Tag: #palestine

  • More than 50 per cent of housing units damaged: What we know about day 35

    More than 50 per cent of housing units damaged: What we know about day 35

    Tens of thousands flee northern Gaza on Thursday

    The UN’s humanitarian office’s (OCHA) reported that more than 50,000 people fled Northern Gaza towards the south whereas in the north, hundreds of thousands are struggling to survive with minimal amounts of water and food.

    The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has opened two shelters and is now hosting 582,000 displaced Palestinians in 92 facilities in the south amidst overcrowdedness.

    Israel does not ‘seek to govern Gaza’

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave an interview to Fox News in which he said that the Israeli army will proceed with its offensive in Gaza until Hamas is “eradicated”.

    “Nothing will stop that,” he added.

    He also asserted that there will be no ceasefire unless the hostages held in Gaza are freed. Instead, he announced four-hour “pauses” in fighting in Gaza.

    “The fighting continues against the Hamas enemy,” he said. “But in specific locations, for a given period of a few hours here, a few hours there, we want to facilitate the safe passage of civilians away from the zone of fighting.”

    Human rights groups, however, have asserted that the “pauses” are not enough, and that an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian aid is the need of the hour.

    243 more Palestinians killed in Gaza in 24-hour period

    The UN humanitarian affairs office reported that two Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza between Wednesday and Thursday afternoon in addition to 243 Palestinians.

    More than 50 per cent of housing units wrecked

    The media office of Gaza has revealed that Israeli attacks have led to the destruction of more than 50 per cent of housing units across Gaza — around 40,000 housing units.

    Moreover, about 32,000 tons of explosives have dropped since October 7.

    Al Jazeera reports that according to the government media, the “estimated preliminary losses in the housing sector and infrastructure” are approximately $2bn each.

    War’s effect on Palestinian economy

    The UN Development Program has released a report revealing that as a month has passed since Israel began its attacks on Gaza, Palestinian gross domestic product (GDP) was expected to have declined by about 4.2 percent in contrast to pre-war estimates for 2023 — a loss of about $857m.

    It has been estimated that if the war continues for another month, the loss would increase to 8.4 percent of GDP, or $1.7bn whereas in third month it would rise to 12.2 per cent of GDP, or $2.5bn.

    Additionally, around 390,000 jobs have been lost — 182,000 in Gaza and 208,000 in the occupied West Bank.

    Poverty is also expected to rise 20-45 percent, depending on the duration of the war.

    Credits: Al Jazeera

  • More than 100 activists occupy New York Times lobby, read out names of 10,000 murdered Palestinians

    More than 100 activists occupy New York Times lobby, read out names of 10,000 murdered Palestinians

    On Thursday more than 100 activists, including writers and journalists, protested outside The New York Times head office to criticise the publication for their complicity in the genocide of Gaza, as the death toll climbs up to almost 11,000 Palestinians.

    Israeli tanks are currently surrounding all of the hospitals in Gaza with no opportunity for doctors and patients to leave, or for food and medicine to arrive.

    In viral videos, the journalists distributed a mock newspaper of the publication titled ‘The New York Crimes’ which listed the names of the 36 Palestinian journalists who have been confirmed dead since Israel declared war on Gaza.

    The activists accused NYT of complicity in the genocide in Palestine, demanding that the editorial board of the newspaper publicly back a ceasefire in Gaza.

  • Priyanka Chopra, Janelle Monae, Richard Gere joined the ceasefire call

    Priyanka Chopra, Janelle Monae, Richard Gere joined the ceasefire call

    As the tide shifts with protests being held in America by activists and journalists demanding an end to the genocide of Gaza, more Hollywood stars have added their names to an open letter calling for a ceasefire.

    The letter urges Congress and President Joe Biden to call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza as the Palestinian death toll is set to hit 11,000. Right now, Israeli military has encircled Gaza hospitals, offering no safe exit for doctors and patients stuck inside without water or food.

    The ceasefire letter now features more prominent names including Grammy award nominated singer Janelle Monae, Hollywood legend Richard Gere as well as Indian actress Priyanka Chopra.

    Previously, speaking with the UNRWA, Richard Gere declared that the people of Palestine hold a special place in his heart.

    Prominent actors like Susan Sarandon and rapper Macklemore gave speeches at the March For Palestine protest held in Washington, where both demanded an end for US complicity in Israel’s war crimes.

  • No Hollywood celebrity showed up to Gal Gadot’s propaganda film screening, and Twitter is in fits

    No Hollywood celebrity showed up to Gal Gadot’s propaganda film screening, and Twitter is in fits

    Social media was outraged when it was announced that former IDF soldier, actress Gal Gadot, will be hosting a private screening for celebrities at the Museum of Tolerance, depicting the attacks of October 7. However, Twitter was in fits when Israeli supporter Eve Barlow complained that no Hollywood celebrity-including Gadot herself- had shown up for the event. Viral videos showed protests erupting outside the museum with Palestinian supporters calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza.

