Hamas Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar has been eliminated: Netanyahu
Mohammad Sinwar was elevated to the top ranks of the Palestinian militant group last year after Israel killed his brother Yahya in combat during the ongoing war in Gaza.
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Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Gaza civilians struggle as aid fails to reach north
Starving civilians caught in the chaos of food distribution in Gaza (Image credit: AP) Before the war, Hazem Lubbad was a university student, supporting his studies while working as a waiter at a restaurant in Gaza City. For the past 19 months, he has been hunkering down with his extended family in Sheikh Radwan, a neighbourhood in the northwest of Gaza City. Many neighboring areas, such as Beit Lahiya and Jabalia, have been ordered by the Israeli military to 'evacuate' and move south. The area faces constant Israeli airstrikes and shelling, residents say, as well as a desperate struggle to find enough food. Moving around the area is dangerous, too. "We eat whatever is available, one meal a day, from morning until late at night. Sometimes it is lentils; sometimes it is pasta," the 21-year-old Palestinian said in a video message from Gaza. Food has been in short supply throughout the war, Lubbad said. Now, some food has begun to trickle into Gaza after an 11-week blockade imposed by the Israeli government, but residents say it is still not reaching the north. Israel closed the crossings and halted all aid deliveries into Gaza on March 2. Israeli officials said that Hamas was stealing aid and using it to supply its own fighters, without providing evidence to support this claim. Hamas, which is in charge of Gaza, is considered a terrorist group by Israel, Germany, the US and several other countries. Civilians face daily struggle for food amid war: "There has been no flour for a month and a half to two months. A kilo of flour on the black-market costs 80–100 shekels (roughly €20-24 or $22-28), and the situation we are living in does not allow us to buy it," explained Lubbad, adding that no one in the family has a regular income anymore due to the war. Lubbad said that they had set up a basic solar-powered phone charging station where people could recharge their phones in exchange for money. "Without this money, there's no income," he said. This means that he cannot afford to buy much in the markets, where prices have skyrocketed. According to residents, some of the aid that recently entered Gaza was looted by desperate and hungry people. Others are selling food at inflated prices. Israel has not allowed foreign journalists into Gaza since it launched its war following the Hamas terror attacks in 2023, so DW often has to rely on talking to Gazans over the phone. Residents in the north are also watching with horror at the news of almost daily killings of people trying to reach food distribution sites in southern Gaza. These sites are run by a private American-Israeli company called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and secured by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF). The United Nations and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new food distribution system, arguing that it would be unable to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants and would allow Israel to use food as a means of controlling the population. There are no distribution sites in northern Gaza and for people in the north it would be too far and dangerous to get to them. The UN said it is permitted to bring in a limited number of trucks with flour, which is only allowed by Israel to be distributed to bakeries, as well as some other supplies, such as medical items and baby food. UN-OCHA speaks of 'deprivation by design': " It is engineered scarcity," said Jonathan Whittall, head of UN-OCHA, in a briefing with journalists in Jerusalem last week, adding that aid should reach all civilians wherever they are — and should not be limited. "This new scheme is surveillance-based rationing that legitimizes a policy of deprivation by design. And it comes at a time when people in Gaza, half of whom are children, are facing a crisis of survival. " There is a widespread shortage of food as well as clean water and cooking gas. People resort to burning rubbish or pieces of wood salvaged from bombed-out buildings to cook. On Tuesday, in another of such incident, news agencies, quoting local officials, reported there had been 27 deaths after Israeli forces opened fire near an aid center. People have to walk for many miles to reach these sites, which are located near Israeli militarized zones. Earlier on Tuesday, the IDF put out a statement. "During the movement of the crowd along the designated routes toward the aid distribution site — approximately half a kilometer from the site — IDF troops identified several suspects moving toward them, deviating from the designated access routes," it said. "The troops carried out warning fire, and after the suspects failed to retreat, additional shots were directed near a few individual suspects who advanced toward the troops. " It added that the military is "aware of reports regarding casualties, and the details of the incident are being looked into." The military also said that it "allows the American Civil Organization (GHF) to operate independently in order to enable the distribution of aid to the Gazan residents — and not to Hamas." The International Red Cross (ICRC) said that its field hospital in Rafah had received "a mass casualty influx of 184 patients" on Tuesday morning. Nineteen cases