‘A Curse to Be a Parent in Gaza’: More Than 3,600 Palestinian Children Killed in Just 3 Weeks of War

New Age Islam News Bureau

02 November 2023

 

A Palestinian man carries a dead child that was found under the rubble of a destroyed building, following Israeli airstrikes in Jabaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip

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Mideast

·         Iran's Khamenei Calls for Arab-Islamic Boycott, Oil Embargo on Israel Over Gaza

·         Al-Aqsa Storm Heralds New Era for Palestine, Region, Muslim World: Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces

·         Iran: Political initiatives underway for immediate temporary ceasefire in Gaza

·         Pressure Mounts on Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel-Hamas War Rages

·         Israel Renews Gaza Camp Strikes as UN Warns Of 'War Crimes'

·         Enemy launches series of raids on neighbourhoods of al-Zaytoun, al-Sabra, Tal Al-Hawa in Gaza

·         1,000 killed, injured, and missing from Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia camp, says Gaza Health Ministry

·         Hamas says Israel’s 2 strikes on refugee camp killed more than 195 people

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Arab World

·         King Salman And Crown Prince Direct Launch of Fundraising Campaign for Gaza

·         Yemen's Houthis Launch More Explosives-Laden Drones Towards Israel

·         Saudi deputy minister receives Bosnia and Herzegovina ambassador

·         Saudi Hajj minister meets with Bahraini Islamic affairs minister

·         Baraka:Yemeni armed forces' operations against Zionist enemy are advanced step in holy jihad battle

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India

·         Muslim Community Laud CM Vijayan’s Efforts to Quell Hate Campaign in Kerala Amid Serial Blasts at The Prayer Meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses

·         Madras HC Relief to Cop Denied Promotion Owing to Links with Muslim Outfit‘Manitha Neethi Pasarai’

·         20-Year-Old Indian-Origin Soldier Among Israeli Combatants Killed in Gaza

·         Israel Embassy In Delhi Displays Posters Of Citizens Kidnapped By Hamas

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Europe

·         Spain’s Ministers Denounce Ongoing Israeli ‘Genocide’ In Gaza

·         At General Assembly, Russia calls for immediate halt to bloodshed in Gaza Strip

·         Moscow says “Israel” has no right to defend itself because it is an occupying entity

·         Greece concerned over rising civilian deaths from Israeli attacks on Gaza

·         France ‘concerned’ by Israeli strikes on Gaza refugee camp

·         UK PM Sunak discusses situation in Gaza with Egypt’s El-Sisi

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North America

·         CAIR Calls Florida Congressman’s Remark Comparing Palestinian Civilians to Nazis a ‘Call to Genocide,’ Calls for Brian Mast Resignation

·         Netanyahu’s days are numbered, Biden and aides increasingly believe: US media

·         CAIR Condemns Israeli-Based Cyberattacks on Muslim Crowdfunding Sites Raising Funds for Humanitarian Relief to Gaza

·         CAIR Opposes $14.3 Billion in Funding for Israeli ‘War Crimes’

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Pakistan

·         Imran Urges Lawyers to Spearhead Movement for People’s Rights

·         Parvez Elahi celebrates birthday with family in jail

·         64 Afghans moved from Adiala jail to Torkham border

·         Chinese ambassador calls on Fazl

·         President Alvi condemns use of brutal force against Palestinians

·         More than 165,000 Afghans flee Pakistan in a month after government order

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South Asia

·         Declaration of the Islamic Emirate on Afghan Refugees in Pakistan and Other Countries

·         Taliban Official Issues Warning to Pakistan Over Mass Expulsion of Afghan Migrants

·         Deportation of Afghan Immigrants is Against Intl Norms: Hanafi

·         Chamber Calls for Way to Transfer Capital from Pakistan to Afghanistan

·         Over 8,000 Afghan refugees return through Spin Boldak in last two days

·         Afghanistan urges Pakistan and Iran not to expel Afghan migrants forcefully

·         UNDP seeks $25 million for Herat earthquake recovery

·         Afghan Families Returning from Pakistan Have Tripled: Officials

·         Essential Services for Returnees Initiated at Torkham: Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation

·         16 Children with Heart Defects to Receive Treatment in Kabul Hospitals

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Southeast Asia

·         NGO Says Home Minister’s Analogy of Foreigners ‘Misleading’ As Children of Malaysians Are the Ones Stuck in Statelessness

·         Apex Court to Hear SIS Forum Appeal Over Fatwa Labelling It As Deviant Next YearThailand Held Direct Hostage Talks with Hamas in Iran: Negotiator

·         Don't compare Hamas-inspired display in schools with cosplay, MCA Youth tells Umno, PAS counterparts

·         WHO chief calls for full medical, fuel aid access to Gaza 'now'

·         Magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes Timor, Indonesia

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Africa

·         South Africa Urges UN To Provide Protection For Civilians In Gaza

·         37 villagers killed in Nigeria in fresh extremist attacks

·         Gambian soldier jailed for failed coup against President Barrow

·         Mali: Islamist Armed Groups, Army Target Civilians

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:    https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/curse-gaza-palestinian-children-war/d/131035

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‘A Curse to Be a Parent in Gaza’: More Than 3,600 Palestinian Children Killed in Just 3 Weeks of War

 

A Palestinian man carries a dead child that was found under the rubble of a destroyed building, following Israeli airstrikes in Jabaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip

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November 02, 2023

DEIR AL-BALAH: More than 3,600 Palestinian children were killed in the first 25 days of the war between Israel and Hamas, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry. They were hit by airstrikes, smashed by misfired rockets, burned by blasts and crushed by buildings, and among them were newborns and toddlers, avid readers, aspiring journalists and boys who thought they’d be safe in a church.

Nearly half of the crowded strip’s 2.3 million inhabitants are under 18, and children account for 40 percent of those killed so far in the war. An Associated Press analysis of Gaza Health Ministry data released last week showed that as of Oct. 26, 2,001 children ages 12 and under had been killed, including 615 who were 3 or younger.

“When houses are destroyed, they collapse on the heads of children,” writer Adam Al-Madhoun said Wednesday as he comforted his 4-year-old daughter Kenzi at the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza city of Deir Al-Balah. She survived an airstrike that ripped off her right arm, crushed her left leg and fractured her skull.

Israel says its airstrikes target Hamas militant sites and infrastructure, and it accuses the group of using civilians as human shields. It also says more than 500 militant rockets have misfired and landed in Gaza, killing an unknown number of Palestinians.

More children have been killed in just over three weeks in Gaza than in all of the world’s conflicts combined in each of the past three years, according to the global charity Save the Children. For example, it said, 2,985 children were killed across two dozen war zones throughout all of last year.

“Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children,” said James Elder, a spokesperson for UNICEF, the UN children’s agency.

Images and footage of shell-shocked children being pulled from rubble in Gaza or writhing on dirty hospital gurneys have become commonplace and have fueled protests around the world. Scenes from recent airstrikes included a rescuer cradling a limp toddler in a bloodied white tutu, a bespectacled father shrieking as he clutched his dead child tight to his chest, and a dazed young boy covered in blood and dust staggering alone through the ruins.

“It’s a curse to be a parent in Gaza,” said Ahmed Modawikh, a 40-year-old carpenter from Gaza City whose life was shattered by the death of his 8-year-old daughter during five days of fighting in May.

Israeli children have also been killed. During Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 rampage across southern Israel that sparked the war, its gunmen killed more than 1,400 people. Among them were babies and other small children, Israeli officials have said, though they haven’t provided exact figures. About 30 children were also among the roughly 240 hostages Hamas took.

As Israeli warplanes pound Gaza, Palestinian children huddle with large families in apartments or UN-run shelters. Although Israel has urged Palestinians to leave northern Gaza for the strip’s south, nowhere in the territory has proven safe from its airstrikes.

“People are running from death only to find death,” said Yasmine Jouda, who lost 68 family members in Oct. 22 airstrikes that razed two four-story buildings in Deir Al-Balah, where they had sought refuge from northern Gaza.

The strike’s only survivor was Jouda’s year-old niece Milissa, whose mother had gone into labor during the attack and was found dead beneath the rubble, the heads of her lifeless twin newborns emerging from her birth canal.

“What did this tiny baby do to deserve a life without any family?” Jouda said.

Palestinians carry a wounded girl after being rescued from under the rubble of buildings that were destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in Jabaliya refugee camp (AP)

Israel blames Hamas for Gaza’s death toll — now more than 8,800, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry — because the militant group operates from jam-packed residential neighborhoods. Palestinians point to the soaring casualty count as proof that Israeli strikes are indiscriminate and disproportionate.

The war has injured more than 7,000 Palestinian children and left many with lifechanging problems, doctors say.

Just before the war, Jouda’s niece Milissa walked a few paces for the first time. She will never walk again. Doctors say the airstrike that killed the girl’s family fractured her spine and paralyzed her from the chest down. Just down the hall from her in the teeming central Gaza hospital, 4-year-old Kenzi woke up screaming, asking what had happened to her missing right arm.

“It will take so much care and work just to get her to the point of having half a normal life,” her father said.

Even those physically unscathed may be scarred by war’s ravages.

For 15-year-olds in Gaza, it’s their fifth Israel-Hamas war since the militant group seized control of the enclave in 2007. All they’ve known is life under a punishing Israeli-Egyptian blockade that prevents them from traveling abroad and crushes their hopes for the future. The strip has a 70 percent youth unemployment rate, according to the World Bank.

“There is no hope for these children to develop careers, improve their standard of living, access better health care and education,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director for Defense for Children International in the Palestinian territories.

But in this war, he added, “it’s about life and death.”

And in Gaza, death is everywhere.

Here are just a few of the 3,648 Palestinian children and minors who have been killed in the war.

Palestinians try to pull a girl out of the rubble of a building that was destroyed by Israeli airstrikes in Jabaliya refugee camp (AP)

ASEEL HASSAN, 13

Aseel Hassan was an excellent student, said her father, Hazem Bin Saeed. She devoured classical Arabic poetry, memorizing its rigid metric and rhyme scheme, and reveling in its mystical images and florid metaphors. During the war, when Israeli bombardments came so close that their walls shook, she would regale her relatives by reciting famous verses from Abu Al Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi, a 10th-century Iraqi poet, her father said.

“When I asked her what she wanted to do when she grew up, she would say, read,” said 42-year-old Bin Saeed. “Poems were Aseel’s escape.”

An airstrike on Oct. 19 leveled his three-story home in Deir Al-Balah, killing Aseel and her 14-year-old brother, Anas.

MAJD SOURI, 7

The explosions terrified Majd, said his father, 45-year-old Ramez Souri.

He missed playing soccer with his school friends. He was devastated that the war had canceled his Christian family’s much-anticipated trip to Nazareth, the town in Israel where tradition says Jesus grew up.

“Baba, where can we go?” Majd asked again and again when airstrikes roared. The family, devout members of Gaza’s tiny Christian community, finally had an answer — St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City.

Souri said Majd calmed down when they arrived at the church, where dozens of Christian families had taken shelter. Together, they prayed and sang.

On Oct. 20, shrapnel crashed into the monastery, killing 18 people. Among the dead were Majd and his siblings, 9-year-old Julie and 15-year-old Soheil. Israel says it had been targeting a nearby Hamas command center.

Majd was found beneath the rubble with his hands around his mother’s neck. His face was completely burned.

“My children just wanted peace and stability,” said Souri, his voice cracking. “All I cared about was that they were happy.”

KENAN AND NEMAN AL-SHARIF, 18 months

Karam Al-Sharif, an employee with the UN Palestinian refugee agency, could barely speak Wednesday as he knelt over his children’s small shrouded bodies at the hospital. Gone were his daughters, 5-year-old Joud and 10-year-old Tasnim.

Also gone were his twin 18-month-old sons, Kenan and Neman. Al-Sharif sobbed as he hugged Kenan and said goodbye. Neman’s body was still lost beneath the rubble of the six-story tower where the family had sought refuge in the Nuseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.

“They had no time here,” Sami Abu Sultan, Al-Sharif’s brother, said of the baby boys, a day after the building was destroyed. “It was God’s will.”

MAHMOUD DAHDOUH, 16

On Oct. 25, Al Jazeera’s livestream caught the chilling moment when its Gaza bureau chief, Wael Dahdouh, discovered that an Israeli airstrike had killed his wife, 6-year-old daughter, infant grandson and 16-year-old son, Mahmoud.

Swarmed by TV cameras at the hospital, Dahdouh wept over his teenage son, murmuring, “You wanted to be a journalist.”

Mahmoud was a senior at the secular American International High School in Gaza City. Set on becoming an English-language reporter, he spent his time honing camera skills and posting amateur reporting clips on YouTube, Dahdouh said.

A video that Mahmoud filmed days before he died showed charred cars, dark smoke and flattened homes. He and his sister, Kholoud, took turns delivering a monologue, straining to be heard over the wind.

“This is the fiercest and most violent war we have lived in Gaza,” Mahmoud said, chopping the air with his hands.

At the end of the clip, the siblings stared straight into the camera.

“Help us to stay alive,” they said in unison.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2401896/middle-east

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Arab Regimes and Armies Must Stop Genocide in Gaza, Ijtihad and Fatwa Committee of IUMS Issues Fatwa

 

Photo: Screengrab/IUMS

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2nd November 2023

Sakina Fatima

The Ijtihad and Fatwa Committee of the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS) has issued fatwa saying that Arab regimes and armies must intervene urgently to save Gaza from genocide and comprehensive destruction.

This was announced during a press conference titled “fatwa regarding the duty of Islamic governments towards the Israeli invasion of Gaza” held on Tuesday, October 31, at the headquarters of the IUMS in Qatar.

In a statement, the union emphasised the legal duty of scholars, elites, and bodies to urgently intervene and act on their religious, historical, constitutional, and strategic responsibilities.

The union also declared that it is a legal duty to intervene militarily and supply military equipment and expertise.

The statement referred to countries bordering Palestine, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, and emphasised that military intervention is a Shariah obligation upon them.

It said that the comprehensive Western support, including military, financial, media, diplomatic, and strategic, is crucial for Arab and Islamic countries to maintain international balance and prevent tyranny, unrest, and potential collapse of the nation and the world.

The union concluded its statement by emphasising that, “Leaving Gaza, Al-Aqsa and Palestine to be annihilated and destroyed is a betrayal of Allah and His Messenger and one of the greatest sins and the greatest sin before Allah.”

For the 26th day, the Israeli army is continuing the devastating war on Gaza, where a total of more than 9,056 Palestinians were killed, including 3,718 children and 1,929 women, and about 21,890 were injured.

Since the outbreak of war, the Israel has cut off supplies of water, food, medicine, electricity and fuel to the residents of Gaza.

While the Hamas movement killed more than 1,538 Israelis and wounded 5,431, it also captured at least 239 Israelis and wants to exchange them with more than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners, including children and women.

Source: siasat.com

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https://www.siasat.com/arab-regimes-must-stop-genocide-in-gaza-iums-issues-fatwa-2789351/

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"If Israel Continues Destruction More Will Join Resistance": Iraj Elahi Iran Envoy to India

 

Palestinians search for casualties at the site of Israeli strikes on houses, in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, (REUTERS)

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ANI |

Nov 02, 2023

Iranian Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, on Thursday stressed that even if Israel successfully weakens Hamas, it cannot erase the idea of resistance.

New Delhi [India], November 2 (ANI): As Israel continues to retaliate against the Hamas terror attack by attacking Gaza, the Iranian Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, on Thursday stressed that even if Israel successfully weakens Hamas, it cannot erase the idea of resistance against occupation and apartheid, rooted in the hearts of Palestinians.

Elahi in an exclusive interview with ANI, said that if this continues, even more Palestinians will join and raise weapons to defend their families.

The transcript of the entire interview follows:

ANI: What is Iran's stand over the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas from the past 23 days?

Iraj Elahi-Iran Ambassador to India: In the past three weeks, the widespread atrocities committed by Zionists have reached their peak. We, as always, strongly condemn the acts of genocide and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Zionists. Our primary objective is to employ every available means to establish a truce and put an end to this ongoing genocide. We firmly believe that unless the Palestinians' right to self-determination is recognized and their basic rights are respected, there can be no significant progress in resolving this conflict.

ANI: The death toll in Gaza is continuously increasing, but there seems to be little hope regarding the ceasefire, this war has brought devastation for the entire Gaza, Israel is clearly saying that the war will not stop until Hamas is eliminated. Do you believe that this war is going to open more fronts?

Iraj Elahi-Iran Ambassador to India: Zionists have consistently shown a lack of respect for international law and universal moral values. They have repeatedly disregarded resolutions ratified by international and global institutions. It is clear that they will not comply with the recent UNGA resolution and instead choose to continue their brutal actions in Gaza. They justify their aggression by claiming that eradicating Hamas is one of their main goals. However, this allegation is absurd, as anyone with basic knowledge of Hamas' nature and tactics would understand that it is an impossible mission. Therefore, we must look elsewhere to uncover the true intentions of the Zionists.

Furthermore, even if they were able to weaken Hamas, they cannot erase the idea of resistance against occupation and apartheid that is deeply ingrained in the hearts and minds of Palestinians. More and more Palestinians will turn to weapons to defend their families, land, and dignity.

Regarding your last question, it is important to note that an escalation of violence by the Zionist regime will only increase the likelihood of new conflicts emerging.

ANI: There seems to be a direct allegation against Iran that Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi all these organizations survive with the help of Iran. Does Iran consider such attacks by Hamas on Israel justified? Is bloodshed the only option? Can there be a solution or a breakthrough in this conflict through Iran's meditation?

