Tag: Gaza Strip

The Zone of Interest review: Jonathan Glazer’s film excavates the past to question the present

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Holocaust’s ghastly horrors are anything but behind us. It’s been 80 years and yet you can hear the screams, the agony, the rotting bodies. All you need to do is go on social media or switch on television. If it was Auschwitz and the other concentration camps then, it’s Ukraine and Gaza now. In all this time, much has changed but not man’s hunger to kill.

In the current cine-scape deluged with graphic, elaborate depictions of violence and mayhem, Jonathan Glazer’s directorial sticks out as an anomaly. For a Holocaust film that follows a family living right next to the Auschwitz camp, it doesn’t spend a moment on the other side of the wall. Instead, its entire focus is on the Höss ménage as they go about frolicking in their idyll, fussing over minuscule trivialities that constitute their paradisiacal domestic existence.

Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), the man of the house, is a commandant at the adjacent Auschwitz concentration camp. A staunch Nazi and S.S. member, he’s tasked with ensuring the smooth execution of the Fuhrer’s orders. Along with him in the appointed sprawling property live his wife Hedwig (a chilling Sandra Hüller), and their five children of varying ages ranging from prepubescent to infant. They have a pool in the backyard, a honey farm, and an enviable kitchen-and-flower garden that Hedwig obsesses over, their birthday celebrations are blessed with abundance and picnics with country delight.

This is a family trying hard to sustain an iridescent bubble next to the site of one of the most gruesome mass murders in human history. They go about it with such single-minded nonchalance, that it will unsettle you to the bones. Nothing bothers them. Not the constant sounds of gunshots, yelled orders, and anguished cries from beyond the wall. Not hoarding expensive items once owned by Jews. Not the sky turning an apocalyptic red every few hours as gigantic chimneys bellow smoke that reeks of burnt human flesh.

Glazer uses Martin Amis’s 2014 novel of the same name as source material. Rudolf Höss was Auschwitz’s longest-serving commandant, hanged to death for his unspeakable crimes against humanity after Germany lost WWII. But the film doesn’t tell you that. Instead, it shows you the Höss family living their dream life, the sweet fruit of Fuhrer’s promise in return for all their toil.

Glazer gives The Zone of Interest—which refers to the area around a concentration camp—a rich literary quality. All the action, and the important developments happen out of the frame. You either hear about it or are made privy to the before and the after of it. Glazer never lets you see any of it, forcing you to imagine what could have been.

There is not one shot of a dead body or any atrocity. However, each scene is laden with subtext. In one, an emaciated uniformed worker with a shaved head puts ashes in the mud to grow flowers that Hedwig gushes over, urging her infant daughter to take in their lovely fragrance. In another, we see a Jewish sexual slave enter the room while Rudolf is on a work call. She removes her shoes, rearranges her hair. In the next scene, we see him cleaning his privates as if they’d come in contact with something abhorrent.

Then there’s another in which he tells Hedwig on call how he couldn’t pay attention to anything at an opulent soiree meant for top Nazi administrators and officers because he was thinking about how he’d gas so many Jews all at once in such high-ceilinged chambers. Or the last scene that shows him spiral down the stairs into cruel, inhuman darkness.

Winner of the Grand Prix at the 76th Cannes Film Festival and three BAFTAs (including film not in the English language), The Zone of Interest has been nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. It deserves all the attention for it reimagines a genre so deeply seared in the public consciousness. There are several poignant Holocaust films that display a myriad of perspectives, telling stories of terror and hope, greed and power. And yet, The Zone of Interest stands out.

In excavating the past, it holds a mirror to the present. Mica Levi’s music and Johnnie Burn’s sound design are extraordinary—dirge-like, hypnotic, haunting. So is Glazer’s use of blank screens for extended periods. In the opening, he colors it black, and later in the film, red. In an age of diminishing attention spans, it makes you jittery, uncomfortable, as if walls were closing in from all sides.

I also like how the recurring fever dream of a girl hiding fruits for the Jewish inmates intercuts the coldness of the Hoss household. Or how whatever little semblance of sympathy there is—a daughter playing on piano a poem by a Jew poet or Hedwig’s mother fleeing without explanation—is pushed to the margins.

It’s been 80 years since the time The Zone of Interest is set in. It shouldn’t have hit as hard. But there is no underscoring the banality of evil and the gnawing reality that the past is never truly past us.

