Pakistan Hindu Council attributes this year's Diwali to immediate ceasefire in Gaza
New Age Islam News Bureau
13 November 2023
(FILE PHOTO)
---------
·
India votes in favour of
resolution condemning Israeli settlement in Occupied Palestinian Territory
·
Russia delivers 40 metric tons of
humanitarian aid to Afghanistan
·
Iran: Efforts by Muslim, Arab
States Can End Israel's War Crimes
·
UK home secretary says
pro-Palestinian protests 'can’t go on'
·
US not to accept Israeli
reoccupation of Gaza
Pakistan
·
Fazl urges Muslims’ unity against
Israeli ‘massacre’ in Gaza
·
PM Kakar returns from Riyadh after
OIC-AL summit
·
Mustafa Qureshi proposes film on
Palestine
·
JI urges Ummah to support
Palestine
·
Ashrafi emphasises urgency of
implementing ‘Joint Declarations on Palestine’ at Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh
------
India
·
UP: Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind to discuss
reforms in Muslim society
·
Chargesheet against five for
alleged links with Al-Qaeda: NIA
·
Jamia Millia: Eqbal Hussain named
Acting V-C as Najma Akhtar retires
·
Here is a select list of stories
to start the day
·
Shashi Tharoor's Praise For Afghan
Batter Who Helped Poor People At 3 AM
·
Udaipur Tailor's Killers Linked To
BJP: Ashok Gehlot's Big Charge
------
South Asia
·
More than 3,000 migrants return to
Afghanistan from Turkey in 20 days
·
Over 6,000 Afghan migrants return
from Pakistan in a single day
·
Media Playing Essential Role in
Collecting Aid for Refugees: Officials
·
Russian Official Praises Afghan
Counter-Narcotics Efforts
·
Hasina places five recommendations
-----
Mideast
·
Massive rallies in Zionist entity
demand ceasefire, prisoners swap
·
Activists gather outside APEC summit
in San Francisco to condemn Israeli genocide in Gaza
·
Displaced Gazans live in dust,
fear and hunger
·
Gaza's largest hospital 'not
functioning' amid Israeli assault
·
Jihad clashes with enemy forces on
several fronts in Gaza, Resistance continues bombing settlements
·
Jizan Brigades provide financial
support to Palestinian resistance & support for Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood”
·
Heavy fighting rages near main
Gaza hospital and people trapped inside say they cannot flee
·
Attacks by Lebanon's Hezbollah
group wound 7 Israeli troops, 10 others along border with Israel
·
76 additional aid trucks cross
into Gaza: Palestinian Red Crescent
·
WHO warns of ‘dire situation’ in
Gaza hospitals, says more patients ‘tragically’ dying
·
Hamas denies turning down fuel
supply to hospital, calls it 'part of Israel's lies'
-----
Europe
·
Macron explains ‘killing babies’
remark to Israeli president
·
German opposition leader demands
new citizens embrace Israel
·
German chancellor opposed to
‘immediate’ ceasefire in Gaza
·
Trapped Brazilians finally leave
Gaza as Israel-Brazil ties worsens
·
UK PM sacks interior minister
Braverman who accused police of favoring pro-Palestinian protesters
·
More than 180,000 people across
France march against soaring antisemitism amid the Israel-Hamas war
·
Germany to double 2024 military
aid to Ukraine: Minister
-----
North America
·
Eight pro-Iran fighters dead in US
strikes in Syria: Monitor
·
Biden, Qatari emir discuss Gaza,
agree all hostages must be released
·
Muslim Group Demands Biden
'Intervene' as Newborns Die at Gaza Hospital
·
Biden to Hear Muslim World Views
on Gaza in Meeting with Indonesia’s Widodo
----
Arab World
·
First Saudi humanitarian relief
convoy arrives in Gaza
·
Gambian president discusses
judicial, labor ties with Saudi Arabia
·
Niger PM, Mauritania president visit
Islamic sites in Madinah
·
KSrelief, UN launch new food
project in 5 Yemeni provinces
·
Saudi FM discusses Gaza situation
with EU official
·
New framework to ensure Saudi
children’s online safety
·
Islamic Affairs Ministry Concludes
International Holy Quran Competition for Balkan Countries
------
Southeast
Asia
·
Wisma Putra: Malaysian citizen in
Gaza safely evacuated through Rafah Border Crossing
·
PM Anwar to focus on regional
cooperation, building economic resilience at Apec summit
·
From Malaysia to Gaza — Nurul
Izzah Anwar and Yolanda Augustin
·
Anwar meets leaders of Jordan,
Iran and Pakistan
·
Wisma Putra: Malaysian Nurul Ain
and husband evacuated from Gaza conflict area
·
MPOB to expand palm oil products
for Chinese companies, Muslim regions in China, says Fadillah
-----
Africa
·
Somalia floods kill 30, displace
500,000 people
·
Al-Sunni meets the United Nations
Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs.
·
Thousands march in Cape Town in
solidarity with Palestinians
·
Terrorists kill 100 in Burkina
Faso attack
·
Gani Adams in letter to Tinubu:
restructure Nigeria
·
Railways Authority to demolish
Asuma Banda Mosque and 300 other buildings — Report
·
Maintain inter-faith tolerance -
Imams urge Dr Bawumia
Compiled by
New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
----------
Pakistan
Hindu Council attributes this year's Diwali to immediate ceasefire in Gaza
November
12, 2023
(FILE
PHOTO)
---------
Hindu
community in Pakistan, like elsewhere in the world, is celebrating Diwali on
Sunday.
Pakistan
Hindu Council has attributed this year's Diwali to immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The
annual festival of lights is marked by festive gatherings, fireworks displays,
feasts and prayers.
In his
felicitation message on the occasion, Patron-in-Chief Pakistan Hindu Council
Ramesh Kumar Vankwani said this festival is victory of light over darkness,
good over evil and knowledge over ignorance.
Chairman
Senate Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani has extended felicitations to the Pakistani
Hindu community on the eve of the festival lights, popularly known as Diwali.
In a
statement today, he said Hindu community has played an important role in the
development and prosperity of Pakistan by promoting inter-faith harmony,
respect and the spirit of mutual tolerance. He said all minorities have full
religious freedom in Pakistan.
Deputy
Chairman Senate Mirza Muhammad Afridi, Leader of the House Muhammad Ishaq Dar,
and Leader of the Opposition Dr Shahzad Waseem have also congratulated the
Hindu community on the occasion of Diwali.
Speaker
National Assembly Raja Pervez Ashraf has felicitated the Hindu Community of
Pakistan on the eve of Diwali.
In his
post on X today, he said minorities' contribution in country's development and
progress is commendable. He said the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees rights
of the minorities living in Pakistan.
The
Speaker said every citizen is free to observe and practice his religious
thoughts and customs irrespective of caste and creed.
Chairman
Pakistan People's Party Parliamentarians Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has felicitated
the Hindu community on the joyous occasion of Diwali.
The PPP,
in a post on X today, stated that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also prayed for the
festival to bring joy, harmony and prosperity to all celebrating it.
Source: radio.gov.pk
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.radio.gov.pk/12-11-2023/pakistan-hindu-council-attributes-this-years-diwali-to-immediate-ceasefire-in-gaza
------
India
votes in favour of resolution condemning Israeli settlement in Occupied
Palestinian Territory
13th
November 2023
Indian
flag (File Photo | PTI)
---------
UNITED
NATIONS: India voted in favour of a resolution in the UN General Assembly that
condemns Israeli settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The
draft resolution titled 'Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan' was
approved by the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth
Committee) of the UN General Assembly by a recorded vote of 145 in favour,
seven against and 18 abstentions on Thursday.
Those
voting against the resolution were Canada, Hungary, Israel, Marshall Islands,
Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, and the United States.
India
was among the 145 nations that voted in favour of the resolution along with
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, France, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Russia, South
Africa, Sri Lanka and the UK.
By the
terms of the resolution, the Assembly would condemn settlement activities in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the
occupied Syrian Golan and any activities involving the confiscation of land,
the disruption of the livelihood of protected persons, the forced transfer of
civilians and the annexation of land, whether de facto or through national
legislation.
The
resolution condemns "settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan and any
activities involving the confiscation of land, the disruption of the livelihood
of protected persons, the forced transfer of civilians and the annexation of
land, whether de facto or through national legislation."
The
resolution reaffirms that "the Israeli settlements in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian
Golan are illegal and an obstacle to peace and economic and social
development."
The
resolution reiterated "its demand for the immediate and complete cessation
of all Israeli settlement activities in all of the Occupied Palestinian
Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan."
The voting
on the resolution came just days after India had abstained in the UN General
Assembly on a resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the
Israel-Hamas conflict leading to a cessation of hostilities and unhindered
humanitarian access in the Gaza strip.
The
193-member UN General Assembly met in a resumed 10th Emergency Special Session
in October and voted on the draft resolution submitted by Jordan and
co-sponsored by over 40 nations including Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan,
Russia and South Africa.
The
resolution titled 'Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian
obligations' was adopted with 120 nations voting in favour, 14 against and 45
abstentions.
Along
with India, countries abstaining on the resolution included Australia, Canada,
Germany, Japan, Ukraine and the United Kingdom.
In its
Explanation of Vote after the UNGA resolution last month, India's Deputy
Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Yojna Patel had said, "In a
world where differences and disputes should be resolved by dialogue, this
august body should be deeply concerned at recourse to violence. That too, when
it happens on a scale and intensity that is an affront to basic human
values."
Describing
the terror attacks in Israel on October 7 as shocking, Patel said they deserve
condemnation.
"Terrorism
is a malignancy and knows no borders, nationality or race. The world should not
buy into any justification of terror acts. Let us keep aside differences, unite
and adopt a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism," she had said.
Source: newindianexpress.com
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the full text of the original
https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2023/nov/13/india-votes-in-favour-of-resolution-condemning-israeli-settlementin-occupied-palestinian-territory-2632504.html
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Russia
delivers 40 metric tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan
Fidel
Rahmati
November
12, 2023
In
response to a recent earthquake in Herat, Russia’s Defense Ministry has
dispatched two special flights carrying approximately 40 metric tons of
humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, as announced by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
“On
November 11, humanitarian cargo weighing some 40 metric tons was delivered to
Kabul by two special flights of the Russian Defense Ministry on behalf of the
Russian government and the Moscow-based Afghan Business Center,” Russia’s
diplomatic agency said on its website.
“Therefore,
Russia continues to provide humanitarian assistance to the friendly Afghan
people affected by a recent devastating earthquake in Herat,” Russia’s Foreign
Ministry added.
Meanwhile,
the Russian embassy in Kabul said on social media platform X, “Approximately 40
tons of humanitarian aid from the Government of the Russian Federation and the
Afghanistan Trade Center in Moscow, headed by Mr Mohammad Nader Shah, was
delivered to Kabul on two special flights arranged by the Ministry of Defense
of Russia.”
The
Taliban officials revealed that this significant contribution, comprising food
and non-food items, was delivered at Kabul Airport. Several officials,
including the acting minister of the ministry, were present during the handover
ceremony.
The aid package
includes critical items such as 5,000 kilograms of formula, 10,000 kilograms of
sugar, 2,181 packages of oil, 1,000 warm woollen blankets, 1,000 quilts, and
756 pairs of cotton socks, 120 packs of camel wool socks, 132 types of wool
socks, 350-bed sheets, and 1,000 children’s jackets.
On
October 7, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center confirmed a powerful
6.2 magnitude earthquake striking Afghanistan. The epicentre, located 42
kilometres northwest of Herat, a city with 272,000 residents and the
administrative hub of Herat Province, struck at a depth of ten kilometres.
Tragically, the earthquake resulted in over 2,400 fatalities and left at least
2,000 individuals with injuries, as reported by the Afghanistan National
Disaster Management Authority.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/russia-delivers-40-metric-tons-of-humanitarian-aid-to-afghanistan/
------
Iran:
Efforts by Muslim, Arab States Can End Israel's War Crimes
2023-November-12
TEHRAN
(FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian underlined that
endeavors by Muslim and Arab countries can put an end to the ongoing Israeli
regime's war crimes against the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Amir
Abdollahian made the remarks in a news interview on Saturday night after he,
along with Iran’s president Ebrahim Rayeesi, attended a Joint Arab Islamic
Extraordinary Summit on Israel’s aggression against Gaza in the Saudi capital
of Riyadh.
“The meeting
was held tardily. However, we believe that if the leaders of Muslim countries
and the general secretaries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
and the Arab League make necessary efforts, we can witness the cessation of war
crimes by the Zionist regime at this juncture,” the Iranian foreign minister
said.
Originally,
the 22 members of the Arab League were expected to attend Saturday’s summit.
However, the event was later expanded to include the OIC, a wider association
of 57 mostly Muslim-majority states.
The
Arab-Islamic summit in its final communique called for an end to the war in
Gaza and rejected justifying Israel’s actions against Palestinians as
self-defence.
The
summit condemned “Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, war crimes and barbaric
and inhumane massacres by the occupation government”.
It also
called for an end to the siege on Gaza, allowing humanitarian aid into the
enclave and halting arms exports to Israel, following the meeting in Riyadh.
The
leaders demanded that the United Nations Security Council adopt “a decisive and
binding resolution” to halt Israel’s “aggression” in Gaza.
In early
October, Hamas launched a multi-pronged surprise military operation via land,
sea and air. The group announced it was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa
Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and Israeli settlers’ growing violence
against Palestinians. The attacks have so far killed more than 1,200 and
injured over 5,500, according to Israeli officials. Hamas also announced it is
holding between at least 200 and 250 hostages.
Following
the multi-front attack by Hamas, Israel carried out heavy bombardment across
the Gaza Strip, killing more than 11,000 Palestinians, including at least 4,500
children and over 3,000 women, and wounding over 30,000 others, and levelling
entire neighbourhoods.
Tel Aviv
has ordered a "complete siege" of Gaza, saying it would halt its
supply of electricity, food, water and fuel. Israel’s military has also ordered
1.1 million people living in Northern Gaza to evacuate their homes, amid signs
it is set to ramp up its offensive.
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Tel Aviv will not agree to a
ceasefire with the Palestinian movement Hamas because it would mean surrender.
He added Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip has entered its third
stage which includes expanding ground operations in the enclave.
The
bombing, as well as enforced displacement orders by the Israeli Army, has
pushed 1.5 million people out of their homes.
The Gaza
Health Ministry has confirmed that the healthcare system in the besieged
territory has “totally collapsed due to the Israeli war”.
The UN
agencies have warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is
"catastrophic", calling for more international help as conditions
deteriorate in the densely populated besieged enclave.
Iranian
officials say the current status in West Asia resembled a powder keg which
could spiral out of control. They caution that if diplomatic efforts to stop
Israeli relentless bombardment and prevent a ground offensive on Gaza are
unsuccessful, there is a risk of the conflict escalating uncontrollably, with
multiple regional players joining the fight.
Gaza is
one of the most densely populated places on Earth, where some 2 million people
live in an area of 140 square miles. It has been almost completely cut off from
the rest of the world for nearly 17 years. More than half of its population
lives in poverty and is food insecure, with nearly 80% of its population
relying on humanitarian assistance.
Tehran
says the history of the apartheid regime is full of assassinations, massacre,
torture and killing of Palestinian kids, and described Tel Aviv regime's
atrocities and massacre of Palestinian women and children as indicative of the
destitute of Zionists. Iranian officials say the Tel Aviv regime has been
struggling for more than 70 years to exit its identity crisis which has been
mixed with genocide, plunder, forced displacement and scores of other inhumane
moves.
Source: farsnews.ir
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the full text of the original
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14020821000673/Iran-Effrs-by-Mslim-Arab-Saes-Can-End-Israel
------
UK home
secretary says pro-Palestinian protests 'can’t go on'
Beyza
Binnur Dönmez
13.11.2023
Britain’s
Home Secretary Suella Braverman said Sunday that pro-Palestinian protests in
the country "can’t go on," claiming they are being "polluted by
hate, violence and antisemitism."
"Our
brave police officers deserve the thanks of every decent citizen for their professionalism
in the face of violence and aggression from protesters and counter protesters
in London yesterday. That multiple officers were injured doing their duty is an
outrage," Braverman said on X.
"The
sick, inflammatory and, in some cases, clearly criminal chants, placards and
paraphernalia openly on display at the march mark a new low," she said.
"Antisemitism and other forms of racism together with the valorizing of
terrorism on such a scale is deeply troubling."
Noting
that "Jewish people in particular feel threatened," she said that
further action is necessary.
"This
can’t go on. Week by week, the streets of London are being polluted by hate,
violence, and antisemitism," she said. "Members of the public are
being mobbed and intimidated."
People turned
out for a massive rally in London on Saturday in solidarity with Palestinians
and marched to the US embassy to press Washington for an immediate cease-fire
in the war between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
A huge
crowd gathered in London's Hyde Park to protest against Israel and those
governments that have yet to call for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Israel
has been carrying out relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip --
including on hospitals, residences and houses of worship -- since the
Palestinian group Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Oct. 7.
Since
then, the number of deaths in the ongoing Israeli attacks has surpassed 11,100,
including more than 8,000 women and children, the government media office in
Gaza said on Sunday.
The
Israeli death toll is nearly 1,200, according to official figures.
Source: aa.com.tr
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-home-secretary-says-pro-palestinian-protests-can-t-go-on/3052034
------
US not
to accept Israeli reoccupation of Gaza
November
13, 2023
Anwar
Iqbal
WASHINGTON:
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan affirmed on Sunday that the United
States will not accept the Israeli reoccupation of Gaza and will continue
opposing the forcible displacement of Palestinians from the territory.
Hours
after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at the Israeli military
assuming control of the Palestinian territory after the war, Sullivan stated on
CBS News, “No reoccupation of Gaza, no forcible displacement of the Palestinian
people.”
Explaining
the US position, he said, “Gaza can never be used as a base for terrorism in
the future, and Gaza’s territory should not be reduced.” Mr Sullivan also
outlined a forward path, asserting, “Ultimately, we do want to see the
reconnection, the reunification of control between the West Bank and Gaza under
Palestinian leadership.”
Meanwhile,
the Palestinian organisation overseeing the West Bank has informed the Biden
administration it could consider running Gaza after the war — if Washington
commits to a two-state solution.
In an
interview with The New York Times, Hussein al-Sheikh, the secretary general of
the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), emphasised that only a “full-fledged
two-state solution (can) end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
The
Palestinian Authority, he said, was seeking “a serious American initiative that
would force Israel to abide by it, to commit to it.” The Biden administration,
he said, was capable of doing that as it could also persuade Israel to accept
the solution.
The
Palestinian official, however, said that such a solution “must include an
Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and a resolution of the status of East
Jerusalem.” Mr Netanyahu, however, told reporters on Saturday that Israel would
not accept Palestinian authority in Gaza and will retain “overall security
control,” including the capacity to go in whenever we want to eliminate
“terrorists”.
