Rivlin telephoned Soumya’s husband Santosh and his sister Sophie and expressed condolences on behalf of the Israel government and its people….reports Asian Lite News
The President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, on Tuesday called up the family of Soumya Santosh, a caregiver from Kerala who lost her life during a Hamas strike in Israel on May 11.
Rivlin telephoned Soumya’s husband Santosh and his sister Sophie and expressed condolences on behalf of the Israel government and its people.
Hailing from Idukki in Kerala, Santosh (30), who worked as a caregiver to an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor in Israel, was among those killed in a rocket attack by the Palestinian Islamist group on May 11.
Sophie, who had worked as a caregiver in Israel for 13 years before returning to Kerala four months back, told IANS, “The President of Israel called us and expressed condolences on behalf of the people of Israel. The President told us that the people of Israel are with us and that the government of Israel will stand with the family at this time of grief and extend all its support to us.”
Israel President Reuven Rivlin. (File Photo: IANS)
It may be noted that the Consul General of Israel to south India, Jonathan Zadka, had met the family of Soumya and expressed his condolences. He had told mediapersons that Soumya was an angel who was killed in a terror attack on the people of Israel.
Zadka told IANS on Tuesday, “From our part, I can only say that President Reuven Rivlin called Santosh earlier today to convey his condolence and show solidarity of the people of Israel with the family. He spoke to him conveying his sympathies and condolences for the loss of Soumya in a terror attack.”
This is not the first time that social justice activists and dissidents in Pakistani Occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) are faced with victimisation and it will most definitely not be the last, writes Amjad Ayub Mirza
At a hurriedly called press conference in Nakyal on May 6 in Pakistani Occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK), Awami Workers Party leader Nissar Shah advocate criticised the local Assistant Commissioner, Omar Farooq, for launching what Shah called a vindictive FIR against Shamsher Ali Sher advocate of Samaj Badlo Tehreeks (Change Society Movement) and a candidate in upcoming general elections.
This is not the first time that social justice activists in PoJK are faced with victimisation and it will most definitely not be the last. In the past, student activists of Jammu Kashmir National Students Federation (JKNSF) have faced arrests and torture at the hands of the occupation forces.
Shamsher Ali Sher hails from a respected family of professionals in Nakyal in Kotli district. He is campaigning for the construction of safety walls at blind corners along the Nakyal-Kotli road which is a main cause for frequent road accidents. On December 31, 2020, a Nakyal bound van carrying a family who were travelling back from Gujranwala in Punjab lost control and fell hundreds of feet down into a ravine instantly killing three women and a man.1
PoJK(wikipedia)
Another accident that took place on April 11, 2021, five members of the same family lost their lives. They were travelling from Nakyal to Kotli city. “These loss of lives could have been averted provided there was a safety wall build at the dangerous parts and blind corners of the Nakyal-Kotli Road”, says Sher. And now he himself fears for his life and rightly so.
In the past, Arif Shahid social activist from PoJK paid with his life for raising voice against social injustice. He was allegedly killed by an ISI hitman outside his house in Rawalpindi on May 14, 2013. Arif Shahid campaign against the increase bar on political parties to participate in general elections unless they signed a document pledging allegiance to Pakistan.2
In 2011, a doctor and a human rights activist from PoJK was gunned down allegedly by the Pakistani secret service the ISI.3 Most recently Afzal Sulehria, a high profile political and human rights activist and leader of Kashmir National Party, allegedly became yet another victim of the ISI. Sulehria was a towering figure in Muzaffarabad, the capital city of PoJK. He vigorously campaigned against the diversion of Rivers Kishan Ganga (Neelum) and River Jhelum, and in December 2020 had written a letter to the Pakistan army chief demanding all
Under construction hydropower projects to be brought to an instant halt and deals made between the gover1. https://www.dawn.com/news/15255333
2. Adams, Brad. “Pakistan: ‘Free Kashmir’ Far From Free”. Human Rights Watch. Archived from the original on 2013-03-14. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
Choudhry, Shabbir. “PAKISTAN: Another Azad Kashmiri becomes the victim of ISI butchery”. Asian Human Rights Commission. Archived from the original on 2012-03-27. Retrieved 2012-04-14.
Under construction hydropower projects to be brought to an instant halt and deals made between the government of Azad Kashmir and Chinese construction companies be made public. In February 2021, less than two months after he had written to the Army Chief, Sulehria died of a mysterious heart attack. No autopsy was carried out.
