Tag: Gaza Strip

  • After Sonam, Bollywood star Bipasha Basu speaks out against Gaza genocide

    After Sonam, Bollywood star Bipasha Basu speaks out against Gaza genocide

    Bollywood star Bipasha Basu has lent her voice to the growing call of protestors demanding an end to the genocide in Gaza. Al-Jazeera reports that almost 8000 civilians have been killed due to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, with more than 3000 children among them.

    The actress shared a picture showing two children crying next to their dead mother, surrounded by destroyed buildings. In the caption it was written: “No war or religion can be bigger than countless innocent lives.”

    These are babies..” begged Bipasha. “Irrespective of any religion have some mercy.”

    Sonam Kapoor sent her support to the Palestinians when she shared two pictures on her Instagram stories spreading awareness of the countless children who were butchered during the Israeli strikes. Sonam shared a post from a column written in The New York Times codenmning the one-sided coverage of major publications that ignored the trauma of Palestinian babies.

    READ MORE: Sonam Kapoor speaks out for Palestine, other prominent Bollywood celebrities silent

    Other Bollywood actors have remained majorly silent about the Gaza genocide. While a viral tweet from Shah Rukh Khan’s X (formerly Twitter) account from 2014 went viral where he condemned the murder of little children.

  • Israeli actress slaps child during Palestine protest; internet finds her

    Israeli actress slaps child during Palestine protest; internet finds her

    Israeli-American actress Edian Atias was recorded on video on Sunday, assaulting a child for protesting for Palestine. In a viral video, the Zionist was seen giving threating the boy infront of his family and friends.

    The Zionist’s personal details were leaked online by the internet, who found out she is an actress in New York.

    A user leaked her Linkedin account details online as well

    The incident is among the recent rise of hate crimes committed against Palestinians and protestors currently advocating for an end to the genocide in Gaza. Six-year-old Wadea Al-Fayoume was stabbed 26 times by his neighbour who, in a fit of rage, accused the family of spreading terrorism in the country. Just one day ago, Pakistani-American doctor Dr Talat Jehan Khan was murdered by a man in Texas. The case is under investigation.

    Twitter users, including actress Nadia Jamil, expressed their outrage at assaulting a child.

  • Angelina Jolie donates for Gaza, calls for ceasefire

    Angelina Jolie donates for Gaza, calls for ceasefire

    Hollywood icon Angelina Jolie has joined growing calls demanding a ceasefire in Gaza as the death toll from Israeli bombing climbs past 8000, including 3000 children.

    The ‘Mr and Mrs Smith’ actress wrote that the situation in Gaza is catastrophic: “nowhere to go, no access to food or water, no possibility of evacuation, and not even the basic human right to cross a border to seek refuge.”

    Angelina went on to reflect on her 20- years of experience working with refugees and stressed on how urgent it is to help those being displaced by violence.

    “Gaza has a population of over 2 million people (half of them are children), who have lived under a severe blockade for over two decades, on top of decades of displacement and statelessness. The few aid trucks that are entering are a fraction of what is needed (and was delivered daily before the present conflict), and the bombings are causing desperate new humanitarian needs daily.”

    The actress ended the note by revealing she had donated to Doctors Without Borders, and urged her followers to do the same.

  • New York police arrest hundreds at Jewish protest urging Gaza ceasefire

    New York police arrest hundreds at Jewish protest urging Gaza ceasefire

    Hundreds of people were arrested Friday when police broke up a large demonstration of mostly Jewish New Yorkers who had taken over the main hall of Grand Central station in protest of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, police and organizers said.

    The New York Police Department said at least 200 people had been arrested, while protest organizers put the number at more than 300.

    Photos from the scene showed long lines of young people standing in handcuffs and wearing black sweatshirts with the words “Not In Our Name” and “Cease Fire Now” printed in white.

    The massive sit-in was called by the group Jewish Voice for Peace-New York City, which said thousands of its members had attended the protest, blocking the main concourse of the city’s central rail station.

    Pictures showed the terminal packed with protesters who held up banners reading “Palestinians should be free” and “Mourn the dead, fight like hell for the living.”

    Organizers called the peaceful sit-in “the largest civil disobedience New York City has seen in 20 years.”

    Rabbis launched the event by lighting Shabbat candles and reciting the Jewish prayer for the dead, known as the kaddish.

    “While Shabbat is typically a day of rest, we cannot afford to rest while genocide is unfolding in our names,” said Rabbi May Ye, in a statement released by organizers.

    “The lives of Palestinians and Israelis are intertwined, and safety can only come from justice, equality, and freedom for all,” the rabbi said.

    Israel launched its bombardment of Gaza after Hamas gunmen stormed across the border on 7 October, killing 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping over 220 others, according to Israeli officials.

    The Hamas-run health ministry said Friday that Israeli strikes on Gaza had now killed 7,326 people, more than 3,000 of them children.