In his
interview with CBS News, Mr Sullivan also expressed concern over rising
civilian deaths in Gaza. “We do know there are thousands of innocent civilians
who have been killed in the military operations that began after October 7,” he
said.
The
unprecedented civilian deaths in Israeli military raids have alarmed Washington
too. Earlier this week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters in
New Delhi that “far too many civilians have been killed” in Gaza.
And last
week, a top State Department official testified to Congress that the Gaza health
ministry’s estimates of 11,000 Palestinian dead “may, in fact, be an
undercount.” In earlier statements, US officials had
dismissed
Palestinian statistics as exaggerated.
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1788848/us-not-to-accept-israeli-reoccupation-of-gaza
-----
Pakistan
Fazl
urges Muslims’ unity against Israeli ‘massacre’ in Gaza
November
13, 2023
Ikram
Junaidi
Aamir Yasin
RAWALPINDI:
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) emir Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Sunday urged
Muslim countries that it was time to stand up and be counted for Palestine,
giving a strong message to Israel that Muslims were united and would not let it
kill Muslims.
He
called upon international human rights organisations to take notice of Israeli
massacre in Gaza, highlighting their indifference to war violations that result
in the deaths of innocent children, women, and elderly people. “If such actions
were taken by any Muslim country, these organisations would make a hue and cry
and label Muslims as terrorists. But in the case of Israel, news of killings of
innocent children and women fell on deaf ears,” he said.
He said
that during a meeting with Hamas leadership, he conveyed that Pakistan stands
in solidarity with Palestine. Hamas, in turn, expressed that Pakistan is their
hope in the world.
Addressing
a rally in Murree, Maulana Fazl said ‘cowards’ were shelling bombs on women and
children. He emphasised that the entire Muslim Ummah should stand with the Palestinians.
MWM
holds march in Islamabad; JI slams Muslim rulers’ silence
Maulana
Fazl criticised human rights organisations for remaining silent on the
‘massacre’.
“Russia
and America were kicked out of Afghanistan. If America considers itself a
superpower, then it is foolish. If we also consider America a superpower, then
we are fools,” he said.
The
JUI-F emir emphasised that the Pakistani government should react strongly to
the killings of innocent people.
“There
is a dire need for a strong government in the country, and it is the duty of
the people to select a government that improves the economy and aligns with the
foreign policy guidelines of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah,” he remarked.
Referring
to the 1940 Pakistan Resolution, he highlighted that Quaid-i-Azam expressed
support for Palestine and labelled Israel as the illegitimate child of
imperialism. The message was clear for Pakistan not to recognise Israel as a
state, he added.
He
criticised the Indian government for supporting Israel, noting that Nehru and
Gandhi were against Israel, but the present Indian government termed Hamas as
terrorists, while Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind announced moral support to Palestine
against Israel.
MWM
holds march in Islamabad
Separately,
thousands of people, including women and children, participated in a march,
organised by Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) to condemn the brutalities of
Israel and express support for Palestinians.
The
march began at Aabpara Chowk and turned into a public gathering upon reaching
Embassy Road, near Diplomatic Enclave.
Addressing
the participants, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas stated that the US was supporting
Israel, which is why Israel had decided to vacate Gaza.
“Our
late leader Arif Hussaini, throughout his life struggled to make Pakistan an
independent country. We will not tolerate any attempts by Pakistan to establish
diplomatic relations with Israel or consider recognising it,” he said.
He said
Israel was weaker than a spider’s web, as Hamas proved it. The world, he said,
was wrongly interpreting the situation, asserting that Hamas had merely
protected itself.
“I
question, if the people of Kashmir raise their voices against the brutalities
of the Indian army, would they be called wrong? I foresee that soon, the people
of Pakistan will unite in support of Palestinians, and there will be no
difference of Shia and Sunni,” he expressed.
Liaquat
Baloch, Syed Hasnain Gardezi, Ziaullah Bukhari, Mufti Gulzar Ahmed Naeemi also
spoke.
JI urges
unity against Israel
In
Sialkot, Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) emir Sirajul Haq addressing “Labaik ya Palestine”
convention strongly condemned brutalities in Gaza and called for Ummah to unite
and fight against Israeli atrocities on innocent civilians.
Israel
had been dropping thousands of bombs on Gaza every day, he said, wondering when
the Muslim states would move their tanks. He said the US president and his
ministers went to Tel Aviv and provided Israel with weapons worth $8bn. He
argued that these are not just weapons but a licence to massacre Muslims. He
questioned the stance of Muslim countries’ rulers at this critical moment.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1788844/fazl-urges-muslims-unity-against-israeli-massacre-in-gaza
-------
PM Kakar
returns from Riyadh after OIC-AL summit
November 13, 2023
ISLAMABAD:
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar returned on Sunday from Riyadh
where he attended the joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit over the Gaza
situation.
During
his three-day visit, PM Kakar addressed the summit besides holding meetings
with several leaders of Arab League and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
member states.
In his
address at the summit, the prime minister condemned the incessant and brutal
Israeli aggression and the inhumane blockade of Gaza. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s
solidarity and support for the Palestinian people and for their right to
self-determination.
He
underscored that an early establishment of a viable, secure, contiguous and
sovereign state of Palestine on the basis of the pre-June 1967 borders and with
Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, was the only guarantee for lasting peace and
security in the region.
On the
sidelines of the summit, caretaker prime minister Kakar met Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al
Sabah and Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim.
PM Kakar
also briefed his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim on the establishment of
the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
Source: dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.dawn.com/news/1788842/pm-kakar-returns-from-riyadh-after-oic-al-summit
-----
Mustafa
Qureshi proposes film on Palestine
November
13, 2023
KARACHI:Senior
actor Mustafa Qureshi suggested making a film on Palestine. Actors Mustafa
Qureshi, Ayub Khoso, Salahuddin Tino and others participated at a ceremony at a
local hotel in the city, with Interim Federal Minister for National Heritage
and Culture Jamal Shah as the chief guest.
Addressing
the ceremony, Mustafa Qureshi said that the OIC meeting was held, it is a good
thing, but usually only resolutions are presented at the end of this meeting.
The 55 Islamic countries are only making rhetoric, nothing is visible in
practice. Israel has killed thousands of Palestinians including children, it is
necessary to make a film on the Palestinian issue. He said that actors,
cameras, and equipment was available, “all we need is a will to do it.”
In 1969,
Zarqa hit the Pakistani screens. The epic historical drama film was directed,
produced and written by Riaz Shahid while the music is composed by Rashid Attre
and Wajahat Attre. It features Neelo, Alauddin, Ejaz Durrani, Saqi and Nasira
as protagonist characters.
It is
based on the life of Zarqa, a Palestinian dancer girl and a freedom activist,
who killed herself for the liberation of Palestine involving Israeli-occupied
territories and Palestinian liberation movement.
Its
songs were from the poems of revolutionary poet Habib Jalib.
Source: tribune.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tribune.com.pk/story/2446145/mustafa-qureshi-proposes-film-on-palestine
------
JI urges
Ummah to support Palestine
2023-11-13
SIALKOT:
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer Siraj-ul-Haq on Sunday passionately expressed his
support and solidarity with the people of Gaza, urging the Muslim world to form
unity and act against the barbarism of Israel.
He was
addressing a youth convention organized here to express solidarity with the
people of Palestine. He condemned the genocide act of Israel that has claimed
more than 11000 innocent people of Gaza.
Siraj-ul-Haq
began by emphasising that the world’s brutal forces including the USA and
Israel are relentlessly engaged in massacring the children and women in Gaza,
and over 2.5 million inhabitants are facing the oppressive acts of Israel.
He
pointed out the relentless bombings carried out by the coalition of countries
that have resulted in more casualties than in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The
explosive material that has been dropped in Gaza since October 7 is
unprecedented in history of mankind.
He
stated that this is not just a conflict; it’s a triumph for Hamas and a defeat
for Israel.
Expressing
his disappointment in Pakistan’s rulers and the Muslim Ummah’s inaction, he
criticized the government for not extending support to the people of Gaza. If
the U.S. Secretary of State can visit Israel three times to support for Jewish
forces, why not the Muslim world utter sympathies for the bleeding people?
Haq
called on the government to realize Pakistan’s role as a prominent Islamic
nation. Despite its great status, the government has not lived up to the
expectations of the Palestinian people.
He
mourned the loss of innocent lives, with children being buried without coffins,
and the youth of Palestine waiting for the Muslim world to take action.
JI ameer
urged every Muslim country to answer the call of Allah and show solidarity with
Gaza.
He
condemned the oppression against women and children in Gaza and predicted that
the minarets of Gaza would soon be made from the bodies of those unjustly
killed.
“Now is
the time to say ‘Labbaik’ in response to Allah’s command. If the Muslim Ummah
does not act for Gaza, history will never forgive them, he asserted, adding
that each Muslim nation must send a message: it’s time to unite and support the
people of Gaza.”
Source: brecorder.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.brecorder.com/news/40272930/ji-urges-ummah-to-support-palestine
--------
Ashrafi
emphasises urgency of implementing ‘Joint Declarations on Palestine’ at
Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh
November 13, 2023
ISLAMABAD -
Special Representative to the Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and
the Pakistani Diaspora in Middle East and Islamic Countries, Hafiz Muhammad
Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi on Sunday said Saudi Arabia, a key regional player in
the Middle East, continued to play a crucial role in addressing the ongoing
conflict between Palestine and Israel.
Addressing
the media after the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit in Riyadh, he
underscored the imperative of executing the declarations articulated during
this significant gathering of Muslim world leaders regarding the Palestine
issue.
Ashrafi
who is also the Chairman of Pakistan Ulema Council, necessitated mutual
understanding and collaborative endeavors to realize shared objectives. He
said as the situation in the region remains tense, the Kingdom’s diplomatic
efforts, humanitarian support, and commitment to a just resolution had
garnered global attention. He noted that the participation of Iranian
President Ebrahim Raisi, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Palestinian
President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, Jordanian
King Abdullah, Amir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Pakistani Caretaker
Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, and other dignitaries at the summit was a
testament to their collective determination to pursue both temporary and
permanent resolutions to the Palestine issue in the current circumstances.
Ashrafi
said Saudi Arabia had been actively engaged in diplomatic efforts for an
immediate ceasefire and to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict
mentioning that the Kingdom’s leadership had conducted high-level discussions
with various international counterparts, emphasizing the importance of ending
the hostilities and achieving a comprehensive peace agreement. He said Saudi
Arabia and other Islamic countries were consistently advocating for a two-state
solution as the basis for a lasting peace. “This solution envisions an
independent Palestinian state coexisting alongside Israel, with mutually agreed-upon
borders and East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine,” he maintained.
Ashrafi
said the Kingdom had provided financial assistance to the Palestinian
Authority, helping it maintain essential public services and meet the needs
of its population. He said Saudi Arabia’s support would contribute to the
stability of Palestinian governance. During this time of conflict and crisis,
he said Saudi Arabia had extended humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian
people. He said the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief)
was playing a critical role in delivering humanitarian aid, including medical
supplies, food, and financial support, to address the urgent needs of
Palestinians.
Source: nation.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.nation.com.pk/13-Nov-2023/ashrafi-emphasises-urgency-of-implementing-joint-declarations-on-palestine-at-arab-islamic-summit-in-riyadh
------
India
UP:
Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind to discuss reforms in Muslim society
November
12, 2023
Lucknow
: A meeting of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind on issues like reforms in the Muslim
society, their education and communalism will be organised in Deoband,
Saharanpur, on Monday.
Spokesperson
of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind, one of the leading organisations of Muslims in India,
Maulana Kaab Rashidi said on Sunday that 1,700 representatives of various units
of Jamiat in 17 districts of western Uttar Pradesh will participate in this
meeting to be organised at Madani Memorial Public School in Deoband.
He said
that the national president of the organisation Maulana Arshad Madani will
deliver the main address in this meeting to be organised under the chairmanship
of the provincial president of the organisation Maulana Ashad Rashidi.
Referring
to the agenda of the meeting, Jamiat spokesperson said that the meeting will
mainly focus on reforms in the Muslim society as a movement, dealing with
communalism and encouraging all sections of the country through social unity,
love and trust.
Issues
like establishing better educational institutions to provide modern education
to Muslim children, setting up new units of the organisation and activating the
old units are also included in the agenda.
He said
that proposals related to the future plan of the organisation, efforts for
Hindu-Muslim unity and educational and social services will also be presented
in the meeting.
Source: muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/up-jamiat-ulama-e-hind-to-discuss-reforms-in-muslim-society/
------
Chargesheet
against five for alleged links with Al-Qaeda: NIA
November
12, 2023
The
National Investigation Agency (NIA), On Saturday, filed a chargesheet against
five individuals in Gujarat for their alleged involvement in illegal entry,
fundraising, and recruitment for the notorious terrorist organization,
Al-Qaeda.
The
Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) said that it had initially identified the suspects
for illegally infiltrating India through the Indo-Bangladesh border, using
forged identity documents. Investigations by the ATS revealed strong
connections to Al-Qaeda. The case was handed over to the NIA on June 19.
According
to the NIA, the accused had obtained forged documents to operate covertly
within the country, advancing their terrorist agenda. The suspects were not
merely involved in illegal entry; they were actively engaged in motivating,
radicalizing, and indoctrinating vulnerable Muslim youth.
According
to the NIA, the two accused currently on the run, Shariful Islam and Sahiba,
are believed to be key handlers of the arrested individuals from across the
border. These handlers provided comprehensive training, including the use of
covert communication applications, to evade detection and ensure the secrecy and
anonymity of their activities.
The NIA,
through diplomatic channels, is making efforts to identify and apprehend these
handlers, emphasizing the international dimension of the terrorist network. A
formal request has already been initiated by the NIA for this purpose.
“The
in-depth investigations by the NIA have established that foreign citizens
illegally infiltrate into India, obtain fake ID cards and documents, get jobs,
and covertly carry out activities on behalf of foreign terror organizations
such as Al-Qaeda in the form of sleeper cells,” stated an NIA Spokesperson.
During
the course of the investigations, NIA claimed, numerous foreign agents were
identified who had clandestinely settled in different parts of India using fake
identity documents. These agents not only provided safe passage to other
illegal infiltrators but also facilitated their integration by providing them
with counterfeit Indian identity documents.
The NIA
said that the case remains open, with further investigations ongoing. The agency
continues to work diligently to unravel the complex network and ensure the
safety and security of the nation.
Source: muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/chargesheet-against-five-for-alleged-links-with-al-qaeda-nia/
----
Jamia
Millia: Eqbal Hussain named Acting V-C as Najma Akhtar retires
November
12, 2023
New
Delhi : Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) Vice-Chancellor Prof Najma Akhtar handed
over the charge of her office to Prof Eqbal Hussain, Pro Vice Chancellor of the
university, after she completed her tenure on Sunday.
Eqbal
Hussain will officiate as Vice-Chancellor until the appointment of a new
Vice-Chancellor by the Visitor of the university. Hussain is a professor in the
Faculty of Law.
Prof
Akhtar was given a warm send-off by the teachers and non-teaching staff.
Prof
Eqbal Hussain lauded the efforts of the outgoing Vice-Chancellor for bettering
the academic and administrative profile of the university.
He also
highlighted how the university attained new heights under the leadership of
Prof Najma Akhtar which was reflected in the NAAC and NIRF performance.
He noted
that JMI is the 3rd top ranked university in the country in the NIRF 2023 with
Grade A++ by the NAAC. He assured the outgoing Vice-Chancellor that he would
leave no stone unturned to uphold the interests of the institution both in
academic and administrative matters.
The
outgoing Vice-Chancellor, acknowledged the contributions made by all the
stakeholders of JMI for the achievements made by the institution. She thanked
students, teachers and administrative staff for tirelessly working for the
betterment of the university. — IANS
Source: muslimmirror.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://muslimmirror.com/eng/jamia-millia-eqbal-hussain-named-acting-v-c-as-najma-akhtar-retires/
------
Here is
a select list of stories to start the day
November
13, 2023
EAM
Jaishankar meets U.K. PM Rishi Sunak in London
External
Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London on
November 11. Mr. Jaishankar is visiting the U.K. on an official trip to
progress the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, and
to hold meetings with his counterpart, U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
EU
condemns Hamas for ‘using Gaza hospitals, civilians as human shields’
The EU
on November 12 condemned Hamas for using “hospitals and civilians as human
shields” in Gaza, while also urging Israel to show “maximum restraint” to
protect civilians from the war it is waging.
People
across India revel in Deepavali; Delhi sees best air quality in last eight
years
Buildings
were decorated with earthen lamps and colourful lights as people across the
country celebrated Deepavali with pomp on Sunday and a relatively better air
quality than in previous years brought much relief to revellers in Delhi.
Israeli
PM Netanyahu says ‘there could be’ potential deal to free hostages held by Hamas
in Gaza strip
Israeli
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told U.S. media on November 12 a deal could
be afoot to free hostages being held in the Gaza Strip, but declined to provide
details for fear of scuttling the potential plan.
IND vs
NED | India defeats Netherlands by 160 runs; ends league stage with 9 straight
wins
The
Diwali weekend spirit was in vogue at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium and India
contributed some non-polluting fireworks. The Men in Blue lit up the skies as
first up Shreyas Iyer and K.L. Rahul slammed fiery tons before the bowlers got
to work with swirling kites for company.
ICC
World Cup | Best wishes to Team India for semis: PM Modi
Prime
Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian cricket team on Sunday on its
win against the Netherlands in a World Cup match and extended best wishes to
the players for the semifinals.
Seven
Israeli troops, 10 others injured in Hezbollah attack
Attacks
by Lebanon's Hezbollah group Sunday, November 12, 2023 wounded seven Israeli
troops and 10 other people, Israel's military and rescue services said. The
clashes came as skirmishes between the Iran-backed group and Israeli military
continue to intensify along the Lebanon-Israel border, threatening to escalate
into another front in the Mideast's latest war.
Diwali
celebrated at Sharda Devi temple in J&K for first time in 75 years
Numbers
of earthen lamps lit the Teetwal hamlet in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district
on Sunday as Diwali was celebrated for the first time at the Mata Sharda Devi
temple in the last 75 years, the organiser of the event claimed.
To keep
lively dressing room atmosphere, you need good results: Rohit Sharma
Enjoying
each other's company in a lively dressing room atmosphere has been possible due
to good results and vice-versa is also true, said skipper Rohit Sharma after
yet another clinical performance that took Indian team's victory count to nine
on the bounce.
Ban on
firecrackers flouted in Delhi despite Supreme Court order
People
burst firecrackers in Shahpur Jat and Hauz Khas area. Several people were seen
gathering at the park of the locality for bursting crackers. The intensity of
bursting firecrackers increased after 4 p.m., but it was comparatively lesser
than the last year.