    “Last night at the Museum of Tolerance, Hollywood was supposed to gather to watch the footage from October 7. Not a single celebrity showed up. F*** their ribbons, and their marches and their signatures. There is no fortitude in Hollywood. They are all a bunch of cowards.”

    cowards.— Eve Barlow (@Eve_Barlow) November 9, 2023

    Twitter users were in fits at Barlow’s tweet.

  • Why the mass killings and exodus of Gazans from the North to the South is being called the second Nakba

    On Wednesday, Motaz Azaiza, one of the journalists sharing details of Israeli atrocities in Gaza, shared a picture of Gazans walking on a highway in a long line. “People evacuating the city to the south of the strip. It’s literally a new Nakba.”

    Nakba is the most momentous event in all of Palestinian history, especially the history of the last century with Israelis. It literally means “catastrophe” and refers to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by the Israelis in 1948. It has been 75 years now that zionist forces took 78 percent of the historic land of Palestine and killed about 15,000 Palestinians in a series of 70 massacres. 7,50,000 Palestinians out of 1.9 million were made refugees in their own land as Israel established a Jewish majority state, fulfilling their Zionist motives.

    The official commemoration of this expulsion and ethnic cleansing by Palestinians around the world was done on May 15, 1948, but the facts reveal more than half of the displacement was already done by then.

    Since then, there have been many Arab-Israeli wars and many attempts to displace Palestinians. Israel, originally given 55 percent of the land by the UN, now owns 85 percent of it. However, it openly wishes to have control over all of it. In his address to the UN in September, Benjamin Netanyahu displayed two maps that showed the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip as part of Israel. The repeated calls to move to the South after October 7, is actually more than revenge.

    In one of the videos posted by Motaz, it can be seen that tens of thousands of Palestinians are moving to the South- in front of the Israeli army- raising their hands to show that they are unarmed. In a number of incidents, these caravans have been bombed too.

    This has been confirmed as the Israeli government claims that some 50,000 people have fled Northern Gaza to the South.

    On the other hand, there are hundreds of thousands of people who are not obeying these orders because they believe there is no place safe from Israel’s bombings and that they would rather die at home.

    Palestinian journalist Ahmed Abu Artema in his message to The News International has already called for the world to take action as he firmly thinks “This is the second Nakba”.

  • Saudi Arabia will not use oil as a weapon to achieve ceasefire in Gaza

    Saudi Arabia will not use oil as a weapon to achieve ceasefire in Gaza

    Right before the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel followed by Israel’s declaration of war against the Palestinians resulting in a death toll of 10,5000+, Saudi Arabia and Israel were steering towards the establishment of ties despite their conflict of views over the Palestine issue.

    Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MbS) reportedly asked the US for “security guarantees and access to civilian nuclear technology and advanced weapons in exchange for a deal.”

    Moreover, Saudi diplomats asserted that Israel must concur with the establishment of a Palestinian state as defined in the 2002 Saudi Peace Initiative. And while this particular demand was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jewish ministers in his government, a deal was almost at hand between the two countries.

    However, after October 7, people in support of Palestine across the world, particularly the Muslim world, have demanded from Saudi Arabia to take a stand against the atrocities committed by Israel on Palestinian soil — to use their power to put an end to the attacks.

    However, their concerns seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

    The Saudi Minister of Investment, Khalid bin Abdulaziz al-Falih, has remarked that the Kingdom is still willing to consider normalising relations with Israel, depending on a peaceful solution to the Palestinian issue.

    During a discussion session at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum held in Singapore, Falih responded to a question in regard to normalisation of ties between the two countries: “This matter was on the table, and it is still on the table, and it is clear that the recent withdrawal (from the talks) explains why Saudi Arabia is so determined to make a solution to the Palestinian conflict part of broader normalisation in [West Asia].”

    When asked if Saudi Arabia would use economic devices like oil to push for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, he reportedly laughed and replied: “This is not on the table today. Saudi Arabia is trying to achieve peace through talks that seek peace.”

    Falih also offered details of the three summits that Saudi Arabia is expected to host in the coming days which will be attended by Arab, African and Islamic countries, an effort to promote a “peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.

    In 1973, Saudi Arabia imposed an oil embargo on the United States and other countries for their support of Israel in the Yom Kippur War against Egypt and Syria.

  • After Rupi Kaur, several prominent South Asian celebrities chose to boycott White House Diwali event

    After Rupi Kaur, several prominent South Asian celebrities chose to boycott White House Diwali event

    South-Asian poet Rupi Kaur went viral on social media on Tuesday when she announced that she had refused o attend a Diwali celebration being held at the White House. In an open letter, the poetess condemned President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris over their complicity in the on-going Gaza genocide, adding she will not be used as a token to white-wash their crimes. She further urged her fellow South Asian colleagues to also refuse to participate in the White House event.

    READ MORE: Poet Rupi Kaur rejects White House invitation for Diwali citing ‘genocide’ of Palestinians

    Wall Street Journal has reported that more South Asian celebrities have boycotted the White House event. This includes ‘Never Have I Ever’ actress Richa Moorjani, who also signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire along with fellow actor Poorna Jagannathan. Journalist Sabrina Siddiqui shared screenshots of the article on her Instagram account.

