Ships from Turkey with humanitarian aid for Gaza denied right to sail, flags removed

BY TARA SUTER - 04/27/24 

A ship of Freedom Flotilla Coalition anchors at Tuzla seaport in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Ships with an aim to sail from Turkey to Gaza with humanitarian aid have been denied the right to sail, according to The Associated Press.

“On Thursday afternoon, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition was contacted by the Guinea Bissau International Ships Registry (GBISR), requesting an inspection of our lead ship – Akdenez,” the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, the group behind the ships, said in a Saturday press release.

“This was a highly unusual request as our ship had already passed all required inspections; nevertheless, we agreed,” the release continues. “The inspector arrived on Thursday evening. On Friday afternoon, before the inspection was completed, the GBISR, in a blatantly political move, informed the Freedom Flotilla Coalition that it had withdrawn the Guinea Bissau flag from two of the Freedom Flotilla’s ships, one of which is our cargo ship, already loaded with over 5000 tons of life-saving aid for the Palestinians of Gaza.”

The Freedom Flotilla Coalition also said in the release that “without a flag, we cannot sail” and accused Guinea-Bissau of being “complicit in Israel’s deliberate starvation, illegal siege and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.”

Last week, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) confirmed to The Hill that it will work with the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) to get humanitarian aid to Gaza by way of the sea. 

“This is a complex operation that requires coordination between many partners, and our conversations are ongoing. Throughout Gaza, the safety and security of humanitarian actors is critical to the delivery of assistance, and we continue to advocate for measures that will give humanitarians greater assurances,” a USAID spokesperson said in a statement.

U.S. and WFP officials are working on how they can deliver aid to Palestinian civilians “in an independent, neutral, and impartial manner,” they added.

World Central Kitchen will resume feeding operations in Gaza weeks after deadly Israeli strike

The charity said it has nearly 300 trucks with millions of meals ready to enter through the Rafah Crossing. Others will enter from Jordan.


Photo by: Charles Rex Arbogast / AP
Manish Mallick, owner of the Indian restaurant ROOH, gestures Monday, July 13, 2020, during an interview with The Associated Press on the importance of local restaurants to help feed those in need in Chicago.


By: Taylor O'Bier
 Apr 28, 2024


World Central Kitchen said it plans to restart aid operations in Gaza on Monday after halting its relief efforts when an Israeli airstrike killed seven of its workers on April 1.

The killings interrupted the crucial flow of food into the war-torn strip, where many displaced Gazans are on the brink of starvation. Prior to the airstrike, World Central Kitchen had distributed more than 43 millions in Gaza, the charity said.

However, after the airstrike, many organizations pulled their aid workers from the area and demanded an investigation into the deaths of civilians who were providing aid.

The Israel Defense Forces took responsibility for the attack and said it is investigating how it happened.

President Joe Biden criticized Israel after the tragedy, stating that it demonstrated the country was not doing enough to protect civilians.

Four weeks later, one of the world’s most recognized disaster relief organizations is ready to head back into the danger zone.

World Central Kitchen saves lives with food but paid a price in blood

“The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire,” said Erin Gore, World Central Kitchen’s chief executive officer. “We are restarting our operation with the same energy, dignity, and focus on feeding as many people as possible.”

The charity said it has nearly 300 trucks with millions of meals ready to enter through the Rafah Crossing. Others will enter from Jordan.

World Central Kitchen plans to open a third, high-production kitchen in the region. It will be named “Damian’s Kitchen” in memory of Damian Soból, a skilled kitchen builder who was slain in the April 1 attack.

“We have been forced to make a decision: Stop feeding altogether during one of the worst hunger crises ever, ending our operation that accounted for 62% of all International NGO aid. Or keep feeding knowing that aid, aid workers and civilians are being intimidated and killed,” Gore said in a statement. “These are the hardest conversations, and we have considered all perspectives when deliberating. Ultimately, we decided we must keep feeding, continuing our mission of showing up to provide food to people during the toughest of times.”

