Latest news with #Galid
Saudi Gazette
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Israel starts flying home citizens stranded abroad during conflict with Iran
TEL AVIV — Israel has started flying home citizens stranded overseas during the conflict with Iran, with two flights from Cyprus landing in Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning. Israel's airspace has been closed since the country launched a surprise airstrike campaign against Iran on Friday. Iran has retaliated with hundreds of drones and missiles. A total of 13 repatriation flights were scheduled on Wednesday from Larnaca to Israel, with nine to Haifa and four to Tel Aviv, according to an airport operator in Cyprus. Israel's transport ministry says that up to 150,000 Israelis are currently outside the country, about a third of whom are trying to return home. Many Israelis stranded abroad have ended up in Cyprus, which is the closest EU country to Israel. The jets of Israel's three airlines have been moved to Larnaca since the conflict with Iran began last week. The conflict has forced most countries in the Middle East to close their airspace. Dozens of airports have halted all flights or significantly reduced operations, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and others unable to flee the conflict or return home. At least 400 Israeli citizens are reported to be stranded along Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. One of those tourists, Galid, told Euronews that she did not know when she and her family would be able to return home to Israel. "We can't go back now. We can't. We'll have to stay here with the children and wait. Nothing can be done right now. That's it. It's war," Galid said. Two other tourists, Eden and Itai, stated that they had ruled out the possibility of flying to Jordan or Egypt and then entering Israel through the land border because they had a young child. The hotels where the stranded Israelis are staying in Bulgaria have been placed under increased police presence and security measures in recent days. Israel's national carrier El Al has said it intends to operate dozens of flights to repatriate Israelis from various European capitals such as Athens, Rome and Paris. Smaller carrier Arkia will fly back Israeli citizens from Greece, Cyprus and Montenegro, while Israir is operating flights for the country's stranded tourists from Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria. However, passenger flights are still not departing from Israel, which means that tens of thousands of tourists are currently stranded in the country. Israeli airstrikes hit Iran's capital Tehran overnight and into Wednesday morning, as Iran launched a small barrage of missiles at Israel with no reports of casualties. The attacks between the bitter rivals have opened a new chapter in their turbulent recent history. Many in the region fear a wider conflict as they watch waves of missiles fly across their skies every night. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group, Human Rights Activists, says at least 585 people, including 239 civilians, have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded by Israel's strikes on Iran. Since Friday, Iran has fired about 400 missiles and hundreds of drones in retaliatory strikes that have killed at least 24 people in Israel, all civilians, and wounded hundreds, according to Israeli authorities. — Euronews
Euronews
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Israel starts flying home citizens stuck abroad during Iran conflict
Israel has started flying home citizens stranded overseas during the conflict with Iran, with two flights from Cyprus landing in Tel Aviv on Wednesday morning. Israel's airspace has been closed since the country launched a surprise airstrike campaign against Iran on Friday. Iran has retaliated with hundreds of drones and missiles. A total of 13 repatriation flights were scheduled on Wednesday from Larnaca to Israel, with nine to Haifa and four to Tel Aviv, according to an airport operator in Cyprus. Israel's transport ministry says that up to 150,000 Israelis are currently outside the country, about a third of whom are trying to return home. Many Israelis stranded abroad have ended up in Cyprus, which is the closest EU country to Israel. The jets of Israel's three airlines have been moved to Larnaca since the conflict with Iran began last week. The conflict has forced most countries in the Middle East to close their airspace. Dozens of airports have halted all flights or significantly reduced operations, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded and others unable to flee the conflict or return home. At least 400 Israeli citizens are reported to be stranded along Bulgaria's Black Sea coast. One of those tourists, Galid, told Euronews that she did not know when she and her family would be able to return home to Israel. "We can't go back now. We can't. We'll have to stay here with the children and wait. Nothing can be done right now. That's it. It's war," Galid said. Two other tourists, Eden and Itai, stated that they had ruled out the possibility of flying to Jordan or Egypt