Tag: Gaza Strip

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

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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: Blinken wraps up Middle East tour with mixed results on Gaza diplomacy

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

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U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a grueling Middle East diplomatic tour on Monday in Turkey after only limited success in efforts to forge a regional consensus on how best to ease civilian suffering in Gaza as Israel intensifies its war against Hamas.

In the Turkish capital, Ankara, Blinken met with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan following a frantic weekend of travel that took him from Israel to Jordan, the occupied West Bank, Cyprus and Iraq, to build support for the Biden administration’s proposal for “humanitarian pauses” to Israel’s relentless military campaign in Gaza.

“All of this is a work in progress,” Blinken said before leaving Turkey. “We don’t obviously agree on everything, but there are common views on some of the imperatives of the moment that we’re working on together.”

#WATCH | Ankara, Turkey: US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken says, “We just had a very good, lengthy, productive conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Hakan Fidan….We talked about the important work that we’re doing in support of Ukraine. Turkey has… pic.twitter.com/nlsMnr1FBl

— ANI (@ANI) November 6, 2023

Blinken’s shuttle diplomacy came as Israeli troops surrounded Gaza City and cut off the northern part of the besieged Hamas-ruled territory. Troops are expected to enter the city Monday or Tuesday and are likely to face militants fighting street by street using a vast network of tunnels. Casualties will likely rise on both sides in the month-old war, which has already killed more than 10,000 Palestinians according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

The top U.S. diplomat hopes that pauses in the war would allow for a surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza and the release of hostages captured by Hamas during the militants’ deadly Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel that killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians — while also preventing the conflict from spreading regionally.

“We’ve engaged the Israelis on steps that they can take to minimize civilian casualties,” Blinken said before leaving Ankara. “We’re working, as I said, very aggressively on getting more humanitarian assistance into Gaza.”

“We are very focused on the hostages held by Hamas, including the Americans, and we are doing everything possible to bring them home,” he added.

State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said in a statement both Blinken and Fidan “emphasized the importance of the longstanding U.S.-Turkish cooperation as NATO Allies and Euro-Atlantic security priorities including Sweden’s NATO accession.”

Blinken did not meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has been highly critical of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an outlier among NATO allies in not expressing full support for Israel’s right to defend itself.

As the Blinken-Fidan meeting got underway, dozens of protesters from an Islamist group waved Turkish and Palestinian flags and held up anti-U.S. and anti-Israel placards outside the Foreign Ministry. Police earlier in the day dispersed a group of students marching toward the ministry chanting “murderer Blinken, get out of Turkey!”

Also Monday, about 150 people rallied outside the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, carrying a large banner that read: “No to genocide!”

It was the second day of protests denouncing Blinken’s visit. On Sunday, pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with Turkish riot police outside the U.S.-Turkish Incirlik military air base in the southern city of Adana. Police fired tear gas and water cannon as the demonstrators tried to cross fields to enter the base.

Turkish officials, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the talks, said Fidan had urged Blinken to prevent the targeting of civilians in Gaza and their forced displacement, and also press for a “full cease-fire.”

Blinken’s mission, his second to the region since the war began, has found only tepid, if any, support for his efforts to contain the fallout from the conflict. Israel has rejected the idea of pauses while Arab and Muslim nations are instead demanding an immediate cease-fire as the casualty toll soars among Palestinian civilians under Israeli bombardments of Gaza.

U.S. officials are seeking to convince Israel of the strategic importance of respecting the laws of war by protecting non-combatants and significantly boosting deliveries of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s beleaguered civilian population.

It remained unclear, however, if Netanyahu would agree to temporary, rolling pauses in the massive operation to eradicate Hamas — or whether outrage among Palestinians and their supporters could be assuaged if he did.

Already Jordan and Turkey have recalled their ambassadors to Israel to protest its tactics and the tide of international opinion appears to be turning from sympathy toward Israel in the aftermath of October 7 to revulsion as images of death and destruction in Gaza spread around the world.