U.S.
military says 5 crew members died when an aircraft crashed over the
Mediterranean
Five
U.S. servicepeople were killed when a military helicopter crashed over the
eastern Mediterranean Sea during a training mission, U.S. officials said on
November 12.
Source: thehindu.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/morning-digest-november-13-2023/article67527677.ece
------
Shashi
Tharoor's Praise For Afghan Batter Who Helped Poor People At 3 AM
November
13, 202
New
Delhi: Kerala MP Shashi Tharoor has praised Afghanistan cricketer Rahmanullah
Gurbaz for his warm and kind gesture towards people on pavements in Ahmedabad.
Mr Tharoor has reshared a video featuring Rahmanullah Gurbaz. In the clip, the
cricketer is helping people sleeping on a footpath.
Mr
Tharoor, in his special note for the Afghanistan batter, said the act is
“greater than any century he might score.” The MP said, “Just an amazing act of
kindness by Afghanistan batter Rahmatullah Gurbaz to pavement dwellers in
Ahmedabad after his last match. Far greater than any century he might score —
and may he score many! Long may his career thrive, along with his heart.”
Mr
Tharoor has also wished Rahmaullah Gurbaz good luck. He added, “Long may his
career thrive, along with his heart.”
Rahmanullah
Gurbaz's Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders has also shared
a special message for the cricketer. Along with the video, the Kolkata-based
outfit said, "RJ Love Shah spotted Rahmanullah Gurbaz near his home in
Ahmedabad, quietly spreading some love ahead of Diwali, hours before the
Afghanistan team returned home after their heartwarming World Cup journey ended
on Friday night."
In a
follow-up tweet, Kolkata Knight Riders also pointed to Rahmanullah Gurbaz's
other charitable efforts and wrote, “From working tirelessly to raise money for
the victims of the Herat Earthquake in Afghanistan earlier this month, to this
act of kindness in a foreign land - you inspire us all. God bless you, jaani”
New
Zealand cricketer Rachin Ravindra has said that, “These Afghanistan Boys are
pure gold, such kind-hearted cricketers. No wonder they are being loved so much
in India. Winning hearts on and off the field in India.”
Rahmanullah
Gurbaz joined Afghanistan's national cricket team at the age of 15 in 2017. In
January 2021, he made history and became the first batsman from Afghanistan to
score a century on debut in an ODI match. So far he has played two seasons of
IPL, one with the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2022 and later with Kolkata Knight
Riders in IPL 2023.
Source: ndtv.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/shashi-tharoors-praise-for-afghan-batter-rahmanullah-gurbaz-who-helped-poor-people-at-3-am-4569899
--------
Udaipur
Tailor's Killers Linked To BJP: Ashok Gehlot's Big Charge
November
13, 2023
Jodhpur
(Rajasthan): Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has alleged that the killers
of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal Teli were linked to the BJP, adding that the
saffron party was trying to whip up communal tension ahead of the November 25
Assembly elections in the state.
Speaking
to reporters on a campaign jaunt to Jodhpur on Sunday, the Rajasthan Chief
Minister said had the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police
handled the case instead of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the probe
would have moved to a logical conclusion.
Kanhaiya
Lal, a tailor, was beheaded inside his shop in Udaipur by two assailants in
broad daylight on June 28 last year, for allegedly posting content in support
of suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma.
The
incident came close on the heels of Ms Sharma's suspension from the BJP for an
alleged rant against the Prophet.
The
beheading of the Udaipur tailor sent shockwaves across the country and sparked
a public outcry.
The case
was initially registered at Dhanmandi police station in Udaipur but was later
re-registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on June 29, 2022.
"It
was an unfortunate incident and I cancelled my scheduled events and left for Udaipur
as soon as I learned of it. However, several top leaders of the BJP chose to
attend an event in Hyderabad even after learning of the Udaipur incident,"
Gehlot told reporters here.
He said
the NIA took up the case on the day of the incident and the state government
did not raise any objection to it.
"No
one knows what action the NIA has taken. If our SOG had pursued the case, the
culprits would have been brought to justice by now," CM Gehlot said on
Sunday.
The
brutal killing took place in Udaipur's Maldas area on June 28.
Soon
after committing the crime, the two accused posted a video on social media
boasting about the "beheading" while threatening Prime Minister
Narendra Modi with dire consequences as well, according to the police.
The two
accused were arrested within hours of the incident. The assailants identified
themselves in the video as Riyaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, police said.
The
Rajasthan Chief Minister said days before the incident, the assailants were
arrested by police in another case and BJP leaders came to the police station
to release them.
"The
culprits have links to the BJP. Days before the incident, when the police had
arrested these accused in some other case and some BJP leaders visited the
police station to get them released," Mr Gehlot said.
"The
thing is that BJP has sensed defeat in the elections and are, hence, coming up
with bizarre claims. They are not speaking a word about the schemes that we
launched and the laws we brought. They just want to stir up trouble ahead of the
elections," the Chief Minister said, adding that the people will give them
a befitting reply.
Addressing
an election rally in Chittorgarh last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
accused the Gehlot-led Congress government of playing a 'vote-bank politics' in
the Kanhaiya Lal case.
"What
happened in Udaipur is too horrific to even imagine. Some persons visited the
tailoring shops on the pretext of getting clothes stitched and slashed the
throat of the tailor without any fear of the law. However, the Congress viewed
this case through the prism of vote bank politics. I want to ask the Congress:
what did you do in the aftermath of the killing of the Udaipur tailor other
than playing vote bank politics?" PM Modi said at the rally on October 2.
Rajasthan
will go to polls on November 25 and the counting of votes will take place on
December 3.
In the
2018 Assembly elections, the Congress won 99 seats while the BJP secured 73
seats in the 200-member House.
Congress
formed the government with support from the BSP and Independents.
Source: ndtv.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/udaipur-tailor-kanhaiya-lals-killers-linked-to-bjp-says-ashok-gehlot-4569332
-----
South Asia
More
than 3,000 migrants return to Afghanistan from Turkey in 20 days
Fidel
Rahmati
November
12, 2023
In the
last 20 days, 3,090 Afghan people were flown from Turkey to Kabul due to
deportation, as reported by the head of the Legal Support Directorate of the
Ministry of Refugees’ Affairs.
According
to the source, among these 3,090 individuals who were deported by air, there
were 7 families and 7 children.
Assistance in the form of cash has been
provided to 3,083 of these individuals by the International Organization for
Migration (IOM), with the total assistance amounting to 36,996,000 Afghanis.
Additionally,
the source states that 1,402 of them have received healthcare services through
the same office, and 2,416 individuals have been added to the contact list.
However, some people with duplicate names or those not yet on the list haven’t
been registered in the Ministry of Registration and Statistics database.
Meanwhile,
the joint reception office, situated at Kabul International Airport, run by the
Ministry of Refugees’ Affairs and the International Organization for Migration,
had been temporarily inactive due to the regime change in the country. However,
it resumed operations recently and is now prepared to welcome returning
individuals.
Recently,
neighbouring countries such as Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey have escalated their
deportation efforts amid the ongoing severe humanitarian crisis in the country,
exacerbated by the Herat earthquake.
According
to the reports, over 6,000 Afghan migrants re-entered the country in a single
day via the Torkham and Spin Boldak borders.
In a
statement on Sunday, the Ministry of Refugees of Afghanistan disclosed that by
Saturday, November 11, a total of 6,101 Afghan migrants had returned through
the Torkham and Spin Boldak borders.
A
significant number of refugees have been subjected to forced deportation from
Pakistan, primarily stemming from the absence of proper documentation. This
challenging situation highlights the urgent need for humanitarian support and
coordinated efforts to address the plight of these vulnerable individuals.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/more-than-3000-migrants-return-to-afghanistan-from-turkey-in-20-days/
-------
Over
6,000 Afghan migrants return from Pakistan in a single day
Fidel
Rahmati
November
12, 2023
The
Ministry of Migrant Affairs of Afghanistan has reported that more than 6,000
Afghan migrants returned to the country in a single day through the Torkham and
Spin Boldak borders.
In a statement
released on Sunday, the Ministry reported that as of Saturday, November 11, a
total of 6,101 Afghan migrants have returned to the country through the Torkham
and Spin Boldak borders.
According
to the Ministry’s statement, 720 families, comprising 4,207 individuals,
including 82 individuals who were forcibly returned, have returned to the
country.
Similarly,
based on information from the border authorities in Torkham, Nangarhar
province, 331 families, totalling 1,794 individuals, have returned from Pakistan.
The
statement further indicates that the returning migrants are being registered in
the offices of the Ministry of Migrant Affairs in the respective provinces and
are being referred to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for
further assistance.
Meanwhile,
the World Food Programme (WFP) has stated that it requires $400 million to
procure food supplies for vulnerable Afghans during the winter.
Not long
ago, the organization mentioned that this year, due to a widespread financial
crisis, it had reduced food assistance to 10 million people in Afghanistan.
Recent
earthquakes in Herat and the ongoing return of migrants from Pakistan and Iran
are increasing the daily demand for assistance in Afghanistan, with more than
29 million people in the country currently in need of humanitarian aid,
according to the World Food Programme.
Source: khaama.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.khaama.com/over-6000-afghan-migrants-return-from-pakistan-in-a-single-day/
------
Media
Playing Essential Role in Collecting Aid for Refugees: Officials
Habib
Rahman Qooyash,
12
NOVEMBER 2023
Officials
in the Islamic Emirate say that media reports in the country have played an
essential role in collecting aid for the refugees deported from Pakistan.
The
spokesman of the Islamic Emirate told TOLOnews that depicting the gaps and
problems faced by newly returned refugees by the media has helped the aid
process.
However,
some analysts also consider the role of the media to be important and effective
in covering the moment-to-moment arrival of refugees and the coherence of aid
to them.
Following
the part of the special debate program of TOLOnews with the participation of
the officials of the Islamic Emirate, the private sector and some analysts and
aid activists, referencing the coherence of public aid and aid institutions for
the forcibly deported refugees from Pakistan, said the officials in the Islamic
Emirate consider the role of the media important in order to organize the
collection and delivery of aid to the large number of recently returned
refugees.
Zabihullah
Mujahid, in a conversation with TOLOnews said that the media has played an
important role in regulating the affairs of the refugees by broadcasting
various aspects of the problems of refugees.
"Our
country's media followed up on the issue of refugees in a very responsible way.
All our television channels, all our media and radio tried very hard in the
area of seeking help and in the area of listening to complaints, and had good
reports," Zabihullah Mujahid said.
At the
same time, the Ministry of Economy, which is responsible for the coordination
of emergency aid to refugees, emphasized that it is implementing programs in
various sectors, including attracting and collecting aid and settling refugees.
"Different
committees that have been formed in this direction have taken important steps
in attracting and collecting aid, as well as the issue of housing and shelter,
and also making important programs to create employment in the private and
public sectors, related to the capacities among our refugees,” said Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy minister of
economy.
Some
analysts considered the wide coverage of the arrival effective, and said the
highlighting the challenges of refugees deported from Pakistan was important,
particularly their emphasizing the importance of the media.
"Thanks
to the blessings of our country's media, they make everyone aware of how the
refugees entered Afghanistan, what they are doing, what they are eating and
what their health status is, whether they are well or not," said Ahmad
Ferdaws Behgazin, an economic analyst.
Officials
in the Islamic Emirate, referring to the effectiveness of the assistance
provided by aid organizations and businessmen for the refugees deported from
Pakistan, also announced the creation of two bank accounts that are collecting
cash donations from inside and outside Afghanistan.
Eleven
days have passed since the beginning of the deportation of Afghan refugees from
Pakistan. According to statistics, more than 200,000 people have returned to
Afghanistan from various ports from Pakistan.
Source: tolonews.com
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-185993
-------
Russian
Official Praises Afghan Counter-Narcotics Efforts
Nazir Shinwari,
12
NOVEMBER 2023
Russian
Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev expressed satisfaction over
counter-narcotics in Afghanistan, saying that the “Taliban” has contributed
more to the fight against drugs in Afghanistan in the past year than a
two-decade effort by a coalition led by the United States.
He said
that the US-led coalition forces were interested in "exporting
heroin" to Russia and other countries.
“In less
than a year, the Taliban, no matter how we may feel about it, did what the
US-led NATO coalition, which was allegedly fighting terrorism in the country,
failed to do over a span of 20 years. That’s what happens when those who were,
in fact, interested in exporting heroin to Russia and other countries leave the
region," Medvedev said as quoted by TASS citing his Telegram channel.
Former
Deputy Minister of Counter Narcotics, Ibrahim Azhar, said that in this regard:
“There are major livelihood- alternative programs which can be replaced with
the help of some world countries. The process of cultivation and production of
narcotics will be eliminated.”
According
to counter-narcotics, around 10,500 drug dealers have been arrested in various
operations within the last year.
Another
official of the counter-narcotics of the Interior Ministry, Haseeebullah
Ahmadi, said that the cultivation and production of narcotics have dropped to
nearly zero.
“Around
10,500 major and small drug dealers have been arrested and sent to sharia courts.
Also, around 4,500 tons of drugs have been seized,” he said.
This
comes as some of the farmers called on the relevant organizations to provide
them with reformed seeds.
“We have
not cultivated hashish and poppy and we in return want reformed seeds and water
systems. We are poor farmers, we want them to help us,” said Abdul Malik, a
farmer.
“We want
reformed seeds and fertilizers,” said Gulbuddin, a farmer.
The
officials within the counter-narcotics department of the Interior Ministry said
that 14,000 hectares of land have been cleared of narcotics.
Source: tolonews.com
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the full text of the original
https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186000
-------
Hasina
places five recommendations
Nov 13, 2023
Prime
Minister Sheikh Hasina has placed five recommendations to stop the Israeli
aggression against Palestine that continues unabated, despite calls from global
communities for an immediate end.
She
proposed the suggestions in a recorded speech broadcast at the 8th Extraordinary
Islamic Summit which kicked off on November 9 in Riyadh.
The
summit was convened at the invitation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to discuss
the unprecedented Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people.
The
prime minister called for an immediate ceasefire of the one-sided war forced by
Israel on Palestine. She said there was an immediate need to open a
humanitarian corridor for a continuous, rapid, and safe supply of food, water,
medicine, and other lifesaving materials for the trapped residents of the
devastated Gaza.
Hasina
said the killing of innocent civilians and the clearing of areas through
barbaric means have created an environment of terror. "We must visit all
our agreed decisions at the UN, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the Quartet Road
Map and strive for an early solution that will bring permanent peace among the
peoples of the region."
She also
said the Muslim Ummah must be united on this important issue of Palestine.
Hasina
reiterated that Bangladesh supports and stands by our Palestinian brothers and
sisters' right to self-determination, sovereignty, and independence based on
the 1967 border and the Two-State Solution with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its
capital.
"We
hope you will all do so too," she said.
Source: thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/hasina-places-five-recommendations-3468336
------
Mideast
Massive
rallies in Zionist entity demand ceasefire, prisoners swap
[13/November/2023]
OCCUPIED
AL-QUDS November 13. 2023 (Saba) - Large crowds of Zionists came out in the
occupied region of "Tel Aviv" and other occupied cities, demanding
that enemy Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu work to achieve a ceasefire and
implement an exchange deal for releasing prisoners detained in the Gaza Strip,
in what was described as the largest protest movement since the start of the
war.
According
to the Zionist enemy media, thousands of demonstrators gathered near the
Zionist Ministry of War in Tel Aviv, and some of them raised banners saying,
“The Israelis are for a ceasefire,” “There are no victors in the war,” and
“There is no military solution.” ".
During
the demonstration, Haaretz newspaper quoted Noam Berry - the son of one of the
Zionist detainees in Gaza - as saying “Do not talk to us about the invasion, do
not talk to us about leveling Gaza to the ground... Do not talk at all... Just
take action, bring them home now.”
Similar
demonstrations took place in al-Quds, Caesarea, Beersheba, Haifa, and Eilat,
where demands are mounting for releasing detainees captured by the Palestinian
resistance during Operation al-Aqsa Flood on October 7th, and their number is
estimated at about 240 soldiers and settlers.
Meanwhile,
Netanyahu claimed that the head of the Mossad (the Zionist foreign intelligence
agency), David Barnea, is following up on negotiations regarding the prisoners
in Gaza.
Netanyahu
refrained from going into the details of these negotiations.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3280209.htm
-----
Activists
gather outside APEC summit in San Francisco to condemn Israeli genocide in Gaza
13
November 2023
The
chorus of apposition to the Israeli war on Gaza in gathering more voices in the
United States, with protesters, including pro-Palestine activists, marching on
the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting to call
for an end to Israel’s genocidal war on the besieged Gaza Strip.
The protest
took place in the US city of San Francisco on Sunday as the week-long global
trade summit started.
Waving
Palestinian flags, the participants carried signs reading, “Stand with
Palestine,” “Resistance to occupation is
justified,” and “No Genocide APEC.”
“I’m
here to protest in solidarity with Palestinians who have been undergoing 75
years of occupation and genocide and ethnic cleansing,” said protester Eleonore
Collet.
'A real
genocide'
“It’s
truly a genocide, and we are funding it in the US and that feels deeply wrong,”
she said. “The cause of the liberation of peoples is international, all these
causes are interconnected.”
Suzanne
Ali, an organizer for the Palestinian Youth Movement, said that Washington
needs to be held to account for supplying weapons to Israel amid its carnage in
Gaza.
US-made
AGM-114 Hellfire missiles were used to strike Gaza’s main hospital, al-Shifa
where several Palestinian patients were killed on Friday, according to reports.
Israel
waged the bloody war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 after Hamas carried out a
surprise operation against the occupying entity.
Since
the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 11,180
Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, and injured about 28,200
others.
It has
also imposed a “complete siege” on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel,
electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living
there.
Sunday’s
protest also included activists protesting corporate profits, environmental
abuses and poor working conditions. They demanded participants in the APEC
forum put people and the planet above business.
APEC was
established in 1989 as a forum to promote trade, investment and economic
development among nations around the Pacific Ocean. It has 21 member countries,
including the world’s two largest economic superpowers – China and the US.
The
annual APEC leaders’ conference brings together heads of states and other top
economic and diplomatic leaders.
Source: presstv.ir
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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/11/13/714521/Activists-gather-outside-APEC-summit-condemn-Israeli-war-Gaza
-----
Displaced
Gazans live in dust, fear and hunger
November
13, 2023
KHAN
YUNIS: At first Youssef Mehna thought the unrest would quickly be over. Then he
was wounded, his house was destroyed, and he was forced to survive “25 days
without anything”.
So like
thousands of others, Mehna finally fled north Gaza for the south.
Perched
on trucks, crammed into cars, pulled by donkeys on carts, and on foot, tens of
thousands of Palestinians are fleeing Israeli army strikes on the territory
squeezed between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean.
At the
Bani Suheila crossroads in Khan Yunis, on the immense
Salah
Al-Din road that threads Gaza top to bottom, the processions are growing still.
