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Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Hamas Ally Calls on Group to Accept ‘Partial' Ceasefire in Gaza
A representative of a left-wing faction fighting alongside the Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza has told Newsweek his group is open to a temporary ceasefire in their war with Israel and called for greater efforts to establish a unity government among different Palestinian parties. Amid an apparent deadlock in Israel-Hamas negotiations being mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) issued a statement on Friday urging Hamas "to intensify efforts, in cooperation with the Arab mediators, to reach an agreement to halt the aggression—even if only for 60 days." The message, which emphasized "the grave dangers our people face if an immediate ceasefire is not achieved," came as Hamas said it was consulting with its allies on the path forward in talks. Hamas has demanded a deal that would provide stronger guarantees toward a lasting cessation of hostilities, a position the U.S. and Israel have dismissed. Speaking with Newsweek on Thursday, DFLP Political Bureau member Motasem Hamada explained that this statement "was an attempt by us to reach a 'partial step' that would guarantee a ceasefire, open the crossings, and meet the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza because we observed that living conditions had worsened and that the specter of famine was beginning to loom large." "Our call to Hamas coincided with other positions with which Hamas consulted," Hamada said, "and based on this position, it formulated its position, which was rejected by the Israelis and the Americans." Ultimately, Hamada said, the group seeks a solution based on United Nations Security Council resolution 2735, the measure put to a vote Wednesday and vetoed by the U.S., and is fighting to secure new governance that would include both top Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, which leads the West Bank-based Palestinian National Authority. "We want an immediate ceasefire, unconditional aid for our people in the Gaza Strip (food, medicine, fuel, infrastructure, medical care, etc.), an Israeli withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip, a meaningful prisoner exchange, and the return of the Gaza Strip to the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority under the administration of a national unity government." "This requires convincing both Fatah and Hamas," Hamada said, "and this is what we are working on." Newsweek has reached out to Hamas for comment. Newsweek also reached out to the IDF for comment. The DFLP was established in 1969 as a splinter of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which was created two years earlier. Like the PFLP, the DFLP was organized along Marxist-Leninist lines, though its founders expressed opposition to the original group's embrace of Arab nationalist ideas and high-profile attacks as opposed to revolutionary ideology and mass mobilization. The DFLP has also been linked to major attacks against Israel and joined both the PFLP and Hamas in criticizing the 1990s Oslo peace accords. By this time, Hamas and its Islamist outlook had begun to eclipse the traditional left-wing and nationalist orientations of leading Palestinian parties, leading to its victory in the 2005 elections that paved the way for its 2007 takeover of Gaza in a violent clash with Fatah. Numerous attempts have been made to mend the Fatah-Hamas rivalry, including a dialogue hosted last June among Palestinian factions hosted by China, though without a breakthrough. Hamas today remains the most dominant group in Gaza, though a number of other influential factions continue to operate there. And while vast ideological differences exist among the groups in Gaza, the DFLP participated directly in the October 7, 2023, attack against Israel that sparked the current war. Israeli officials say around 1,200 people were killed in the surprise Palestinian assault and 251 taken hostages, 58 of are believed to still be in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has estimated that more than 54,600 people have been killed amid the Israeli operations that ensued. Meanwhile, the DFLP's armed wing, known as the National Resistance Brigades or Martyr Omar Al-Qassem Forces, continues to conduct joint operations against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). National Resistance Brigades spokesperson Abu Khaled claimed on Monday the detonation of an explosive device targeting a gathering of Israeli troops near a bulldozer in the town of Al-Qara, north of Khan Younis. The U.S. proposal, a draft of which was obtained by Newsweek, outlines a 60-day ceasefire, during which Hamas would release 10 living and 18 deceased hostages in exchange for 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the bodies of 180 dead Palestinians held by Israel in two transfers conducted on the first and seventh days of the truce period. In addition to resuming the flow of international humanitarian aid into Gaza, the proposal also called for the initiation of new negotiations aimed at achieving a permanent ceasefire. The deal does not, however, provide a U.S. guarantee that Israel would agree to a final resolution, something for which Hamas has