Iraj Elahi-Iran Ambassador to India: Each of the aforementioned organizations possesses an independent character and nature. They belong to distinct contexts and environments, and in certain matters, they exhibit different thoughts and behaviours. Moreover, they possess the strength to autonomously protect themselves.

Following the Abraham Accords, the daily violence against Palestinians has escalated to an unprecedented level. The Zionist regime has not only made life unbearable for Palestinians but has also desecrated Masjid-Al-Aqsa, intensifying its efforts to undermine the identity of Palestine. In such circumstances, defending oneself against aggression and oppression is not only morally permissible but necessary. In this regard what Hamas has done can be seen as an act of resistance and self-defence.

Shedding the blood of those who defend themselves against occupation has never been the right choice. The bloodshed only exacerbates the situation, accordingly, Iran actively tries to put an end to this brutal massacre. Our officials have engaged in fruitful and constructive meetings with their counterparts, aiming to facilitate a ceasefire. However, despite our efforts, the United States hinders progress by supporting the occupiers. We firmly believe that the true resolution to this conflict can only be achieved through democratic means and by recognizing the Palestinians' right to self-determination.

ANI: About 230 people in Israel have been taken hostage, they are also being bombed, there seems to be no hope of peace. In your opinion, for how many days can Hamas fight? Is there a result that you see from this war?

Iraj Elahi-Iran Ambassador to India: The Zionist regime shows a lack of concern for the lives of the hostages. Despite the opportunity to exchange them by accepting the recent UNGA resolution, they chose to refuse. It is clear that countering Hamas is merely an excuse to invade Gaza and further expand their settlements and occupation. From the very start, the Zionist regime has been on the losing side of this conflict, given its inhumane and self-contradictory nature.

Rather than accepting defeat, they tragically persist in continuing this frightening drama, seemingly driven by a desire to revive their lost hubris.

ANI: How do you see India's role in the current situation? What role can India play to mediate for peace?

Iraj Elahi-Iran Ambassador to India: India has always been a steadfast bastion of morality and humanity on the global stage. The indelible impact of Mahatma Gandhi's teachings and his inspiring words on Palestine are etched into the collective memory of all.

India aspires to become the voice of the global South, but we cannot discuss the global South without acknowledging the immense suffering endured by its people, particularly in the occupied lands of Palestine. The current situation presents a prime opportunity for India to lend its support to the voice of the global South.

Undoubtedly, India boasts a rich history of upholding moral courage and showcasing the indomitable human spirit. With this in mind, I firmly believe that India will not turn a blind eye to the ongoing genocide in Gaza. In fact, India possesses the potential to play a pivotal role in putting an end to the brutalities inflicted by the Zionists. (ANI)

Source: hindustantimes.com

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/if-israel-continues-destruction-more-will-join-resistance-iran-envoy-to-india-101698922227002.html

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Pope Francis Says Two-State Solution Needed for Israel-Palestine

 

Pope Francis speaks at mass on Tuesday, Nov. 2 at Rome's Commonwealth cemetery. (AP/Andrew Medichini)

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Nov 02, 2023

Pope Francis said on Wednesday a two-state solution was needed for Israel and Palestine in order to put an end to wars such as the current one and called for a special status for Jerusalem.

In an interview with Italian state television RAI's TG1 news channel, Francis also said he hoped a regional escalation could be avoided in the conflict that began when Hamas militants entered Israel, killing some 1,400 Israelis, mainly civilians, and taking about 230 hostages.

He also said that he was concerned about the rise in antisemitism, adding that much of it "remains hidden".

"(Those are) two peoples who have to live together. With that wise solution, two states. The Oslo accords, two well-defined states and Jerusalem with a special status," Francis said in an interview with Italy's RAI broadcaster.

In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organisation leader Yasser Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords establishing limited Palestinian autonomy.

U.S. President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat took part in the Camp David summit in 2000, but failed to reach a final peace deal.

Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem in 1967 and in 1980 declared the entire city its "united and eternal capital". Palestinians see the eastern part of the city as the capital of an eventual future state.

Israel has consistently rejected suggestions that the city, which is sacred to Christians, Muslims and Jews, could have a special, or international, status.

Source: hindustantimes.com

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pope-francis-two-state-solution-israel-palestine-101698870644901.html

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White House Working on Strategy to Combat Islamophobia; Many Muslim Americans Are Sceptical

 

File Photo

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02nd November 2023

WASHINGTON: President Joe Biden's administration is developing a national strategy to combat Islamophobia as the White House faces scepticism from many Muslim Americans for its staunch support of Israel's military assault on Hamas in Gaza.

Plans for the initiative, which the White House billed as the first of its kind, were announced Wednesday. It is meant to bring together lawmakers, advocacy groups and other community leaders with the administration in order to “counter the scourge of Islamophobia and hate in all its forms,” the White House said.

“Moving forward, the President, Vice President, and our entire Administration will continue working to ensure every American has the freedom to live their lives in safety and without fear for how they pray, what they believe, and who they are,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement announcing the strategy.

The White House originally was expected to announce its plans to develop the strategy last week when Biden met with Muslim leaders, but that was delayed, according to three people familiar with the matter. Two said the delay was due partly to concerns from Muslim Americans that the administration lacked credibility on the issue given its robust backing of Israel’s military, whose strikes against Hamas militants have killed thousands of civilians in Gaza. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the White House plans.

The launch of the anti-Islamophobia effort has been anticipated for months after the administration in May released a national strategy to combat antisemitism that made passing reference to countering hatred against Muslims.

The new initiative is expected to take months to formalize, following a similar process to the plan to counter antisemitism that involved various government agencies. White House spokeswoman Emilie Simons said Wednesday that the interagency group's “next step is to release a strategy on Islamophobia.” She did not offer details on a timeline for the effort.

Incidences of anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate have skyrocketed in the United States and abroad since the surprise Oct. 7 attack by Hamas against Israel that killed more than 1,400 people and saw hundreds taken hostage, and Israel's response in Gaza, where it has pledged to use force to “destroy” Hamas. One of the most prominent attacks in the U.S. was the killing of 6-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume and the wounding of his mother in an attack in Illinois that prosecutors allege was driven by Islamophobia.

“This horrific act of hate has no place in America and stands against our fundamental values: freedom from fear for how we pray, what we believe, and who we are," Biden said afterward.

There had been widespread agreement among Muslim Americans on the need for a national strategy to counter Islamophobia, according to a fourth person familiar with the matter, who added that the Israel-Hamas war has made the timing of the White House announcement more complicated. The person, who was also not authorized to speak publicly about the internal deliberations, said the administration wants to keep the two issues separate, while some prominent Muslim American groups see them as interrelated.

Administration officials, during the meeting with a small group of faith leaders last week, indicated things were "in the works” for an anti-Islamophobia strategy, said Rami Nashashibi, the founder of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network in Chicago and a participant in that session.

Nashashibi said he believed such an effort would be “dead on arrival” with the Muslim community until the president and administration officials forcefully condemn members of the far-right government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who have openly called for the eradication of Palestinians from Gaza and until the administration more aggressively calls out hate crimes targeting Muslims and Arab Americans.

He and other leaders also want Biden to apologize, or at least publicly clarify, his recent comments in which he said he had “no confidence” in the Palestinian death count from Israel’s retaliatory strikes, because the data comes from the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

The United Nations and other international institutions and experts, as well as Palestinian authorities in the West Bank — rivals of Hamas — say the Gaza ministry has long made a good-faith effort to account for the dead under the most difficult conditions. In previous wars, the ministry’s counts have held up to U.N. scrutiny, independent investigations and even Israel’s tallies.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that the administration is “not taking the Ministry of Health at face value” but he acknowledged there have been “many thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza” in the conflict.

Nashashibi also said the White House strategy could land flat at a moment when many Muslim Americans feel that advocacy stands for Palestinian self-determination is being unfairly lumped in with those espousing antisemitism and backing of extremists.

“That conflating is in great part contributing to an atmosphere where we could see even more deadly results and more targeting,” he said. Nashashibi added, “The White House does not have the credibility to roll out an Islamophobia strategy at this moment without publicly addressing the points we explicitly raised with the president during our meeting.”

Asked if the White House had a credibility issue, Simons, the spokeswoman, said the administration would continue its outreach efforts.

“We know that communities are feeling the pain of what’s going on overseas and in a deeply personal way,” Simons said. "And so we’re going to continue to speak to these different communities underscore the work we’re doing to get aid into Gaza and the conditions we’re trying to set up to support a humanitarian pause.”

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2023/nov/02/white-house-working-on-strategy-to-combat-islamophobia-many-muslim-americans-are-skeptical-2629375.html

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Mideast

 

Iran's Khamenei calls for Arab-Islamic boycott, oil embargo on Israel over Gaza

01 November, 2023

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on Muslim states to cease oil and food exports to Israel, demanding an end to its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, state media reported.

"The bombings on Gaza must stop immediately. The path of oil and food exports to the Zionist regime should be stopped," Khamenei told a group of students in Tehran, according to Iranian state media.

Israel has waged its most ferocious and indiscriminate bombing of Gaza in 70 years, killing over 8,700 people, with almost half being children.

It has shelled hospitals, refugee camps and places of worship and imposed a "complete siege" on the territory, cutting off access to water, fuel and food for Gaza's 2.3 million people.

Israel has also gone on to cut off internet and phone access in Gaza, plunging the territory into a telecommunications blackout.

Iran's clerical rulers have warned Israel of an escalation if it failed to end violence against Palestinians, with authorities indicating Tehran-backed proxies in the Middle East were ready to act.

Backing the Palestinian cause has been a political pillar of the Islamic Republic since the 1979 Islamic Revolution with Iran fashioning itself as a leader in the Muslim world.

Khamenei, Iran's top authority, said the United States was complicit in Israel's "recent crimes against Palestinians".

Iran and Israel are regional arch-foes, with Tel Aviv accusing Tehran of financially backing Hamas.

"The Islamic world should not forget that in the crucial issue of Gaza, those standing against the oppressed Palestinian nation were the United States, France and Britain," Khamenei said to chants of "Death to Israel" and "Death to America".

"One of the shameless acts of the West is accusing Palestinian fighters of terrorism," he continued.

Source: newarab.com

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https://www.newarab.com/news/iran-calls-arab-islamic-boycott-oil-embargo-israel

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Al-Aqsa Storm Heralds New Era for Palestine, Region, Muslim World: Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces

November 1, 2023

TEHRAN- Mohammad Baqeri, Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, has said that Al-Aqsa Storm Operation led by Palestinian resistance groups broke the Israeli regime’s illusion of invincibility and opened a new chapter for Palestine, the West Asia region, and the Muslim world.

Major General made the remarks on Wednesday during a ceremony in Tehran to honor the thousands of innocent Palestinians who lost their lives as martyrs, including women and children.

The ceremony took place on the 26th day of the large-scale operation led by Hamas against the occupied territories.

“The valiant, surprising and unparalleled defense of Palestinian combatants in Operation Al-Aqsa Storm will be the harbinger of a new chapter for Palestine, the region and the Islamic world,” Baqeri said.

Beginning on October 7, Hamas launched the largest offensive against Israel in its 75 years of history in response to the regime’s bloody violence against people in the West Bank.

The surprise operation, dubbed Al-Aqsa Storm, has put the competence of the Israeli army and its intelligence bodies under serious question.

In response, Israel launched an insane war on Gaza, so far killing at least 8,796 Palestinians — mostly women and children — and wounding over 23,000 more.

Israel has placed a complete siege on the enclave, depriving the more than two million Palestinian residents of their water, food, fuel, and power.

The United States has been supplying the Israeli regime with thousands of consignments of weaponry ever since the Israeli campaign of aggression against the beleaguered Gaza Strip was launched.

Additionally, Washington has been providing the Tel Aviv regime with a lot of political assistance by vetoing resolutions by the UN Security Council that either demand an immediate end to the regime’s aggression or hold it accountable for its crimes.

“Absurd and meaningless”

Major General Baqeri went on to say, “The operation showed that all the notions that the Zionists and their masters had concocted were absurd and meaningless, and all their false delusion of grandeur fell into pieces with this flawless and precise operation.”

The senior Iranian commander emphasized that the bombing of defenseless civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, is not and will not be a symbol of strength and victory for the Zionist regime, underscoring that the shameful failure of the Israeli regime cannot be compensated.

“The enemy, who is unable to face confrontation on the battlefield, kills innocent and defenseless people in hospitals, ambulances and houses with planes donated by criminals,” Baqeri stressed.

“This is the reality of the United States, Europe and global arrogance, which have displayed the apex of brutality before the eyes of the world,” he added.

“Most of the people in the world have shouted for a ceasefire, but the criminal U.S. says a truce, at the present time, suggests the defeat of Israel.”

The military chief repeated the proposal by Leader of the Islamic Revolution for holding a referendum with the participation of all Palestinians - Muslims and non-Muslims – to determine the fate of the people, saying this is the only way to end the decades-long conflict.

“There is no fate and end in sight for this battle except the victory of Palestinians, today, all the people across the world are crying out for an end to these crimes and demand relief aid to the people in Gaza,” Baqeri said.

He also highlighted, “Should the neighboring countries of Palestine allow people to pass, millions of freedom-seekers of the world will show up at the borders of this holy land to help Palestine.”

Affirming that the future of Palestine is quite clear, the top general said, “The future belongs to the Palestinian people and the aggressors and foreign immigrants must leave this land and they have no choice but to do so.”

Source: tehrantimes.com

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Iran: Political initiatives underway for immediate temporary ceasefire in Gaza

01 November 2023

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says Iran and Qatar are working on political initiatives on establishment of an immediate temporary ceasefire in Gaza as the Israeli genocidal war in claiming more civilian lives.

Amir-Abdollahian said his earlier visit to the Qatari capital Doha featured discussion about the truce in the Israeli regime's war.

The top Iranian diplomat made the remarks upon return to Tehran from a two-way trip that took him to Qatar and Turkey.

"There is talk in Qatar about the idea of truce that could [possibly] lead to extensive transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza," Amir-Abdollahian said.

The brutal war that the Israeli regime has been waging against the coastal territory has so far claimed the lives of nearly 8,800 people, including more than 3,600 children.

The regime launched the war after Gaza's resistance groups conducted Operation al-Aqsa Storm, their biggest operation against the occupying entity, after years of suffering under Israeli repression of occupation.

"Under the aegis of the truce, we will witness exchange of civilian prisoners between the two sides, which includes the release of all female Palestinians prisoners," the Iranian foreign minister said.

The Palestinian resistance, he added, is after the freedom of Palestinian women, adolescents, and children from Israeli prisoners.

Amir-Abdollahian said during his meeting with head of Hamas' Politburo, in Doha, Ismail Haniyeh said the Israeli regime's attacks on Gaza had so far resulted in the deaths of some 50 captives held by the Palestinian resistance.

"Some of these captives were being held in the basement of hospitals that were thought to be safe," Amir-Abdollahian noted.

Some of the victims perished during Israeli airstrikes against the al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza on October 17 that claimed the lives of at least 500 civilians, he said.

Iran has called on Muslim nations to take “immediate and effective” action to put an end to Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

OIC extraordinary session on Gaza

Amir-Abdollahian also said preparations were underway for leaders of the members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to meet in Saudi Arabia "in near future."

The Iranian foreign minister said the Israeli regime was "madly" bombing civilians, including women and children, "due to the confusion and shock that they have received" from the resistance operation.

In Qatar and Turkey, Amir-Abdollahian said, he followed up President Ebrahim Raeisi's earlier consultations with the leaders of various Muslim and Arab countries about holding of an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed President Raeisi's proposal for "immediate" convention of the meeting, the foreign minister said.

Amid the prospect of such summit or even a meeting of the world's Arab leaders, the Palestinian resistance would take "appropriate decisions" in case of continuation of the Israeli regime's attacks on Gaza, Amir-Abdollahian said.

The Israeli regime's efforts to enter Gaza by land over the past three days have also been met with failure, he stated.

In a statement on Monday, the OIC said Israel’s relentless bombardment of the besieged Gaza Strip constituted war crimes and a flagrant violation of international law, describing the regime’s conduct as "butchering" of thousands of people.

Source: presstv.ir

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Pressure Mounts On Benjamin Netanyahu As Israel-Hamas War Rages

November 02, 2023

Tel Aviv: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu built his reputation as a security hawk on the back of his service in an elite special forces unit that carried out some of Israel's most daring hostage rescues.

His legacy as his country's longest serving leader will now be shaped by one of the worst security failures it has known and by the fate of more than 200 hostages seized by Palestinian Hamas gunmen from Gaza who Israel says killed 1,400 people on the deadliest day of its 75-year-old history.

The scale of the killing, accounts of trauma and images of the violence that emerged from the southern Israeli communities around Gaza have shaken the country.

In his sixth term as prime minister, Netanyahu, 74, heads one of Israel's most extreme right-wing coalitions and has come under increasing pressure as the initial shock has given way to fury at the failures that allowed the attack to take place.

He has refused to accept responsibility, saying only that everyone will have to answer difficult questions when the war with Hamas is over, and in one of his rare press conferences, dismissed a question asking if he would resign.

But the mood of the country has turned, according to opinion polls showing a large majority blaming him, underpinned by images of cabinet ministers being abused in public when they step out of their official cars.

An Oct. 18-19 Maariv newspaper poll showed former Defence Minister Benny Gantz, an opposition centrist party head in a newly formed unity government, was favoured for prime minister by 48% of respondents, compared with only 28% for Netanyahu.

"Netanyahu is going to go. Just like the top military, the intelligence and GSS (intelligence service) officials. Because they failed," the daily newspaper Israel Hayom wrote in an editorial this week.

