Ayodhya Mosque That’ll Replace Babri Will Be Named After Prophet Muhammad And His Father Abdullah, Masjid Muhammad Bin Abdullah

New Age Islam News Bureau

13 October 2023

  

Masjid Muhammad Bin Abdullah, Ayodhya

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India

·         India supports establishment of independent state of Palestine, says external affairs ministry

·         Gujarat govt asked to submit records on remission of 11 convicts in Bilkis Bano case

·         Delhi on alert after intel of disruption following Israel Hamas war

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Europe

·         Sweden Convicts Man Over 2020 Quran Burning In First

·         Pro-Palestinian Protests Banned In France

·         UN rapporteur slams EU support for Israeli aggression on Gaza

·         Thousands defy French ban on all pro-Palestinian protests

·         EU Issues Civilizational Ultimatum To Türkiye

·         Jewish schools temporarily close in London

·         Germany Vows To Prosecute Burning Of Israeli Flag

·         EU compares Hamas to Islamic State, evasive on Gaza Strip

·         EU Chief Von Der Leyen Slammed For 'Double Standards' On War-Hit Ukraine And Gaza

·         UK deploys force to east Mediterranean to back Israel: PM office

·         Macron pledges to secure release of French hostages held by Hamas

·         Little help from UK government for British-Palestinian couple trapped in Gaza, son says

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Mideast

·         1,537 Palestinians Killed, 6,612 Wounded In Constant Israeli Bombardment

·         Israeli Police Restricted Palestinian Worshippers’ From Accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque To Perform Friday Prayers

·         Muslim Nations Holding Large Pro-Palestine Rallies On Friday

·         Hamas says 13 hostages killed in Israel strikes on Gaza

·         Hamas practiced in plain sight, posting video of mock attack weeks before border breach

·         Israel calls for all 1.1 million civilians to leave Gaza City

·         More than 423,000 people displaced in Gaza: UN

·         Israel warns northern Gaza residents to move towards south in next 24 hours

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North America

·         CAIR-NY: New York Muslim Leadership, Palestinian and Human Rights Groups to Demand End to Suppression of Rights, Incitement Against Muslims

·         DC News Conference: Interfaith Groups to Condemn Escalating Mideast Violence, Call on Biden Admin to Pursue Lasting Peace

·         “Jihad Friday” Puts New York, LA on Guard: SAG Calls Off Picket Lines, Real Estate Offices Advise Brokers Not to Come In

·         Trump’s criticism of Israeli PM Netanyahu draws strong condemnation from GOP rivals

·         Blinken seeks Arab pressure on Hamas as Israel readies Gaza move

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Africa

·         Nigerian Military Troops Kill 50 Terrorists, Apprehend 114 – DHQ

·         Kenya Warns Of Risk Of ‘Solidarity’ Attacks Over Israel-Hamas War

·         Gabon: Wife Of Deposed President Ali Bongo Jailed

·         Tunisia: Rally In Solidarity With The Palestinians In Tunis

·         Reps task FG on Nigeria’s out-of-school children, price control board

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Pakistan

·         Cipher Case: IHC Likely To Hear Imran Pleas Ahead Of Trial Court’s Indictment

·         ‘Illegal’ Afghans To Be Housed In Karachi, Sukkur For Deportation

·         Parvez Elahi, son summoned in money laundering case on Oct 23rd

·         FM lauds OIC for strong support to Kashmiris for their rights

·         Qatar lauds Pakistan’s counter-terrorism, peace efforts

·         Taliban refuse Pakistan aid for quake victims

·         Don’t lose hope, trials will pass: Imran

·         Aitzaz defends Imran in cipher saga

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Arab World

·         Shoura Council Speaker To Head Saudi Delegation At G20 Parliamentary Speakers Summit In India

·         Saudi Arabia Enters Guinness World Records For Largest Sustainable Farm In The World

·         Saudi Arabia faces major challenges if climate warms by 3 degrees: Report

·         Saudi foreign minister calls for principles of humanitarian law to be followed in Gaza

·         Saudi and Palestinian envoys in London discuss joint action to stop Gaza violence

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South Asia

·         Mujahid Says UN Rapporteur Bennett 'Preferred Rumours’ to Facts

·         Human Rights Watch Concerned About Forced Afghan Migrants’ Expulsion From Pakistan

·         Islamic Emirate Denies Russian Claims of US, UK Intelligence Bases

·         Bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan witnesses a sharp decline

·         Pakistani Authorities hinder aid collection for Herat earthquake victims: Manzoor Pashteen

·         Search Operations for Herat Earthquake Victims Ends

·         17,000 People Affected by Earthquake in Herat: Dujarric

·         We Need Full Support, Love And Solidarity: Palestinian Envoy To Dhaka

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Southeast Asia

·         Israel-Hamas War Brings Dr Mahathir, Muhyiddin And Mat Sabu Together As Hundreds Of Muslims Protest In Solidarity With Gaza

·         Singapore law minister: Possible to deplore treatment of Palestinians yet condemn ‘shocking, horrifying’ terror attack by Hamas

·         Report: Two Malaysians linked to 2002 Bali bombings in bid to return home from Guantanamo, met in Cuba by minister Saifuddin

·         Israel-Hamas Conflict Dividing The World But Singaporeans Should Not Let External Events Affect ‘Precious Peace’, Says Shanmugam

·         Beware of scammers cashing in on Palestine situation, says IGP

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:   https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/ayodhya-mosque-babri-prophet-abdullah-masjid/d/130893

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Ayodhya Mosque That’ll Replace Babri Will Be Named After Prophet Muhammad And His Father Abdullah, Masjid Muhammad Bin Abdullah

 

Masjid Muhammad Bin Abdullah, Ayodhya

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By Mohammed Wajiduddin

October 13, 2023

MUMBAI: Four years after the Supreme Court verdict in the Ayodhya dispute, a group representing the All India Rabta-e-Masajid (network of mosques) and Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation have named the proposed mosque to be built as a replacement for Babri Masjid after Prophet Muhammad and his father Abdullah.

Set to be the biggest mosque in the country with a capacity to accommodate 9,000 worshippers, Masjid Muhammad Bin Abdullah's foundation will be laid soon. The first brick for the mosque, to come up on a five-acre site at Daanipur, 25 km from Ayodhya, was gifted on Thursday at an event in Mumbai.

In its verdict on the decades-long dispute, the SC on November 9, 2019 awarded the disputed 2.77-acre land to the Ram Janmabhoomi Trust and asked the government to give an alternative 5 acres of land for building a mosque.

Thursday's event saw unveiling of the design and gifting of the first brick to senior clerics belonging to different sects in Islam. UP Sunni Central Waqf Board and Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation chairman Zufar Ahmed Faruqui, former chairman of Maharashtra minority commission and BJP leader Haji Arafat, the architect Imran Shaikh, actors Raza Murad and Shahzad Khan, heads and khadims of several dargahs in the country attended the event at Rangsharda Hall in Bandra.

The event, said Shaikh, was the culmination of months of discussions among top ulema (religious leaders) regarding the name of the mosque.

The mosque's five gates will be named after Prophet Muhammad and the four Caliphs who succeeded him, namely Hazrat Abu Bakar, Hazrat Umar, Hazrat Usman and Hazrat Ali.

Calling upon the community to come forward and donate money, labour and skills, Shaikh said an additional plot of six acres is being bought to build a cancer hospital (to be managed by Wockhardt), a maternity hospital, colleges of engineering, medicine and law, library, museum, conference hall and information centre in the masjid complex. The hospital and colleges will serve the poor from all communities.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/ayodhya-mosque-thatll-replace-babri-will-be-named-after-prophet-muhammad/articleshow/104381644.cms

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INDIA Bloc Accuses Social Media Platforms WhatsApp, Facebook And Google Of Aiding The ‘Hate Project’ In India

 

Mark Zuckerberg. File Photo

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13.10.23

Sanjay K. Jha

The Oppositi­on combine INDIA has accused social media platforms WhatsApp, Facebook and Google of aiding the “hate project” in India and said this amounts to subverting democracy and would not be tolerated.

The combine has written to Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Inc, which controls Facebook and WhatsApp, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai saying the concerns of a group that represents half of India and rules 11 states cannot be dismissed. The Congress had written to these platforms earlier, too, expressing similar concerns.

“You may be aware of the recent exposes by the Washington Post newspaper about the role of WhatsApp and Facebook in aiding the communal hatred campaign of the ruling BJP,” the letters, similar in content, said.

“Specifically, the article cites details of how this vile, communally divisive propaganda is carried out using WhatsApp groups by BJP members and supporters.

“In another article titled ‘Under India’s pressure, Facebook let propaganda and hate speech thrive’, the Post has elucidated with evidence the blatant partisanship by Facebook India executives towards the ruling dispensation. This was well known to us in the Opposition for a long time, and (we) have even raised it several times in the past.”

Citing next year’s general election, the Opposition alliance said: “It is very clear from these exhaustive investigations by the Washington Post that Meta is culpable of abetting social disharmony and inciting communal hatred in India.

“Further, we have data that shows algorithmic moderation and suppression of Opposition leaders’ content on your platform while also promoting ruling party content.

“Such blatant partisanship and bias towards one political formation by a private foreign company is tantamount to interfering in India’s democracy, one that we in the INDIA alliance will not take lightly.”

The letters have requested these social media platforms to consider these concerns

seriously and immediately ensure that their operations in India remain neutral and do not deliberately or unwittingly help create social unrest or distort India’s democratic ideals.

“It is ironical that we are writing this letter in the birth month anniversary of the greatest champion of non-violence and social harmony in history, Mahatma Gandhi. We are confident that you and Meta also yearn for a harmonious India that the Mahatma wished for. We look forward to your full cooperation in this regard,” the letters said.

The letters were signed by Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi (both Congress), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Uddhav Thackeray (Shiv Sena UBT), Hemant Soren (JMM), T.R. Baalu (DMK), Lalan Singh (JDU), Akhilesh Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Derek O’Brien (Trinamul), SitaramYechury (CPM), D. Raja (CPI), Omar Abdullah (National Conference) and Mehbooba Mufti (PDP). The Aam Aadmi Party and some others were not among the signatories.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/india-bloc-accuses-meta-google-of-aiding-the-hate-project-in-india/cid/1972994

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EU Probing X (Aka Twitter) Over ‘Terrorist and Hate Speech Content’

  

13 Oct, 2023

The EU has launched an investigation into X (formerly Twitter) over the alleged spread of hate speech, disinformation, and other “illegal content” on the site. The social media giant will now be expected to prove it is complying with EU law.

The European Commission announced the move on Thursday, saying it had submitted a “formal request for information” to X under the EU’s sweeping internet regulation, the Digital Services Act (DSA).

“This request follows indications received by the Commission services of the alleged spreading of illegal content and disinformation, in particular the spreading of terrorist and violent content and hate speech,” the body said.

While the statement made no mention of the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton previously said the bloc had seen a spike in “disinformation” following the “terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel” last weekend.

The Palestinian group launched a major assault on Saturday, sending waves of fighters and rockets into Israel and prompting days of retaliatory airstrikes by the Israeli military.

In a letter addressed to X owner Elon Musk earlier this week, Breton warned that the site could face penalties should it run afoul of the DSA, and went on to demand a written response within 24 hours.

X CEO Linda Yaccarino defended the site’s policies in an open letter to the EU on Thursday, insisting the platform had “redistributed resources” and “refocused teams” to manage posts related to the conflict in Israel. She said tens of thousands of posts, as well as hundreds of accounts allegedly linked to terrorist groups or extremism, had been removed since last Saturday.

Under EU regulations, websites and search engines can be fined up to 6% of their global turnover if they are found to be in violation of the rules. However, while the law will not be fully enforced until early 2024, sites designated as “very large online platforms” – or those with more than 45 million monthly users, such as X – are expected to meet the requirements starting in August.

The bloc also reached out to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in another “urgent” letter, warning the billionaire he had 24 hours to provide a detailed description of how his platforms were addressing the spread of disinformation and “illegal content” regarding the Israel-Hamas war.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/584796-eu-probe-twitter-disinformation/

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Gaza: Palestinians Fear 'Second Nakba' As Israel Kills Over 1,500, Orders Evacuation

 

Israeli bombing has killed 1,537 Palestinians in Gaza

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13 October, 2023

Israeli bombing has killed 1,537 Palestinians in Gaza, the health ministry in the besieged strip has said, adding that 6,612 had been injured. Among the dead are 500 children.

The Israeli army has ordered residents of the north of the Gaza Strip to evacuate amid the indiscriminate bombing, amid reports that they will not be allowed to return.

This has raised fears of a "Second Nakba" among Palestinians.

The death toll in Israel from the surprise attack launched by Hamas and other Palestinian militants on Saturday is over 1,300.

Israel has continued to bomb Gaza, home to more than two million people, with an unprecedented intensity.

NATO countries on Thursday told Israel's defence minister they stood by his country after the attack by Hamas, but urged his forces to respond with "proportionality", the alliance said.

Human Rights Watch has charged Israel with using white phosphorous in Gaza, saying it has a "significant incendiary effect that can severely burn people and set structures, fields, and other civilian objects in the vicinity on fire".

The watchdog added: "The use of white phosphorus in Gaza, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, magnifies the risk to civilians and violates the international humanitarian law prohibition on putting civilians at unnecessary risk."

After a trip to Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has travelled to Jordan, where he has met King Abdullah II and is set to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as part of a regional tour.

Mournings held across US for Palestinians, Israelis

In cities across the US this week, the progressive Jewish group "IfNotNow" has been holding gatherings to mourn the Israelis and Palestinians killed in the latest large-scale outbreak of violence that started Saturday.

Hamas rejects Israel order to evacuate north Gaza

Hamas has rejected an Israeli order for 1.1 million residents to evacuate northern Gaza ahead of an expected ground incursion into the overcrowded Palestinian territory.

"Our Palestinian people reject the threat of the occupation (Israeli) leaders and its call for them to leave their homes and flee from them to the south or Egypt," the Islamist militant group said in a statement.

"We are steadfast on our land and in our homes and our cities. There will be no displacement," it said.

The United Nations said an order by Israel to flee within 24 hours risked a "calamitous situation".

Hamas says at least 13 hostages in Gaza killed in Israel airstrikes

At least 13 Israeli and foreign hostages held in the northern Gaza Strip have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in the past 24 hours, Hamas's armed wing has said.

In a surprise assault early Saturday, Hamas militants stormed Israeli communities near the Gaza border and fired barrages of rockets, in an attack that claimed more than 1,200 lives.

Israel says Hamas has taken more than 150 people hostage, including both civilians and security forces.

"Thirteen prisoners... including foreigners" were killed in five locations targeted by Israeli fighter jets, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.

Source: newarab.com

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https://www.newarab.com/news/gaza-fears-second-nakba-death-toll-hits-1537

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US Won’t Fight For Israel – White House

 

U.S. President Joe Biden lholds a bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the 78th U.N. General Assembly in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

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12 Oct, 2023

No American troops will be deployed to Israel, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters at the White House on Thursday. The US will continue to supply the Israel Defense Forces in their fight against Hamas, however.

“We have national security interests throughout the region,” Kirby said at the daily press briefing, referring to the deployment of a carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean, but quashed any rumors of airborne troops or Marines being sent to Israel.

“The Israelis have made it very clear that they don’t want foreign troops on their soil, that they want to prosecute these operations on their own and they have every right to want to do that,” Kirby said. “There are no intentions, no plans to put American troops on the ground in combat.”

The US already has “some experts” providing West Jerusalem with “advice and counsel” on how to free hostages taken by Hamas, and maintains a “terrific information and intelligence-sharing relationship” with Israel, as well as “a strong defense relationship, when it comes to providing weapons and munitions,” Kirby added.

The IDF is “small but very capable” and the US is “doing everything we can to improve those capabilities,” he added.

Earlier in the day, IDF chief of staff General Herzi Halevi said that the military “failed” to protect Israel and its people on Saturday, and that there would be a reckoning once the war against Hamas was over.

The Palestinian group that controls much of Gaza struck on the anniversary of the 1973 war, launching thousands of rockets into Israel and sending more than 1,000 militants to breach the border fence in an operation dubbed ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’.

Hamas fighters stormed 22 towns, villages, and settlements, as well as a music festival being held near Gaza. Israel responded by launching airstrikes against Gaza, while deploying tanks and artillery to the southern border.

So far, around 1,200 people have been killed in Israel and at least 1,100 in Gaza, according to local officials.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/584785-us-fight-for-israel/

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India

India supports establishment of independent state of Palestine, says external affairs ministry

13.10.23

Anita Joshua

The external affairs ministry on Thursday reset India’s position on Palestine to the default mode of support for the two-state solution, making the course correction five days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expression of solidarity with Israel following Saturday’s Hamas attack.

Asked about India’s position on Palestine at the weekly briefing, ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said: "Our policy in this regard has been longstanding and consistent. India has always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognised borders, side by side at peace with Israel.”

Bagchi’s clarification marked the first time the ministry had spoken on the subject since the Prime Minister’s remarks, in which many saw a possible shift from India’s long-held position that had weathered several changes of government in New Delhi and the growing engagement with Israel.

On Saturday, Modi had set the cat among the pigeons by extending solidarity with Israel in the immediate aftermath of the Hamas attack in a statement that had warmed the cockles of the Right-wing ecosystem.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Modi had said: “Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel. Our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour.”

His second statement on the evolving situation in the Levant on Tuesday was seen by West Asia experts as an attempt to dial back the open support that was evident in his first post.

“I thank Prime Minister @netanyahu for his phone call and providing an update on the ongoing situation. People of India stand firmly with Israel in this difficult hour. India strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” Modi said in the second statement.

Career diplomat and West Asia expert Talmiz Ahmad had told this newspaper on Tuesday that the Prime Minister had attempted a course correction in his second post.

