Latest news with #Bitan
Middle East Eye
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israeli army slaughters 262 crocodiles in West Bank 'killing valley'
The Israeli army has killed 262 crocodiles that were being kept in a farm in the occupied West Bank near the illegal settlement of Petzael. According to the Civil Administration, the Israeli military unit responsible for controlling the West Bank, the Nile crocodiles posed a risk to the public due to negligence. Nile crocodiles have been considered a protected species since 2013. Farm owner Danny Bitan told Kan 11 that the military created "some kind of killing valley'. 'They just slaughtered them," he told the public broadcaster. The farm in the Jordan Valley was established in the 1990s and closed to visitors during the 2000-05 Second Intifada. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Other crocodiles were found dead at the scene when soldiers arrived to kill the reptiles last week. "The decision was made on the basis of urgent opinions by veterinary experts that the Nile crocodiles on the farm are kept in the abandoned compound in poor conditions that constitute animal abuse, and without sufficient access to food, which has pushed them into cannibalistic behaviour," the Civil Administration said. A security source told Israeli news site Ynet that the farm's owner refused to secure the compound and therefore the farm posed a "significant risk to the settlement". According to Bitan, there were about 800 crocodiles on the farm. Bitan told Haaretz that Civil Administration personnel arrived at the farm in Petzael, about 20km north of Jericho, drained the water of the lake they lived in, shot hundreds of crocodiles, and then loaded them onto trucks. "The Civil Administration didn't help me find a solution," Bitan told Haaretz. "I already had an agreement with a company in Morocco to transfer the crocodiles to a tourist park in the country, but it didn't come to fruition because of the war," Bitan added. "Recently there was another country with which I was about to reach an agreement. But the Civil Administration decided to break into a private place and do what they wanted." The farm was a tourist attraction and also used for the production and sale of crocodile skins abroad. According to Channel 12 News, until the early 2000s, about 3,000 crocodiles were imported to the farm. A security source told Channel 12 that until the Nile crocodile became a protected animal, Bitan slaughtered the crocodiles. After the law was changed, hundreds of crocodiles remained in his possession. "Until 2013, Bitan would slaughter the crocodiles for money. As soon as he realised he couldn't make any more money from them, he stopped taking care of the farm," the source said. Dead crocodiles could be seen strewn around the farm alongside bullet cases (Mako) In a report broadcast on Kan 11, crocodile carcasses and bullet cases can be seen scattered around the farm. The farm's manager, Bassem Salah, told Kan 11 that the Civil Administration and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority broke into the farm in the morning and took his phone so that he could not alert Bitan. Let the Animals Live, an Israeli animal protection organisation, attacked the military's decision to kill the crocodiles. "This is a violent and cruel killing of animals that defies all moral standards," it said. "This is an act that grossly violates Israel's international obligations to protect animals and the Animal Protection Law. An investigation must be carried out immediately to understand who gave the order and who approved it."
Roya News
05-08-2025
- Roya News
'Israel' kills 200 crocodiles in West Bank
'Israeli' authorities have euthanized more than 200 Nile crocodiles at a farm in a West Bank settlement, citing a "danger" to residents, according to the 'Israeli' Civil Administration. The action was met with rejection from the farm's owner and drew criticism from animal welfare organizations. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) stated that the crocodiles "were held in an abandoned cage in horrific conditions that fall under animal abuse, with insufficient access to food, which drove them to cannibalism." The Civil Administration, which did not specify how the animals were killed, said it concluded after discussions with veterinary experts that the "real danger to the lives of the residents in the area must be dealt with immediately." The crocodile farm, located in the settlement of Peza'el in the Jordan Valley, opened in the 1990s. It became a commercial farm after visitor numbers declined following the Second Intifada. In 2013, a law banning the breeding of wild animals for their hides led to its closure, and it has since been abandoned. The farm's owner, Gadi Bitan, told the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth that he was not informed in advance of the killings, which were carried out Sunday. Bitan, who has managed the farm for 30 years, called it a "clear execution," and said that one of his employees had his cell phone confiscated during the operation. "These animals were in good health, they were getting food, and no serious incident has been reported at the farm," Bitan claimed. The 'Israeli' animal welfare organization "Let the Animals Live" condemned the incident, calling it a "horrific and unjustified massacre of protected animals." The organization noted that 'Israel' is a party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and demanded an immediate investigation. Videos published last spring showed 'Israeli' teenagers throwing stones at the crocodiles at the farm. Since the farm's official closure, there have been reports that some crocodiles have escaped on several occasions, causing concern among residents and visitors in nearby nature reserves.