Facing trial on corruption charges, which he denies, his popularity had already been dented by a bitter battle over plans to curb the powers of the Supreme Court, which brought hundreds of thousands of Israelis to the streets for months.

For now, political consequences have been put on hold as Israeli jets carry out airstrikes the Gaza health ministry says have killed more than 8,000 Palestinians and Israeli tanks have smashed their way deep into the blockaded enclave.

But much will depend on the result of the operation, whose declared aim is to destroy Hamas forever and whether his own party will continue to support him in the face of the increasingly loud calls for change.

'THE GOVERNMENT MUST DELIVER,' HIS ALLY SAYS

"I'm not concerned about the polls, I am concerned about delivery of results and I think Prime Minister Netanyahu and the government must deliver," said Danny Danon, a former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and a member of Netanyahu's ruling Likud party in parliament.

"We have seen too many cycles in the past where pressure forced the government not to complete the mission and to leave Hamas in power," he said.

"If the government will not deliver what it promised which is the eradication of Hamas, I am sure it will not be accepted - not by the public and not by the political system."

But the military test, though daunting enough on its own, is not the only challenge.

Netanyahu, who burned through the goodwill even of allies like the United States in the battle over judicial reform, is viewed with deep suspicion in much of the world due to his alliance with hardline religious and nationalist parties.

In addition to pressure over issues like the relentless expansion of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, there has been mounting alarm internationally at the scale of casualties during the bombing of Gaza.

The economy, squeezed by the uncertainty over the judicial overhaul process, which was strongly opposed by most of the business community, has been further hit with businesses in sectors ranging from construction to food services reporting sharp drops in revenue.

Netanyahu, normally a smooth and assured figure, has appeared increasingly erratic, notably in an incident this week in which he sent out a late-night tweet blaming his intelligence chiefs for failing to warn him of the Oct. 7 attack.

The tweet was deleted the following morning and Netanyahu issued an apology but the damage was done and there was a firestorm of criticism from the press and across the political spectrum.

Listen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.com

"He is a man who is unfit to serve as prime minister," an editorialist in Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's biggest selling newspaper, wrote this week, adding that Netanyahu should have resigned or been removed immediately after the Oct. 7 attack.

Source: ndtv.com

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Israel renews Gaza camp strikes as UN warns of 'war crimes'

 02nd November 2023

RAFAH: Israel hit Gaza's largest refugee camp with renewed air strikes Wednesday, prompting UN rights officials to warn that targeting densely populated residential areas "could amount to war crimes."

Bombs struck the Jabalia camp for a second time in two days, pulverising buildings and, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, killing dozens of people. Rescuers said "whole families" had died, but casualty details could not be immediately confirmed.

AFP witnessed extensive damage at the scene, with people frantically clawing through rubble to extract bloodied casualties.

Israel said its fighter jets had carried out the strike, targeting "a Hamas command and control complex" and "eliminating" an undefined number of militants.

Israel has hit 11,000-plus targets in Gaza since October 7 -- when Hamas gunmen stormed into Israel and killed 1,400 people, including many civilians who were shot in cold blood.

Many nations backed Israel's right to strike back at Hamas, but as the civilian toll has mounted, so too has criticism of Israeli tactics.

According to Gaza's health ministry, 8,796 Gazans have been killed so far, mostly women and children. Whole neighbourhoods in Gaza have been levelled.

Israeli forces had already struck the Jabalia camp on Tuesday, killing at least 47 people, according to an AFP count.

'War crimes'

The United Nations decried Israel's most recent bombings, joining a chorus of international condemnation from as far afield as Bolivia, which severed diplomatic ties in protest.  Jordan recalled its ambassador to Israel "to condemn the Israeli war that is killing innocent people in Gaza."

The UN's top human rights body -- citing "the high number of civilian casualties" and scale of destruction -- said it had "serious concerns that these are disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes."

Israel has rejected such accusations, saying Hamas deliberately uses civilian areas to hide command posts and arsenals that are used to attack Israeli civilians.

The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday's strike on Jabalia had killed Hamas battalion commander Ibrahim Biari and destroyed an underground tunnel complex. Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht described Bihari as a "high-value target" who deployed Hamas commandos during the October 7 attacks and has since "overseen Hamas' battle efforts in northern Gaza."

"Our war is not with the people of Gaza," he said. "The Palestinian people deserve peace and safety. Instead they are exploited as shields."

Hamas said seven of the 240 hostages it is holding, including three foreign passport holders, died in Tuesday's bombing, a claim that was impossible to verify. The group's leader Ismail Haniyeh accused Israel of committing "barbaric massacres against unarmed civilians", saying it was covering its own "defeats".

'Finally'

Earlier on Wednesday, hundreds of foreign passport holders, and wounded and sick Palestinians, were allowed to escape the fighting into Egypt, the first such evacuations since the war began.

After weeks of waiting, of hoping, the gates at Rafah opened and whole families -- struggling under the weight of their few remaining worldly possessions -- rushed across the heavily fortified frontier. Ambulances whisked the wounded to the safety of Egyptian field hospitals, including one young boy with heavy bandaging around his stomach

Egypt said in all 335 foreigners or dual nationals and 76 of the seriously wounded and sick had crossed.

"We have been heading to the crossing for 25 days," said Alaa al-Shubaki, a Jordanian citizen. "Finally, I found my name in the evacuees list."

The foreigners included 31 Austrians, 20 Australians five French nationals, four Italians, and some German and US citizens, their governments said.

Umm Saleh Hussein, a Jordanian, said water and electricity shortages were "the least" of the hardships in Gaza. "There were bigger problems such as the bombardment. We were afraid. Many families were martyred," she told AFP.

For those left behind, the wait for safety goes on.

"There is no hope in the Gaza Strip. It is not safe any more here," said Amen al-Aqluk, who fled Gaza City under Israeli orders, adding, "when the border opens, everybody will leave and emigrate. We encounter death every day, 24 hours a day."

A Gaza official said about 50 trucks carrying medical and food aid entered Gaza on Wednesday, among the biggest daily flows so far. But the situation in Gaza remains desperate, with food, fuel and medicine for the 2.4 million residents all running short, according to aid groups.

More than 20,000 wounded people are still trapped in the Gaza Strip, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF). "Those who wish to leave Gaza must be allowed to do so without further delay. They must also be allowed the right to return," MSF said in a statement calling for a greater number of people to be evacuated.

'No rest'

With fears mounting of a regional war, US President Joe Biden called for "urgent mechanisms" to dial down tensions and said top diplomat Antony Blinken would embark on another Middle East tour from Friday.

Turkey and Iran called for a regional conference to prevent a conflagration, as Israel faces a daily barrage of aerial attacks from Hamas and other Iran-backed groups around the Middle East, including Yemen's Huthi rebels.

In the north, Israel has traded near-daily fire with Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah.

And the families of hostages kidnapped by Hamas have endured an unbearable wait for news of relatives thought to be held in the labyrinth of tunnels deep below Gaza.

Ayelet Sella, whose seven cousins were kidnapped by Hamas, said she could find "no rest" until her loved ones are returned.

"We have no more tears, our eyes are dry, we are empty three weeks on," Sella told AFP at the Great Synagogue in Paris. "I only ask for one thing, that they come back."

Source: newindianexpress.com

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Enemy launches series of raids on neighborhoods of al-Zaytoun, al-Sabra, Tal Al-Hawa in Gaza

[02/November/2023]

GAZA November 02. 2023 (Saba) - A Palestinian child was martyred and at least two citizens were injured on Thursday in the intense Zionist-American bombing of al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City.

Local sources said that the Zionist-American aggression aircraft launched a raid with several missiles on al-Dahshan family’s home in al-Shafi’i Mosque area in al-Zaytoun neighborhood, killing a the child and injuring at least two citizens.

The aggression planes bombed a house for al-Shami family near al-Salam Mosque in al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza.

The Zionist-American aggression aircraft also continue bombardment in conjunction with artillery shelling on Tal al-Hawa area in southern Gaza, specifically in the vicinity of al-Quds Hospital of the Red Crescent Society.

Source: saba.ye

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1,000 killed, injured, and missing from Israeli airstrikes on Jabalia camp, says Gaza Health Ministry

02.11.2023

Casualties from Israeli airstrikes on the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip have risen to 1,000, according to the Health Ministry.

Early Thursday, ministry spokesman Ashraf Al-Qedra said on Facebook that there were "1,000 killed, injured, and missing in the massacres in Jabalia," located in the northern Gaza Strip.

Gaza’s Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that an Israeli airstrike resulted in "400 casualties, including killed and injured, and the complete destruction of a residential neighborhood in the Jabalia camp."

On Wednesday evening, Israeli fighter jets carried out another raid on the camp, causing extensive damage to dozens of homes.

This week the Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

More than 10,300 people have since been killed in the conflict, including at least 8,796 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.

Besides the large number of casualties and displacement, basic supplies are running low for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the Israeli siege.

Source: aa.com.tr

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Hamas says Israel’s 2 strikes on refugee camp killed more than 195 people

November 02, 2023

GAZA/JERUSALEM/PARIS: More foreigners prepared to leave the besieged Gaza Strip on Thursday as its Hamas-run government said at least 195 Palestinians died in Israel’s attacks on the Jabalia refugee camp, strikes that UN human rights officials said could be war crimes.

At least 320 foreign citizens on an initial list of 500, as well as dozens of severely injured Gazans, crossed into Egypt on Wednesday under a deal among Israel, Egypt and Hamas.

Passport holders from Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, the United Kingdom and the United States were in the evacuation.

Gaza border officials said the border crossing would reopen on Thursday so more foreigners could exit. A diplomatic source said some 7,500 foreign passport holders would leave Gaza over about two weeks.

More than 20,000 wounded people are still trapped in the Gaza Strip, according to Doctors Without Borders (MSF), despite initial evacuations of foreign passport holders and badly injured Palestinians across the border to Egypt.

MSF noted the evacuations of “a number of severely injured” people in a statement on Wednesday, saying that its 22 international staff members in Gaza had also been among those who left the territory via the Rafah border crossing.

“However, there are still over 20,000 injured people in Gaza with limited access to health care due to the siege,” it said.

MSF’s Palestinian staff were still offering care in the territory, it added, and another international team was waiting to enter the territory to replace those who left “as soon as the situation allows.”

The organization went on to call for a greater number of people to be evacuated, as well as for a cease-fire and for more critical aid to be allowed in.

“Those who wish to leave Gaza must be allowed to do so without further delay. They must also be allowed the right to return,” the statement said.

FIRST AUSTRALIANS LEAVE GAZA FOR EGYPT

Twenty Australians were among the first group of foreign citizens to leave the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip and enter Eygpt via the Rafah border crossing, Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs Tim Watts said on Thursday.

At least 320 foreign nationals left the Palestinian enclave to cross into Egypt on Wednesday, the first to benefit from a deal mediated by Qatar.

Watts said there were still 65 Australians trapped in Gaza and the government had urged them, using all available communication channels, to move toward the Rafah crossing as soon as possible.

“We are providing all possible support we can, communicating through all available channels,” Watts told ABC television. “It is not always perfect. This is a conflict zone.”

Watts said the government was not planning for more assisted flights at the moment as there were enough commercial options available. Since the conflict began on Oct. 7, the Australian government has conducted several repatriation flights.

Pressing an offensive against Hamas militants, Israel has bombed Gaza by land, sea and air in its campaign to wipe out Hamas after the Islamist group’s cross-border rampage into southern Israel on Oct. 7. Israel said Hamas killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took more than 200 hostages.

The Gaza health ministry says at least 8,796 Palestinians in the narrow coastal enclave, including 3,648 children, have been killed by Israeli strikes since Oct. 7.

Explosions were heard in the early hours of Thursday around the Al-Quds hospital in densely populated Gaza City, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. Israeli authorities had previously warned the hospital to evacuate immediately, which UN officials said was impossible without endangering patients.

Israel said its strikes on Tuesday and Wednesday killed two Hamas military leaders in Jabalia, Gaza’s biggest refugee camp. Israel said the group had command centers and other “terror infrastructure under, around and within civilian buildings, intentionally endangering Gazan civilians.”

Gaza’s Hamas-run media office said on Thursday that at least 195 Palestinians were killed in the two Israeli attacks on Jabalia, with 120 missing under the rubble. At least 777 people were wounded, it said in a statement.

Palestinians on Wednesday sifted through rubble in a desperate hunt for trapped victims. “It is a massacre,” said one witness.

UN human rights officials said strikes on the camp could be a war crime.

“Given the high number of civilian casualties and the scale of destruction following Israeli air strikes on Jabalia refugee camp, we have serious concerns that these are disproportionate attacks that could amount to war crimes,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights wrote on social media site X.

The Israeli military said one soldier was killed in Gaza on Wednesday. Fifteen were killed on Tuesday.

Amid growing international calls for a humanitarian pause in hostilities, conditions in the seaside enclave are increasingly desperate under Israel’s assault and tightened blockade. Food, fuel, drinking water and medicine have run short.

Dr. Fathi Abu Al-Hassan, a US passport holder waiting to cross into Egypt on Wednesday, described hellish conditions in Gaza without water, food or shelter.

“We open our eyes on dead people and we close our eyes on dead people,” he said.

Hospitals have struggled as shortages of fuel forced shutdowns including Gaza’s only cancer hospital. Israel has refused to let humanitarian convoys bring in fuel, citing concern that Hamas fighters would divert it for military purposes.

Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the Gaza health ministry, said the main power generator at the Indonesian Hospital was no longer functioning due to lack of fuel.

The hospital was switching to a back-up generator but would no longer be able to power mortuary refrigerators and oxygen generators. “If we don’t get fuel in the next few days, we will inevitably reach a disaster,” he said.

US DIPLOMAT DEPARTS FOR ISRAEL, AGAIN

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was due to depart on Thursday for his second visit to Israel in less than a month. He plans to meet Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday to voice solidarity but also to reassert the need to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties, his spokesperson said.

Blinken will also stop in Jordan, one of a handful of Arab states to have normalized relations with Israel. On Wednesday Jordan withdrew its ambassador from Tel Aviv until Israel ends its assault on Gaza. Israel said it regretted Jordan’s decision.

In Jordan, Blinken will underscore the importance of protecting civilian lives and reiterate a US commitment to ensure Palestinians are not forcibly displaced from Gaza, a growing concern of the Arab world, the spokesman said.

He will pursue talks led by Egypt and Qatar on securing the release of all of the hostages held by Hamas.

Also on Thursday, the US House of Representatives could pass with Republican support a bill providing $14.3 billion in aid for Israel.

But it is unlikely to become law, as it faces stiff opposition in the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House has threatened a veto. President Joe Biden wants a $106-billion bill that would fund Ukraine, border security and humanitarian aid as well as money for Israel.

Source: arabnews.com

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Arab World

 

King Salman and Crown Prince direct launch of fundraising campaign for Gaza

November 02, 2023

RIYADH: King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the launch of a national aid campaign for Palestinians in Gaza through King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) on Thursday.

King Salman bin Abdulaziz, and the Crown Prince launched the campaign by donating 50 million Riyals. The king donated 30 million riyals while the Crown Prince donated 20 million riyals.

Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court and Supervisor General of KSrelief, said the fundraising will be done through the aid agency’s Sahem platform, as well as through the Sahem application, the unified bank account dedicated to the campaign or through the multiple donation channels on its website.

Al-Rabiah added that the aid campaign comes within the framework of the Kingdom’s historic role in standing with the Palestinian people in various crises and tribulations that they have gone through.

Donations can be made to the campaign via the “Sahem” platform at the following electronic link: https://sahem.ksrelief.org/Gaza. Donors can also send their transfers directly through the campaign’s bank account (SA5580000504608018899998) Al Rajhi Bank, or download the “Sahem” application on mobile devices via the Apple and Google Play stores.

Source: arabnews.com

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Yemen's Houthis launch more explosives-laden drones towards Israel

02.11.2023

Mohammed Sameai

Yemen’s Houthi rebel group announced Wednesday that it launched a large number of explosives-laden drones toward Israel.

In a statement, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said its armed forces “fired a large batch of drones" at several targets in the country.

He vowed that his group would continue to carry out military operations in support of the Palestinian people and until the Israeli aggression against Gaza stops.

The Israeli side did not comment on the announcement but said it deployed missile boats in the Red Sea as a defensive reinforcement.

It marked the second time the Houthi group announced the firing of missiles and drones against Israel.

The Lebanese Hezbollah group is also involved in exchanges of fire with Israel in their border areas which erupted in connection with the fighting between Palestinian groups and Israel.

The Israeli army has widened its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since the Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise offensive on Oct. 7.

More than 10,300 people have since been killed in the conflict, including at least 8,796 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Source:

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Saudi deputy minister receives Bosnia and Herzegovina ambassador

November 01, 2023

RIYADH: Saudi Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Saud Al-Sati on Wednesday received the newly appointed Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Razim Colic, in Riyadh.

Al-Sati welcomed the envoy and wished him success in his new role.

The deputy minister also recently met with Pavel Kafka, the Czech Republic’s ambassador to the Kingdom, discussing relations between their two countries and regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Source: arabnews.com

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Saudi Hajj minister meets with Bahraini Islamic affairs minister

November 01, 2023

RIYADH: Bahrain’s Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments Minister Nawaf bin Mohammed Al-Maawda met with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Hajj and Umrah Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah on Wednesday during an official visit to Bahrain, Saudi Press Agency reported.

Al-Maawda welcomed Al-Rabiah and his accompanying delegation, emphasizing the longstanding ties between the two countries, which have continuously developed under their respective leaderships.