    TikTok influencer Payal Desai, who has more than 293K followers on the platform, as well as prominent desi magazine Brown Girl Magazine, were among those who rejected the invite.

    Speaking to Siddiqui, tech entrepreneur and investor Anjula Acharia revealed she had declined the invite to Vice President Kamala Haris’ Diwali party, as had filmmaker Shruti Ganguly.

    “At this very moment, at a time of war, I find that their specifically one-sided stance is creating even more devastation,” Shruti responded. “The fact that there is little or no support or acknowledgement of the pain that Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims are facing at this moment, it’s really been disappointing.”

  • G7 backs ‘humanitarian pauses’ in Gaza, reaffirms Ukraine support

    G7 foreign ministers said Wednesday that they supported “humanitarian pauses and corridors” in the Hamas-Israel war but refrained from calling for a ceasefire.

    The group also said after talks in Japan that their support for Ukraine in its war with Russia “will never waver” while calling on China not to support Moscow in the conflict.

    “We stress the need for urgent action to address the deteriorating humanitarian crisis in Gaza… We support humanitarian pauses and corridors to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement, and the release of hostages,” a joint statement said.

    The ministers also “emphasize Israel’s right to defend itself and its people in accordance with international law as it seeks to prevent a recurrence” of the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7.

    It added: “We call on Iran to refrain from providing support for Hamas and taking further actions that destabilize the Middle East, including support for Lebanese Hezbollah and other non-state actors, and to use its influence with those groups to de-escalate regional tensions.”

    ‘Overall security’

    The Israeli military has relentlessly bombarded Gaza since October 7, when Hamas militants launched an attack that left 1,400 dead in Israel, most of them civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

    The Hamas-run health ministry says the death toll in Gaza has surpassed 10,300 people.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday there would be no fuel delivered to Gaza and no ceasefire unless more than 240 hostages seized by Hamas were freed.

    He also said Israel would assume “overall security” in Gaza after the war ended, while allowing for possible “tactical pauses” before then to free captives and deliver aid to the besieged territory.

    However, Washington said Tuesday it opposed a new long-term occupation of Gaza by Israel.

  • ‘Painful to watch’: social media horrified after Congress votes to censure Palestinian-American politician Rashida Tlaib

    ‘Painful to watch’: social media horrified after Congress votes to censure Palestinian-American politician Rashida Tlaib

    On Tuesday night, the US House voted to censure Palestinian-American Representative Rashida Tlaib over comments she made on the situation in Gaza.

    Among the voters were 22 Democrats who backed a resolution saying Tlaib has been “Promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for destruction of the state of Israel.”

    The death toll of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes has soared to 10,000 civilians. UNICEF spokesperson James Elder has called Gaza “a graveyard for thousands of children”, urging world leaders to call for a ceasefire.

    Tlaib provoked ire by using the slogan ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’, which Republican politicians claimed was anti-Semitic.

    Speaking on the House floor, Rashida defended her stance and urged fellow lawmakers to end USA’s complicity in the genocide of Gaza.

    “I will not be silenced and I will not let you distort my words,” Tlaib responded. “No government is beyond criticism. The idea that criticizing the government of Israel is antisemitic sets a very dangerous precedent, and it’s been used to silence diverse voices speaking up for human rights across our nation.”

    Social media users were horrified by the censure, hailing Rashida as the bravest politician for having the courage to speak truth during a time of censorship.

  • ‘I swear it smelled like the Kaaba’: Palestinian journalist’s wife remembers him on baby’s first birthday

    ‘I swear it smelled like the Kaaba’: Palestinian journalist’s wife remembers him on baby’s first birthday

    The world mourned the loss of Palestinian journalist Roshdie Sarraj who was killed after an Israeli airstrike hit his home in Gaza, leaving behind his wife and newborn daughter Dania.

    Social media was moved to tears yesterday when the late journalist’s wife Shrouq posted a loving note for her husband on their baby’s birthday, honouring Roshdie as a devoted father and husband who died defending the truth.

    “Habibi Roshdi,

    Exactly one year ago today, you were holding my hand, comforting me during labor. Having you by my side made it so much easier. We chose the name Dania for our daughter, which means “close” in Arabic, so she would forever remain close to our hearts.

    Today marks her first birthday, and we had planned a grand celebration, envisioning the memories we would create for her.

    Habibi, it has been two weeks since you were tragically killed while eating breakfast together, and I still hold onto the hope that you will be here to help her blow out her first candle.

    I am devastated by the idea of how she will remain “close” to Daddy’s heart without remembering his face. She is far too young to be orphaned, and I am far too young to be a widow. You were too young to lose your life simply for being a journalist.

    Never forgive,

    Yours.”

    Social media users expressed their grief in the comments and prayed Roshdie is resting in peace.

    In another post, Shrouq shared a picture of her and Sorraj at the Holy Kaaba in Makkah. In the caption she asked her followers to pray for her husband:

    “Pray for my beloved.. Pray for him a lot.. I swear it smelled like the smell of Kaaba.. Martyr my baby martyr”