Time of India
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
It's the beginning, want end of terror: Pahalgam victims' kin
Kolkata: Families of Pahalgam victims hailed the security forces after three terrorists involved in the April 22 terror attack were gunned down in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'But this was just the beginning' as they believe only 'complete eradication' of cross-border terrorism will deliver justice in its true sense. Morever, for most, the 'loss is irreplaceable.' Security forces claimed that Suleiman Shah, a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist—believed to be the mastermind—was also among the militants killed in the operation, codenamed Operation Mahadev. Sabari Guha, whose husband, Samir Guha—a former central govt statistics officer—was killed by the terrorists at Baisaran Valley barely 15 minutes after arriving there, said she was indebted to the Indian Armed Forces, the J&K Police, and the CRPF. "Operation Sindoor was a large-scale retaliation against the attack by the Indian govt. It was a success, and I hailed the forces back then too. But this news has been a bigger relief. All the 26 families who lost their dear ones will feel some solace, a little amount of closure, a little lessening of the pain we suffered. I wish to congratulate all the forces for their intelligence connection and valour. There could not have been a fitter reply," said Guha, congratulating the forces. Guha said she was hopeful others involved in the incident would be nabbed soon. "The work to eradicate all terrorists involved in the attack from across the border must go on. Only when the terrorists are completely eliminated, complete justice will be served. We were mere tourists who were targeted for the first time. I do not want even the local Kashmiris or our armed forces to be targeted at any point in time. My country should and will remain safe for all," she said. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Still coming to terms with the loss, Soheni Adhikary—widow of Florida-based software engineer Bitan— said she wanted to erase the haunting memories of the fateful day. Bitan had returned to India for a vacation to Srinagar with Soheni and their three-and-a-half-year-old son, Hridaan. "I am no longer in the right frame of mind to comment on these developments. No news excites me anymore. No news can lessen the pain of losing Bitan," Soheni said over the phone. She broke down during the conversation.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Time of India
Justice for entire country, not just for myself: Patuli survivor
1 2 3 Kolkata: "I miss and feel the pain of losing Bitan every day," says Soheni Adhikary , her voice trembling as she remembers her late husband, Bitan Adhikary, a Florida-based techie from Patuli who was among the 26 persons killed in a terror attack at Pahalgam in Kashmir on April 22. A month after the cold blooded killing of her husband by terrorists who turned the picturesque meadow in Pahalgam into a killing field, Soheni is still unable to put the pieces together and move on. "It still feels unreal. I can't describe how broken and helpless I've felt from within since that horrific day. One month has passed since that day but I feel his absence every single moment and each day without him seems like eternity," Soheni said while breaking down over the phone call. Bitan, who settled in Florida in 2019, was on a much-awaited vacation to Srinagar with his wife and three-and-a-half-year-old son Hridaan, on coming back to India. In an earlier interaction, Soheni narrated in detail to TOI how the peaceful getaway turned into a nightmare when they had to flee with their toddler amid gunfire, hiding with others. Terrorists confronted Bitan, asked his religion, ordered him to recite Kalma, and shot him dead when he admitted being Hindu. Dressed in Pathan suits, Soheni said they filmed the attack. After Bitan collapsed, Soheni tried CPR and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation but couldn't save him. Speaking to TOI on Wednesday, Soheni said she doesn't want to recall the day but admitted that the nightmarish memories are still fresh in her mind. "The sight of Bitan's lifeless body keeps coming before me every moment. They just refuse to go," she said. A week after the attack, NIA visited Kolkata and collected her statement. When asked if the investigators are keeping her in the loop with the developments of the investigation, she said she wouldn't like to discuss the same. Following the Operation Sindoor counter-terrorism action by India, Soheni thanked the govt for avenging her husband's death. She said that the govt action could have brought the much-needed solace to her dead husband's soul. However, there has been no public information about any of those terrorists directly part of the ambush being arrested or killed yet. "It doesn't matter if a month, a week, or a year has passed. All I want is justice, not just for Bitan but for every innocent life lost," she said on Wednesday.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'RIP Bitan. No one else's sindoor should be wiped away like mine': Wife of US-based techie
'My sindoor was wiped off by terror. As the govt avenges his death, I am sure my husband is watching somewhere from above today" KOLKATA: "My sindoor was wiped off by terror. As the govt avenges his death, I am sure my husband is watching somewhere from above today and his soul can finally rest in peace," said Soheni Adhikari (37), wife of Florida-based techie and Patuli resident Bitan, on Wednesday. This was hours after India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 on April (40), a software engineer based in Kolkata who worked in Brandon, Florida, was among the three victims from Bengal who died in the terrorist attack at Baisaran Valley - a tourist spot often called "Mini Switzerland" for its picturesque earlier told TOI that one of the gunmen stuck the gun's nozzle between Bitan's shoulder and chest and asked him to read a Kalma - the six Islamic phrases of faith, which are fundamental prayers that Muslims often recite, particularly in religious teachings and daily practice. When he failed to do so, and identified himself as a Hindu, he was shot."I and all others who lost their loved ones on April 22 had just one wish - we wanted justice. That is all we wanted from the govt, and today, the govt has taken that action and served justice," she said on widow, and mother of one, Soheni appreciated the name Operation Sindoor. For her, and the families of the other victims, justice was the only balm that could ease the unbearable pain. On Wednesday, they saw the first signs of that justice."I had faith in the govt, and today, they've delivered. I am especially moved that they named the operation after what I lost - my sindoor," she said, hands folded in gratitude, voice choked with Bitan's home, relief mixed with sorrow. Bitan's ageing father, Bireshwar, who was unwell, reportedly found new strength after hearing of India's action. "He was glued to the news since morning," said Shankar Chakraborty, Bitan's uncle. "For the first time in days, he looked alert. The family thanks the govt for acting decisively."Since the attack, Soheni has struggled with trauma and depression, relying on medication and therapy. "She's shattered and is regularly dependent on medication now," said her brother-in-law. "Even little Hridaan needs counselling. This loss has scarred us forever. But today's news has brought a flicker of peace."Even in her grief, Soheni made a heartfelt appeal for peace. "I do not support war. War means more innocent blood. I just want to request the govt to ensure that no other woman loses her sindoor like I did."