During the visit, the officials discussed ways to enhance cooperation for Hajj and Umrah. Al-Maawda affirmed that Bahrain’s Supreme Committee for Hajj and Umrah Affairs is keen to align its initiatives with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

He highlighted that the committee began preparations for the Hajj season through a series of meetings between the Bahraini and Saudi ministries.

The minister also praised the comprehensive development plan recently launched by Saudi Arabia’s ministry, aimed at streamlining Hajj registration procedures.

Furthermore, Al-Maawda commended the Saudi government for the exceptional attention it provides to pilgrims from various Islamic countries, citing services such as the Nusuk platform.

Source: arabnews.com

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Baraka:Yemeni armed forces' operations against Zionist enemy are advanced step in holy jihad battle

[01/November/2023]

SANA'A November 01.2023 (Saba)-The representative of the Islamic Jihad movement in Yemen, Ahmed Baraka, blessed the operations carried out by the Yemeni armed forces against the usurping Zionist entity with a large group of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

In a statement to the Yemeni News Agency (Saba), Baraka considered these operations to be the inauguration of Yemen’s participation in the battle of heroism and honor, “Al-Aqsa Flood,” with Mujahideen in Gaza Strip to confront the nation’s enemies ,cleanse the Palestinian land of invaders and occupiers.

He said: “It is not strange for the Yemeni people to stand with the Palestinian people with words, money, and now with weapons.” He praised the capabilities and developments that the Yemeni armed forces have reached in the field of military industrialization, with their own capabilities to direct them against the nation’s enemies and not for show off.

Baraka appreciated the positions of the Yemeni leadership, government and people in supporting the Palestinian people and their valiant resistance, including this advanced step in the participation of Mujahideen in the battle of holy jihad against the usurping Zionist enemy.

He stressed that the operations of the Yemeni armed forces will have a great impact on the Zionist enemy, as the entry of a country the size of Yemen, which controls the most important straits and sea lanes, will have an impact on the course of the Palestinian issue.

Baraka pointed out that the Palestinian people are proud to have those who support them and stand by them in this battle... stressing that the world must bear its responsibility towards the oppression of the Palestinian people and their just cause.

He stressed that the Zionist enemy does not hesitate to use all weapons against the civilians of Palestine since 1948 AD to displace them from their land... indicating that the Zionist entity is today killing the Palestinian people with deadly American weapons in an attempt to repeat the scenario of the Nakba of 1948 AD, but it failed and its plans were destroyed on the rock of the steadfastness of the people of Gaza. And the heroes of the resistance who write the most wonderful epics of heroism and redemption to defend the land of Palestine.

Baraka called on the free peoples to continue to move ,express their condemnation and opposition to the Zionist-American aggression against the Gaza Strip, to put pressure on its rulers to wake up from their deep slumber, and to follow the example of the Yemeni people, who put the argument on everyone to support Al-Aqsa and the holy sites, and to provide relief to their brothers who are being subjected to a genocidal war. If not for the sake of Arabism and Islam, then for the sake of humanity.

Source: saba.ye

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3277195.htm

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India

 

Muslim Community Laud CM Vijayan’s Efforts to Quell Hate Campaign in Kerala Amid Serial Blasts at The Prayer Meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses

02nd November 2023

KOZHIKODE: Several Muslim groups have praised Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s efforts in curbing the spread of hate campaigns following the explosion at the prayer meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kalamassery on October 29, resulting in three fatalities.

Salafi preacher M M Akbar, in a Facebook post, declared that the entire state of Kerala stands behind Pinarayi, who unequivocally stated that there would be no tolerance for those involved in spreading hatred. Akbar noted, “The Chief Minister led from the front, declaring that hate campaigns will not be allowed.”

“The past three days have instilled a profound sense of respect for the political leadership in the state. Witnessing the resolute actions of the Chief Minister, the Opposition leader, and their supporters was truly heartening. This has sent a strong message that we will not permit Kerala to be engulfed in flames,” Akbar said.

Akbar found the Chief Minister’s actions, the resolution of the all-party meeting, actions against prominent figures involved in spreading hate, and the visit to the blast site commendable. “If we stand united against the perpetrators of hatred through social media and other means the uniqueness of Kerala will be preserved,” he added.

State president of Samastha Kerala Jem-Iyyathul Ulama, Syed Muhammad Jiffiri Muthukoya Thangal, also lauded the government’s effective handling of the situation following the blast. Talking to reporters in Kasaragod on Tuesday, he said that timely intervention of the government had spoiled the attempts to flare up the situation after the blast.

Source: newindianexpress.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2023/nov/02/muslim-communitylaud-cm-pinarayi-vijayansefforts-to-quell-hate-campaign-in-kerala-amid-serial-blasts-2629185.html

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Madras HC Relief to Cop Denied Promotion Owing to Links with Muslim Outfit‘Manitha Neethi Pasarai’

02nd November 2023

MADURAI: Observing that all human beings should be provided with equal opportunity to unleash their potential and there should not be any discrimination based on one’s caste, race, colour, religion or socio-cultural identity, the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court recently directed the state police to promote a Muslim police constable by fixing his seniority on par with his batch mates.

Justice Battu Devanand passed the order on a petition filed by the constable, M Haja Sherif, in 2016. Sherif participated in the 2007-2008 Grade -II police constable selection and emerged successful. But the authorities did not issue an appointment order to him on the ground that he was a member of an association called ‘Manitha Neethi Pasarai’ which, they claimed, was an offshoot of the Student Islamic Movement of India, Al-Umma and Jihad Committee, which are banned organisations. Sherif approached the High Court twice and on both instances, the court ruled in his favour by noting that ‘Manitha Neethi Pasarai’ was not a banned organisation.

Following this, Sherif was finally issued an appointment order in March 2013. Stating that the five-year delay in appointment was not his fault, he requested the authorities to fix his seniority on par with his 2007-2008 batchmates. But the request was rejected, prompting him to move the High Court with the present petition.

Justice Devanand said he cannot lose sight of the petitioner's counsel’s contention that only with an intention to prevent the development of minorities, the authorities have curtailed the petitioner’s rights, thereby cementing the stigma that minorities are anti-social elements.

“Discrimination should not be shown in any form, including one’s caste, race, colour, region, religion or socio-cultural identities. Every responsible citizen should be given ample scope to prove their potential in the service of the nation without imposing any hurdles. Mere presumptions and prejudices of anyone acting in any capacity shouldn’t be a valid reason for restricting someone else’s career growth. In this civilised 21st century, this attitude has to be changed in the minds of all, particularly the officers of the state and central governments, who are vested with the statutory powers,” the judge observed. He directed the government to fix Sherif’s seniority on par with his batch mates within a month and provide him all consequential benefits.

Source: newindianexpress.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2023/nov/02/madras-hc-relief-to-cop-denied-promotion-owing-to-links-with-muslim-outfit-2629233.html

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20-year-old Indian-origin soldier among Israeli combatants killed in Gaza

Nov 01, 2023

A 20-year-old Indian-origin Israeli soldier was among the Israeli combatants killed while fighting in Gaza, community members and the Mayor of the town said on Wednesday.

Staff-Sgt. Halel Solomon was from the southern Israeli town of Dimona.

“It is with great sorrow and grief that we announce the death of a son of Dimona, Halel Solomon, in the battle in Gaza,” Dimona's Mayor, Benny Bitton said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

“We share in the grief of the parents, Ronit and Mordechai, and the sisters: Yasmin, Hila, Vered, and Shaked .... Halel aspired to do a meaningful service and enlisted in the Givati (Brigade). Halel was a devoted son and had respect for his parents always in his eyes. Possessing immense good qualities he believed in endless giving, modesty, and humility. The whole city of Dimona is grieving his passing,” Bitton wrote.

Dimona is a town in the south of Israel identified with Israel’s nuclear reactor but some also describe it as “little India” given the large concentration of Jews from India in the township.

Indian community members told PTI that he was “a young man with pleasant manners and a very bright future ahead.” They expressed huge sorrow at his passing away and at the loss of lives of other young Israelis “fighting a just war for Israel’s existence.”

At least 11 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the battle in Gaza in what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a “difficult war” with “painful losses,” but vowed to continue “until victory.”

“We are in a difficult war. This will be a long war. We have so many important achievements but also painful losses,” Netanyahu said.

“We know that every soldier of ours is an entire world. The entire people of Israel embrace you, the families, from the depth of our hearts. We are all with you during your heavy sorrow. Our soldiers have fallen in the most just of wars, the war for our home,” the Israeli Prime Minister said.

“I promise the citizens of Israel: We will complete the work – we will continue until victory,” he stressed.

At least 1400 Israelis were killed in a deadly attack carried out by Hamas on Israel’s southern communities on October 7. They also took at least 240 people as hostages during that surprise infiltration.

Israel, backed by the United States and some other Western nations, declared war against Hamas which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007 with two stated goals - elimination of the terror organisation and freeing the hostages.

More than 8,000 people have died in Gaza since Israel launched a counter-offensive by first carrying out widespread air strikes and then slowly launching ground incursions that have been intensifying over the last three days.

Source: hindustantimes.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/20yearold-indian-origin-soldier-among-israeli-combatants-killed-in-gaza-101698856782133.html

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Israel Embassy In Delhi Displays Posters Of Citizens Kidnapped By Hamas

November 02, 2023

New Delhi: The Israeli Embassy in New Delhi on Wednesday displayed the posters of its citizens who were kidnapped and held hostage by Hamas following the October 7 attack.

On October 7, over 2000 terrorists breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip. More than 200 innocent civilians were abducted from Israel into the Gaza Strip. Their whereabouts remain unknown.

More than 3,000 women, children and men, ranging from the age of 9 months to 80 years were wounded, raped, murdered and beaten and brutally separated by their loved ones by Hamas.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi, in a televised screening for Indian journalists held a screening that revealed horrific and chilling videos of the October 7 attack.

In one of the footage's, a terrorist purportedly can be seen saying, "Please open WhatsApp and look how many dead," imploring his parents repeatedly referring to pictures or video he had sent home showing the attack. "Your son killed so many Jews," he added. "Mum, your son is a hero."

Some of the stark details depicting Hamas' brutality showed terrorists shooting a dog multiple times who crosses his path to going on a shooting spree, aiming at houses and even firing on the tyre of an ambulance.

On Monday, the Israeli military said that it had rescued an Israeli soldier who was taken hostage from her army base on Oct 7.

Hamas earlier released four hostages: American Israeli mother and daughter on October 20 and two Israeli women three days later.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Force (IDF) reported that Tuesday evening its fighter jets, acting on intelligence provided by the ISA (Israeli Security Agency), killed Ibrahim Biari, the commander of Hamas' Central Jabaliya Battalion.

Biari was one of the leaders responsible for sending "Nukbha" terrorist operatives to Israel to carry out the murderous terror attack on October 7th. Numerous other Hamas terrorists were also killed in the strike.

Source: ndtv.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/israel-embassy-in-delhi-displays-posters-of-citizens-taken-hostage-by-hamas-4536984#pfrom=home-ndtvworld_featured

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Europe

 

Spain’s ministers denounce ongoing Israeli ‘genocide’ in Gaza

02 November 2023

Several Spanish ministers have slammed the ongoing Israeli “genocide” in the Gaza Strip, urging their government to do more to stop the regime’s atrocities against Palestinians.

“Bombing hospitals, refugee camps, children, defenseless elderly people, Israel is demonstrating the worst of humanity. How long will European leaders make us accomplices of this barbarism,” Ione Belarra, Head of the Podemos party and Minister of Social Rights, posted on X.

Belarra has already Spain and the EU to break off ties with Israel.

On Wednesday, she praised Bolivia for cutting off its diplomatic relations with the occupying regime.

After Israel admitted to bombing a refugee camp on Tuesday, Spain’s Minister for Consumer Affairs, Alberto Garzon, also shared his condemnation.

“The impunity of Israel and its crimes is an international disgrace. A genocide that will weigh on the Western governments that support and justify it,” he posted on social media.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Equality Minister, Irene Montero, re-shared Colombian leader Gustavo Petro’s post calling Israel’s actions genocidal and saying “its allies cannot speak of democracy.”

In response, the Federation of Jewish Communities in Spain accused the Spanish minister of “anti-Semitism.”

The Israeli embassy in Spain also slammed them as having “aligned themselves with ISIS-like terrorism” for prior comments.

The country’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have called for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire and criticized the Israeli siege.

Albares said on Wednesday he was “appalled by the civilian victims of the bombing in Jabalya.”

Sanchez is also trying to organize a peace summit to give the warring sides a “concrete horizon” for lasting solutions.

“The international community already recognizes Israel and now what we need to do is to recognize the Palestinian State,” he said.

Lone Belarra had earlier posted a video on her X account unequivocally condemning Israeli crimes.

“Today we are here accompanying all the decent people of our country and also all those people throughout Europe who want to ask and demand an end once and for all to this planned genocide, this ethnic cleansing of the people of Palestine that is being carried out by the State of Israel,” Belarra said.

Spanish Minister of Social Rights calls on European leaders to cut ties with Israel to end genocide in Gaza amid global calls for a ceasefire.

The European leaders, including those of Spain, are “not up to the gravity of the circumstances,” she said, adding, “We do not want to be complicit in this planned genocide and we think that Europe must act urgently. I believe that Europe is going to pay dearly for this hypocrisy.”

The ongoing Israeli offensive has pushed the Gaza Strip to the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, with hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians enduring immense suffering and loss.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk also warned on Saturday that there was the potential for thousands more civilians to die if Israel pressed ahead with a ground offensive in Gaza.

Source: presstv.ir

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/02/713866/Spain-ministers-denounce-ongoing-Israeli-genocide-Gaza

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At General Assembly, Russia calls for immediate halt to bloodshed in Gaza Strip

02 November 2023

Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya has called for an immediate end to the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli regime continues its deadly bombing campaign in the besieged enclave.

Nebenzya made the appeal during the General Assembly special session on Palestine on Thursday, stressing that the bloodshed must be stopped in order to prevent the ongoing crisis from spreading to the entire.

“First of all, it is necessary to stop the bloodshed and to prevent the crisis from engulfing the entire region. Otherwise, the conflict will never be stopped,” he said.

Nebenzya also demanded that the mediators be allowed to work on a diplomatic solution, including the release of hostages.

Russia’s UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has blamed the United States for the ongoing atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

“One will have to walk down this path sooner or later; the only question is how many innocent people will die in the meantime,” he said.

The Russian envoy said Israel is an occupying regime and therefore it does not have the right to defend itself in the current conflict as it claims.

On Tuesday, Nebenzya blamed the United States for the ongoing atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians, after Washington opposed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an urgent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

The envoy also slammed Western countries that abstained at the vote on Russia-proposed draft resolutions that called for a ceasefire.

A week earlier, Nebenzya said Moscow has for years been warning about the soaring tensions in West Asia and that the ongoing crisis in the region results from longstanding “destructive” policies of the United States.

Russia says the ongoing crisis in the West Asia region results from longstanding destructive policies of the United States.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s intensified crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The aggression has so far killed 8,800 Palestinians and left more than 23,000 wounded.

Tel Aviv has also blocked water, food, and electricity to Gaza, plunging the coastal strip into a humanitarian crisis.

Source: presstv.ir

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/02/713869/Russia-calls-for-immediate-halt-bloodshed-Gaza-Strip

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Moscow says “Israel” has no right to defend itself because it is an occupying entity

[02/November/2023]

NEW YORK November 02. 2023 (Saba) - Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya has renewed his country's call to stop the bloodshed in the Middle East in order to avoid expanding the scope of the crisis to the entire region and to work on a diplomatic solution for it.

Nebenzya said during his speech before the emergency special session of the General Assembly of the World Organization regarding Palestine “First, it is necessary to stop the bloodshed and prevent the crisis from sweeping the entire region... otherwise the conflict will never stop.”

He added "We call for allowing the mediators to work on finding a diplomatic solution, including the rapid release of detainees."

Nebenzya said "Sooner or later, this path will have to be taken (a diplomatic solution), but the question is how many innocent people will die during this time."

He stressed that "(Israel) has no right to self-defense in the current conflict because it is an occupying entity."

Nebenzya pointed out that the United Nations does not have the right to give "Israel" an absolute mandate to carry out a ground operation in Gaza.

He said "The goal of our American colleagues is not only to divert attention from the failure of their policies, shift responsibility from a sick head to a healthy one, and blame Iran, Hezbollah, and the Palestinian streets in Gaza for all the problems."

Nebenzya went on saying “Their mission is also to try to push the Security Council towards legitimizing the Israeli ground operation in Gaza... After all, as we well remember from the situation in the unoccupied zone in Libya in 2011, it was not difficult for our Western colleagues to explain it to Security Council Resolution 1973 in their favor and the aggression against Libya.”

“The Council does not have the right to give such carte blanche,” Nebenzya stressed.

Nebenzya noted Russia condemns the killing of Zionist and foreign civilians who were there. However, the Russian Federation cannot turn a blind eye to the blatant violations of international humanitarian law committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

Source: saba.ye

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.saba.ye/en/news3277287.htm

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Greece concerned over rising civilian deaths from Israeli attacks on Gaza

02.11.2023

Ahmet Gençtürk

Greece is growing increasingly concerned over the rising number of civilian deaths from Israeli attacks on Gaza.

Responding in parliament to criticism by opposition parties and the public over the Israeli army’s attacks on civilians and the government’s policy regarding the conflict, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Israel's response should take into account international law and international humanitarian law, according to a statement issued Wednesday by the Prime Minister’s Office.

Noting that the government he leads has placed a particular emphasis on the need for humanitarian corridors and humanitarian pauses to relieve the plight of civilians in Gaza, he added: “The images which are currently being broadcast by the media from Gaza are tragic.”