On Saturday in the Jordanian capital of Amman, both the Egyptian and Jordanian foreign ministers appeared at a joint news conference with Blinken. The two said Israel’s war had gone beyond self-defense and could no longer be justified as it now amounted to collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

That sentiment was echoed by tens of thousands of demonstrators who marched in the streets of world capitals over the weekend to protest Israel and condemn U.S. support for Israel.

From Turkey, Blinken headed to Asia where the Gaza conflict will likely share top billing with other international crises at a series of events in Japan, South Korea and India — including Russia’s war on Ukraine and North Korea’s nuclear weapons program.

On Sunday, Blinken flew from the occupied West Bank, where he held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, to Baghdad for talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Met with President Abbas and affirmed our commitment to delivery of humanitarian assistance and restoration of essential services in Gaza. Made clear that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must end and reiterated our support for a two state solution. pic.twitter.com/gax3F23ned

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 5, 2023

When word spread of Blinken’s arrival in the West Bank city of Ramallah, dozens of Palestinians turned out to protest, holding signs showing dripping blood and with messages that included, “Blinken blood is on your hands.” The meeting with Abbas ended without any public comment.

The Palestinian Authority administers semiautonomous areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It has not been a factor in the Gaza Strip since 2007, when Hamas seized control after winning in elections there a year earlier. Abbas himself is unpopular among Palestinians.

American forces in the region face a surge of attacks by Iranian-allied militias in Iraq and elsewhere. U.S. forces shot down another one-way attack drone Sunday that was targeting American and coalition troops near their base in neighboring Syria, a U.S. official said. From Baghdad Blinken traveled to Turkey.

The Biden administration, while remaining the strongest backer of Israel’s military response to Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7, is increasingly seeking to use its influence with Israel to try to temper the effect of Israel’s weeks of complete siege and near round-the-clock air, ground and sea assaults in Gaza, home to 2.3 million civilians.

Arab states are resisting American suggestions that they play a larger role in resolving the crisis, expressing outrage at the civilian toll of the Israeli military operations and believing Gaza to be a problem largely of Israel’s own making.

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: Over 10,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, says Health Ministry | Latest updates

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

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On Monday, November 6, Israel launched “significant” airstrikes on Gaza while its soldiers engaged with Hamas forces in the besieged territory. The country disregarded ceasefire appeals from United Nations aid agencies, which have criticised the rising number of civilian casualties during the month-long conflict.

#Over 200 Indian Bnei Menashe Jews join IDF’s fight against Hamas

More than 200 Indian Jews, members of the Bnei Menashe community, made Aliyah since the October 7 massacre and were called up for either reserve or active combat duty, the Shavei Israel nonprofit announced Monday. Seventy-five of the recent immigrants from India have enlisted in combat units, while 140 were called up for reserve service across Israel.

#PM Modi, Iran president share views on ‘difficult situation’ in West Asia; stress de-escalation, continued humanitarian aid

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi on Monday exchanged views on the “difficult situation” in the West Asia region, with the PM expressing deep concern at the “terrorist incidents, violence and loss of civilian lives”. The two leaders stressed the need for preventing escalation, ensuring continued humanitarian aid and early restoration of peace and stability, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

#South Africa recalls ambassador & diplomatic mission to Israel, accuses it of genocide in Gaza

South Africa’s government has recalled on Monday its ambassador and diplomatic mission to Israel in condemnation of the bombardment of the Gaza Strip, calling it a genocide. The government also threatened action against the Israeli ambassador to South Africa over his recent remarks about the African country’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war. No further details were given about the remarks.

The South African government has decided to withdraw all its diplomats in Tel Aviv for consultation,” said minister in the presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni. She added the cabinet noted the disparaging remarks of the Israeli ambassador to South Africa about those who are opposing the atrocities and genocide of the Israeli government and that the department of international relations has been instructed to take the necessary measures within the diplomatic channels and protocols to deal with (his) conduct”.

#Palestinian death toll in Israel-Hamas war exceeds 10,000: Hamas Health Ministry 

The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip says the Palestinian death toll in Israel-Hamas war now exceeds 10,000.