It is not uncommon for human rights and political activists such as Shamsher Ali Sher advocate to face persecution after being involved in campaigns that attempt to address issues regarding public interest in PoJK. Those who have raised their voice against the colonial rule of Pakistan, since October 1947, when Pakistan attacked the state of Jammu and Kashmir and forcefully annexed western parts of Jammu province as well as Gilgit Agency, unfortunately share the same fate.
Human Rights Watch report sums up the ordeal we face in PoJK most convincingly as follows: “the Pakistani government in Islamabad, (read military establishment), the Pakistani army and the Pakistani intelligence services (Inter-Services Intelligence, ISI) control all aspects of political life in Azad Kashmir (PoJK)… Azad Kashmir is a land of strict curbs on political pluralism, freedom of expression, and freedom of association; a muzzled press; banned books; arbitrary arrest and detention and torture at the hands of the Pakistani military and the police. Singled out are Kashmiri nationalists who do not support the idea of Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan.”
(Dr Amjad Ayub Mirza is an author and a human rights activist from Mirpur in PoJK. He currently lives in exile in the UK.)
Quad-plus looks to rope in Bay of Bengal countries — home to about 1.4 billion people — much to Beijing’s dislike, writes Mahua Venkatesh
China’s attempt to bulldoze its influence in Bangladesh and Myanmar is raising an important question-should countries along the Bay of Bengal rim become part of an expanded Indo-Pacific Quad, which currently comprises India, Japan, Australia and the United States?
During the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, the expansion of Quad to Quad-plus to include countries including South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand to promote Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) is already on the radar. Should Bay of Bengal countries — home to about 1.4 billion people — also become part of the Quad-plus?
The Chinese are already alarmed at such a prospect. The chances are that Beijing’s pressure on countries such as Bangladesh is only going to mount. It is not inconceivable that the situation may reach an inflection point, forcing countries such as Bangladesh to make a geopolitical choice, as the scope for fence sitting may be drying up soon. Bangladesh already has a key strategic relationship with India, but given China’s growing heft and ambition, it may like to look at the Quad collective to ensure regional strategic balance.
Among the Quad, India has huge stakes in a friendly Bay of Bengal community, connected through the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) framework. Earlier, the development of the northeast is crucial so that it does not become the recipient of cheap goods.
“Access to the Bay of Bengal and the rest of India with Bangladesh is also very essential for harnessing the unutilized economic capability in the northeastern states of India,” Ambassador Anil Wadhwa, distinguished fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation, earlier said.
Early signs of an upcoming geopolitical contest brewing in the Bay of Bengal rim are already visible. Last week, China sternly warned Bangladesh not to flirt with the Quad. “Bilateral relations with Bangladesh would be substantially damaged if it joins hand with [Quad] initiatives,” Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming said during a media event.
A proud Bangladesh lodged a strong protest, unveiling the new frictions that are developing in ties between Dhaka and Beijing. “It’s very regrettable,” Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said, in response to the Chinese envoy’s remarks. He added: “We’re an independent and sovereign state. We decide our [own] foreign policy. But yes, any country can uphold its position.”
Myanmar may become another battleground between China and the Quad, if the ongoing civil war in the country is not arrested soon, through a dialogue between the military and the civilian stakeholders. Anti-China sentiment in Myanmar is growing as is evident from the attacks on Chinese factories in the country. Myanmar military’s use of CH-3A Chinese drones to counter protests which are threatening to mutate into an armed struggle has futher hardened anti-China sentiments, which may open the door for a counterforce to emerge.
Two experts India Narrative spoke to said that the success of the Quad would largely be determined by the co-operation and foreign policies of the countries dotting the Bay of Bengal region.
“There is no way countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and others can be left out even as Quad becomes the epicentre of activities. The inclusion and co-operation of these countries are absolutely necessary and this must be kept in mind,” an analyst said.
A recent study by the US based East West Center noted that despite several contradictory challenges to the region, “the need for a Bay of Bengal community will only further grow.”
Due to its strategic, integrated location, historically the Bay has been a connector for the diverse peoples of South and Southeast Asia via trade and cultural interactions, it added. In fact land-locked countries such as Nepal and Bhutan too depend on the Bay of Bengal for trade. Several transboundary rivers flowing across offer the necessary connectivity to these Himalayan nations.
Highlighting that after decades of neglect, the Bay of Bengal is reassuming strategic and economic salience, the study said that the region, if reconnected, could help address common economic, ecological, and security challenges.
