Eid under occupation
As Muslims around the world gathered with their families to celebrate Eid, Palestinians in Gaza marked the auspicious occasion under a sky filled with drones and gunfire. Over the last few days, more than 100 lives have been lost. The death toll rises as families dig through rubble instead of sharing wholesome meals. Eid in Gaza is not a celebration, but a cry for survival.
Israeli strikes have pounded areas across the besieged enclave, from the shattered remnants of Jabalia refugee camp to the so-called "safe zone" of al-Mawasi in Khan Younis - now yet another graveyard of civilians. In the face of global calls for restraint, the Israeli military's unrelenting campaign continues unabated. The seizure of the Madleen aid ship, which carried not weapons but rice and baby formula, reflects the cruelty of the total blockade now entering its third month. Its passengers - including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and French MEP Rima Hassan - were detained, and now face deportation. Their only 'offence' was attempting to deliver food to a starving population. Meanwhile, the West Bank is no sanctuary. Israeli forces have conducted widespread arrests across occupied towns, only deepening the fear that now place in Palestinian territories is truly safe. This Eid, nearly 1.95 million Palestinians - 93% of Gaza's population - are trapped in severe food insecurity. One in five is facing starvation. The international community, while occasionally vocal, remains largely ineffective in the face of such open defiance of humanitarian law.
No religious holiday, no moral code, no system of international law should allow the mass starvation and slaughter of civilians to continue unchecked. This war is no longer about defence; it is about domination and total annihilation - and the world must call it what it is.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
27 minutes ago
- Express Tribune
Israel seeks to 'exterminate Palestinians'
Activists, heading towards Gaza by land, wave the Palestinian and Tunisian flags as they arrive in Zawiyah, Libya. Photo: AFP An independent United Nations commission said on Tuesday that Israeli attacks on schools, religious and cultural sites in Gaza amount to war crimes and the crime against humanity of seeking to exterminate Palestinians. "In killing civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites, Israeli security forces committed the crime against humanity of extermination," the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a report. 17 killed at Gaza aid site Israeli gunfire killed at least 17 Palestinians and wounded dozens as thousands of displaced people approached an aid distribution site run by a US-backed humanitarian group in central Gaza on Tuesday, local health authorities said. Medics said the casualties were rushed to two hospitals, the Al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, and the Al-Quds in Gaza City, in the north. Two killed in Nablus Nablus. At least two Palestinians were killed Tuesday as Israel launched a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry and the Israeli army said. The military said troops opened fire and "eliminated" two Palestinians who had attempted to steal a soldier's weapon as the "counterterrorism operation" was underway in the old city of Nablus. Meanwhile, Israel deported campaigner Greta Thunberg on a flight to Sweden via France on Tuesday, after detaining her along with other activists aboard a Gaza-bound aid boat. Of the 12 activists on board the Madleen, which was carrying food and supplies for Gaza, four including Thunberg agreed to be deported, the rights group that legally represents some of them said in a statement.
Business Recorder
an hour ago
- Business Recorder
PARTLY FACETIOUS: Our economic signers have never required anger management courses
'Do we have any anger management classes in this country?' 'I have never heard of such classes, why do you ask?' 'Well many world leaders were slapped recently – some literally and some figuratively and I reckon the slapper as opposed to the slapee if you will may need some…some…management courses.' 'I hope you are excluding Pakistan's current economic team signers because…' 'Excuse me? Signers?' 'Economic signers – those empowered to sign off on loans on behalf of the 140 million Pakistanis, with harsh upfront conditions.' 'Yes, and that should bring it home to you that it is not relevant whether selections or elections catapult anyone to a position of power, the position once occupied generates the empowerment.' 'Hmmm that's true but one question: now our rollovers by friendly countries, which required the same-pagers to engage in intense diplomacy, are higher at 16 billion dollars than borrowings from the multilaterals, so the signers have taken aback seat you reckon?' 'Two things. First rollovers require a signature from our side and those who engage in diplomacy do not sign but the designated, selected or elected, signers and second don't think short term, think long term.' 'I don't understand.' 'The sum of our foreign loans, courtesy a lot many previous economic team signers, is way more than the rollovers today. I am not sure of the latest figures but I reckon that the total is 120 billion dollars plus.' 'Right, that long term is really long.' 'Yes, and our economic signers have never required anger management courses, and do you know why?' 'Because the technocrats selected never tear up a page.' 'Right, they just pray that the page turners would one day come back to the same page for a review.' 'Good strategy, perhaps that is a lesson to be learned by the politicians as well.' 'Not likely, see when they don't just tear up the page, they throw away the book.' 'The Man Who Must Remain Nameless and Faceless has been in jail more than two years and still hasn't learned……' 'Indeed, maybe he can take the anger management class that President Trump is reportedly organizing for Greta Thunberg whose aid ship for Gaza was seized by the Israelis…' 'Life is hard for the underdog where you are.' 'Profound indeed.' Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