People
fleeing Gaza City are joined by those leaving Khan Yunis heading further south,
towards Rafah, the last city before Egypt.
Mehna
left the Jabalia refugee camp at seven in the morning, in the north of Gaza
City, also hoping to reach Rafah. But his journey finished in Khan Yunis, after
eight hours of travel covering only 25 kilometres.
“I
already paid 500 shekels ($130) to come from Jabalia and so I have nothing more
to carry on to Rafah,” he said with a drawn face, surrounded by his six
children.
Because
his sick wife is in a wheelchair, he had to rent “carts pulled by donkeys,
trucks, cars” to transport her. Each trip was short, as fuel shortages prevent
drivers from accepting long-distance fares.
Sometimes,
between car rides, they were forced to go on foot. “So it was me who pushed my
wife’s chair,” he said. Around him, hundreds of families were waiting.
Children
sleep on the floor beside parents wondering how they will live in a territory
where more than 1.5 million people are displaced and nearly one house in two
has been destroyed, according to the United Nations.
In
southern Gaza, overflowing with displaced from the north, rents of $150 a month
are now up to $500 to $1000.
“I don’t
even have a morsel of bread to feed my kids,” said Umm Yaaqub. “Since six in
the morning I have been looking everywhere.” “I can’t give them anything to
eat,” added the 42-year-old, who arrived in Khan Yunis three days ago with her
husband and seven children from Gaza City.
But
hunger is not the only worry for Umm Yaaqub. “My husband has heart problems,”
she says.
And her
20-year-old daughter Rim “is normally in a medical bed”. “But we all sleep on
the ground, in the dust, and we don’t have a single blanket even though the
nights are very cold.” Her husband Atef Abu Jarad, 47, remains in a classroom
on the first floor of a school where the family camps now, next to dozens of
other displaced.
“I’m the
head of the family, but I don’t have a single shekel to buy something for my
kids to eat,” he laments. Shops across southern Gaza are running out of
everything. Bottled water, milk for children, nappies, pasta and juices are now
nearly impossible to find.
A little
food aid is trickling through to the displaced according to Abu Jarad: “a
portion of rice to share between seven” members of his family. “So I take a
small spoon of rice and I tell them I’m full so they can eat,” he says.
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1788846/displaced-gazans-live-in-dust-fear-and-hunger
------
Gaza's
largest hospital 'not functioning' amid Israeli assault
November
13, 2023
GAZA:The
largest hospital in Gaza has ceased to function and fatalities among patients
are rising, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday, as
a fierce Israeli assault continues in the besieged enclave.
Palestinian
officials said on Friday that 11,078 Gaza residents had been killed in air and
artillery strikes since then, around 40% of them children.
Hospitals
in the north of the Palestinian enclave, including the al-Shifa complex, are
blockaded by Israeli forces and barely able to care for those inside, with
three newborns dead and more at risk from power outages amid intense fighting
nearby, according to medical staff.
Israel
claims it is homing in on Palestinian fighters who attacked the country on
October 7.
The WHO
managed to speak to health professionals at al-Shifa, who described a
"dire and perilous" situation with constant gunfire and bombing
exacerbating the already critical situation, Director-General Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus said.
"Tragically,
the number of patient fatalities has increased significantly," he said in
a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, adding that al-Shifa was "not
functioning as a hospital anymore".
Tedros
joined other top United Nations officials in calling for an immediate
ceasefire.
"The
world cannot stand silent while hospitals, which should be safe havens, are
transformed into scenes of death, devastation, and despair," he said.
The
president of Indonesia, home to the world's biggest Muslim population, also
called for a ceasefire ahead of meeting U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington
on Monday.
"A
ceasefire must be implemented soon, we also must accelerate and increase the
amount of humanitarian aid, and we must begin peace negotiations,"
President Joko Widodo said in a video recorded after he took part in an
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Riyadh.
He said
the world seemed "helpless" in the face of the suffering of the
Palestinians. The extraordinary joint Islamic-Arab summit also urged the
International Criminal Court to investigate "war crimes and crimes against
humanity that Israel is committing" in the Palestinian territories.
The
European Union condemned Hamas for using "hospitals and civilians as human
shields" in Gaza, while also urging Israel to show "maximum
restraint" to protect civilians.
"These
hostilities are severely impacting hospitals and taking a horrific toll on
civilians and medical staff," European Union foreign policy chief Josep
Borrell said on Sunday in a statement issued on behalf of the 27-nation bloc.
White
House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan claimed Hamas was using hospitals
and other civilian facilities to house fighters and weapons, which he said was
a violation of the laws of war.
"The
United States does not want to see firefights in hospitals where innocent people,
patients receiving medical care, are caught in the crossfire and we've had
active consultations with the Israeli Defense Forces on this," Sullivan
told CBS News.
The
brutal Israeli military response has also prompted outrage in several cities
across the world, where hundreds of thousands of people held protests demanding
a ceasefire.
Israel's
supporters, including in Washington, say a ceasefire would allow Hamas to
prepare for more attacks, but the Biden administration has pushed Israel to
allow pauses in the fighting for civilians to flee and for aid to enter.
Biden,
who spoke on Sunday with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani about
developments in Gaza, agreed that all captives held by Hamas must be released
"without further delay", the White House said in a statement.
The
conflict has raised fears of a broader conflagration. Lebanon-based Hezbollah
has traded missile attacks with Israel, and other resistance groups in Iraq and
Syria have launched at least 40 separate drone and rocket attacks on US forces.
The
United States carried out two air strikes in Syria against the groups on
Sunday, a US defense official told Reuters, in what appeared to be the latest
response to the attacks.
Babies
at risk
Israel's
military claimed it had offered to evacuate newborn babies and had placed 300
liters of fuel at al-Shifa's entrance on Saturday night, but both gestures had
been blocked by Hamas.
Hamas
denied that it refused the fuel and said the hospital was under the authority
of Gaza's Health Ministry, adding that the amount of fuel Israel said it
offered was "not enough to operate the (hospital's) generators for more
than half an hour".
Ashraf
Al-Qidra, spokesperson for the Health Ministry, said that of 45 babies in
incubators at al-Shifa, three had already died.
A
plastic surgeon in al-Shifa said the bombing of the building housing incubators
had forced staff to line up premature babies on ordinary beds, using the little
power available to run the air conditioning to warm.
"We
are expecting to lose more of them day by day," said Dr Ahmed El
Mokhallalati.
The
Palestinian Red Crescent said the strip's second largest hospital, Al-Quds, was
also out of service, with staff struggling to care for those already there with
little medicine, food and water.
"Al
Quds hospital has been cut off from the world in the last six to seven days. No
way in, no way out," said Tommaso Della Longa, spokesperson for the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
Source: tribune.com.pk
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https://tribune.com.pk/story/2446159/gazas-largest-hospital-not-functioning-amid-israeli-assault
------
Jihad
clashes with enemy forces on several fronts in Gaza, Resistance continues
bombing settlements
[13/November/2023]
GAZA
November 13. 2023 (Saba) - Armed clashes continue between the Palestinian
resistance factions and the Zionist enemy forces penetrating several axes in
the Gaza Strip, while the factions continue their bombing of enemy settlements
in the Gaza envelope.
Al-Quds
Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine, has
announced that it had bombed Kerem Shalom site and Amitai base with missile
salvoes.
The
enemy army said in a statement “15 missiles were fired from Lebanon in the last
salvo, and the Iron Dome only responded to four of them,” adding “Seven Zionist
soldiers were injured as a result of mortar shells falling in Manara area near
the Lebanese border.”
"Al-Qassam
Brigades" in Lebanon "claimed responsibility for bombing northern
Haifa and Shalomi and Nahariya settlements in northern occupied Palestine with
several concentrated missile barrages in response to the enemy's massacres and
aggression against our people in the Gaza Strip."
Al-Qassam
also indicated that it had “bombed concentrations of enemy forces in Kibbutz
“Holeit” with heavy-caliber mortar shells, targeted a special Zionist force
holed up in a building north of Beit Hanoun with an anti-personnel device, and
destroyed three tanks and a troop carrier on the southwestern Gaza axis with
Al-Yassin shells.105 ".
Al-Quds
Brigades published a video clip showing scenes of an Israeli Heron TB (Eitan)
aircraft being targeted by a surface-to-air missile.
The
Zionist enemy army continues its artillery shelling in the areas surrounding
al-Shifa Medical Complex.
Palestinian
media reported an increase in the intensity of clashes between Palestinian
faction fighters and Zionist enemy forces in the al-Nasr neighborhood in Gaza
City, in light of the continued artillery shelling east of Khan Yunis.
The
enemy army also announced that sirens were sounding in the settlement of Netiv
Haasra and Kibbutz Kissufim in the Gaza Strip.
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3280212.htm
------
Jizan
Brigades provide financial support to Palestinian resistance & support for
Operation “Al-Aqsa Flood”
[13/November/2023]
SANA'A
November 13. 2023 (Saba) - The Jizan Brigades provided on Sunday financial
support in the amount of 42 million and 250 thousand riyals to the Palestinian
resistance and in support of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation.
The
financial support was received by the official responsible for the Palestinian
file of Ansar Allah - the head of the central committee for collecting
donations for the “Al-Quds is Closer” campaign, Hassan Al-Hamran, and
representatives of the Islamic Jihad movement in Sana’a, Ahmed Baraka, and the
Democratic Front movement, Khaled Khalifa.
During
the handover, which was attended by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of
the Yemeni News Agency Saba - Editor-in-Chief Nasraldin Amer and the Head of
the Finance Division of the Jizan Brigades, Colonel Abdullah Saleh Al-Arjali,
the Deputy Head of the Manpower Division of the Brigades, Colonel Arif Muhammad
Abu Dhaiba, affirmed the position of the Yemeni people in supporting the
Palestinian cause with money, weapons, and souls and supports the “Al-Aqsa
Flood” operation and the battle waged by the heroes of the Palestinian
resistance against the Zionist enemy.
He
pointed out that the modest financial support provided by the officers and
members of the Jizan Brigades comes in support and assistance to the stationed
in the front row of the valiant Palestinian resistance who carried out the
“Al-Aqsa Flood” operation against the usurping enemy entity.
He
denounced the brutal crimes and massacres committed by the Zionist enemy
against the children and women of Gaza and the occupied territories in light of
the silence and complicity of the working regimes... considering these heinous
crimes a blatant challenge to the international community and a violation of
international and humanitarian values, norms and laws.
Colonel
Abu Dhiba affirmed the readiness of the heroes of the Yemeni army to sacrifice
everything and defend Al-Aqsa Mosque, to stand by the people of Palestine and
the Gaza Strip, to fight the battle with them shoulder to shoulder, to support
truth and religion, and to defeat the occupying invaders from the land of
Palestine.
He
renewed his pledge and loyalty to follow the line of resistance and carry the
Palestinian cause as the first issue for the Yemeni people and cannot be
undone, and the willingness to sacrifice money and lives for it.
For his
part, the representative of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Sanaa, Baraka,
praised the positions of the Yemeni people, government and people, towards the
Palestinian issue and the heroes of the resistance who perform heroic deeds in
defending the pride and dignity of the nation... reviewing the positions of the
Yemenis and their struggle and jihadist roles since the start of the
contemporary Palestinian revolution.
He
praised the initiative of the officers and members of the Jizan Brigades who
insisted on the participation of the people of Gaza and the Palestinian
resistance factions that are writing heroic epics and making huge sacrifices in
the face of the American and Western-backed Zionist enemy.
He said,
"The Yemeni people have left no excuse for the nation. Whoever wants glory
should do what the Yemeni people are doing, leadership and people. Whoever
wants the satisfaction of God Almighty should offer what the heroes in the
Jizan brigades are offering, considering that part of the Yemeni people's
standing alongside the Palestinian people. There is nothing left for the Yemeni
except to do so." He joins the land of Palestine and joins loyal men to
confront the usurping entity, and this is unfortunately what prevented them
from doing so.”
In turn,
the representative of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine in
Sana'a, Khalifa, praised the positions of the Yemeni people, government and
people, towards the Palestinian people... praising the initiative of the
officers and soldiers of the Jizan Brigades who provided financial support to support
the Almoravids in Palestine in defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
He held
the international community and the normalizing regimes that support the
usurping Zionist entity responsible for the massacres and crimes against
humanity that the Palestinian people are exposed to.
He said,
"If the regimes that sold themselves to the enemy had not stood up, the
people of Yemen would have taken the lead and been in the first ranks with the
stationed in the Gaza Strip and the occupied territories."
Source: saba.ye
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3280180.htm
------
Heavy
fighting rages near main Gaza hospital and people trapped inside say they
cannot flee
13.11.23
Israeli
ground forces on Sunday battled Hamas militants near Gaza's largest hospital,
where health officials said thousands of staff, patients and displaced people
remain trapped with no electricity, dwindling supplies and some gunfire coming
inside.
Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected growing international calls for a
cease-fire unless it includes the release of all the nearly 240 hostages
captured by Hamas in the Oct. 7 rampage that triggered the war, saying Israel
was bringing its “full force” with the aim of ending Hamas' 16-year rule in
Gaza.
Residents
reported heavy airstrikes and shelling, including around Shifa Hospital.
Israel, without providing evidence, has accused Hamas of concealing a command
post inside and under the hospital compound, allegations denied by Hamas and
hospital staff.
“We
spent the night in panic waiting for their arrival,” said Ahmed al-Boursh, a
resident taking shelter in the hospital. “They are outside, not far from the
gates.”
The
hospital's last generator ran out of fuel on Saturday, leading to the deaths of
three premature babies and four other patients, according to the Health
Ministry. It says another 36 babies are at risk of dying without electricity.
Health
Ministry Undersecretary Munir al-Boursh said Israeli snipers have deployed
around Shifa, firing at any movement inside the compound. He said airstrikes
had destroyed several homes next to the hospital, killing three people,
including a doctor.
"There
are wounded in the house, and we can't reach them," he told Al Jazeera
television. “We can't stick our heads out of the window.”
Netanyahu
asserted to NBC's “Meet the Press” that Israel had offered Shifa Hospital fuel
to run generators but “they refused it.” There was no immediate response from
the Health Ministry and others including the Red Cross.
Speaking
to CNN, Netanyahu asserted that “100 or so” people had been evacuated from
Shifa and that Israel had created safe corridors. The military has said troops
would assist in moving babies on Sunday, and that it was in contact with
hospital staff.
But the
Health Ministry has denied claims of evacuees and safe corridors, and people
sheltering in the hospital said they were afraid to go outside.
It was
not possible to independently ascertain the situation in and around the
hospital.
The
Health Ministry said there are still 1,500 patients at Shifa, along with 1,500
medical personnel and between 15,000 and 20,000 people seeking shelter.
The
Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said another Gaza City hospital, the
Red Crescent-run Al-Quds, is “no longer operational” because it has run out of
fuel. Gaza's sole power plant was forced to shut down a month ago, and Israel
has barred any fuel imports, saying Hamas would use them for military purposes.
Nebal
Farsakh, a spokesperson for the Red Crescent, said 6,000 people, including
displaced families, patients, and staff, remained trapped in the hospital.
Alarm
was growing. “Decisive international action is needed now to secure an
immediate humanitarian cease-fire and prevent further loss of life" amid
attacks on health care, the U.N. regional directors of the World Health
Organization and others said in a statement, adding that more than half of
Gaza's hospitals are closed and the rest are under “massive strain.”
"We
do not want to see a firefight in a hospital where innocent people, helpless
people, people seeking medical care are caught in the crossfire,” President Joe
Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told ABC's “This Week.”
Muhammed
Zaqout, director of hospitals in Gaza, said the Health Ministry has been unable
to update the death toll since Friday as medics are unable to reach areas hit
by Israeli bombardment. “The situation is extremely dire,” he said. “Ambulances
are unable to reach people under the rubble.”
About
2.3 million Palestinians remain trapped in the besieged territory.
Evacuation
windows, but no pauses
Jordanian
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Sunday on X, formerly Twitter, that he asked
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to apply the same “legal,
moral grounds” for EU support of Ukraine to “define its stand on Israel's war
crimes."
The US
has pushed for temporary pauses that would allow for wider distribution of
badly needed aid to civilians in the besieged territory, where conditions are
increasingly dire.
But Israel
has only agreed to brief daily periods during which civilians can flee the area
of ground combat in northern Gaza and head south on foot along two main roads.
Israel continues to strike what it says are militant targets across southern
Gaza, often killing women and children.
Dozens
of wounded people, including children, were brought to a hospital in Khan
Younis after an Israeli airstrike demolished a building in the southern town.
Hospital officials said at least 13 were killed.
The war
has displaced over two-thirds of Gaza's population, with most fleeing south.
Egypt has allowed hundreds of foreign passport holders and medical patients to
exit through its Rafah crossing, as well as the entry of some humanitarian aid.
More
than 11,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and minors, have been killed
since the war began, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza, which does not
differentiate between civilian and militant deaths. About 2,700 people have
been reported missing and are thought to be trapped or dead under the rubble.
At least
1,200 people have been killed on the Israeli side, mostly civilians killed in
the initial Hamas attack. Forty-six Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza
since the ground offensive began.
About
250,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate from communities near Gaza, where
Palestinian militants are still firing barrages of rockets, and along the
northern border with Lebanon.
Netanyahu
rejects US postwar vision
Netanyahu
has said the responsibility for any harm to civilians lies with Hamas. Israel
has long accused the group, which operates in dense residential neighborhoods,
of using civilians as human shields.
On
Saturday, Netanyahu began to outline Israel's postwar plans for Gaza, which
contrast sharply with the vision put forth by the United States.
Netanyahu
said Gaza would be demilitarized and that Israel would retain the ability to
enter Gaza freely to hunt down militants. He also rejected the idea that the
Palestinian Authority, which currently administers parts of the
Israeli-occupied West Bank, would at some stage control Gaza. Hamas drove the
PA's forces out of Gaza in a week of street battles in 2007.
Secretary
of State Antony Blinken has said the US opposes an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza
and envisions a unified Palestinian government in both Gaza and the West Bank
as a step toward a Palestinian state. Even before the war, Netanyahu's
government was staunchly opposed to Palestinian statehood.
The war
threatens to trigger a wider conflict, with Israel and Hezbollah militants in
Lebanon frequently trading fire along the border. Hezbollah fired anti-tank
missiles into Israel on Sunday, and Israel responded with artillery and fighter
jets. Israel's power company said workers repairing lines damaged in previous attacks
were wounded, and video footage showed two vehicles on fire.
Source: telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/heavy-fighting-rages-near-main-gaza-hospital-and-people-trapped-inside-say-they-cannot-flee/cid/1979570
------
Attacks
by Lebanon's Hezbollah group wound 7 Israeli troops, 10 others along border
with Israel
Nov 13, 2023
JERUSALEM:Attacks
by Lebanon's Hezbollah group Sunday wounded seven Israeli troops and 10 other
people, Israel's military and rescue services said.