“The first post was a spontaneous expression of solidarity formulated in the initial shock. That has since been corrected in today’s post,” Ahmad said.

He explained that the formulation “strongly and unequivocally condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations” can be found in almost every second joint statement.

“This is an innocuous remark. Who does not officially condemn terrorism?” Ahmad said.

On whether India had endorsed the calls to all concerned to exercise restraint, Bagchi said: “There is a universal obligation to observe international humanitarian law. There is also a global responsibility to fight the menace of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

India’s first chartered flight ferrying Indians back from Israel was expected to land in Tel Aviv on Thursday night and return by Friday morning.

Bagchi said 230 people were likely to be accommodated on the flight and added that more flights would be arranged in keeping with demand.

As for bringing people back from Palestine, he said India had not received any request from Indians in the West Bank or Gaza.

According to the ministry, there are about a dozen Indians in the West Bank and three or four in Gaza.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/india-supports-establishment-of-independent-state-of-palestine-says-external-affairs-ministry/cid/1972992

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Gujarat govt asked to submit records on remission of 11 convicts in Bilkis Bano case

13th October 2023

By Jaison Wilson Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its order on pleas challenging the remission granted last year to all the 11 convicts in the gang-rape case of Bilkis Bano and murder of seven of her family members during the 2002 post-Godhra Gujarat riots, while asking the Centre and Gujarat government to place the original records on the remission.

A group of pleas against the relief of convicts, which were earlier listed for a final hearing, appeared before a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and UjjalBhuyan. After hearing submissions by Bilkis Bano’s counsel and lawyers for the Centre, the Gujarat government and the PIL petitioner, the bench reserved the matter.

Apart from the petition filed by Bilkis Bano contesting the remission granted to them by the Gujarat government, several other PILs including one by CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali, independent journalist RevatiLaul and former vice-chancellor of Lucknow University Roop Rekha Verma have challenged the relief.

TMC MP MahuaMoitra also filed a PIL against the remission granted to the convicts and their premature release. Eleven people who were convicted and had been serving jail terms, were prematurely released on August 15, 2022, following a decision by the Gujarat government.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and UjjalBhuyan said that it was only considering the “correctness” of the Gujarat government’s decision to release the convicts early. Last month, the SC observed whether the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case had the privilege of being released on parole for several days and several times while considering the batch of pleas challenging their early release.

The Supreme Court on Thursday extended the interim bail of NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik by three months on medical grounds in a money laundering case.Before a bench of Justice Bela M Trivedi and Justice Dipankar Dutta, Malik’s counsel submitted that his client is still suffering from the chronic medical renal disease and his condition has not improved. On August 11, the SC granted him two months’ medical interim bail which expired this week.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/oct/13/guj-govt-asked-to-submit-records-on-remission-of-11-convicts-in-bilkis-bano-case-2623506.html

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Delhi on alert after intel of disruption following Israel Hamas war

13th October 2023

By Ujwal Jalal, iExpress News Service

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police intensified security arrangements across the city on Friday after it received some intelligence inputs about the possibility of some kind of disruption.

A senior police official confirmed to TNIE that the alert came in the wake of the ongoing war in Israel with the Hamas militant group.

"We have increased our presence at several crucial areas and are keeping a watch round-the-clock to avert any untoward incident," the official said.

The police have also deployed its personnel around the Jewish establishments in the city.

Meanwhile, a flight carrying the first batch of Indians, who were stranded in Israel amid the ongoing war, landed in New Delhi under 'Operation Ajay' on Friday morning.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed that the first flight under Operation Ajay, carrying 212 citizens touched down in Delhi on early Friday.

On October 7, Hamas militants fired thousands of rockets and sent fighters -- through land, air and sea -- into Israeli towns near the Gaza Strip during a major Jewish holiday (Simchat Torah) in a deadly offensive branded "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood".

Since then Israel has been responding to Saturday's attack with a massive bombardment of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “crush and destroy” Hamas.

Palestinians say civilians are paying the price in strikes on Gaza, a small coastal strip of land (140 square miles) packed with 2.3 million residents, which has been blockaded for more than 15 years. The war has already claimed thousands of lives on both sides.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2023/oct/13/delhi-on-alert-after-intel-of-disruption-following-israel-hamas-war-2623581.html

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Europe

 

Sweden convicts man over 2020 Quran burning in first

12 October, 2023

A Swedish court on Thursday convicted a man of inciting ethnic hatred with a 2020 Quran burning, the first time the country's court system has tried the charge for desecrating Islam's holy book.

The conviction comes after a wave of Quran burnings earlier this year that stoked international outrage and made Sweden a "prioritised target", prompting the country's intelligence agency to heighten its terror alert level.

The Swedish government condemned the desecrations but repeatedly upheld the country's extensive freedom of expression laws.

The Linkoping district court in central Sweden found the 27-year-old man guilty of "agitation against an ethnic group", saying his action had "targeted Muslims and not Islam as a religion", and "can hardly be said to have encouraged an objective and responsible debate".

In September 2020, the man had recorded a video clip outside the Linkoping cathedral showing a Quran and bacon being burned on a barbecue, with a pejorative remark about the Prophet Mohammed written on a sign under the barbecue.

The man published the video on social media platforms Twitter, now known as X, and YouTube, and placed the burnt Quran and bacon outside the Linkoping mosque.

The song "Remove Kebab" was used in the video, a song popular among far-right groups and which calls for the religious cleansing of Muslims.

The court said "the music is strongly associated with the attack in Christchurch", New Zealand, in 2019 in which an Australian white supremacist killed 51 people at two mosques.

The man had denied any wrongdoing, arguing that his action was a criticism of Islam as a religion.

But the court rejected that argument.

"The court finds that the chosen music to a film with such content can not be interpreted any other way than as a threat against Muslims with an allusion to their faith," the court wrote in a statement.

"The film's content and the form of its publication are such that it is clear that the defendant's primary purpose could not have been other than to express threats and contempt."

Source: newarab.com

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https://www.newarab.com/news/sweden-convicts-man-over-2020-quran-burning-first

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Pro-Palestinian protests banned in France

 October 13, 2023

PARIS: France has decided to ban pro-Palestinian protests as they are “likely to generate disturbances to public order”, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Thursday in a letter to prefects across the country.

Earlier this week, Hamas called for protests across the Muslim world on Friday to support Palestinians. Two pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Paris had already been banned on Thursday for fear of outbursts.

France is home to some of Europe’s largest Muslim and Jewish populations and conflicts in the Middle East can stoke tensions there — which the interior minister said the government aimed to avert with heightened police protection of Jewish sites, including schools and synagogues.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1780805/pro-palestinian-protests-banned-in-france

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UN rapporteur slams EU support for Israeli aggression on Gaza

13 October 2023

A United Nations special rapporteur has slammed the European Union’s unwavering support for Israel in its aggression on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and its double standards regarding Palestine and Ukraine.

Speaking to Middle East Eye, Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said “Political action is lacking and double standards tarnish the values and the rule of law principle upon which our international order is premised.”

Albanese made the remarks after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed the EU's unwavering support for Israel in recent days, saying that “Israel has the right to defend itself – today and in the days to come. The European Union stands with Israel.”

After von der Leyen's tweet, Israel has intensified its strikes on Gaza and cut off fuel, water, energy, and food supplies to the coastal strip, which is home to over two million Palestinians and has already been suffering under a 16-year-old Israeli blockade.

Von der Leyen’s recent remarks drew widespread criticism, especially after her previous comments on Russia’s alleged targeting of such utilities.

Last year, Von der Leyen said Russian “attacks against civilian infrastructure, especially electricity, are war crimes.”

“Cutting off men, women, children of water, electricity, and heating with winter coming - these are acts of pure terror,” she said back then.

The UN rapporteur urged Von der Leyen on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to make the “same declaration” she did against Russia towards the Israeli offensive on Gaza.

“If not, people could think that European institutions do not value the protection of Palestinian children, women and men as much as that of Ukrainians,” said Albanese.

Albanese said it was important to make such a statement because it meant “giving full meaning to the universality of human rights and equality of all human beings, to enable Israelis and Palestinians to live in dignity and freedom.”

“I do not understand the lack of commensurate empathy with the Palestinian people, as well as the lack of accountability for Israel’s protracted occupation and crimes perpetrated for over 56 years,” Albanese said.

While Tel Aviv was backed by its staunch Western allies, the US and the EU, over the past week, the reaction among Latin American leaders was more varied.

Israel’s savage strikes on the Gaza Strip claim the lives of hundreds of Palestinian children as the total death toll exceeds 1,500.

The most vocal commentator among Latin American leaders has been Colombia’s leftist president, Gustavo Petro, who took to X to decry Israel's recent attacks on Gaza, widely sharing photos and footage of Palestinian victims. In his tweets, Petro also likened the Israeli military to Nazis.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government stressed that the escalating tensions “is the result of the inability of the Palestinian people to find a space in international law to assert their historical rights”.

In Bolivia, former President Evo Morales reiterated his support for Palestine and broke with the leftist government's more diplomatic statement.

“The statement from the Bolivian Foreign Ministry does not reflect the feeling of solidarity of the Bolivian people towards Palestine. The Bolivian people will always condemn the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian Territories,” Morales, who is once again running for office, said on X.

On Saturday, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched the al-Aqsa Storm operation against Israel in response to the occupying regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

The military operation killed around 1,300 Israeli forces, and injured thousands more. Nearly 150 others were also captured by the resistance forces.

Meanwhile, the Israeli bombing campaign on Gaza killed more than 1,500 people, nearly half of whom were children and women, and injured over 6,600 others.

Source: presstv.ir

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Thousands defy French ban on all pro-Palestinian protests

 13 October 2023

Global condemnation appears certain to follow France’s new ban on all pro-Palestinian protests.

Thousands of activists turned out in Paris anyway to stand up for besieged Gaza, and were met with the typical brutality which has made French police infamous. RaminMazaheri has more from Paris.

Source: presstv.ir

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EU issues civilizational ultimatum to Türkiye

13 Oct, 2023

European Commission Vice President MargaritisSchinas has demanded that Türkiye either openly declare its support for NATO, the EU and the “ethos of the West,” or side with Russia and an assortment of Muslim states and militant groups.

Speaking at an event in Brussels on Wednesday, Schinas weighed in on the recent violent flare-up between Israel and Palestinian fighters in Gaza, noting that all 27 EU member states supported Israel’s “right to defend itself” and denounced terrorism following a deadly Hamas attack last weekend.

Addressing Türkiye, the official declared that the country must “choose which side of history it wants to be on,” suggesting it could not seek a middle ground between world powers or remain neutral.

“[Türkiye will be] with us – the European Union, NATO, our values, the ethos of the West – or with Moscow, Tehran, Hamas, and Hezbollah,” Schinas said, as cited by Greek newspaper Ekathimerini, adding that “the answer needs to be clear.”

While the vice president did not elaborate on what Ankara should do to prove its allegiance to the West, his comments came just days after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his government was prepared to coordinate peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

“Türkiye … is ready for all kinds of mediation, including prisoner exchange, if the parties request it,” the president said in a lengthy statement, which was issued following separate discussions with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

However, Ankara has been highly critical of Israel’s policies toward the Palestinians in the past, and Erdogan has slammed Israel’s latest military operations in Gaza as “shameful” and “a massacre.”

Although Schinas implied that Russia had sided with Palestinian militants, Moscow has urged for a peaceful resolution to the conflict and stressed that civilians were suffering on all sides. On Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reiterated calls to implement past UN resolutions and create a Palestinian state – commonly known as the “two-state solution.”

“All of us had the same opinion… that this confrontation must be stopped immediately, that the parties should respect international humanitarian law, prevent any terrorist actions and the indiscriminate use of force,” Lavrov said.

The surprise attack by Hamas last Saturday marked one of Israel’s greatest national security breaches in decades, with local officials reporting some 1,300 fatalities in the aftermath. The Israeli military has launched days of airstrikes in retaliation, with around 1,500 reportedly killed in Gaza and thousands more wounded on both sides.

Source: rt.com

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https://www.rt.com/news/584799-eu-turkiye-civilizational-ultimatum/

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Jewish schools temporarily close in London

13 Oct, 2023

Several Jewish schools in London have suspended classes for the rest of the week, citing concerns over potential anti-Semitic reprisals due to ongoing fighting in Israel and Gaza.

Menorah High School, AteresBeis Yaakov Primary School, Torah Vodaas Primary School – all Jewish educational centers in the London area – announced the move to parents on Thursday evening, according to Sky News. The outlet said a fourth unnamed school would also be closed Friday, with all set to reopen next Monday.

A rabbi at Torah Vodaas said the decision was not “taken lightly,” though assured parents that there was “no specific threat to our school.”

One father cited by Sky News said he was told to alter his children’s school uniforms “so they are not signaling in any way they are Jewish,” adding that he is “scared for myself and my family” due to religious and ethnic tensions stoked by the violent flare-up in Israel.

The Community Security Trust, an NGO created to provide protection to Jewish cultural centers, has reported a 300% spike in “antisemitic incidents” in the UK in recent days, including six assaults and three cases of “desecration of Jewish property.”

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a £3 million package to “protect schools, synagogues and other Jewish community buildings.” The money will be distributed through CST, which will work closely with local police.

Fighting in Israel erupted last Saturday, after Palestinian militants launched a major assault with waves of rockets and commandos. The Israeli government has responded harshly to the attack, pounding Gaza with air strikes while mobilizing hundreds of thousands of troops to fight. Around 1,300 people have been killed in Israel, according to local officials, in addition to more than 1,500 in Gaza and thousands more wounded on both sides.

Source: rt.com

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Germany vows to prosecute burning of Israeli flag

12 Oct, 2023

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a formal ban on any activity honoring Hamas’ attack on Israel, vowing on Thursday to prosecute anyone who used the militant group’s symbols, praised their violent acts, burned the Israeli flag, or otherwise attempted to incite criminal behavior.

“These means expressly include bans on associations and activities. The Federal Ministry of the Interior will issue a ban on Hamas activities in Germany,” Scholz told the Bundestag. The Palestinian militant organization, which controls most of Gaza, was already classed as a terror group by the EU.

Scholz said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Berlin would fulfill any wartime need that arose, declaring, “There is only one place for Germany — the place at Israel’s side. Our own history, our responsibility arising from the Holocaust, makes it a perpetual task for us to stand up for the security of the state of Israel.”

Insisting there would be “zero tolerance for anti-Semitism,” the chancellor urged all German law enforcement agencies to prosecute violators “with all the means that our defensible constitutional state offers.”

First on the list was Palestinian prisoners’ advocacy group Samidoun, which apparently earned Scholz’s ire by distributing pastries in the streets of Berlin on Saturday to demonstrators who later celebrated Hamas’ actions. The group has vowed to fight back, accusing German authorities of having banned overtly pro-Palestinian demonstrations for years before Hamas’ latest attack. 

Scholz also lashed out at Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his West Bank government over their “silence” in failing to condemn Hamas’ incursion into Israel, calling it “shameful.” Abbas affirmed on Saturday that Palestinians had the right “to defend themselves against the terrorism of settlers and occupation forces.”

Like many of Germany’s allies, Scholz also attempted to blame Iran for the violence, declaring “it is clear to all of us that without Iranian support over the past several years, Hamas would not have been capable of these unprecedented attacks on Israeli territory.” However, he acknowledged there was “no tangible evidence that Iran gave concrete and operative support” to the militants.

Burning foreign flags has been illegal in Germany since 2020, classified as a hate crime carrying up to three years in prison. The controversial flag-burning law, which also includes defilement of other national symbols, was passed in response to an earlier Israeli flag-burning incident in Berlin in 2017, during protests against the US moving its Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. It was previously only illegal to burn foreign flags if they were displayed in a ceremony or official function, though burning the German flag has long been illegal.

Source: rt.com

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EU compares Hamas to Islamic State, evasive on Gaza Strip

12 Oct, 2023

NIKOLAJ NIELSEN

The EU has refrained from calling out possible Israeli war crimes for laying siege to the Gaza Strip, while ratcheting up its condemnation of Hamas.

On Tuesday (12 October), the European Commission said some of the atrocities carried out by Hamas were worse that those perpetrated by the Islamic state (Daesh), a terrorist militant group that had filmed decapitations and claimed responsibility for numerous deadly attacks in Europe.

"Some of the pictures coming out remind us of what Daesh did or even worse," said Peter Stano, the spokesperson for the EU's foreign policy branch, citing the 260 young people killed at the Nova Music festival on the Israel side near the Gaza Strip, as an example.

The Israel Defense Forces made similar Hamas comparisons with the Islamic State only a few hours later on X, formally Twitter. And Natodefence ministers in Brussels were also reportedly shown, by Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, "graphic and shocking footage" videos of killings by Hamas.

The Israeli ambassador to the EU and Nato made a similar comparison in an op-ed in EUobserver on Thursday.

Amnesty International said they had also verified videos which show armed men shooting at civilians and dragging people away as hostages.

"One disturbing video shows armed men parading a woman through central Gaza, like a scene from a nightmare," said AgnèsCallamard, Amnesty International's secretary general.

Callamard also condemned the hostage-taking of some 150 civilians by Hamas. And she said Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip amounted to collective punishment, which is a war crime.

Collective punishment

When pressed, Stano would not directly condemn Israel's decision to cut off water, food and electricity to the some 2.3 million residents in Gaza.

"What we are witnessing in Gaza is a direct consequence of what Hamas started on Saturday," he said.

Instead, he said the EU sought an "end of aggression" and a reduction of violence, while refraining to use the word "ceasefire".

"Israel has the right to defend itself in line with international law," he said, in a nod to the indiscriminate bombing of the Gaza Strip.

His boss, the EU's foreign policy chief, JosepBorrell, had earlier described the Israeli siege of Gaza as illegal.