“Today, the Bay of Bengal can be seen as a crucial part of the Indian Ocean with growing strategic interest and importance to global actors,” it said.
Biden was “writing history with bloody hands in this incident where Gaza was attacked disproportionately,” sadi Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan…reports Asian Lite News
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday condemned his US counterpart Joe Biden for approval of arms sales to Israel.
The US President was “writing history with bloody hands in this incident where Gaza was attacked disproportionately,” Erdogan said at a press conference elaborating on recent clashes between Israelis and Palestinians, the Xinhua news agency reported.
“You have forced us to say this. We can’t stay silent on this anymore,” he added.
“Palestinian lands are being washed with blood and cruelty. You are also supporting this,” Erdogan noted.
Earlier in the day, the US government reportedly approved the sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel.
Khan had recently directed the Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to launch a probe into the RRR project…reports Asian Lite News
Evidence has emerged that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and (Pakistan’s) Punjab chief minister had endorsed the Rawalpindi Ring Road (RRR) project that was being called a scandal.
Khan had recently directed the Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to launch a probe into the RRR project and had taken notice of the alleged changes in the route of the project allegedly at the behest of certain private interests, reported The News International.
The changes referred to had been endorsed the PM and the CM themselves. On February 4, 2021, while referring to a meeting held under the chairmanship of PM Imran Khan on the Ring Road and Margalla Highway, the PM Office issued directions that interestingly endorsed what is now seen as the scandalous addition of the ‘Attock loop’ and ‘Paswal Zigzag’ in the RRR project, reported The News International.
According to the PM Office directive, “Keeping in mind the original alignment of the Margalla Highway, part of the Ring Road falling in the Islamabad Capital Territory shall be required and developed by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) from its own resources. This will be connected with the Rawalpindi Ring Road leading to the M1 eventually. CDA will acquire the right of way for the road in Zone-2 for development and beyond the ROW, the area will be fenced to make it controlled access.
The above part of the PM’s directive actually talks about what is now known as the ‘Paswal Zigzag’ which connects the Margalla Road with the RRR at Sangjani in Zone-2. Connecting the Margalla Road with the RRR is only possible via Sangjani, which is now being scandalised because the land has been owned by the family of senior bureaucrat Dr Tauqir Shah for centuries and also because Special Assistant to the PM Zulfi Bukhari’s mother belongs to the same Shah family. Zufli Bukhari’s family, however, does not enjoy good relations with the Shahs of Sangjani, reported The News International.
The second part of the Khan’s February 4 directive gives a direction to the Punjab government and it reads: “The eastward portion from the M1, falling in Punjab, be constructed and fenced by the Government of Punjab.”
The “eastern portion from the M1” is what is now being objected to and termed the ‘Attock loop’. According to an informed source, “This decision by the Khan undermines the ‘Attock loop’ and “Paswal zigzag’ story scandal. The PM himself said ‘connect the Margalla Road with the RRR in Zone 2 of the ICT’ — which in a way is like endorsing the alignment adopted by the R3”, reported The News International.
Almost 23 days after the PM’s directive, the Project Review Committee of Punjab’s Public Private Partnership Policy and Monitoring Board met on Feb 17, 2021 under the chairmanship of Dr Salman Shah, advisor to the CM on Economic Affairs. It not only approved the RRR alignment that included the Attock loop and Paswal zigzag portion but also did the costing and financing for the project.
Documents show that the RRR’s alignment, which is now seen as a scandal, was there even in 2020. A CDA document dated March 25, 2020 shows that the Authority issued an NOC to the Rawalpindi Development Authority to connect the RRR with the Margalla Avenue in the Sangjani area.
Another document shows the Chief Minister Punjab chairing a meeting of the PPP Policy & Monitoring Board in September 2020 and deciding to authorise the RDA to develop a “Solicited Project Proposal” for the RRR project on a fast-track basis, reported The News International. (ANI)
The Pakistani Interior Ministry has been directed to add opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif to the country’s Exit Control List (ECL) after the approval from the Federal Cabinet on Thursday….reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said it will not file an appeal with the interior ministry for a review of the decision to include Shehbaz Shairf’s name on the Exit Control List (ECL).
The Pakistani Interior Ministry has been directed to add opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif to the country’s Exit Control List (ECL) after the approval from the Federal Cabinet on Thursday.
Talking to a media persons in Lahore, party’s spokesperson Marriyum Aurganzeb said that an appeal is made when there is no existing court order [pertaining to a case].
