believe their eyes” when they first saw the baby while checking the feed, Baird said, adding that most rhino calves are born in conservation areas.
The Chyulu Hills are a unique and remote ecosystem and is very difficult to monitor, making the discovery even more exciting, Baird said. The calf even “disappeared” for a couple of months, which made the conservationists nervous since rhino calves are so vulnerable at the newborn stage, she added.
“When they’re so small, they have to stay very close to their mothers, and there’s a lot of predators and other situations,” Baird said.
But the baby, which has not yet been named, was spotted again in February, putting the researchers a bit at ease due to its overall healthy condition and growth. The calf has been seen following its mom around and learning the ins and outs of its natural bush surroundings, according to the nonprofit.
The rhino calf will be given a name once rangers are certain that he or she is thriving ad going to become an established member of the population, Baird said. Researchers believe his parents are a female named Nontoyie and a male named Dickson, Baird said.
The rangers have also been unable to determine the calf’s gender so far, according to the nonprofit.
There are less than 1,000 eastern black rhinos still living in the wild, the researchers said. Rhino populations in Kenya have been threatened for decades due to poaching and trade of rhino tusks, which contain keratin.
The 1980s and early 1990s was the last time eastern black rhinos were thriving in the Amboseli ecosystem in southern Kenya, Baird said. For a long time it was even believed that they were functionally extinct from the region, but when rangers patrolling the remote portion of the region saw footprints embedded in an area of lava, rock and sand, they realized some rhinos had survived, she said.
An increase in monitoring and anti-poaching efforts have likely contributed to the survival of the population as well, Baird said. There have been no poaching events of rhinos in the areas since 2015. Rangers are also making sure the rhinos have the resources they need to survive, including three water points to provide drinking water.
But the conservationists are not hopeful to the threat of poaching being eliminated completely.
“There’s always going to be a risk of poaching, just given how valuable rhino is on a black market,” Baird said.
Black rhinos are listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species.
Long gestation periods of 13 to 15 months and then recovery period of another two years make it difficult for populations that were nearly wiped out to recover, Baird said.
“The program to protect them has really grown,” Baird said.
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