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Nine countries pledge to enforce arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

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New Delhi: Nine nations have pledged to take action against Israel, including upholding The Hague’s arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as part of efforts to end Israel’s occupation of Palestine and address its operations in Gaza.

Organized under the ‘Hague Group,’ the countries—Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa—announced their commitment on January 31. They also vowed to prevent the supply of arms and munitions to Israel where there is a clear risk they may be used to violate international law, and to block vessels carrying military fuel or weapons to Israel from docking at their ports.

The group cited violations of international humanitarian law, human rights law, and the prohibition of genocide in Palestine as the basis for their stance. Their decision was influenced by Israel’s disregard for rulings by international courts, including the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC).

South Africa, one of the member countries, previously brought a case before the ICJ alleging Israel’s genocide in Gaza, a case expected to take years to conclude.

“The Hague Group’s formation sends a clear message: no nation is above the law, and no crime will go unanswered,” said South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola.

Progressive International (PI), the organization convening the group’s meeting, called for renewed international efforts to hold Israel accountable for its actions. PI also quoted Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, stating that Israel’s violations of international law extend beyond the persecution of Palestinians and threaten the very foundations of global law.

Netanyahu says ‘last-minute crisis’ with Hamas holding up approval of Gaza truce hostage deal

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Netanyahu says 'last-minute crisis' with Hamas holding up approval of Gaza truce, hostage deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu | PC: PTI

Tel Aviv (Israel), Jan 16 (AP): Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that a last-minute dispute with Hamas was holding up Israeli approval of a long-awaited ceasefire that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip and release dozens of hostages.

Israeli airstrikes, meanwhile, killed at least 72 people in the war-ravaged territory.

The statement from Netanyahu’s office signaled complications with the deal shortly after US President Joe Biden and key mediator Qatar announced it was complete.

That created a dual reality: War-weary Palestinians in Gaza, the relatives of hostages held there and world leaders all welcomed an agreement, expected to begin Sunday, even as Netanyahu said it was not yet finalized.

“Hamas is backing out of the understandings and creating a last-minute crisis that prevents a settlement,” Netanyahu’s office said.

It was not yet clear if Netanyahu’s statements merely reflected jockeying to keep his fractious coalition together or whether the deal was at risk.

The Israeli Cabinet was expected to vote on the deal Thursday, but Netanyahu’s office said that officials won’t meet until Hamas backs down, accusing the group of reneging on parts of the agreement in an attempt to gain further concessions, without saying which parts.

A US official with knowledge of the negotiations said Hamas made a last-minute revision that relates to the distance Israeli forces would withdraw from at least one largely populated area in Gaza that the official would not identify.

The issue is expected to be resolved quickly and enable the ceasefire to begin as planned this weekend, according to the official, who was not authorised to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

In a briefing Thursday, David Mencer, an Israeli government spokesman, said the Israeli delegation of negotiators remained in Qatar, “continuing its efforts to reach a solution”.

Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said the group “is committed to the ceasefire agreement, which was announced by the mediators”.

The deal announced on Wednesday would see scores of hostages held in Gaza released and a pause in fighting with a view to eventually wind down a 15-month war that has destabilised the Middle East and sparked worldwide protests.

Hamas triggered the war with its October 7, 2023, cross-border attack into Israel that killed some 1,200 people and took 250 others hostage.

Israel responded with a fierce offensive that has killed over 46,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials, who do not distinguish between civilians and Hamas members but say women and children make up more than half of those killed. Israel says it has killed over 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

The military campaign has also levelled vast swaths of Gaza, and pushed around 90 per cent of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million people from their homes. Hundreds of thousands are struggling with hunger and disease in squalid tent camps on the coast, according to United Nations officials.

Netanyahu faces heavy internal pressure

Netanyahu’s office earlier accused Hamas of backtracking on an understanding that he said would give Israel a veto over which prisoners convicted of murder would be released in exchange for hostages.

The Israeli prime minister has faced great domestic pressure to bring home the scores of hostages, but his far-right coalition partners have threatened to bring down his government if he makes too many concessions.

He has enough opposition support to approve an agreement even without those partners, but doing so would weaken his coalition.

One of his far-right allies, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, has already come out against the deal. Another, Bezalel Smotrich, posted on X late Wednesday that he was demanding “absolute certainty” that Israel can resume the war later, calling the current deal “bad and dangerous” for Israel.

The departure of both of their factions would seriously destabilise the government and could lead to early elections.