“We won’t appeal for a review [of the inclusion] with the interior ministry; the government has to review it instead,” she said adding, “now the LHC and Supreme Court have to take notice [of the situation],” as reported by Tribune.
Two days ago, on Wednesday, a subcommittee of the federal cabinet recommended placing Shehbaz’ name on the ECL to stop him from leaving the country while cases against him were underway.
Informing the media about the development, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said that the cabinet would accept the recommendation soon, as reported by the Tribune.
The minister maintained that the PML-N president was trying to escape from the country because of the reopening of the Hudaibiya Paper Mills case. “He [Shehbaz] chose the time of Sehri to run away knowing that the [Hudaibiya Paper Mills] case was about to be reopened,” he said.
Earlier on May 8, the PML-N leader was barred from flying from the Lahore airport to the UK via Qatar in the early hours of the day by the Federal Investigation Authority (FIA), hours after the LHC granted him permission to travel abroad once for medical treatment.
On April 22, a referee bench of the LHC ruled in favour of granting bail to the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly in an assets beyond means and money laundering case, disagreeing with Justice Asjad Javed Ghural’s dissenting note to the decision of Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar. (ANI)
U.S. Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad during the talks in Doha
Sources familiar with the meeting said the Taliban has asked to maintain the Doha negotiations–with serious discussions– but they want the final outcome to be achieved in Doha, not in Istanbul…reports Asian Lite News
Amid the final drawdown of US troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban has agreed to begin substantive talks with the Republic team in Doha in the coming days, which would end the peace process stalemate.
According to Tolo News, the Taliban group plans to attend the Istanbul summit but wants the end negotiations to take place in Doha.
The negotiating teams met in Doha on May 14 after a long pause. Sources familiar with the meeting said the Taliban has asked to maintain the Doha negotiations–with serious discussions– but they want the final outcome to be achieved in Doha, not in Istanbul.
“I think that this will open the way for an Istanbul conference where the Taliban will attend. They might make the agenda based on who in the Afghan government team will attend, not based on the US agenda,” said Sayed Akbar Agha, a former Taliban commander said to Tolo news.
The Republic team said that efforts in Doha and Istanbul will help achieve results in the negotiations, but they stressed that the Taliban’s commitment is key.
Taliban
“A meeting will be meaningful when the attendees include decision-makers and when there is a commitment for decision making. Only participation of high-ranking leaders can affect the current Doha process,” said Fawzia Koofi, member of the negotiating team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, a delegation representing the Taliban led by Shai Abdul Hakim Haqqani has been in Pakistan over the last 20 days discussing with the leadership of the group the details of attending the Istanbul summit and the withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan.
“Pakistan’s influence on the Taliban and the possible encouragement from Pakistan of course has an impact,” said Mohammad Amin Waqad, former deputy head of the High Peace Council, as reported by Tolo news.
Intra-Afghan talks in Doha.
President Ashraf Ghani has emphasised the need for a decision on peace by the regional players, and for Europe’s much-needed role to “get Pakistan on board” on the ongoing peace talks with Taliban.
“Peace will primarily be decided upon regionally, and I believe we are at a crucial moment of rethinking. It is first and foremost a matter of getting Pakistan on board. The US now plays only a minor role. The question of peace or hostility is now in Pakistani hands,” Ghani told the German news website, Der Spiegel, in an interview.
Over Pakistan’s influence on the Taliban, Ghani said, “Pakistan operates an organized system of support. The Taliban receive logistics there, their finances are there and recruitment is there.”
“The names of the various decision-making bodies of the Taliban are Quetta Shura, Miramshah Shura, and Peshawar Shura – named after the Pakistani cities where they are located. There is a deep relationship with the state,” he added.
The negotiations in Doha were stalled after the announcement of a delay in US forces withdrawal in Afghanistan from the original May 1st deadline. (ANI)
The authenticity of the statement could not be independently verified….reports Asian Lite News
The Islamic State (IS) terror group has claimed responsibility for a blast at a mosque in Kabul that killed at least 12 people, including the imam.
In a statement released late Saturday via the Nashir News Agency, which publishes the terror group’s official propaganda, accused the imam, identified as Mohammad Numan, of encouraging the fight against jihadis, reports dpa news agency.
“Soldiers of the caliphate” had planted an explosive device in the mosque, said the statement.
The authenticity of the statement could not be independently verified.
At least 15 others were wounded in the attack in Kabul province’s Shakar Dara district during the Eid-ul Fitr festival to mark the end of Ramadan on Friday, according to Afghan security officials.