While Borrell condemned Hamas, he also rejected "collective punishments" against the Palestinian people and called the EU to step up aid.

The position appears to stand in contrast to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen, who made no reference to Palestinians or the respect for international law in her public statements on X.

Her chief spokesperson, Eric Mamer, says such statements on conflict don't have to make explicit references to international law because they are "implied".

The European Commission, has in the past, described similar scenes of bombing devastation as possible war crimes.

In 2016, the EU said Russian and Syrian aerial bombardment of eastern Aleppo, a city in Syria, "may amount to war crimes."

And last year, von der Leyen said Russian attacks against civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, "especially electricity, are war crimes. "

According to the European Commission, there is no discrepancy between that and the current Israeli aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip. It says the attack by Russia against Ukraine had been unprovoked, unlike the Hamas with Israel.

"Israel is in a situation where it is defending in an extremely complex theatre of operations," said Mamer.

At least 1,200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the weekend, and more than 5,600 injured. A similar number of people in Israel, mostly civilians, have also been killed and some 2,400 injured.

Source: euobserver.com

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https://euobserver.com/world/157546

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EU chief von der Leyen slammed for 'double standards' on war-hit Ukraine and Gaza

13 October, 2023

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has been accused of "having double standards" by activists online following "contradictory stances" on Russian and Israeli assaults in Ukraine and Gaza.

Amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year, the EU Commission President labelled Moscow’s attacks on its eastern neighbour as "pure terror" and actions "constituting "war crimes," condemning them on numerous occasions.

Von der Leyen said Russia of carrying out targeted attacks in Ukraine against civilian infrastructure, as well as having a "clear aim" of cutting off men, women and children of water, electricity and heating" despite the cold winter.

Meanwhile, many social media users were quick to point out von der Leyen's "hypocrisy" as Israel - in a similar move to Russia - vowed to cut off all fuel, food and water from the densely populated Strip until Israelis captured by Hamas are released.

"Any statement about Israel's attacks against civilian infrastructure, especially, electricity, water and heating with winter coming soon? Aren't these acts of terror?" one user said.

The European leader has not commented nor condemned Israel's attacks or siege on Gaza so far, and has instead opted to reiterate the EU's support for Tel Aviv, while slamming Hamas for its actions in Israel.

"At the dawn of Shabbat, last Saturday, the whole world woke up in horror. The terrorist attack is an act of war. And we fully support Israel's right to defend itself," the EU chief said.

"Europe stands with Israel in this tragedy," she posted on Wednesday.

Like Russia, Israel has also targeted civilian institutions such as hospitals mosques and residential buildings, leaving thousands displaced and homeless.

Conditions in hospitals are also bleak, due to the number of Palestinians requiring treatment as well as the lack of power, as Gaza Strip's only power plant shut down on Wednesday afternoon.

At least 1,417 have been killed in Gaza since Saturday, including over 450 children, and over 6,000 wounded.

Nearly half of the victims are women and children, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. The death toll in Israel stands at 1,300, with thousands injured.

The EU, led by von der Leyen, held a minute's silence on Wednesday for Israeli victims of Hamas' attacks but made no mention of Palestinians.

The European leader, however, has made several statements and actions in solidarity with Ukrainians, who have been under Russian attack for over a year.

Moreover, the EU went on to impose numerous sanctions on Russia with the intention of crippling the country's ability to finance its war in Kyiv, as a consequence of its invasion.

Von der Leyen, in an interview with The Washington Post in September, went on to say that EU member states were "amazingly supportive" of Ukraine, amid the European bloc’s financial support of the war-struck country.

Meanwhile, the EU found itself in hot water after European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi on Monday said "all aid to Palestinians would be suspended," before backpaddling on the decision. Some EU nations, such as Sweden and Denmark, have halted development aid to Palestinians, though humanitarian aid remains.

Israel has shown no signs of stopping its assault on Gaza as the war entered its sixth day on Thursday. Further damage to infrastructure and higher death tolls are expected.

Source: newarab.com

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UK deploys force to east Mediterranean to back Israel: PM office

October 13, 2023

London: The British government will send two Royal Navy ships and surveillance aircraft to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel, the prime minister's office said Thursday.

"Alongside our allies, the deployment of our world class military will support efforts to ensure regional stability and prevent further escalation," Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement.

The maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft will begin flying in the region from Friday, the statement said, to "track threats to regional stability such as the transfer of weapons to the groups."

The military package includes P8 aircraft, two Royal Navy ships – the RFA Lyme Bay and RFA Argus – three merlin helicopters and a company of Royal Marines, the statement said.

The military deployments will be on standby to deliver "practical support" to Israel and offer "deterrence and assurance," the government said.

"Our military and diplomatic teams across the region will also support international partners to re-establish security and ensure humanitarian aid reaches the thousands of innocent victims of this barbaric attack from Hamas fighters," said Sunak.

Source: nst.com.my

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Macron pledges to secure release of French hostages held by Hamas

October 13, 2023

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to do everything in his power to secure the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, following their recent attack on Israel.

Macron delivered a solemn address on Thursday to the nation, promising to work with international partners and Israeli authorities to ensure the safe return of the hostages.

At least 13 French citizens lost their lives during the attack by Hamas, and, 17 more individuals, including both children and adults, remain unaccounted for and are suspected to be held as hostages, he said.

Macron expressed unwavering determination, saying, "France will never abandon its children." It is estimated that around 150 people are currently being held hostage by Hamas.

Macron's commitment to securing the release of these hostages comes in response to heartfelt pleas from the families of those affected. BatshevaYahalomi, whose 12-year-old son has been missing since the attack, urged for French intervention to bring her son and others back home. She praised France for its generosity and compassion and expressed her hope that President Macron would take action to resolve this distressing situation.

In his address, Macron strongly condemned the "blind murderous hatred" and "absolute cruelty" exhibited by Hamas during their attack on Israel. He emphasised that Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorist groups like Hamas, as long as it takes care to protect civilian lives.

Macron called for a response to terrorism that is both strong and fair, preserving the principles of justice.

Furthermore, Macron reaffirmed France's unwavering commitment to a two-state solution in the Israel-Hamas conflict. He stressed the importance of avoiding an endless war in the region and highlighted the necessity of searching for lasting peace.

Macron said that terrorism should not replace the pursuit of peace, and the conditions for achieving a lasting solution to the conflict are well-established.

With tensions rising in France, home to sizeable Jewish and Muslim communities, Macron has bolstered security measures by increasing police protection for 582 religious and cultural facilities.

He also cautioned against the conflation of the Palestinian cause with the justification of terrorism, considering it a moral, political, and strategic error.

French anti-terror prosecutors have initiated a terrorism probe into the attack by Hamas on Israel, examining charges of murder, attempted murder, and kidnapping, including those involving minors, attributed to a "terrorist organisation."

Source: thenews.com.pk

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Little help from UK government for British-Palestinian couple trapped in Gaza, son says

October 12, 2023

LONDON: A British-Palestinian couple trapped in Gaza following Israel’s siege have received little help from the UK government, their son told the BBC on Thursday.

Naila and Talal El-Deeb, who live in London, were visiting family in Gaza when Hamas launched its attack on Israel on Saturday.

Mo El-Deeb said that his parents’ subsequent attempt to escape through Egypt was thwarted when an Israeli jet struck near the border.

He told the BBC: “They were instructed to go to the Egyptian border as their names were on some sort of list.

“When they got to the border there were about 5,000 people waiting in a queue. Within five minutes of them being there, there had been a strike on a building opposite the border.”

They were then evacuated and told the border would be closed for the “foreseeable future.”

The 30-year-old added: “Now they’re stuck. There’s no way for them to get out — we’ve tried every angle and there’s no real solution for them to leave Gaza.”

Naila had suffered a stroke since arriving in the territory, her son said. He added that his parents had “been sheltering in the dark with no electricity.”

The UK government scheduled evacuation flights for British nationals in Israel on Thursday, but those in Gaza are unable to cross the border.

El-Deeb said the British Embassy had told his parents to follow the advice published on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s website, which said: “If you are a British national in Gaza and want to leave, check the status of the Rafah crossing into Egypt before you travel. Movement to the Rafah crossing and beyond is at your own risk.”

Citizens have been urged to register with the FCDO.

El-Deeb told the BBC: “I got sent a voice note this morning (Thursday) and you could hear bombs in the background.

“My parents are waiting to hear instructions from the Foreign Office (but) nobody seems to know.”

Saleem Lubbad, a Palestinian academic who has lived in London for more than a decade, is also concerned about his family in Gaza.

He told the BBC that Israeli airstrikes were a continual threat, and added: “The whole place is being carpet-bombed.

“We lost close family members — three cousins and an uncle. From my mother’s side we lost 14 people. An entire family was wiped out.”

He said that his family, which included two brothers and their children, had been displaced several times as a result of Israeli bombing.

He added: “There’s literally nowhere to go. I am desperately anxious over the fate of my siblings.

“At any minute we expect to learn that one or all of them have been killed.”

A Foreign Office spokesperson told the BBC: “The safety of all British nationals continues to be our utmost priority.

“The UK government has facilitated commercial flights to help British nationals wanting to leave Israel following the Hamas attacks.

“We are working with our international partners on the challenging security situation at the Rafah border crossing to keep the route open.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Mideast

 

1,537 Palestinians killed, 6,612 wounded in constant Israeli bombardment

13 October 2023

The death toll from Israel’s savage attacks on the Gaza Strip continues to rise nearly a week after the regime launched its brutal onslaught on the besieged Palestinian territory.

The Health Ministry in Gaza announced on Thursday that at least 1,537 Palestinians, including 500 children, and 276 women have been killed in six days of incessant Israeli bombardment of the blockaded territory.

More than 6,612 Palestinians have also been wounded in the bombardment. 

The regime’s latest air raids claimed at least two dozen lives in the densely populated Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza on Thursday.

Hundreds of thousands of Gazans have also been displaced as a result of the regime's relentless and indiscriminate attacks.

At least 423,000 people have now been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said.

As of late Thursday, the number of displaced people in Gaza had risen by an additional 84,444 people and reached 423,378, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said.

The coastal territory remains under Israel’s complete siege with no access to electricity, water, food, and medicines.

Israel started its onslaught on Saturday after Gaza-based resistance groups launched a multi-front operation against the regime.

Israel used banned white phosphorus munitions against desperate people in Gaza, a human rights monitor said.

In a post on X on Thursday, Maha Hussaini, director of strategies at the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor in Geneva, said that the Tel Aviv regime was “using internationally prohibited white phosphorus in Gaza.”

“These munitions are an indiscriminate incendiary weapon that ignites on contact with oxygen. In closed spaces, the toxic fumes can cause asphyxiation & permanent respiratory damage,” she added.

Biden has said and said that the US stands behind Israel and will provide it whatever it needs to attack Gaza.

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch also said on Thursday Israel used white phosphorus munitions in Gaza and Lebanon.

The United Nations Humanitarian Office (OCHA) said on Thursday that Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip has inflicted damage on over 12,600 homes in the coastal territory.

It added that 1,000 of these homes were flattened and another 560 housing units sustained serious damage, which rendered them uninhabitable.

Many people in the impoverished sliver face dire shortages of water, fuel and medical supplies, as all 13 hospitals there are only partially operational due to severe shortages of fuel and crucial medical supplies.

It said that the reduction in water supplies due to Israel's tightening its siege on the strip has resulted in dire water shortages for more than 650,000 people in the territory of 2.3 million.

As sewage systems have been destroyed, fetid wastewater is sent into the streets and posing a health hazard, OCHA added.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, warned on Wednesday that hospitals across Gaza are overwhelmed and experiencing shortages of drugs, medical supplies and electricity.

A human rights monitor says Israel is using banned white phosphorus munitions against people in the besieged Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Avril Benoît, executive director of MSF-USA, said the aid agency was "seeing shortages of water, electricity, and fuel, which hospitals rely on for their generators."

Gaza is under full Israeli siege and now the only power plant there has shut down due to a fuel outage. According to health authorities, overwhelmed hospitals without electricity will have to rely on their emergency generators, which will only last two to four days.

Hassan Khalaf, the medical director of al-Wafa Hospital in Gaza City, said there are currently 100 newborn babies relying on medical equipment currently in Gaza.

Source: presstv.ir

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Israeli Police Restricted Palestinian Worshippers’ From Accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque To Perform Friday Prayers

JERUSALEM: Israeli police restricted Palestinian worshippers’ from accessing Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform Friday prayers.

In Muslim communities across the world, worshippers gathered at mosques for their first Friday prayers since Hamas militants attacked Israel, igniting the latest Israel-Palestinian war.

Islamic leaders in Indonesia appealed to all mosques in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation to pray for peace and safety for the Palestinian people.

The chairperson of the Indonesian Mosque Council had urged all mosques to perform the QunutNazilahto prayer, one made for protection, to ask for God’s help so that “the conflict in the Gaza Strip would end quickly.”

The appeal from the nation’s former Vice President JusufKalla is in line with most Indonesian Muslims, who stand with Palestinians. The prayer was held along with the Salat Al-Ghaib, or prayer for the absent.

In a sermon at Abu Bakar Al Shidiq, one of the most conservative mosques in Jakarta, a cleric called for mobilizing “our power and efforts to help the Muslims in Palestine.”

“Prayer is a weapon for devout Muslims,” he added, “For those of us who have not been given the opportunity by God to take up arms to defend the honor and religion of our Muslims brothers, then we can take up our weapons by raising our hands asking God for His blessings.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Muslim Nations Holding Large Pro-Palestine Rallies On Friday

Oct 13, 2023

TEHRAN, Oct. 13 (MNA) – People in the Iraqi capital Baghdad along with other Muslims in different countries have started to hold massive rallies to show their unified support for the Palestinians amid the Zionist regime war on Gaza.

Iraqis in the capital Baghdad poured into the iconic Tahrir roundabout in large numbers on Friday to show their support for the Palestinians amid the Zionist Israeli regime aggression.

Similar rallies are reported to have been going on in Bahrain, Jordan and other nations in the region and across the world.

People in Jordan are reported to have rallied towards occupied Palestine in their cars.

Iranians are also scheduled to hold massive rallies nationwide on Friday to show their backing.

The Yemenis in huge numbers also filled the capital San'a's and Sa'dah streets to denounce the Zionist regime's killing of Palestinians and also show their support for the Al-Aqsa Storm operation.

The resistance group Hamas launched a successful operation dubbed "Al-Aqsa Storm", killing more than 1,100 Zionist regime's soldiers and settlers, followed by a war on Gaza's civilians by the regime.

According to the Palestinian health official figures more than 1,537 Palestinians have been martyred, and 6,612 have been wounded in Israeli indiscriminate attacks so far.

Source: mehrnews.com

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Hamas says 13 hostages killed in Israel strikes on Gaza

October 13, 2023

GAZA CITY: At least 13 Israeli and foreign hostages held in the northern Gaza Strip have been killed in Israeli air strikes in the past 24 hours, Hamas’s armed wing said Friday.

In a surprise assault early Saturday, Hamas militants stormed Israeli communities near the Gaza border and fired barrages of rockets, in an attack that claimed more than 1,200 lives.

Israel says Hamas has taken more than 150 people hostage, including both civilians and security forces.

“Thirteen prisoners... including foreigners” were killed in five locations targeted by Israeli fighter jets, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades said in a statement.

Israel has rained air and artillery strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip — a densely populated enclave of 2.4 million people — flattening buildings and killing more than 1,500 people.

According to the Hamas media office in Gaza, at least 500 children are among the dead.

The Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades had warned this week that “every targeting of our people without warning will be met with the execution of one of the civilian hostages.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Hamas practiced in plain sight, posting video of mock attack weeks before border breach

October 13, 2023

Less than a month before Hamas fighters blew through Israel’s high-tech “Iron Wall” and launched an attack that would leave more than 1,200 Israelis dead, they practiced in a very public dress rehearsal.

A slickly produced two-minute propaganda video posted to social media by Hamas on Sept. 12 shows fighters using explosives to blast through a replica of the border gate, sweep in on pickup trucks and then move building by building through a full-scale reconstruction of an Israeli town, firing automatic weapons at human-silhouetted paper targets.

The Islamic militant group’s live-fire exercise dubbed operation “Strong Pillar” also shows militants wearing body armor and combat fatigues swiftly carrying out operations that included the destruction of mock-ups of the wall’s concrete towers and a communications antenna, just as they would do for real in the deadly attack last Saturday.

While Israel’s highly regarded security and intelligence services were clearly caught flatfooted by Hamas’ ability to breach its Gaza defenses, the group appears to have hidden its extensive preparations for the deadly assault in plain sight.

“There clearly were warnings and indications that should have been picked up,” said Bradley Bowman, a former US Army officer who is now senior director of the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington research institute. “Or maybe they were picked up, but they didn’t spark necessary preparations to prevent these horrific terrorist acts from happening.”

The Associated Press reviewed and verified key details from dozens of videos Hamas released over the last year, primarily through the social media app Telegram.

Using satellite imagery, the AP matched the location of the mocked-up town to a patch of desert outside Al-Mawasi, a Palestinian town on the southern coast of the Gaza Strip. A large sign in Hebrew and Arabic at the gate says “HoreshYaron,” the name of a controversial Israeli settlement in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.

Bowman said there are indications that Hamas intentionally led Israeli officials to believe it was preparing to carry out raids in the West Bank, rather than Gaza. It was also potentially significant that the exercise has been held annually since 2020 in December, but was moved up by nearly four months this year to coincide with the anniversary of Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from Gaza.

In a separate video posted to Telegram from last year’s Strong Pillar exercise on Dec. 28, Hamas fighters are shown storming what appears to be a mockup Israeli military base, complete with a full-size model of a tank with an Israeli flag flying from its turret. The gunmen move through the cinderblock buildings, seizing other men playing the roles of Israeli soldiers as hostages.