  • Ana Dammi Falastini: From Arab Idol to the national song of Palestine 

    Ana Dammi Falastini: From Arab Idol to the national song of Palestine 

    “Ana Dammi Falastini” , a song that won Muhammad Assaf the title of Arab world in 2015, has over the years became the national song of the land-a musical and patriotic piece they rejoice in, in the face of occupying forces. It is one of the key performances of his concerts.

    The lyrics can literally be translated as “My Blood is Palestinian”. It proclaims the pride of Palestinian and Arab heritage in its opening words:

    Keeping my oath, following my religion

    You will find me on my land

    I belong to my people, I sacrifice my soul for them

    My blood is Palestinian, Palestinian, Palestinian

    My blood is Palestinian

    The whole chorus of the song is an ode to the years of resistance and resilience of Palestinians in a celebratory, hip tone. Assaf himself was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp of Gaza and this song has been his magnum opus. This refrain got popular during Israel’s attack on Sheikh Jarrah in 2021 and since then has gained the status of an anthem among Palestinians. Nowadays, the song is popular on social media, especially TikTok, where people are using it as a background score in protesting against Israeli aggression.

    Earlier in the year, the song was removed from Spotify and Apple Music in an attempt seen as Israel’s way of sabotaging the worldwide popularity of the song even though the platform claimed that it was taken off by the distributor but there is no proof to that. The singer was unaware of the reason as well. Fans around the world slammed the Israeli government for getting triggered by a harmless song.

    The song, however, has now transcended boundaries in the most unconventional way. There is a plagiarised copy of the song doing rounds on social media made by Israel reeking of Zionism with Falastini replaced by “Yahoodi”.

    On one hand it is a testament to the popularity of the song but on the other a proof of sheer hatred that showcases the mindsets of a class of hegemons.

    One user remarks, “Did Israel colonised the song as well?”

    Assaf however has not given up and there are countless other songs of him paying homage to his homeland. Another of his popular song is “Falasteen Enty El Rouh” which means “Palestine, you are the soul.”

    The existence of these artists keep the resistance alive.

  • Innocent lives lost: Israeli bombing claims the life of four-year-old Palestinian boy

    Innocent lives lost: Israeli bombing claims the life of four-year-old Palestinian boy

    Tamim Daoud, a Palestinian boy who was about to turn five years old in June, was asleep at home in al-Remal, a neighbourhood in the centre of the Gaza Strip, on Monday night when he was awoken by the sound of Israeli bombs.

    The bombing caused a residential building near Tamim’s home to be targeted, resulting in shattered windows and destruction in the neighbourhood.

    Tamim became frightened and began to weep heavily, suffering from a panic attack that caused him to gasp for air. Although he eventually returned to sleep, he suffered from another panic attack about five hours later, which prompted his father to rush him to the hospital.

    Tamim’s heartbeat was very faint, and despite medical treatment in the intensive care unit, he died at dawn.

    As of Thursday afternoon, the latest round of Israeli attacks on Gaza had killed 28 Palestinians and five Islamic Jihad (IJ) commanders, with at least five children among the dead.

  • Israeli airstrikes target Gaza again since ceasefire

    Israeli airstrikes target Gaza again since ceasefire

    Israeli aircraft struck Gaza on Wednesday in the first such attacks since the end of 11 days of cross-border fighting last month.

    The overnight air strikes gave way to calm by morning, and there were no reports of casualties on either side, reports Aljazeera.

    On Tuesday, hundreds of Israeli ultranationalists, some chanting “Death to Arabs”, paraded in East Jerusalem in a show of force that threatened to spark renewed violence, reported Dawn.

    The raids early on Wednesday come less than a month after Israel’s 11-day bombardment of Gaza in May.

    https://twitter.com/wwallxc/status/1404928255568846849

    The Israeli raids come two days after a new coalition government, headed by right-wing nationalist Naftali Bennet, took power on Sunday, ending Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year run as prime minister.

  • Christian Betzmann under fire for insensitive take on Palestine issue, criticising Pakistan

    Christian Betzmann under fire for insensitive take on Palestine issue, criticising Pakistan

    German travel vlogger Christian Betzmann is at the receiving end of flak for his insensitive take on the Palestine issue and criticism on Pakistan.

    The Israeli armed oppression against the defenseless Palestinians has been making headlines all over the world. The catastrophic bombing in Gaza is being fearlessly conducted by the Israeli forces while the poor Palestinians continue to suffer from the worst humanitarian crisis. Amidst the ongoing violence in the Palestinian region, many common people, celebrities and social media influencers all across the world have shown support for the Palestinians.

    Christian shared his views on his Instagram stories and people were not happy with his take on it. One of the netizens used foul language with the YouTuber and Christian, instead of ignoring him, insulted Pakistani people and the country as a whole.

    Meanwhile, in a conversation with an influencer Muznah, the Vlogger shared his opinion regarding the Palestine issue, saying he believes that social media has never helped in any political event.