repeatedly called. "Upon careful examination, it is clear that the Israeli response fundamentally seeks to entrench the occupation and perpetuate policies of killing and starvation, even during what is supposed to be a period of temporary de-escalation," Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson Basem Naim said in a statement shared with Newsweek last Tuesday. "The response fails to meet any of the just and legitimate demands of our people," he added, "among them an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza." Following criticism of Hamas' position by President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who is presiding over the talks, as well as the DFLP's plea, Naim clarified in a follow-up statement on Saturday that his rejection was aimed at Israel's position, not the U.S. proposal itself. "We now responded positively and responsibly in a manner that fulfilled the minimum of demands and aspirations of our people, (1st to guarantee the 60 days of cease fire will be respected by Israel and proper and sufficient influx of aid into Gaza, 2nd guarantees for negotiations that leads to end the war on Gaza)," Naim said at the time. The United Nations and a growing number of international powers have also demanded an immediate ceasefire without conditions, with 14 of the 15 representatives at the Security Council gathering Wednesday voting in favor of the measure, leaving the U.S. as the sole opponent. While Israel and Hamas fail to reach a resolution in the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations being held in Qatar, questions continue to surround the future of Gaza even in the event that hostilities are halted. The U.S. and Israel have stated that Hamas must be removed from power. The two allies have rallied behind President Donald Trump's vision for the U.S. to assume control of Gaza in order to pursue reconstruction, real estate development and the resettlement of the territory's roughly two million residents, a proposal rejected by all Palestinian parties as well as the region and other major powers. In March interviews with Newsweek, Israeli Deputy Consul General in New York Tsach Saar said that neither Hamas nor Israel, which previously occupied Gaza from 1967 through 2005, would be in control of the territory in the long run. "It's not for us to determine who is going to be there the day after [the war is over]," Saar told Newsweek on Monday. "We are making sure that it's not going to be Hamas. And when Hamas is defeated, we will have to work together with our allies, with regional the countries, surrounding countries, neighboring countries to find a solution for the day after." "But as long as Hamas is there, and unfortunately, it is still alive and kicking, kicking its own people, of course, also it is hard to work on the day after," he added. "But now we're focused on the mission of elimination as Hamas is the organization that is controlling the Gaza Strip both militarily and in governance." Hamada, for his part, said that "the 'day after' in the Gaza Strip is of great concern to us in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, as it is an integral part of the territory of the Palestinian state recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 67/19, based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital." He argued that some progress was made toward achieving a united for bringing Gaza back under a joint Palestinian government during the conference held in China last June but argued that the Palestinian National Authority continued to hold out for fear of the international backlash over bringing Hamas back into the fold. "We succeeded in the Palestinian National Dialogue in Beijing in June of last year in formulating a comprehensive national position based on the formation of a national consensus government composed of competent, independent and competent Palestinian national figures, providing the necessary resources to manage the affairs of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and cooperate with the official Arab framework for the reconstruction of the Strip," Hamada said. "It is clear that the decision did not take effect, but rather stalled, due to the refusal of the official Palestinian leadership in Ramallah to form a national consensus government, lest it anger Israel and the United States, given that Hamas remains on the terrorist list." The U.S. State Department removed the DFLP's terrorist organization designation in 1999, "primarily because of the absence of terrorist activity, as defined by relevant law," for at least two years. Without a Palestinian mandate, Hamada said the DFLP was not opposed to the proposal drawn up by Egypt and endorsed by the Arab League in March as an alternative to Trump's plan. This framework would establish an administrative committee comprised of independent Palestinian experts tasked with leading Gaza until the territory could be handed back to a reformed Palestinian National Authority. "We did not take a negative stance on this idea, as we believe there is still a chance to form a national unity government and reach a comprehensive national position, centered on a government agreed upon by all factions," Hamada said. "This would block the remaining solutions proposed by American President Trump