Coca-Cola, Pepsi Among Top Polluters As Study Links Corporations To Plastic Crisis

A study published in Science Advances reveals that over 50% of branded plastic pollution can be traced back to just 56 companies.

Harshita Das
Updated on: 28 April 2024 

Representative image Photo: Pinterest


A new study published in Science Advances paints a grim picture of plastic pollution around the world. Researchers from Dalhousie University and collaborating institutions across the globe conducted audits of plastic waste in 84 countries over five years, uncovering a shocking truth


Over 50% of branded plastic pollution can be traced back to just 56 companies.

The Big Four Polluters

The report further identifies the top plastic polluters:

The Coca-Cola Company (11%)


PepsiCo (5%)


Nestlé (3%)


Danone (2%)


These major corporations, according to co-author Professor Tony Walker, have a vast global reach, contributing significantly to plastic pollution problems in every corner of the planet.

The data behind the problem

The peer-reviewed study relied on data collected by volunteers during more than 1,500 beach, park, river, and public space cleanups organized by the Break Free From Plastic environmental group between 2018 and 2022.


The research also highlights a disturbing trend: plastic production has doubled since 2000, jumping from 200 million tonnes to a staggering 400 million tonnes in 2019.

US Senate Passes Resolution To Overturn Greenhouse Gas Emission Rules. What You Need to Know

Industry response

The finger pointed at major corporations has prompted responses from some of the top polluters named in the study:

Coca-Cola

Aims for 100% globally recyclable packaging by 2025 and 50% recycled content by 2030. Additionally, they aim to collect and recycle a bottle or can for each one sold by 2030.

PepsiCo

Emphasizes its decade-long commitment to reducing packaging, exploring reusable models, and partnering on improved collection and recycling systems. They advocate for a binding global policy framework to address plastic pollution.

Nestlé

Acknowledges plastic pollution as a serious issue and supports global regulations. They highlight ongoing projects to develop waste collection, sorting, and recycling schemes across multiple continents.

International efforts to combat plastic pollution

The study's release coincides with a summit in Ottawa, Canada, where representatives from 176 countries are working towards a solution. This is the fourth round of negotiations leading up to a final session in South Korea later in 2024, where a binding international treaty on plastic pollution is expected to be signed.

Beyond recycling

Experts like Professor Patricia Corcoran of the University of Western Ontario emphasize the significance of the study's global reach. She highlights the dominance of food and beverage packaging waste, suggesting that holding major producers accountable can be a powerful driver of change.

The study also challenges the notion that recycling alone can solve the plastic pollution crisis. With only 9% of plastics ever recycled, researchers advocate for a multi-pronged approach, including:

Eliminating difficult-to-recycle plastics.


Holding corporations accountable for the environmental impact of their products.


Implementing better tracking systems for plastic production and disposal.


The researchers call for an international, open-access database where companies must report the quantity of plastic products, packaging, and brands entering the environment.


The Canadian government has taken a step in this direction with a new registry requiring companies to detail plastic production volumes and their ultimate destinations.

China Wants To ‘Undermine’ Tibet’s Identity, Says Tibetan Girl Jailed For Protesting

On October 21, 2015, a 15-year-old Tibetan girl along with her sister was picked up by Chinese authorities in the Tibetan county of Ngaba and were put behind bars for three years for publicly displaying portraits of the Dalai Lama and demanding a "free" Tibet.


PTI
Updated on: 28 April 2024 

Photo: AP

On October 21, 2015, a 15-year-old Tibetan girl along with her sister was picked up by Chinese authorities in the Tibetan county of Ngaba and were put behind bars for three years for publicly displaying portraits of the Dalai Lama and demanding a "free" Tibet.

In June last year, the girl, Namkyi, arrived in India weeks after entering Nepal following a 10-day arduous journey on foot with a "firm" resolve to make people across the world aware about 'Chinese repression' in Tibet, according to her account.


Namkyi, now 24, says she is currently studying at 'Sherab Gatsel Ling', an educational institution run by the Tibetan government-in-exile in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamshala.