Read more film reviews from Sneha Bengani

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Indian nationals advised to relocate to safe areas in Israel a day after missile attack kills 1

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Indian Embassy in Israel issued an advisory urging its nationals to move to safer areas in the country, a day after a missile fired from Lebanon killed one Indian and injured two others.

“In view of the prevailing security situation and local safety advisories, all Indian nationals in Israel, especially those working in or visiting border areas in the north and south, are advised to relocate to safe areas within Israel,” the mission said in an advisory posted on various social media platforms.

“The embassy remains in touch with the Israeli authorities to ensure the safety of all our nationals,” the advisory added.

At around 11 am on March 4, an anti-tank missile hit a plantation in Margaliot, a Moshav (collective agricultural community), in the Galilee region in the north of Israel.

Patnibin Maxwell, 30, from Kollam in Kerala, was killed in the attack.

Bush Joseph George, 31, from Vazhathope; and Paul Melvin, 28, from Vagamon in Kerala as well were injured and taken to hospitals for treatment.

The attack is believed to have been carried out by the Shi’ite Hezbollah faction in Lebanon, which has been launching rockets, missiles, and drones at northern Israel daily since October 8 in support of Hamas amid the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Monday said they responded by shelling the launch site with artillery.

The IDF also said it struck a Hezbollah compound where members of the group were gathered in the southern Lebanon town of Chihine, and another site belonging to Hezbollah in Ayta ash-Shab.

Hezbollah has been launching attacks on Israel’s northern communities and military posts since October 8 saying it is doing so to support the people in Gaza.

The skirmishes between Israel and Hezbollah have resulted in the death of seven civilians and ten IDF soldiers on the Israeli side.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel pushes into central Gaza ahead of Security Council aid vote

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israeli forces signalled they were widening their ground offensive with a new push into central Gaza on Friday, as the UN Security Council was expected to vote on a resolution to increase humanitarian aid to stave off the threat of famine.

As hopes faded for an imminent breakthrough in talks this week in Egypt aimed at getting warring Israel and Hamas to agree to a new truce, air strikes, artillery bombardments and fighting were reported across the Palestinian enclave.

Israel’s military on Friday ordered residents of Al-Bureij, in central Gaza, to move south immediately, indicating a new focus of the ground assault that has already devastated the north of the Strip and made a series of incursions in the south.

Israel’s government under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to eradicate Hamas, the Islamist group that runs Gaza, after its fighters launched a cross-border raid on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

But the soaring death toll during the Israeli military campaign of retaliation has drawn increasing international criticism, even from staunch ally the United States.

In its latest update on casualties, Gaza’s health ministry said 20,057 Palestinians had been killed and 53,320 wounded in Israeli strikes since Oct. 7.

“After more than two months of the war, Israel’s indiscriminate strikes on Gaza have turned the north of the Strip into a pile of rubble,” medical charity MSF said in a post on X. “In Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, south Gaza, the dead and wounded continue to arrive almost every day… Nowhere is safe.”

The Israeli military has expressed regret for civilian deaths but blamed Iran-backed Hamas for operating in densely populated areas or using civilians as human shields, an allegation the group denies.

Israel says 140 of its soldiers have been killed since it launched its ground incursion into Gaza on Oct. 20.

Unrelenting war

In the latest accounts of fighting on Friday, residents reported Israeli tank shelling of eastern areas of Al-Bureij, the subject of the latest military evacuation order.

Israeli forces have previously engaged with Hamas gunmen on the edges of Al-Bureij but have yet to thrust deeper into the built-up area, which grew out of a camp for Palestinian refugees from the 1948 Israeli-Arab war.

Hamas-affiliated Shehab news agency reported heavy shelling and air strikes on Jabalia al-Balad and Jabalia refugee camp, in northern Gaza, and that Israeli vehicles were trying to advance from the western side of Jabalia amid the sound of gunfire.

Air strikes were also reported in Khan Yunis and Rafah, in the south.

Reports in Palestinian media and footage shared by Gazans on social media showed bodies scattered in the street and some buried under rubble around the Indonesian hospital in Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza.

The Israeli military said in a statement its air force destroyed a long-range missile launch site in Juhor ad-Dik, central Gaza, from which, it said, “recent launches into Israeli territory were carried out” – a possible reference to an attack on Tel Aviv on Thursday.

The war in Gaza has fuelled tensions at other regional faultlines.

Israel and Iranian-back Hezbollah have repeatedly traded fire across Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, and Houthi militants of Yemen, also Iran-backed, have attacked ships in the lower Red Sea, increasing the risks of trade disruption.