“Thousands of people, (including) children, are losing their lives in attacks that have escalated beyond what one would expect to be seen as a reasonable response to an attack on Israel.”

Maintaining that his government remains committed to a political resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on the principle of a two-state solution, Mitsotakis noted that the government supports the creation of a Palestinian state that would not undermine the stability of Israel, with which Greece enjoys strategic relations.

The Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

More than 10,300 people have since been killed in the conflict, including at least 8,796 Palestinians and more than 1,538 Israelis.

Besides the large number of casualties and displacement, basic supplies are running low for the 2.3 million residents of Gaza due to the Israeli siege.

Source: aa.com.tr

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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/greece-concerned-over-rising-civilian-deaths-from-israeli-attacks-on-gaza/3040761

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France ‘concerned’ by Israeli strikes on Gaza refugee camp

November 02, 2023

PARIS: France said Wednesday that it was “deeply concerned” about Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip’s largest refugee camp, calling for a humanitarian pause to allow aid through.

Israeli strikes have targeted the Jabalia refugee camp twice in two days, killing and wounding dozens, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run Palestinian territory.

Israel said Tuesday’s raid was a successful hit on top Hamas commander Ibrahim Biari.

“France is deeply concerned about the very heavy toll on the Palestinian civilian population from the Israeli strikes against the Jabalia camp, and expresses its compassion for the victims,” the government said in a press release.

Paris reiterated a call for “an immediate humanitarian truce so that aid can reach those who need it in a sustainable, safe and adequate way.”

Israel has relentlessly pounded Gaza in retribution for the worst attack in the country’s history.

Hamas gunmen stormed across the border from Gaza on October 7, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 230 hostages, according to Israeli officials.

Israel’s retaliatory bombing campaign has killed 8,796 people, mainly women and children, according to Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry.

Source: arabnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2401766/middle-east

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UK PM Sunak discusses situation in Gaza with Egypt’s El-Sisi

November 02, 2023

LONDON: British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi spoke on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Gaza and the wider Middle East, Sunak’s office said in a statement following the call.

Sunak’s office said the pair “discussed diplomatic efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, prevent escalation in the wider Middle East and achieve long-term peace and prosperity for the Palestinian people.”

Sunak also welcomed the opening of the Rafah crossing to allow British and other foreign nationals and injured Palestinians to leave Gaza, his office said.

The prime minister updated El-Sisi on plans for a second UK aid flight to support the work of the Egyptian Red Crescent.

He said ensuring life-saving aid and medical treatment reaches civilians by all available routes is a top priority and the UK stands ready to provide further support.

Source: arabnews.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2401691/world

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North America

 

CAIR Calls Florida Congressman’s Remark Comparing Palestinian Civilians to Nazis a ‘Call to Genocide,’ Calls for Brian Mast Resignation

Ismail Allison

November 1, 2023

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/1/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations today condemned remarks by Florida Rep. Brian Mast comparing Palestinian civilians to Nazis and called it an attempted “call to commit genocide.”

CAIR called for Mast’s resignation.

During a speech on the House floor, Rep. Mast said” “I would encourage the other side to not so lightly throw around the idea of innocent Palestinian civilians […] I don’t think we would so lightly throw around the term ‘innocent Nazi civilians.’”

In a statement, CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw said:

“Representative Mast’s appalling remarks comparing innocent Palestinian men, women and children to Nazis is nothing short of a call to commit genocide. The Israeli government is openly pursuing a campaign of collective punishment to wipe out or displace the people of Gaza, and such statements from American politicians embolden their war crimes. We call on Representative Mast to resign.”

He noted that today, CAIR announced its opposition to efforts to give the Israeli government an additional $14 billion in American taxpayer dollars that would be used to commit additional war crimes against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and maintain the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.  

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

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.   

Source: cair.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original        

https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-calls-florida-congressmans-remark-comparing-palestinian-civilians-to-nazis-a-call-to-commit-genocide-calls-for-his-resignation/

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Netanyahu’s days are numbered, Biden and aides increasingly believe: US media

 02 November 2023

Senior US officials have reportedly been discussing whether Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political days are coming to an end, citing the dismal performance of the Israeli regime during a recent Palestinian resistance operation among other things.

"The topic of Netanyahu’s short political shelf life has come up in recent White House meetings involving [US President Joe] Biden," American news website Politico reported on Wednesday, citing two senior US administration officials.

"Biden has gone so far as to suggest to Netanyahu that he should think about lessons he would share with his eventual successor," the officials added.

The website cited a current US official and a former one as confirming that "the administration believes Netanyahu has limited time left in office."

The US administration's dimming view of Netanyahu is partly driven by the belief that he has been "significantly weakened" by Israelis’ anger over the regime's failure in the face of the October 7 operation by the Gaza Strip's resistance movements that dealt a heavy blow to the Tel Aviv regime.

"There’s going to have to be a reckoning within Israeli society about what happened," said the current official, adding, "Ultimately, the buck stops on the prime minister’s desk."

The Israeli war in Gaza has brought devastation to the strip, accompanied by the massacre of civilians, mostly women and children; however, it may have another casualty, the state of Israel itself.

"The current official said the expectation internally was that the Israeli PM would likely last a matter of months, or at least until the early fighting phase of Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip was over," the report said.

Biden’s trip to Tel Aviv last month was one largely of support, but privately he also urged Netanyahu to proceed cautiously and not widen the war, according to the two senior administration officials.

With an eye toward the future, US officials are talking to Benny Gantz, a member of the current unity government; Naftali Bennett, a former prime minister; and Yair Lapid, an opposition leader and former prime minister, among other Israeli figures, the report said.

“Even the best case scenario for Israel in this war would not likely keep Netanyahu in power because the horror of the Oct. 7 operation will remain fresh, and because so many Israelis already directly attribute the lack of security to Netanyahu’s policies,” said Hagar Chemali, a former National Security Council and Treasury Department official in the Obama administration.

The occupying regime has faced international backlash over a hugely deadly war that it has been waging against Gaza in response to the Hamas' operation.

Visiting the occupied territories last month, Biden "advised Netanyahu to consider the scenario he was leaving for his successor — an implicit suggestion that Netanyahu might not be in power for the duration of what will likely be a lengthy conflict," the report added.

Source: presstv.ir

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/02/713857/United-States-Israel-Netanyahu-political-career-Palestine-Gaza-war

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CAIR Condemns Israeli-Based Cyberattacks on Muslim Crowdfunding Sites Raising Funds for Humanitarian Relief to Gaza

Ismail Allison

November 1, 2023

(WASHINGTON, D.C., 10/30/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned cyberattacks originating in Israel that targeted the American Muslim fundraising platform LaunchGood, which is hosting humanitarian aid campaigns for Gaza.

In a tweet, LaunchGood founder and CEO Chris Blauvelt said that “hackers, most likely in Israel, launched a Distributed Denial of Service Attack on LaunchGood that sent over 1 billion requests to our website from bots to try and crash our servers.” According to Blauvelt, the estimated monetary value of donations that could not be made while the website was under attack is $300,000. LaunchGood was restored to full service within hours and no other functions were disrupted.

In a statement, CAIR Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:

“LaunchGood is a widely respected and impactful platform that has delivered hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to people in need. Launching cyberattacks to stop Americans from donating to help innocent men, women and children of Gaza is nothing short of pure evil. We condemn these attacks and the broader efforts by supporters of the far-right Israeli government to silence Muslim voices speaking out for the Palestinian people.”

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

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.           

Do you like reading CAIR press releases and taking part in our action alerts? You can help contribute to CAIR’s work of defending civil rights and empowering American Muslims across the country by making a one-time contribution or becoming a monthly donor. Supporters like you make CAIR’s advocacy work possible and defeating Islamophobia an achievable goal. Click here to donate to CAIR.

Source: cair.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-condemns-israeli-based-cyberattacks-on-muslim-crowdfunding-sites-raising-funds-for-humanitarian-relief-to-gaza/

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CAIR Opposes $14.3 Billion in Funding for Israeli ‘War Crimes’

Ismail Allison

November 1, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C., 11/1/2023) – The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today announced its opposition to efforts to give the Israeli government an additional $14 billion in American taxpayer dollars that would be used to commit additional war crimes against Palestinian civilians in Gaza and maintain the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. 

CAIR said that rather than exacerbating the conflict with additional weaponry, lawmakers should endorse and support the Ceasefire Now Resolution.

Today, there was another Israeli assault on the Jabalia refugee camp in Gaza, resulting in an undisclosed number of casualties, yet we are still considering seeding more funds to aid this genocide and inhumane war that breaks the international laws of war.

In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:   

“It makes no sense for our nation to give Benjamin Netanyahu’s government $14 billion that he will undoubtedly use to target more Palestinian civilians while we also give those very same Palestinian civilians millions in humanitarian aid; it’s like paying both the arsonist and the firefighter.

“Our nation should not send a single taxpayer dollar to Benjamin Netanyahu’s openly racist and admittedly genocidal government, which would use the funds to continue massacring civilians in Gaza and sustaining the illegal occupation of Palestinian land.

“Our government is betraying the trust of the American people. They should keep American taxpayer dollars at home to take care of the unemployed, uninsured, protect students in schools, and shelter the homeless.”

BACKGROUND:

House GOP members are supporting an appropriations bill to provide aid to Israel’s Department of Defense. Here is a breakdown of the funding:

$4.4 billion to replenish domestic defense stockpiles.

$4 billion to replenish Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems.

$3.5 billion in Foreign Military Financing for the procurement of advanced weapons systems and defense articles and services.

$1.2 billion for the continued development of the Iron Beam system to counter short-range threats.

$1 billion to support artillery and munitions production. 

The $14.3 billion would be taken from the $80 billion designated in President Biden’s 2022 Inflation Reduction Act for the IRS. The IRS intends to utilize these funds to modernize its aging computer infrastructure, enhance customer service, and intensify efforts to recover an estimated $600 billion in uncollected taxes each year, with a significant portion originating from affluent individuals who underreport their income.

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

La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.

Source: cair.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original                  

https://www.cair.com/press_releases/cair-opposes-14-3-billion-in-funding-for-israeli-war-crimes/

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Pakistan

 

Imran urges lawyers to spearhead movement for people’s rights

November 2, 2023

Ikram Junaidi

ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan has issued a clarion call to the country’s legal fraternity, urging a grassroots movement to uphold the people’s rights, particularly the right to vote and elect their representatives.

“It is the fiduciary duty of the judiciary and the lawyers to protect the Constitution, upon which rests the progress of our nation,” Mr Khan said in a message posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Wednesday.

“Therefore, the legal fraternity must start and lead a movement for upholding the rights of the people of Pakistan, foremost their fundamental right to vote, to choose their leaders and to define their future themselves,” he said in the message, shared through his family.

The former prime minister said the fact that which leader citizens choose is secondary, “but they must be given their basic and fundamental right enshrined in the Constitution to choose their representatives”.

He added: “Pakistan stands at the crossroads; it is a critical juncture where we are watching the steady destruction and dismantling of our justice system.”

Mr Khan warned that if citizens did not fight for justice and stand behind the judges, “we will not be able to establish constitutional supremacy in this country or stand up against this rule of might, where only the fittest and the richest survive”.

Source: dawn.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.dawn.com/news/1785712/imran-urges-lawyers-to-spearhead-movement-for-peoples-rights

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Parvez Elahi celebrates birthday with family in jail

November 2, 2023

ISLAMABAD: Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad on Wednesday allowed the family of former chief minister Parvez Elahi to celebrate his birthday in jail with him.

Elahi’s family, through their counsel, appealed before the court that they could not meet Mr Elahi in jail during the visitation day last week.

The counsel informed the judge that the birthday of the former chief minister was on Nov 1, and the family desired to celebrate the day with him at jail. So, he requested the court to grant permission to the family and direct the jail authorities to arrange a special meeting for Mr Elahi with his spouse, children, and other relatives.

ATC Judge Shahrukh Arjumand confirmed if Pervaiz Elahi was still in the Adiala Jail and subsequently, granted the permission to the family to celebrate Elahi’s birthday in jail with him and also issued directions to the jail authorities.

It may be mentioned that Parvez Elahi was detained in Adiala Jail in connection with judicial remand for allegedly inciting people to attack the Federal Judicial Complex on March 18, 2023, when former prime minister Imran Khan appeared before the trial court in connection with the Toshakhana case.

Source: dawn.com

Please click the following URL to read the full text of the original

https://www.dawn.com/news/1785672/parvez-elahi-celebrates-birthday-with-family-in-jail

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64 Afghans moved from Adiala jail to Torkham border

November 2, 2023

Munawer Azeem

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: As the police in the twin cities formed special teams to round up undocumented immigrants, the Islamabad police on Wednesday moved at least 64 Afghan nationals to the Torkham border crossing for deportation whereas the Rawalpindi police shifted more than 180 immigrants to a ‘holding centre’.

Islamabad police officials said a team of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the capital police transported the prisoners in two buses from Adiala jail to the border under strict security measures. The remaining prisoners will be shifted to the border in different phases.

On Wednesday, the Shalimar police arrested over two dozen Afghan refugees on Wednesday and the process of their identity verification was underway.

“Those who will be able to produce valid documents will be set free while the others will be moved to a ‘holding centre’ in Sector I-14,” officials said.

The police have formed separate teams of the operations division and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), which will target locations, including Sabzi Mandi, Sangjani, and Bhara Kahu, where Afghan immigrants are reportedly concentrated.

“Police have also planned to raid some informal settlements on the outskirts of the federal capital to detain ‘illegal foreigners’,” the sources revealed.

It may be noted that the capital administration had announced a crackdown on undocumented immigrants from November 2 after the passage of the Nov 1 deadline set for the ‘voluntary repatriation’ of the ‘illegal foreigners’.

“The police will also conduct door-to-door searches in light of tenants’ data available with the CTD and Safe City Authority to identify and arrest undocumented immigrants,” sources added. The decision was ostensibly taken to discourage families from giving shelter to undocumented immigrants.

‘Extra caution’

In Rawalpindi, the police have formed special teams with a target to arrest 1,000 Afghan nationals till November 3, 2023.

The police had also planned a ‘grand operation’ in the vicinity of Pirwadahi to round up more refugees.

The raiding teams have also been directed to handle the detention of ‘illegal immigrants’ with “extra caution so that no one should record the arrests on camera”.

Following the government’s decision, City Police Officer Syed Khalid Hamdani called a special meeting on Wednesday to chalk out a strategy to handle the issue of Afghan nationals.

He also directed them to take the women police with them while rounding up refugee children and women. “And the SHO will be responsible for shifting the illegal immigrants to a ‘holding’ camp, established in Khayaban-i-Sir Syed,” the official said.

He further directed the police to arrest all those who “have POR and ACC cards or those that have expired”; the verification of those cards would be conducted by Nadra and FIA staff at the ‘holding centre’.

Officials have estimated that a total of 12,000 Afghans have been identified in Rawalpindi district, of which 6,000 are illegal, a senior official said, adding that the status of the remaining 6,000 was yet to be confirmed.

The Attock police, on the other hand, said over 100 Afghan migrants were rounded up from various parts of the district and shifted to “holding centres” while as many as 12 Afghan migrants were booked under the foreigners act.— Amjad Iqbal in Taxila also contributed to the story

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1785683/64-afghans-moved-from-adiala-jail-to-torkham-border

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Chinese ambassador calls on Fazl

November 02, 2023

ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Jiang Zaidong along with his delegation Wednesday met with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and discussed ties between the two countries.

According to a JUIF spokesperson, the delegation included Minister Counselor Zhang Nu, Zhang Duva and Wang Sita.

The matters related to bilateral relations and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) were also discussed in the meeting.

The ambassador said, “We want Pakistan to use China’s technology in agriculture.” The meeting also agreed to expand the scope of CPEC and also underscored the importance of including more projects in CPEC.

Fazal expressed his resolve to form industrial and economic zones in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The ambassador also invited the JUIF chief to visit China. Mohammad Jalaluddin, a former ambassador, and adviser on foreign affairs, and Mufti Abrar Ahmed, who is the spokesperson for JUIF were also present in the meeting.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1125083-chinese-ambassador-calls-on-fazl

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President Alvi condemns use of brutal force against Palestinians

November 02, 2023

Asim Yasin

ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi has strongly condemned the use of excessive force against innocent Palestinians and urged an end to the siege on Gaza. He also called for a humanitarian corridor to be opened for those affected by this crisis.

“Pakistan was seriously concerned at the incessant Israeli aggression against civilians, which had killed thousands of people including women, children, and elderly,” he gave these remarks during a presentation of diplomatic credentials ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr on Wednesday.

The Ambassador-designate of Jordan, Dr Maen A.M. Khreasat, Ambassador-designate of Holy See, Archbishop Germano Penemote Apostolic Nuncio, Ambassador-designate of Czech Republic, Ladislav Steinhubel, the High Commissioner-designate of Brunei Darussalam, Colonel (r) Pengiran Haji Kamal Bashah bin Pengiran Haji Ahmad, and the Ambassador-designate of Qatar to Pakistan, Ali Mubarak A.E. Al-Khater, presented their diplomatic credentials to President Dr Arif Alvi and later separately called on him.

President Dr Arif Alvi stressed that the international community should condemn the continued Israeli aggression in Gaza.

He stated that Pakistan stood for a total withdrawal of Israel from all occupied Arab territories, including Jerusalem, as well as the establishment of an independent homeland for Palestinians with Al-Quds Sharif as its capital.

Talking to the envoys, the President said that Pakistan was closely monitoring the situation in Palestine and wanted the restoration of the inalienable rights of the people of Palestine.