or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu." U.S. and Israeli officials have, however, dismissed the Arab initiative, arguing that it did not sufficiently address the realities on the ground in Gaza. While much of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is centered around the events in Gaza, the broader war has reverberated across the region. Iran-aligned factions in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen all joined the battle from abroad in support of Hamas, with the Islamic Republic itself also twice exchanging direct fire with Israel as tensions boiled over. Amid the unrest, and just as Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement signed a ceasefire, an Islamist-led coalition of insurgents launched a surprise attack in Syria. The lightning offensive ultimately toppled President Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally of Iran, as well as the DFLP, which maintains a presence in Syria. The rise of Syria's new leader, Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda associate who has renounced jihadi ties in recent years, has brought new uncertainties over the country's role in the region. While facing regular Israeli air and ground attacks, Sharaa has called for easing tensions with Israel and has even opened the door for potentially normalizing ties, though Israeli officials have expressed skepticism. At the same time, the new Syrian government has reportedly cracked down on several Palestinian factions involved in the war in Gaza, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad and another PFLP splinter, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command. Hamada, however, stated that the DFLP has maintained its relationship with the new rulers of Damascus and expects to do so for the foreseeable future. "With the new political regime in Damascus, our situation, as a democratic front, remains the same," Hamada said. "We did not interfere during the era of President Assad, nor did we interfere during the era of President Sharaa. We have been refugees in Syria since 1948, and we do not have any military formations in Syria." "Our headquarters, clubs, and social centers engage in social work, serving youth, women, and children, and defending the right of return for Palestinian refugees under Resolution 194," he added. "Our headquarters remained as they were before December 8, 2024, and we have not perceived any negative positions toward the Democratic Front from the new political regime." He attributed this position to the DFLP having taken "the correct position" in Syria's civil war that erupted in 2011, having "refused to drown in Syrian blood and we have refused for our Palestinian people in Syria to be a party to Syrian disputes." "We have a cause: the Palestinian cause," Hamada said, "and these are the political borders within which we operate." Related Articles Greta Thunberg Boat Tracker as 'Freedom Flotilla' Sails Toward GazaHamas Says US Ceasefire Veto Violates 'American Values'Israel Fears Arms Race in Fight to Remain Middle East's Only Nuclear PowerHamas Accuses Israel of Setting 'Death Traps' at US-Backed Gaza Aid Sites 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
5 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Hamas Ally Calls on Group to Accept 'Partial' Ceasefire in Gaza
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. A representative of a left-wing faction fighting alongside the Islamist Hamas movement in Gaza has told Newsweek his group is open to a temporary ceasefire in their war with Israel and called for greater efforts to establish a unity government among different Palestinian parties. Amid an apparent deadlock in Israel-Hamas negotiations being mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) issued a statement on Friday urging Hamas "to intensify efforts, in cooperation with the Arab mediators, to reach an agreement to halt the aggression—even if only for 60 days." The message, which emphasized "the grave dangers our people face if an immediate ceasefire is not achieved," came as Hamas said it was consulting with its allies on the path forward in talks. Hamas has demanded a deal that would provide stronger guarantees toward a lasting cessation of hostilities, a position the U.S. and Israel have dismissed. Speaking with Newsweek on Thursday, DFLP Political Bureau member Motasem Hamada explained that this statement "was an attempt by us to reach a 'partial step' that would guarantee a ceasefire, open the crossings, and meet the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza because we observed that living conditions had worsened and that the specter of famine was beginning to loom large." "Our call to Hamas coincided with other positions with which Hamas consulted," Hamada said, "and based on this position, it formulated its position, which was rejected by the Israelis and the Americans." Ultimately, Hamada said, the group seeks a solution based on United Nations Security Council resolution 2735, the measure put to a vote Wednesday and vetoed by the U.S., and is fighting to secure new governance that would include both top Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, which leads the West Bank-based Palestinian National Authority. "We want an immediate ceasefire, unconditional aid for our people in the Gaza Strip (food, medicine, fuel, infrastructure, medical care, etc.), an Israeli withdrawal from the entire Gaza Strip, a meaningful prisoner exchange, and the return of the Gaza Strip to the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority under the administration of a national unity government." "This requires convincing both Fatah and Hamas," Hamada said, "and this is what we are working on." Newsweek has reached out to Hamas for comment. Newsweek also reached out to the IDF for comment. Palestinians, including a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, hold a demonstration in support of Gaza, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on April 5, 2024. Palestinians, including a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, hold a demonstration in support of Gaza, in the West Bank city of Ramallah on April 5, 2024. Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty Images What is the DFLP? The DFLP was established in 1969 as a splinter of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which was created two years earlier. Like the PFLP, the DFLP was organized along Marxist-Leninist lines, though its founders expressed opposition to the original group's embrace of Arab nationalist ideas and high-profile attacks as opposed to revolutionary ideology and mass mobilization. The DFLP has also been linked to major attacks against Israel and joined both the PFLP and Hamas in criticizing the 1990s Oslo peace accords. By this time, Hamas and its Islamist outlook had begun to eclipse the traditional left-wing and nationalist orientations of leading Palestinian parties, leading to its victory in the 2005 elections that paved the way for its 2007 takeover of Gaza in a violent clash with Fatah. Numerous attempts have been made to mend the Fatah-Hamas rivalry, including a dialogue hosted last June among Palestinian factions hosted by China, though without a breakthrough. Hamas today remains the most dominant group in Gaza, though a number of other influential factions continue to operate there. And while vast ideological differences exist among the groups in Gaza, the DFLP participated directly in the October 7, 2023, attack against Israel that sparked the current war. Israeli officials say around 1,200 people were killed in the surprise Palestinian assault and 251 taken hostages, 58 of are believed to still be in Gaza. The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has estimated that more than 54,600 people have been killed amid the Israeli operations that ensued. Meanwhile, the DFLP's armed wing, known as the National Resistance Brigades or Martyr Omar Al-Qassem Forces, continues to conduct joint operations against the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). National Resistance Brigades spokesperson Abu Khaled claimed on Monday the detonation of an explosive device targeting a gathering of Israeli troops near a bulldozer in the town of Al-Qara, north of Khan Younis. Fighters from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine's National Resistance Brigades walk in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 19, 2023. Fighters from the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine's National Resistance Brigades walk in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 19, 2023. SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images The Deal at Hand The U.S. proposal, a draft of which was obtained by Newsweek, outlines a 60-day ceasefire, during which Hamas would release 10 living and 18 deceased hostages in exchange for 1,236 Palestinian prisoners and the bodies of 180 dead Palestinians held by Israel in two transfers conducted on the first and seventh days of the truce period. In addition to resuming the flow of international humanitarian aid into Gaza, the proposal also called for the initiation of new negotiations aimed at achieving a permanent ceasefire. The deal does not, however, provide a U.S. guarantee that Israel would agree to a final resolution, something for which Hamas has repeatedly called. "Upon careful examination, it is clear that the Israeli response fundamentally seeks to entrench the occupation and perpetuate policies of killing and starvation, even during what is supposed to be a period of temporary de-escalation," Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson Basem Naim said in a statement shared with Newsweek last Tuesday. "The response fails to meet any of the just and legitimate demands of our people," he added, "among them an immediate cessation of hostilities and an end to the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza." Following criticism of Hamas' position by President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who is presiding over the talks, as well as the DFLP's plea, Naim clarified in a follow-up statement on Saturday that his rejection was aimed at Israel's position, not the U.S. proposal itself. "We now responded positively and responsibly in a manner that fulfilled the minimum of demands and aspirations of our people, (1st to guarantee the 60 days of cease fire will be respected by Israel and proper and sufficient influx of aid into Gaza, 2nd guarantees for negotiations that leads to end the war on Gaza)," Naim said at the time. The United Nations and a growing number of international powers have also demanded an immediate ceasefire