The attack took place as the Afghan government and the Taliban were holding a ceasefire for the Islamic Eid holidays.
The ceasefire ended at midnight on Saturday. The IS has recently lost territory, leaders and other fighters in Afghanistan.
In addition to the Afghan government, the Taliban are also fighting the extremists. According to a UN report, the terrorist group is still able to carry out attacks in various parts of the country.
US embassy warns of increase in violence
The US embassy in Kabul warned American citizens to exercise caution in places where people are known to congregate, saying that “historically, violence has increased in Afghanistan following the Eid holiday”.
“The US government remains concerned that insurgents are intent on targeting foreigners via kidnapping schemes and attacks at locations such as hotels, residential compounds, security checkpoints, government facilities and airports,” it said in a security alert.
Last month, the US State Department ordered some of its employees whose functions can be performed elsewhere to depart from the American embassy in Kabul, reports dpa news agency.
Ross Wilson, the acting US Ambassador to Afghanistan, said that the decision was made “in light of increasing violence and threat reports in Kabul”.
The Department had also advised US citizens not to travel to Afghanistan due to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict and the coronavirus, adding that American nationals already in the country should consider departing.
a piece of broken glass of a vehicle at the site of a bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Photo by Rahmatullah Alizadah/Xinhua)
Afghanistan is in a state of uncertainty after US President Joe Biden announced that American troops will pull out from the country by September 11.
NATO also said it will abide by the decision.
The international forces already began the official process of withdrawal on May 1.
The Taliban have intensified attacks on provincial capitals, districts, bases and checkpoints since international troops began to withdraw.
Currently, both the Taliban and the Afghan government have announced that they would observe a three-day ceasefire for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr that started on Thursday, but the violence continues.
The demonstration has been organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Stop The War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Muslim Association of Britain, it was reported…reports Asian Lite News.
Thousands of protesters have marched through central London in support of the Palestinians amid growing violent conflict between Israel and militants in Gaza.
The organisers of the protest called on the UK government to stop allowing what they described as “Israel’s brutal violence against and oppression of the Palestinian people”, the BBC reported.
Demonstrators marched to the Israeli embassy chanting “free Palestine”.
The demonstration has been organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Friends of Al-Aqsa, Palestinian Forum in Britain, Stop The War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Muslim Association of Britain, it was reported.
They have asked the UK government to take immediate action in this regard.
They said the bombardment of Gaza “which is killing civilians including children is a war crime”, adding: “The UK government is complicit in these acts as long as it continues to offer Israel military, diplomatic and financial support.
Palestinian Territories, Gaza city: Fire billows from a building hit by an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, amid the escalating flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence(Photo: Mahmoud Khattab/Quds Net News via ZUMA Wire/dpa/IANS)
Meanwhile, in Paris, tens of thousands of people gathered in Paris for a pro-Palestinian demonstration, during which police used tear gas and water cannon to try to disperse the demonstrators.
Around 4,200 police officers were deployed in the French capital ahead of the protest on Saturday afternoon, dpa news agency quoted Franceinfo as saying in a report.
By 7 p.m., 44 people had been arrested, and one policeman was injured, according to authorities.
People demonstrated in the capital to mark Nakba Day, especially in Paris’ 18th district, where the police had previously ordered shopkeepers to close their businesses.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, between 2,500 and 3,500 people took to the streets in Paris, French media reported.
According to official figures, around 22,000 people demonstrated throughout France.
There were also demonstrations in cities like Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon and Strasbourg.
Palestinian Territories, Gaza City: Fire and smoke rise from the collapsing Al-Shorouk Tower building after it was hit by an Israeli airstrike, amid the escalating flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence. . (Photo: Ahmed Zakot/SOPA Images via ZUMA Wire/dpa)
India reiterated strong support to the just Palestinian cause and its unwavering commitment to the two-State solution and expressed “strong condemnation of all acts of violence…reports Arul Louis
While mourning the death of an Indian nurse in Israel, India’s Permanent Representative T. S. Tirumurti on Sunday condemned the rocket attacks from Gaza that killed her.
Speaking at a rare Security Council meeting held on a Sunday, he, however, also reiterated India’s support for the Palestinian cause and condemned the retaliatory attacks by Israel.
Soumya Santosh, who is from Kerala, was killed in Ashkelon inside Israel by the rocket launched reportedly by the Iran-backed Hamas organisation from Gaza last week. She was working as a caregiver for the elderly.