Violence has also surged in the occupied West Bank, where the Palestinian Authority dominated by Hamas rivals Fatah has limited self-rule.

Around the Al Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, there were calls for worshippers to attend Friday prayers outside in defiance of orders that for weeks have limited access to the flashpoint site to women and the elderly.

Islam’s third holiest site, built on ground revered by Jews who know it as Temple Mount, has long been at the heart of tensions between Jews and Muslims.

Some mosques in East Jerusalem closed their doors on Friday and urged people to go to Al Aqsa and pray at the gates of the mosque “to break the siege”.

Police fired tear gas to disperse small groups of youths who gathered near the Old City and at mosques in East Jerusalem but police also distributed footage showing worshippers arriving calmly.

UN and Cairo talks

Negotiations had continued on Thursday to try to avoid a US veto of a UN Security Council resolution, drafted by the United Arab Emirates, that would demand that Israel and Hamas allow “the use of all land, sea and air routes to and throughout the entire Gaza” for humanitarian aid deliveries.

On Thursday night in New York, after weeks of talks and a vote delayed for days, the vote by the Security Council was put off again until Friday, despite the US saying it could now support an amended proposal.

Meanwhile, talks in Egypt had yet to find common ground on a humanitarian ceasefire, but were closer to finding agreement on speeding up aid deliveries, two Egyptian security sources said.

A Nov. 24-Dec. 1 humanitarian pause helped to increase aid deliveries to Gaza. A report by a UN-backed body said the entire population of Gaza is facing crisis levels of hunger. The risk of famine is increasing each day, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification said.

The pause led to the release of more than 100 hostages held by Hamas since Oct. 7 and in exchange, 240 Palestinians were freed from Israeli jails.

In a statement on Thursday that dampened hopes of a breakthrough, Hamas and Islamic Jihad, a smaller group also holding hostages in Gaza, rejected any deals about exchanges of hostages and Palestinian prisoners “except after a full cessation of aggression” by Israel.

A group representing families of Gaza hostages said on Friday that one captive – 73-year-old Gadi Haggai, a US-Israeli dual national – had died in captivity. It did not give details or say how the information was obtained.

Before the statement about Haggai, Israel’s official count was that of 129 hostages still in Gaza, 21 had died in captivity.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel-Hamas conflict: Priyanka Chopra calls for ‘humanitarian ceasefire’ in Gaza

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Priyanka Chopra on Monday re-shared a post by UNICEF on Instagram Stories in support of the ceasefire in Palestine as thousands of children and minors got killed, while several others are missing amid the Israeli bombardment.

Priyanka, a popular name in both Bollywood and Hollywood, has served as the Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF since 2016. The United Nations agency offers humanitarian and developmental aid to children in over 190 countries and territories around the world.

The post shared by Priyanka is attributed to Catherine Russel, the executive director of UNICEF, and reads, “Children need a lasting humanitarian ceasefire.”

The re-shared post of UNICEF was originally posted on its Instagram handle on December 2. It highlighted the dreadful situation of the children in Gaza.

The caption urged all the parties to ensure that children are protected and assisted, in accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law.

In the caption, the organisation wrote, “Today, the Gaza Strip is once again the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. After seven days of respite from horrific violence, fighting has resumed. More children will surely die as a result.”

It added, “Before the pause, more than 5,300 Palestinian children were reportedly killed in 48 days of relentless bombing – a figure that does not include many children still missing and presumed to be buried under rubble.”

In November, Priyanka, along with other prominent personalities, extended support through an open letter while calling on the US Congress and US President Joe Biden to undertake immediate action for a ceasefire in the Gaza region in the Middle East.

Apart from the Quantico star, the open letter was signed by artists like Richard Gere, Hasan Minhaj, Gigi Hadid, and Bella Hadid.

The Israel-Hamas conflict has been causing divisions in Hollywood since it started on October 7 earlier this year. Celebrities have been facing scrutiny for their stances, whether in support of Israel or Gaza.

While the Hadid sisters have extended their support for Palestine, Wonder Woman fame Gal Gadot has been strongly standing by Israel’s side.

In November, the Hollywood talent agency UTA decided to part ways with Susan Sarandon as a client following her statement in support of Palestine. However, Sarandon reportedly apologized for the remarks she made at a rally.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel-Hamas War: More hostages expected to be freed as Gaza truce extended

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Amid a two-day extension of the Israel-Hamas truce in the Gaza Strip, more hostages are expected to be released from both sides in the coming days. As part of the agreement, Hamas will release 10 hostages each day for the next two days, according to a CNN report.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) issued a list of Palestinian prisoners released in the past few days. The 33 Palestinian prisoners were released from a detention centre in Jerusalem and from Israel’s Ofer prison in the West Bank on Monday, taking the total number of Palestinians freed since Friday to 150, according to the Reuters report.

