Tag: Hamas

Deeply concerned about prospective Israeli operation in Rafah: Joe Biden tells Benjamin Netanyahu

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

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US President Joe Biden has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he is deeply concerned about the prospect of Israel conducting major military operations in Rafah on the lines of those in Gaza City and Khan Younis, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.

During his telephonic conversation with Biden on Monday, Netanyahu agreed to send an inter-agency team of Israeli officials to Washington to hold discussions on an alternative approach to target key Hamas elements in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and secure the Egypt-Gaza border without a major ground invasion, Sullivan said at his daily press conference on Monday.

This was the first time in a month that the two leaders spoke on phone. Sullivan said Biden and Netanyahu spoke at length about Rafah.

“The President explained why he is so deeply concerned about the prospect of Israel conducting major military operations in Rafah of the kind it conducted in Gaza City and Khan Younis,” the NSA said. More than a million people have taken refuge in Rafah. They went from Gaza City to Khan Younis and then to Rafah. They have nowhere else to go. Gaza’s other major cities have largely been destroyed, he said.

And Israel has not presented the US or the world with a plan on how or where it would safely move those civilians, let alone feed and house them and ensure access to basic things like sanitation, he added. Sullivan said Rafah is a primary entry point for humanitarian assistance into Gaza from Egypt and a military operation in the city would shut it down.

“Rafah is on the border with Egypt, which has voiced its deep alarm over a major military operation there and has even raised questions about its future relationship with Israel as a result of any impending military operation,” he said. “Now, the President has rejected, and did again today, the strawman that raising questions about Rafah is the same as raising questions about defeating Hamas. That’s just nonsense.

“Our position is that Hamas should not be allowed a safe haven in Rafah or anywhere else. But a major ground operation there would be a mistake. It would lead to more innocent civilian deaths, worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis, deepen the anarchy in Gaza, and further isolate Israel internationally,” he said. “Most importantly, the key goals Israel wants to achieve in Rafah can be achieved by other means,” he said.

During the call, Biden asked Netanyahu to send a senior inter-agency team comprising military, intelligence and humanitarian officials to Washington in the coming days to hear the US’ concerns about Israel’s plans for Rafah and to lay out an alternative approach that would target key Hamas elements in the city and secure the Egypt-Gaza border without a major ground invasion, according to Sullivan. Netanyahu agreed to send a team.

“Obviously, he has his own point of view on a Rafah operation but he agreed that he would send a team to Washington to have this discussion and have this engagement. And we look forward to those discussions,” Sullivan said. He said the two leaders also discussed the ongoing negotiations for an immediate ceasefire for several weeks in return for the release of hostages currently being held by Hamas and other militants in Gaza.

“We would look to build on that ceasefire into something more enduring and use the space created by a cessation of hostilities to surge humanitarian assistance at a vital moment. So far, this deal has been more elusive than we would have hoped. But we will keep pressing because we regard this as an urgent priority,” the NSA said. Biden emphasised his “bone-deep commitment” to ensuring the long-term security of Israel and affirmed, as he did in the State of the Union address, that Israel has a right to go after Hamas, the perpetrators of the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust, Sullivan said.

The NSA noted that Israel has made significant progress against Hamas. “They’ve broken a significant number of Hamas battalions, killed thousands of Hamas fighters, including senior commanders. Hamas’ number three, Marwan Issa, was killed in an Israeli operation last week. The rest of the top leaders are in hiding, likely deep in the Hamas tunnel network and justice will come for them too, and we are helping to ensure that,” Sullivan said.

At the same time, more innocent civilians, including thousands of children, have died in this conflict than in all of the wars in Gaza combined. A humanitarian crisis has descended across Gaza and anarchy reigns in areas that Israel’s military has cleared but not stabilised, he added. The President, Sullivan said, has repeatedly made the point that continuing military operations needs to be connected to a clear strategic endgame.

Biden told Netanyahu again that they share the goal of defeating Hamas. “But we just believe you need a coherent and sustainable strategy to make that happen,” Sullivan said. “Now, instead of (a) pause to re-evaluate where things stand in the campaign and what adjustments are needed to achieve long-term success, instead of a focus on stabilising the areas of Gaza that Israel has cleared so that Hamas does not regenerate and retake territory… the Israeli government is now talking about launching a major military operation in Rafah,” he said.

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 says war is against Hamas not civilians as it conducts operations at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza

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

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The Israel army has announced that operations are currently underway at the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. It said senior Hamas militants are using the complex.

🔴IDF troops are currently conducting a precise operation in the area of Shifa hospital—based on intelligence information indicating the use of the hospital by senior Hamas terrorists to conduct and promote terrorist activity.

Watch IDF Spokeperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari describe… pic.twitter.com/jKdUdNpY91

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 18, 2024

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on its official X handle said the troops were conducting a precise operation in the Shifa hospital area and it was based on intelligence information indicating the that the hospital was used by senior Hamas terrorists.

“Our targeted mission isn’t just an operation necessity, its a global imperative,” said IDF spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari, adding, “Our war is against Hamas, not the people of Gaza. We seek no harm to the civilians that Hamas is hiding behind, which is why we will conduct this operation with caution and care.”

The Israel-Hamas war has driven most of the 2.3 million people in Gaza from their homes. As per the UN, a quarter of Gaza’s population is starving.

Recently, the Gaza Health Ministry said at least 31,645 Palestinians had been killed in he war. Women and children made up for two-thirds of the casualties.

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

Gaza’s healthcare system is ‘literally obliterated’—a dire situation unfolding, says expert

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

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As the Israel-Hamas conflict enters its sixth month, the situation in Gaza continues to worsen, prompting intensified calls for a ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid. The current impasse in negotiations, now on its fifth day in Egypt, raises concerns about the prolonged suffering of the Gaza population.

Reports from health officials underscore the critical need for aid, with 20 people having succumbed to malnutrition and dehydration.

Farhat Mantoo, the Executive Director of South Asia at Doctors Without Borders, highlighted the dire conditions, particularly in the northern and central areas of Gaza, which are nearly inaccessible for humanitarian aid. The situation has led to reports of malnutrition, starvation, and the alarming statistic that 70% of Gaza’s population is consuming either saline or contaminated water.

The blockade on aid operations by Israel has further compounded the crisis, with accusations of groundless obstruction as Gaza faces deepening famine. The United Nations has confirmed that almost 40% of aid missions to Gaza were denied by the Israeli government, exacerbating the already dire circumstances.

Mantoo also shed light on the devastating impact on healthcare, stating, “We have seen day by day, the health structure, how it has been kind of literally obliterated.” Mothers are reportedly giving birth in unhygienic conditions in tents, and mental health concerns, particularly among children who have lost family members, are on the rise.

The toll on the Gaza population is staggering, with over 30,000 Palestinians, including nearly 13,000 children, reported dead since the conflict began. Negotiations for a ceasefire, however, have hit an impasse in Egypt, despite the United States maintaining optimism that a deal can be reached.

Former Ambassador Anil Trigunayat provided insights into the dynamics of the negotiations, pointing out the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu from the United States. Trigunayat emphasised that the US holds significant influence, but Netanyahu is seeking information on hostages from Hamas, a demand yet to be fulfilled. The Hamas insistence on a complete ceasefire poses challenges for Netanyahu’s objectives, complicating the negotiation process.

Trigunayat also highlighted the disruption and defiance of international law by both sides, emphasising the disproportionate response to the conflict. The humanitarian catastrophe has garnered attention from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with calls from hundreds of countries for a swift ceasefire.

Amidst this crisis, Doctors Without Borders has appealed to the international community and world leaders, urging them to intervene. Farhat Mantoo specifically called upon India, emphasising its prominent role and urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to leverage his influence to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and bring an end to the war on the Gaza Strip’s population.

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 has ‘more or less’ agreed to the framework for a Gaza cease-fire, US says and Hamas must now decide

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

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Israel has essentially endorsed a framework of a proposed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal, and it is now up to Hamas to agree to it, a senior US administration official said Saturday, a day before talks to reach an agreement were to resume in Egypt.

International mediators have been working for weeks to broker a deal to pause the fighting before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins around March 10. A deal would likely allow aid to reach hundreds of thousands of desperate Palestinians in northern Gaza who aid officials worry are under threat of famine.

The Israelis “have more or less accepted” the proposal, which includes the six-week cease-fire as well as the release by Hamas of hostages considered vulnerable, which includes the sick, the wounded, the elderly and women, said the official.

“Right now, the ball is in the court of Hamas and we are continuing to push this as hard as we possibly can,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House to brief reporters.

Officials from Israel and Hamas did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

A senior Egyptian official said mediators Egypt and Qatar are expected to receive a response from Hamas during the Cairo talks scheduled to start Sunday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not publicly authorized to discuss the talks.

There is increasing criticism over the hundreds of thousands struggling to survive in northern Gaza, which has borne the brunt of the conflict that began when the Hamas militant group attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and seizing around 250 hostages.

US military planes began the first airdrops of thousands of meals into Gaza, and the militaries of Jordan and Egypt said they also conducted airdrops. Aid groups say airdrops should be only a last resort and instead urge the opening of other crossings into Gaza and the removal of obstacles at the few that are open.

The European Union’s diplomatic service said many of the hundreds of Palestinians killed or wounded in the chaos surrounding an aid convoy on Thursday were hit by Israeli army fire and urged an international investigation. It said responsibility for the crisis lay with “restrictions imposed by the Israeli army and obstructions by violent extremist(s) to the supply of humanitarian aid.”

Gaza’s Health Ministry raised the death toll from Thursday’s violence to 118 after two more bodies were recovered Saturday. It said the wounded remained at 760.

Israel’s chief military spokesperson, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said Israel organized Thursday’s convoy, “and claims that we attacked the convoy intentionally and that we harmed people intentionally are baseless.”

Residents in northern Gaza say they are searching rubble and garbage for anything to feed their children, who barely eat one meal a day. Many families have begun mixing animal and bird food with grain to bake bread.

At least 10 children have starved to death, according to hospital records in Gaza, the World Health Organization said.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war has climbed to 30,320. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed.

In the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s people now seek refuge, an Israeli airstrike struck tents outside the Emirati hospital, killing 11 people and wounding about 50, including health workers, the Health Ministry said. Israel’s military said it was targeting Islamic Jihad militants.

Israel’s air, sea and ground offensive has reduced much of densely populated northern Gaza to rubble. The military told Palestinians to move south, but as many as 300,000 people are believed to have remained.

Roughly one in six children under two in the north suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting, “the worst level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world,” Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, said this week. “If nothing changes, a famine is imminent in northern Gaza.”

People have overwhelmed trucks and grabbed what they can, Skau said, forcing the WFP to suspend deliveries to the north.

In the violence Thursday, people rushed about 30 trucks bringing a predawn delivery to the north. Palestinians said nearby Israeli troops shot into the crowds. Israel said they fired warning shots toward the crowd and insisted many of the dead were trampled. Doctors at hospitals in Gaza and a U.N. team that visited a hospital said large numbers of the wounded had been shot.

Ahmed Abdel Karim, being treated for gunshot wounds in his feet, said he had spent two days waiting for aid trucks to arrive.

“Everyone attacked and advanced on these trucks. Because of the large number, I could not get flour,” he said.

Radwan Abdel-Hai, a father of four young children, heard a rumour late Wednesday that an aid convoy was on its way. He and five others took a donkey cart and found a “sea of people” waiting.

”Tanks started firing at us,” he said. “As I ran back, I heard tank shells and gunfire. I heard people screaming. I saw people falling to the ground, some motionless.” Many were shot in the back, he said.

Soad Abu Hussein, a widow and mother of five, said more than 5,000 people — mostly women and children — living with her in a school at the Jabaliya refugee camp have not received aid for more than four weeks. A group of people went to the shore to fish, but three were killed and two were wounded by gunfire from Israeli ships, she said.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Mansour Hamed, a 32-year-old former aid worker living with more than 50 relatives in a Gaza City house, said some are eating tree leaves and animal food. It has become normal to find a child emerging from the rubble with a rotten piece of bread, he said.

Acknowledging the extreme need for food, US President Joe Biden said the US would look for other ways of delivery “including possibly a marine corridor.”

Also Saturday, Israel said three soldiers were killed and 14 injured Friday when they inadvertently triggered explosives in a booby-trapped building outside Khan Younis in southern Gaza.

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

Benjamin Netanyahu says he’ll soon have plan for Rafah civilians

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

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he’ll have a “plan for action” in hand for moving the civilian population out of Rafah in the southern part of the Gaza Strip ahead of an offensive to “dismantle” remaining Hamas battalions.

“There is no disagreement with me and the US about the need to evacuate the population,” Netanyahu said in an interview broadcast Sunday with CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

Israel doesn’t need “prodding” by the US to shield Gaza civilians, he added. The plan will include how to “dismantle” remaining Hamas battalions, Netanyahu said. His office said in a social media post the country’s military “presented the War Cabinet with a plan for evacuating the population from the areas of fighting in the Gaza Strip, and with the upcoming operational plan.”

The Israeli leader said people now in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, would be directed north. “There’s room for them to go north of Rafah to the place that we’ve already finished fighting in,” Netanyahu said.

Much of Gaza has been devastated by Israeli air and ground bombardments since October, and most of the million or more civilians now sheltering in Rafah were moved from areas in the north.

Separately, Netanyahu said he couldn’t predict a timeline for a deal with Hamas on swapping Israeli hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

Israeli media reported that talks on Friday involving the Israeli delegation and representatives from the US, Egypt and Qatar had yielded a breakthrough.

Netanyahu told CBS that Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by the US and European Union, first needs to back off “delusional claims” which he didn’t specify.

An intense Israeli military operation in Rafah could take “a matter of weeks,” and Israel will proceed with it whether there’s a hostage/temporary cease-fire deal or not, Netanyahu said.

Separately, on CNN’s “State of the Union,” US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration had made it clear that all parties need to make every effort toward a temporary cease-fire.

“We are telling everyone, including the Israeli government, that it is our firm position that every effort be exercised to get to this agreement, and then we can move forward from there,” Sullivan said.

Israel has been attacking Hamas in Gaza for nearly five months, killing almost 30,000 there, according to the enclave’s Hamas-run health ministry. Meantime, conditions on the ground in Gaza are increasingly desperate.

Eighteen of 24 Hamas battalions have been destroyed since Israel’s campaign started after the Oct. 7 attacks on southern Israel by Hamas operatives, in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 kidnapped.

Separately, US Central Command said Houthis launched a single anti-ship ballistic missile Saturday that likely targeted a tanker in the Gulf of Aden, which resulted in no damage or injuries after the missile impacted on the water. The US and its allies struck multiple targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Saturday, responding to increased attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea region by the Iran-backed militant group.

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 strikes Gaza’s Rafah; Hamas chief’s Cairo visit raises truce hopes

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

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Israeli bombs on Rafah flattened a mosque and destroyed homes in what residents called one of their worst nights yet, while the Hamas chief was in Cairo for talks Gazans hope could bring a truce in time to head off a full-blown assault on the city.

Mourners wept over at least seven corpses in body bags, laid out on cobbles outside a morgue in the city hard against the Egyptian border, where over half of the Palestinian enclave’s 2.3 million people are now huddling, mostly in tents.

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 raids main Gaza hospital in Rafah; Hamas claims 5 patients dead due to lack of oxygen supply

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

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Amid Israel’s ongoing conflict with Hamas, Gaza’s largest functioning hospital, Nasser Hospital, was under siege on Friday. Several patients and doctors were left helpless in the chaos as Israeli warplanes struck Rafah, which was the last refuge for Palestinians in the enclave.

The hospital in the town of Khan Younis was raided on early Thursday, Reuters reported.

On Friday, Gaza’s health ministry claimed that five intensive care patients died due to lack of oxygen supply and power outages at the hospital, caused by the Israeli attack.

On its behalf, officials in Israel said that its military raided the hospital because Hamas militants were hiding there.

The Israeli troops detained over 20 militants from the facility who participated in the October 7 attacks on the country last year. Dozens of other people were also taken into custody for questioning, the Israeli military said.

Hamas alleged that there were no militants present at the Nasser Hospital and called Israel’s claims as “lies aimed to cover up for destroying hospitals.”

Further criticising the Israeli attack, the Gaza Health Ministry alleged that the hospital was forced to remain without electricity throughout the day on Friday. Countering Gaza’s claim, the Israeli military stated that one generator at the facility was repaired by them, while they also provided another one to ensure that “all vital systems continued to operate,” the news agency reported.

Ashraf Al-Qidra, a spokesperson of the Gaza health ministry, told the media that two pregnant women gave birth at the hospital on Friday “under tough conditions” with no water or food and no way of warming them up” amid cold weather.

Further, it was alleged that the hospital’s maternity ward was turned into a military area where the Israeli forces kept all women and children. Moreover, the Israeli soldiers stopped an aid convoy from entering the facility.

Israel, however, informed that all possible aid was provided at the facility, including baby food and water.

Post the raid, the World Health Organization (WHO) said its staff was trying to reach the facility.

“There are still critically injured and sick patients that are inside the hospital… There is an urgent need to deliver fuel to ensure the continuation of the provision of life-saving services,” WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said.

Israel has further claimed that during the raid, its soldiers recovered ammunition and weapons from the hospital.

Israel-Hamas conflict

The conflict in the Middle East began after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7 last year, killing at least 1,200 people and taking into custody 253 hostages. Most of the people who were killed in the Hamas attack were civilians, as per Israeli tallies.

On the other hand, around 28,775 people have lost their lives in Israel’s air and ground offensive that has devastated most parts of Gaza, according to the Palestinian health authorities.

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

Iran marks the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution as tensions grip the wider Middle East

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

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Iran marked Sunday the 45th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution amid tensions gripping the wider Middle East over Israel’s continued war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Thousands of Iranians marched through major streets and squares decorated with flags, balloons and banners with revolutionary and religious slogans.

In Tehran, crowds waved Iranian flags, chanted slogans, and carried placards with the traditional “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” written on them. Some burned U.S. and Israeli flags, a common practice in pro-government rallies.

Processions started out from several points, converging at Azadi Square in the capital. State TV showed crowds in many cities and towns, claiming that “millions participated in the rallies” across the country.

The military displayed a range of its missiles, including the Qassem Soleimani and Sejjil ballistic missiles, the Simorgh satellite carrier and drones at the square where people took selfies with them.

During the celebrations, a paratrooper jumped from a plane while displaying a Palestinian flag.

Many high-ranking Iranian officials attended the celebrations in Tehran, including hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi.

He addressed the crowds in Azadi Square and called on the United Nations — in a speech broadcast by state TV — to expel “the Zionist regime,” as the crowds chanted: “Death to Israel.” Raisi also said, “the bombing of Gaza has to be stopped as soon as possible.”

The commander of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps General Mohammad Salami and Gen. Esmail Ghaani, the head of the expeditionary force of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also took part in the celebrations, while the head of the Judiciary body, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejehi, was at the rally in the central city of Isfahan.

There was a heavy security presence in the major cities across the country.

The anniversary came a month after a deadly attack by the extremist Islamic State group in the central city of Kerman that left at least 95 people dead during the commemoration for prominent Iranian general Qassem Soleimani whom the U.S. killed in a 2020 drone strike.

Iran has tried to blame the U.S. and Israel for the attack as the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip continued. The Islamic Republic launched missile attacks on Iraq and Syria. It then struck alleged anti-Iran Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl targets in nuclear-armed Pakistan, which responded with its own strikes on Iran, further raising tensions in a region inflamed by the Israel-Hamas war.

Earlier in January a drone attack killed three U.S. troops in Jordan which an umbrella group for Iran-backed factions known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed. The U.S. said it held Tehran responsible. Iran threatened to “decisively respond” to any U.S. attack on the Islamic Republic.

The Islamic Revolution began with widespread unrest in Iran over the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The shah, terminally and secretly ill with cancer, fled the country in January 1979. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini then returned from exile and the government fell on Feb. 11, 1979, after days of mass demonstrations and confrontations between protesters and security forces.

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