were declared dead upon arrival, the statement said, and eight died shortly after. The majority of cases had suffered gunshot wounds. What is happening at the new distribution points for aid? Last week, DW spoke to a young man who had been displaced in southern Gaza and who had managed to obtain two food boxes from a GHF distribution point. "Anyone could carry as much as they could. There were no instructions about the number, no checks, or anything," Muhammad Qishta said by phone, adding that the boxes contained rice, sugar, flour, halva (sweet sesame paste), oil, biscuits, and pasta. "Since there were no clear instructions about which streets to take to get in and out of the area, some people entered streets they didn't know were off-limits, and there was gunfire. I ran quickly and didn't see anything, but I heard the sound of gunfire," 30-year-old Qishta said. In Sheikh Radwan in northern Gaza, Hazem Lubbad and his relatives are staying put. They do not want to leave their area because "everywhere is the same bad situation. Everywhere is dangerous." For now, Lubbad said they have also resorted to grinding pasta and lentils to make bread. "We make 20 pieces of pita bread daily and divide them among 13 people. Each person gets one or two pieces of bread per day. This helps us until we find something else to eat." Until recently, they were also able to buy dukkah, a spice mixture used as a dip for bread, but it is running low. The canned food they stocked up on when it was available has also run out, Lubbad said. "For the children, it is extremely difficult," he said. "One meal a day is simply not enough, but there is no food for more than one meal."
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Spain cancels purchase of Israeli anti-tank missiles: reports
Representative image (AI) MADRID: Spain, which has strongly criticised Israel's offensive in Gaza, has cancelled a contract to buy 168 firing posts and 1,680 anti-tank missiles from Israeli defence company Rafael, Spanish media reported Wednesday. The deal was worth 287.5 million euros ($327 million), according to top-selling daily Spanish newspaper El Pais, which cited unnamed government sources. The equipment was to be manufactured in Spain under licence from Rafael. Spanish defence ministry sources told AFP that the government "has begun a process to revoke licences of Israeli origin" and was working to redirect its procurement programmes "with the goal of achieving greater technological independence and autonomy". Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's criticisms of the offensive in Gaza infuriated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government last year by recognising a Palestinian state. In late April, Spain cancelled a contract to buy bullets from another Israeli company, IMI Systems, following pressure from the Socialist-led government's far-left coalition partner Sumar a move swiftly condemned by Israel. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Soluções de energia de confiança para Data Centers de IA Siemens Energy Learn More Undo Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz, the founder of Sumar, said at the time that Spain could not engage in "business with a genocidal government... that is massacring the Palestinian people". Sanchez's government said it halted weapons transactions with Israel after the start of the war following Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. But according to Centre Delas, a Barcelona-based think tank specialising in security and defence, the government has granted 46 contracts worth more than 1 billion euros to Israeli companies based on data published on a public tenders platform.
India Today
8 hours ago
- India Today
Indian students are rushing to delete posts for US visa, but that's risky too
Manya (name changed on request), who was selected for a master's programme at an Ivy League university, deleted her Instagram and LinkedIn profiles after her visa counsellor warned her that the political posts could put her visa at risk. Diljeet (name changed on request) turned his handles to private settings. Manya and Diljeet are among the growing number of Indian students who aren't just deleting their posts, but removing their social media accounts altogether. This comes amid growing anxiety among Indian students as the Trump administration plans to mandate social media vetting for all international students seeking to study in the that their political views, jokes, or activism might be misinterpreted during visa interviews, Indian students are proactively avoiding any potential risks by scrubbing their digital footprints. Many applicants fear that even seemingly harmless posts, such as political opinions or casual comments, could be misinterpreted during the visa review counsellors, however, suggest that sudden deletion of content might raise red flags as well. They also warn that even liking or sharing content considered illegal could lead to visa rejections by US authorities. Education consultants are stressing the significance of having a responsible digital footprint to avoid any problem. Another expert said what constitutes "objectionable" content remains vague; he suggests that content related to pro-Palestinian views or perceived anti-American sentiments are likely to invite extra vetting involves reviewing a visa applicant's online presence and activity to assess their suitability for entry into the US. This includes screening of social media platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and TikTok, among move is viewed as part of the broader efforts under the Trump