On the other hand, 11 Israelis returned to their home country on Monday. So far, 69 Israeli and foreign hostages have been freed by the Islamist Palestinian group since November 24, under the truce.

On Monday, the White House and Qatari negotiators informed that the four-day pause in fighting, which was due to expire on November 28, has been extended for two more days, according to an Al Jazeera report.

The Israel Defence Forces, in cooperation with the Israel Prison Service, has released a list of the convicted ‘terrorists,’ who have been released since November 24. The list majorly includes teenage boys arrested for incitement to terror and supporting terror-related activities.

According to a BBC report, a list of 300 Palestinian prisoners, who are eligible for release as part of the deal, has been compiled by Israel.

Meanwhile, Israel has received the list of hostages set to be released by Hamas on Tuesday, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. The list does not specify the number of hostages, who are being released.

As per a report in The Times of Israel, families of the hostages have been notified regarding their release after over 50 days as hostages in Gaza.

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Also, the Israeli government has approved a list of 50 female Palestinian prisoners set for a potential early release as part of the agreement between the two sides.

On October 7, Hamas launched a deadly attack on Israel. It took about 240 people as hostages during an invasion of southern Israel and reportedly killed at least 1,200 people, as per the figures released by Israel.

The sudden attack by Hamas prompted Israel to retaliate by declaring war against the Palestinian militant group and launching heavy air strikes as well as a ground offensive in the northern region of the Gaza Strip.

Hamas claimed that more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli attacks, while hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Hamas frees 24 hostages from Gaza on first day of truce: Key developments as war enters 50th day

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Hamas fighters released 24 hostages on Friday during the first day of the war’s first truce, including Israeli women and children and Thai farm workers, after guns fell silent across the Gaza Strip for the first time in seven weeks. The hostages were transferred out of Gaza and handed over to Egyptian authorities at the Rafah border crossing, accompanied by eight staff members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in a four-car convoy, the ICRC said.

Israel and Hamas have reached a consensus on a four-day ceasefire in the ongoing war in Gaza after lengthy negotiations involving Qatar, Egypt and the United States. This breakthrough is expected to facilitate the release of numerous hostages held by the Palestinian armed group, as well as Palestinians detained by Israel.

Additionally, the ceasefire is anticipated to open avenues for a substantial supply of aid to the areas within Gaza captured by Israeli military forces. The announcement was made official by Qatar and Egypt’s state-run Qahera TV channel while confirming that the truce is scheduled to go into effect at 10 AM local time on Thursday. However, the latest reports indicate that the hostage release by both sides could be delayed till Friday, due to further negotiations.

As part of the deal, 50 hostages will be released in a phased manner, in exchange for what Hamas has indicated would be the release of 150 Palestinian prisoners. Notably, both sides have agreed to prioritise the release of women and children, according to reports.

Despite the temporary cessation of hostilities, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has asserted that Israel will resume the war following the truce. Netanyahu highlighted the commitment to continuing military operations until all outlined goals are achieved. These objectives include the dismantling of the military capabilities of Hamas, as well as the unconditional return of all hostages.

Here’s a timeline of the key developments as the Israel-Hamas war enters the 50th day:

October 7, 2023: The Israel Defence Forces reported that an estimated 2,200 rockets were fired toward southern and central Israel, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, by the Palestinian armed group Hamas. Mohammed Deif, the commander in chief of Hamas’ military arm, Al Qassam Brigades, released a video statement claiming responsibility for the attack. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declares that Israel is “at war.” Subsequently, retaliatory air strikes against Gaza were initiated, with the aim of a total siege.

October 13, 2023: Israel instructs residents of Gaza City, where over 1 million of the enclave’s 2.3 million people reside, to evacuate and relocate southward. However, Gaza remains closed, and residents express concerns about having nowhere to go, especially after southern parts of the Gaza Strip come under bombardment.

October 17, 2023: A devastating explosion at al-Ahli al-Arabi Baptist Hospital in Gaza City results in significant casualties. The health ministry in Gaza reports 471 people killed, although Israel disputes this figure. A US intelligence report provides a lower estimate, suggesting the death toll to be “at the low end of the 100 to 300.”