without conditions, with 14 of the 15 representatives at the Security Council gathering Wednesday voting in favor of the measure, leaving the U.S. as the sole opponent. Smoke billows during an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip on June 5, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant movement Hamas. Smoke billows during an Israeli strike on the Gaza Strip on June 5, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant movement Hamas. JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images 'The Day After' While Israel and Hamas fail to reach a resolution in the ceasefire and hostage release negotiations being held in Qatar, questions continue to surround the future of Gaza even in the event that hostilities are halted. The U.S. and Israel have stated that Hamas must be removed from power. The two allies have rallied behind President Donald Trump's vision for the U.S. to assume control of Gaza in order to pursue reconstruction, real estate development and the resettlement of the territory's roughly two million residents, a proposal rejected by all Palestinian parties as well as the region and other major powers. In March interviews with Newsweek, Israeli Deputy Consul General in New York Tsach Saar said that neither Hamas nor Israel, which previously occupied Gaza from 1967 through 2005, would be in control of the territory in the long run. "It's not for us to determine who is going to be there the day after [the war is over]," Saar told Newsweek on Monday. "We are making sure that it's not going to be Hamas. And when Hamas is defeated, we will have to work together with our allies, with regional the countries, surrounding countries, neighboring countries to find a solution for the day after." "But as long as Hamas is there, and unfortunately, it is still alive and kicking, kicking its own people, of course, also it is hard to work on the day after," he added. "But now we're focused on the mission of elimination as Hamas is the organization that is controlling the Gaza Strip both militarily and in governance." Hamada, for his part, said that "the 'day after' in the Gaza Strip is of great concern to us in the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, as it is an integral part of the territory of the Palestinian state recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 67/19, based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital." He argued that some progress was made toward achieving a united for bringing Gaza back under a joint Palestinian government during the conference held in China last June but argued that the Palestinian National Authority continued to hold out for fear of the international backlash over bringing Hamas back into the fold. "We succeeded in the Palestinian National Dialogue in Beijing in June of last year in formulating a comprehensive national position based on the formation of a national consensus government composed of competent, independent and competent Palestinian national figures, providing the necessary resources to manage the affairs of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and cooperate with the official Arab framework for the reconstruction of the Strip," Hamada said. "It is clear that the decision did not take effect, but rather stalled, due to the refusal of the official Palestinian leadership in Ramallah to form a national consensus government, lest it anger Israel and the United States, given that Hamas remains on the terrorist list." The U.S. State Department removed the DFLP's terrorist organization designation in 1999, "primarily because of the absence of terrorist activity, as defined by relevant law," for at least two years. Without a Palestinian mandate, Hamada said the DFLP was not opposed to the proposal drawn up by Egypt and endorsed by the Arab League in March as an alternative to Trump's plan. This framework would establish an administrative committee comprised of independent Palestinian experts tasked with leading Gaza until the territory could be handed back to a reformed Palestinian National Authority. "We did not take a negative stance on this idea, as we believe there is still a chance to form a national unity government and reach a comprehensive national position, centered on a government agreed upon by all factions," Hamada said. "This would block the remaining solutions proposed by American President Trump or Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu." U.S. and Israeli officials have, however, dismissed the Arab initiative, arguing that it did not sufficiently address the realities on the ground in Gaza. Displaced Palestinians walk along a road to receive humanitarian aid packages from a U.S.-backed foundation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on June 5, 2025. Displaced Palestinians walk along a road to receive humanitarian aid packages from a U.S.