# Israeli troops surround Gaza City and cut off northern part of the besieged Hamas-ruled territory

Israeli troops early Monday had surrounded Gaza City and cut off the northern part of the besieged territory as communications lost for several hours across Gaza overnight were gradually being restored. Troops are expected to enter the city Monday or Tuesday, Israeli media reported, and militants who have prepared for years are expected to fight street by street using a vast network of tunnels. Casualties will likely rise on both sides in the month-old war, which has already killed more than 9,700 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

# Israel army says ‘coordinated’ with Jordan to drop medical aid into Gaza

The Israeli army said Monday it had “coordinated” with Jordan to air-drop vital medical supplies to a field hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip, more than four weeks since the start of the war.

“Overnight, in coordination with the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), a Jordanian airplane dropped medical equipment and food to the Jordanian Hospital in the Gaza Strip. The equipment will be used by the medical staff for patients,” the Israeli army said in a statement.

# 22-year-old Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi arrested during raid: Israeli army

The Israeli army says it has arrested the prominent 22-year-old Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi during a raid in the occupied West Bank.

“Ahed Tamimi was arrested on suspicion of inciting violence and terrorist activities in the town of Nabi Salih” near Ramallah, an army spokesman told AFP. “Tamimi was transferred to Israeli security forces for further questioning”

# Israeli warplanes hit refugee camps in Gaza

Israeli airstrikes hit two refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip on Sunday, killing scores of people, health officials said. The strikes came as the US kept urging Israel to take a humanitarian pause from its relentless bombardment of Gaza and rising civilian deaths.

The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Hamas war surpassed 9,700 with more than 4,000 of them children and minors, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. In the occupied West Bank, more than 140 Palestinians have been killed in violence and Israeli raids.

# France reports rising anti-Semitic acts since October 7 attack

France’s interior minister said the number of anti-Semitic acts committed in the country has “exploded” since the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen and the subsequent Israeli bombardment of Gaza, with more than 1,000 recorded.

# US State Secretary Antony Blinken visits West Bank unannounced

U. Secretary of State Antony Blinken travelled to Ramallah in the West Bank for a previously unannounced meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Blinken later flew to Baghdad for talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

On Saturday, Blinken met with Arab foreign ministers in Jordan, after holding talks in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who insists there could be no temporary cease-fire until all hostages held by Hamas are released. President Joe Biden suggested that progress was being made on the humanitarian pause.

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

Israeli Minister Amichai Eliyahu suggests ‘nuclear’ strike on Gaza strip, suspended by Netanyahu

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

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday suspended Amichai Eliyahu from cabinet meetings after the ultra-nationalist minister suggested Israel could drop an atomic bomb on the Gaza Strip.

“That is one way to go,” Eliyahu replied on Sunday to a question about a theoretical nuclear strike during an interview with the radio station “Kol Barama.”

Eliyahu’s comment was “disconnected from reality,” Netanyahu said in a statement, adding that Israel and its defense forces “act according to the highest standards of international law in order to prevent harm to non-involved people, and we will continue to do so until victory.”

Despite the swift rebuke, Eliyahu’s comments risk deepening rifts with the Arab world, and highlight how highly charged remarks complicate efforts to ease tensions and deescalate the conflict. The Israeli military and Hamas, which is designated a terror group by the US and European Union, have accused each other of paying little attention to civilian losses. Public opinion in opposing camps remains polarized, and efforts to achieve a cease-fire have yielded little result.

Eliyahu isn’t a member of Israel’s security cabinet or of the narrower war cabinet established after the October 7 attacks by Hamas.

He subsequently recanted his remark and said that “it is clear to all sensible people that the statement about the atom is metaphorical.” He called for “a strong and disproportionate response to terrorism.”

Eliyahu is a member of Israel’s far-right “Otzma Yehudit” party, which translates to “Jewish Power,” whose leader is Itamar Ben Gvir, minister in charge of Homeland Security. The party holds six seats in Israel’s 120-member parliament, the Knesset.

Otzma Yehudit’s platform includes imposing the death penalty on Palestinian “terrorists” and the removal of the Palestinian Authority for Israel to have full sovereignty over the West Bank.

Ben Gvir was formerly convicted of supporting a terror organisation on account of his support for the “Kach” organisation, a former radical orthodox Jewish political party now banned in Israel.