"What the Chinese government is showing to the entire world about Tibet is in total contrast to the real situation. The Tibetan people are living under increasing fear and repression," she told a small group of journalists.


"China has been trying to undermine Tibet's identity," she alleges.


Tibetan activists have been accusing China of denying religious freedom and trying to stamp out Tibet's cultural heritage and identity. Beijing has been rejecting the charges.


"I want to tell the world what is happening in Tibet. I want to be the voice of the Tibetan people to let the world know about their pain and anguish, about the Chinese repression," Namkyi said.


The girl, born to a typical nomadic family in Charo village, also recalled her and her sister Tenzin Dolma's detention following their demonstration at a key locality in Ngaba, "calling for 'Free Tibet' and seeking the swift return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet."


"Not more than 10 minutes into our march, four or five police officers came from behind and snatched the portraits (of the Dalai Lama) from our hands," she said about the October 21, 2015 protest.


"We did not let go of the portraits and resisted the police action. Finally, the police dragged us down the road and told us to be silent. But we shouted our slogans continuously," she said.


"They handcuffed our hands, put us into the police van and took us away to the detention centre of Ngaba County. Then they took us to another detention centre in Barkam city."


Namkyi claimed she and her sister were subjected to severe torture.


"We were interrogated in a small room where a heater was switched on with excessive heat. Different interrogators asked various questions such as who incited us to hold the protest; where did we get the portraits of the Dalai Lama and whether we had any acquaintances from outside, etc," she said.


"Despite mental and physical torture, we only responded that both of us freely decided to hold the protest, and no one incited us, and also that our family members knew nothing about it," she said.


Namkyi said the trial started nearly a year after the arrest.


"That day (when the trial began), we both saw each other for the first time since our arrest," she recalled, adding the court sent them to prison.


"After three months in prison, I worked in a labour camp where copper wires were produced, and my sister made cigarette boxes at first, and then we were shifted to a wrist-watch manufacturing camp," she said.


"Later, we learned that our family had sent food and clothes for us, but we never got anything from the prison authorities."


"On 21 October 2018, we were released from prison after completing the prison term," she said.


Namkyi alleged that the Chinese authorities "troubled" her family members and relatives because she and her sister took part in the protest.


"On May 13, 2023, I started my journey of escape with my aunt Tsering Kyi without telling anyone," she said, adding they first crossed over to Nepal through a border point and then came to Dharamshala on June 28.


In India for close to 10 months, she feared for the safety of her family members back home.


"I am worried that my family may be targeted," she said.


Namkyi said her main aim now is to "let the world know the real situation in Tibet".


"People are living in pathetic conditions in Tibet. I want to be their voice to the world. I want to visit various countries and tell them what is going on in Tibet," she added.


Tibetan activists said people from their community have been facing intense surveillance, and possessing pictures of the Dalai Lama or mentioning him in public is not allowed.


Namkyi said she had the opportunity to seek the blessings of the Dalai Lama last year and he had underlined the need to work towards protecting the identity and cultural heritage of Tibet.


Political head of Tibet's government-in-exile Penpa Tsering said people in Tibet are living in fear and they face intense surveillance in their daily lives.


"People are living in fear because they could get blacklisted anytime. Once they get blacklisted, they land up in a lot of problems," he said.


After a failed anti-Chinese uprising in 1959, the 14th Dalai Lama fled Tibet and came to India where he set up the government-in-exile.


Tibet's government-in-exile based in Dharamshala represents over one lakh Tibetans living in around 30 countries.


The Chinese government officials and the Dalai Lama or his representatives have not met for formal negotiations since 2010.


Beijing has been maintaining that it freed "serfs and slaves" from a brutal theocracy in Tibet, bringing the region on the path of prosperity and modernisation.


China has in the past accused the Dalai Lama of indulging in "separatist" activities and trying to split Tibet and considers him as a divisive figure.


However, the Tibetan spiritual leader has insisted that he is not seeking independence but "genuine autonomy for all Tibetans living in the three traditional provinces of Tibet" under the "Middle-Way approach".


Relations between the two sides strained further due to protests against China in Tibetan areas in 2008.