A night of heavy Israeli strikes

Palestinians in Gaza reported heavy Israeli bombardment overnight as people were celebrating the ceasefire deal. In previous conflicts, both sides have stepped up military operations in the final hours before ceasefires as a way to project strength.

“We were expecting that the occupation would intensify the bombing, like they did every time there were reports on progress in the truce (negotiations),” said Mohammed Mahdi, who fled his home a few months ago and is sheltering in Gaza City.

Ahmed Mattar, who lives near the city’s Al-Ahly hospital, said he heard “massive airstrikes” overnight.

Gaza’s Health Ministry said Israeli strikes have killed at least 72 people since the ceasefire deal was announced. It said the toll from Thursday’s strikes only includes bodies brought to two hospitals in Gaza City, and that the actual toll is likely higher.

“Yesterday was a bloody day, and today is bloodier,” said Zaher al-Wahedi, head of the ministry’s registration department.

An Associated Press reporter on the Israeli side of the border near Gaza heard more airstrikes and artillery fire on Thursday.

A phased withdrawal and hostage release with potential pitfalls

Under the deal reached on Wednesday, 33 of some 100 hostages who remain in Gaza are set to be released over the next six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Israeli forces will pull back from many areas, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians would be able to return to what’s left of their homes, and there would be a surge of humanitarian assistance.

The remainder of the hostages, including male soldiers, are to be released in a second — and much more difficult — phase that will be negotiated during the first. Hamas has said it will not release the remaining captives without a lasting ceasefire and a full Israeli withdrawal, while Israel has vowed to keep fighting until it dismantles the group and to maintain open-ended security control over the territory.

Ceasefire leaves questions about Gaza’s future unanswered

Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the US are expected to meet in Cairo on Thursday for talks on implementing the agreement, which came after a year of intensive talks with repeated setbacks.

US President-elect Donald Trump’s Mideast envoy joined the talks in the final weeks, and both the outgoing administration and Trump’s team are taking credit for the breakthrough.

Many longer-term questions about postwar Gaza remain, including who will rule the territory or oversee the daunting task of reconstruction.

Israel has come under heavy international criticism, including from its closest ally, the United States, over the civilian toll in Gaza.

It also blames Hamas for the civilian casualties, accusing it of using schools, hospitals and residential areas for military purposes.

Hamas, a group that does not accept Israel’s existence, has come under overwhelming pressure from Israeli military operations, including the invasion of Gaza’s largest cities and towns and the takeover of the border between Gaza and Egypt.

Its top leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, who was believed to have helped mastermind the October 7, 2023, attack, have been killed.

But its fighters have regrouped in some of the hardest-hit areas after the withdrawal of Israeli forces, raising the prospect of a prolonged insurgency if the war continues.

China’s population falls for third straight year, posing challenges for its government economy

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Taipei (Taiwan) (AP): China’s population fell last year for the third straight year, its government said on Friday, pointing to further demographic challenges for the world’s second most populous nation, which is now facing both an ageing population and an emerging shortage of working age people.

China’s population stood at 1.408 billion at the end of 2024, a decline of 1.39 million from the previous year.

The figures announced by the government in Beijing follow trends worldwide, but especially in East Asia, where Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and other nations have seen their birth rates plummet. China three years ago joined Japan and most of Eastern Europe among other nations whose population is falling.

The reasons are in many cases similar: Rising costs of living are causing young people to put off or rule out marriage and child birth while pursuing higher education and careers. While people are living longer, that’s not enough to keep up with rate of new births.

Countries such as China that allow very little immigration are especially at risk.

China has long been among the world’s most populous nations, enduring invasions, floods and other natural disasters to sustain a population that thrived on rice in the south and wheat in the north. Following the end of World War II and the Communist Party’s rise to power in 1949, large families re-emerged and the population doubled in just three decades, even after tens of millions died in the Great Leap Forward that sought to revolutionize agriculture and industry and the Cultural Revolution that followed a few years later.

After the end of the Cultural Revolution and leader Mao Zedong’s death, Communist bureaucrats began to worry the country’s population was outstripping its ability to feed itself and began implementing a draconian “one child policy.”

Though it was never law, women had to apply for permission to have a child and violators could face forced late-term abortions and birth control procedures, massive fines and the prospect of their child being deprived an identification number, effectively making them non-citizens.

Rural China, where the preference for male offspring was especially strong and two children were still ostensibly allowed, became the focus of government efforts, with women forced to present evidence they were menstruating and buildings emblazoned with slogans such as “have fewer children, have better children.”

The government sought to stamp out selective abortion of female children, but with abortions legal and readily available, those operating illicit sonogram machines enjoyed a thriving business.

