DR Congo, Morocco, Gaza

Today’s three stories you should know

DR Congo

At least 26 children were killed when a fire swept through two schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), officials said. Nineteen girls and seven boys died in the blaze in the city of Bukavu, and 29 people were being treated at medical facilities, the M23 rebel group, which controls the city, said. The cause of the fire is not yet known, but neighborhood administrator Moise Lubala told AP that the area was densely populated and made up of mostly wooden buildings. Eastern DRC is the center of a long-running war between government-aligned forces, the M23 and other armed groups. It is also suffering the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, with more than 3,300 people confirmed dead.

More from Sky News here.

Morocco

Morocco has denied any involvement in the crossing of more than 70,000 people from its territory into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in July. Most of those who crossed have since returned to Morocco. Spanish opposition parties have rounded on the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and accused Morocco of orchestrating or allowing the crossing. “Why continue to level accusations against Morocco when no evidence, facts, or reports establish any involvement on the part of Moroccan authorities?” the Moroccan foreign ministry said in a statement, adding it refused to be used as a “pre-election political pawn.”

More from Al Jazeera here.

Gaza

A top Hamas commander has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, according to the Israeli military and Hamas. In a statement, the armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed the death of Mohammed Abdel ​Salam al-Yazouri. Israel said it had killed two other Hamas commanders in the attack, while Hamas made no comment. Israel has killed more than 1,300 Palestinians, mostly civilians, in Gaza since agreeing an ostensible ceasefire with Hamas in October of last year. The deal stipulated that targeted attacks were to stop.

More from Reuters here.