The
clashes came as skirmishes between the Iran-backed group and Israeli military
continue to intensify along the Lebanon-Israel border, threatening to escalate
into another front in the Mideast's latest war.
The
assault was the most serious incident involving civilians along the
Lebanon-Israel border since an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon on Nov. 5
killed a woman and three children.
The
Israeli army's chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the Hezbollah
attack on Israeli civilians was "very serious."
He said
Israel is focused on its war in Gaza but it also remains at a "very high
level of preparedness in the north" and ready to take further action.
The
Israeli military "has operational plans to change the security status in
the north," he told reporters. "The security status will not remain
such that the civilians of the north do not feel safe returning to their homes."
The
Israeli military said in a statement that "seven IDF soldiers were lightly
injured as a result of the mortar shell launches in the area of Manara in
northern Israel earlier today." Israeli rescue services did not identify
the location or provide information about the 10 others wounded by rocket
blasts and shrapnel, but said two of them were in critical condition.
The
Israeli military said they identified 15 launches from Lebanon over the past
hour and their defense systems intercepted four of them. The rest fell into
open areas.
Hamas'
military wing, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for shelling the northern
Haifa and the Israeli border towns of Na'ura and Shlomi from southern Lebanon
without giving any further details.
Hezbollah
first fired antitank missiles at an Israeli community just over the border on
Sunday, Israeli officials said, badly wounding utility workers. The Israeli
military said it was striking the origin of the launch with artillery fire. The
Israel Electric Corp. said workers in the rural community of Dovev were wounded
while repairing lines damaged in a previous attack. Israeli media reported that
six people were wounded, including one critically.
Israel
struck several southern Lebanese towns, including Yaroun, Mays el-Jabal, and Alma
al-Shaab.
The
Israeli military Sunday night shared an aerial video showing strikes on what it
said was Hezbollah militant infrastructure including a "military compound
with a warehouse of weapons and military infrastructure." It did not give
any additional details. Hezbollah said it launched guided missiles against a
"logistical force belonging to the occupation army that was about to
install transmission poles and eavesdropping and spying devices near the Dovev
barracks." It said it hit an Israeli military bulldozer in a separate
strike. Shortly after the attack, air raid sirens were heard in northern
Israel. Army Radio reported that another antitank missile had been fired from
Lebanon.
Hezbollah
later announced attacks on Israeli military gatherings and barracks in border
areas Birket Riche and Zareit, as clashes continue to intensify.
Israeli
troops and Hezbollah militants and their allies have been clashing along the
border since the Israel-Hamas war started five weeks ago with a bloody
incursion into southern Israel by Hezbollah ally Hamas. While largely
contained, clashes have increased in intensity as Israel conducts a ground
offensive in Gaza against Hamas.
Also
Sunday, the United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, UNIFIL, said
one of its peacekeepers had been wounded by gunfire overnight near the Lebanese
town of al-Qawza. It was not immediately clear where the shooting had come from
or whether the peacekeepers were targeted or caught in crossfire. UNIFIL said
it was investigating.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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-----
76
additional aid trucks cross into Gaza: Palestinian Red Crescent
Awad
Rjoob
13.11.2023
The
Palestinian Red Crescent Society announced on Sunday that 76 more aid trucks
have made their way into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing with
Egypt.
The
humanitarian group said the trucks transported essential supplies to the
enclave, including medicine, medical supplies, food, water, and other relief
materials.
It added
that the Israeli authorities have not yet allowed fuel into the enclave.
So far,
980 aid trucks have entered the enclave since Oct. 21.
For more
than a month, the Israeli army has been attacking all parts of the Gaza Strip,
while its ground operation has focused on isolating its northern part and
establishing a heavy military presence.
Israel
has been carrying out relentless air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip --
including on hospitals, residences and houses of worship -- since the
Palestinian resistance group Hamas launched a cross-border attack on Oct. 7.
Since
then, the number of deaths from the ongoing Israeli attacks has surpassed
11,100, including more than 8,000 children and women, the government media
office in Gaza said on Sunday.
The
Israeli death toll is nearly 1,200, according to official figures.
Source: aa.com.tr
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-----
WHO
warns of ‘dire situation’ in Gaza hospitals, says more patients ‘tragically’
dying
13
November 2023
The
World Health Organization has warned of a “dire” situation in hospitals in the
Gaza Strip amid Israel’s all-out airstrikes and ground invasion.
WHO
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the situation at al-Shifa
Hospital, the largest medical complex in Gaza, was “dire and perilous” amid
“constant” Israeli bombings and gunfire.
He noted
that al-Shifa was “not functioning as a hospital anymore” with no electricity
and water.
The WHO
chief also slammed the failure of the international community to put an end to
the Palestinians’ plight, and called for an immediate ceasefire as deaths among
patients are rising “tragically.”
“The world cannot stand silent while
hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death,
devastation, and despair,” he said in a post on X.
Meanwhile,
Al-Mayadeen reported that the situation in Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis in the
south of Gaza is “catastrophic”, amid a “lack of all services” that put the
lives of hundreds of wounded people “at risk”.
That
comes as Israel has intensified its strikes on the southern city of Khan Yunis
despite the regime’s own warnings that called on people in the north of Gaza to
move to the south.
On
Sunday, al-Shifa and Al-Quds, which is Gaza’s second-biggest hospital, said
that they had suspended operations amid Israeli strikes and siege.
Nidal
Abu Hadrous, a neurosurgeon working at al-Shifa Hospital, said patients and
staff were facing a “disastrous” situation.
“This
can’t last long. Urgent intervention to save the staff and the patients is
required,” Abu Hadrous told Al Jazeera.
Kamal
Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza also suspended operations after its main
generator ran out of fuel.
Al-Shifa
Hospital director Muhammad Abu Salmiya also said Israeli claims that it offered
fuel is “propaganda.”
“Israel
wants to show the world that it is not killing babies. It wants to whitewash
its image with 300 liters of fuel, which barely lasts 30 minutes,” Abu Salmiya
told Al Jazeera.
The
International Committee of the Red Cross sounds a stern alarm about the
humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli
airstrikes on Gaza have repeatedly targeted hospitals, residential buildings,
mosques, and churches. Under the Geneva Convention, attacks on hospitals are
strictly prohibited.
On
October 17, hundreds of civilians were killed and injured by Israeli airstrikes
on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City. The attack has been condemned as an act
of genocide by many governments around the world.
Israeli
forces have also surrounded medical facilities in the north of Gaza, including
al-Shifa Hospital.
Several
hospitals in Gaza City have become refuges for Palestinians hoping to be spared
Israeli bombardments, which began early in October.
The
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has urged the United Nations
secretary-general to form an international committee to visit hospitals in the
besieged strip to counter Israel’s “false” claims that they are used as launch
pad for anti-Israel operations.
Hamas
has noted that the claims are aimed to “justify” Israel’s attacks on hospitals
in Gaza.
The
Israeli aggression has so far killed at least 11,078 Palestinians, most of them
women and children.
The
death toll hasn’t been updated since Friday because of the collapse of services
and communications at hospitals in the strip.
Source: presstv.ir
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------
Hamas
denies turning down fuel supply to hospital, calls it 'part of Israel's lies'
13
November 2023
Hamas
has denied having turned down a meager fuel supply allegedly offered by Israel
for use at the Gaza Strip's biggest hospital, which is suffering from dire fuel
shortage due to the regime's ongoing war against the besieged territory.
The
Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement made the remarks in a late Sunday
statement concerning the supply of 300 liters of fuel allegedly offered by the
occupying regime for Gaza's al-Shifa Hospital.
"As
part of the series of lies that the occupation spreads [on a] daily [basis],
the spokesman for its Nazi army said they had offered the administration of
al-Shifa Hospital to supply the hospital with a quantity of fuel, but the Hamas
movement refused it," the statement said.
Stressing
that the hospital's needs for fuel far outweighed such a scanty supply, Hamas
said, "The offer belittled the pain and suffering of the patients who are
trapped inside without water, food, or electricity. This quantity was not
enough to operate hospital generators for more than thirty minutes."
The
movement noted that the occupying regime of Israel "sought through this
offer to launch a cheap propaganda campaign to beautify its ugly face and hide
its crimes against humanity, its bombing of hospitals, its killing of medical
staff, and its endangering the lives of patients by cutting off fuel, water,
and medicines" to Gaza.
A
Palestinian official has warned that patients are out "in the streets
without care” in the Gaza Strip following the "forced evacuations" of
two paediatric hospitals amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment.
Hamas
also renewed its call on the United Nations and the international community to
immediate intervene to bring fuel into the Gaza Strip to help hospitals work
"and to stop flagrant violations of international laws by the fascist
occupation entity."
The
movement emphasized that it plays no role in decisions made by the hospital's
management and was not part of its decision-making structures, adding,
"The hospital is completely subject to the authority of the Palestinian
Health Ministry."
Israel
began its war on Gaza on October 7 following an operation by the territory's
resistance groups. More than 11,000 Palestinians, including 4,506 children,
have been killed, and 27,490 others sustained injuries so far.
The
regime has also cut off the flow of basic supplies such as water, electricity,
medicines, and fuel to the densely-populated territory that houses over two
million Palestinians.
According
to Gaza's Health Ministry, 21 out of 35 hospitals with inpatient facilities
have stopped functioning either due to damage from Israeli shelling and
airstrikes or lack of fuel.
Gaza's
deputy health minister, Youssef Abu Rish, said on Sunday that fuel shortage at
al-Shifa Hospital has claimed the lives of five premature babies and seven
critically ill patients, adding, "We fear the toll will rise further by
morning."
Throughout
the war, the occupying regime has been staging scores of attacks against the
healthcare system across Gaza, including hospitals and ambulances, alleging
that they are used to either accommodate or transport Palestinian fighters. The
World Health Organization has recorded at least 137 Israeli attacks on healthcare
staff in Gaza, killing 521 people and injuring 686 others.
UN chief
decries 'collective punishment' of Palestinians
Separately,
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres decried "collective
punishment" of Palestinians by Israel under the excuse of Hamas' operation
against the regime.
Speaking
to CNN, Guterres also regretted that as many as 101 UN personnel have died
since the regime unleashed its genocidal war on the Palestinian territory.
Source: presstv.ir
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------
Europe
Macron
explains ‘killing babies’ remark to Israeli president
13 Nov,
2023
French
President Emmanuel Macron appears to have backtracked on his comments about
Israeli strikes killing scores of civilians in Gaza, which he made in an
interview with the BBC on Friday while calling for a ceasefire.
The
remarks prompted a backlash from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who
accused Macron of making “a serious mistake, factually and morally.”
On
Sunday, the French leader initiated a phone call with Israel’s president to
clarify his position, saying that he “did not intend to accuse Israel of
intentionally harming innocent civilians,” according to the office of Israeli
President Isaac Herzog.
Herzog
said the remarks had “caused much pain and upset in Israel.”
Macron
also reiterated his support for Israel’s right to self-defense and his
commitment to secure the release of the hostages held in Gaza, explaining that
his comments were “made in reference to the humanitarian situation.”
Herzog
reportedly reassured his French counterpart that Israel was taking “all
possible measures to prevent harm to uninvolved civilians,” and shifted the
blame for civilian deaths onto Hamas.
On
Friday, Macron told the BBC that he “clearly condemns” the Hamas attack on
Israel. However, he also said that, “de facto, today, civilians are bombed...
these babies, these ladies, these old people are bombed and killed.”
He added
that “there is no reason for that and no legitimacy,” urging Israel to stop. He
added that a humanitarian ceasefire was the only solution to protect all
civilians in Gaza.
Netanyahu
was quick to respond, arguing that Israel was “truly doing everything to
minimize harm to civilians,” and urged the Western leader not to bow to
pressure from those calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Israel
launched an unprecedented military bombardment of the densely populated
Palestinian enclave in retaliation for the Hamas attack on its territory that
left around 1,200 of its citizens dead.
More
than 11,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed in over four weeks of
artillery and airstrikes in Gaza, at least 8,000 of whom were women and children,
according to health officials in the Hamas-controlled territory.
On
Sunday, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said al-Quds Hospital, the
second-largest medical facility in Gaza, had ceased operations due to a fuel
shortage and power outage. It blamed the international community and
signatories of the Fourth Geneva Convention for neglecting the complete
breakdown of Gaza’s healthcare system and the dire humanitarian crisis.
Source: rt.com
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-------
German
opposition leader demands new citizens embrace Israel
12 Nov,
2023
Germany
should introduce “clear” measures to combat anti-Semitism, the leader of the
country’s biggest opposition party, said on Sunday.
Friedrich
Merz of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) called on all
anti-Israeli activities in Germany to be “put to an end.”
“Talking
no longer helps,” Merz said in a series of posts on X (formerly known as
Twitter) as he called for “unequivocal decisions” to be taken to tackle the
issue. The list of measures suggested by the opposition leader includes linking
the ability to get German citizenship to a commitment to respect Israel’s
sovereignty.
“Naturalization
in Germany must be tied to a clear commitment to freedom of religion and
beliefs as well as to the state of Israel’s right to exist,” he said. The CDU
leader also said every schoolchild should be obliged to visit a concentration
camp museum before graduation and no one should be able to skip such events.
His
comments came amid a war between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant
group which maintains de facto rule over Gaza. Hamas launched a surprise attack
on Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking
around 240 hostages. Israel responded with heavy bombardments of Gaza and a
ground operation. The ongoing hostilities have claimed more than 11,000
Palestinian lives, according to local health officials.
Israel’s
response has sparked condemnation throughout the Muslim world and beyond, with
some European nations, including Germany, witnessing massive pro-Palestinian
demonstrations. Some of these protests have turned violent. On October 19, one
such unauthorized demonstration in Berlin resulted in 174 arrests and left 65
police officers injured.
Speaking
just two days after that demonstration, Merz called on the government to take
even stricter measures.
“Germany
cannot accept any more refugees,” he told the Swiss newspaper NZZ at that time,
adding “We have enough anti-Semitic young men in the country.”
The
politician also said Germans were rightfully concerned about the inflow of new
arrivals from Muslim nations, as there had been “no shortage of warnings” in
recent years that had been “ignored by the politicians.” He emphasized that all
Muslims should not be considered dangerous but demanded that those who “do not
adhere to the rules of coexistence” should face a “clear response.”
Source: rt.com
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-----
German
chancellor opposed to ‘immediate’ ceasefire in Gaza
13 Nov
2023
FRANKFURT,
Nov 13 — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said yesterday he opposed an “immediate”
ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as calls multiply globally to halt the conflict
triggered by Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel.
Israel
has relentlessly pounded the densely populated Hamas-run Palestinian territory
and sent in troops in a mission to destroy the Islamist militant group,
sparking an escalating humanitarian crisis.
“I don’t
think the calls for an immediate ceasefire or long pause — which would amount
to the same thing — are right,” Scholz said in a debate organised by the German
regional daily Heilbronner Stimme.
“That
would mean ultimately that Israel leaves Hamas the possibility of recovering
and obtaining new missiles,” he added, calling instead for “humanitarian
pauses”.
Scholz’s
stance clashes with many Arab countries, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is due to meet the German leader in Berlin
next week.
The
Hamas attack left around 1,200 dead, mostly civilians killed on October 7,
according to the latest official Israeli figures, while 42 soldiers have been
killed in the Gaza Strip since the Israeli military began ground operations.
The
Israeli military estimates some 240 people were taken hostage into the Gaza
Strip during the initial Hamas attack. Among these captives there are at least
30 children, according to Israeli media.
The
Israeli military campaign has left more than 11,000 people in Gaza dead, mainly
civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. — AFP
Source: malaymail.com
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-----
Trapped
Brazilians finally leave Gaza as Israel-Brazil ties worsens
13 Nov
2023
SAO
PAULO, Nov 13 — Nearly three dozen Brazilians who had been trapped inside Gaza
for weeks, and whose predicament had driven a diplomatic wedge between Brasilia
and Israel, crossed the border into Egypt yesterday, the foreign ministry said.
“The
group of 32 Brazilians and families are already in Egyptian territory, where
they were received by a team from the Brazilian embassy in Cairo, which is
responsible for the final step of the repatriation operation,” the foreign
ministry wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The
Brazilians are due back in Brazil late on Monday, the ministry said, and are
expected to meet with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Two of
the group decided to stay for personal reasons, it said. In total, 17 children,
nine women and six men exited via the Rafah crossing, through which foreign
nationals and aid have been transported back and forth into Gaza.
The
Palestinian enclave has been under bombardment by Israel, which aims to destroy
Hamas militants who attacked Israel from Gaza on October 7.
The slow
pace of release of the trapped Brazilians increased friction between Brazil and
Israel, which erupted last week after Israeli spy agency Mossad said it helped
foil a Hezbollah attack in Brazil. An appearance by Israel’s ambassador to
Brazil with former President Jair Bolsonaro, a staunch Israel ally and longtime
Lula political foe, also irked Brazilian officials. — Reuters
Source: malaymail.com
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-------
UK PM
sacks interior minister Braverman who accused police of favoring
pro-Palestinian protesters
November
13, 2023
LONDON:
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has fired Home Secretary Suella Braverman,
who drew anger for accusing police of being too lenient with pro-Palestinian
protesters.
The
government says Braverman has left her job as part of a Cabinet shuffle on
Monday.
Sunak
was under growing pressure to fire Braverman, a divisive figure popular with
the authoritarian wing of the governing Conservative Party.
In a
highly unusual attack on the police last week, Braverman said London’s police
force was ignoring lawbreaking by “pro-Palestinian mobs.” She described
demonstrators calling for a ceasefire in Gaza as “hate marchers.”
On
Saturday, far-right protesters scuffled with police in London. Critics accused
Braverman of helping to inflame tensions.
Cameron
to Foreign office
She was
replaced by James Cleverly, who had relished his job as foreign minister but
who is seen as a safe pair of hands.
In a
surprise move, Cameron, who was ousted from power after his gamble to call a
referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union in 2016 backfired, was
made foreign minister.
His
appointment was welcomed by more centrist Conservatives, who say his
international experience will help steady the ship.
But
Braverman's removal and Cameron's return angered some Conservatives on the right
of the party. One lawmaker said her removal was disappointing and Braverman
could become a vocal force on the so-called backbenches in parliament.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
More
than 180,000 people across France march against soaring antisemitism amid the
Israel-Hamas war
November
13, 2023
PARIS:
More than 180,000 people across France, including 100,000 in Paris, marched peacefully
on Sunday to protest against rising antisemitism in the wake of Israel’s
ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza.
Prime
Minister Elisabeth Borne, representatives of several parties on the left,
conservatives and centrists of President Emmanuel Macron’s party as well as
far-right leader Marine Le Pen attended Sunday’s march in the French capital
amid tight security. Macron did not attend, but expressed his support for the
protest and called on citizens to rise up against “the unbearable resurgence of
unbridled antisemitism.”