The Council met in a virtual session as the situation in the Israel-Palestine-Gaza region spiralled into a violent crisis, with reports that before the session, Israeli air strikes had killed at least 40 people, some of them children.
Soumya Santosh, who is from Kerala, was killed in Ashkelon inside Israel by the rocket launched reportedly by the Iran-backed Hamas
At least four people were killed in Israel as some Hamas rockets pierced Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile defence system.
Referring to Santosh, Tirumurti said: “India has also lost one of her nationals living in Israel in this rocket fire — a caregiver in Ashkelon. We deeply mourn her demise along with all other civilians who have lost their lives in the current cycle of violence.”
“The indiscriminate rocket firings from Gaza targeting the civilian population in Israel, which we condemn, and the retaliatory strikes into Gaza, have caused immense suffering, and resulted in deaths,” he said.
While reiterating New Delhi’s “strong support to the just Palestinian cause and its unwavering commitment to the two-State solution”, Tirumurti also expressed “strong condemnation of all acts of violence, provocation, incitement, and destruction”.
He called for an immediate de-escalation of the situation to stop “any further slide to the brink” and the resumption of dialogue between the parties to the conflict.
Palestinian Territories, Gaza city: Fire billows from a building hit by an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip, amid the escalating flare-up of Israeli-Palestinian violence(Photo: Mahmoud Khattab/Quds Net News via ZUMA Wire/dpa/IANS)
He said that Jerusalem has a special place in the hearts of Indians and added that attempts should not be made to change the status quo in East Jerusalem and its neighbourhood.
He mentioned the presence of an India-associated in Jerusalem’s old city. New Delhi had restored the Al Zawiyya Al Hindiyya, the Indian hospice associated with Indian Sufi saint Baba Farid, he said.
The holy places in Jersualem, including the Haram al-Sharif, also known as the Temple Mount, that is sacred to Muslims, should be protected, he added.
The triggers for the current wave of violence is the attempt by some Israelis to evict Arabs from homes in East Jerusalem and the entry of Israeli security forces into the Temple Mount.
At the UNSC session presided over China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said: “Fighting must stop. It must stop immediately. Rockets and mortars on one side and aerial and artillery bombardments on the other must stop. I appeal to all parties to heed this call.”
Israeli army Artillery Corps fire into the Gaza Strip near the southern Israeli city of Sderot amid escalating tension on May 12, 2021. (JINI via Xinhua/IANS)
“It has the potential to unleash an uncontainable security and humanitarian crisis and to further foster extremism, not only in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel, but in the region as a whole,” he warned.
He drew attention to the Israeli bombing of the offices of the US news agency Associated Press and Qatari TV network Al Jazeera in Gaza City and said: “Journalists must be allowed to work free of fear and harassment.”
“I am appalled by the attack on a refugee camp in Gaza, in which 10 members of one family were killed. Humanitarian installations must be protected,” he said, but added: “Israeli civilians live in fear of rockets launched from Gaza.”
Holding the meeting on a Sunday itself showed the isolation of the administration of US President Joe Biden which had vainly tried to stop the Council from discussing the situation. After blocking a session on Friday, it was forced by other members to agree to the meeting on Sunday.
Biden is facing a split in his party over his Israel policy with a vociferous group of Democrats condemning his backing for that country, even as many in the party continue their strong support for Israel.
US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that “the United States has been working tirelessly through diplomatic channels to try to bring an end to this conflict” and is “intensively engaged with Israeli, Egyptian, and Qatari officials, as well as the Special Coordinator (of the UN, Tor Wennesland) and his team — all of whom are working to define and establish conditions for a sustainable calm”.
At UNSC, India condemns rocket attack that killed Indian nurse
In a break from the four years of former President Donald Trump, she, however, called for an end to “evictions” – including in East Jerusalem – demolitions, and settlement construction east of the 1967 lines”.
“Critically, all parties need to uphold and respect the historic status quo at the holy sites,” she added.
Without condemning any of the attacks by either side, Thomas-Greenfield said: “We’ve also been alarmed by violence impacting journalists and medical personnel, whose roles are crucial and must be protected and respected.”
“It’s time to end the cycle of violence. The United States calls on Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Gaza to immediately halt rocket attacks and other provocations. We also are deeply concerned about the ongoing intercommunal violence within mixed communities in Israel. We urge all parties to avoid actions that undermine a peaceful future.”
(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)
