Turkey to let U.S. use air base to attack IS
WASHINGTON – Turkey has agreed to let the U.S. military launch airstrikes against the Islamic State from a key air base near the Syrian border, senior U.S. officials said Thursday, giving a boost to the U.S.-led coalition while drawing Turkey deeper into the conflict.
President Barack Obama and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan finalized the deal in a phone call Wednesday, officials said, after months of U.S. appeals and delicate negotiations over the use of Incirlik and other military bases in Turkey.
Rebuilding begins on Gaza Strip homes
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – Construction has started on the first homes that will be rebuilt in the Gaza Strip since the devastating war with Israel last summer destroyed much of the territory’s infrastructure.
The long-awaited reconstruction began in Shijaiyah, a hard-hit neighborhood of Gaza City, on Thursday, giving residents a rare glimmer of hope.
The war destroyed 11,900 homes and damaged about 140,000 dwellings, according to the Palestinian Minister of Public Works Mufeed al-Hasayneh.
Associated Press