Otzma Yehudit, his current party, was invited to join Netanyahu’s government after the 2022 election when centrists like the National Unity Party, led by Benny Gantz, and Yesh Atid led by Yair Lapid declined to participate in the governing coalition.

Gantz’s party recently joined the government in order to run the narrow war cabinet alongside Netanyahu and defense minister Yoav Galant, who is a member of Netanyahu’s party, the Likud. All other parties which are part of the ruling coalition were, in essence, pushed aside in terms of deciding on and running the military operations.

Gantz said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that Eliyahu’s “promiscuous, unnecessary and irresponsible sayings harm the way and values ​​of Israel, cause heavy political damage, and worst of all, add to the pain of the families of those abducted from their homes.”

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: Israel is severing all contact from Gaza, says PM Netanyahu | Latest updates

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

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Israeli forces encircled Gaza City on Thursday, engaging in combat with Hamas militants, the military said on the 28th day of the war. The Palestinian death toll has exceeded 9,000, alarming the United Nations which is cautioning of “genocide.” In response to this escalating crisis, US and Arab leaders are intensifying pressure on Israel to temporarily ease the blockade of Gaza and halt its attacks in order to aid civilians.

# Israel is severing all contact from Gaza: Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, November 3, announced that the Security Cabinet decided to deduct all funds designated for the Gaza Strip — in addition to the deduction, required by law, of funds paid to terrorists and their families — from Palestinian Authority funds.

He tweeted, “Israel is severing all contact with Gaza. There will be no more Palestinian workers from Gaza. Those workers from Gaza who were in Israel on the day of the outbreak of the war will be returned to Gaza.”

# Yemen’s Houthi rebels join the Israel-Hamas conflict

There’s growing concern that Israel’s conflict with Hamas will spread across the region, drawing in more groups hostile to Israel. Those fears appeared to be borne out when Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels launched missiles and drones toward Israel on October 19 and October 31 and threatened further attacks unless Israeli forces end their campaign targeting Hamas militants in Gaza.

The Houthis have declared Israel an enemy. In a televised statement, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the movement was targeting Israel with missiles and drones “in support of our oppressed brothers in Palestine” and said the operations would continue “until the Israeli aggression stops.”

# House approves $14.5 billion in military aid for Israel

The House has approved a substantial $14.5 billion military aid package for Israel. However, it has also taken a partisan approach under the new Speaker, Mike Johnson, posing a direct challenge to Democrats and President Joe Biden.

In an unconventional departure from standard procedures, Johnson’s package mandates that emergency aid must be offset with cuts in government spending elsewhere. This approach not only defines the new House GOP’s conservative leadership but also transforms what is typically a bipartisan vote into a divisive issue, with Democrats and Republicans split on the matter.

President Biden has made it clear that he intends to veto the bill, which was approved with a vote of 226-196, with 12 Democrats aligning with most Republicans in a largely party-line decision.

# Fine with India sending aid to Gaza: Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon

Israeli Ambassador Naor Gilon expressed support for India’s efforts to provide aid to Gaza. Israel is providing India with more information relating to Hamas and it is hopeful that New Delhi will designate the group as a terrorist organisation as done by around 40 nations, Gilon said on Thursday.

In an exclusive interview with PTI, the envoy said India is supporting Israel the way it wanted and that the current “crisis” only proved how strong the ties between the two countries are.

With agency inputs.

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: Gaza suffers second phone, internet outage amid Israeli strikes | Latest updates

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

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Over 8,500 Palestinians have died in Israeli strikes after military group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,400 people. As the Israeli forces push deeper and deeper into Gaza, here are the latest updates from the war:

#Indian-origin soldier among Israelis killed in Gaza

A 20-year-old Indian-origin Israeli soldier was among the Israeli combatants killed while fighting in Gaza, community members and the Mayor of the town said on Wednesday. Staff-Sgt. Halel Solomon was from the southern Israeli town of Dimona. Dimona is a town in the south of Israel identified with Israel’s nuclear reactor but some also describe it as little India given the large concentration of Jews from India in the township. Indian community members told .