The US and several democratic countries have been consistently supporting the Tibetan cause, notwithstanding China's strong objection.


In 2020, the US came out with legislation reaffirming the absolute right of the Tibetan people to choose a successor to the Dalai Lama and the preservation of Tibet's environment.

 

Neo-fascists mourn Mussolini on Lake Como

Copyright Associated Press

By Euronews

Published on 28/04/2024 - 

Around two hundred people flocked to Mezzegra-Giulino, on Lake Como on Sunday morning to celebrate the 79th anniversary of the death of the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.

The Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his lover Clara Petacci were executed by the Italian resistance in the village of Messagre-Giulino on 28 April 1945.

On Sunday in Dongo, a city on Lake Como where Mussolini and Petacci were arrested, neo-fascists dressed in black marched to place 15 roses on the water, in memory of the ministers and officials of the Mussolini government who were executed there. They then raised their arms in the Roman salute and shouted a fascist song.

Police separated the neo-fascist demonstrators from hundreds of protestors who sang the famous Italian anti-fascist song "Bella Ciao" during the ceremony for Mussolini.

Demonstrations were also recorded in Predappio, the birthplace and burial site of Mussolini.

The ceremony to memorialise Mussolini took place while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni announced at a conference of her Fratelli d'Italia party in Pescara that she will stand as a candidate in the European elections. 

Fratelli d'Italia has its roots in the Italian Social Movement, founded in 1946 by a head of cabinet in Mussolini's last government. Meloni, who joined the movement's youth branch as a teenager, has sought to distance her party from its neo-fascist roots, condemned fascism's suppression of democracy and insisted that Italy's right has consigned fascism to history decades ago.

From the stage in Pescara, the Prime Minister accused the left of representing a totalitarian threat to Italy. Speaking at the conference, Meloni said the Communist Party had made a formal complaint against against the temporary accomodation surrounding the Fratelli d'Italia rally. “I note that the Communist Party still exists, and I say this to show where those nostalgic for totalitarianism are in Italy today,” she said.

Shortly before Meloni's speech, the president of the Senate and Fratelli d'Italia member Ignazio La Russa spoke about a bust of Mussolini he has in his possession. La Russa has been criticised over the years for never speaking out against fascism.

"I don't have to regret having kept a bust of Mussolini at home, it's an inheritance from my father. What should I have done? Throw away a gift from my father? I gave it to my sister. I also have Stalin, De Gasperi, a Roman emperor", said La Russa.

La Russa also criticised writer Antonio Scurati, who ended up in a media storm this week after state television station Rai blocked his monologue against the Meloni government on 25 April, Liberation Day. 

Scurati accused the prime minister and her party of never distancing themselves from fascism. "I expect a trilogy on Stalin, Scurati already makes a lot of money talking about Mussolini", President La Russa said again.  

Police detain 200 at Palestine protest camps in three US universities

US police cleared pro-Palestinian encampments and detained hundreds of people at 3 universities on Saturday as protests against Israel's war on Gaza continue.

The New Arab Staff & Agencies
28 April, 2024

Police have carried out large-scale arrests at universities in recent days, at times using chemical irritants and tasers to disperse demonstrators [Getty]


Police detained nearly 200 people at three US universities on Saturday as they cleared pro-Palestinian encampments, in the latest raids on students protesting against Israel's war on Gaza.

Dozens of students remained encamped Saturday at the University of Pennsylvania, despite the college president ordering disbandment after what he said were "credible reports of harassing and intimidating conduct."

Meanwhile, Columbia University in New York, where the protests originated, was relatively calm. Officials there announced Friday that they would not be calling police back to campus after more than 100 people were arrested last week.

"To bring back the NYPD at this time would be counterproductive, further inflaming what is happening on campus, and drawing thousands to our doorstep who would threaten our community," school leaders said in a statement, referring to the New York Police Department.

California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt announced it was closing campus until the end of the semester, with instruction and work continuing remotely.

Canada saw its first campus protest camp spring up Saturday at McGill University.