October 18, 2023: US President Joe Biden visits the Middle East, expressing support for Israel and aiming to prevent a broader regional conflict. He attributes the hospital blast to an errant rocket fired by Gaza militants. Arab leaders, blaming Israel for the hospital deaths, cancel a summit with Biden in Jordan.

October 20, 2023: Hamas releases two American hostages, Judith Tai Raanan (59) and her daughter Natalie (17),  both of whom were abducted from Nahal Oz kibbutz in southern Israel.

October 21, 2023: After diplomatic hurdles, aid trucks are permitted through the Rafah border crossing from Egypt into Gaza. However, the provided aid is only a fraction of what is urgently needed in Gaza, where essential supplies such as food, water, medicines, and fuel are running low.

October 23, 2023: Hamas releases two more hostages, elderly Israelis Nurit Cooper and Yocheved Lifshitz, citing humanitarian and health reasons. Their husbands remain in captivity. Yocheved Lifshitz, upon her release, shakes hands with a militant and says “shalom” (peace).

October 26-28, 2023: Israeli forces conduct a substantial raid into Gaza, involving tanks and infantry targeting infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts. Israel’s chief military spokesman announces an expansion of ground operations, signalling the commencement of a ground offensive. Prime Minister Netanyahu declares the start of the war’s second phase, vowing to “destroy the enemy above ground and below ground.”

October 31, 2023: Israeli air strikes hit Gaza’s densely populated Jabalia refugee camp, claiming to have killed a Hamas commander. Palestinian health officials report around 50 deaths and 150 injuries.

November 1-13, 2023: Evacuations begin through the Rafah crossing for an estimated 7,000 foreign passport holders, dual nationals, dependents, and individuals requiring urgent medical treatment. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls Gaza a “graveyard for children” and demands a ceasefire. Palestinian health authorities state a death toll exceeding 10,000 from Israeli strikes.

November 13-15, 2023: Israeli tanks advance on Gaza City’s Al Shifa hospital. Israel claims the hospital conceals Hamas headquarters in tunnels and accuses Hamas of using patients as shields. Charges of war crimes are exchanged, with Palestinians accusing Israel of targeting civilians and Israel asserting that militant groups use civilians as human shields. Israeli special forces entered Al Shifa Hospital, alleging that they uncovered weapons and a tunnel, intensifying the war crimes allegations on both sides.

November 15-25, 2023: Israel’s Cabinet approved a deal that would allow for the release of at least 50 hostages over the course of a four-day pause in hostilities, Netanyahu announces. As a part of this deal, 150 Palestinian prisoners will also be released by Israel. After the approval of the 4-day ceasefire in the prolonged war in Gaza, Hamas released 24 hostages while Israel freed 39 Palestinians from prison in the first stage of a swap on Friday, November 24.

Gaza’s health ministry says that at least 13,300 Palestinians have been confirmed killed, including at least 5,600 children, in the Israeli bombardment so far.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Heavy fighting rages near main Gaza hospital as Netanyahu dismisses calls for cease-fire

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israeli strikes pounded Gaza City overnight and into Sunday as ground forces battled Hamas militants near the territory’s largest hospital, where health officials say thousands of medics, patients and displaced people are trapped with no electricity and dwindling supplies.

In a televised address on Saturday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected growing international calls for a cease-fire unless it includes the release of all 239 hostages captured by Hamas in the Oct. 7 rampage that triggered the war, saying Israel was bringing its “full force” to the battle.

Israel has vowed to end Hamas’ 16-year rule in Gaza and crush its military capabilities, while blaming the militants for the war’s heavy toll on the 2.3 million Palestinians trapped in the besieged territory.

Israel has come under mounting international pressure, even from its closest ally, the United States, as the war enters a sixth week. A 57-nation gathering of Muslim and Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia on Saturday called for the war to end, and an estimated 300,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched peacefully through London—the biggest demonstration in the city since the war began.

In Gaza City, residents reported heavy airstrikes and shelling overnight, including in the area 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, causing the death of a premature baby, another child in an incubator and four other patients, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

“Medical devices stopped. Patients, especially those in intensive care, started to die,” hospital director Mohammed Abu Selmia said by phone over the sound of gunfire and explosions. He said Israeli troops were “shooting at anyone outside or inside the hospital” and prevented movement between buildings.

The World Health Organization said it lost communication with its contacts at Shifa.

Israel’s military confirmed clashes outside the hospital, but Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, a spokesman, denied Shifa was under siege. He said troops will assist Sunday in moving babies treated there and said “we are speaking directly and regularly” with hospital staff.