He highlighted that Pakistan had consistently supported the Palestine cause, and wanted a comprehensive resolution of all outstanding Arab-Israeli disputes to ensure lasting peace in the region.

Speaking to the envoys, the President said that Pakistan wanted to further intensify political, economic and cultural links with all friendly countries, besides increasing bilateral trade and investment relations.

He highlighted that Pakistan had established a Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), which provided a one-window facility for investment in IT, Corporate Farming, Minerals and Energy sectors of Pakistan.

He said that foreign investors should benefit from the investment-friendly policies of Pakistan and invest in these sectors.

The President also highlighted the gross human rights violations committed by India in the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

The President congratulated the envoys on their new assignments and expressed confidence that they would further strengthen the bilateral relations of their respective countries with Pakistan.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/1125078-president-alvi-condemns-use-of-brutal-force-against-palestinians

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More than 165,000 Afghans flee Pakistan in a month after government order

November 02, 2023

TORKHAM, Pakistan: More than 165,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan in the month since Islamabad issued an ultimatum to 1.7 million people to leave or face arrest and deportation, officials said Thursday.

The majority rushed to the border in the past several days as the November 1 deadline approached and police began to open up dozens of holding centers to detain arrested Afghans.

Officials at the country’s busiest border point at Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province worked into the early hours of Thursday morning to clear a queue of 28,000 people that stretched for seven kilometers.

The border traffic has since eased, with officials encouraging undocumented Afghans to continue leaving voluntarily as police launched search operations.

“Illegal Afghans arrived at Torkham in heavy numbers because of the deadline... People can still return voluntarily but today only 1,000 are present at the border,” Abdul Nasir Khan, deputy commissioner of the border district, said.

Just over 129,000 have fled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the provincial home department said, while a total of 38,100 have crossed through Chaman in Balochistan, border officials there said.

Authorities on the Afghan side of the border have been overwhelmed by the scale of the exodus as they attempt to process those returning — some of whom are setting foot in Afghanistan for the first time in their lives.

Millions of Afghans have poured into Pakistan in recent decades, fleeing a series of violent conflicts, including an estimated 600,000 since the Taliban government seized power in August 2021 and imposed its harsh interpretation of Islamic law.

Pakistan has said the deportations are to protect its “welfare and security” after a sharp rise in attacks, which the government blames on militants operating from Afghanistan.

Analysts say it is likely a pressure tactic to force the Taliban government to cooperate on security issues.

The Afghan embassy in Islamabad has said the move will further damage relations between the two neighbors.

On Thursday, more than 100 people were detained in one police operation in the mega city of Karachi on Thursday, while police rounded up 425 Afghans in Quetta, the city closest to the Chaman border crossing.

“The campaign against illegal immigrants will continue,” Saad Bin Asad, the deputy commissioner of the city, said.

Lawyers and rights groups have accused the Pakistani government of using threats, abuse, and detention to coerce Afghan asylum seekers to leave while Afghans have reported weeks of arbitrary arrests and extortion.

“The constitution of Pakistan gives every person who is present on this soil right to a fair trial, but these refugees have been denied that right,” said Moniza Kakar, a Karachi-based human rights lawyer.

The expulsion of undocumented Afghans, however, has widespread support from Pakistanis, analysts say, with a protracted refugee presence putting a heavy burden on the country’s infrastructure.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2401671/world

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South Asia

 

Declaration of the Islamic Emirate on Afghan Refugees in Pakistan and Other Countries

2023-11-02

KABUL (BNA) For the past 45 years, Afghans have been facing many problems and migrations due to invasions and war in different countries, this situation has been imposed on Afghans and our nation has been forced to do so.

Now, that Afghan refugees are facing various problems and forced deportation; the following are important and need to be considered:

1-First of all, we would like to thank all the countries that have given Afghans a place in their homeland in the last 40 years, now, once again, we call on them not to forcefully deport Afghans without preparation; rather, give them enough time and countries should use tolerance in terms of good neighborhood, Islamic brotherhood, and human affection.

2-Afghans have not created problems for the security of the countries in which they live, nor are they involved in instability.

3-We want the neighboring countries to treat Afghan refugees well, keeping in mind the principles of Islamic brotherhood.

4-From the countries that Afghans return to their homeland as a result of forced deportation, the goods, money and other assets that they are carrying with them are their personal property and rights, no one has the right to turn them away or impose unfair and unjust conditions on them.

5-Those Afghans who are forcibly deported from other countries due to recent difficulties; for them to come home, All Afghans, including investors and business owners should remain in close contact with the High Commission for Addressing the Problems of Migrants and extend their support in refugee’s transition, accommodation, shelter, medical treatment and other possible and potential areas.

6-As the Islamic Emirate is in place and the government has ensured security across the country and maintained the atmosphere of brotherhood among Afghans, the officials of the Islamic Emirate have been instructed to help the returnees with full sincerity and accuracy as well as utilize every possible mean to serve them properly.

7-The Ministry of Commerce and Industry and other related entities should provide necessary facilities to the returning businessmen, investors, and industrialists.

8-Those Afghans who have left the country due to political concerns, we assure them to return and live peacefully in their country.

May Allah grant both the Islamic Emirate officials and the public the opportunity to provide facilities and services for the Afghan returnees.

Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://bakhtarnews.af/en/declaration-of-the-islamic-emirate-on-afghan-refugees-in-pakistan-and-other-countries/

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Taliban official issues warning to Pakistan over mass expulsion of Afghan migrants

Fidel Rahmati

November 1, 2023

The Interim government of Afghanistan has condemned the mass expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, calling it “inhumane.” They have warned that if the Pakistani government does not address this issue, they will be forced to take action in response.

Shir Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban administration, in his latest statements regarding Pakistan, has issued a warning and emphasized that the Pakistani government must halt the expulsion of migrants.

In a conversation with “Television One,” he reiterated that they are trying to resolve this issue through diplomatic channels with the Pakistani side. However, according to him, if these efforts do not yield results, the interim administration will respond to Pakistan’s treatment of Afghan refugees.

He also issued a warning to Pakistan, stating that the one-month deadline for Afghan migrants in this country has expired, and the police in Pakistan have commenced the process of detaining migrants across the country.

On Thursday, November 1st, a photo from the Torkham border crossing showed a significant gathering of migrants near the border. Over the past month, Pakistan has expelled more than 100,000 Afghan migrants, and recently, there has been a surge in people congregating at border crossings, particularly at Torkham, with thousands attempting to cross into Afghanistan.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/taliban-official-issues-warning-to-pakistan-over-mass-expulsion-of-afghan-migrants/

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Deportation of Afghan Immigrants is Against Intl Norms: Hanafi

November 1, 2023

The second deputy of the Prime Minister, Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi, who visited Torkham crossing to assess the situation of Afghan immigrants deporting from Pakistan, said that the deportation of Afghan immigrants from Pakistan is against all international norms and principles.

Hanafi said that the current Afghan government is fully ready to address the challenges of the Afghan refugees coming from Pakistan.

“Forced deportation of immigrants is against all norms. Now that this is being done and our brothers and sisters come, this is their home. If there are problems, now we have to do it and this is a mandatory task. This is their homeland and we will do our best,” Hanafi noted.

This comes as the process of deporting Afghan immigrants from Pakistan has intensified in an unprecedented way in the past three days.

Some returnees said that many have left their homes and all their properties in Pakistan, and some families have even been forced to sell their household items for a small price.

"They told those that they knew that if you don't leave before the 1 November, we will treat you illegally,” Zabihullah, a returnee, told TOLOnews.

"People's businesses and properties are all left in Pakistan. If the price of something was 500,000 now it is sold for 150,000,” Noor Khan, another returnee told TOLOnews.

Meanwhile, some other returnees said that on the eve of winter, the lack of shelter and basic life facilities are serious challenges that they are facing.

They asked the Islamic Emirate and the aid institutions to help them as soon as possible.

"They should at least provide food and tents for us. They should provide food and consumption for everyone for at least two to three months,” said Abdullah, a returnee.

"My house, life and family are left there. They are very cruel, no one would do the same injustice that Pakistan does to us,” said Rahmdad Khan, another returnee.

According to the information provided by the local officials of Nangarhar, in the past few weeks, about 20,000 families have returned to the country from Torkham.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185831

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Chamber Calls for Way to Transfer Capital From Pakistan to Afghanistan

 Bibi Amina Hakim

The Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce asked the Islamic Emirate to develop a solution to transfer the capital of Afghan immigrants from Pakistan.

The head of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, Khanjan Alkozi, added that Afghan investors had made almost three billion dollars in Pakistan.

"They [Afghans] left their land here, their garden, their house, and their shop, and they fled Afghanistan. They have started businesses in Pakistan. Afghans not only paid extra rent, but they had thirty to thirty-five percent impact on their [Pakistan’s] economy,” Alkozi said.

Meanwhile, some Afghan immigrants who have returned from Pakistan said that they are currently facing economic problems.

They added that they have left all their belongings in Pakistan and the interim government of Pakistan did not allow them to transfer their funds to Afghanistan.

The Norwegian Refugee Council in Afghanistan, concerned about the humanitarian crisis in the country, said that many migrants who have returned from Pakistan are facing economic challenges.

“Just yesterday, more than 7,000 people crossed the border here at Torkham. When people arrive here they are often in a very difficult condition. They have often travelled for many days to get here, and they have often had to sell their personal belongings to pay for the transport. We also have serious concerns about how people will integrate and survive once they are here in Afghanistan,” said Becky Roby, director of the Norwegian Refugee Council.

However, the Islamic Emirate said that Pakistan should allow Afghan immigrants to transfer their personal funds to Afghanistan.

"No one has the right to seize or take away someone else's personal property. This belongs to persons and they can bring it back to Afghanistan. Of course, we condemn these illegal demands,” The Islamic Emirate’s Spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid told TOLOnews.

According to the information of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, Afghan investors have established more than four hundred factories worth more than one and a half billion dollars in Pakistan and have provided job opportunities for hundreds of people.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/business-185836

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Over 8,000 Afghan refugees return through Spin Boldak in last two days

November 1, 2023

Local officials in Kandahar province said on Wednesday that in the last two days, more than 8,000 Afghan refugees returned to the country through Spin Boldak crossing.

According to local officials, different teams have been assigned to take care of the returning refugees.

“In the past two days, as the return of immigrants has increased, and the situation has become critical, 30 families returned on the first day, consisting 3,600 individuals, and yesterday 700 families returned, consisting 4,500 people,” said Abdul Latif, Hakimi, the director of refugees registration in Spin Boldak of Kandahar province.

The returnees criticized the mistreatment of refugees by the Pakistani police, calling it inhumane. The returnees called for help from national and international organizations.

“In our homeland, we are ready to eat soil, but we won’t accept serving outsiders anymore. Our whole life was spent in the servitude and slavery for others, and we were harassed by the police in every corner of Pakistan,” said Raz Mohammad, a returnee.

“On the way, they [Pakistan’s police] took our money, and everywhere they stopped us and asked for documents,” said Khalilullah, a returnee.

Local authorities in Spin Boldak also asked Pakistan to stop the mistreatment of Afghan refugees.

“There has been a lot of oppression against Afghan immigrants, and in some cases, locals have stolen and looted the houses of Afghans and have invaded Afghans’ houses and have taken their money,” said Mullah Bashir, Spin Boldak district governor.

Meanwhile, a camp has been built for returning refugees in Spin Boldak, with facilities and classrooms.

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said that the forced return of migrants from Pakistan continues and according to the statistics available, in the last 24 hours, more than 12,000 people have entered the country through the Torkham crossing.

According to the ministry, the committees created by the commission to deal with the returnees in different sectors have started working in Torkham area, registering and and providing assistance.

The ministry added that Acting Refugees Minister Khalilurrahman Haqqani and other commission members are closely monitoring refugees return, registration and service delivery.

It said that a number of waiting facilities have been established and work to set up a temporary camp and more waiting facilities is ongoing. Also, various vehicles have reached the area to serve the Afghans expelled from Pakistan.

Source: ariananews.af

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https://www.ariananews.af/over-8000-afghan-refugees-return-through-spin-boldak-in-last-two-days/

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Afghanistan urges Pakistan and Iran not to expel Afghan migrants forcefully

Fidel Rahmati

November 1, 2023

The Taliban administration has called on Pakistan and Iran to refrain from forcibly deporting Afghan migrants in response to the expulsion of Afghan refugees from their countries. Instead, they urge both countries to prioritize principles of good neighbourhood, Islamic brotherhood, and human compassion when dealing with these vulnerable populations.

In a statement on Social media platform X, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban administration, emphasized that Afghan migrants have not posed any security threats to their host countries and are not responsible for any instability.

Furthermore, the statement assures “those compatriots who left the country due to political turmoil” that they are encouraged to return to their homeland and begin their lives peacefully.

He, while emphasizing that Afghans should not be forcibly expelled, urged neighbouring countries like Iran and Pakistan to reconsider their decision and exercise restraint.

Simultaneously, as the deadline for Pakistan’s announcement of the expulsion of illegal Afghan migrants approaches, the Pakistani government has stated its intention to deport over one million Afghan migrants.

Previously, the Taliban administration had announced the establishment of a commission to facilitate the resettlement of returning migrants from Pakistan.

It is important to note that Pakistan’s decision has faced international backlash from UN agencies, international organizations, and human rights advocates, who have called on the country to reconsider its approach to the expulsion of Afghan migrants.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/afghanistan-urges-pakistan-and-iran-not-to-expel-afghan-migrants-forcefully/

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UNDP seeks $25 million for Herat earthquake recovery

Fidel Rahmati

November 1, 2023

After a series of devastating earthquakes that rocked Herat Province from October 7 to 15, 2023, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has issued an urgent appeal for $25 million.

These powerful earthquakes, magnitude of 6.3, inflicted widespread destruction on the province, impacting 1.6 million people. The toll includes over 1,500 lives lost, 11,000 injuries, and extensive damage to more than 21,000 residential houses and critical infrastructure. The dire situation has exacerbated the already challenging circumstances faced by communities grappling with profound poverty and underdevelopment, according to a statement released by the UNDP.

The survivors of these earthquakes, primarily women and children, find themselves living in makeshift tents, exposed to harsh weather conditions. They are in desperate need of essential provisions such as clean water, healthcare, food, and suitable shelter, as highlighted in the UNDP’s statement.

The UNDP’s appeal is a vital component of the broader Herat Earthquake Response Plan, devised by the UN Humanitarian Country Team. It requires $93.6 million to assist 114,000 individuals facing the most acute needs, particularly as they confront the challenges of the impending winter season. While UNDP, in collaboration with UN partners and non-governmental organizations, has already allocated $3.15 million from its resources for immediate relief and recovery efforts, it is clear that these funds fall significantly short of the immense demand for rebuilding and recovery in Herat Province, as emphasized by the UNDP.

“The situation on the ground is desperate, and winter is fast approaching. We aim to help these communities restore basic infrastructure, especially shelter, and return to normalcy as quickly as possible. We’ve repurposed some of our existing resources to start moving quickly, but these resources are just not enough,” Stephen Rodriques, UNDP Resident Representative in Afghanistan, said.

UNDP’s urgent appeal for an additional $25 million is aimed at addressing critical priorities in Herat Province, including providing transitional and permanent shelter through owner-driven Community Housing approaches. The funding will also support the reconstruction of essential infrastructure, the provision of renewable energy for households, schools, and health facilities, restoration and management of water systems and resources, and the creation of temporary jobs through cash-for-work initiatives, along with longer-term livelihood opportunities.

Despite numerous global crises, Afghanistan remains on the fringes of international attention. The country, already burdened by four decades of conflict, is now grappling with the aftermath of these devastating earthquakes in addition to severe poverty and food insecurity, affecting three out of eight people nationwide. UNDP’s Deputy Special Representative, Rodriques, underscored the importance of international assistance and urged the global community not to overlook Afghanistan’s needs, particularly those of the vulnerable population in Herat who have endured this recent catastrophe.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/undp-seeks-25-million-for-herat-earthquake-recovery/

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Afghan Families Returning from Pakistan Have Tripled: Officials

November 1, 2023

The numbers of refugees returning to Afghanistan has tripled as Pakistan’s deadline for their expulsion is on Wednesday.

Three thousand families came through Torkham crossing into Afghanistan on November 1, officials at the directorate of information and culture of Nangarhar province said.

The fresh returnees have called on the international community to cut off their refugee-related aid to Pakistan and to provide assistance to those who are returning to Afghanistan.

“We are facing a worse situation than Palestinians. I cannot look at the faces of my wife and children,” said Ahmadullah, a returnee.

“Those who have land and markets are worried. It is rumored that their property is being confiscated by the Pakistani government,” said Shakeel Ahmad, another returnee.

Pakistan is expelling those refugees who are grappling with  dire economic issues, said the Afghans who have returned from Pakistan.

They urged the Afghan investors in Pakistan to shift their investments to Afghanistan.

“It doesn’t matter if they have legal documents or not, if they are poor they are being expelled. Afghans in Pakistan have big businesses but they are still living there,” said Wahidullah, a fresh returnee from Pakistan.

Meanwhile, officials of the Islamic Emirate said they are well-prepared to resettle those who come back from Pakistan, and added that they have prepared a provisional resettlement facility for five thousand people in Torkham crossing.

“Those foreign-based Afghans who do not have land in Afghanistan and want to invest in the country, we have plans for them. We have allocated two billion afghanis which will be spent on basic needs of returnees,” said Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the acting minister for refugees and repatriation.

“After the deadline was announced by the Pakistani government, the returnees’ number increased by three times and they are still coming to Afghanistan,” said Qureshi Badlon, an official at the directorate of information and culture of Nangarhar province.