Michael Milshtein, a retired Israeli colonel who previously led the military intelligence department overseeing the Palestinian territories, said he was aware of the Hamas videos, but he was still caught off guard by the ambition and scale of Saturday’s attack.

“We knew about the drones, we knew about booby traps, we knew about cyberattacks and the marine forces … The surprise was the coordination between all those systems,” Milshtein said.

The seeds of Israel’s failure to anticipate and stop Saturday’s attack go back at least a decade. Faced with recurring attacks from Hamas militants tunneling under Israel’s border fence, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proposed a very concrete solution — build a bigger wall.

With financial help from US taxpayers, Israel completed construction of a $1.1 billion project to fortify its existing defenses along its 40-mile land border with Gaza in 2021. The new, upgraded barrier includes a “smart fence” up to 6-meters (19.7 feet) high, festooned with cameras that can see in the dark, razor wire and seismic sensors capable of detecting the digging of tunnels more than 200 feet below. Manned guard posts were replaced with concrete towers topped with remote-controlled machine guns.

“In our neighborhood, we need to protect ourselves from wild beasts,” Netanyahu said in 2016, referring to Palestinians and neighboring Arab states. “At the end of the day as I see it, there will be a fence like this one surrounding Israel in its entirety.”

Shortly after dawn on Saturday, Hamas fighters pushed through Netanyahu’s wall in a matter of minutes. And they did it on the relative cheap, using explosive charges to blow holes in the barrier and then sending in bulldozers to widen the breaches as fighters streamed through on motorcycles and in pick-up trucks. Cameras and communications gear were bombarded by off-the-shelf commercial drones adapted to drop hand grenades and mortar shells — a tactic borrowed directly from the battlefields of Ukraine.

Snipers took out Israel’s sophisticated roboguns by targeting their exposed ammunition boxes, causing them to explode. Militants armed with assault rifles sailed over the Israeli defenses slung under paragliders, providing Hamas airborne troops despite lacking airplanes. Increasingly sophisticated homemade rockets, capable of striking Israel’s capital of Tel Aviv, substituted for a lack of heavy artillery.

Satellite images analyzed by the AP show the massive extent of the damage done at the heavily fortified Erez border crossing between Gaza and Israel. The images taken Sunday and analyzed Tuesday showed gaping holes in three sections of the border wall, the largest more than 70 meters (230 feet) wide.

Once the wall was breached, Hamas fighters streamed through by the hundreds. A video showed a lone Israeli battle tank rushing to the sight of the attack, only to be attacked and quickly destroyed in a ball of flame. Hamas then disabled radio towers and radar sites, likely impeding the ability of the Israeli commanders to see and understand the extent of the attack.

Hamas forces also struck a nearby army base near Zikim, engaging in an intense firefight with Israeli troops before overrunning the post. Videos posted by Hamas show graphic scenes with dozens of dead Israeli soldiers.

They then fanned out across the countryside of Southern Israel, attacking kibbutzim and a music festival. On the bodies of some of the Hamas militants killed during the invasion were detailed maps showing planned zones and routes of attack, according to images posted by Israeli first responders who recovered some of the the corpses. Israeli authorities announced Wednesday they had recovered the bodies of about 1,500 Islamic fighters, though no details were provided about where they were found or how they died.

Military experts told the AP the attack showed a level of sophistication not previously exhibited by Hamas, likely suggesting they had external help.

“I just was impressed with Hamas’s ability to use basics and fundamentals to be able to penetrate the wall,” said retired US Army Lt. Col. Stephen Danner, a combat engineer trained to build and breach defenses. “They seemed to be able to find those weak spots and penetrate quickly and then exploit that breach.”

Ali Barakeh, a Beirut-based senior Hamas official, acknowledged that over the years the group had received supplies, financial support, military expertise and training from its allies abroad, including Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon. But he insisted the recent operation to breach Israel’s border defenses was homegrown, with the exact date and time for the attack known only to a handful of commanders within Hamas.

Details of the operation were kept so tight that some Hamas fighters who took part in the assault Saturday believed they were heading to just another drill, showing up in street clothes rather than their uniforms, Barakeh said.

Last weekend’s devastating surprise attack has shaken political support for Netanyahu within Israel, who pushed ahead with spending big to build walls despite some within his own cabinet and military warning that it probably wouldn’t work.

In the days since Hamas struck, senior Israeli officials have largely deflected questions about the wall and the apparent intelligence failure. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, acknowledged the military owes the public an explanation, but said now is not the time.

“First, we fight, then we investigate,” he said.

In his push to build border walls, Netanyahu found an enthusiastic partner in then-President Donald Trump, who praised Netanyahu’s Iron Wall as a potential model for the expanded barrier he planned for the US Southern border with Mexico.

Under Trump, the US expanded a joint initiative with Israel started under the Obama Administration to develop technologies for detecting underground tunnels along the Gaza border defenses. Since 2016, Congress has appropriated $320 million toward the project.

But even with all its high-tech gadgets, the Iron Wall was still largely just a physical barrier that could be breached, said Victor Tricaud, a senior analyst with the London-based consulting firm Control Risks.

“The fence, no matter how many sensors ... no matter how deep the underground obstacles go, at the end of the day, it’s effectively a metal fence,” he said. “Explosives, bulldozers can eventually get through it. What was remarkable was Hamas’s capability to keep all the preparations under wraps.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Israel calls for all 1.1 million civilians to leave Gaza City

 Oct 13, 2023

Israel's military on Friday called for all civilians of Gaza City, more than 1 million people, to relocate south within 24 hours, as it amassed tanks near the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground invasion.

"Now is a time for war," Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Thursday as Israeli warplanes continued pounding Gaza in retaliation for the deadliest attack by Palestinian militants in its history.

The Israeli military said it would operate "significantly" in Gaza City in the coming days and civilians would only be able to return when another announcement was made.

The United Nations said it considered it impossible for such a movement to take place "without devastating humanitarian consequences."

"The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.

Israel's ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan described the UN's response to Israel's early warning to the residents of Gaza as "shameful".

A Hamas official said the Gaza relation warning was "fake propaganda" and urged citizens not to fall for it.

Israel has vowed to annihilate the Hamas militant group which led the attacks on Saturday, but a ground invasion of Gaza poses serious risk with Hamas holding scores of hostages kidnapped in the assault.

Public broadcaster Kan said the Israeli death toll had risen to more than 1,300. Gaza authorities said more than 1,500 Palestinians had been killed.

Israel has put Gaza, home to 2.3 million people, under siege.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said fuel powering emergency generators at hospitals in Gaza could run out within hours and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned food and fresh water were running dangerously low.

"The human misery caused by this escalation is abhorrent, and I implore the sides to reduce the suffering of civilians," ICRC regional director FabrizioCarboni said.

'RIDDLED WITH BULLETS'

Seeking to build support for its response, Israel's government showed US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO defence ministers graphic images of children and civilians they said Hamas had killed in a weekend rampage in Israel.

Blinken said they showed a baby "riddled with bullets," soldiers beheaded and young people burned in their cars. "It's simply depravity in the worst imaginable way," he said. "It's really beyond anything that we can comprehend."

Like others across the globe, Blinken urged Israel to show restraint, but he also reiterated America's support, saying: "We will always be there by your side."

On Friday he was due to meet Jordan's King Abdullah and Mahmoud Abbas, head of the Palestinian Authority in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, as part of a Middle East tour aimed at stopping spillover from the war.

Blinken also planned to visit key US allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates - some with influence on Hamas, an Islamist group backed by Iran.

Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General HerziHalevi, said lessons would be drawn from the security failures around Gaza that enabled the attack. "We will learn, investigate, but now is the time for war," he said.

The US military is placing no conditions on its security assistance to Israel, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said, adding Washington expected Israel's military to "do the right things" in prosecuting its war against Hamas.

Austin was due in Israel on Friday and planned to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Hamas called on Palestinians to rise up on Friday in protest at Israel's bombardment of the enclave, urging Palestinians to march to East Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque and clash with Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank.

Israel's parliament approved Netanyahu's emergency unity government late on Thursday, including a number of centrist opposition lawmakers, to display the country's united determination to fight Hamas.

Human Rights Watch on Thursday accused Israel of using white phosphorus munitions in its military operations in Gaza and Lebanon, saying the use of such weapons puts civilians at risk of serious and long-term injury.

Israel's military said it was "currently not aware of the use of weapons containing white phosphorus in Gaza."

North Korea denied on Friday its weapons were used by Hamas in the attack against Israel, saying the claim made in some media reports was a bid by Washington to divert the blame for the conflict from itself to a third country.

SAFETY CONCERNS PROMPT SECURITY MEASURES

The US State Department will begin offering charter flights to Europe to help Americans leave Israel if they want starting Friday, the White House said.

Japan has arranged for a charter flight to depart Tel Aviv on Saturday for its citizens wishing to leave Israel, Chief Cabinet Secretary HirokazuMatsuno told reporters on Friday.

The conflict spurred some civil unrest in Europe, with police in Paris using tear gas and water cannon to break up a banned rally in support of the Palestinian people. Some Jewish schools in Amsterdam and London were set to close temporarily due to safety concerns.

U.S. law enforcement officials in New York and Los Angeles said they had a stepped up police presence for Friday, especially around synagogues and Jewish community centers, but some officials sought to play down the threat.

The Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee, an Arab advocacy group, said on Thursday that FBI agents had visited mosques in different states and individual US residents with Palestinian roots, calling it a "troubling trend."

In Jerusalem, scores of Israelis gathered at the Mount Herzl military cemetery on Thursday to bury their dead.

"When you didn't take my call, I knew you were fighting with all your power. When I realised you were missing, I could not imagine this is how it would end," one mourner said.

In Gaza's main southern city Khan Younis, where cemeteries were already full, dead were being buried in empty lots, like the Samour family, killed on Wednesday night in a strike that hit their house.

Palestinian rescue worker Ibrahim Hamdan drove from one bomb site to another as his team tried to pull survivors from houses destroyed by the Israeli air strikes.

"This war is harsh beyond imagining," said Hamdan, who has worked through repeated wars since becoming a rescuer in 2007. "They knock down high-rise buildings on top of their residents."

Gazans, mainly descendants of refugees who fled or were expelled from homes in Israel at its founding in 1948, have suffered economic collapse and repeated Israeli bombardment under a blockade since Hamas seized power there 16 years ago.

Palestinian anger has mounted in recent months, with Israel carrying out the deadliest crackdown for years in the West Bank and its right-wing government talking of seizing more land. A peace process meant to create a Palestinian state collapsed a decade ago, which Palestinian leaders say left the population with no hope, strengthening extremists.

Source: thedailystar.net

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More than 423,000 people displaced in Gaza: UN

Oct 13, 2023

More than 423,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said, following heavy Israeli bombardments in retaliation for Hamas's attacks.

As of late Thursday, the number of displaced in Gaza rose by 84,444 people to reach 423,378, the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in a statement sent today.

The announcement came as Israel pounded the Gaza Strip in response to Saturday's surprise attack, the deadliest since the country's creation in 1948.

Hamas gunmen swept into small towns, kibbutzim and a music festival in the desert, indiscriminately killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 150 hostages into Gaza.

Israel has retaliated by raining air and artillery strikes on Gaza -- -- a densely populated enclave of 2.3 million people, flattening buildings and killing more than 1,400 people.

Israel has also prepared for a possible ground invasion of the Palestinian territory.

"Heavy Israeli bombardments, from the air, sea and land, have continued almost uninterrupted," OCHA said in its update.

"Multiple residential buildings in densely populated areas have been targeted and destroyed during the past 24 hours."

It said more than 270,000 people -- two-thirds of the displaced -- have sought shelter in schools run by the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

Another nearly 27,000 people had fled to schools run by the Palestinian Authority, while more than 153,000 people found shelter with relatives and neighbours and in other public facilities.

OCHA said that around 3,000 people had already been displaced within the enclave prior to Saturday's attack.

The bombing campaign has destroyed 752 residential and non-residential buildings, comprising 2,835 housing units, OCHA said, citing numbers from the Gaza Ministry of Public Works and Housing.

Another nearly 1,800 housing units have been damaged beyond repair and rendered uninhabitable, it said.

The UN agency also voiced alarm at the significant destruction of civilian infrastructure damaged in the shelling.

At least 90 educational facilities, including 20 UNRWA schools and 70 schools run by the Palestinian Authority, have also been struck and damaged, with one of the schools completely destroyed.

"Eleven mosques were targeted and destroyed, while seven churches and mosques sustained damage," OCHA said.

Water and sanitation facilities have been also hit, it said, adding that since the hostilities began, six water wells, three water pumping stations, one water reservoir, and one desalination plant serving more than 1,100,000 people were damaged by air strikes.

Source: thedailystar.net

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Israel warns northern Gaza residents to move towards south in next 24 hours

October 13, 2023

Israel Friday informed the United Nations that it has warned 1.1 million northern Gaza residents to relocate towards the southern territory in the next 24 hours, evacuating the north of Wadi Gaza.

The warning from Israel was confirmed to AFP by a UN spokesperson, who called for revocation of the order on humanitarian grounds.

The spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, Stephane Dujarric, said the Israeli military informed the UN about the order, which also applied to all of its own staff and people sheltered in the UN facilities including schools, health centres and clinics.

Israel's army, too, said it has called for all Gaza City residents to evacuate their homes and head south of the territory "for their safety".

"The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) calls for the evacuation of all civilians of Gaza City from their homes southwards for their own safety and protection and move to the area south of the Wadi Gaza as shown on the map," the military said in a statement.

"In the following days, the IDF will continue to operate significantly in Gaza City and make extensive efforts to avoid harming civilians," it added.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is sheltering more than 60% of the 423,000 people displaced in recent days in the Gaza Strip.

It was not immediately clear how many people were currently located north of Wadi Gaza.

'Devastating humanitarian consequences'

"The United Nations considers it impossible for such a movement to take place without devastating humanitarian consequences," Dujarric said.

"The United Nations strongly appeals for any such order, if confirmed, to be rescinded avoiding what could transform what is already a tragedy into a calamitous situation."

Israel calls UN's response 'shameful'

Israel's Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan said the UN's reponse to the evacuation call was "shameful."

"For many years, the UN has turned a blind eye to the arming of Hamas and its use of the civilian population and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip as a hiding place for its weapons and murder," Erdan said in a note from his office to AFP.

"Now, instead of standing by Israel...it preaches to Israel".

"It is better for the UN to focus now on returning the hostages, condemning Hamas, and supporting Israel´s right to defend itself," he said.

1,500 Palestinians martyred by Israel

In its bid to fight against the brutalities imposed on Palestine's persecuted population by Israel, Hamas, on Saturday, launched a surprise attack by sweeping into small towns, kibbutzim and a music festival. The action by Hamas left 1,200 Israelis dead, while several are claimed to have been taken hostage.

Israel, meanwhile, has continued with its decades-long offensive against unarmed Palestinians through raining air and artillery strikes on Gaza — a densely populated enclave of 2.3 million people — flattening buildings and martyring more than 1,500 Palestinians.

A Security Council meeting on the Israel-Hamas situation has been called for Friday.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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North America

 

CAIR-NY: New York Muslim Leadership, Palestinian and Human Rights Groups to Demand End to Suppression of Rights, Incitement Against Muslims

Ismail Allison

October 12, 2023

(NEW YORK, NY, 10/12/2023) – On Friday, Oct. 13 at 9:30 a.m. ET, New York-area human rights, legal and community organizations will hold a press conference at City Hall to demand New York and federal elected officials, as well as university presidents and chancellors, cease their attacks on the free speech rights of New Yorkers, Palestinians, students, and their supporters

New conference participants will call for an end to racist incitement against Palestinians and will demand actions to ensure Palestinians, students, the Muslim community, and supporters are protected in their physical safety and their right to free speech.

They will also call for an immediate halt to all political and material support for Israeli war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine. 

WHAT: Press Conference Against Incitement of Suppression of Rights and Incitement Targeting Muslims  

WHO: Hosted by Al-Awda-NY and The NY4Palestine Coalition, Joined by Muslim Leadership and CAIR-NY

WHEN: Friday, Oct 13th 9:30 EDT

WHERE: City Hall, NYC, Broadway Main Entrance   

FatinJarara, 917-526-8591

LamisDeek, 212-226-3999 (by text message) and email lamisjd@gmail.com

SayelKayed, 917-443-4281 (American Muslims for Palestine)

AfafNasher, 917-669-4006, anasher@cair.com or Rabea, Ali Rali@cair.com

CAIR-NY’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.  

La misión de CAIR-NY esproteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.  

Source: cair.com

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DC News Conference: Interfaith Groups to Condemn Escalating Mideast Violence, Call on Biden Admin to Pursue Lasting Peace

Ismail Allison

October 12, 2023

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/12/23) – Tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 13, at 10 a.m. ET), a coalition of interfaith groups will convene at the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) headquarters in Washington, D.C., to appeal to President Biden for immediate action to stop the ongoing violence and threats against civilians in Palestine and Israel and pursue negotiations for a lasting peace in the Middle East.

WHEN: Friday, October 13, 10 a.m. ET

WHERE: CAIR Headquarters, 453 New Jersey Ave SE, Washington, D.C. 20003

CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com    

WATCH LIVE: The press conference will be broadcast live at https://Facebook.com/CAIRNational 

NOTE: Reports who wish to attend the press conference can RSVP by emailing CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison at iallison@cair.com. Only accredited reporters will be permitted to attend the press conference, and all attendees will have to undergo a security screening. 

For further information, please contact Ismail Allison, CAIR Communications Manager at iallison@cair.com.

Spokespersons representing diverse communities plan to address the pressing need to halt the violence in Gaza, immediately end the occupation, and resume negotiations towards a just and enduring resolution to the long-standing conflict.

Members of the media are welcome to attend the press conference in person or participate in the live stream on Facebook.

CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.             

La misión de CAIR esproteger las libertadesciviles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a losmusulmanesenlosEstadosUnidos.  

Source: cair.com

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“Jihad Friday” Puts New York, LA on Guard: SAG Calls Off Picket Lines, Real Estate Offices Advise Brokers Not to Come In

October 13, 2023

Crazy Arab terrorists are threatening “Jihad Friday” in New York.

No one knows exactly what that means, but SAG AFTRA has called off picket lines today in NY and Los Angeles.

Many real estate offices have sent notices to their brokers not to come into their offices today.

SAG’s message to members: “The safety and security of our members, supporters and staff is our priority. In light of potential safety concerns that are unrelated to our ongoing strike there will be no SAG-AFTRA pickets in New York City on Friday, Oct. 13. Stay safe and see you on the picket lines next week.”

I’m told big realtors like Douglas Elliman, Corcoran, and Coldwell Banker have instructed their staffs not to come in. Other brokerage houses are leaving the decision up to their employees’ discretion.

Certainly security will be tightened all over New York today, especially on Broadway, Lincoln Center, and Madison Square Garden.

Jihadists announced a “Day of Rage” but let’s hope that was just bravado and nothing will come of it. It’s time for some peace.

Source: showbiz411.com

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https://www.showbiz411.com/2023/10/13/jihad-friday-puts-new-york-la-on-guard-sag-calls-off-picket-lines-real-estate-offices-advise-brokers-not-to-come-in

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Trump’s criticism of Israeli PM Netanyahu draws strong condemnation from GOP rivals

October 13, 2023

NEW YORK: Several of former President Donald Trump ‘s Republican rivals denounced him on Thursday for lashing out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu days after Hamas’ deadly attack, a rare moment in which multiple competitors directly criticized the GOP front-runner.

Trump at a rally Wednesday night said Netanyahu “let us down” just before the US killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in 2020. He also said Israeli leaders needed to “step up their game” and referred to Hezbollah, the group Israel fears may launch a large-scale attack from the country’s north, as “very smart.” In an interview that aired Thursday, he added to his criticism, saying Netanyahu “was not prepared” for the deadly weekend incursion from Gaza.

“Now is not the time to be attacking our ally,” said Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of Trump’s 2024 rivals, echoing denunciations from the White House and elsewhere. More than 2,700 people are dead on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides, and Hamas is believed to have taken around 150 hostages.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, another GOP presidential contender, compared Trump’s comments to a foreign ally criticizing the US in the aftermath of 9/11 or the attack on Pearl Harbor. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said, “We cannot accept a single message to any of the enemies of Israel” that US and Israeli leaders are at odds.

Trump is generally treated with a hands-off approach by his leading Republican opponents, who are fearful of alienating his loyal base. But his criticism of Israel, so soon after the unprecedented attack, underscores the extent to which the man most likely to take on President Joe Biden next year is driven by personal enmity and resentments toward those who rejected his lies about winning the 2020 election.

While Trump and Netanyahu were close allies for years, the former president turned on the embattled Israel leader after Netanyahu congratulated then-President-elect Biden for winning the 2020 election while Trump was still trying to overturn the results. In interviews for a book about his Middle East peace efforts, Trump, according to its author, used an expletive to describe Netanyahu and said he believed the Israeli leader never really wanted to make peace.

Ari Fleischer, the former White House press secretary who serves on the board of the Republican Jewish Coalition, said he wished Trump would “let his personal grievances with Bibi, whatever they are, slide for now.”

“I think it’s just a reflection that for Donald Trump, everything is personal,” Fleischer said. “But despite it, I’ll never forget and no one should forget Trump has been good for Israel.” Trump has long said that he did more to support Israel than any previous president, pointing to his decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem and to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal.

Others were less forgiving.

“I think it is another sign that Trump’s impulsiveness plays into the hands of those who are not his friends,” said Erick Erickson, a conservative radio host and Trump critic. “He’s given a propaganda win to a terrorist group. That’s unfortunate.”

White House spokesman Andrew Bates called Trump’s statements “dangerous and unhinged,” while the Israeli communications minister, ShlomoKarhi, told Israel’s Channel 13 that it was “shameful that a man like that, a former US president, abets propaganda and disseminates things that wound the spirit of Israel’s fighters and its citizens.”

Netanyahu’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The prime minister and Israel’s intelligence services are under immense pressure to explain how they missed the planning of a multi-pronged attack unlike any in the country’s history. Before this week, his far-right government was facing mass protests over a proposed judicial overhaul and criticism from former senior officers of Mossad, Shin Bet, and other Israeli security services who said his proposed policies weakened Israel’s internal security.

In Washington, President Joe Biden and senior Democratic and Republican leaders have lined up behind Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack. Biden spoke to Jewish leaders on Wednesday and called the attack the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

Trump has long tried to paint himself as one of Israel’s staunchest defenders and has continued to pledge support in the wake of the attack. In the immediate aftermath, he, like some other GOP contenders, tried to place the blame on Biden, and said he would support the country’s efforts to “crush” Hamas.

But on Wednesday night, after saying his prayers were with Israel and again vowing support, Trump told a rally in West Palm Beach, Florida, that he was frustrated with Netanyahu over the 2020 mission that killed Soleimani, then the head of Iran’s Quds Force.

In Trump’s telling, “Israel was going to do this with us, and it was being planned and working on it for months.”

“We had everything all set to go, and the night before it happened, I got a call that Israel will not be participating in this attack,” Trump alleged, adding that he would “never forget that Bibi Netanyahu let us down.”

His account of Israel’s role in the raid could not immediately be verified.

Trump also seized on intelligence failures surrounding the past weekend’s onslaught, saying the Iraelis had to “strengthen themselves up.”

“They’ve got to straighten it out because they’re fighting, potentially, a very big force,” he said. “They’re going to have to step up their game.” He further criticized Israel’s defense minister, calling him “this jerk” for warning Hezbollah not to attack Israel from the north.

In an interview that aired Thursday morning on Fox News Radio, he told host Brian Kilmeade that Netanyahu “was not prepared and Israel was not prepared.”

“Who would have thought their intelligence wouldn’t have been able to pick this up?” he asked. “Thousands of people were involved. Thousands of people knew about it and they let this slip by.”

Speaking to reporters after filing for the New Hampshire primary on Thursday afternoon, DeSantis said Netanyahu was “managing one of the most difficult situations Israel’s ever had to face.”

“You may have a personal vendetta or beef with him, but is that really the time to be out there doing that and to be attacking the Israeli defense minister? I don’t think so,” he said. He also criticized Trump for calling Hezbollah “very smart.”

Trump campaign aides defended the former president’s comments, saying that there was nothing new about his criticism of Netanyahu over the 2020 strike and defending his use of the word “smart” to describe bad foreign actors.

“President Trump was clearly pointing out how incompetent Biden and his administration were by telegraphing to the terrorists an area that is susceptible to an attack,” said Trump spokesman Steven Cheung. “Smart does not equal good. It just proves Biden is stupid.”

It remains unclear how the new war in the Middle East might impact both the GOP primary, which will begin in three months in Iowa, or the general election.

While the war in Israel was not top of mind for many of the Republican primary voters who gathered at the New Hampshire statehouse on Thursday to see DeSantis, several were aware of Trump’s comments. One of them, 34-year-old Republican Melissa Blasek, of Merrimack, said it was another example of why she had lost faith in the former president.

“One of the things I always liked about Trump was his strong support for Israel,” said Blasek. “I don’t really know what he meant. It was very rambling. What’s clear is that this is not the Trump of 2016. He is not the same candidate … And so things sound less coherent. And I am tired of incoherency. I like an articulate and coherent president.”

Source: arabnews.com

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Blinken seeks Arab pressure on Hamas as Israel readies Gaza move

 13 Oct 2023

AMMAN, Oct 13 — US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday began a tour of Arab capitals as he seeks to build pressure on Hamas while Israel readies a likely massive offensive on the Gaza Strip following the militants’ attacks.

The top US diplomat will meet Jordan’s King Abdullah II, a longtime US partner, and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas in Amman and will then visit Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates.

Blinken spent Thursday in Tel Aviv where he promised unwavering solidarity to US ally Israel after the surprise October 7 offensive by Hamas, who killed over 1,200 people and took about 150 more hostage.

The United States has publicly blessed reprisals by Israel, which on Friday called for the immediate relocation of 1.1 million people in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, which is already under an Israeli blockade.

Israel has killed more than 1,400 people in strikes in the Gaza Strip since the Hamas attack and has cut off food, water and electricity.

Qatar, where Blinken will head immediately after Jordan, has longstanding ties with Hamas and has been seen as an intermediary in freeing the hostages.

“We’ll continue pressing countries to help prevent the conflict from spreading, and to use their leverage with Hamas to immediately and unconditionally release the hostages,” Blinken said late Thursday in Tel Aviv.

“We’ll also discuss how we can continue to make real our affirmative vision for a region that’s more peaceful, more prosperous, more secure, more integrated.

“In fact, that is the choice, and the choice in some ways has been made even more stark by the actions of Hamas.”

Saudi Arabia in the weeks before the attacks had spoken of progress in US-led diplomacy to normalise relations with Israel — a landmark step for the conservative kingdom that is guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites.

Few expect the momentum to be maintained, with the Saudis joining Qatar in blaming Israeli policies towards the Palestinians for the flare-up in violence.

US officials are working with Egypt, which also borders Gaza and was the first Arab country to make peace with Israel, on a plan for a safety corridor from Gaza.

Blinken said he spoke to Israel “about possibilities for safe passage for civilians who want to leave or get out of the way in Gaza”.

Working with Abbas

The nearly 88-year-old Abbas, whose Palestinian Authority enjoys small levels of autonomy in the West Bank, is a longstanding foe of Hamas, whose control of the Gaza Strip has led to a 17-year Israeli blockade.

The United States under President Joe Biden and other Democrats has largely been supportive of the Palestinian Authority, seeing it as the best option for long-term peace with Israel.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has long sought to sideline the Palestinian Authority and Abbas, saying he is insufficiently committed to stopping violence, with the hard-right Israeli government rejecting the prospect of a two-state solution.

Abbas made his first public remarks on the conflict on Thursday after meeting King Abdullah.

Abbas called for “an immediate end to the comprehensive aggression against the Palestinian people” and rejected “practices related to killing civilians or abusing them on both sides”.

Blinken earlier spoke to Abbas by telephone about the attacks, urging him to condemn the violence and maintain stability in the West Bank. — AFP

Source: malaymail.com

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Africa

 

Nigerian military troops kill 50 terrorists, apprehend 114 – DHQ

October 12, 2023

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) says troops have killed 50 terrorists and apprehended 114 others within a week in various operations across North-east, North- central and North-west.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, a major general, made this known while briefing journalists on the operations of the armed forces, on Thursday in Abuja.

MrBuba said the troops also rescued 49 kidnapped hostages within the week.

He said troops of Operation Hadin Kai in the North-east had sustained onslaught against Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, leading to the surrender of some of their fighters in Borno and Yobe states.

MrBuba said the troops also recovered 17 AK47 rifles, one AK47 rifle loaded with 21 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, one hand grenade, 137 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo and four mobile phones.

According to him, the troops also killed 12 terrorists, arrested 26 and rescued six kidnapped hostages in the region.

He added that the air component of Operation Hadin Kai conducted air interdiction around Damboa-Maiduguri and Gwoza-Madagali areas, during which some terrorists were sighted and neutralised with rockets.

MrBuba said troops of Operation Safe Haven in North- central had while on fighting patrol, arrested suspected kidnappers in Kanam and Sanga Local Government Areas of Plateau and Kaduna states within the period.

He said one AK47 rifle, four pistols, a Dane gun, 15 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo and two mobile phones were recovered while two terrorists were eliminated, 12 apprehended and three kidnapped hostages rescued.

The defence spokesperson added that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke also conducted raids and arrested suspected terrorists in Takum Local Government Area of Benue and the Federal Capital Territory.

MrBuba further said that the troops had apprehended 26 suspected criminals and illegal oil bunkerers in Gwagwalada and Abuja Municipal Councils of the FCT within the week under review.

“Overall, troops neutralised four terrorists, arrested 28 terrorists and rescued one kidnapped hostage,” he added.

In the North-west, MrBuba said troops of Operation HadarinDaji had conducted fighting patrol and neutralised terrorists in Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara.

He added that nine terrorists were neutralised, 12 arrested, and 25 kidnapped victims rescued.

MrBuba further said that 10 AK47 rifles, one locally fabricated gun, 155 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, one magazine and one vehicle were recovered from the criminals.

The defence spokesperson said an air interdiction by the air component of Operation HadarinDaji on the enclave of a terrorist, KamiluBuzaru, in Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State, succeeded in neutralising several of the terrorists.

“It was acquired and attacked with rockets, neutralising several terrorists and destroying their logistics,” he added.

Source: premiumtimesng.com

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Kenya warns of risk of ‘solidarity’ attacks over Israel-Hamas war

October 12, 2023

NAIROBI: Kenya warned Thursday of the risk that groups such as Al-Shabab could carry out attacks in “solidarity” with Hamas after the Palestinian militant group’s bloody assault on Israel.

The East African country has suffered a number of attacks carried out by the Somalia-based Al-Shabab since sending troops into its neighbor in 2011 to battle the Al-Qaeda-affiliated militants.

“Conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza impacts global security,” Kenya’s counterterrorism police service said on X, formerly Twitter.

“Terror groups like Al-Shabab may conduct attacks in solidarity with Hamas to remain relevant.

“Kenyans need to be vigilant & report terror activities to police for action,” it added.

Al-Shabab, which has been waging a deadly insurgency for more than 15 years against Somalia’s fragile central government, issued a statement on Wednesday praising the surprise weekend assault by Hamas.

Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 150 hostages. Israel has retaliated by raining air and artillery strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza for six days, killing over 1,350 Palestinians.

The Kenyan foreign ministry on Saturday said it condemned “in the strongest terms possible, the unprovoked attack by Hamas militants on the people of Israel.”

“This egregious act of violence, has not only disrupted the fragile peace in the Middle East but also poses a significant threat to global peace and security.”

President William Ruto urged both sides to refrain from further violence.

Kenya is a major contributor to the African Union force backing Somalia’s central government in Mogadishu in its fight against Al-Shabab and has suffered a string of deadly retaliatory assaults.

The country last month marked the 10th anniversary of a siege at the upmarket Westgate shopping center in the capital Nairobi in 2013 that killed 67 people.

Two years after Westgate, Al-Shabab fighters attacked Garissa University in eastern Kenya, killing 148 people, almost all students.

It was the second most deadly attack in Kenya’s history, surpassed only by Al-Qaeda’s bombing of the US embassy in Nairobi in 1998 that killed 213 people.

In 2019, Al-Shabab gunmen killed 21 people at the upscale Dusit hotel complex in Nairobi.

In 2002, an Al-Qaeda suicide car bombing at an Israeli-owned resort hotel near the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa killed at least 13 people, including three Israelis, while an Israeli jetliner narrowly escaped a missile attack on takeoff from Mombasa airport.

Source: arabnews.com

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Gabon: wife of deposed president Ali Bongo jailed

12 Oct 2023

The Franco-Gabonese wife of Gabon's ex-president Ali Bongo Ondimba, Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Valentin, under house arrest since a military coup at the end of August for alleged embezzlement of public funds, has been jailed, her lawyer said on Thursday.

"I can confirm this," replied her French lawyer, François Zimeray, when questioned by AFP about his client's incarceration late on Wednesday evening. He denounced an "illegal" and "arbitrary" procedure. According to Gabonese media reports, Mrs. Bongo was placed under a committal order at Libreville's central prison late on Wednesday evening after a lengthy re-hearing by an examining magistrate.

Mrs. Bongo was charged on September 28 with "money laundering and forgery" and kept under house arrest in Libreville, as she had been since the first day following the August 30 putsch that overthrew her husband.

The military who overthrew her husband, accusing his entourage of rigging his re-election, publicly suspected the former First Lady of having "manipulated" her husband, who was suffering from the after-effects of a serious stroke in 2018, and of having been, alongside their son Noureddin Bongo Valentin, the country's de facto leader since then, and of having "massively embezzled public funds". Noureddin Bongo has been in prison since the first day of the coup, charged with "corruption" and "embezzlement of public funds".

Source: africanews.com

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Tunisia: rally in solidarity with the Palestinians in Tunis

13 October 2023

Thousands of trade unionists, civil society representatives, political activists, lawyers and high school students demonstrated in the centre of Tunis on Thursday in support of the Palestinian people and called for the criminalisation of any normalisation of relations with Israel.

Denouncing the Israeli strikes against the Gaza Strip, the demonstrators, brandishing the Palestinian flag, gathered in front of the headquarters of the trade union centre, the UGTT, before marching to Avenue Habib Bourguiba, the main thoroughfare in the city centre, AFP journalists observed.

"The people want to penalisenormalisation" with Israel, chanted the demonstrators, angry at "Zionist crimes" and "international silence on the genocide in Gaza", the Palestinian enclave.

The demonstrators also denounced the support of France and the United States for Israel, which had become "allies in the attack on the Palestinians".

Since Saturday, Israel has been carrying out strikes against the Gaza Strip in response to an unprecedented air, land and sea assault launched by Hamas fighters.

The offensive launched by the Palestinian Islamist movement resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 Israelis and foreigners, while the Israeli response in the Palestinian enclave killed more than 1,300 people, mostly civilians, and caused widespread destruction.

Tunisia is preparing a health and humanitarian aid caravan for the Palestinians in Gaza.

The North African country, which hosted Yasser Arafat's Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) from 1982 to 1994 after he left Lebanon, has always taken a firm stance in support of the Palestinian cause.

On Monday, President Kais Saied called for "support for our brothers in this stage (...) of Palestinian liberation", when he received members of the government.