The Health Ministry says there are still 1,500 patients at Shifa, along with 1,500 medical personnel and between 15,000 and 20,000 people seeking shelter. Thousands have fled Shifa and other hospitals that have come under attack, but physicians said it’s impossible for everyone to get out.

The “unbearably desperate situation” at Shifa must stop now, the International Committee of the Red Cross director general, Robert Mardini, said on social media.

Elsewhere, the Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli tanks were 20 meters (65 feet) from al-Quds hospital in Gaza City, causing “extreme panic and fear” among the 14,000 displaced people sheltering there.

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 security control, with 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 U.S. opposes an Israeli reoccupation of Gaza and envisions a unified Palestinian government in both Gaza and the West Bank as a step toward Palestinian statehood. Even before the war, Netanyahu’s government was staunchly opposed to Palestinian statehood.

In another sign of international frustration with Israel, Saudi Arabia welcomed Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi on Saturday in the first such visit since the two countries mended ties this year. Israel views Iran as its main enemy and had sought to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia before the outbreak of the war.

Israel’s allies have defended the country’s right to protect itself after the Hamas attack, which killed at least 1,200 people, mostly civilians. But now into the second month of war, there are growing differences over how Israel should conduct its fight.

The U.S. 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. However, 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 north-south roads.

Since these evacuation windows were first announced a week ago, tens of thousands of civilians have fled the north. But Israel is striking what it says are militant targets across central and southern Gaza as well, often killing women and children.

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. It has also allowed hundreds of trucks loaded with food and medicine — but no fuel — to enter, but aid workers say it’s nowhere near enough to meet the mounting needs.

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.

Forty-six Israeli soldiers have been killed in Gaza since the ground offensive began, and Palestinians have continued firing rockets into Israel. Hamas is still holding scores of captives — men, women and children — after releasing four women last month. A fifth captive was rescued by Israeli forces.

Late Saturday, thousands of Israelis participated in a rally in Tel Aviv, calling for the return of hostages. In Caesarea, hundreds of protesters gathered near Netanyahu’s home, calling for his removal.

About 250,000 Israelis have been forced to evacuate from communities near Gaza and along the northern border with Lebanon, where Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants have traded fire repeatedly.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel-Hamas war: PM Benjamin Netanyahu reiterates no ‘ceasefire’ in Gaza | Latest updates

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Over a month into the war, the situation in Gaza does not seem to be improving. On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that there will be no ceasefire unless Hamas releases its hostages. Simultaneously, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called a united and Palestinian-led government for Gaza and the West Bank after the war ends. Here are the latest updates:

# Netanyahu reiterates decision against ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday reiterated that a ceasefire won’t occur unless Hamas releases the hostages held by the group.

“There will be no ceasefire without the release of our hostages,” the Israeli Prime Minister wrote on ‘X’ on Thursday.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday, “We won’t let Hamas win, we will rebuild our communities in southern Israel and we will continue to live our lives.”

Netanyahu said that Israel plans to maintain “security responsibility” over the Gaza Strip for an indefinite period after the war against Hamas.

# Blinken calls for Palestinian-led government in Gaza and West Bank

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Wednesday for a united and Palestinian-led government for Gaza and the West Bank after the war ends, as a step toward Palestinian statehood. That vision sharpens U.S. differences with ally Israel on what the future should look like for the Palestinian territories once Israel’s military campaign against Hamas winds down.

Any postwar governing plan for Gaza “must include Palestinian-led governance and Gaza unified with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority,” Blinken told reporters in Japan.

# International journalists get in-depth look at Gaza Strip

The Israeli military allowed international journalists to enter the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, offering them a firsthand view of the aftermath of 12 days of intense fighting in the region.

During the visit inside Gaza, journalists travelled in a windowless armoured vehicle with a screen displaying images of the damaged coastline, buildings, and fallen trees. Israeli tanks and armoured vehicles were stationed in the area, with soldiers on patrol.

During the tour, the army said it had found ammunition and a weapons-making facility inside one building. Much of the lab had been removed, but the remnants of rockets, thousands of which had been launched at Israel during the fighting, could be seen.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel-Hamas war: Palestinians flee on foot as Israeli troops enter ‘heart of Gaza city’ | Latest updates

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Over 1,400 people have died and 240 have been taken hostage since the Hamas attacks that took place in Israel on October 7. As Tuesday marked a month of the war, people in Tel Aviv lit candles at a memorial to remember those killed and missed. Here are the latest updates from the war:

# Palestinians flee on foot as Israeli troops battle inside Gaza City

Thousands of Palestinians are fleeing south on foot with only what they can carry after running out of food and water in the north, a United Nations agency said Wednesday, as Israel said its troops were battling Hamas militants deep inside Gaza City.