-backed foundation in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on June 5, 2025. AFP/Getty Images The Syria Question While much of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is centered around the events in Gaza, the broader war has reverberated across the region. Iran-aligned factions in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen all joined the battle from abroad in support of Hamas, with the Islamic Republic itself also twice exchanging direct fire with Israel as tensions boiled over. Amid the unrest, and just as Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement signed a ceasefire, an Islamist-led coalition of insurgents launched a surprise attack in Syria. The lightning offensive ultimately toppled President Bashar al-Assad, a longtime ally of Iran, as well as the DFLP, which maintains a presence in Syria. The rise of Syria's new leader, Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former Al-Qaeda associate who has renounced jihadi ties in recent years, has brought new uncertainties over the country's role in the region. While facing regular Israeli air and ground attacks, Sharaa has called for easing tensions with Israel and has even opened the door for potentially normalizing ties, though Israeli officials have expressed skepticism. At the same time, the new Syrian government has reportedly cracked down on several Palestinian factions involved in the war in Gaza, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad and another PFLP splinter, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command. Hamada, however, stated that the DFLP has maintained its relationship with the new rulers of Damascus and expects to do so for the foreseeable future. "With the new political regime in Damascus, our situation, as a democratic front, remains the same," Hamada said. "We did not interfere during the era of President Assad, nor did we interfere during the era of President Sharaa. We have been refugees in Syria since 1948, and we do not have any military formations in Syria." "Our headquarters, clubs, and social centers engage in social work, serving youth, women, and children, and defending the right of return for Palestinian refugees under Resolution 194," he added. "Our headquarters remained as they were before December 8, 2024, and we have not perceived any negative positions toward the Democratic Front from the new political regime." He attributed this position to the DFLP having taken "the correct position" in Syria's civil war that erupted in 2011, having "refused to drown in Syrian blood and we have refused for our Palestinian people in Syria to be a party to Syrian disputes." "We have a cause: the Palestinian cause," Hamada said, "and these are the political borders within which we operate."
The Star
13-05-2025
- General
- The Star
80 years after WWII, Japanese junior high school badge found in Okinawa natural cave
This school badge believed to be from Kainan junior high school was found in a cave in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture. - The Yomiuri Shimbun ITOMAN, Okinawa (Japan): Along with the remains of people who died in World War II, a badge from a junior high school was found recently in a gama, which in the Okinawa dialect means natural cave, in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture. Efforts are underway to identify the remains using the badge, which is believed to be from Kainan junior high school, a private school that was forced to close nine years after its foundation because of the war. The remains may include those of students who were mobilized as student soldiers and died during the fierce Battle of Okinawa, according to people involved in the efforts. Journalist Tetsuji Hamada, 62, who is engaged in efforts to collect articles left by the war dead and return them to their relatives. On April 24, Hamada showed the badge to relatives of war dead who were students at Kainan junior high school, in a meeting room in Naha. 'It may have been placed on the cap of a person who died in the war,' said Hamada, who then encouraged them to apply for the DNA analysis of the remains. The 4-centimeter-long badge was found on Feb. 23 by a group led by Hamada and his wife Ritsuko, 60, in a crevice of a rock at the cave in Itoman where many soldiers and others died during the war. It was determined to be from Kainan junior high school. Tetsuji Hamada, far right, speaks about items that are believed to have been left by people who died in World War II in Okinawa Prefecture in Naha on April 24, 2025. - Photo: The Yomiuri Shimbun According to the Himeyuri Peace Museum in Itoman, the school was founded in 1936 as the only private junior high school in the prefecture in the former village of Maji (now part of Naha). During the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, 68 students from the school were mobilized into military units and 66 lost their lives. The school was closed the same year. Having identified the addresses of relatives of the students through alumni magazines and other materials, the Hamadas have been calling on them to apply for DNA analysis. According to the Health, Labour, and Welfare Ministry, about 1,800 applications have been filed for DNA analysis of the remains of war dead in Okinawa Prefecture since fiscal 2003 when the analysis started. However, the remains of only seven people have been identified. Compared to the remains found in Siberia and other northern regions, those found in the prefecture are said to often be deteriorated, making identification difficult. Remains found during government-led collection efforts are stored by the government, but personal belongings are left at the site as long as they do not bear a name or any other identifying information. 'For the relatives of people whose remains have not been returned, the personal belongings of the war dead serve as precious mementos that connect them to their loved ones,' Hamada said. 'I want to return the items to the relatives as much as possible.' - The Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN
Yomiuri Shimbun
13-05-2025
- General
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Junior High School Badge Found in Natural Cave in Okinawa; Finder Hopes DNA Analysis Can Determine Family for Return
Yomiuri Shimbun photos Tetsuji Hamada, far right, speaks about items that are believed to have been left by people who died in World War II in Okinawa Prefecture in Naha on April 24. ITOMAN, Okinawa — Along with the remains of people who died in World War II, a badge from a junior high school was found recently in a gama, which in the Okinawa dialect means natural cave, in Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture. Efforts are underway to identify the remains using the badge, which is believed to have been that of Kainan junior high school, a private school that was forced to close nine years after its foundation because of the war. The remains may include those of students who were mobilized mobilized as a student soldier and died during the fierce Battle of Okinawa, according to people involved in the efforts. On April 24, journalist Tetsuji Hamada, 62, who is engaged in efforts to collect articles left by the war dead and return them to their relatives, showed the badge to relatives of war dead who were students at Kainan junior high school, in a meeting room in Naha. 'It may have been placed on the cap of a person who died in the war,' said Hamada, who then encouraged them to apply for the DNA analysis of the remains. The 4-centimeter-long badge was found on Feb. 23 by a group led by Hamada and his wife Ritsuko, 60, in a crevice of a rock at the cave in Itoman where many soldiers and others died during the war. It was determined to be from the Kainan junior high school. According to the Himeyuri Peace Museum in Itoman, the school was founded in 1936 as the only private junior high school in the prefecture in the former village of Maji (now part of Naha). During the 1945 Battle of Okinawa, 68 students from the school were mobilized into military units and 66 lost their lives. The school was closed the same year. Having identified the addresses of the relatives of the students through the study of alumni magazines and other materials, the Hamadas have been calling on them to apply for DNA analysis. According to the Health, Labor, and Welfare Ministry, about 1,800 applications have been filed for DNA analysis of the remains of war dead in Okinawa Prefecture since fiscal 2003 when the analysis started, but the remains of only seven people have been identified. Compared to the remains found in Siberia and other northern regions, those found in the prefecture are said to have often been deteriorated, making identification difficult. Remains found during government-led collection efforts are stored by the government, but personal belongings are left at the site as long as they do not bear a name or any other identifying information. 'For the relatives of people whose remains have not been returned, the personal belongings of the war dead serve as precious mementos that connect them to their loved ones,' Hamada said. 'I want to return the items to the relatives as much as possible.'
Yomiuri Shimbun
27-04-2025
- Health
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Get Latest Measles Information Before Traveling Abroad, Experts Warn as Number of Cases in Japan Increases
The Yomiuri Shimbun People at the departure lobby of Narita Airport on Saturday Cases of measles in Japan are increasing, with many patients believed to have been infected with the highly contagious disease overseas. Many people are expected to travel abroad during the Golden Week holidays, and experts are urging them to obtain the latest information on the spread of measles in the nation they plan to visit. They should also keep an eye on their health after returning to Japan. According to the Japan Institute for Health Security (JIHS), 78 people were confirmed to have been infected with measles this year as of April 13, already exceeding the 45 cases reported in 2024. Of the 78 cases in Japan, 39 people were believed to have been infected overseas. This included 30 people who are believed to have caught measles in Vietnam, three in Thailand and two in the Philippines, the JIHS said. Another 30 people contracted the disease in Japan, and the point of infection was not identified for nine people. People with insufficient immunity develop symptoms that can include fever and rashes 10 to 12 days after infection. Severe cases can be fatal, as they lead to pneumonia or encephalitis. People who have never contracted measles before and have not been vaccinated should be especially cautious. 'People who will travel to an affected area need to confirm their vaccination history in advance and monitor their health for two weeks after returning home,' said Atsuo Hamada, a specially appointed professor at Tokyo Medical University and an expert on travel medicine. People who develop a fever or rashes should contact a medical institution immediately and go see a doctor without using public transportation, Hamada said.