The protesters are calling for their universities to divest from companies linked to Israel's brutal war on Gaza, which has killed over 34,000 people, mostly women and children and devastated the territory.

Over 500 illegal Israeli settlers storm Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque amid Jewish Passover holiday

Illegal settlers enter Al-Aqsa Mosque complex from Mugharbah Gate, perform provocative rounds, Talmudic rituals, says Jerusalem Islamic Endowments Authority

Ikrame Imane Kouachi |28.04.2024 - U

Fanatic Jewish settlers gather in front of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform rituals during the Passover under the protection of Israeli police in East Jerusalem on April 26, 2024.

JERUSALEM

More than 500 illegal Israeli settlers forced their way into the flashpoint of Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday to celebrate the Jewish Passover holiday.

"More than 500 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa from the Mugharbah Gate and carried out provocative rounds and performed Talmudic rituals in its courtyards," the Islamic Endowments Authority in Jerusalem said in a statement.

The authority added that the settlers' incursions were carried out under the protection of police, who tightened military measures at the gates of the Old City and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Settler incursions into the Al-Aqsa Mosque are expected to continue until afternoon prayers on Sunday, it added.

Since the first day of Passover, which began on Monday evening and lasts a week, hundreds of illegal settlers have been storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex daily under tight police measures, causing severe tensions in various parts of Jerusalem's Old City.

On Thursday, nearly 1,700 illegal Israeli settlers forced their way into the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in groups to celebrate Passover, the Islamic Endowments Authority in Jerusalem had said.

Right-wing Israeli extremist groups have previously called for widespread incursions into the mosque on the occasion of Passover.

Palestinians accuse Israel of taking rapid measures to Judaize Jerusalem, including the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and erase its Arab and Islamic identity.

Passover, which commemorates the Israelites' exodus from Egypt during the time of Prophet Moses, is considered one of the most important holidays on the Jewish religious calendar.

Since 2003, Israel has allowed illegal settlers into the flashpoint compound on an almost daily basis with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world's third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area the "Temple Mount," claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.

Measles cases worldwide almost double in a year - as England faces measles 'emergency'

The UK currently has "measles free" status - but that will be reviewed in September by the World Health Organization and could be lost. Globally, measles cases increased by 88% between 2022 and 2023.

Josephine Franks
News reporter @jos_franks
Sunday 28 April 2024 

Image:File pic: iStock


Measles cases nearly doubled globally between 2022 and 2023, researchers say.

There were 321,582 cases worldwide in 2023 - an 88% increase from the previous year, when 171,153 cases were recorded.

Total cases for 2024 look on track to at least match last year's numbers, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Some countries could now lose their "elimination status" when it is reviewed in September, the WHO's Dr Patrick O'Connor warned at the ESCMID Global Congress in Barcelona on Saturday.

The UK was declared measles-free by the WHO in 2017, but had this status stripped from it in 2019 after a surge in cases.


Measures designed to stop the spread of COVID also interrupted measles transmission, and the UK regained its elimination status in 2021.

But England is facing a measles emergency, with almost 900 cases recorded this year - a sharp increase from 368 cases in all of 2023.

Health workers say the current outbreak, which started in the West Midlands last year, has now spread to every region of the country.

The main symptoms of measles are a high fever, sore and red watery eyes, coughing, sneezing and a rash that usually appears after the initial symptoms.

Measles vaccinations in the UK were introduced in 1968 and, until recently, the widespread take-up had all but eradicated the disease. But vaccination rates have been falling.

Dr O'Connor said: "The measles virus is extremely infectious and any gaps in immunisation coverage are potential risk for outbreak. So, coverage needs to high but also uniform and equitable.

"Large outbreak and continuous transmissions of measles are always a concern and can making achieving and maintaining elimination challenging."

He said the measles vaccination had prevented an estimated 57 million deaths between 2000 and 2022.

The number of countries suffering large or disruptive measles outbreaks - defined as 20 cases per million people continuously over a 12 month period - has tripled from 17 to 51.

The majority of measles cases were in low and lower-middle income countries. The highest rates in the world were in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Yemen.