However,
the leader of the far-left France Unbowed party, Jean-Luc Melenchon, stayed
away from the march, saying last week on X, formerly Twitter, that the march
would be a meeting of “friends of unconditional support for the massacre” in
Gaza.
The
interior ministry said at least 182,000 people marched in several in French
cities in response to the call launched by the leaders of the parliament’s
upper and lower houses. No major incident has been reported, it said.
Paris
authorities deployed 3,000 police troops along the route of the protest called
by the leaders of the Senate and parliament’s lower house, the National
Assembly, amid an alarming increase in anti-Jewish acts in France since the
start of Israel’s war against Hamas after its Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel.
France
has the largest Jewish population in Europe, but given its own World War II
collaboration with the Nazis, antisemitic acts today open old scars.
Holding
a French flag, Robert Fiel said marching against antisemitism is “more than a
duty.”
“It’s a
march against violence, against antisemitism, against all (political extremes)
that are infiltrating the society, to show that the silent majority does
exist,” the 67-year-old said.
Family
members of some of the 40 French citizens killed in the initial Hamas attack,
and of those missing or held hostage, also took part in the march, which Paris
police said drew 105,000 participants.
Patrick
Klugman, a lawyer and a member of “Freethem” committee working to obtain the
release of people held by Hamas and other groups in Gaza, said the large
participation in the march is meaningful and symbolic in reassuring Jewish
communities in France.
“I am
very proud of my country because of this mobilization,” Klugman said. “I feel
less alone than in the past weeks and days.”
Yonathan
Arfi, the president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in
France known as CRIF said he was encouraged Sunday’s show of support, but the
question remains, he told French broadcaster BFM at the march, “what will be
done (against antisemitism) tomorrow?”
Tomer
Sisley, an Israeli and French actor insisted the massive show of solidarity
proves that majority of French citizens are against violence and hate against
any religious and ethnic group.
“We’re
not Jews, we’re not Muslims, we’re not Christians,” Sisley said. “We are French
and we are here to show that we are all together.”
French
authorities have registered more than 1,000 acts against Jews around the
country in the month since the conflict in the Middle East began.
Former
French president Francois Hollande said “there are many French flags in the
protest but what unites us is not just a flag, it’s what it represents, it’s
the value of freedom and the value of human dignity.”
In a
letter addressed to the French on Sunday, Macron vowed that perpetrators will
be prosecuted and punished.
“A
France where our Jewish fellow citizens are afraid is not France,” Macron said
in the letter, published in Le Parisien newspaper. He called on the country to
remain “united behind its values ... and work for peace and security for all in
the Middle East.”
Macron
said he will attend “in my heart and in spirit,” but not in person. “My role is
to build unity of the country and to be firm on values,” Macron said Saturday
on the sidelines of Armistice Day commemorations to mark the end of World War
I.
French
far-right leader Marine Le Pen attended Sunday’s march amid fierce criticism
that her once-pariah National Rally party has failed to shake off its
antisemitic heritage despite growing political legitimacy.
After
arriving to the march with the president of the party, Jordan Bardella, Le Pen
dismissed critics and said that she and the party members are “exactly where we
need to be.” She called on other politicians “to take a break from fomenting
political controversies” during the march.
Le Pen
and other far-right officials showed up at the end of the march, hundreds of
meters away from government members and other officials who led the
demonstration.
Borne,
who is the daughter of a Jewish Holocaust survivor, tweeted “the presence of
the National Rally is not fooling anyone.”
The
president of the Paris region council, Valérie Pécresse, a former conservative
presidential candidate, denounced “hypocrisy,” saying that National Rally
officials ran against her in past elections “who were clearly antisemitic
people and Marine Le Pen never sanctioned them.”
As of
Saturday, officials counted 1,247 antisemitic acts since Oct. 7, nearly three
times as many as in the whole of 2022, according to the Interior Ministry.
Sunday’s
march in Paris appears as the biggest gathering to denounce antisemitism in
France since a 1990 demonstration against the desecration of a Jewish cemetery.
France
has banned a number of pro-Palestinian demonstrations, although supporters have
marched in several French cities in the past weeks, including thousands
demanding a cease-fire in Gaza in a protest in Paris last Sunday.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
Germany
to double 2024 military aid to Ukraine: Minister
November
13, 2023
BERLIN:
Germany’s defense minister on Sunday announced Berlin would double its 2024
military aid for war-torn Ukraine, which is struggling to oust occupying
Russian troops, to 8 billion euros ($8.5 billion).
“This is
a strong signal to Ukraine, showing we are not giving up on it” when
international attention is focused on the Israel-Hamas war, Boris Pistorius
told television channel ARD.
Ukraine
has consistently demanded greater military aid from its Western allies, but a
counter-offensive launched this year has failed to drive out Russian forces
entrenched in the south and east of the country.
The
increased money is a response to this year’s experience, “which showed that
planned amounts were quickly exhausted,” Pistorius said.
Chancellor
Olaf Scholz’s coalition government reached an agreement to double the initial
aid package, mainly made up of military equipment, and the decision is due to
be formally approved in a vote by lawmakers.
Germany
has been one of Ukraine’s main backers since Russia unleashed its full-scale
invasion in February last year, supplying 22 billion euros in humanitarian,
financial and military aid.
But it
has resisted delivering long-range Taurus missiles that Kyiv has asked for,
fearing their use to target Russian territory.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
North America
Eight
pro-Iran fighters dead in US strikes in Syria: Monitor
November
13, 2023
WASHINGTON/BEIRUT:
At least eight pro-Iran fighters were killed in US strikes on eastern Syria, a
war monitor said Monday, after Washington announced the raids a day earlier in
response to attacks on American forces.
The toll
is “eight pro-Iran fighters dead, including at least one Syrian, and Iraqi
nationals,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, following the strikes
late Sunday on the Mayadeen and Albu Kamal areas of Syria’s eastern Deir Ezzor
province.
It is
the third time in less than three weeks that the US military has targeted
locations in Syria it said were tied to Iran, which supports various armed
groups that Washington blames for a spike in attacks on its forces in the
Middle East.
“US
military forces conducted precision strikes today on facilities in eastern
Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and
Iran-affiliated groups in response to continued attacks against US personnel in
Iraq and Syria,” Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement.
“The
strikes were conducted against a training facility and a safe house near the
cities of Albu Kamal and Mayadeen, respectively,” he said.
The
United States targeted a Tehran-linked weapons storage site in Syria on
Wednesday, and also hit two facilities in the country on October 26 that it
said were used by Iran and affiliated organizations.
Washington
says the series of strikes is in response to repeated attacks on American
forces in Iraq and Syria — more than 45 since October 17 — that have wounded
dozens of US personnel.
The
surge in attacks on US troops in recent weeks is linked to the war between
Israel and Hamas, which began when the Palestinian militant group carried out a
shock cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7 that Israeli officials say
killed about 1,200 people.
Israel’s
military responded with a relentless air, land and naval assault on Gaza that
the territory’s health ministry said has killed more than 11,100 people —
deaths that have sparked widespread anger in the Middle East, and criticism
against Washington from Iran-backed groups.
There
are roughly 2,500 American troops in Iraq and some 900 in Syria as part of
efforts to prevent a resurgence of the Daesh group.
The
militants once held significant territory in both countries but were pushed
back by local ground forces supported by international air strikes in a bloody,
multi-year conflict.
Source: arabnews.com
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Biden,
Qatari emir discuss Gaza, agree all hostages must be released
November
13, 2023
WASHINGTON:
US President Joe Biden spoke on Sunday with Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad
Al Thani about developments in Gaza and “urgent ongoing efforts” to secure the
release of hostages being held by the Hamas militant group, the White House
said.
Biden
“unequivocally” condemned the holding of hostages by Hamas, including many young
children, one of whom is a 3-year old American citizen whose parents were
killed by the group on October 7th, the White House said in a statement.
“The two
leaders agreed that all hostages must be released without further delay,” the
statement said.
Hamas
fighters surged across the border from Gaza into Israel on Oct.7, killing about
1,200 people and taking more than 200 hostages, according to Israeli officials.
Only four hostages have been released to date.
The
Israeli bombardment of Gaza has since killed more than 11,000 Palestinians,
around 40 percent of them children, according to counts by health officials in
the Hamas-ruled territory.
Reuters
last week reported that Qatar, where several political leaders of Hamas are
based, has been leading mediation efforts between Hamas and Israeli officials
over the hostages.
Biden’s
national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, told CNN’s “State of the Union”
earlier on Sunday that “active, intensive negotiations” were underway involving
Israel, Qatar, Egypt and the United States on securing the release of more
hostages, but it was not clear if all were alive.
“The
goal here is to do what is necessary at the negotiating table to ensure that we
get the safe return of all of the hostages, including the Americans,” Sullivan
told CNN, noting that nine Americans were missing, along with one person with
permanent resident status in the United States.
“We
don’t know the status, whether they are alive or whether they have passed away,
but we are looking to get the safe recovery of all of those individuals,” he
said. Sullivan said he would meet with the families of the American hostages
this week.
A US
official said Brett McGurk, Biden’s senior Middle East adviser, will visit
Israel on Tuesday and meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with
further visits planned in Brussels, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar.
Qatar’s
government earlier said Al Thani had stressed the need for an immediate
ceasefire in Gaza and the permanent opening of the Rafah crossing into Egypt in
the call with Biden.
Washington
has rejected calls from Arab leaders and others for it to insist that Israel
halt its assault on the Hamas-controlled Gaza strip.
The
White House statement made no mention of any discussion of a ceasefire, saying
only that the leaders talked about the need “to protect innocent civilians and
ongoing efforts to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”
Biden
also affirmed his vision for a future Palestinian state “where Israelis and
Palestinians can live side by side with equal measures of stability and
dignity,” the White House said, adding that Hamas had long been an impediment
to that.
It said
the two leaders agreed to continue their efforts to advance a shared vision for
a more peaceful, secure, prosperous, and stable Middle East region.
Source: arabnews.com
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------
Muslim
Group Demands Biden 'Intervene' as Newborns Die at Gaza Hospital
Nov 12,
2023
As
newborns perish at besieged Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza, human
rights organizations are urging U.S. President Joe Biden to
"intervene" and demanding that Israel cease its attacks in the
territory.
Health
officials in Gaza say Israel has laid siege to Shifa, making the hospital a
deathtrap for the thousands of healthcare workers, patients and displaced
people inside. While Israel has carried out airstrikes on the territory since
the unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas, Israeli officials have denied
attacking the hospital, which has been left without electricity and vital
supplies.
The
hospital's last generator ran out of fuel on Saturday, leading to the deaths of
three premature babies and four other patients, the Associated Press reports,
citing the Hamas-run Health Ministry
The
Health Ministry said another 36 newborns are at risk of dying and that there
are 1,500 patients at Shifa, 1,500 medical personnel, and more than 15,000
people seeking shelter at the hospital.
Al-Shifa
Hospital director Muhammad Abu Salmiya told Al Jazeera on Saturday that
"medical devices stopped" and "patients, especially those in
intensive care, started to die."
The
hospital director also said that Israeli troops were "shooting at anyone
outside or inside the hospital."
World
Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Sunday
in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Al-Shifa "is not functioning as a
hospital anymore."
A
spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) told Newsweek in a statement
on Sunday that IDF placed 300 liters (79 gallons) of fuel near Shifa Hospital
overnight for an emergency generator powering incubators for premature babies
as well as "other urgent medical use." However, the military blamed
Hamas and said the militant group prevented the hospital from receiving the
fuel.
Israeli
officials have claimed that Hamas operates its command headquarters underneath
the Shifa Hospital complex. The Israeli military released an illustrated map of
the hospital with alleged locations of underground militant installations,
without providing additional evidence to support the claims. Hamas and hospital
staff have denied these claims, according to the Associated Press.
IDF told
Newsweek that forces are engaged in "intense battles" near the
hospital, but said that, "Unlike Hamas, the IDF is taking all feasible
measures under operational circumstances to mitigate harm to civilians."
IDF said
a humanitarian corridor has been established to allow people to evacuate from
the hospital south of Wadi Aza, through the streets of Al Wahada and Salah
al-din.
As the
fighting near the complex wages on, advocacy groups say it inhibits civilians
from being able to safely flee and puts those who can't in mortal danger.
Numerous people and organizations took to social media to demand a ceasefire.
The
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and
advocacy organization, demanded that the Biden administration "urgently
intervene to stop the Israeli government's ongoing siege of Al Shifa
Hospital."
CAIR
said in a statement on Saturday that if the White House allows the Israeli
government to "murder" newborn babies there will be "no coming
back."
"The
Biden administration must intervene right now, right this minute, to stop the unfolding
crime against humanity at the largest hospital in Gaza," the statement
reads. "Besieging a hospital, using snipers to murder fleeing families,
and cutting off resources needed to keep newborn babies alive is beyond the
pale, even for Netanyahu's openly racist, genocidal Israeli government. If the
White House allows the Israeli government to murder these newborns, other
patients and their doctors, there will be no coming back for this
administration's standing within our nation and around the world."
Newsweek
reached out via email on Sunday to representatives for CAIR and Biden.
Medical
Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a UK-based nonprofit that works with Palestinian
communities to help "uphold their rights to health and dignity,"
joined the call for a ceasefire on Sunday, saying that is the only option to
save the three-dozen premature and critically ill neonates at Al-Shifa.
MAP's
Chief Executive Officer Melanie Ward said on Sunday in a series of posts on X,
formerly Twitter, that babies in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit
are dying from lack of oxygen as Al-Shifa has no electricity or fuel to run
generators.
Ward
warned that more newborns at that facility will die soon unless power is
restored.
"The
only safe option to save these babies would be for Israel to cease its assault
and besiegement of Al Shifa, to allow fuel to reach the hospital, and to ensure
that the surviving parents of these babies can be reunited with them,"
Ward said.
In a
subsequent post, Ward expressed concerns over the Israeli government's plan to
move the babies to a "safer" hospital.
"We
are deeply concerned by uncritical media reporting regarding the Israeli
military's statement that it will help move premature babies trapped at the
hospital to a 'safer hospital,'" Ward said in a post, which contained a
photo of rubble-filled roadways and heavily damaged buildings.
She said
with ambulances unable to reach Al-Shifa and no nearby hospitals able to accept
an influx of patients, there is "no indication" of a way to safely transport
the newborns.
"It
is imperative that the international community demands a #CeasefireNOW,
allowing the hospital to operate safely," Ward said in a follow-up post.
"We say again international law must be upheld. The life of every patient,
health worker and displaced person in Shifa is precious and must be
protected."
Newsweek
reached out via email on Sunday night to MAP for comment.
Ghebreyesus
also joined the calls on social media for an immediate ceasefire. In a post on
X, he said that WHO officials have been in contact with Shifa Hospital staff,
who described the situation as "dire and perilous."
"It's
been 3 days without electricity, without water and with very poor internet
which has severely impacted our ability to provide essential care," the director
general said in the post. "The constant gunfire and bombings in the area
have exacerbated the already critical circumstances. Tragically, the number of
patient fatalities has increased significantly. Regrettably, the hospital is
not functioning as a hospital anymore. The world cannot stand silent while
hospitals, which should be safe havens, are transformed into scenes of death,
devastation, and despair. Ceasefire. NOW."
In a
televised address over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
rejected growing international calls for a ceasefire without the release of the
estimated 240 hostages taken by Hamas in the October 7 attack that sparked the
unrest.
Israel
has said its goal is to crush Hamas and will pursue militant fighters wherever
they are. Experts and rights groups have accused Israel of committing war
crimes, including genocide.
Israel
has come under mounting international pressure over the plight of civilians in
Gaza, where roughly 2.3 million Palestinians are trapped, half of them
children. The Israeli government also cut off the supply of food, medicine,
water, and electricity in Gaza, igniting a wave of criticism.
As of
Sunday, the Gaza Health Ministry says more than 11,000 Palestinians have been
killed since the war began, while about 2,700 have been reported missing or
thought to be trapped or dead under rubble, The Associated Press reported.
On the
Israeli side, at least 1,200 people have been killed, most of them in the Hamas
attack last month, the AP reported, adding that 46 Israeli soldiers have been
killed in Gaza since the beginning of the military's ground offensive.
Source: newsweek.com
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Biden to
Hear Muslim World Views on Gaza in Meeting with Indonesia’s Widodo
November
13, 2023
WASHINGTON
—
U.S.
President Joe Biden is set to hear the views of the Muslim world on the war in
Gaza during a meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo at the White House
Monday afternoon.
Widodo
is in Washington to elevate diplomatic ties to “comprehensive strategic
partnership,” the highest in the country’s diplomatic ranking.
The
leaders are far apart on their views of the conflict, with Biden’s unwavering
support of Israel and Widodo demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and
supporting a United Nations commission that has been collecting evidence of war
crimes allegedly committed by both sides since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.
Widodo
will be meeting Biden fresh off an emergency summit of the Organization of
Islamic Cooperation, or OIC, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia this past weekend.
The
summit brought together 57 mostly Muslim-majority states including the Arab
League. Its communique rejected Israel’s justification of its actions in Gaza
as self-defense and demanded an immediate end to the war. It called for a halt
to the sale of arms to Israel and increased access for humanitarian aid.
Making a
statement to press virtually from Washington Sunday evening, Widodo said that
he will deliver the summit’s resolutions to Biden. “Israel must take
responsibility for the atrocities it has committed,” he said.
President
Biden will “listen carefully to what President Widodo heard and what his
perspectives are with respect to discussions he's just undertaken in Saudi
Arabia and with other Arab and Middle East leaders,” a senior administration
official told VOA during a briefing Sunday.
While
there is a massive gap between the two on immediate calls for a cease-fire,
which the United States believes at this point will only benefit Hamas,
Washington is seeking a point of convergence with Jakarta further down the
line. Indonesia is not a regional actor like Egypt, Jordan or Qatar with key
roles in the administration’s immediate goals, such as securing the release of
hostages and establishing humanitarian corridors into Gaza.
As the
largest Muslim majority country, Jakarta’s voice carries clout in the
administration’s medium- and long-term plans of resolving the conflict and
working toward a pathway to peace. About 229 million Muslims live in Indonesia,
making up 87% of the population. That’s 13% of the world’s Muslim population.
“Just
peace, the two-state solution, substantial resources that will be necessary to
rebuild and give hope to shattered lives. I think those are areas that we look
forward to working closely with Indonesia on giving its leading role,” the
official said.
Like
many Muslim countries, Indonesia has long provided aid to Palestinians,
including a hospital in northern Gaza. Hospital administrators told VOA that
the surrounding vicinity has been hit by Israeli airstrikes and they are on the
brink of collapse due to a lack of supplies and fuel.