#15 soldiers killed in Gaza since Tuesday, says Israel army

Fifteen Israeli soldiers have been killed fighting in Gaza since Tuesday, a spokesman for the country’s military told AFP. Israeli troops have been fighting Hamas militants on the ground since Friday, backed by heavy air strikes which have killed multiple civilians in the Palestinian territory.

#Gaza crossing opens for foreign passport holders and wounded as Israeli strikes pound refugee camp

After more than three weeks of siege, the first Palestinians dozens of dual passport holders and seriously injured were allowed to leave Gaza, where Israeli airstrikes pounded a refugee camp for the second day Wednesday..

# Qatar mediates deal for safe evacuation of Gaza’s foreign passport holders

Qatar has mediated an agreement between Egypt, Israel and Hamas, in coordination with the U.S., to allow for the movement of foreign passport holders and some critically injured people out of besieged Gaza, a source briefed on deal told Reuters on Wednesday.

There is no timeline for how long the vital Rafah border crossing will remain open for evacuation, the source added.

# Israel Defence Forces: Intercepted ‘aerial threat’ over Red Sea

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Wednesday that their aerial defence system successfully intercepted an aerial threat in the Red Sea region, located to the south of Eilat. They confirmed that this incident did not pose any danger to civilians, and there was no breach of Israeli territory.

Taking to X, Israel Defence Forces said, “The IDF Aerial Defense Array intercepted an aerial threat that was identified in the area of the Red Sea, south of the city of Eilat, a short while ago. No threat was posed to civilians and no infiltration into Israeli territory was identified.”

# Blink to visit Israel on Friday: US State Department

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will begin a new trip to the Middle East on Friday, a spokesperson said, as Israel’s war against Hamas in response to the October 7 attack intensifies.

“Secretary Blinken will travel to Israel on Friday for meetings with members of the Israeli government, and then will make other stops in the region,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters Tuesday.

He accompanied President Joe Biden to meetings with Israeli government officials and victims during the US leader’s one-day visit to Tel Aviv on October 18.

# Bolivia severs diplomatic ties with Israel as Chile and Colombia recall their ambassadors

Bolivia’s government severed diplomatic relations with Israel on Tuesday, accusing it of carrying out “crimes against humanity” in Gaza, and Chile and Colombia recalled their ambassadors to Israel as they criticised the Israeli military offensive against Hamas militants.

“Bolivia decided to break diplomatic relations with the state of Israel in repudiation and condemnation of the aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive taking place in the Gaza Strip,” Freddy Mamani, Bolivia’s deputy foreign minister, said at a news conference.

Chile decided to recall its ambassador “in the face of the unacceptable violations of international humanitarian law committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip,” the South American country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, also announced he was recalling his country’s ambassador to Israel.

# Qatar warns expanded Israeli strikes ‘undermine’ mediation

Qatar has condemned Israel’s bombing of Gaza’s largest refugee camp and warned that expanded strikes on the besieged Palestinian enclave would “undermine mediation and de-escalation efforts,” AFP reports citing the official Qatar News Agency.

The Qatari foreign ministry described the strike on Jabalia camp as a “new massacre against the defenceless Palestinian people,” warning against “the expansion of Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip to include civilian targets,” the wire service added.

# Hamas to release foreign hostages

As Israeli bombardment in the Palestinian territory continues, Hamas on Tuesday said it will free foreign hostages “in the next few days” and vowed to turn Gaza into a “graveyard” for Israeli’s military.

“We have informed intermediaries that we will release a certain number of foreigners in the next few days,” Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, said in a televised address.

Five hostages have been released to date, including four after negotiations through a diplomatic backchannel and one following an operation by the Israeli army.

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 Netanyahu rules out ceasefire in Gaza | Latest update

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

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Israeli troops and tanks have been pushing deeper into Gaza, freeing a soldier held captive by Hamas militants and advancing on two sides of the territory’s main city. The UN and medical staff warned that airstrikes have hit closer to hospitals where tens of thousands of Palestinians have sought shelter alongside thousands of wounded.

Here are latest updates on the Israel-Hamas war:

# UN envoy: Israel-Hamas war spilling into Syria

The Israel-Hamas war is spilling into Syria, fueled by growing instability, violence and a lack of progress toward a political solution to its 12-year conflict, the United Nations special envoy for the country said Monday.