Express Tribune
8 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Iran warns West, Israel over IAEA pressure ahead of new nuclear talks
Iran's 2015 accord with world powers—known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—imposed strict limits on uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. . PHOTO: PIXABAY Listen to article Iran has issued a stark warning to Western powers and Israel over what it calls an escalating campaign by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its backers, ahead of a planned sixth round of nuclear talks with the United States. Behrouz Kamalvandi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, said any further pressure from the West or the UN nuclear watchdog would provoke a 'proportionate' response. Speaking to Iranian state television late Monday, Kamalvandi stated that Iran may reduce its cooperation with the IAEA to basic levels. 'We have cooperated beyond our obligations. If that is not appreciated, we will scale back to normal cooperation,' he warned. Kamalvandi's remarks came as the IAEA Board of Governors opened a five-day session in Vienna, with Iran's nuclear programme at the centre of deliberations. The US, supported by France, Germany, and the UK—all signatories to the 2015 nuclear agreement—are backing a new censure resolution against Tehran for alleged non-compliance. Diplomats suggest the resolution could be the most serious in nearly two decades and may pave the way for a reactivation of the 2015 deal's 'snapback' mechanism, reinstating all UN sanctions lifted under the agreement. Iran's 2015 accord with world powers—known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—imposed strict limits on uranium enrichment in exchange for sanctions relief. The deal unravelled after former US President Donald Trump withdrew in 2018 and reimposed sweeping sanctions. Iran's nuclear authorities have long disputed the IAEA's findings, including the discovery of nuclear traces at undeclared sites, which Tehran blames on sabotage. Kamalvandi claimed on Monday that nuclear particles were planted, pointing to inspections at Turquzabad, a site near Tehran. 'Inspectors knew exactly where to look. It's obvious those who contaminated the site also gave them the coordinates,' he said. The intelligence that led to the IAEA's scrutiny reportedly came from a 2018 Israeli raid in Tehran, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later publicised as a major intelligence coup. In a twist to the ongoing standoff, Iranian officials this week claimed to have acquired a 'treasure trove' of classified documents allegedly exposing details of Israel's secretive nuclear weapons programme. While no documents have yet been released, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said the information would bolster the country's deterrence capability and enable 'immediate retaliation' if Israel were to strike Iranian nuclear sites. 'Any Israeli aggression will be met with proportionate attacks on their hidden nuclear facilities,' the council stated. Senior Iranian military and intelligence officials have echoed this position, calling the documents a strategic asset amid rising regional tensions, particularly following recent setbacks for Iran's allies in Gaza, Syria, and Lebanon. Iran has also directed criticism at IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, accusing him of political bias and alleging he is positioning himself for a future UN leadership role. Mohammad Eslami, Iran's top nuclear official, accused Grossi of acting on behalf of a 'few Western nations.' 'They give the orders, and he carries them out,' Eslami claimed. Grossi has denied the allegations, saying the IAEA is fulfilling its mandate to monitor nuclear activity impartially. Despite the sharp rhetoric, diplomatic channels remain active. The US and Iran are preparing for a sixth round of indirect negotiations, with the US delegation led by Trump envoy Steve Witkoff. Talks, mediated by Oman, are tentatively scheduled for Sunday, though Trump has stated Thursday as a possible start date. The talks have struggled to produce progress, primarily due to the unresolved dispute over uranium enrichment. Trump has recently shifted his stance from demanding Iran never develop a nuclear weapon to insisting on a complete halt to enrichment activities on Iranian soil. Tehran has consistently rejected this demand, asserting its sovereign right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes, including energy production and medical applications. However, Iran said this week it would soon present a counterproposal to Washington. Meanwhile, Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea is expected to meet with Witkoff ahead of the next round of talks, underscoring the high stakes and multi-front diplomacy surrounding Iran's nuclear file.