Widodo’s
official visit, which was arranged to smooth ruffled feathers after Biden
skipped the ASEAN summit hosted by Indonesia in September and went to Hanoi
instead, will be a delicate balancing act for Widodo.
Observers
say he must speak forcefully enough to represent passions at the OIC and avoid
political damage at home, where massive anti-Israel and anti-U.S.
demonstrations have rocked major cities. Additionally, they say he must be
careful not to jeopardize progress on a long list of common interests,
including a deal on critical minerals and China’s rising ambitions in the
Indo-Pacific.
Critical
minerals work plan
Indonesia
is seeking a limited free trade agreement with the United States, similar to
the one the U.S. signed with Japan in March, to include its nickel exports
under the 2022 U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, or IRA. The IRA, Biden’s key
climate change and clean energy legislation, offers tax incentives to boost
domestic electric vehicle, or EV, manufacturing.
The bill
includes provisions for consumer tax credits to purchase EVs produced with
critical minerals sourced domestically or from a country that has a free trade
agreement with the U.S.
Boasting
the world's largest nickel reserves – a key mineral in EV production – and
aiming to be a global EV hub, Indonesia is keen on such a deal. The Biden
administration, meanwhile, wants to secure a supply chain for its ambitious
goal of ensuring that two-thirds of new passenger cars and a quarter of new
heavy trucks sold in the United States are all electric by 2032.
The
administration is seeking a process with Jakarta toward a “consequential
partnership,” said the official. Washington, however, has voiced concern over
Indonesia's reliance on Chinese investment in its mining industry as well as
labor and environmental issues in its mining practices.
The pair
will announce a “work plan” to explore a partnership on critical minerals, said
a second administration official, to “make sure that both of our systems are
prepared to move forward together.” The official underscored that any agreed
pathway forward must be in accordance with the “highest of labor and
environmental standards.”
The plan
has received pushback from some in the U.S. mining industry, which has received
funding as part of the Biden administration’s efforts to boost domestic
production of nickel, lithium and other metals needed for EVs.
“At the
end of the day, neither the president nor Congress can support a scheme that
facilitates U.S. taxpayer funds going to Chinese companies mining and refining
Indonesian critical minerals through a trade agreement that does not include
environmental and labor protections,” Julie C. Lucas, executive director of the
industry group MiningMinnesota, told VOA in a statement.
China.
Biden
and Widodo will elevate diplomatic ties to a “comprehensive strategic
partnership,” a status that Jakarta already shares with Beijing. Under Widodo,
Indonesia has embraced China’s massive infrastructure project known as the Belt
and Road Initiative, attracting a record amount of Chinese investment. It’s
second only to Pakistan in terms of value of BRI projects — $20.3 billion and
71 operating projects.
Observers
say Chinese President Xi Jinping is eyeing the vast archipelago as a key prize
in expanding Beijing’s influence in the Indo-Pacific. Just last month, he
announced an expansion of cooperation with Indonesia on emerging industries
such as the digital economy, photovoltaics and EVs. Photovoltaics involve
converting light into electricity.
While
Jakarta relies heavily on Chinese investments, observers say it is wary of
Beijing’s increasingly assertive claims to disputed waters in the South China
Sea. Like many countries in the region, it has been boosting military ties with
Washington.
After
his Washington stop, Widodo heads to San Francisco for the Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation summit hosted by the U.S. Biden is set to meet with Xi on
the sidelines of the APEC summit and is keen to use discussions with Widodo to
inform him on regional views on Beijing.
Those
include “critical issues like the South China Sea, what they're seeing and with
respect to China's diplomacy and engagement,” the first senior official said.
The pair
will also be discussing the crisis in Myanmar. Since a February 2021 military
coup, the junta in Myanmar has carried out a brutal nationwide crackdown on
millions of people opposed to its rule, ignoring demands by Indonesia and other
members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for constructive dialogue
and an immediate cessation of violence.
Source: voanews.com
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Arab World
First
Saudi humanitarian relief convoy arrives in Gaza
November
12, 2023
LONDON:
The first aid convoys sent by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief
Center to Gaza crossed the Rafah border crossing into the enclave on Sunday,
the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The
humanitarian aid, which includes food and shelter supplies, is part of a
national Saudi aid campaign for Palestinians in Gaza, launched under the
direction of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman earlier this
month.
Meanwhile,
a fourth Saudi relief plane carrying aid from the Kingdom to Gaza arrived at
El-Arish International Airport in Egypt on Saturday.
The
initiative is in line with Saudi Arabia’s longstanding commitment to supporting
the Palestinian people during times of crisis.
Source: arabnews.com
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Gambian
president discusses judicial, labor ties with Saudi Arabia
November
13, 2023
RIYADH:
President of Gambia Adama Barrow on Sunday met Saudi Minister of Justice Walid
Al-Samaani in Riyadh to discuss ways to further strengthen cooperation on
judicial matters.
Barrow
also held talks with Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed
Al-Rajhi to review Saudi labor market strategies. During the meeting they
discussed Saudi initiatives launched by the ministry and how to support
collaborative efforts.
Source: arabnews.com
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Niger
PM, Mauritania president visit Islamic sites in Madinah
November
13, 2023
RIYADH:
Political leaders from Niger and Mauritania visited Islamic sites in Madinah
during their trip to Saudi Arabia to attend a summit.
Prime
Minister of Niger Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine toured the main headquarters of the
International Fair and Museum of the Prophet’s Biography and Islamic
Civilization in Madinah on Sunday.
The PM
was met by the secretary of the board of directors at the museum, Nasser bin
Misfer Al-Qurashi Al-Zahrani.
Zeine
was briefed on the various sections of the fair and given an insight into the
life of the Prophet Muhammed in Makkah and Madinah through modern atlases,
interactive screens, and familiarization with his etiquettes, morals, and
teachings.
Meanwhile,
Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani on Sunday visited the
Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah where he performed prayers and was received by
several Saudi officials.
Source: arabnews.com
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KSrelief,
UN launch new food project in 5 Yemeni provinces
November
13, 2023
RIYADH:
The Saudi aid agency KSrelief on Sunday launched a major food assistance
project for Yemen’s most needy families.
The
center, in cooperation with the UN Development Programme, will operate the
life-saving initiative in Aden with the aim of distributing 119,394 food
parcels to 170,487 people in Aden, Abyan, Lahj, Dhale’a, and Taiz.
Yemen’s
Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Saleh Mahmoud noted the importance of Saudi
Arabia’s role in providing support to the Yemeni people and the “significance
of the project for alleviating the suffering of targeted families under current
difficult conditions.”
He called
on international organizations and funding agencies to implement programs of
sustainable development.
Assistant
director of the project, Suhaib Joban, said that the initiative had swiftly
come about through coordination with partners.
Source: arabnews.com
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Saudi FM
discusses Gaza situation with EU official
November
13, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, expressed
deep concern for the continuing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza during a call
with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, the Saudi Press Agency said Sunday.
Prince
Faisal stressed the importance for the international community to assume its
role in stopping Israeli attacks and the forced displacement of Palestinians
from the Gaza Strip that constitute a flagrant violation of the international
humanitarian law.
The
foreign minister reiterated the need to protect civilians and establish
effective mechanisms to halt military operations in the occupied Palestinian
territories.
Source: arabnews.com
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New
framework to ensure Saudi children’s online safety
November
12, 2023
RIYADH:
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Ahmed
Al-Rajhi inaugurated the National Framework for Children’s Online Safety at the
sixth Saudi Family Forum in Riyadh on Sunday.
The
two-day forum, held under the title “The Saudi Family in Light of Contemporary
Changes,” was attended by Health Minister Fahad Al-Jalajel and Media Minister
Salman Al-Dossary.
The
framework is aligned with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, an
international treaty safeguarding individuals under the age of 18.
Al-Rajhi
highlighted the importance of the family in shaping peoples’ behavior,
preserving their religious, national and cultural values, and guiding their
aspirations for the future.
He also
highlighted the Saudi leadership’s commitment to the role of family in society
and its contribution to strengthening family cohesion through the Kingdom’s
Vision 2030.
Al-Rajhi
also commended the integrated efforts to implement the framework on the
internet prepared by the Family Affairs Council in collaboration with experts
from UNICEF. He said that the framework presents a five-year national plan for
children’s safety, aligning with international standards.
The
framework comprises 10 initiatives addressing critical areas, including
regulations, data protection and online support procedures for children.
Secretary-General
of the Saudi Family Council Maimoonah Al-Khalil said that the forum aims to
adopt recommendations that protect the family, strengthen social cohesion and
enhance quality of life.
This
year, the forum will explore the impact of contemporary changes on families and
include presentations on the most prominent topics related to various local and
international changes, as well as the accelerating digital revolution.
Al-Khalil
said that the launch of the framework is the culmination of efforts by various
government agencies, the private sector and stakeholders concerned with
enhancing the protection of children in the digital space.
The
Saudi Family Forum will address key issues related to the digital revolution
and empower Saudi families by offering solutions from experts and officials in
various family-related sectors.
UNICEF
will also contribute with two dialogue sessions: “Protecting Children in the
Cyber World” by Amanda Third, a professor at Western Sydney University, and
“The Digital World and Children” presented by UNICEF’s Gulf area
representative, Al-Tayeb Adam.
Source: arabnews.com
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Islamic
Affairs Ministry Concludes International Holy Quran Competition for Balkan
Countries
12 Nov,
2023
The
International Holy Quran Competition for the Balkan Countries, organized by the
Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance, represented by the Religious
Attaché at the Saudi Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, concluded today in the
Albanian capital, Tirana, in the presence of Saudi Ambassador to Albania Faisal
bin Ghazi Hefzi, and a number of Islamic figures in the Balkan countries.
Ambassador Hefzi stressed that this
competition shows the extent of the interest that the Kingdom’s government
attaches to serving the Holy Qur’an. He congratulated the winning contestants,
noting the efforts exerted by the Islamic Affairs Ministry in organizing this
successful competition.
Source: alriyadhdaily.com
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Southeast
Asia
Wisma
Putra: Malaysian citizen in Gaza safely evacuated through Rafah Border Crossing
13 Nov 2023
PUTRAJAYA,
Nov 13 — Malaysian citizen, Nurul Ain Haron, who was in the conflict area of
Gaza with her Palestinian husband, Mohamed AM Shaat, has successfully been
safely evacuated through the Rafah Border Crossing on Sunday (November 12), at
8.23pm local time (2.23am Malaysian time).
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, said that right after Nurul Ain
and her husband arrived at the Rafah Border Crossing, she was contacted by
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr
Zambry Abd Kadir to inquire about their well-being through a video call.
This
evacuation was successfully carried out following a meeting between the Prime
Minister and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi during his working visit
to Egypt on October 23, as well as further coordination by the Malaysian
Embassy in Cairo and the Malaysian Embassy in Amman.
The
Malaysian Embassy in Cairo is also providing appropriate consular assistance to
them, according to the statement.
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed its highest appreciation and thanks
to the Government of Egypt, the Government of Qatar, the Embassy of Egypt in
Kuala Lumpur, and the Embassy of Qatar in Kuala Lumpur for the cooperation and
priority extended to Malaysia in the effort to safely evacuate Malaysian
citizens in the conflict area of Gaza. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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PM Anwar
to focus on regional cooperation, building economic resilience at Apec summit
13 Nov
2023
SAN
FRANCISCO, Nov 13 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is scheduled
to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Economic Leaders’ Week
here, will emphasise the importance of regional cooperation and building
economic resilience in the region amid post-pandemic and geopolitical
challenges.
Anwar,
who is also the Finance Minister, will lead the Malaysian delegation to the
30th Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting in San Francisco, California, from Nov 14
to Nov 17, 2023.
Investment,
Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz, who is
accompanying the Prime Minister on this official visit, said Malaysia is
focusing on Apec as the country’s position is “that we are supportive of Apec
to be more open and transparent.”
“Cooperation
is needed to boost the economy, especially for Malaysia (where the focus will
be) the digital economy, green economy as well as halal economy.
“(And)
it is important to bring major economies to the table for stability, which is
important for global growth,” Tengku Zafrul told the Malaysian media here today
ahead of Anwar’s arrival in San Francisco on Tuesday, Nov 14 (Malaysian time).
Anwar
will be accompanied by his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Foreign
Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir, Communications and Digital
Minister Fahmi Fadzil as well as other senior government officials.
Tengku
Zafrul said for Malaysia, the hope is that Apec member economies would come
together on how to strengthen regional cooperation and economic integration.
This is
towards becoming “a more open, dynamic and resilient economy and a more
peaceful Asia Pacific community by 2040, which is in line with the Apec Putrajaya
Vision 2040,” he said.
Meanwhile,
the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement that throughout Anwar’s
engagement with Apec economic leaders and at the various multilateral and
bilateral platforms, the Prime Minister aims to highlight the Palestinian
situation, advocating global support, humanitarian access, and a just
resolution to the conflict.
Anwar is
also set to take the opportunity to share Malaysia’s priorities and principles
under the Madani Economy Framework, emphasising inclusivity, sustainable
development, and cooperation for shared prosperity, it said.
“While
in San Francisco, the Prime Minister will also participate in the Apec Economic
Leaders’ Informal Dialogue with Guests, namely with the leaders of Colombia,
Fiji and India; the Apec Business Advisory Council (Abac) Dialogue with Apec
Economic Leaders; and the Apec 2023 CEO Summit.
“These
events will serve as an opportunity for Anwar to articulate Malaysia’s
perspectives on the current global economy and exchange views on pressing
regional issues with influential chief executive officers, entrepreneurs and
esteemed Apec leaders,” it added.
According
to the statement, Anwar will also participate in the Second Indo-Pacific
Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Leaders’ Meeting.
It said
one of the highlights of the visit is the Prime Minister’s delivery of a public
lecture to students and scholars at the University of California, Berkeley,
focusing on “Superpower Rivalry and Rising Tensions in the Asia-Pacific – The
View from Southeast Asia.”
In
giving an overview of the geopolitical situation, Anwar will also touch on
democracy, constitutional liberties, and Islamophobia, it added.
The PMO
said as the Apec chair for 2023, the United States (US) will be hosting the
Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) for the third time, after 1993 and 2011
in Blake Island and Honolulu, respectively.
It said
this year, US President Joseph R. Biden will chair the AELM and is expected to
lead in-depth discussions with Apec leaders on topics centred around
strengthening economic ties, enhancing inclusivity and sustainability, and
bolstering economic resilience and complexity, which is in line with Apec
2023’s theme, “Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All.”
“The
30th AELM is expected to adopt the Apec Leaders’ 2023 Golden Gate Declaration,
and advance efforts reflecting APEC economies’ commitment to address global
challenges towards realising the Apec Putrajaya Vision 2040,” it said.
The PMO
said the adoption of the Golden Gate Declaration is imperative as it
underscores the unity and cooperation among Apec economies, particularly in
light of ongoing concerns relating to, among others, the climate crisis and
disruption of supply chains.
“As a
founding economy of Apec, Malaysia’s active engagement during the 30th AELM
underscores its commitment towards deepening economic cooperation, enhancing
economic prosperity, and fostering equitable and inclusive development for
all,” it said.
Before
returning to Malaysia, Anwar will meet with the Malaysian diaspora and students
in San Francisco in a dinner event, it added. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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------
From
Malaysia to Gaza — Nurul Izzah Anwar and Yolanda Augustin
13 Nov
2023
NOVEMBER
13 — It would be remiss to speak of Malaysia’s support for the Palestinian
cause without referring to Dr Ang Swee Chai’s experience as an orthopaedic
surgeon serving in al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City during the Israeli
invasion of Lebanon in 1982.
Beautifully
narrated in her ‘love letter’, ‘From Beirut to Jerusalem’, her experience is
instrumental in reminding Malaysians how global humanitarian struggles provide
the chance for us to strengthen our voices in unison to defend justice
regardless of our colour and faith.
It has
been more than a month since the ongoing Israeli atrocities in Palestine. More
than 4,500 dead children, and 3,000 women — civilians, journalists, UN staff
and healthcare workers, were recorded in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
In total, more than 10,000 Palestinian lives have been lost, with more than 1.5
million displaced due to the continuous bombardment of UN Refugee Schools
(UNRWA), hospitals, churches, and mosques, including repeated attacks on
refugee camps. Two premature babies recently also died at Gaza’s al-Shifa
Hospital after the neonatal intensive care unit stopped working due to a lack
of electricity.
Numerous
families have been completely obliterated, with most victims experiencing the
most excruciating of deaths — with confirmed accounts of the illegal use of
white phosphorus incendiaries on civilians. Imagine the thousands of children,
some below five, experiencing the intense burn (about 815 degrees Celsius) as
they breathed their last.
The
oft-repeated justification of self-defence by Israel has been completely
demolished through the disproportionate response that it has unleashed on all
Gazans as well as Palestinians in the West Bank but also by virtue of the ICJ
ruling in 2004, which found Israel’s West Bank security barrier to be illegal.
It is not self-defence when you are trespassing and occupying the land
belonging to others.
As so
many have said before — from former US President Jimmy Carter to academic
Norman Finklestein — Israel is holding Palestinians captive in an open-air
concentration camp.
Gaza
residents face acute shortages of water, electricity, food, and medical
supplies, all the while coping with an ever-fragile healthcare system.
The
blockade, which remains in force, contravenes international law and constitutes
a collective punishment against the Gaza population. The restriction of vital supplies,
which is yet another brazen breach of the Geneva Convention and the Hague
Convention, serves as a sobering reminder of the callous impunity by Israel and
its allies like the United States.
As the
nation that, under Prof Gurdial Singh’s legislative lead, brought Amos Yaron
and the Israel Government to book through the KL War Crimes Tribunal in 2013
for the Sabra-Shatila massacre, Malaysia has always led based on a moral
compass.
Moving
forward, there are a few actions we should consider.
First,
with growing awareness of the impact of an economic boycott, it’s important to
look at the latest movements by states across the USA in response to the
Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign. To date, twenty-seven states
in the US have adopted laws or policies that punish either businesses,
organisations or individuals that call for boycotts against Israel — including
against Israel’s actions in building illegal settlements. This knee-jerk
response showcases just how effective the BDS campaign has been.
Rather
than a sporadic boycott, a greater impact against the wrongful actions of a
rogue state is to adopt the recommendations provided by the BDS movement. Not
only are these recommendations grounded on research, it was inspired by the
South African anti-apartheid movement, urging nonviolent pressure on Israel
until it complies with international law.
Clearly,
the counter-movement in the US states against the BDS movement is nothing short
of punishment for those who stand for justice and fairness. It is a movement
that we should rally towards.
Secondly,
Khazanah and Yayasan Hasanah have been supporting postgraduate education for
Palestinian students in various fields at local universities such as IIUM, UTM,
USM, UM, UKM and UPM. This programme which ended in 2019, along with continued
support towards existing Palestinian students should be reintroduced and
expanded further.