and then entering Israel through the land border because they had a young child. The hotels where the stranded Israelis are staying in Bulgaria have been placed under increased police presence and security measures in recent days. Israel's national carrier El Al has said it intends to operate dozens of flights to repatriate Israelis from various European capitals such as Athens, Rome and Paris. Smaller carrier Arkia will fly back Israeli citizens from Greece, Cyprus and Montenegro, while Israir is operating flights for the country's stranded tourists from Cyprus, Greece and Bulgaria. However, passenger flights are still not departing from Israel, which means that tens of thousands of tourists are currently stranded in the country. Israeli airstrikes hit Iran's capital Tehran overnight and into Wednesday morning, as Iran launched a small barrage of missiles at Israel with no reports of casualties. The attacks between the bitter rivals have opened a new chapter in their turbulent recent history. Many in the region fear a wider conflict as they watch waves of missiles fly across their skies every night. A Washington-based Iranian human rights group, Human Rights Activists, says at least 585 people, including 239 civilians, have been killed and more than 1,300 wounded by Israel's strikes on Iran. Since Friday, Iran has fired about 400 missiles and hundreds of drones in retaliatory strikes that have killed at least 24 people in Israel, all civilians, and wounded hundreds, according to Israeli authorities. An EU law aiming to establish minimum common standards for breeding and keeping cats and dogs in the bloc leaves loopholes in online trading and risks continued use of so-called "puppy mills" in which babies are chained up, MEPs and NGOs have warned. In December 2023 the European Commission proposed the law to regulate a market it estimates generates €1.3 billion each year, in order to improve traceability of cats and dogs across Europe, as well as banning controversial practices such as ear cropping. EU ministers adopted their position on the proposal last year, and the European Parliament is now expected to vote on the matter on Thursday in Strasbourg, paving the way for final negotiations between the institutions before agreement can be reached on a final text. Under the new rules all pets would need to be identified using electronic microchip transponders before entering the market to reduce fraud and enable better enforcement of animal welfare standards. The legislation does not require online platforms to verify pet listings before they are published, however, despite the fact that most illegal pet trade happens online. Only nine EU countries currently require sellers to meet basic standards to sell pets online. This gap allows illegal sellers to post listings anonymously, bypass licensing, and avoid identification checks. A set of amendments has been filed by MEPs to address this specific issue. Advocacy groups would like lawmakers to implement a simple but effective verification system similar to a credit card check to ensure online sellers are traceable and accountable. A related problem is the common practice of sellers posing as 'private individuals' to sidestep regulations. This avoids mandatory health checks, registration, and taxes, enabling a large underground market to flourish. Another contentious issue is a proposed exemption for breeders with three litters or fewer. Animal welfare groups warn this could exclude roughly 80% of all breeders from oversight, many of whom operate without proper regulation. Just one unregulated breeder can produce up to 100 puppies or kittens over an animal's lifetime, according to Eurogroup for Animals. France alone has an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 amateur breeders, many producing at least one litter per year. Without regulation, these animals risk being raised in unsanitary or unethical conditions, including so-called 'puppy mills', where animals are sometimes kept in chains, according to the NGO. Some MEPs are calling for these exemptions to be removed. Animal welfare organisation Four Paws urged lawmakers to ensure all breeders, regardless of size, comply with identification, registration, and basic welfare rules. 'No exceptions, and full traceability in online sales. In short, this regulation must live up to its own objectives,' said Georgia Diamantopoulou from Four Paws. A final blind spot in the legislation is its limited scope: microchipping and registration only apply to animals placed on the market. This excludes stray and free-roaming animals, leaving shelters to deal with the fallout. Animal shelters across Europe are facing overcrowding situations and are under-resourced, meaning they will receive even greater strain due to unregistered pets and the continued consequences of unregulated breeding and trade. 'To effectively combat the illegal pet trade and protect animal welfare, EU rules must apply to all cat and dog breeders, including small and amateur ones,' said Iza Arriet from Eurogroup for Animals, who added that illegal trade often comes from breeders who cut corners and ignore welfare standards.