Following the deadline announcement by Pakistan’s caretaker government, 25,000  Afghan families have returned home so far through Torkham crossing in the east of Afghanistan.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185829

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Essential Services for Returnees Initiated at Torkham: Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation

2023-11-02

KABUL (BNA): The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has begun providing essential services to immigrants forcibly deported from Pakistan to Afghanistan via the Torkham port.

Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Refugees Affairs, stated that committees established by a special commission to assess the situation of returnees have also started their operations in Torkham.

According to Haqqani, more than 12,000 people have entered the country through Torkham in the last 24 hours due to the ongoing forced return of immigrants from Pakistan.

In addition to receiving and registering these individuals, primary aid is also being provided.

Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, Acting Minister of the Ministry of Refugees Affairs, along with commission members and ministry heads present in Torkham, is closely monitoring the flow of returnees, their registration, and the provision of services.

The spokesperson added that several waiting spaces have been set up and work is underway to establish a temporary camp and additional waiting areas. Various vehicles have arrived in the area, ready to assist the citizens being expelled from Pakistan.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://bakhtarnews.af/en/essential-services-for-returnees-initiated-at-torkham-ministry-of-refugees-and-repatriation/

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16 Children with Heart Defects to Receive Treatment in Kabul Hospitals

2023-11-02

KABUL (BAN): The Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS) has arranged for another group of children suffering from heart defects to receive treatment at two hospitals in Kabul.

According to an ARCS press release, these 16 children will undergo treatment for their heart conditions, with all costs covered by the charity.

It’s noteworthy that over the past 15 months, ARCS has referred approximately 2,000 children with heart diseases to various hospitals across the country for necessary treatments and surgeries.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://bakhtarnews.af/en/16-children-with-heart-defects-to-receive-treatment-in-kabul-hospitals/

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Southeast Asia

 

NGO says home minister’s analogy of foreigners ‘misleading’ as children of Malaysians are the ones stuck in statelessness

By Ida Lim

 02 Nov 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s attempt to defend the federal government’s proposed “regressive” amendments to citizenship laws in the Federal Constitution by using an analogy involving foreigners’ children is misleading, a group which helps Malaysian families with statelessness issue said today.

Non-government organisation Development of Human Resources for Rural Areas (DHRRA) Malaysia said this is because the government’s proposed citizenship amendments — which would remove protections against becoming stateless — will actually affect the children of Malaysian families.

“These changes threaten to remove the existing protections in the Federal Constitution that safeguard stateless children born to Malaysian families and foundlings from statelessness,” the group said in a statement today.

DHRRA said Saifuddin Nasution’s analogy “not only misleads but also diverges significantly” from the main objections to the regressive citizenship amendments.

Civil society groups have been objecting to the government’s proposed “regressive” amendments as Malaysian families’ children would lose existing protections against becoming stateless.

“While it is understandable that governments may have legitimate concerns about the status of foreign individuals in the country, it is equally important to ensure that the rights and interests of Malaysian citizens are protected,” DHRRA said.

The home minister had used the children of foreigners as an example, but DHRRA said there are thousands of genuine stateless cases domestically involving individuals who have proven that they have strong links to Malaysian families.

DHRRA said these persons were born in Malaysia and have never left the country since their birth, adding that these cases include babies and children abandoned at birth in Malaysia and later adopted by Malaysians, as well as children born to Malaysian fathers who had yet to or did not register their marriages.

“Their statelessness is not due to fault of their own but rather due to the gaps in nationality law, policies and administrative procedures in the conferral of Malaysian citizenship,” DHRRA said.

Currently, such children in Malaysian families face challenges to be recognised as Malaysian citizens and could even see their citizenship applications being rejected repeatedly.

The Federal Constitution currently has several provisions — Section 19B under the Second Schedule and Section 1(a) and Section 1(e) in Part II — that provide a potential way for those such as babies abandoned at birth in Malaysia to automatically become Malaysian citizens.

DHRRA said that the government’s proposed amendments would remove these protections for vulnerable children.

DHRRA said that during an engagement session with the Home Ministry on September 12, civil society organisations had asked if the claims of “floodgates” and “foreigners” used to justify the proposed amendments were backed by data, but noted that the ministry did not give any concrete explanation.

DHRRA said it was disappointing for the home minister to equate the plight of abandoned Malaysia-born children who do not have links to any country, with that of migrant children who still have a country to call their own.

It said it was disheartening that the Home Ministry is proceeding with the proposed “regressive” amendments and urged the government to ensure that any amendments made to Malaysia’s citizenship laws would “prioritise the protection of Malaysian families”.

In a separate statement today, human rights advocacy group Lawyers For Liberty (LFL) also criticised Saifuddin Nasution’s portrayal of the proposed citizenship amendments as being a security issue due to Malaysia’s purported facing of problems involving migrants.

“This, in of itself, at best, shows a total lack of understanding by the Home Minister and at worst a deliberate misrepresentation of the issue of statelessness in the country,” LFL said.

It said those stuck in citizenship limbo were due to the alleged administrative failures of the National Registration Department and the Home Ministry.

“The stateless are not ‘migrants and others’; they are Malaysian citizens unlawfully made stateless due to the actions and omissions of the government,” LFL said.

Like DHRRA, LFL urged the government to drop the proposed citizenship amendments.

Source: malaymail.com

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Apex Court To Hear SIS Forum Appeal Over Fatwa Labelling It As Deviant Next Year

November 2, 2023

PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court has set Feb 27, next year to hear woman's rights group SIS Forum (Malaysia)'s appeal to challenge a fatwa issued by the Selangor religious authorities in 2014 which had labelled the entity as deviant from the teachings of Islam.

SIS Forum's lawyer A. Surendra Ananth and lawyer Majdah Muda representing Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) told Bernama the appeal hearing date has been fixed on Feb 27, next year following a case management before Federal Court deputy registrar Suhaila Haron today.

On Aug 21, this year, the Federal Court granted leave to SIS Forum and its co-founder Zainah Mahfoozah Anwar to proceed with its appeal against the Court of Appeal 2-1 majority decision.

SIS Forum and Zainah were unsuccessful in their legal challenge at the High Court to quash the fatwa. Their judicial review application was dismissed by the High Court on August 27, 2019.

They appealed to the Court of Appeal but their appeal was dismissed on March 14, this year.

They then filed an application in the Federal Court to obtain leave to appeal.

The Court of Appeal held that the fatwa prepared by the Selangor State Fatwa Committee was not a final decision and thus cannot be challenged through a judicial review application.

The fatwa, gazetted by the Selangor State government on July 31, 2014, had declared that SIS Forum, any individual, as well as groups that adopted the deviant ideologies of liberalism and pluralism, were deviating from the teachings of Islam.

The fatwa also directed that any publications containing liberal and plural views of Islam should be banned and confiscated and further directs the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to censor social websites which goes against Islamic teaching and hukum syarak.

The Federal Court three-man bench led by Court of Appeal President Tan Sri Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim had allowed the leave application with 10 questions of law to be argued in the substantive appeal.

One of the question is whether a fatwa, once published in the Gazette under sections 48(6), Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003, is a form of subsidiary law and/or delegated legislation. – BERNAMA

Source: nst.com.my

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https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2023/11/974206/apex-court-hear-sis-forum-appeal-over-fatwa-labelling-it-deviant

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Don't compare Hamas-inspired display in schools with cosplay, MCA Youth tells Umno, PAS counterparts

By Anis Zalani

 02 Nov 2023

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 — MCA Youth has today slammed its counterparts in Umno and PAS for comparing the display of mock firearms and military-theme costumes in schools with the act of cosplaying.

In a statement, MCA Youth secretary-general Saw Yee Fung said the two parties have exploited primary school pupils by delivering provocative comments aimed at dividing society along ethnic lines.

“There can be no comparison at all in role-playing performances which mimic animation characters or games versus an outright cry to war by educators which leads to maiming and extinguishing life.

“Similarly, children pretending to be Ninja Turtles is purely for fun and entertainment. These are fictional characters bearing no harm at all. However, dressing up as soldiers, brandishing toy firearms or lobbing a flaming arrow at a flag — these schools have conveyed a confusing, even manipulative message to youngsters.”

Saw's statement followed Umno and PAS' Youth wings' attempt to justify the viral photos and videos of teachers and students brandishing mock and toy firearms while in military-themed costumes for the Palestine Solidarity Week proposed by the Ministry of Education.

PAS' Alor Setar MP Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden and Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh had claimed that the students were treated differently compared to ethnic Chinese students who were displayed cosplaying as cartoon characters from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and also from anime with mock edged and bladed weapons.

“The Youth chiefs of PAS and Umno are urged to refrain from disparaging quarters who have criticised the glorification of firearms and violence by educators in the former’s attempt to alter concepts to mislead the public to score political mileage.

“Political figures score points when they emphasise the values of peaceful co-existence, compassion and empathy in a multiracial country and not play the race card,” Saw said.

A portmanteau of “costume play”, “cosplay” is an activity and performance art in which participants wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character in a fiction, usually films, TV series, anime or video games.

Saw also reiterated MCA's criticism of the Education Ministry for not coming up with clear guidelines before instructing schools to organise the event in solidarity with Palestine.

“This lack of clarity resulted in certain schools going overboard in parading violence and war cries upon the untainted minds of minor children within school premises,” she said.

“To indoctrinate children with hatred and aggression, is to distort vengeance and carnage as justified and contravenes the entire noble mission of education. Any miscomprehensions that arose from the educators toting replica machine rifles or launching flaming arrows need to be corrected.”

Earlier this week, the ministry was forced to issue a list of dos and don’ts for schools organising events for the week-long campaign with “refraining from extremist rhetoric” topping the list of don’ts, with firearms and weapons that could be seen as symbols of provocation and violence being expressly prohibited.

On October 26, the Education Ministry announced a Palestine Solidarity Week will be held at all education institutions nationwide under the ministry’s purview from October 29 until November 3.

Calling it a necessary intervention to be implemented among students, the ministry said the programme is in support of the Malaysian government’s stance to continue together defending the rights and freedom of the Palestinian people.

However, controversy erupted last week over the initiative when pictures and videos emerged online of school students wearing the Palestinian keffiyeh and brandishing replica guns, including some that showed the children pretending to shoot imaginary targets.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/11/02/dont-compare-hamas-inspired-display-in-schools-with-cosplay-mca-youth-tells-umno-pas-counterparts/99814

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WHO chief calls for full medical, fuel aid access to Gaza 'now'

02 Nov 2023

GENEVA - The World Health Organisation (WHO) chief on Wednesday called for a full medical and fuel aid access to the Gaza Strip.

"No words can describe our concern for the patients who have just lost the only possibility to receive life saving cancer treatment or palliative care," Anadolu Agency reported Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as saying on X (formerly Twitter).

"I urge and I plead - for full medical and fuel aid access now! The more we wait, the more we put these fragile lives at risk," Tedros said.

The Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital, the only public hospital for cancer patients in the Gaza Strip, went out of service due to Israeli attacks and fuel shortage, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said on Wednesday.

"As of today, the hospital is out of service, as a result of the shortage of fuel and the several attacks that affected the facility. This is the only public hospital for cancer patients in the Gaza Strip, and now dozens of cancer patients’ lives are at serious risk," the MSF said on X.

It said that Israeli authorities continue to prevent the entry of fuel into Gaza, which is essential for powering hospitals, adding that hospitals and healthcare facilities are also being attacked during this "horrific onslaught."

The Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 8,796 Palestinians and injuring more than 22,000 others since Oct 7.

Besides the large number of casualties and displacement, basic supplies are running low for the 2.3 million residents in Gaza due to the Israeli siege. - Bernama-Anadolu Agency

Source: thevibes.com

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https://www.thevibes.com/articles/world/99763/who-chief-calls-for-full-medical-fuel-aid-access-to-gaza-now

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Magnitude 6.4 earthquake strikes Timor, Indonesia

November 02, 2023

An earthquake of magnitude 6.4 struck the Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province on Thursday, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) said.

The Indonesian geological agency (BMKG) pegged the magnitude at 6.3 with no tsunami potential. The epicentre of the quake was onshore and at a depth of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles), located 15 kilometres from the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province, Kupang.

The quake was strongly felt in several cities in the province, but there were no immediate reports of damages.

Hotel guests at Aston Hotel in Kupang were panicking when the quake hit, said Samuel Malohana, a hotel employee. Around 100 guests left their room and gathered in front of the hotel.

"But now most of them have come back to their room and no damages at the hotel," Samuel said.

Head of the Earthquake and Tsunami Center of BMKG, Daryono, said he received report of light damages at the office of Kupang's regional head.

Indonesia straddles the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire," an area of high seismic activity that rests atop multiple tectonic plates. (Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru and Ananda Teresia in Jakarta; Editing by Diane Craft and Lisa Shumaker)

Source: thehindu.com

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/magnitude-64-earthquake-strikes-timor-indonesia/article67486820.ece

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Africa

 

South Africa urges UN to provide protection for civilians in Gaza

01 November, 2023

South Africa called for the United Nations on Monday to deploy a rapid protection force to protect Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip from further bombardment- as Israel steps up its indiscriminate retaliation for a deadly attack by Hamas.

8,796 Palestinians, including 3,648 children, have been killed so far, with hundreds more dying every day in Israeli strikes.

Nearly 1,400 Israelis were killed in the surprise Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.

In addition, more than 122 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces since 7 October.

"Entire generations of families have been wiped out in Gaza over the last three weeks," South Africa's foreign ministry said in a statement.

A member of the Palestinian community in Johannesburg had 25 family members killed in an Israeli air strike on Monday morning, the statement said, while family members of a senior Palestinian diplomat based in Pretoria were killed in their Gaza residential building the day before.

"The numbers of non-combatants killed, especially the numbers of children killed, requires that the world to show that it is serious about global accountability," the statement said.

The statement stressed the need to hold Israel accountable for breaches of international law and further denounced the "inhuman" killing of children by Israeli strikes.

The ministry included a quote from a report by UK-based charity Save the Children, which said the number of children killed in Gaza over the last three weeks had surpassed the number of children killed yearly across every conflict zone since 2019.

Save the Children added that since children are non-combatants, those who are responsible for their deaths must be held to account for war crimes and crimes against humanity adding that the crime of genocide should be investigated.

The charity emphasised that Israel was responsible for the disproportionate number of civilian deaths in Gaza.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously offered to help mediate in the Israel-Gaza conflict. South Africa also said earlier this month that its foreign minister held a call with the leader of Hamas about getting aid into Gaza, while underlining that it did not support the group.

South Africa has long been an advocate for peace in the region, likening the plight of Palestinians to the plight of its own population under the apartheid regime that ended in 1994.

In calling for a protection force, South Africa has gone further in its support for the Palestinians than most nations, some of which have called for a ceasefire or the opening of a humanitarian corridor to allow aid into Gaza.

Source: newarab.com

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37 villagers killed in Nigeria in fresh extremist attacks

Nov 02, 2023

Extremists in northeastern Nigeria killed at least 37 villagers in two different attacks, residents said Wednesday, highlighting once again how deadly islamic extremist rebels have remained in their 14-year insurgency in the hard-hit region.

The extremists targeted villagers in Yobe state’s Geidam district on Monday and Tuesday in the first attack in the state in more than a year, shooting dead 17 people at first while using a land mine to kill 20 others who had gone to attend their burial, witnesses said.

The Boko Haram Islamic extremist group launched an insurgency in northeastern Nigeria in 2009 in an effort to establish their radical interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, in the region. At least 35,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million displaced due to the extremist violence concentrated in Borno state, which neighbors Yobe.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, who took office in May, has not succeeded in ending the nation's security crises both in the northeast and in northwest and central regions where dozens of armed groups have been killing villagers and kidnapping travelers for ransom.

The first attack occurred in the remote Gurokayeya village in Geidam when gunmen opened fire on some villagers late Monday, killing 17 of them, according to Shaibu Babagana, a resident in the area. At least 20 villagers who had gone to attend their burial were then killed on Tuesday when they drove into a land mine that exploded, Babagana added.

Idris Geidam, another resident, said those killed were more than 40. Authorities could not provide the official death toll, as is sometimes the case following such attacks.

“This is one of the most horrific attacks by Boko Haram in recent times. For a burial group to be attacked shortly after the loss of their loved ones is beyond horrific,” Geidam said.

The Yobe state government on Wednesday summoned an emergency security meeting over the attacks which it blamed on extremists that entered the state from the neighboring Borno.

“The security agencies have deployed security men to the area and we are studying a report on the infiltration in an effort to stave off future occurrences,” Abdulsalam Dahiru, a Yobe government security aide, told reporters.

Source: hindustantimes.com

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https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/37-villagers-killed-in-nigeria-in-fresh-extremist-attacks-101698887983277.html

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Gambian soldier jailed for failed coup against President Barrow

01 November 2023

Gambia's high court has sentenced a soldier to 12 years in prison for leading a foiled coup last year against President Adama Barrow's administration.

The judgment was passed on Tuesday. Eight soldiers were charged with treason and conspiracy in January for their role in a Dec. 21, 2022 coup attempt in the West African nation of 2.5 million people almost entirely surrounded by Senegal.

Two civilians and a police officer were also charged with concealment of treason and conspiracy to commit a felony.

Seven, including the two civilians and the officer, were acquitted and released mid-trial.

The soldier accused of being the ringleader, Sanna Fadera, was found guilty of treason, the court ruled on Tuesday. Three other accused soldiers were acquitted of all charges.

Coup attempts are not uncommon in Gambia, which is still reeling from over two decades under former president Yahya Jammeh.