    He further added the strikes of third world countries are useless and waste of time , while also commenting that this thought is “naïve.”

    The German Vlogger even openly wrote that you have no power and concluded his statement, saying: “It’s better to go pray as praying is the only thing third world countries can do.”

    Whereas, “first world countries are based on doers,” he declared. 

    Christian who recently embraced Islam said: “Prayers do nothing” and “you can’t do anything.”

    The Vlogger also said that the people of Pakistan must enjoy as long they can because “you never know your country might be next.”

    Here is the conversation of the two:

    Tiktoker Romaisa Khan also confronted Betzmann regarding his statement

    Romaisa explained that Pakistan has its own sets of problems but they can’t be wrongfully compared to what the Palestinians are going through, as Christian had. She even called Christian a selfish man who now is talking trash about the country which warmly welcomed him with love.

    The Tiktok star also shared how she was unfollowed by Christian even though he was the one who had initially followed her on Instagram.

    Instagram influencer Khaqan Shahnawaz, who is soon to be seen in Mahira Khan’s Baarwan Khiladi also bashed the Vlogger and asked him to go back to his country if he hates this “Third World Country” so much.

    “If you don’t want to protest, then don’t. But don’t you dare say anything about my country, otherwise I will eat you alive,” said Khaqan jokingly.

    Christian responded to the backlash by saying that he condemns whatever is happening in Palestine but choosing to not speak about an issue should not be treated as an opportunity to insult him.

    He continued to press upon his own point of view and said in his own words, ”calling people bad words just because they don’t want to share their opinion is stupid.” He further said that if social media was as powerful as people were saying it was then it would have helped Pakistanis to fix their issues too.

    Later, Betzmann said that he stands with the people of Palestine.

    Meanwhile, Christian’s fiancée and Pakistani actress Zoya Nasir has not yet commented on the matter. However, she lauded Bella Hadid for her bravery and refusing to “bow down and stand for what is right.”

    Despite a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which was announced early Friday morning, Israel ruthlessly attacked worshippers at Al-Aqsa during Friday prayers.

  • SMQ labelled ‘anti-Semitic’ by CNN host

    CNN’s Senior Global Affairs Analyst and anchorperson Bianna Golodryga has labelled Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi “anti-Semitic” after she interviewed him on the ongoing violence in Gaza.

    Qureshi, who had appeared on Bianna’s show Thursday night, stated that the “tide was turning” against Israel as it was losing the media war despite its connections. The foreign minister had lashed out at Israel for its state-sanctioned massacre in Gaza, where nearly 250 Palestinian men, women and children have been killed in less than two weeks.

    The minister during the show had said a ceasefire was inevitable since Israel “is losing out”.

    When Golodryga asked Qureshi to explain Israel’s “connections”, Qureshi had said: “Deep pockets.”

    Golodryga further asked him to explain his point of view on the situation, to which Qureshi said: “They are very influential people, I mean they control media.”

    In response to this, the CNN journalist labelled him anti-Semitic.

    “The point is, they have a lot of influence, and they get a lot of coverage. What’s balanced that is the citizen journalist who has been reporting, sharing video clips, and that has jolted people and woken up people…people who were sitting on the fence are today, speaking up,” added Qureshi.

    Golodryga further stressed on the “anti-Semitic talk and rhetoric”. She stated that someone like Qureshi, who is in a powerful position, should say that’s wrong.

    Antisemitism is generally considered to be a form of racism and is defined as “hostility, prejudice, or discrimination against Jews”.

    When Qureshi was talking about the heavy Palestinian casualties as a result of Israeli airstrikes, she urged him to be objective and also focus on Israeli casualties caused by Hamas rockets.

    After two weeks of violent attacks, Hamas and Israel reached a ceasefire early on Friday.

  • Shahid Afridi shares heartwarming poem for Palestinian children

    Shahid Afridi shares heartwarming poem for Palestinian children

    Former Pakistan Cricket team captain Shahid Afridi has shared a heartwarming poem for the Palestinian children in solidarity.

    Read more – Asim Azhar, Shahid Afridi, Farhan Saeed call out Israel’s atrocities against Palestinians

    Afridi took to his social media and expressed his support for the victims of the deadly Israeli bombardment in Gaza City. He assured them that they are not alone amid this oppression.

    The poem read: “This message is for you, children of the land of Palestine. We are far away here, but our hearts beat with you, in the same way that the hearts of our fathers and their fathers, beat with your ancestors. All the knots of sorrow, anxiety, fear and worry are temporary. All avenues of grief are temporary!”

    Afridi shared two pictures with his daughter, in which they can be seen holding Palestinian flags in their hands.

    Israeli fighter jets continue to pound the Gaza City on Thursday. The death toll has increased to 227 Palestinians, including 64 children, in 11 days of violence.

    The United Nations Security Council’s effort for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza remains stalled, with the United States continuing to veto action on the issue.