On Tuesday, at the initiative of the Ministry of Education, pupils saluted the Palestinian flag.

In his speeches, President Saied has repeatedly described normalisation with Israel as a "crime", and a parliamentary committee will shortly be examining a bill to penalise such a process.

In October 1985, the Israeli air force carried out a massive bombing of the PLO headquarters at Hammam Chatt, 25 km south of Tunis, killing 50 Palestinians and 18 Tunisians.

Among the victims was the main target of the operation, Abu Jihad, an official of Assifa, the military wing of Fatah.

Source: africanews.com

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Reps task FG on Nigeria’s out-of-school children, price control board

 October 12, 2023

The House of Representatives has tasked the federal government to strive hard to enrol Nigeria’s out-of-school girls by introducing free and compulsory education for the girl child across the country.

This was sequel to the adoption of a motion by Rep. KafilatOgbara (APC-Lagos) on the floor of the House in Abuja on Thursday.

The motion was on the commemoration of the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child.

She said the last survey by UNICEF revealed that 18.5 million children were out of school in Nigeria and 60 per cent of which were girls.

She said adolescent girls had the right to a safe, educated and healthy life, adding that investing in girls’ leadership included creating space and platforms for girls to raise their voices at every level of policy making.

“The International Day of the Girl Child acknowledges the importance, power and potential of adolescent girls around the world by spotlighting other issues such as poor learning opportunities,” he said.

These, according to her, included discrimination, tackling issues posed by stereotypes and exclusion of children with disabilities and those living in marginalised communities.

MsOgbara expressed concern over the high number of out-of-school girls that engaged in drug abuse and other vices in Nigeria.

She said that investment in critical steps such as the Girls Rights under the Convention of the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) would help to fasttrack the SDG goals.

The lawmaker added that the current trend in Nigeria revealed that young girls who were sexually abused by their parents/guardians, returned back to the same house where they were abused after police intervention.

The House urged Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) saddled with the responsibility of training and empowerment to ensure compulsory vocational skills for the girl child.

The House mandated its Committee on Women Affairs to engage with all relevant MDAs to ensure compliance.

Reps call for reintroduction of price control board

Also, the House, during the plenary on Thursday, tasked the federal government to consider the reintroduction of price control board in the country to ensure that goods are sold at government’s approved prices to stabilise the general price of commodities.

This followed the adoption of a motion on matter of urgent public importance by HussainiJallo (PDP-Kaduna).

The motion was titled, ‘’Need to enforce the price control act to regulate and monitor price of essential goods and services in the country.’’

Presenting the motion, MrJallo said the board would also help to prevent hoarding of goods and protection of customers from exorbitant prices.

He said the general rising of prices in Nigeria had its attendant effect on goods and services.

He said there was need to put in place a Price Control Act to stabilise the nation’s economy by preventing excessive inflation and ensuring affordability of essential commodities.

He said the absence of a price control board would give room to manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers of agricultural products to inflate the costs of production.

This according to him would disrupt the economics equilibrium of the nation.

He said that lack of proper regulation on prices of commodities had resulted in unpredictable rise in the costs of petroleum products especially Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS).

Others he said included the Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) and kerosene, the volatility in pricing affected the transportation sector which in turn influenced the cost of living of the ordinary citizen.

He said if the present economic hardship was left unchecked it would lead to economic disparity and subsequently contribute to social unrest.

He added that it would also contribute to discontent amongst the citizenry and perceive the government as insensitive to their needs.

The House therefore urged the federal to ensure zero duty on agricultural products for a period of five years to encourage agricultural production and reduce the farmers’ burden.

It said the price control board would be responsible for setting, regulation and monitoring the price of essential commodities not only limited to cement, sugar and food items.

The House therefore mandated its Committee on Commerce to ensure compliance and report within four for further legislative action.

Source: premiumtimesng.com

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Pakistan

 

Cipher case: IHC likely to hear Imran pleas ahead of trial court’s indictment

October 13, 2023

Awais Yousafzai & Khalid Iqbal

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday clubbed incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s separate petitions seeking to stay the trial court’s proceedings in the cipher case and quash the case altogether.

On August 18, the former prime minister was booked under the Official Secrets Act 1923 in the cipher case after the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) invoked Section 5 of the said law. The diplomatic cable reportedly went missing from Khan’s possession. According to the former ruling party, the cable contained a threat from the US to topple the PTI government. It is pertinent to mention here that a special court, while hearing the cipher case in Adiala Jail on October 10, announced that the PTI Chairman Imran Khan and Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi would be indicted in the cipher case on the 17th of this month.

At the outset of Thursday’s hearing, Sardar Latif Khosa, Khan’s counsel, argued that the matter about the cipher case was in the high court while the Lahore High Court (LHC) has also issued a stay in a case filed by the FIA in this regard. In this situation, he pleaded with the high court to suspend the trial court proceedings and stop it from indicting the former prime minister in the case.

Khosa said his team repeatedly urged the trial court that the matter should not be decided in haste as the case was already in the high court but it fixed October 17 as the date to indict the former premier in the diplomatic cable case.

“We have a lot of concerns about the Official Secrets (Amendment) Act, 2023,” he argued.

In August, President Arif Alvi denied signing the Official Secrets (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Pakistan Army (Amendment) Bill, 2023, claiming that his staff “undermined” his orders.

It is pertinent to mention here that Khan and Qureshi were arrested after a first information report (FIR) was registered against them under the Official Secrets Act for disclosing the contents of the diplomatic cipher for political gains on August 15.

At this, IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq asked the PTI’s lawyer if he clubbed the miscellaneous applications with the main case.

Agreeing with the judge, Khosa urged the court to fix a date for hearing the case ahead of October 17 as the trial court had set the date for Khan’s indictment. At this, the judge said that he would look into this and would fix a date ahead of October 17.

Meanwhile, the Special Court Judge, AbualHasnatZulqarnain, issued a four-page written order on the October 9 hearing in the cipher case in which copies of the investigation report were provided to the former prime minister Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The court issued the written order here on Thursday.

The four-page written order of the hearing conducted in Adiala Jail says the PTI lawyers could not bring forth any court order to suspend the hearing.

The PTI lawyers requested to present arguments as usual in the hearing of the cipher case, the order said. It added that the court ordered the suspects to receive the copies of the case as per the decision of previous hearing.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s lawyers filed a new application for conducting the hearing in an open court, the verdict says.

The court had ordered to present Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi in court to provide them copies of the investigation report. According to the PTI lawyers, the trial should not be held in-camera as the prison court is very small. The lawyers further said the bail application in the cipher case is pending before the Islamabad High Court.

The PTI chief refused to sign the copy of the investigation report, which was provided as per law. The order to sign the copy is issued on the next hearing, the written verdict said.

The order said that on the next hearing, criminal proceedings will be initiated strictly according to law.

The issue of the cells of Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi was also raised before the court.

Shah Mahmood Qureshi submitted a petition seeking to annul the notification of the Law Ministry regarding the trial in Adiala Jail. The verdict says that the ministry was ordered to provide an explanation on the notification to hold a trial in Adiala Jail.

The copies of the investigation report will be provided to the suspects but will depend on the decision of Islamabad High Court. The court provided the copies to the suspects and also directed them to sign.

PTI lawyer Sher Afzal Marwat told the court that the suspects would not sign the copies of report. The judge also visited the Adiala Jail to solve the problems allegedly being faced by PTI Chairman Imran Khan. The court ordered to demolish the wall erected in front of Imran Khan’s cell.

According to the jail superintendent, the PTI chief has been provided space to walk, adding that he has requested for further extension of his cell despite adequate space.

Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be indicted in the case on October 17, said Judge Zulqarnain.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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‘Illegal’ Afghans to be housed in Karachi, Sukkur for deportation

October 13, 2023

Imtiaz Ali

KARACHI: The Sindh government has decided to set up ‘housing facilities’ in Karachi and Sukkur to lodge illegal Afghan immigrants before their deportation, it emerged on Thursday.

Sources told Dawn that a meeting, held here at the Sindh home department on Thursday, decided to form a high-level committee comprising officials of civil and military representatives to oversee repatriation of illegal Afghan refugees from Sindh.

The sources said that it was decided that data of illegal immigrants would be collected by the Special Branch of the Sindh police and intelligence agencies would assist the law enforcers in this exercise.

A scrutiny of all aliens would be carried out before they would be transported to the Chaman border for their repatriation to Afghanistan after the end of Oct 31 deadline, the sources added.

Special Branch to collect data of all aliens; committee formed to oversee repatriation

The meeting, chaired by Additional Chief Secretary-Home Muhammad Iqbal Memon, decided that all illegal immigrants would be deported at all cost.

According to a statement issued after the meeting, the members of the high-level committee will include inspector general of Sindh police, deputy director general of the Pakistan Rangers, additional IG of Special Branch, representatives of V Corps, Intelligence Bureau, National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), Federal Investigation Agency, the Military Intelligence (MI) and Commissionerate Afghan Refugees.

The participants expressed their resolve that the illegal immigrants would not be allowed to live in Sindh in any situation, it added.

The participants in the meeting decided to meet again on Oct 16 to review the situation.

Source: dawn.com

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Parvez Elahi, son summoned in money laundering case on Oct 23rd

October 13, 2023

Wajih Ahmad Sheikh

LAHORE: A special court on Thursday summoned PTI President Parvez Elahi and his son former federal minister Moonis Elahi in a money laundering case.

Judge Abdul Sattar Langah directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the superintendent of Adiala jail, Rawalpindi, to produce Mr Elahi on Oct 23.

While submitting his power of attorney on behalf of Moonis Elahi, a lawyer told the court that his client was out of the country. He urged the court to allow the ex-minister to attend the proceedings through a representative.

However, the judge turned down the request and observed that a suspect was supposed to appear before the court in person in a criminal case.

LHC reserves verdict on appeal against PTI leader’s release in master plan case

The judge directed the lawyer to ensure the appearance of his client on Oct 23 and issued non-bailable warrant for a co-suspect, Amir Sohail.

The court has already issued bailable arrest warrant for Mr Moonis.

The FIA had earlier told the court that reports regarding the service of summons to the suspect on his addresses in the United Kingdom and Spain had been received through the ministry of foreign affairs. According to these reports, nobody was available on those addresses in Spain and the UK.

After going through the reports, the judge had issued bailable arrest warrant for Moonis Elahi.

The FIA registered three cases of money laundering against Mr Moonis and his family after he left the country. His father Parvez Elahi is on judicial remand in multiple cases registered against him.

Judgement reserved

Meanwhile, the Lahore High Court reserved its verdict on a prosecution appeal challenging the decision of a judicial magistrate exonerating Chaudhry Parvez Elahi in a corruption case belonging to the Lahore Master Plan-2050.

Additional Prosecutor General Abdul Samad argued that Mr Elahi was nominated in the FIR because he being the chief minister had unlawfully approved the master plan. He stated that the suspect had altered the master plan only to benefit blue-eyed property developers.

He said the magistrate had no mandate to discharge the suspect at the stage of investigation. He urged the court to set aside the impugned decision of the magistrate and allow physical custody of Mr Elahi to the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE).

After hearing the arguments, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi reserved the verdict on the maintainability of the prosecution’s appeal.

On Sept 17, a judicial magistrate had discharged Mr Elahi in the master plan case when the ACE produced him for physical remand.

The magistrate observed the prosecution had admitted that no wrongful loss had been caused by the suspect to any company, institution or department of government, including the LDA.

He noted that the case was based on the statements of the director of master plan, and chief metropolitan planner, who had not been treated as suspects.

The magistrate said it was surprising that those who misused their authority and modified the master plan, as mentioned in the FIR, were enjoying liberty, but Mr Elahi, who had no direct role, was in custody.

Since June 1, Mr Elahi has been arrested in multiple cases lodged by the ACE, Punjab police and the National Accountability Bureau.

Source: dawn.com

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FM lauds OIC for strong support to Kashmiris for their rights

October 13, 2023

Special Envoy of the Secretary General of Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Jammu and Kashmir Yousef M. Al Dobeay also called on Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani in Islamabad.

The Foreign Minister welcomed the Special Envoy and appreciated the OIC‘s consistent support to the Kashmiri people.

He also lauded the OIC’s strong commitment for right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people in accordance with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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Qatar lauds Pakistan’s counter-terrorism, peace efforts

October 12, 2023

Chief of Qatar Armed Forces Lieutenant General Salem Hamad Eqail Al-Nabet called on Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir in Rawalpindi today.

During the meeting maters of mutual and professional interest as well as regional security situation were discussed.

The Army Chief said Pakistan values its brotherly relations with Qatar and Pakistan Army also looks forward for enhanced defence and security cooperation with Qatar Armed Forces.

The visiting dignitary appreciated Pakistan Army continuous efforts for peace and stability in the region and pledged to keep working for better relations between the two countries.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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Taliban refuse Pakistan aid for quake victims

Kamran Yousuf

October 13, 2023

ISLAMABAD:The interim Afghan government has refused to accept aid from Pakistan for the earthquake victims as tensions between the two neighbours continue to strain relations between them.

Afghanistan was struck by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake last Saturday, leaving at least 1,000 people dead and affecting many villages. There was further damage when another quake hit the region on Wednesday.

Pakistan was quick to offer support as Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar announced sending rescue and relief teams along with essential aid. However, the consignment and rescuers were not dispatched to Afghanistan after Kabul refused to give clearance. Although there was no official word from either side, the current tension between the two countries seemed to be the main reason for the Afghan rejection.

The Express Tribune was given to understand that since the earthquake hit Herat province, which was close to Iran, it was not possible for Pakistan to send its teams and goods due to logistic reasons.

Another factor was seen as the lack of capacity by the Afghan authorities to distribute the aid already reached Afghanistan by the international community.

However, it has been learnt that the main reason Pakistan did not send rescue and relief teams and the aid because of Afghan Taliban’s reluctance to accept them.

The development was seen in the context of ongoing tension between the two countries over the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Also, further complicating the relationship was Pakistan’s recent series of moves that include deportation of all illegal Afghan immigrants, visa policy for Afghans and restrictions imposed on the Afghan imports.

At a weekly news briefing on Thursday, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said Pakistan expressed deep sympathy with its Afghan “brothers and sisters, as they face a very difficult situation following the earthquake that took place a few days ago”.

“Pakistan also stands in solidarity with its Afghan brothers and sisters and remain in contact with the Interim Afghan Government to meet any needs that they may have during the relief and recovery efforts,” she added without further sharing details as to why Pakistan did not dispatch aid to the neighbouring country yet.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson strongly condemned the “indiscriminate and disproportionate” use of force by Israeli authorities against civilian population in Gaza and called for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

“We are deeply concerned about the fast-deteriorating and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the inhumane blockade and collective punishment by Israeli forces. The decision to cut off electricity, fuel and water supplies is unjust and should be reversed, as it would severely impact the lives of the Palestinians residing in the enclave,” she stressed.

The FO spokesperson further said Israel should immediately cease “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza people. “It should fulfill its obligations as an occupying power under international law, lift the blockade and allow unhindered access to humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people.”

She noted that the current “cycle of aggression and violence” was a “sad reminder” and a direct consequence of over seven decades of “illegal foreign occupation, aggression, and disrespect for international law”, including UNSC resolutions that recognize the inalienable right to self-determination of the Palestinian people.

Pakistan had been constantly warning against serious consequences of Israel’s escalatory and provocative actions in recent months.

“The unprecedented gravity of the situation demands urgent intervention by the international community. We urge the United Nations to play a proactive role in facilitating a ceasefire to alleviate the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. The international community must work in concert for a just, comprehensive and lasting two-state solution with a viable, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine on the basis of pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Peace in the Middle East will remain elusive in the absence of such a solution.”

Source: tribune.com.pk

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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2440854/taliban-refuse-pakistan-aid-for-quake-victims

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Don’t lose hope, trials will pass: Imran

October 13, 2023

ISLAMABAD:Imprisoned chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, has reaffirmed his commitment to the pursuit of 'Haqeeqi Azadi' (real freedom). He urges the nation not to lose hope, assuring that this trial will pass, and whenever elections are held, the only outcome for the "unelected predatory group and their enablers" will be defeat.

In his message to the “nation” from the jail, the former premier said: “Regardless of what prison they keep me in, whatever conditions they impose upon me, I will not back down even an inch from the quest of Haqeeqi Azadi, for the upholding of the rule of law and the Constitution of Pakistan, at the core of which is free and fair elections.”

In a statement released by PTI, Khan said: “Those suggesting that I leave the country, know that I will live and die in Pakistan, and I will not leave my land to go anywhere.”

Talking about the cypher case, the official statement added, Khan stated that the bogus case was designed to protect former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa and US diplomat Donald Lu.

“I was the elected prime minister of the country. Treason was committed against me and my government by General Bajwa, instead of investigating the foreign conspiracy in orchestrating a regime change, a case has been filed against me for informing the people of Pakistan, the real protectors of this country, about this treason,” he added.

“When I was illegally incarcerated in Attock Jail, the first few days were particularly challenging. I wasn’t provided a bed and had to sleep on the floor and had insects and mosquitoes all over me. But with time I have adjusted well to the prison conditions.”

However, Khan said that let it be known that there’s world of difference between the Imran Khan of today and the one who was imprisoned on August 5, as today “I am stronger and fitter; spiritually, mentally and physically than ever before.”

The PTI chairman went on to say that during his time in incarceration, he has had the opportunity to study and research the Holy Quran in depth, along with other books which has strengthened his faith, besides he was able to introspect the last few years of his political life.

However, Khan revealed that if there’s one thing that bothered and pained him was the suffering of his workers who had been “illegally” imprisoned, especially the women workers who had been in captivity for months, by a few people who abused their power to satisfy their egos.

“I appeal to the judiciary to provide justice and order the immediate release of our workers,” Khan demanded.