Passage of harsh anti-LGBTQ+ law in Iraq draws diplomatic backlash


 Supporters of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr sign a pledge to stand against homosexuality or LGBTQ, outside a mosque in Kufa, Iraq, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. Human rights groups and diplomats criticized a law that was quietly passed by the Iraqi parliament over the weekend that would impose heavy prison sentences on gay and transgender people. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil, File)

BY ABDULRAHMAN ZEYAD AND QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
April 28, 2024


BAGHDAD (AP) — Human rights groups and diplomats criticized a law that was quietly passed by the Iraqi parliament over the weekend that would impose heavy prison sentences on gay and transgender people.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement that the law passed Saturday “threatens those most at risk in Iraqi society” and “can be used to hamper free-speech and expression.” He warned that the legislation could drive away foreign investment.

“International business coalitions have already indicated that such discrimination in Iraq will harm business and economic growth in the country,” the statement said.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron called the law “dangerous and worrying.”

Although homosexuality is taboo in the largely conservative Iraqi society, and political leaders have periodically launched anti-LGBTQ+ campaigns, Iraq did not previously have a law that explicitly criminalized it.

The law passed Saturday with little notice as an amendment to the country’s existing anti-prostitution law. It imposes a sentence of 10 to 15 years for same-sex relations and a prison term of one to three years for people who undergo or perform gender-transition surgeries and for “intentional practice of effeminacy.”

It also bans any organization that promotes “sexual deviancy,” imposing a sentence of at least seven years and a fine of no less than 10 million dinars (about $7,600).

A previous draft version of the anti-prostitution law, which was ultimately not passed, would have allowed the death sentence to be imposed for same-sex relations.

Iraqi officials have defended the law as upholding societal values and portrayed criticisms of it as Western interference.

The acting Iraqi parliamentary speaker, Mohsen Al-Mandalawi, said in a statement that the vote was “a necessary step to protect the value structure of society” and to “protect our children from calls for moral depravity and homosexuality.”

Rasha Younes, a senior researcher with the LGBT Rights Program at Human Rights Watch, said the law’s passage “rubber-stamps Iraq’s appalling record of rights violations against LGBT people and is a serious blow to fundamental human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and association, privacy, equality, and nondiscrimination.”

A report released by the organization in 2022 accused armed groups in Iraq of abducting, raping, torturing, and killing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people with impunity and the Iraqi government of failing to hold perpetrators accountable.

US Criticizes Iraq’s New Anti Homosexuality Law

12 hours ago

The US State Department slammed a law passed by Iraq’s parliament on Saturday criminalizing same-sex relationships as a threat to human rights and freedoms.

The statement also warned that the law would weaken Iraq’s ability to diversify its economy and attract foreign investment.

"This amendment threatens those most at risk in Iraqi society. It can be used to hamper free-speech and expression and inhibit the operations of NGOs across Iraq," a State Department statement said.

Iraq's parliament passed a law on Saturday criminalizing same-sex relationships with a maximum 15-year prison sentence, saying the move aimed to uphold religious values. Rights advocates condemned the law as the latest attack on the LGBT community in Iraq.
Iran and other Islamic countries have also anti-homosexuality laws of various severity.
Same-sex activity between male adults is a crime in the Islamic Republic and is punishable by death if it occurs between consenting adults according to the country’s Sharia-based criminal code.

The sentence for female homosexuality between consenting adult women, however, is 100 lashes in the first three instances and a death sentence will be carried out if the offense is repeated for a fourth time.

Proof of homosexuality requires a confession by the offenders or the testimony of four “righteous men”.

Death sentence for homosexuality was rarely carried out, but four men were hanged in Maragheh in northwestern Iran in two separate cases in July and January 2022.

Abbas says only US can halt Israel's attack on Rafah, expected in days

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has urged the US to stop Israel from invading Rafah, as he warned of further displacement of the Palestinian people.

The New Arab Staff & Agencies
28 April, 2024

Abbas spoke at a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Saudi capital Riyadh [Getty]

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday only the United States could stop Israel attacking the border city of Rafah in Gaza, adding that the assault, which he expects within days, could force much of the Palestinian population to flee the enclave.