That has been the biggest factor in China’s lopsided sex ratio, with as many as millions more boys born for every 100 girls, raising the possibility of social instability among China’s army of bachelors. Friday’s report gave the sex imbalance as 104.34 men to every 100 women, though independent groups give the imbalance as considerably higher.

More disturbing for the government was the drastically falling birthrate, with China’s total population dropping for the first time in decades in 2023 and China being narrowly overtaken by India as the world’s most populous nation in the same year. A rapidly aging population, declining workforce, lack of consumer markets and migration abroad are putting the system under severe pressure.

While spending on the military and flashy infrastructure projects continues to rise, China’s already frail social security system is teetering, with increasing numbers of Chinese refusing to pay into the underfunded pension system.

Already, more than one-fifth of the population is aged 60 or over, with the official figure given as 310.3 million or 22% of the total population. By 2035, this number is forecast to exceed 30%, sparking discussion of changes to the official retirement age, which one of the lowest in the world. With fewer students, some vacant schools and kindergartens are meanwhile being transformed into care facilities for older people.

Such developments are giving some credence to the aphorism that China, now the world’s second largest economy but facing major headwinds, will “grow old before it grows rich.”

Government inducements including cash payouts for having up to three children and financial help with housing costs have had only temporary effects.

Meanwhile, China continued its transition to an urban society, with 10 million more people moving to cities for an urbanization rate of 67%, up almost a percentage point from the previous year.

Some Israeli soldiers refuse to keep fighting in Gaza

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Jerusalem, Jan 13: Yotam Vilk says the image of Israeli soldiers killing an unarmed Palestinian teenager in the Gaza Strip is seared in his mind.

An officer in the armoured corps, Vilk said the instructions were to shoot any unauthorised person who entered an Israeli-controlled buffer zone in Gaza. He saw at least 12 people killed, he said, but it is the shooting of the teen that he can’t shake.

“He died as part of a bigger story. As part of the policy of staying there and not seeing Palestinians as people,” Vilk, 28, told The Associated Press.

Vilk is among a growing number of Israeli soldiers speaking out against the 15-month conflict and refusing to serve anymore, saying they saw or did things that crossed ethical lines. While the movement is small — some 200 soldiers signed a letter saying they’d stop fighting if the government didn’t secure a ceasefire — soldiers say it’s the tip of the iceberg and they want others to come forward.

Their refusal comes at a time of mounting pressure on Israel and Hamas to wind down the fighting. Ceasefire talks are underway, and both President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump have called for a deal by the January 20 inauguration.

Seven soldiers who’ve refused to continue fighting in Gaza spoke with AP, describing how Palestinians were indiscriminately killed and houses destroyed. Several said they were ordered to burn or demolish homes that posed no threat, and they saw soldiers loot and vandalise residences.

Soldiers are required to steer clear of politics, and they rarely speak out against the army. After Hamas stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel quickly united behind the war launched against the Hamas group. Divisions here have grown as the war progresses, but most criticism has focused on the mounting number of soldiers killed and the failure to bring home hostages, not actions in Gaza.

International rights groups have accused Israel of war crimes and genocide in Gaza. The International Court of Justice is investigating genocide allegations filed by South Africa. The International Criminal Court is seeking the arrests of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

Israel adamantly rejects genocide allegations and says it takes extraordinary measures to minimize civilian harm in Gaza. The army says it never intentionally targets civilians, and investigates and punishes cases of suspected wrongdoing. But rights groups have long said the army does a poor job of investigating itself.

The army told AP it condemns the refusal to serve and takes any call for refusal seriously, with each case examined individually. Soldiers can go to jail for refusing to serve, but none who signed the letter has been detained, according to those who organised the signatures.

Soldiers’ reactions in Gaza

When Vilk entered Gaza in November 2023, he said, he thought the initial use of force might bring both sides to the table. But as the war dragged on, he said he saw the value of human life disintegrate.

On the day the Palestinian teenager was killed last August, he said, Israeli troops shouted at him to stop and fired warning shots at his feet, but he kept moving. He said others were also killed walking into the buffer zone — the Netzarim Corridor, a road dividing northern and southern Gaza.

Vilk acknowledged it was hard to determine whether people were armed, but said he believes soldiers acted too quickly.

In the end, he said, Hamas is to blame for some deaths in the buffer zone — he described one Palestinian detained by his unit who said Hamas paid people USD 25 to walk into the corridor to gauge the army’s reaction.

Some soldiers told AP it took time to digest what they saw in Gaza. Others said they became so enraged they decided they’d stop serving almost immediately.