Similarly,
projects under the Fugee School (mainly Somali and Afghan students), as well as
the Malaysian Relief Agency (MRA), which runs one of the oldest Rohingya
schools, Yayasan Chow Kit, Baitul Mahabbah among others, should receive
matching support and principled adoption to ensure it operates sustainably.
It’s
quite saddening to note the rather negative reception that followed the
Minister of Education’s visit to privately-run refugee schools. Indeed, we can
certainly be a better Malaysia for Gaza by lending consistent support to
victims of massacres and conflict, both at home and abroad.
Indeed,
Malaysia should consider allowing employment and greater access to education
for refugees so they are able to pursue meaningful and dignified living. Two
out of every three refugee children still do not have access to any kind of
education. (Unicef Malaysia)
We just
need to look at Turkiye’s 2016 experience to realise that the nation’s refugee
population policy has resulted in a positive impact on Turkish economic output,
leading to their unexpected rise in third-quarter growth of that year.
Thirdly,
Malaysia can, along with Indonesia and Turkiye pledge to rebuild our hospitals,
libraries and mosques in Palestine, which were targeted and destroyed by
Israeli missiles. The RM100 million raised for humanitarian aid for Gaza, and
delivered in phases via the Humanitarian Fund marks an important first step,
but more needs to be done to end the ongoing “ethnic cleansing, collective
punishment and war crimes” (UN experts) in Palestine.
As we
continue the call for an immediate ceasefire to end the ongoing genocide in
Gaza and the West Bank, we can begin the steps to improve the lives of the
remaining Palestinians and refugees in this country while acting strategically
to economically isolate a rogue state.
With the
US and the West’s complicity, the genocide persists and the ugliest form of
barbarism is unleashed for the world to see.
As Tan
Sri Andrew Sheng said, “The West is no better than any other barbarians at the
gate. At best, just another barbarian claiming to be civilized; at worst, a
West that seeks only to hold onto its golden past of colonialism and mental
superiority.” Malaysia must do what is right for there always remains a choice
and Malaysia must continue to make the right one.
Source: malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/what-you-think/2023/11/13/from-malaysia-to-gaza-nurul-izzah-anwar-and-yolanda-augustin/101767
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Anwar
meets leaders of Jordan, Iran and Pakistan
13 Nov
2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: A meeting was held between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and
the King of Jordan, King Abdullah II, on the sidelines of the 8th Extraordinary
Summit of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Riyadh.
“The
meeting created opportunities for bilateral cooperation between Malaysia and
Jordan, besides highest-level visits in 2024, as well as private sector
collaboration, especially in drone 2technology and military cooperation.
“We also
discussed the need to address the tension in the West Bank and Baitulmaqdis,
especially the Israeli settlers’ aggression against the Palestinians,” he said
in a Facebook post about the Saturday meeting.
He said
they also discussed possible efforts to be taken to stop the war in Gaza and
the humanitarian crisis affecting innocent people in the region.
Bernama
reported that Anwar also held bilateral talks with Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the
caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Also
present at the bilateral meeting were Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry
Abdul Kadir and Foreign Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Amran Mohamed
Zin.
In a
Facebook post later, Anwar expressed hope that his meeting with Kakar would
take bilateral relations between Malaysia and Pakistan to greater heights.
Anwar
also held bilateral talks with Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, saying they are
ready to improve bilateral relations in the fields of economy, education and
science and technology.
Source: thestar.com.my
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------
Wisma
Putra: Malaysian Nurul Ain and husband evacuated from Gaza conflict area
November
13, 2023
KUALA
LUMPUR: Nurul Ain Haron, a Malaysian woman stranded in Palestine, has been
evacuated from the Gaza conflict area together with her Palestinian husband,
A.M Shaat yesterday (Nov 12) at 2.23am (Malaysian time).
The
Foreign Ministry said the couple was brought to safety through the Rafah border
crossing, and the evacuation was facilitated by the Malaysian ambassador to
Cairo and other embassy officials.
"As
soon as Nurul Ain and her husband arrived at the crossing, she was contacted by
the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) and Foreign Minister (Datuk Seri
Dr Zambry Abd Kadir) who had asked how they were doing via a video call from
Makkah.
"The
evacuation was done successfully following a meeting between Anwar and Arab
Republic of Egypt president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during the former's work visit
to the republic on Oct 23.
"Further
coordination was then made by the Malaysian embassies in Cairo and Amman
respectively. The Malaysian embassy in Cairo had also rendered the necessary
consular assistance to them," the ministry said in a statement today.
The
ministry extended its appreciation and gratitude to the Arab Republic of Egypt
and Qatar governments as well as its embassies in Kuala Lumpur for the
cooperation and priority accorded to Malaysians in a bid to safely evacuate
Malaysians from the Gaza conflict area.
Earlier,
37-year-old Nurul Ain expressed her strong desire to return home and continue
assisting Palestinians amid the ongoing conflict.
She said
despite the reopening of the Khan Younis border nearly three weeks ago, there
were no signs of prompt evacuation for Malaysians stranded in the area.
She told
Berita Harian that she was dermined to leave Palestine as there was nothing
much she could do to help by staying in the country.
Nurul
Ain and her husband live in the United Arab Emirates and they arrived in Gaza
on Oct 1.
It was
her first time returning to her in-law's place in Khan Younis after six years
of marriage.
Source: nst.com.my
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MPOB to
expand palm oil products for Chinese companies, Muslim regions in China, says
Fadillah
13 Nov
2023
SHANGHAI,
Nov 13 — Malaysia, via the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), will continue its
research and development (R&D) to increase palm oil-based value-added
products for companies in China to export to Muslim regions within the country,
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said.
Fadillah,
who is also the Plantation and Commodities Minister, said that to date, several
products are being commercialised in China, thanks to the Palm Oil Research and
Technical Service Institute of Malaysian Palm Oil Board (Portsim).
“So far,
we are very satisfied with what has been produced. Now we need to look at how
we can expand products developed by Portsim in line with China’s tastes and
market requirements.
“Portsim
has succeeded in providing solutions and assistance to industry players by
transforming their production methods through the use of palm oil,” he told the
media during his visit to the research institute here today.
Fadillah
said that Chinese companies previously used other raw materials for their
products, but now, in order to cater to a much larger market, they are
replacing these with palm oil, which is halal and more suitable for the global
Islamic market.
He said
that the research institute is looking into health products based on the
versatile crop tocotrienol moving forward.
“We will
also meet with China’s agriculture minister to seek recognition of the
Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification for their products,” he
added.
Founded
in 2005, Portsim is a branch of the MPOB in China that aims to develop, expand,
and advance the Malaysian palm oil market in China and provide technical
support and advisory services for related enterprises.
Fadillah
is on his maiden official visit to China from Nov 12-19 to strengthen
cooperation in R&D as well as capacity building in the field of
commodities, especially in promoting the MSPO certification scheme at the
global level.
The export
value of palm-based products to China in 2022 totalled RM16.41 billion, while
the export value of Malaysian palm oil to the country in the same year was
RM8.44 billion.
Meanwhile,
Portsim general manager Yoong Jun Hao shared that the research institute has
received China’s accreditation from the China National Accreditation Services
(CNAS) and the China Inspection Body and Laboratory Mandatory Approval (CMA).
“This is
a recognition to our labs that we also fulfil all the requirements in China in
terms of their standards and quality.
“In
addition, we are here to help serve the industry by expanding their markets
into higher value addition segments in China by selling more downstream
products made with Malaysia’s palm oil products through our R&D and commercialisation
activities.
“Through
this, we can help our industries move into the downstream segment to produce
more value-added products, and this will help to secure loyal customers in
China and, at the same time, help our country to expand further our palm oil
market,” he said.
Yoong
added that yearly, Portsim would create three to eight new products and that
vegan meat is among this year’s new products.
“We
foresee the vegan market growing, especially in China and Europe; therefore,
this product has a huge potential,” he added. — Bernama
Source: malaymail.com
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Africa
Somalia
floods kill 30, displace 500,000 people
November
13, 2023
MOGADISHU:
Heavy rains that triggered flash flooding in Somalia have caused around half a
million people to flee their homes and killed more than 30 people, a minister
said on Sunday.
The Horn
of Africa nation has been lashed by unrelenting downpours since the beginning
of the month due to the El Nino weather phenomenon, inundating homes and
farmland. The disaster comes on the heels of a record drought that has left
millions of Somalis on the brink of famine.
“Half a
million of people have fled from their houses due to the flooding,” said
Information Minister Daud Aweis, warning that 1.2 million others could be
affected.
He said
government officials had confirmed the deaths of 31 people but “it is possible
that the toll could be higher”.
The bulk
of destruction is in Gedo region in southern Somalia and central Hiran region
where the seasonal Shabelle River broke its banks, submerged roads and washed
away properties in Beledweyne town. Around 200,000 people were displaced from
Beledweyne when the river overflowed in May.
Somalia
is considered one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change but is
particularly ill-equipped to cope with the crisis as it battles a deadly
Islamist insurgency.
The UN
humanitarian agency, OCHA, last week said that the country was facing
“once-in-a-century flooding” and warned that 1.6m people could be affected.
OCHA
said the situation had been exacerbated by the combined impact of two climate
phenomena, El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole — a climate system defined by
the difference in sea surface temperature between western and eastern areas of
the ocean.—
Source: dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1788855/somalia-floods-kill-30-displace-500000-people
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Al-Sunni
meets the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs.
2023-11-12
Tripoli,
November 12, 2023 (LANA) - The Libyan representative to the United Nations,
Taher Al-Sunni, met with the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for
Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu.
The
meeting came ahead of Libya assuming the presidency of the fourth session of
the conference to establish a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and
weapons of mass destruction early next week.
Al-Sunni
said through his account on the “X” platform on Friday that the meeting
“discussed current events and developments in the current situation in the
region.”
Al-Sunni
added, “We also discussed the preparations and arrangements before holding the
conference and the proposed topics that will be covered.”
Libya
also chaired the second preparatory meeting with member states to finalize the
work program and agenda for the next conference scheduled to be held from
November 13 to 17, according to Al-Sunni.
Source: lana.gov.ly
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https://lana.gov.ly/post.php?id=293809&lang=en
------
Thousands
march in Cape Town in solidarity with Palestinians
2023-11-12
Tens of
thousands of South Africans took part in a march in Cape Town on Saturday in
support of Palestinians living in Gaza, demanding that the Israeli ambassador
be expelled.
The
enclave has been under intense fire from Israel, which went to war to eliminate
the militant group, Hamas, after it staged a bloody cross-border assault on 7
October.
The
marchers were led by clergy from different faiths chanting "free
Palestine", including anti-apartheid cleric, Dr Allan Boesak, who called
for the Israeli embassy to be shut down.
"That
apartheid state that’s been waging a war of extermination for the last 75 years
against our people,” he said to the crowd amid cries of “shut it down”.
“That
apartheid state that cannot stop murdering the children. For every Palestinian
child in a coffin, we say shut it down. Every piece of land stolen from our
people in Palestine, shut it down," he said.
Palestinian
officials say over 11 thousand people have been killed in Gaza, 40 per cent of
them children, since the start of Israel’s war.
Israeli
officials say around 1,400 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Hamas’
attack, during which about 240 others were taken hostage.
Demonstrator,
Anjali Kooverjee, said she believed it was her moral duty to stand up for human
rights.
"I
believe that any violence toward any person, no matter what race, religion,
sexual orientation you are, is completely wrong,” she said, “and what’s
happening in Gaza and in Palestine at the moment is a complete violation of
human rights."
The
South African government on Monday said it would recall all its diplomats from
Israel to signal its concern over the situation in Gaza.
Pretoria
has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, with the ruling
African National Congress often linking it to its own struggle against
apartheid.
Mandla
Mandela, grandson of former president, and Nobel Peace Laureate, Nelson
Mandela, took part in the protest.
There
has been numerous pro-Palestinian demonstrations across South Africa over the
past month, with President Cyril Ramaphosa among several ANC officials who have
participated.
Home to
the largest Jewish community in sub-Saharan Africa, the country has also seen
several pro-Israel demonstrations and initiatives.
Source: africanews.com
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------
Terrorists
kill 100 in Burkina Faso attack
November
13, 2023
The
European Union has called for an investigation into the reported killing of
around 100 people in Burkina Faso last week.
”Around 100 civilians, including women and
children, were believed killed in a massacre,” said EU Foreign Policy Chief
Josep Borrell in a statement.
The United States has also condemned the
attack.
It is not clear who was behind the November 6
attack in the village of Zaongo.
Borrell called on Burkina Faso’s military
junta to shed light on the circumstances of the deaths. It has not yet
responded.
Burkina Faso is trying to contain a jihadist
insurgency that spread from neighbouring Mali.
The military government has been forcing
civilians to join the fight against the Islamist groups, who are said to
control about 40% of the country.
About a quarter of Burkina Faso’s schools have
been forced to close because of the insurgency, according to aid agencies.
One resident told the AFP news agency that
Zaongo was one of the few villages in the area not to have been “emptied out by
the terrorists”.
”Some suspected the inhabitants of
collaborating with them,” the resident said.
The army seized power last year, vowing to
stop the jihadist attacks. If anything, the number of deaths has since
increased.
Last
year was the country’s most deadly on record, according to the U.S.-based Armed
Conflict Location & Event Data Project (Acled), with more than 1,400
civilian deaths.
So far
this year, almost 8,000 people have been reported killed due to violence in the
country, Acled said.
Source: thenationonlineng.net
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------
Gani
Adams in letter to Tinubu: restructure Nigeria
November
13, 2023
The Aare
Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, Iba Gani Adams, has urged President Bola Tinubu to
consider the restructuring of the country.
He
described restructuring as the best solution to the foundational problems of
the country.
The
Yoruba Generalissimo, who stated these, among other issues, in a personal
letter to the President, also congratulated him on his victory at the Supreme
Court.
The
letter, a copy of which The Nation obtained, reads: “Your Excellency, I, Iba
Gani Abiodun Ige Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, write to
congratulate you on your victory at the Supreme Court.
“Your
victory at the apex court was an affirmation of the popular mandate given to
you by Nigerians at the February 25 presidential election. It is a reflection
of your avowed commitment to justice, fair play and merits of the law, without
fear or favour.
“In
every election, there is always a winner and a loser. But the underlining fact
remains that we are all one, indivisible Nigeria that is bound by fate to be
the leading nation in Africa.
“Nigeria
is going through a lot at the moment, but it must be said that your victory has
given rise to a leadership that this time demands. And we must agree with the
fact that this is truly a new chapter in the political trajectory of Nigeria.”
“Your
Excellency, as much as I join other Nigerians to celebrate your victory, I am
of the view that now is the time for us to build the Nigeria of our dream.
“However,
let me say it for posterity that Nigerians, irrespective of our ethnic
nationalities, have a common belief in the strength of our diversity.
“And
your commitment to continue to serve all Nigerians of all political
persuasions, tribes and faiths with honour and respect for the diverse opinions
and uniting values of our citizens should be the fulcrum of your
administration.”
He
added: “As the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land, I believe in restructuring as
the best solution to the foundational problem of Nigeria. I will continue to
support your administration as a Yoruba man, a brother and father of the
nation, especially, a Nigerian nation that is tied to this political ideology…”
Source: thenationonlineng.net
Please click the following URL to read
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https://thenationonlineng.net/gani-adams-in-letter-to-tinubu-restructure-nigeria/
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Railways
Authority to demolish Asuma Banda Mosque and 300 other buildings — Report
November
13, 2023
The
demolition follows a notice issued by the Ghana Railway Development Authority
(GRDA) ordering all occupants to leave the area.
Reports by
the Insight newspaper indicated that the notice signed and issued on September
22, 2023, by Susana Delali Akosua Kudjoe, the Deputy Chief Executive, General
Services at GRDA, for the Chief Executive Officer of the authority, said it was
the final notice it was giving to the affected property owners.
The
notice reads: "You are by this letter notified, and final notice is hereby
given to you to vacate occupation of the said land by 30th September 2023.
"The
consequences of your failure to comply with the order will not be in your
interest, as there will be no further notice of our action."
The
newspaper report added that the notice was distributed to over 300 occupants of
the land, including caretakers of the Asuma Banda Mosque.
It said
the demolition notice, however, had been issued without the consent of Yaw
Owusu, Chief Executive Officer of GRDA, although it was issued on his behalf.
The
report added: "What is worrying is that the Deputy CEO Susana Delali
Akosua Kudjoe, who is hell-bent on carrying out the demolition exercise with
the support of one Edem Danku, Deputy Director, Estate and Commercial Unit of
the Authority, is alleged to have ignored attempts by the Member of Parliament
(MP) for Ayawaso West Wuogon, Lydia Alhassan, to have the exercise shelved
entirely because of the repercussions it will have, not only on the political
fortunes of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) but the livelihoods of over
1,000 residents on the railway land stretch.
"Already,
one Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Nyarko Appiah, Chief of Akyem Wenchi and
Oseawuomanhene of Akyem Abuakwa Traditional in the Eastern Region recently laid
claim to all the railway lands on that stretch claiming that the Ghana Railway
Development Authority sold all that stretch of land to him despite the occupants
also claiming to have a 50-year lease agreement with the authority."
Initial
attempts by Daasebre Dr. Asumadu Nyarko Appiah to evict the occupants with an
eviction notice and threat of legal action brewed tension in the area
compelling him to resort to the law courts for redress.
Even
though the matter is in court, the latest move by the deputy CEO is said to be
orchestrated and if successful, to pave the way for the chief to take over the
state land on that stretch of the Nyaho Hospital area.
Source: pulse.com.gh
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.pulse.com.gh/news/local/railways-authority-to-demolish-asuma-banda-mosque-and-300-other-buildings-report/ehzt2ey
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Maintain
inter-faith tolerance - Imams urge Dr Bawumia
Nov - 13 - 2023
The
Council of Regional Imams have urged Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia not to
be discouraged by negative comments about his tolerance and respect for
inter-faith dialogue.
The
regional imams, who paid a courtesy call on Dr Bawumia over the weekend to
congratulate him on his election as flag bearer of the NPP, said attempts by
some people to target him for his good relationship with the Christian
community was unfortunate.
"The
Prophet Muhammad himself had a very good relationship with non-Muslims, and
Islam does not forbid the building and strengthening of harmonious relationship
between Muslims and Christians," a spokesperson of the imams, Sheikh Abdul
Mumin Harun, said at the meeting.
"When
the Prophet went to Madina, he established a very good relationship with
Christians.
There
are also examples of Muslim leaders in the world, including in Muslim
countries, who have good relationship with Christians.
"There
are several instances of how the Prophet related so well with Christians,
including examples of how they visited him and he also reciprocated,” Sheikh
Harun added.
Source: graphic.com.gh
Please click the following URL to read
the full text of the original
https://www.graphic.com.gh/news/politics/ghananewsmaintain-inter-faith-tolerance-imams-urge-dr-bawumia.html
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