"We call on the United States of America to ask Israel to not carry on the Rafah attack. America is the only country able to prevent Israel from committing this crime," Abbas told a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Israel, which has threatened for weeks to launch an all-out assault on the neighbourhood claiming its goal is to destroy Hamas' remaining battalions there, stepped up airstrikes on Rafah last week.

Western countries, including Israel's closest ally the United States, have pleaded with it to hold back from attacking the southern city, which abuts the Egyptian border and is sheltering more than a million Palestinians who fled Israel's seven-month long assault on much of the rest of Gaza.

"What will happen in the coming few days is what Israel will do with attacking Rafah because all the Palestinians from Gaza are gathered there," Abbas said, adding that only a "small strike" on Rafah would force the Palestinian population to flee the Gaza strip.

"The biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people's history would then happen."

Abbas reiterated that he rejects the displacement of Palestinians into Jordan and Egypt and said he is concerned that once Israel completes its operations in Gaza, it will then attempt to force the Palestinian population out of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and into Jordan.

Israel launched its indiscriminate war on Gaza after Hamas led an attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people and 253 taken hostage. Hamas says the attack came in retaliation to decades of Israeli occupation and aggression against the Palestinians.

More than 34,000 Palestinians have since been killed by the Israeli air and ground offensive, most of them women and children according to the Gaza health ministry, and most of the population has been displaced.

Palestine Braces For ‘Biggest Catastrophe' As Israel Moves Ahead With Rafah Attack

Ahead of Israel's Rafah attack, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has stated that if Tel Aviv were to attack Rafah, it would be "the biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people's history".

Danita Yadav
Updated on: 28 April 2024



As the war in Gaza rages on, Israel has shown no signs of backing down from an attack on Rafah. With no signs of a truce, Palestinians are now bracing themselves for an attack the southern Gaza city.

Ahead of Israel's Rafah attack, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has stated that if Tel Aviv were to attack Rafah, it would be "the biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people's history".


Speaking at a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Ryadh, Saudi Arabia, the PA president stated that around 1.5 million Palestinians have taken refuge in Rafah since the start of the war.


"What will happen in the coming few days is what Israel will do with attacking Rafah because all the Palestinians from Gaza are gathered there," stated the PA president.


"The biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people’s history would then happen," stated Abbas, urging the United States to call on Israel to avoid launching an attack on Rafah.


"America is the only country able to prevent Israel from committing this crime," stated Abbas.


The Palestinian Authority president also raised his concerns about the displacement of Palestinians into Jordan and Egypt.


Abbas reiterated he rejects the displacement of Palestinians into Jordan and Egypt. He added that once once Israel completes its operation in Gaza, the military and Tel Aviv government will attempt to force the Palestinian population out of the occupied West Bank and into Jordan.

UN Workers In Rafah Preparing For Full-Scale Attack

Workers with the UN and its agencies in Rafah have started to prepare for a full-scale military invasion by Israel.


As per The Telegraph, Gilles Michaud, UN Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security has told aid workers with the World Food Programme, WHO and UNICEF to prepare for the attack.


This preparation also comes a month after an Israeli strike killed seven international aid workers with the World Central Kitchen. Following the strike, the international food NGO halted all operations in the war-torn strip.

International Community Calls On Israel To Refrain

Despite calls from the international community against an assault on Rafah, Israel has stated that it will not back down until it destroys the Hamas battalion in the city.


Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the leader of one of the key mediator countries, has called on Israel to not launch an attack on Rafah. The president also warned Israel against forcing Palestinian into Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.


Apart from pressure of the Rafah attack, the United States and 17 other nations have called on Hamas to release hostages and accept the truce proposal presented by Israel.


While Israel has proposed a phased-ceasefire in Gaza and the urgent release of hostages, Hamas has called for a permanent ceasefire.


Along with ceasefire, Hamas has stated that it is ready to release all hostages, but only if Israel pulls out from Gaza.