Prime Minister Narendra Modi disclosed that he dispatched a special envoy to Israel during Ramzan to urge the cessation of bombings in Gaza. Modi also mentioned that he does not subscribe to token secularism and had independently visited both Israel and Palestine. Additionally, he expressed India’s intention to make its own decisions regarding the Chabahar Port agreement with Iran, despite US sanctions warnings.
The Israeli army has confirmed that two Thai hostages who were previously believed to be alive in Gaza were killed in an attack on October 7th. The bodies of the hostages are currently being held in the Palestinian territory.
Colonel Waibhav Anil Kale (Retd), an Indian national working with the UN in Gaza, was killed on Monday when his vehicle was hit by shots fired from an Israeli tank. The UN has established a fact-finding panel to probe the incident, which is being condemned by UN chief António Guterres and other senior officials.
An Indian national working with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UN DSS) was killed in an attack in Gaza, marking the first international casualty for the organization since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The victim was traveling in a UN vehicle when it was struck, resulting in another DSS staff member being injured. UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack and called for a full investigation, while also expressing condolences to the deceased staff member’s family.
The United States does not consider the situation in Gaza to be genocide, but it expects Israel to take greater precautions to safeguard Palestinian civilians. According to President Joe Biden’s top national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, the responsibility for peace rests with Hamas, despite the ongoing ceasefire talks and Israel’s continued attacks on Rafah. Sullivan emphasized that the US employs the internationally recognized definition of genocide, focusing on intent, in making this assessment. While President Biden aims to defeat Hamas, he recognizes the suffering endured by Palestinian civilians.
US President Joe Biden stated at a fundraiser on Saturday that a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict could be achieved as early as “tomorrow” if Hamas released its Israeli hostages. Biden remarked that Israel has indicated a willingness to end the conflict if Hamas complies with the demand.
Israel has ordered further evacuations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, forcing tens of thousands more residents to flee as the military prepares to intensify its military operation. The order follows heavy international criticism, including from the US, and warnings from aid agencies of a humanitarian crisis. Israel has already displaced over 1.4 million Palestinians, half of Gaza’s population, with many seeking refuge in Rafah. The latest evacuations will force them to move again to areas already devastated by previous Israeli attacks. The military is also moving into northern Gaza, where Hamas is believed to have regrouped.
Israeli warplanes struck the densely populated southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, defying a stark warning from US President Joe Biden that he would halt weapons supplies if a full-scale assault went ahead. US officials have expressed growing concern over the civilian casualties in Israel’s offensive against Hamas, which has killed thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children. The fresh strikes came as an AFP correspondent and witnesses reported Israeli attacks on multiple parts of Rafah, home to 1.4 million people, according to the United Nations. Despite international objections, Israel has already sent tanks and conducted targeted raids in the area. The Hamas authorities have dismissed Israel’s description of the operation as limited, while Biden has warned that he will cut off certain US weapons supplies if Israel carries out a ground assault. The US has already paused delivery of bombs to Israel, citing civilian casualties. The airstrikes have further strained ties between the allies, with protests flaring at universities across the United States over Israel’s conduct of the war.
Former Vice President Mike Pence denounced President Biden’s threat to withhold weapons from Israel if it enters southern Rafah, arguing that it’s hypocritical given the similar grounds for which his former boss, President Trump, was impeached. Pence described Biden’s comments as “totally unacceptable” and accused him of abandoning Israel.
Faculty members at New York’s New School have set up an encampment on campus in solidarity with students protesting the school’s investments in companies allegedly aiding Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The encampment, named after a writer and professor killed in an Israeli airstrike, is the first staff-led anti-Israel protest in the US. Faculty members have joined students in demanding divestment from 13 companies and an end to NYPD presence on campus. The protest comes after over 40 students were arrested by NYPD while clearing out their own anti-Israel encampment. Faculty members have criticized the university’s handling of the situation, accusing them of protecting their own interests rather than students. The Students for Justice in Palestine have called for a general strike to stop school operations and are demanding that all charges against arrested student protesters be dropped.