Over 70% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million have already fled their homes, but the growing numbers making their way south point to an increasingly desperate situation in and around Gaza’s largest city, which has come under heavy Israeli bombardment.

# G7 nations back US call for ‘humanitarian pauses’

Top diplomats from the Group of Seven leading industrial democracies announced a unified stance on the Israel-Hamas war on Wednesday after intensive meetings in Tokyo, condemning Hamas, supporting Israel’s right to self-defence and calling for humanitarian pauses to speed aid to desperate civilians in the Gaza Strip.

# India’s ban on pro-Palestinian protests amidst growing pro-Israel sentiment

Indian authorities have barred any solidarity protest in Muslim-majority Kashmir and asked Muslim preachers not to mention the conflict in their sermons, residents and religious leaders told The Associated Press.

While India strongly condemned the October 7 attack by the militant group Hamas and expressed solidarity with Israel, it urged that international humanitarian law be upheld in Gaza amid rising civilian deaths.

But in Kashmir, being quiet is painful for many. Read more here.

# Israeli troops are in the ‘heart of Gaza city’

Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has announced that Israeli troops have penetrated deep into the heart of Gaza City. Gallant further declared that the country intends to maintain “complete freedom of action to respond to any situation in the Gaza Strip” once the conflict concludes. He emphasised that in the aftermath of this campaign, Hamas, both as a military organisation and a governing body in Gaza, will cease to exist.

# Blinken pushes for humanitarian aid expansion in Gaza

The Group of 7 leading industrial democracies worked to forge a unified stance on the Israel-Hamas war at intensive meetings in Tokyo on Wednesday, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior diplomats looking to contain a worsening humanitarian crisis and stop a spillover of fighting into the wider Middle East. Read more here.

# Biden cautions Israel against reoccupying Gaza

U.S. President Joe Biden cautioned Israel against reoccupying Gaza, emphasising the need for the Palestinian Authority and a path to a Palestinian state. He asserted that not all Palestinian people are represented by Hamas and its extreme elements.

# Cyprus to present plan for Gaza humanitarian sea corridor to EU leaders

Cyprus will present its plan for a humanitarian sea corridor to Gaza when the Cypriot president meets other EU heads of state in Paris at an international donor conference for the besieged Palestinian enclave on Nov 9, an official said Tuesday.

Government spokesman Constantinos Letymbiotis told reporters the initiative to ship aid from the eastern Mediterranean island will be discussed at length during the conference, which will also seek to address Gaza’s pressing needs including water, electricity and fuel supply.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel-Hamas conflict: UN says 5,000 people fled on foot to southern Gaza in 4 hours on Monday | Latest updates

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Over 10,000 people have been killed across Gaza and the West Bank as Israel continues to bombard the region. Gaza City has been encircled and communication lines are cut off as top United Nations humanitarian agencies are demanding a ceasefire, calling the situation “horrific” and “unacceptable” in a rare joint statement.

Here are the latest updates from the Israel-Palestine conflict:

# More than 400 Americans have departed Gaza, according to US State Department

More than 400 Americans have successfully left Gaza with the assistance of the US State Department. This evacuation came after efforts to secure safe passage faced various challenges and logistical issues, with the first group departing last Wednesday.

# UN says 5,000 people fled on foot to southern Gaza in 4 hours on Monday

On Monday, approximately 5,000 individuals embarked on a four-hour journey by foot to southern Gaza, as reported by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). This mass movement occurred following an Israeli military advisory for the residents of Gaza and the North Gaza governorates to relocate to the south. The advisory created a corridor available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. local time, as specified by OCHA.

Due to extensive damage to roads leading to the main crossing junction, the area was only accessible on foot. Families, including children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, were observed walking long distances while carrying their personal belongings by hand.

OCHA’s report indicates that approximately 1.5 million people in Gaza have been internally displaced. Among them, about 717,000 have sought shelter in 149 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) facilities, while 122,000 are taking refuge in hospitals, churches, public buildings, and 110,000 people have found shelter in 89 non-UNRWA schools. The remainder have been hosted by local families.