Geir Pedersen told the Security Council that, on top of violence from the Syrian conflict, the Syrian people now face “a terrifying prospect of a potential wider escalation” following Hamas’ October 7 attacks on Israel and the ongoing retaliatory military action.

“Spillover into Syria is not just a risk; it has already begun,” the U.N. envoy for Syria said.

Pedersen pointed to airstrikes attributed to Israel hitting Syria’s airports in Aleppo and Damascus several times, and retaliation by the United States against what it said were multiple attacks on its forces “by groups that it claims are backed by Iran, including on Syrian territory.”

# Israel wants India to name Hamas in its terror list

In an interview with News18, Kobbi Shoshani, the Consul General of Israel to Midwest India, called upon the Indian government to put Hamas on the terror list.

“What we’re expecting from India is something very, very clear: to put Hamas on the list of terrorist organisations,” Shoshani said.

He added, “I think that we are fully confident that we will get full support from the Indian government.”

He also alleged that there was fake news coming from Gaza as a part of Hamas propaganda and that the hospital attack was orchestrated from the Palestinian side.

# Netanyahu disappointed with ‘deeply flawed’ UN resolution

On the issue of the UN proposal, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to News 18 India’s question, saying that no civilised country, including India, would tolerate such horror.

The question asked to Netanyahu was: “How do you see India’s stand on recent UN resolution? India abstained as there was no condemnation of terrorism?”

He expressed disappointment with the resolution, calling it deeply flawed, and hoped to avoid similar resolutions in the future.

“Resolution was deeply flawed. And even I was sorry to see that many of our friends did not insist that there should be powerful condemnation of horror that was committed here. Horror that no civilized country including your country and others will tolerate,” the prime minister said

# Netanyahu rules out Gaza ceasefire

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday a ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas “will not happen”, as the UN warned not enough aid was coming in to meet “unprecedented humanitarian needs”.

“Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism… this will not happen,” he said, vowing Israel would “fight until this battle is won”.’

Vowing that Israel would “fight until this battle is won”, Netanyahu said the army was going out of its way to “prevent civilian casualties” in Gaza.

# Israel reports new West Bank operations

Israel reported new operations against armed Palestinian groups in the occupied West Bank overnight, as the Palestinian Ministry of Health said four men were killed in an Israeli air and ground operation in Jenin.

The Israeli military said Monday its troops have killed four prominent Hamas operatives as part of its expanded ground operations in the Gaza Strip.

# UNSC to hold emergency meeting

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting regarding Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza, diplomatic sources confirmed.

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Israel-Hamas war: PM Benjamin Netanyahu warns of a ‘long and difficult war’ | Latest updates

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

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At least 8,005 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks over the past month in the Gaza Strip. More than 1,400 people died when the military group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. While Hamas claims to be engaged in “heavy fighting” with Israel in Gaza, US President Joe Biden has called for an “immediate and significant” boost in aid to the region.

# Congress ‘strongly opposed’ to UN resolution abstention: Sonia Gandhi

The Congress is “strongly opposed” to India’s abstention on the recent UN resolution on the Israel-Hamas conflict, former party chief Sonia Gandhi said on Monday, asserting that while her party had unequivocally condemned Hamas’ attacks, the tragedy is compounded by the Israeli state now focused on exacting revenge from a population that is largely as helpless as it is blameless.

She also said her party’s longstanding position has been to support direct negotiations for a sovereign independent, viable and secure state of Palestine coexisting in peace with Israel.

In an article in The Hindu, Gandhi said “humanity is on trial now,” as she called for the loudest and most powerful voices to be for a cessation of military activity.

“We were collectively diminished by the brutal attacks on Israel. We are now all diminished by Israel’s disproportionate and equally brutal response. How many more lives will have to be taken before our collective conscience is stirred and awakened?” she said.

# Israel conducts ground operation in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted an expanded ground operation in Gaza on Sunday, October 29. According to the military, they targeted Hamas anti-tank positions and confronted gunmen along the coast and at the Erez border crossing.

VIDEO | Latest visuals from Gaza as Israel continues with its offensive amid #IsraelHamasConflict. (Source: AFP)

(Full video available on https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/C1RFaUYbY2

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 29, 2023

Rockets were launched from Gaza towards Israeli towns and cities throughout the day, primarily focusing on Hamas positions in the northern part of the Strip.

An IDF officer sustained serious injuries from a mortar impact, and a soldier was moderately injured during an encounter with Hamas fighters in the northern Gaza Strip overnight, as stated by the military.

# PM Netanyahu warns of ‘long and difficult war’ ahead

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning on Saturday about the long and difficult war ahead characterising it as having transitioned into a “second stage.”

During a televised address to the nation, the Israeli Prime Minister described the war as entering a new phase, drawing parallels to Israel’s foundational conflict in the 1940s and framing it as the nation’s “second independence war,” reported NBC.

# Israel to collaborate with Russia over Dagestan concerns

In response to concerns about potential actions by pro-Palestinian protesters in the Russian Republic of Dagestan, Israel has requested that Russian authorities ensure the safety of Israelis and Jews within their jurisdictions. The Israeli ambassador in Moscow is actively collaborating with Russian authorities to address the situation.

The Foreign Ministry issued a statement emphasising that Israel takes any attempts to harm Israeli citizens and Jews seriously, and they expect Russian law enforcement authorities to protect them and take decisive measures against those involved in rioting and provocative actions directed at Jews and Israelis.

Israeli media has also shown footage of individuals breaching the airport grounds in Makhachkala, Dagestan, driven by anger over the Gaza conflict in search of passengers from a flight scheduled to arrive from Tel Aviv.

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Despite its inflammatory rhetoric, Iran is unlikely to attack Israel. Here’s why

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

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Iran has warned Israel of severe consequences from “multiple fronts” if it does not halt its relentless bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

This warning is widely interpreted as a declaration of intent for Iran to enter the conflict via its allies and proxies. The Hezbollah militant group, which is already engaged in low-level skirmishes across the Israeli border with Lebanon, and the Assad regime in Syria are both closely aligned with Iran.

Given Iran’s increasingly hostile rhetoric, Washington and Tel Aviv have been deliberating over what to do if and when Tehran gives the order to engage.

Israel’s position on Iran has been uncompromising. In the past, it has advocated for surgical strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and has been implicated in the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists.

Iran’s potential entry into the Gaza war would open a new chapter in hostilities between the enemies – and take the war directly to Iran’s doorstep.

Military and political repercussions

Despite its warnings to Israel, Iran appears reluctant to take the route of directly entering the conflict for fear of risking a harsh Israeli response.

As a result, Iran has been maintaining a difficult balance between its ideological rhetoric and political expediency. But Iran is playing with fire. The balance it seeks to maintain can be easily disrupted in the unpredictable fog of war.

Tehran’s official line is extreme. It denies Israel the right to exist and refers to it not as a state, but as a Zionist entity. Iranian official declarations are replete with anti-Israel tirades.

In June, Tehran unveiled its latest missile and boasted that it had the range to reach Israel. Banners announcing the missile had the words “400 seconds to Tel Aviv” printed in Persian, Hebrew and Arabic.

This message is integral to the ideology of the ruling regime and a rallying cry for its supporters.

Anti-Israel and anti-US venom is a staple of political discourse for the hardline faction that governs Iran under Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Ebrahim Raisi. This faction is bolstered by its control of the judiciary, the parliament and the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

In fact, there are now calls from the hardline camp to follow through with the promise of destroying Israel. The editor-in-chief of Kayhan Daily, known as the mouthpiece of Khamenei, has called for an official declaration of war against Israel.

However, the authorities do not have a death wish. They are fully aware that an open confrontation with Israel – or even a confrontation by one of Iran’s proxies – could be very costly for Iran. Not only could there be an Israeli military retaliation on Iranian facilities, but also political repercussions for a regime increasingly unpopular with its own citizens.

The Iranian public is disillusioned with the regime’s ideological zeal against Israel and sees it as a ploy to hide corruption, economic woes and the inability of the government to provide for its citizens.

The chant often heard at protests over the past decade – “Neither Gaza nor Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran” – is a vivid reminder of the gap between the ruling regime and the population.