Jammeh himself seized power in 1994 and foiled several attempts to overthrow him before he lost an election in late 2016 to Barrow. Fadera has denied all charges. He has 30 days to appeal the verdict.

West Africa has seen an upsurge in coups since 2020 with the military seizing power in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea.

Source: africanews.com

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Mali: Islamist Armed Groups, Army Target Civilians

November 1, 2023

(Nairobi, November 1, 2023) – Malian armed forces and Islamist armed groups have killed and otherwise abused numerous civilians in central and northern Mali since April 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. Mali’s transitional military authorities, with the support of the National Human Rights Commission and international human rights experts, should urgently conduct credible and impartial investigations into the alleged abuses, and hold those responsible to account.

Islamist fighters of the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen, JNIM) have killed more than 160 civilians, including at least 24 children, since the beginning of April. Malian armed forces have killed up to 40 civilians, including at least 16 children, during counterinsurgency operations. The Malian government has failed to take adequate measures to protect civilians in conflict affected areas.

“The targeted killing of civilians by Islamist armed groups and the Malian army are war crimes that should be thoroughly and impartially investigated,” said Ilaria Allegrozzi, senior Sahel researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Malian authorities should seek independent regional and international human rights experts to assist Malian judicial authorities so those responsible for these grave crimes can be held to account.”

In August and September, Human Rights Watch interviewed 40 people by telephone with knowledge of attacks by the Malian army and Islamist armed groups. They included 33 witnesses to abuses and a half dozen members of Malian civil society groups and international organizations. On October 9, Human Rights Watch sent letters to Mali’s justice and defense ministers detailing its findings about alleged abuses and related questions. They have not replied.

The JNIM and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) have committed numerous serious abuses in several Mali regions, including widespread killings, rapes, and looting of villages. The recent abuses come as the United Nations peacekeeping mission to Mali, the Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, prepares to leave the country by December 31.

On September 7, Islamist fighters believed to be affiliated with the JNIM attacked a passenger boat traveling on the Niger River near the village of Abakoira in the Timbuktu region. The attackers fired at least three rockets at the boat, killing 49 people. Many victims drowned or burned to death when the boat caught fire. “I jumped into the water,” said one survivor. “Many others jumped, too. Some were screaming inside the boat because of the fire. It was total terror. Many died because they couldn’t swim.”

The boat attack is linked to the JNIM’s siege of the town of Timbuktu since mid-August, limiting freedom of movement on main roads and waterways along the Niger River. The JNIM has attacked towns and villages in both Mali and Burkina Faso, cutting the civilian population off from food, basic necessities, and aid, to gain control.

Human Rights Watch also documented Malian armed forces’ abuses during three counterinsurgency operations against Islamist armed groups largely linked to Al-Qaeda – in Gadougou, Trabakaoro and Sambani villages, in Nara and Timbuktu regions. During the operation in Sambani on August 6, authorities arrested 16 men and a boy, whose bodies were later found outside the village. Witnesses reported the involvement of foreign, “white” armed men, seemingly members of the Russia-backed Wagner Group, which has supported the current government since December 2021.

Both sides have targeted villagers for allegedly collaborating with the other side. “The army … kills people without fearing any consequences,” said a man from Mopti region. “The jihadists also kill, kidnap, and burn without fear of being held accountable. And we, the civilians, we are caught between a rock and a hard place in our own country.”

In July, Human Rights Watch reported on abuses by members of the Malian army and associated foreign fighters, apparently from the Wagner Group, including summary executions and enforced disappearances of several dozen civilians during counterinsurgency operations in central Mali.

Violence has intensified across Mali since 2022, amid the political instability following the May 2021 coup. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, a data collection, analysis, and crisis mapping project, found violence against civilians in Mali between January and August had increased by 38 percent compared with 2022, with the JNIM, the Malian armed forces and Wagner Group, and the ISGS the main attackers.

In addition, security in northern Mali has sharply deteriorated since late August, following a resumption of hostilities between the Tuareg rebels of the Coordination of Azawad Movements - an alliance of armed ethnic Tuareg groups - and the Malian army. Tuareg rebels have sought the independence of northern Mali since the mid-2000s, but signed a peace deal with the Malian government in 2015.

All parties to Mali’s armed conflict are bound by international humanitarian law, notably Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and customary laws of war. Individuals who commit serious violations of the laws of war, including summary executions and torture, should be prosecuted for war crimes. Mali is a party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which has opened an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Mali since 2012.

“Governments concerned with the spiraling violence and abuses in Mali should both press and assist the Malian authorities to carry out thorough and impartial investigations into the serious abuses committed by all sides,” Allegrozzi said. “The Malian judicial authorities should work with the National Human Rights Commission, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the UN independent expert on human rights in Mali, to investigate these abuses.”

Armed Conflict in Mali

Since 2012, successive Malian governments have fought at least two Islamist armed groups, the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wa al-Muslimeen, JNIM) and the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS). The hostilities have resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and forcibly displaced over 375,000 more. The departure of the UN peacekeeping mission, at the request of Malian authorities, raises grave concerns about the protection of civilians and the monitoring of abuses committed by all sides.

Abuses by Islamist Armed Groups

Bodio, Mopti Region, August 6, 2023

On August 6, hundreds of JNIM fighters riding motorbikes and vehicles and armed with Kalashnikov-style assault rifles led an attack on Bodio, killing 15 men, including an 18-year-old and three older men, several witnesses said. They said the fighters wore military uniforms with body armor and spoke Fulfulde and Dogon. All those killed, witnesses said, appeared to have been shot in the head. During the attack, the Islamist fighters also burned at least 10 homes.

Bodio residents said the attack came after they broke a deal with JNIM militants under pressure from Dan Na Ambassagou militia, an umbrella group of local self-defense groups. Dan Na Ambassagou began in 2016 “to protect the Dogon country,” and had at times cooperated with Malian security forces. A Bodio resident said:

Our village used to be protected by Dan Na Ambassagou until 2020. In 2021, with the increasing power of the jihadists, the militia retreated and to save their lives, villagers were forced to make a deal with the jihadists. The deal provided that villagers cut all relations with the militia and the Malian army. … In turn, the jihadists would let them … conduct their normal activities. But the deal began to weaken since a joint patrol of Malian soldiers, Wagner [fighters] and Dan Na Ambassagou militiamen passed by the village in June. On this occasion, the militiamen forced villagers to record a video addressed to the jihadists and announcing the end of the deal.

Residents said since the deal was breached, they started noticing an increased presence of Islamist fighters and informed the village chief. He went to Bandiagara, about 14 kilometers from Bodio, to inform the gendarmes, the military, and the governor, to seek help. “But despite his appeal, there was no response,” said a resident. “The military and the governor only came [to Bodio] when [the attack] was over.”

Witnesses said that, in addition to the 15 men killed, two militiamen were killed in the fighting. They said the Islamist fighters were searching out the men of the village, whom they accused of being members of Dan Na Ambassagou. Most of the men in the village fled when the attack started.

A 54-year-old woman said:

Three [fighters] came to my house and asked me in Dogon [language]: “Where are the men? We are going to kill them.” I begged them to spare me and my children. … They killed two of my cousins in the street. … I heard the shooting and then saw their bodies in a pool of blood.

A 45-year-old woman said the fighters killed her uncle: “I saw them catching him only a few meters from my house. Then I heard two gunshots and I saw my uncle falling to the ground.”

A man who helped bury the bodies said:

The attack ended about 8 p.m. Immediately after, all those who had hidden in the nearby bush, including me, came back to help bury the bodies. We gathered all the bodies together because they were scattered, some in their homes, others in the streets, others at the entry of the village. We found that all of them had been shot in the head.

Human Rights Watch obtained two lists compiled by witnesses and Bodio residents with the identities of all 15 civilians killed, ages 18 to 81, and of the two militiamen who died stepping on a mine.

Residents said the Islamist fighters burned at least 10 homes. They said almost all villagers left Bodio after the attack to go to Bandiagara, where they sought shelter in a school. Human Rights Watch reviewed six photographs taken by the displaced at the school showing the dire conditions, lacking adequate food and other necessities.

“After the attack, we abandoned Bodio, leaving behind us a village in ruins,” said the 54-year-old woman. “We are living in a school. We need everything, we have no assistance.”

Since October, those displaced from Bodio have been living in tents supplied by an international organization in Bandiagara.

Boat Attack, Gao Region, September 7

On September 7, Islamist fighters believed to be affiliated with the JNIM attacked a passenger boat traveling on the Niger River near Abakoira village, Gao region. On the same day, Islamist fighters attacked an army camp in Bamba, Gao region. In a September 7 statement, the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization accused the JNIM of carrying out both attacks and gave a provisional death toll of 49 civilians and 15 soldiers. The statement , however, did not specify how many people died in each assault, and witnesses said many more people died in the boat attack. On September 8, the JNIM claimed responsibility for the Bamba attack.

Human Rights Watch interviewed three survivors of the boat attack and one man who helped rescue the injured and recover bodies from the water. They all described people screaming, running, and jumping into the water as the boat was hit by at least three rockets and caught fire. Media reported that the boat operator, Comanav, confirmed the vessel “was targeted by at least three rockets aimed at its engines.”

A 47-year-old trader, who was in the boat, said:

The attack started with a first rocket, which made the boat tremble. I heard a loud “boom.” Then, there was a second one. I was in a berth with four women and two children. They all died as the first rocket hit the boat. I jumped into the water. … As I swam toward the riverside, I saw people drowning – women and children. … I heard people screaming and gunfire. … I saw the boat catching fire, … I reached the riverside and rushed to Gourma Rharous [town] to seek help. … I went to talk to the mayor, who sent young rescuers.

Witnesses said a few Malian soldiers were also on the boat to ensure the security of the passengers and when the boat was hit by the first rocket, they exchanged gunfire with the assailants. A man who was injured in the attack said:

When the first rocket hit, the boat made a strange shake. … Then there was a second rocket and the soldiers responded by shooting. Panic invaded the boat, followed by screams of children and women. I had no choice but to jump into the water … but the current was too powerful, so I started swallowing water and I lost consciousness. I woke up at the Gourma Rharous hospital.

Witness accounts indicate at least 120 people died in the attack. The 47-year-old survivor who returned to the site of the attack with the rescuers said:

We first recovered 67 bodies; then by 5 p.m. we had recovered an additional 87 bodies, for a total of 154 bodies. Some people drowned, others were shot while swimming or when they were still on the boat, others died in the fire.

A 34-year-old rescuer from Gourma Rharous said:

I responded to the mayor's call to help the people who had been attacked in the boat. By the time I arrived, … some [rescuers] had already recovered around 20 bodies. … I collected 10 bodies: 4 women, 2 children, and 4 young men. … They [the bodies] were scattered, some had been transported far by the water current. … Our first count was 120 dead, but later some people discovered more bodies in other places.

In a September 11 statement, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said 24 children died in the boat attack and 9 others were taken to the hospital for treatment.

Abuses by the Malian Armed Forces and Associated Foreign Fighters

Trabakoro, Nara Region, April 22

On April 22, scores of Malian soldiers carried out an operation in Trabakoro village, searching for JNIM fighters. According to three witnesses, the soldiers killed 18 people: 14 children and 4 women.

Witnesses and residents said the JNIM operates in and around Trabakoro, but no Islamist fighters were in the village at the time of the military operation. “Trabakaoro has sheltered more jihadists than the entire Nara region,” said a Trabakoro resident. “Soldiers suffered multiple attacks by [fighters] from here. This is the reason why, failing to find the jihadists, the soldiers killed women and children whom they took to be women and children of jihadists.”

Witnesses said that between 10 and 11 a.m., two military helicopters opened fire on the village, followed by the arrival of soldiers. For about three hours, soldiers went door-to-door, shooting at people inside their houses or outside as they ran for cover.

An 86-year-old woman who survived the attack by lying down in her house, where 13 of her family members had sought shelter, said:

Three soldiers came to my door – they wore camouflage uniforms and had Kalashnikovs. One stepped in and opened fire on us. … There was a first round of bullets, then calm. Then a second soldier came into the house to check if anyone was still alive. … Some children were screaming in pain, so the soldier fired a few more bullets and walked out. … I thought that everyone had died. I thought about killing myself. I thought it was not worth living when all my loved ones had gone.

She said her 3 daughters were injured, while the 10 other relatives, including 6 children, were killed. She also said the soldiers killed 8 other children in the village.

A 45-year-old man, who helped rescue the woman and her daughters and helped bury the bodies of those killed in Trabakoro, corroborated this information. He said:

We took the older woman out of her house, alongside her three wounded daughters. … Then we took out the bodies of those killed inside the woman’s house and carried them to a place close to one of the exits of the village. … As we toured the village, we noticed more bodies of children scattered around. … We don’t know whether these children were shot from the helicopters or killed by soldiers on the ground, but their bodies were riddled by bullets. … We carried them to the same place for the burial.

Another man who rushed to Trabakoro after the attack said he saw the bodies of all 18 people killed, including his 12-year-old son. “The bodies had been aligned and covered with sheets,” he said. “I unveiled the first one, then the second. Both were children. Then, I unveiled the third body, and I recognized my child. His body was covered in blood with bullet wounds everywhere.”

Human Rights Watch reviewed two lists of 18 victims, ages 6 months to 47 years, compiled by witnesses.

Residents said the heavy shooting from the helicopters led to a bush fire that spread throughout the village, destroying at least 10 homes. The 86-year-old woman who survived the attack said: “They left behind fire, smoke and death.”

Gadougou, Nara region, July 27, 2023

On July 27, Malian soldiers killed four men and a child in Gadougou, an ethnic-Fulani settlement in Nara region, where the JNIM is known to operate.

A witness said that around 4 p.m., four Malian military vehicles and six motorbikes, with dozens of Malian soldiers wearing helmets and armed with Kalashnikov-style rifles, passed a group of three Fulani herders. Soldiers ordered the men to raise their hands, but they ran away out of fear. The soldiers caught two of them and summarily executed them. “They made them sit down,” said the 22-year-old survivor, who watched the executions from a hiding place. “A soldier first put a bullet in my friend’s eye and my friend fell on the ground. Then he put his rifle in my other friend’s ear and fired.”

Three other herders, including a 17-year-old boy, heard the gunshots and rushed to the scene, but soldiers killed them too, the survivor said. “Three soldiers stopped them, made them sit down … and then opened fire on them,” he said. “All three were shot in the head. One did not die, so the same soldiers shot him in the side, and he died.”

Three men who helped bury the bodies said they were buried three days later. One said:

All the corpses were lying next to each other. We found that one had been shot in the eye and another in the ear, and three others in the head. We dug two holes. In one of them we put two bodies and in other the remaining three.

The survivor and the three other witnesses provided the identities of the five people killed, ages 17 to 31, and said they thought they were targeted based on their ethnicity. “The military shot us because we are Fulani,” one said. “That makes us a target. Soldiers think we are jihadists. … These days a Fulani in the Nara region does not need to be armed to be targeted by the military.”

Human Rights Watch has documented serious abuses by the Malian armed forces against Fulani, including killings, arbitrary arrest and detention, and enforced disappearances. Islamist armed groups have focused their recruitment efforts on Fulani communities by exploiting grievances with the government and other ethnic groups.

Sambani, Timbuktu Region, August 6, 2023

Scores of Malian soldiers accompanied by several “white” fighters in military uniforms carried out an operation in Sambani village, where the JNIM is known to operate, on August 6. During the operation, the soldiers and the allied fighters searched homes, and arrested 16 men and 1 boy. The following day, villagers found the bodies of all 17.

Human Rights Watch interviewed three people who witnessed the military operation and one man who found the bodies near Sambani and helped bury them in a mass grave.

Witnesses said that on August 5, a large convoy of at least 100 military vehicles, including pickup trucks and armored vehicles, stopped at the outskirts of Sambani at 4 p.m. A woman, about 40, said:

The village chief went to greet the soldiers and asked them to leave since our village does not shelter any jihadists. … The soldiers replied that they had not come to stay and that they were just waiting to repair one of their vehicles that had broken down. They assured our chief that they would not do any harm to the population and asked him to tell his people. The chief then came back and told us not to worry. … But we were surprised to see that not only did the soldiers spend the night there, but also that the following morning they stormed our village, arresting and terrorizing people.

Witnesses said that during the operation, the soldiers and the foreign fighters went door-to-door and arrested 16 men, ages 20 to 87, and one 15-year-old boy. Witnesses gave identifying details of those arrested and said the soldiers and the foreign fighters arrested those whom they assumed were members of Islamist armed groups. “But the criteria for arrest appeared vague to me,” a 57-year-old man said. “They arrested those who didn’t have their identity card, and those who looked suspicious to them – for example, those with short pants and a beard.”

A 38-year-old man said:

I saw white soldiers and Malian soldiers. … [B]ut … the Malian soldiers conducted most of the arrests. … Two Malian soldiers asked me to show them my identity card. I did. They saw a motorbike beside me and asked if it was mine. I said yes …. They said they would take it. I let them do that because I was afraid of being arrested. … They arrested people in the village. They took my neighbor [because] he didn’t have his identity card. … All those arrested were later found dead.

On August 6, between 7 and 8 p.m., a group of Sambani residents found the bodies of the 17 arrested during the military raid about one kilometer north of Sambani. A 48-year-old man who visited the site said all the victims appeared to have been shot in the head and tortured, including three with their ears cut off. “The bodies were grouped all together. They all had bullet wounds to their heads and appeared to have been tortured before being shot,” he said. “I saw injuries on their shoulders and backs. … One had his arms broken and … three had their ears cut off. We dug a big grave and put everyone there.”

Source: hrw.org

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https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/01/mali-islamist-armed-groups-army-target-civilians

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