Gaza, May 29 : Over 25 missiles were launched from Gaza to Israel on Tuesday, the military said.

In a series of tweets, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) reported sirens being heard in the Eshkol Regional Council in response to a "barrage" of mortar shells fired from Gaza, reports Efe news.

"Following reports of sirens heard earlier this morning, a barrage of 25 mortar shells were launched towards several locations in Israel. Most of the launches were intercepted by the IDF's Iron Dome aerial defence system," the IDF said.

An additional siren was sounded and two further shells fired, the IDF added. One of the missiles fell on a kindergarten half an hour before it was due to open, according to the Israeli radio broadcaster.

The IDF confirmed "several intercepts were made" and that "details were being looked into".

Tensions have increased along the border separating Gaza Strip and Israel since the start of the Great March of Return protests on March 30.

Some 121 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire, most of them during demonstrations and violent clashes.

On Monday, a Palestinian militant was killed and another was wounded by Israeli tank fire responding to a border infiltration attempt and gunshots from Gaza.

 

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Wellington: New Zealand’s youngest Member of Parliament Hana-Rawhiti Kareariki Maipi-Clarke has once again grabbed the headlines after a video of her staging the traditional Maori dance and ripping up a copy of a contentious bill during a House session went viral on social media.

A viral footage of the vote on the Treaty Principles Bill shows the 22-year-old Te Pati Maori MP interrupting the session by tearing apart a copy of the controversial bill before performing a haka. She is then joined by the people in the public gallery, prompting Speaker Gerry Brownlee to briefly suspend the House.

The ACT New Zealand party, a junior partner in the centre-right coalition government unveiled the Treaty Principles Bill last week. It proposes changes to some principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The bill has sparked strong opposition from many Maori groups.

The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 between the British Crown and more than 500 Maori chiefs, established the framework for governance between the two parties. It remains a foundational document in New Zealand, with its clauses continuing to influence legislation and policy to this day.

The bill is being seen as undermining the rights of the country’s indigenous people by many Maori and their supporters. Notably, Maoris make up around 20% of New Zealand’s 5.3 million population.

As the proposed bill passed its first reading, hundreds of demonstrators embarked on a nine-day march, or hikoi, from New Zealand's north to the national capital of Wellington to voice their opposition.