Khan urged his supporters: “Do not give up. This time of trial will end because Allah says that ‘with every difficulty there is ease’. Keep raising your voice against this unelected predatory group and their facilitators at every forum and keep demanding a fair and transparent election in the country”.

“I am predicting that on whatever day the election is held, people of Pakistan will come out in huge numbers to vote for PTI and defeat all these parties combined. No matter how much these people cheat, their only destiny is defeat. Pakistan Zindabad,” the statement quoted him as saying.

Source: tribune.com.pk

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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2440858/dont-lose-hope-trials-will-pass-imran

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Aitzaz defends Imran in cipher saga

October 13, 2023

ISLAMABAD:Aitzaz Ahsan, a senior politician and lawyer, has stated that the trial of former prime minister Imran Khan under the Official Secrets Act, 1923, for alleged misuse of a diplomatic cipher is based on groundless accusations.

“The day when Imran waved the cipher, the law [the Official Secrets Act, 1923] had not been amended, and therefore his act was not a crime at that time,” Ahsan said on Thursday while speaking to the media after attending a special court’s hearing.

On March 27, 2022, just before facing a vote of no-confidence that led to his removal, former premier Imran took out a piece of paper – allegedly a diplomatic cipher – from his pocket and displayed it at a public rally, claiming it was evidence of an "international conspiracy" to topple his government.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) initiated its probe into the so-called “cipher-gate” on July 19, 2023, after the last PML-N-led coalition government announced an official inquiry against the former PM and his close associates for violating the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who had served as the country’s foreign minister during the PTI’s rule, was arrested by the FIA on August 19. The agency arrested Imran on August 29.

Speaking about the case, Ahsan said the prosecution is desperately trying to build a case against Imran based on a legal provision that was inserted into the law after the alleged misuse of the classified document.

He said the prime minister takes an oath under the Constitution, according to which he swears that if he comes across anything that is kept secret, he won't discuss it with anyone.

“However, if a prime minister believes that disclosing a secret is in the interest of the public, then he can make such disclosures. The Constitution empowers him to do that.”

Ahsan said it is up to the prime minister how much he wants to share and what he wants to keep secret. Referring to the 2016 coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he asked if the Turkish president couldn't inform people that a conspiracy was hatched against him.

He said even during the term of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting lodged a protest with the US against the use of threatening language in the diplomatic cipher.

The celebrated lawyer said former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has also repeatedly claimed that former US President Bill Clinton had offered him billions of dollars to prevent nuclear tests in 1998.

“If you are holding Imran Khan accountable for disclosing a cipher, then you should also put Nawaz Sharif on trial for disclosing a secret,” he said, adding that “In such matters, it is the prime minister's responsibility to gain the nation's trust.”

Source: tribune.com.pk

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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2440871/aitzaz-defends-imran-in-cipher-saga

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Arab World

 

Shoura Council speaker to head Saudi delegation at G20 Parliamentary Speakers Summit in India

October 13, 2023

RIYADH: Speaker of Saudi Arabia’s Shoura Council Sheikh Abdullah Al Al-Sheikh will head the Kingdom’s delegation to the ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers Summit, which will be hosted by the Indian Parliament and the Inter-Parliamentary Union on Oct. 13-14 in New Delhi.

This year’s summit will be held under the theme “Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future,” the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The Saudi delegation has received the invitation to attend the summit from Speaker of the Indian Parliament Om Birla, Vice President of India, and ex-officio Chairman of the Council of States JagdeepDhankhar.

The summit will focus on transforming people’s lives through public digital platforms, women-led development, accelerating sustainable development goals, and sustainable energy transition.

Among the Saudi delegation will be Assistant Speaker of the Shoura Council Hanan Al-Ahmadi, and council members Abdulaziz Al-Muhanna, Khalid Al-Muhaisen, Reema Al-Yahya, Osama Al-Khayari, and Haifa Al-Shammari.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia enters Guinness World Records for largest sustainable farm in the world

October 13, 2023

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has entered the Guinness World Records with the creation of the largest sustainable farm in the world, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The farm is an extension of the rejuvenated water farming research unit of the Bin Hashbal Valley located in the Asir region

Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman Al-Fadhli received the registration certificate from the Guinness World Records during a ceremony held by the Saudi Reef Program at its headquarters in Riyadh. Deputy Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Mansour Al-Mushaiti, Secretary-General of the Reef Program Ghassan Bakri and other ministry staff attended the ceremony.

The total area of the farm is over 3.2 million square meters, divided into two sections, each containing a concrete tank with a capacity of 500 cubic meters and an automatic irrigation network for all plants in the fields. The farm also has five air-conditioned and sheltered houses and other buildings.

For the irrigation of crops, the farm depends on treated water, where the process is carried out via several phases by experts and specialists. There are 50 fruit tree fields, in addition to 20 other fields that will be restored and planted in the future.

The farm has a section for the farming of clover, lemons, oranges, tangerines, pomegranates, grapes, figs, almonds and olives.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Arabia faces major challenges if climate warms by 3 degrees: Report

October 13, 2023

JEDDAH: A landmark report released during the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, which ran here from Oct. 8 to 12, highlights the challenges that Saudi Arabia might face in a world that is warmer by 3 degrees Celsius.

Titled “Climate Futures Report: Saudi Arabia in a 3-Degrees Warmer World,” the report highlights the stark reality that Saudi Arabia is witnessing climate change at an accelerated pace compared to other regions.

The 133-page study was generated by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology or KAUST, AEON Collective, and King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center.

It noted that while the global average temperature is potentially on track to rise by nearly 3 C by the end of this century, relative to the pre-industrial period of 1850 to 1900, the MENA region, including Saudi Arabia, could experience that change much sooner.

The exact outcome depends on the specific socio-economic and emissions scenarios, emphasizing the important relationship between policy choices, socio-economic growth, and climate change.

Under the most extreme scenario, temperatures in the Arabian Peninsula could rise by 5.6 C by the end of the century, the report stated.

Matthew McCabe, a professor at KAUST who acted as the coordinating editor, highlighted the need for this assessment.

“The climate futures report fills a major gap, offering a comprehensive overview of the interlinked and cascading consequences that climate change will have on different sectors in Saudi society, including the degradation of natural ecosystems, the increasing stress on urban environments, and the direct impacts on human health,” he said.

Princess MashaelAlShalan from the AEON Collective, and one of the report’s authors, added: “Climate change doesn’t only challenge our environment, it affects every facet of our lives, our health, food, water, as well as our economy. Our actions today will decide whether we can weather these challenges or face irreversible damages.”

The report offers a comprehensive analysis of the ramifications of climate change on Saudi Arabia’s diverse habitats. Marine systems face significant stress, with phenomena like coral bleaching becoming more prevalent.

Deserts might expand further, driven by irregular rainfall, increasing temperatures, and overgrazing, posing threats to native vegetation and wildlife.

The impacts on human health will also become more pronounced, with deteriorating air quality exacerbating respiratory issues, and growing concern that climate change might lead to more favorable conditions for vector-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue.

However, the report stresses that many of the negative consequences of climate change can still be averted.

Recent years have witnessed Saudi Arabia’s willingness to pursue transformational change, with the protection, preservation, and restoration of natural capital a primary focus.

Given its vast solar potential, commitment to economic diversification under Saudi Vision 2030, and its strategic importance in the global energy market, the Kingdom is uniquely positioned to become a global leader in climate-change mitigation and adaptation, the report stated.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi foreign minister calls for principles of humanitarian law to be followed in Gaza

October 13, 2023

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s minister of foreign affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, has stressed the need for all parties involved in the conflict in Gaza to adhere to the principles of international humanitarian law, including the lifting of the siege on the territory and ensuring that food and other emergency aid supplies are allowed to reach the people there.

His comments came during a telephone call with his French counterpart, Catherine Colonna, to discuss the continuing military escalation in Gaza and the surrounding area, the Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

They also talked about the threats to unarmed civilians as a result of the conflict, and the importance of efforts by the international community to help end the fighting and protect civilians, the ministry added.

Prince Faisal said that a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue is the only way to guarantee security and stability.

The Israeli military was preparing for a possible ground invasion of Gaza on Thursday as it continued to pound the coastal strip for a sixth straight day in retaliation for the unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas that began on Saturday.

During a separate conversation with Antonio Tajani, the Italian minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Prince Faisal renewed the Kingdom’s pledge never to target civilians in any way, officials said. He again stressed the importance of respecting the rules of humanitarian law in Gaza, along with the pressing need for the siege of the territory to be lifted.

He also called for “joint international efforts to calm the situation” as well as moves aimed at “stopping military operations, and finding a just and comprehensive solution that does justice to the Palestinian people, and the importance of avoiding further escalation and violence,” the ministry said.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi and Palestinian envoys in London discuss joint action to stop Gaza violence

October 13, 2023

LONDON: Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Britain Prince Khalid bin Bandar on Thursday met with the Head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK, HusamZomlot.

During the meeting, they discussed ways to enhance coordination and consultation on issues of common interest, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

Scores of Palestinians are being killed each day in an Israeli onslaught, nearly a week after an unprecedented Hamas attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis.

“A brotherly gesture from His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Bandar, ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, visiting the Palestinian Mission to the UK today to express solidarity with the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights, and to coordinate joint action to stop the war machine and the targeting of civilians,” Zomlot said in a statement on X (formerly Twitter) following the meeting.

Source: arabnews.com

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South Asia

 

Mujahid Says UN Rapporteur Bennett 'Preferred Rumors' to Facts

October 12, 2023

The Islamic Emirate considers the extension of the mission of the UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett to be antagonistic.

According to Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, Richard Bennett’s reports do not reflect the realities of Afghanistan.

"He was not a successful person in his mission. Sadly, he was sharing the issues with the UN in a hostile manner when he reported, investigated, and travelled to Afghanistan. He did not consider the facts and preferred rumors, which was not a good way,” Mujahid noted.

This comes as UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett on X thanked the 54th session of the Human Rights Council “for extending the mandate of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan. It is an honour to serve in this mandate, working to report on and seek improvements to the promotion and protection of human rights, independently and impartially.”

The permanent representative of Afghanistan to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Nasir Ahmad Andisha said that HRC54 draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan was adopted without a vote.

Speaking at the 54 Session of the Human Rights Council, Nasir Ahmad Andisha said that people of Afghanistan, women and civil society deserve support and restoration of their fundamental rights and freedom.

“To maintain consistency and demonstrate commitment of accountability for the people of Afghanistan, the council should establish a well-funded independent investigative mechanism. The brave and resilient people of Afghanistan, women and civil society deserve support and restoration of their fundamental rights and freedom. To achieve lasting peace ... accountability must not be delayed, it is time for action,” Andisha said..

“We condemn the restrictions on Afghan women and girls access to education, employment opportunities, freedom of movement and freedom of expression. Quality education for all remains aspirational, but women and girls should be afforded equal access to educational opportunities in Afghanistan. The United States is committed to promoting accountability for human rights abuses that take place in Afghanistan,” said the US Permanent Representative to the UN Human Rights Council, Ambassador Michèle Taylor.

Zaman Mehdi, the deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, said that protracted conflicts and instability have served as the underlying Afghanistan dire human right and humanitarian situation.

“Pakistan has repeatedly urged all parties to abide by their obligations under the international law. Protracted conflicts and instability have unfortunately served as the underlying Afghanistan dire human right and humanitarian situation. Pakistan has had the consistent and considered view that the international community must remain engaged  with Afghanistan,” Zaman Mehdi, the deputy permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN.

Richard Bennett was appointed as the Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan by the Human Rights Council, in April 2022.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-185507

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Human Rights Watch concerned about forced Afghan migrants’ expulsion from Pakistan

Fidel Rahmati

October 13, 2023

Human Rights Watch has expressed concern over the Pakistani government’s plan to deport over one million Afghan migrants, stating that this action puts expelled migrants at risk of harassment and persecution.

The organization responded on Thursday to Islamabad’s plan to expel more than one million undocumented Afghan migrants from Pakistan. Human Rights Watch emphasized that the threat of forced expulsion comes at a precarious time, as the human rights situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated, with the Taliban regime violating women’s rights, including their right to work, education, access to healthcare, and freedom of movement.

Human Rights Watch also noted that Pakistan’s threat of forced expulsion has led to many Afghan migrants facing illegal detention, harassment, and abuse by the country’s police.

The organization called on Pakistan to halt the threat of forced expulsion of refugees and migrants and to cooperate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in registering Afghan refugees.

Patricia Gossman, the Asia director of Human Rights Watch, stated, “As countries rush to repatriate Afghan refugees, and the UN is caught off guard by Pakistan’s decision, Afghans are at risk of returning to their country to face harassment by the Taliban and a humanitarian crisis.”

She mentioned that Afghan migrants in Pakistan have long been used as a political football between the two countries.

Human Rights Watch reported that many Afghan refugees in Pakistan have applied for asylum in countries such as the United States, Germany, and Canada, 200,000 of them having been relocated so far, while the rest remain in limbo.

Human Rights Watch further warned that Afghanistan is currently in a humanitarian and economic crisis, putting more than half its population at serious risk of food insecurity. This situation disproportionately affects women who are heads of households and has increased malnutrition levels among children.

Human Rights Watch also criticized European Union member states, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada for falling short in addressing the needs of refugees they had promised to resettle, calling on these countries to fulfil their commitments to resettle refugees facing danger.

According to statistics, 3.7 million Afghan migrants reside in Pakistan, with 700,000 of them having left the country after the return of the Taliban to power.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/human-rights-watch-concerned-about-forced-afghan-migrants-expulsion-from-pakistan/

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Islamic Emirate Denies Russian Claims of US, UK Intelligence Bases

HadiaZiaei

October 13, 2023

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, denied Moscow’s claim regarding establishment of US and UK intelligence bases in Afghanistan.

He said that no country will be allowed to use the Afghan soil against other countries.

“We call on the countries to not pursue their rivalries in Afghanistan. They should attempt to do their competition outside of Afghan borders. Afghanistan is not a ground for the regional competition,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman.

This comes as Alexander Bortnikov, Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) Director, said American and British intelligence services are playing an "active role" in fomenting a "belt of instability" in Afghanistan near the southern borders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), where the Al-Qaeda and

Islamic State (IS) terrorist groups (outlawed in Russia) are being reinforced, TASS reported.

According to the report, Bortnikov said that the US and NATO have "precisely now, under the guise of containing the Afghan terrorist threat, begun actively foisting their services for military, technical, and border security assistance on our [CIS] partners among the Central Asian republics," and “we are confident that their goal is to militarily colonize the CIS space and introduce new lines of division between [CIS member states].”

ToreqFarhadi, a political analyst, said that Moscow is seeking to promote propaganda against Washington.

“Russia is in a propaganda war with the US. These remarks are not correct. Afghanistan is an independent country, and it can get close to any country it wants to,” he said.

“They [Russia and US] compete and they seek their interest from Afghanistan,” said Sayed Menhaj Agha, a political analyst.

Moscow has repeatedly accused Washington of trying to destabilize Afghanistan and the region.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-185514

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Bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan witnesses a sharp decline

Fidel Rahmati

October 13, 2023

 Pakistan-Afghan bilateral trade has experienced a significant downturn on an annual basis, raising concerns about the economic relationship between the two neighbouring countries.

Recent data reveals that in September, there was a notable 9% decrease in Pak-Afghan trade compared to August, indicating a sudden drop in economic activity, reported Daily Intekhab News Agency.

However, the most alarming statistic is the staggering 43% annual decline in Pak-Afghan trade for the same month, suggesting a deeper and more concerning trend.

The decrease in trade volume is particularly evident in the recent figures.

Last month, the total trade between the two countries amounted to just 122.7 million dollars, signifying a substantial reduction in economic exchanges.

In September, Pakistan’s exports to Afghanistan stood at 65.7 million dollars, while imports from Afghanistan were reported at a mere 5.69 million dollars.

This sharp decline highlights both countries’ challenges in maintaining a healthy trade relationship. Several factors could contribute to this decline in Pakistan-Afghanistan trade, including geopolitical tensions, border issues, and economic uncertainties.

The recent surge in insecurity in Pakistan, driven by various militant groups, most notably the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has cast a shadow over the diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Pakistani authorities have raised concerns, asserting that the TTP maintains hideouts inside Afghanistan and employs Afghan territory as a base for launching attacks on Pakistan. This situation has strained the already fragile relationship between the two neighbouring countries.

In contrast, the current administration in Afghanistan, led by the Taliban, has vehemently denied these allegations. They claim not to allow any individual or group to utilize Afghan territory as a launching pad for attacks on neighbouring countries, including Pakistan.

However, the challenge lies in reconciling these assurances with the ongoing security issues that Pakistan faces along its border with Afghanistan, making it crucial for both countries to engage in meaningful dialogue to address these concerns and rebuild trust in their bilateral relations.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/bilateral-trade-between-afghanistan-and-pakistan-witnesses-a-sharp-decline/

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Pakistani Authorities hinder aid collection for Herat earthquake victims: Manzoor Pashteen

Fidel Rahmati

October 13, 2023

 Manzoor Pashteen, leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, revealed Thursday that Pakistani authorities have prevented his group from gathering aid for earthquake victims in Herat, Afghanistan.

He criticized the Pakistani government for hindering “the expression of Pashtun humanity.” Mr. Pashteen is one of the influential Pashtun leaders in Pakistan who has repeatedly criticized the government and the military for unlawful killings and abductions in tribal areas, organizing protests in response.

The leader of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement wrote on his social media, Facebook, on Thursday, “The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, from the very beginning in Quetta, set up collection aid tents for the earthquake victims in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. However, Pakistani authorities did not permit this and shut it down.” He added, “How oppressed are the Pashtuns that they are not even allowed to express their humanitarian solidarity.”

Simultaneously, as the extent of the damage and the needs have become more apparent following two powerful earthquakes in western Afghanistan over the past five days, several countries have pledged financial assistance to the earthquake victims.

Earlier, a report said that the Taliban refused to grant entry to a team of ten Pakistani doctors at Herat Airport, obstructing their mission to deliver vital medical aid to earthquake victims in the city. The team, consisting of general surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, nurses, and paramedics, was denied access to the airport.

A devastating earthquake that struck on Saturday has resulted in a tragic loss of over 2,400 lives and the destruction of at least 20 villages. The recurrent occurrence of such a catastrophic event has left the local population severely traumatized and urgently needed assistance.

The World Health Organization has reported that most victims are women and children. Furthermore, a similar-magnitude earthquake shook western Afghanistan on Wednesday, leading to dozens of injuries. These injured individuals were transported to a nearby hospital in the Herat region, with two reported fatalities.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/pakistani-authorities-hinder-aid-collection-for-herat-earthquake-victims-manzoor-pashteen/

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Search Operations for Herat Earthquake Victims Ends

October 12, 2023

Search operations in villages affected by the earthquakes in Herat have ended as thousands of families face uncertainty about their loved ones.

Aid organizations are on site to help the vulnerable families.

Residents of many other districts, as well as rescue teams of several countries, were conducting their operations to drag out the victims from the wreckage.

“Based on the order of the Uzbekistan president we came to Herat. We have treated injured people and we have rescued a five-year-old child from under the ruins. Our technical team of 45 people is present with technical facilities on the ground,” said BakhtyarSarsinbaye, head of a rescue team from Uzbekistan.

The victims and their family members meanwhile rely on the international community to provide them with aid.

Marriam, 17, who was injured, lost eight members of her family.

“My father-in-law and mother-in-law are in an emergency health condition. My cousin, sister-in-law, aunt -- all of them have gone [died],” she said.

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake shocked the Zindajan district of Herat province on Saturday, with aftershocks following up to  Wednesday. According to  officials, over 2,400 people were killed, and more than 2,000 others were injured.

Some of the residents urged the interim government to rebuild their houses.

“The tents are good for the people. They have been provided with the equipment. We hope to be taken to somewhere else and have our houses rebuilt,” said Barakatullah, a vulnerable resident.

“You may not solve today's problem but (can help with) our future,” said Abdul Zahir, a vulnerable resident.

Another earthquake with the same magnitude happened in Herat on Wednesday, which also inflicted both human and financial losses to the residents.

The Afghanistan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) said that the earthquake caused major damage to the areas in Herat.

“There is a great need for the tent and after that, there is a need for blankets as the weather is cold,” said Noorudin Turabi, deputy of ARCS.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185508

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17,000 People Affected by Earthquake in Herat: Dujarric

October 12, 2023

The UN Secretary General’s Spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said that over 17,000 people and more than 110 villages were affected by the earthquake in Herat.

He said that international staff is in the area to assess their needs.

“They are trying to assess quickly what is needed, to see what they can bring, what they may already have in country. What may need to be brought from abroad? Our humanitarian appeals for Afghanistan -- like there are a mass majority of places are underfunded -- but we are trying to help as many people as quickly as we can,” Dujarric said.

According to Dujarric, at least 140 people were injured in the latest earthquake.

Dennis Francis, president of the United Nations General Assembly, in a press conference stressed the need for increased humanitarian assistance to the earthquake-affected people.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Embassy in Kabul wrote in a statement that a Turkish Air Force cargo plane carrying a Turkish search and rescue team, a field hospital, doctors, and other medical equipment landed in Herat on October 9th.

Two Turkish doctors of medicine joined the medical team at Herat Regional Hospital, and up to now, TİKA has distributed 2000 parcels of food.

According to a statement, the Directorate for Disaster and Emergency Management of Türkiye (AFAD) handed over tents (250 pc), blankets (1500), and medical equipment to the local authorities.

The statement said that a second Turkish Air Force cargo plane, this time carrying mostly humanitarian aid items, landed in Herat on October 10.

This comes as the acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, called for urgent assistance to be provided for the vulnerable people.

The US, Pakistan, Singapore, Australia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, and China have pledged to provide assistance to the people affected by the earthquake.

Source: tolonews.com

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We need full support, love and solidarity: Palestinian envoy to Dhaka

Oct 13, 2023

Appreciating wholehearted support from the Bangladeshis, Palestinian Ambassador to Bangladesh Yousef SY Ramadan yesterday said they need full support and solidarity, noting that Israel must stop the ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people.

"Believe me, we don't want your money but want your full support and love. Palestine wants the world to be on Palestine's side. Genocide and crimes against humanity must stop. That (what's happening) is unacceptable," he told reporters.

Gaza is on the brink of running out of food, water, electricity and critical supplies, the UN's humanitarians warned yesterday.

No aid can come in from the outside for the 2.3 million residents of the sealed-off enclave, and some 220,000 displaced people are sheltering in schools run by the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA.

Humanitarians are continuing to support Gaza's population as best they can. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said that together with UNRWA it delivered fresh bread from "bakeries still able to operate" and food to over 175,000 displaced people across 88 shelters on Wednesday, with plans to "reach over 800,000 people across Palestine".

The Palestine Embassy in Dhaka hosted 15 of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Member States' Ambassadors and Charge d'Affaires who expressed solidarity and support for the people of Palestine and their legitimate struggle against the Zionist Occupation.

At the same time, thousands of young Bangladeshis also attended this gathering for the same reason.

"It was overwhelming to see the love, support and respect of our Bangladeshi brothers and sisters toward their brothers and sisters in Palestine," said the ambassador.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/diplomacy/news/we-need-full-support-love-and-solidarity-palestinian-envoy-dhaka-3441986

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Southeast Asia

 

Israel-Hamas war brings Dr Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Mat Sabu together as hundreds of Muslims protest in solidarity with Gaza

By Kenneth Tee

13 Oct 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Hundreds of Muslims gathered after Friday prayers at the National Mosque today to protest and denounce Israel’s oppression of Gazans in the war sparked by an attack by Islamist militants Hamas.

The protesters included a man in the costume of Farfour — Hamas’ version of Mickey Mouse — waving a Palestinian flag, and others with the keffiyeh scarves and placards saying "Israel cuak" (Malay for "Israel is frightened").

Two effigies draped in the Israeli flag were also set ablaze amidst chants of "HidupPalestin" (long live Palestine) and "Hancur Zionist" (crush the Zionists) as political leaders address those present in the background.

Today's protest comes at the back of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's reiteration that Malaysia remains in solidarity with the struggles of the Palestinians, saying the international community has continued to take one-sided actions regarding all forms of cruelty and oppression against the Palestinians.

In a show of support transcending political differences, PAS' volunteer corps Unit Amal — a unit under PAS’ Youth wing and functions as a uniformed welfare voluntary organisation — was also present.

Perikatan Nasional chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said it was every Malaysians obligation and responsibility to voice their support towards Palestine and it's people.

Muhyiddin also claimed Israel's latest siege on Gaza is a prelude to genocidal acts against the Palestinians.

“For decades they have suffered.

“Today's gathering is a testament to our unwavering stance, regardless of political affiliations or whether you are Muslim or non-Muslim, we must make our stance known against the atrocities of the Zionist regime imposed upon the Palestinians,” he said.

Also present were former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Parti Amanah Negara president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu, PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, DAP’s Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii and Umno Youth chief Muhamad Akmal Saleh.

On Sunday, Israel declared war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas after the latter launched a surprise assault from Gaza, amid a death toll which has surged above 2,600 with thousands more wounded.

The tiny coastal enclave home to 2.4 million people, already blockaded since 2007, is under siege by Israel which has cut off water, food and power supplies.

Gaza officials reported at least 1,300 of deaths in the impoverished and blockaded enclave of 2.3 million people, which was hammered by Israeli air strikes on 800 targets ahead of what many feared may be a looming ground invasion.

The United Nations said Israeli air attacks and shelling targeting houses and apartment buildings have displaced some 340,000 Palestinians in Gaza.

More than 1,300 Israelis have been killed since Hamas launched its large-scale attack — the country’s worst losses since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.

The war has torn up diplomacy in the region, just as Israel was preparing to reach an agreement to normalise ties with Saudi Arabia, the richest Arab power, and months after Riyadh resumed ties with its regional rival Iran, sponsor of Hamas.

Source: malaymail.com

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Singapore law minister: Possible to deplore treatment of Palestinians yet condemn ‘shocking, horrifying’ terror attack by Hamas

13 Oct 2023

SINGAPORE, Oct 13 — It is possible to deplore how Palestinians have been treated over the years while still, unequivocally, condemning the terrorist attacks carried out in Israel over the weekend by Palestinian militant group Hamas, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday (Oct 12), he added that Singapore’s support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine issue is well-known and has been stated repeatedly.

MrShanmugam’s comments came after the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s declaration of war the next day.

“Hamas’ attack on Israel — attacking and massacring civilians is a massive terrorist attack,” he said.

“The kidnapping and unjustified murder of children — the acts of cruelty are shocking and horrifying. And this extreme violence must be condemned in clear, unequivocal terms. These atrocities cannot be justified by any rationale whatsoever, whether of fundamental problems or historical grievances.”

Last Saturday’s attack — reported to be the worst in Israel’s 75-year history — has seen a total of 1,200 people killed, according to Israeli forces.

In Gaza, officials reported more than 1,000 people killed in Israel’s sustained strikes on the Palestinian enclave since.

Asked how Israel should respond, MrShanmugam said: “We don’t control Israel’s response. But I think it’s fair to say that any response has to be consistent with international law and international rules of war. And you can see, several countries have made this point.”

MrShanmugam also said that the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas is evoking strong and divisive views across the world, including in South-east Asia, but Singaporeans must not let these external events affect our “precious peace” and destabilise us.

“We condemn all acts of terrorism and wanton violence, but we must not let these events happening externally affect the internal situation within Singapore.”

Asked if increased security measures would be introduced at sensitive places such as mosques and synagogues here, MrShanmugam said that the Government’s security agencies were watching the situation closely.

He was unable to share the exact plans due to “operational reasons”, but said that patrols would be stepped up at some events and places.

“Emergency forces are always on alert to respond to incidents. Places that are possible targets have had their security re-assessed. And for places that are of higher risk, we are increasing security, and ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) has also stepped up measures.”

He added that this would be a period where “everyone has to be more alert and careful”, given that Singapore is an “attractive target”.

In a separate letter of condolence penned by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Mr Netanyahu on October 8, Mr Lee said that he was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of so many Israeli lives” as a result of Hamas’ terrorist attacks.

“On behalf of the Government of Singapore, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Israel, especially the families of the victims, and wish the injured a speedy recovery.

“I am confident that Israel will remain strong and united to overcome the difficult challenges ahead.” — TODAY

Source: malaymail.com

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Report: Two Malaysians linked to 2002 Bali bombings in bid to return home from Guantanamo, met in Cuba by minister Saifuddin

By AnisZalani

13 Oct 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Two Malaysian suspects linked to the 2002 Bali bombings are reportedly undergoing legal proceedings that would allow them to return home from detention in the United States’ Guantanamo Bay military prison.

Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the duo are attempting plea deals to separate their cases from the bombings, and the Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had also visited them in Cuba recently.

“It has been reported, and my understanding is that the Malaysian delegation was at Guantanamo. My understanding is that both co-accused may have entered into plea deals to sever their cases from Hambali,” lawyer James Hodes said as quoted by SCMP.

Hodes is the lawyer of Indonesian national EncepNurjaman — also known as Hambali — who was also charged in 2021 alongside the Malaysian suspects, Mohammed Farik Amin and Mohammed Nazir Lep.

“These guys should have gone home years ago, as should my client,” he reportedly said.

This comes as Saifuddin wrote in a now-deleted Facebook post on September 25 that he had discussed the cases of the duo with Tina Kaidanow, the US Special Representative for Guantanamo Affairs, while he was in New York on a recent trip by a Malaysian delegation led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Saifuddin also said that he travelled to Cuba to meet the duo in person. He wrote their story “really touched” him, and Putrajaya will attempt to expedite the process for their return to Malaysia.

Malay Mail is seeking the Home Ministry and Saifuddin’s comments on this matter.

SCMP reported that at the end of August, Farik’s lawyer had filed court documents to split his case from his two fellow accused. It also cited a confidential source close to Nazir’s case shared that Farik’s plea deal is “pretty far down the line”.

“We’ve got to end Guantanamo at some point, so I understand the impulse to try and resolve some of these cases. However, any plea deal was not a guarantee of release from Guantanamo,” the source reportedly said.

“There are often sticking points around assurances such as whether this is actually a way of solving the case. Even in ordinary circumstances, a plea deal involves an intricate set of negotiations. Guantanamo is even more difficult. Lots of people have [to give their] input and this creates opportunities for difficulties and confusion,” the source added.

The devastating Bali Bombings, which killed 202 and left over 200 others injured, happened 21 years ago yesterday. The three suspects were then apprehended in 2003 in Thailand, and had in 2006 moved to Guantanamo Bay.

Source: malaymail.com

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Israel-Hamas conflict dividing the world but Singaporeans should not let external events affect ‘precious peace’, says Shanmugam

12 Oct 2023

SINGAPORE, Oct 12 — While the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas is evoking strong and divisive views across the world, including in Southeast Asia, Singaporeans must not let these external events affect our “precious peace” and destabilise us, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam today.

Singapore’s position on Israel-Palestine, and the Republic’s support for a two-state solution is well-known and has been stated repeatedly, he noted, adding that it is possible to deplore how the Palestinians have been treated over the years while still, unequivocally, condemning the terrorist attacks carried out in Israel.

“Hamas’ attack on Israel – attacking and massacring civilians is a massive terrorist attack,” he said.

“The kidnapping and unjustified murder of children – the acts of cruelty are shocking, and horrifying. And this extreme violence must be condemned in clear, unequivocal terms.These atrocities cannot be justified by any rationale whatsoever, whether of fundamental problems or historical grievances.”

MrShanmugam was speaking to the media during a doorstop following the Oct 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s subsequent declaration of war the next day.

Saturday’s attack – reported to be the worst in Israel’s 75-year history — has seen a total of 1,200 people killed, according to Israeli forces. In Gaza, officials reported more than 1,000 people killed in Israel’s sustained strikes on the Palestinian enclave since.

MrShanmugam noted that around the world, there are deep divides in how people are reacting and as the conflict unfolds, these divides are inevitably going to become deeper, as there will be a “severe reaction” from Israel, which is going to react with its “full might.”

In this situation, he said, he said, Singapore must be clear about its stance.

“We condemn all acts of terrorism and wanton violence, but we must not let these events happening externally affect the internal situation within Singapore,” he said.

“We must in Singapore maintain our racial and religious peace. We have to stay vigilant. Terrorist groups will exploit such conflicts; they have already issued calls for followers to join in a wider jihad against Israel.”

There have also been reports of anti-semitic attacks overseas, he noted.

“Our position has been made very clear over the years: We act against anyone who promotes or espouses extremism and violence.”

He pointed out that the Government has detained Singaporeans under the Internal Security Act because they “fell for the pro-Hamas narrative and wanted to fight”, and also detained Singaporeans who intended to attack Muslim targets in Singapore.

Asked if increased security measures would be introduced at sensitive places such as mosques and synagogues, MrShanmugam said the government’s security agencies were watching the situation closely.

While he was unable to share the exact plans due to “operational reasons”, he said that patrols would be stepped up at some events and places.

“Emergency forces are always on alert to respond to incidents. Places which are possible targets have had their security re-assessed. And for places that are higher risk, we are increasing security, and ICA (Immigration and Checkpoints Authority) has also stepped up measures.”

He added that this would be a period where “everyone has to be more alert and careful”, given Singapore is an “attractive target”.

On how the ongoing conflict might impact social cohesion in Singapore, MrShanmugam said Singapore had to be “very careful” as such issues could “polarise societies, cause divisions, and create suspicions”.

“As I mentioned earlier, the suffering of innocent civilians caught in the conflict is a very emotive one. But in terms of our own religious harmony and understanding, we are in a fairly good position. We have open and frank conversations. There is a lot of mutual respect and trust between religious and racial groups, and Singaporeans strongly value our racial and religious diversity and harmony.”

He also cited a recent Pew study which found that Singaporeans had a high level of tolerance for different faiths, and attributed this to a combination of factors – including the country’s legal framework and government policies.

“What we have built over the years and what we now have is precious and extremely remarkable, and we must do our best to protect it.”

Asked how Israel should respond, MrShanmugam said: “We don’t control Israel’s response. But I think it’s fair to say that any response has to be consistent with international law and international rules of war. And you can see, several countries have made this point.”

In a separate letter of condolence penned by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to Mr Netanyahu on Oct 8, Mr Lee said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of so many Israeli lives” as a result of Hamas’ terrorist attacks.

“On behalf of the Government of Singapore, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Israel, especially the families of the victims, and wish the injured a speedy recovery.

“I am confident that Israel will remain strong and united to overcome the difficult challenges ahead.” — TODAY

Source: malaymail.com

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Beware of scammers cashing in on Palestine situation, says IGP

13 Oct 2023

JUSTIN ZACK

PETALING JAYA: The public is advised to be cautious when approached by individuals or groups claiming to collect aid for Palestine.

“Those who wish to give any form of aid are advised to check the validity of the representatives... as well as take careful steps to avoid becoming scam victims," Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said in a statement Friday (Oct 13).

"The Commercial Crime Investigation Department will increase surveillance and take strict action against any parties found to be taking advantage of the situation."

He added that police also advised Malaysians from going to conflict zones.

“We will monitor (the situation)... and mobilise relevant elements, such as the Special Branch, to ensure no Malaysian (gets involved) to the point of risking personal safety.

“Prayers and moral support by the Malaysian people are the best form of solidarity for the oppressed Palestinians,” he said.

Source: thestar.com.my

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