Yuval Green, a 27-year-old medic, described abandoning his post last January after spending nearly two months in Gaza, unable to live with what he’d seen.

He said soldiers desecrated homes, using black markers meant for medical emergencies to scribble graffiti, and looted homes, looking for prayer beads to collect as souvenirs.

The final straw, he said, was his commander ordering troops to burn down a house, saying he didn’t want Hamas to be able to use it. Green said he sat in a military vehicle, choking on fumes amid the smell of burning plastic. He found the fire vindictive — he said he saw no reason to take more from Palestinians than they’d already lost. He left his unit before their mission was complete.

Green said he understands Israeli anger over October 7 but hopes his act of refusal encourages all sides to break the cycle of violence.

The soldiers’ refusal as an act of protest

Soldiers for the Hostages — the group behind the letter troops signed — is trying to garner momentum, holding an event this month in Tel Aviv and gathering more signatures. A panel of soldiers spoke about what they’d seen in Gaza. Organisers distributed poster-size stickers with a Martin Luther King Jr. quote: “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”

Max Kresch, an organiser, said soldiers can use their positions to create change. “We need to use our voice to speak up in the face of injustice, even if that is unpopular,” he said.

But some who fought and lost colleagues call the movement a slap in the face. More than 830 Israeli soldiers have been killed in the war, according to the army.

“They are harming our ability to defend ourselves,” said Gilad Segal, a 42-year-old paratrooper who spent two months in Gaza at the end of 2023. He said everything the army did was necessary, including the flattening of houses used as Hamas hideouts. It’s not a soldier’s place to agree or disagree with the government, he argued.

Ishai Menuchin, spokesperson for Yesh Gvul, a movement for soldiers refusing to serve, said he works with more than 80 soldiers who have refused to fight and that there are hundreds more who feel similarly but remain silent.

Effects on soldiers

Some of the soldiers who spoke to AP said they feel conflicted and regretful, and they’re talking to friends and relatives about what they saw to process it.

Many soldiers suffer from “moral injury,” said Tuly Flint, a trauma therapy specialist who’s counselled hundreds of them during the war. It’s a response when people see or do something that goes against their beliefs, he said, and it can result in a lack of sleep, flashbacks and feelings of unworthiness. Talking about it and trying to spark change can help, Flint said.

One former infantry soldier told AP about his feelings of guilt — he said he saw about 15 buildings burned down unnecessarily during a two-week stint in late 2023. He said that if he could do it all over again, he wouldn’t have fought.

“I didn’t light the match, but I stood guard outside the house. I participated in war crimes,” said the soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity over fears of retaliation. “I’m so sorry for what we’ve done.”

Impeached South Korean president issues defiant message as authorities mull his detention

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Impeached South Korean president issues defiant message as authorities mull his detention

Seoul: Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol issued a defiant statement to his conservative supporters gathered outside his residence in the capital of Seoul, vowing to “fight to the end” against what he called “anti-state forces,” as law enforcement prepared to detain him over last month’s martial law decree.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials has a week to execute its detainment warrant against Yoon, issued by a Seoul court on Tuesday. The warrant came after Yoon defied several requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his office, hindering an investigation into whether his short-lived power grab on Dec 3 amounted to rebellion.

Oh Dong-woon, the anti-corruption agency’s chief prosecutor, has indicated that police forces might be deployed if Yoon’s security service resists the detention attempt, which could occur as early as Thursday. But it remains unclear whether Yoon can be compelled to submit to questioning.

In a message to hundreds of supporters gathered outside his residence Wednesday evening, Yoon said he would continue to fight against anti-state forces “violating our sovereignty” and putting the nation in “danger.” He applauded his supporters for their efforts to protect the country’s “liberal democracy and constitutional order” and said he was watching their protests on live YouTube broadcasts, according to a photo of the message shared by Yoon’s lawyers.

The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which drove the legislative vote that impeached Yoon on Dec. 14 over the martial law imposition, accused the president of trying to mobilize his supporters to block his detention and called for law enforcement authorities to execute the warrant immediately.

A growing number of Yoon’s supporters were again gathering near his residence on Thursday morning amid a heavy police presence, waving small South Korean and American flags and holding signs opposing his impeachment.

Yoon’s lawyers have argued that the court’s detainment warrant is “invalid,” claiming that the anti-corruption agency lacks legal authority to investigate rebellion charges. They also accuse the court of bypassing a law that says locations potentially linked to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without the consent of the person in charge.