The Khan Younis Training Centre, the most crowded UNRWA shelter, currently accommodates over 22,000 internally displaced individuals. The living conditions there are extremely cramped, with less than two square meters (about 22 square feet) of space per person, and a single toilet being shared by at least 600 people, according to OCHA’s statement on Tuesday.

# Israel will control Gaza security after war ends, Netanyahu says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated that Israel is planning to assume control of the security situation in Gaza once the current conflict concludes. He stated that Israel will have the “overall security responsibility” in Gaza for an “indefinite period.”

Netanyahu emphasised the importance of Gaza being governed by those who do not follow the path of Hamas, and he expressed his belief that Israel will maintain this security responsibility due to the consequences of not doing so.

# Pakistan sends second relief flight to Egypt with aid for Gaza

Pakistan has dispatched a second relief flight to Egypt, carrying essential aid for Gaza, which includes hygiene kits, medicine, and food provisions. The Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs made this announcement.

At the Islamabad International Airport, the send-off ceremony was attended by Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, Minister for Human Rights Khalil George, and the Palestinian Ambassador to Pakistan. During the event, the foreign minister expressed Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people and strongly denounced Israel’s use of excessive and indiscriminate force against the civilians in Gaza, including women and children, who are currently trapped.

# Israeli military says it located and destroyed several tunnels in Gaza residential area

The Israeli military reported on Tuesday that it had destroyed a number of tunnels in a residential area in the northeastern part of the Gaza Strip. The operation, conducted with the assistance of reservists, took place in the Beit Hanoun area. While the IDF released a video showing the destruction of tunnels in Beit Hanoun, CNN has not independently confirmed the location.

For additional context, in 2021, Hamas claimed to have built approximately 500 kilometers (311 miles) of tunnels beneath Gaza. These tunnels are used for various purposes, including the transportation of people and goods, as well as serving as command centers for Hamas, providing a degree of concealment from Israeli surveillance due to the blockades in place since 2007.

# All 140 evacuated Palestinians receiving treatment in Egypt are in serious condition, health ministry says

According to Egypt’s health ministry, all 140 Palestinians who were evacuated to Egypt for medical treatment from Gaza are in critical condition. Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the health ministry spokesperson, conveyed this information through the Egyptian government-affiliated ON TV on Monday.

Among the evacuees, there are 55 children under the age of 18 and 35 women, as reported by Abdel Ghaffar. The medical teams in Egypt are currently performing more than 30 surgical operations daily to address various injuries, including burns, and some cases require specialised treatment.

Despite the substantial medical efforts, the number of injured individuals evacuated to Egypt is considered relatively low. According to the spokesperson, Egypt’s medical teams and hospitals are well-prepared to handle a larger influx of patients if necessary.

Egypt’s Minister of Health, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, expressed concern over the severity of burns among the children, with some cases involving burns that affect up to 60% of their bodies.

# PM Netanyahu open to ‘little pauses’ in Gaza

After more than a week of public pressure from the US for “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has allowed that his government might be open to only “little pauses” in its assault on Hamas. He also vowed that Israel will take control of “overall security” of besieged Gaza after the war.

“Well, there’ll be no cease-fire, general cease-fire, in Gaza without the release of our hostages,” Netanyahu said when asked about US President Joe Biden’s call for humanitarian pauses. “As far as tactical little pauses, an hour here, an hour there. We’ve had them before, I suppose, we’ll check the circumstances in order to enable goods, humanitarian goods to come in, or our hostages, individual hostages to leave. But I don’t think there’s going to be a general cease-fire.”

# UN Security Council fails to agree on resolution again

The UN Security Council on Monday failed again to agree on a resolution on the month-long Israel-Hamas war.

Despite more than two hours of closed-door discussions on Monday, differences remained. The US is calling for “humanitarian pauses” while many other council members are demanding a “humanitarian cease-fire” to deliver desperately needed aid and prevent more civilian deaths in Gaza.

# Hezbollah and Hamas’ military wings in Lebanon exchange fire with Israel

The military wing of the Palestinian group Hamas said Monday it fired rockets from Lebanon into northern Israel, triggering Israeli airstrikes on the Lebanese side of the border.

The Qassam Brigades said in a statement its militants fired 16 rockets on the town of Nahariya and the southern outskirts of the city of Haifa in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Gaza.

The Israeli army said approximately 30 rockets were fired from the Lebanese side targeting northern Israel, adding it was responding by shelling the origin points of rocket launches. The exchange lasted about half an hour and Israel’s Iron Dome could be clearly seen intercepting rockets from Lebanon. Relative clam prevailed afterwards.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow