Tag: Israel Palestine conflict

  • Israeli Nationalists Chant ‘Death to Arabs’, March Through Palestinian Area |

    JERUSALEM: Thousands of mostly ultranationalist Israelis were taking part in an annual march through a sensitive Palestinian area of ​​Jerusalem on Wednesday, with some stoking already surging wartime tensions by chanting “Death to Arabs.”

    Jerusalem, the emotional heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, has been mostly calm throughout the Israel-Hamas war. But the annual march, seen as provocative by Palestinians, could ignite broader unrest, as it did three years ago, when it helped set off an 11-day war in Gaza.

    Marchers convening outside the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem’s historic Old City, a central gathering place for Palestinians in east Jerusalem, chanted anti-Arab and anti-Islamic slogans, danced and waved Israeli flags as the procession kicked off.

    Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has repeatedly made contentious visits to a sensitive Jerusalem holy site, was expected to join the march through the Old City.

    “We are delivering a message from here to Hamas: Jerusalem is ours. Damascus Gate is ours,” he told marchers at the start of the rally. “And with God’s help total victory is ours,” Ben-Gvir said, referring to the war in Gaza, which he has demanded that Israel continue until Hamas is defeated .

    Commenting on the march, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said “our people will not rest until the occupation is gone and an independent Palestinian state is established, with Jerusalem as its capital.”

    Just before the march began, crowds scuffled with police and threw plastic bottles at a journalist wearing a vest with the word PRESS emblazoned on it. Police said they arrested five marchers for throwing objects at journalists.

    The march was taking place as tensions over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza are high. The war began with Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel, in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted around 250 hostages. Israel responded with a massive offensive that has killed over 36,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, displaced most of the territory’s population and caused widespread destruction.

    The United States has thrown its weight behind a phased cease-fire and hostage release outlined by President Joe Biden last week. But Israel says it won’t end the war without destroying Hamas, while the militant group is demanding a lasting cease-fire and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces.

    The annual march commemorates “Jerusalem Day,” which marks Israel’s capture of east Jerusalem, including the Old City and its holy sites sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims, in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel considers all of Jerusalem to be its capital, but its annexation of east Jerusalem is not internationally recognized. The Palestinians, who seek east Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, see the march as a provocation.

    Police said they were deploying 3,000 security personnel to ensure calm and were seen arresting several Palestinian men before the march got underway, leading them away with their hands bound behind their backs.

    At the insistence of Ben-Gvir, who oversees the police, the march is following its traditional route, entering the Muslim Quarter of the Old City through Damascus Gate and ending at the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray.

    As buses bringing young Jewish men in for the march thronged around the Old City’s centuries-old walls, Palestinian shopkeepers closed down in the Muslim Quarter in preparation.

    The police stressed that the march would not enter the sprawling Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam. The hilltop on which it stands is the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount because it was the location of the Jewish temples in antiquity.

    Perceived encroachments on the site have set off widespread violence on a number of occasions going back decades.

    Counterprotests were planned throughout the day. An Israeli group, Tag Meir, sent volunteers through the emptying city streets ahead of the march to distribute flowers to Christian and Muslim residents of the Old City.

  • 'Deeply Concerned…': Biden Tells Netanyahu Over Israel's Potential Military Operations In Rafah | world news

    New Delhi: US President Joe Biden expressed his grave concerns to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding potential extensive military actions in Rafah, similar to those in Gaza City and Khan Younis, as conveyed by US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. In a phone call with Biden, Netanyahu consented to dispatch a mixed team of Israeli experts to Washington to deliberate on a different strategy to address key Hamas figures in Rafah and to safeguard the border between Egypt and Gaza without launching a significant ground offensive, as announced. by Sullivan in a press briefing.

    The conversation marked the first direct communication between the leaders in a month, focusing significantly on Rafah.

    Biden detailed his serious apprehensions about Israel initiating large-scale military operations in Rafah, akin to previous campaigns in Gaza City and Khan Younis.

    Sullivan highlighted that over a million individuals have sought sanctuary in Rafah, having moved from Gaza City through Khan Younis, with no alternative refuge available as other major cities in Gaza are mostly in ruins.

    He further noted that Israel has yet to propose a viable plan to the US or the international community for the safe relocation, sustenance, and accommodation of these civilians, including ensuring essential services like sanitation.

    Rafah serves as a crucial gateway for humanitarian aid from Egypt into Gaza, and any military action there would impede this flow.

    Sullivan mentioned Egypt's profound concern regarding a significant military operation in Rafah, which could potentially impact its future relations with Israel.

    He clarified that questioning the strategy in Rafah does not equate to questioning the defeat of Hamas, dismissing such comparisons as baseless.

    The US stance is clear: Hamas must not find refuge in Rafah or elsewhere. However, a substantial ground operation would be erroneous, leading to further civilian casualties, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis, contributing to chaos in Gaza, and increasing Israel's international isolation.

    Sullivan emphasized that Israel's objectives in Rafah could be achieved through alternative methods.

    Biden urged Netanyahu to send a high-level team, including military, intelligence, and humanitarian personnel, to Washington soon to discuss the US's apprehensions regarding Israel's intentions for Rafah and to propose a different plan targeting Hamas in the city while maintaining border security, without a full-scale invasion.

    Netanyahu agreed to this proposal.

    The leaders also reviewed ongoing talks for an immediate ceasefire, which would extend for several weeks in exchange for releasing hostages held by Hamas and other groups in Gaza.

    The aim is to leverage the ceasefire to enhance humanitarian aid delivery at a critical juncture. Despite challenges in reaching an agreement, the US remains committed to this urgent matter.

    Biden reiterated his unwavering commitment to Israel's long-term security and reiterated Israel's right to counteract Hamas, responsible for significant atrocities against the Jewish community, as affirmed in his State of the Union address.

  • Pakistan’s Caretaker PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar Bans New Year 2024 Celebrations, Know Why | world news

    New Delhi: Pakistan has instituted a nationwide prohibition on New Year’s celebrations to express solidarity with Palestine. The interim Prime Minister of Pakistan, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, declared a stringent ban on any New Year celebrations as a demonstration of support for Palestine and Gaza, currently engaged in conflict with Israel.

    In his address to the nation, Kakar called for a demonstration of unity with the Palestinians and emphasized the importance of displaying sobriety and humility in the New Year.

    “In light of the deeply troubling situation in Palestine and as a gesture of solidarity with our Palestinian brethren, the government has declared a stringent prohibition on hosting any form of New Year events,” said Kakar.

    “The entire Pakistan and the Muslim world are deeply distressed by the tragedy of innocent children being massacred and the genocide of unarmed Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank,” he added.

    Kakar mentioned that Pakistan has dispatched two aid packages to Palestine, with a third one in the works. He underlined Pakistan’s consistent endeavors to shed light on the plight of the Palestinian people on international forums, reiterating the nation’s dedication to persist in these efforts to bring an end to the violence inflicted by Israel.

    Israel vowed to annihilate Hamas after its fighters burst into Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages. Its air, sea and ground offensive in Gaza has since killed nearly 21,000 Palestinians, according to authorities.

  • ‘Deeply concerned’ over govt’s stand on recent Israel-Palestine conflict: Congress

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday expressed deep concern over India’s stand on the recent conflict between Israel and Palestinians in Gaza and said the widespread impression is that India has “moved away from its traditional policy” in the region.

    In a statement, the opposition party said India’s foreign policy has historically been bipartisan and added that it supports the government in its articulation and defence of the country’s interests abroad.

    “It is in this spirit that we reiterate the traditional position in support of the two-State solution, with appropriate recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of independent Palestine, must not be undermined by omission,” the party said in the statement.

    “Both parties should respect the ceasefire and return to peace negotiations, there being no other path to a meaningful, peaceful co-existence of Israel and Palestine.

    As one of the few countries to have maintained a good relationship with both parties to the conflict, we must not be influenced by expediency to dilute our commitment to Palestine,” it also said.

    “The Congress party is deeply concerned about our country’s stand on the recent tragic conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza.

    Press reports indicating a perceptible shift in the Indian position between the Indian intervention in the UN Security Council on May 16 and our statement in the UN General Assembly on May 20 have conveyed the widespread impression that India has moved away from its traditional policy in the area,” according to the statement.

    The Congress said it was appropriate for India’s initial statement to note that the intrusion by Israeli forces into the Holy Al Aqsa mosque during Ramzan prayers ruptured the delicate peace in the region.

    “Omitting that in our statement to the General Assembly, where sympathy for the Palestinians is far more extensive than in the Security Council, was incomprehensible.

    It must not be lost sight of that this unacceptable intrusion into the holy precincts was the immediate flash point,” it noted.

    The formulation reiterating “India’s strong support to the just Palestinian cause and its unwavering commitment to the two-State solution,” which was part of the Indian statement in the UN Security Council, was absent from the General Assembly statement, raising questions about the overall direction of our policy in the region, the Congress statement said.

    “Our later statement at the UN Human Rights Council has also conveyed the impression that we have departed from our time-tested commitment to Palestine and thrown our support entirely to Israel,” the Congress said.

    The Israeli attack on media offices, undermining the first principles of free flow of information, and the death of a large numbers of children in Israeli airstrikes, have gone without appropriate censure from our side, it said.

  • India closely monitoring the situation in West Asia

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  India on Thursday said it was closely following the developments in West Asia where a conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants based in Gaza are showing no signs of easing.  “We are closely following the situation and will make a statement at the UN General Assembly when the issue comes up for discussion,” the Ministry of External Affairs  spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

    Earlier, India’s permanent representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti called for the immediate de-escalation of the situation. “The events of the last several days have resulted in a sharp deterioration of the security situation. The indiscriminate rocket firings from Gaza targeting the civilian population of Israel, which we condemn, and the retaliatory strikes into Gaza, have caused immense suffering,” he said at the UN Security Council.

    The Indian envoy also urged both sides to show restraint. “Both sides should refrain from changing the status quo, including in East Jerusalem,” he said. Tirumurti said India believes every effort should be made to create conditions favourable for talks. “I reiterate India’s strong support to the just Palestinian cause and its unwavering commitment to the two-state solution.” 

  • Strict crackdown on pro-Palestine protests in Kashmir, 22 arrested so far

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: The police in Kashmir have sent a clear message that pro-Palestine protests will not be tolerated in the Valley by arresting 22 people, mostly youth, in the last few days.

    ​The Israeli attack on Gaza, in response to rocket firing by Hamas militants, has angered many in the Kashmir Valley.

    On Thursday, youths staged two protests in Srinagar. In one of them at Padshahi Bagh, a graffiti artist Mudasir Gul put up a pro-Palestine graffiti on a bridge that depicts a woman wearing a scarf made of Palestinian flag with tears trickling down from her eye. 

    The graffiti had the message, “We are Palestine” to express solidarity with the Palestinians.

    The next day police launched a crackdown on those who participated in the two protests. As many as 21 people, including the graffiti artist Mudasir Gul, were detained.

    “Two protests were held in Srinagar Friday on Palestine issue. They were identified on the basis of videography done during the protests,” the police said. In south Kashmir’s Shopian district, the police arrested cleric Sarjan Barkati for holding a special prayer for Palestinians during Eid.

    These arrests send a clear message that police won’t be allowing any kind of dissent or protests in Valley. 

    A police spokesman said the police is keeping a close watch on those who are attempting to leverage the situation in Palestine to disturb public peace in Kashmir.

    “We won’t allow cynical encashment of the public anger to trigger violence in Kashmir’s streets,” he said.

  • Press bodies rap attack on Gaza building housing journalists

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Condemning the Israeli airstrike on a building in Gaza that houses offices of international media outlets, some of India’s leading press associations on Sunday demanded that the targeting of journalists in the conflict zones must stop.

    ​The Indian Women’s Press Corps, the Press Association, and the Press Club of India issued a joint statement condemning the attack in Gaza.

    “The building was also used for residential purpose by the journalists and their families. There can be no justification for bombing media houses and targeting their personnel and resources. It appears as a clear attempt to prevent media houses from reporting excesses that have become a routine affair in Gaza and the occupied parts of Palestine,” the joint statement read.

    “We condemn such attacks. We demand that targeting of mediapersons, who are working in violence-hit conflict zones, be completely stopped immediately,” it added.

    The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has put out a separate statement.

    “Given the recent background of escalating conflict in this region, EGI sees this as a de facto attack on news media by the Israeli government, which can disrupt the flow of news from this highly volatile region and which has global security implications. The Guild demands that the Israeli government give a detailed justification of the decision-making behind this attack.”

  • Centre intervenes to ensure safety of Indians in Israel

    By Express News Service
    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A day after a Malayali woman was killed in clashes between Israeli  forces and Hamas in Gaza, the Centre has intervened to ensure the safety  of Indian citizens in the strife-torn region.  Soumya Santhosh from Idukki, who was working as a caregiver in Ashkelon  on the border with Gaza, was killed in a mortar attack on Tuesday  evening.

    Union Minister for External Affairs V  Muraleedharan told reporters in New Delhi that he had spoken to India’s  ambassador in Tel Aviv Sanjeev Singla and enquired about the situation.“The Centre is making the necessary interventions to ensure the safety of Indian citizens in Ashkelon and surrounding areas. The situation is  tense and the Indian Embassy is in constant touch with the Israeli  authorities,” Muraleedharan said. The minister said  the body of Soumya has been handed over to the Indian Embassy.  

    An inside view of the destroyed house“Arrangements are being made to bring her body to Kerala at the  earliest,” he said.  Muraleedharan said he had spoken  twice to the family of Soumya after the tragedy. She leaves behind a  small child which makes her demise even more tragic, the minister  remarked.

    Israel condoles deathIsrael’s ambassador to India Ron Malka condoled the death of Soumya on behalf of his country.   “I just spoke to the family of Ms Soumya Santhosh, the victim of the  Hamas terrorist strike.

    I expressed my sorrow for their unfortunate loss  and extended my condolences on behalf of the state of Israel. The whole  country is mourning her loss and we are here for them,” he said in a  series of tweets.Malka said his heart goes out to  Soumya’s nine-year-old son Adone who lost his mother at a young age. He  said the attack reminded him of Moshe Tzvi Holtzberg — a two-and-a-half- year-old Israeli boy — whose parents were killed during the 26/11 Mumbai  attacks. 

    CM writes to CentreChief  Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and  sought his intervention in bringing back Soumya’s body and ensuring the safety of Indian citizens in the region. Pinarayi said Principal Secretary (Norka) K Ellangovan has spoken to the Indian  ambassador in Israel. “The principal secretary has urged the  ambassador to ensure that Soumya’s family who is shattered by her loss is given adequate compensation,” he said. Paying tributes to Soumya, the  chief minister said he shares the grief  with her family and friends.  

    CHENNITHALA’S LETTER TO AMBASSADORLeader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala wrote to the Indian Ambassador in Israel urging his urgent intervention in the repatriation  of Soumya’s body to Kerala. Chennithala also urged the Indian envoy to ensure the safety of all those Indians working in Israel.

  • After delay, Israel allows COVID-19 vaccines into Hamas-run Gaza

    By PTI
    GAZA CITY: Israel has allowed the Palestinian Authority to deliver the first shipment of vaccines to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

    An Associated Press photographer saw the shipment arrive at the Kerem Shalom crossing on Wednesday.

    The PA said it sent 2,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to Gaza.

    The move comes two days after the PA said Israel was preventing the shipment, which is intended front-line medics.

    Israeli lawmakers had been debating whether to allow vaccines into Gaza, which has been ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas since 2007.

    Some had suggested the delivery of vaccines be linked to progress on the release of two captives held by Hamas.