Widespread protests across Iran following the killing of Mahsa (Zhina) Amini have shown the depth of the regime’s unpopularity in the past year. Given this, a military confrontation with Israel could have unpredictable political consequences for the regime.

A hostage of its own rhetoric

The ruling regime in Iran has been mindful of US and Israeli red lines to avoid open hostilities.

After the US assassination of celebrated war hero Qassem Soleimani in January 2020, for example, Iranian authorities were enraged and promised “harsh retaliation”. But the response was relatively meek: a pre-warned strike on two Iraqi airfields that housed US troops.

Iran has also followed the same approach in relation to Israel. The survival of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria with Russian and Iranian backing ensured Iran has the capacity to launch attacks on Israel, but it has deliberately refrained from doing so.

This is despite the fact Israel has repeatedly targeted Iranian assets in Syria. In 2018, for example, Israel carried out air sorties in Syria that hit 70 Iranian targets.

In 2020, a similar operation was carried out by Israel to attack Iranian military targets in Syria. And again this year, before the Gaza War, Israel launched air strikes against Iranian forces in Syria. Iran’s response to these acts has been mute.

Iran is a hostage of its own inflammatory rhetoric. The regime has made its political fortune by rejecting the West and Israel. The Palestinian cause has been trumpeted as central to its worldview.

This posture has attracted a following in the Muslim world. And Iran shamelessly exploits this to gain an advantage over its Arab rivals, whom Tehran accuses of betraying Palestinians and their plight.

Yet, the Iranian leadership is fully aware that crossing red lines and engaging in open confrontation with Israel (or the US) could pose an existential threat to the regime. That is why Iran has consistently pulled back from the brink of war and opted for low-intensity skirmishes via its proxies that serve its ideological grandstanding but do not jeopardise its survival.

Whether Iran can continue this game of brinksmanship in such a tense and explosive environment is an open question. Iran may not order Hezbollah to unleash its missiles on Israel, but this doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen by accident, through a chain of errors, or even by design.

Just because Iran has trained and sponsored Hezbollah, we cannot automatically assume Tehran has full control over all of its levers.

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Israeli columnist believes Israel-Hamas conflict has the potential to escalate into a global war

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

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Israel carried out another ground raid in the Gaza strip with air support to prepare for the next stages of the war. Israel claimed that its defence forces struck Hamas military command and several launch sites along the border. The latest operation by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) was much deeper into Gazan territory than their “daily strikes”, local media reported.

Tel Aviv also claimed to have killed Hamas commander in Gaza’s Khan Yunis. The US conducted airstrikes in Syria and destroyed pro-Iranian sites, which it claims was separate from the Israel Hamas conflict.

Israeli columnist Gideon Levy cautioned that the next steps must be taken with extreme care, as they could potentially lead to a war. He said, “The next steps should be taken very carefully because it might end with a war. But, it can go all the way to a World War via the regional war. The situation is very, very explosive.”

Levy went on to express that Israel seems committed to launching a ground operation, and the key questions are how it will be executed and to what extent it will result in casualties and complications. The unpredictability of a ground operation’s outcome is evident, and he stressed that it will come at an enormous cost for both sides.

Read Here | Unprecedented shifts in Israel-Hamas war | What lies ahead?

He elaborated further by posing the question of whether Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in the North would become involved. If Hezbollah were to join the conflict, it would introduce a new, significantly more intricate and perilous dimension to the situation. If matters become further entangled, there’s the possibility of Iran becoming involved, which, in Levy’s words, leaves everyone uncertain about the outcome and the potential number of casualties.

As per Israel, the number of people held as hostages by Hamas has risen to 229. Hamas delegates visited Moscow to hold talks with Russian and Iranian officials on the hostage situation in Gaza.

In a significant development, a Russian newspaper quoted a Hamas official as saying that the group cannot release more hostages until a ceasefire is agreed upon.

A medical team with 10 doctors along with trucks of food and water entered the Gaza strip through Egypt’s Rafah border. The United Nations said that aid is “barely trickling into Gaza” due to “insane bureaucracy”.

Click here for the latest updates on Israel-Hamas war

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