administration to tighten scrutiny of international students, especially in the aftermath of widespread pro-Palestine demonstrations and anti-Semitic incidents on US college campuses last year. The protests took place after Israel pounded Gaza after the October 7, 2023, Hamas THE SMALLEST HINT OF POLITICAL ACTIVISM CAN HARM STUDENTS: EXPERTMamta Shekhawat, founder of said that even the smallest hint of political or violent activism might lead to the rejection of a US visa, and that has led many Indian students to delete posts or social media accounts."Immigration authorities require student visa applicants to provide their social media handles for the previous five years, allowing them to make character evaluations and determine whether and how the applicant's professional and academic background matches the visa objectives," Shekhawat told India Today out that most people don't give much thought about humorous posts, Shekhawat also said, "Such casual approach would not be deemed appropriate across borders. Even the smallest hint of political or violent activism, or controversial remarks, can be counted as suspicious when piled together during the scrutiny of the visa application."Shekhawat gave the example of Manya, who deleted her social media profiles after she was advised that the political posts could put her visa at who want to study in the US should be encouraged to routinely check their digital footprints, Shekhawat said."However, experts warn that suddenly deleting content might raise red flags. Hence, the advice is to strive for a balance between authenticity and aspirational online behaviour," she further students need to be careful about what they post because patches of deletion might become evident during the vetting process and might raise vetting becomes easy with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) US government is already using AI technology to identify and cancel visas of foreign students who "appear to support" Hamas and other designated terror programme to spy on international students with AI tech is being led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, senior State Department officials told Axios in said students should showcase academic goals and a global mindset through mindful, balanced social media use."Achievement and education milestones, active community roles should be shared openly to aid in impression formation. It is also important to check and tighten privacy settings but not to the extent that one seems overly guarded or shrouded in secrecy," she COMMENTING, AND SHARING TOO CAN HURT VISA CHANCESAnother expert, Meenal Damani, an education consultant, said not only posting content, but even liking, commenting and sharing posts related to activities considered illegal under US law could lead to visa rejection."Don't like, comment on, or share posts that could be misinterpreted. Refrain from joining, posting about, or engaging with political movements online. Even sharing someone else's opinion can be viewed as an endorsement," she told India Today what content can be called "objectionable" still remains vague, said Sanjog Anand, co-founder of Rostrum Education. According to Anand, pro-Palestinian views or perceived anti-American sentiments could particularly invite extra scrutiny."What can be deemed objectionable ranges from political opinions and controversial jokes to posts about protests or criticism of US policies," Anand told India Today STUDENT DELETED LINKEDIN OVER POLITICAL POSTSA student reportedly deleted his LinkedIn account as he was very vocal about global politics."One of the first things I did when I applied for my student visa was to delete my LinkedIn profile," said Suraj (name changed on request), recently selected for a master's programme at an Ivy League university, The Indian Express LinkedIn was pretty vocal about world politics. My visa counsellor said this could put me in trouble, so I decided to delete it," the student who was active in student politics during his undergraduate years, said he left activism after applying for a student visa. "As soon as I applied, I stopped attending protests. Even a single picture online could lead to my visa being rejected," The Indian Express quoted him as INDIAN STUDENT TURNS SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS PRIVATEA PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) began wiping his social media presence weeks after a US university paused his post-doctoral appointment. Deleted posts included pro-Palestine content, Gaza casualty figures, and an article on rising right-wing authoritarianism, The Print he is still not sure whether it was enough to get the visa and now he is mulling deleting his Facebook and Instagram profiles as well."You don't know what will offend them," said the life sciences scholar from West Bengal, referring to US immigration authorities, he was quoted as saying. He said he had uninstalled several apps from his Shekhawat shared with India Today Digital how another student, Diljeet, who was selected for a bachelor's programme in the US, was trying to steer clear of student, Diljeet, switched his social media accounts to a private setting, limiting their visibility to only those he chooses to add as times need desperate measures. As the US goes in for tight social media scrutiny, Indian students planning to study in the US are not only deleting their posts but their accounts as well. But this could be counterproductive. So, it is always better to be safe from the very beginning with public posts as our social media accounts are considered an extension of ourselves these days.