Some experts believe the anti-corruption agency, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities, would not risk clashing with Yoon’s security service, which has said it will provide security to Yoon in accordance with the law. The office may instead issue another summons for Yoon to appear for questioning if they are not able to execute the detainment warrant by Jan. 6.

Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended following the National Assembly vote to impeach him on Dec. 14 over his imposition of martial law, which lasted only hours but has triggered weeks of political turmoil, halted high-level diplomacy and rattled financial markets. Yoon’s fate now lies with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Yoon from office or reinstate him.

To formally end Yoon’s presidency, at least six justices on the nine-member Constitutional Court must vote in favor.

The National Assembly voted last week to also impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who had assumed the role of acting president after Yoon’s powers were suspended, over his reluctance to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies ahead of the court’s review of Yoon’s case.

In the face of growing pressure, the country’s new interim leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, appointed two new justices on Tuesday, which possibly increased the chances of the court upholding Yoon’s impeachment.

Magnus Carlsen disqualified from top chess meet for violating dress code

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Magnus Carlsen disqualified from top chess meet for violating dress code

New York : Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen was first fined and then disqualified from the World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championship here for his refusal to comply with FIDE’s dress code after turning up in jeans.

Defending champion Carlsen was fined USD 200 for wearing jeans, which are “explicitly prohibited” under tournament regulations and when he refused the request to change his attire immediately by chief arbiter Alex Holowczak, he was disqualified and was not paired for Round 9 of the Rapid championship taking place at Wall Street.

One of the game’s greatest players, the Norwegian ace had agreed to follow the dress from the next day but was not ready to do it immediately, resulting in his disqualification.

In a statement, the game’s global governing body FIDE emphasised that the dress code rules are well-communicated to all participants and designed to ensure professionalism.

“The dress code regulations are drafted by members of the FIDE Athletes Commission, which is composed of professional players and experts. These rules have been in place for years and are well-known to all participants and are communicated to them ahead of each event.

“FIDE has also ensured that the players’ accommodation is within a short walking distance from the playing venue, making adherence to the rules more convenient.”

It added, “Today, Mr. Magnus Carlsen breached the dress code by wearing jeans, which are explicitly prohibited under long-standing regulations for this event. The Chief Arbiter informed Mr. Carlsen of the breach, issued a USD 200 fine, and requested that he change his attire.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Carlsen declined, and as a result, he was not paired for round nine. This decision was made impartially and applies equally to all players.”

Earlier, Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi was also penalised for a similar violation but he complied by changing his attire, allowing him to continue in the event.

Meanwhile, “upset” with the turn of events, Carlsen said he won’t participate in the Blitz section of the championship as he is “pretty tired” of FIDE’s dress code policies.

“I am pretty tired of FIDE, so I want no more of this. I don’t want anything to do with them. I am sorry to everyone at home, maybe it’s a stupid principle, but I don’t think it’s any fun,” Carlsen told Norwegian broadcasting channel NRK.

“I said I don’t want to bother changing now, but I can change until tomorrow, that’s fine. But they didn’t want to compromise. I’ve reached a point where I am pretty upset with FIDE, so I didn’t want to either. Then that’s how it goes,” he added.

Joe Root returns to England’s ODI squad for India tour, Champions Trophy Rehan Ahmed in T20Is

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Joe Root returns to England's ODI squad for India tour, Champions Trophy; Rehan Ahmed in T20Is

London: Veteran batter Joe Root’s return to 50-over format after more than a year headlined England’s squad announcement for the ODI tour to India and the ICC Champions Trophy.

Root’s previous assignment in the format was the 50-over World Cup held in India in 2023.

All-rounder and Test skipper Ben Stokes was not considered for selection as he has been recovering from a left hamstring injury sustained during the third Test against New Zealand earlier this month.

Seasoned batter Jos Buttler will lead the side, and the Lancashire man will also captain England in the T20I series against India, which precedes the ODIs.

England will play five T20Is and three ODIs during the white ball tour to India.

Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who made his Test debut against India earlier this year, was included in the T20I squad.

In-form Harry Brook will get another chance to play international bilateral cricket in India after pulling out of the Test series earlier this year due to personal reasons.

England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (Captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

England T20I squad: Jos Buttler (Captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.

India vs England Schedule:

T20I: 1st T20I: January 22, Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

2nd T20I: January 25, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

3rd T20I: January 28, Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot.

4th T20I: January 31, MCA Stadium, Pune.

5th T20I: February 2, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

ODIs:

1st ODI: February 6, VCA Stadium, Nagpur.

2nd ODI: February 9, Barabati Stadium, Cuttack.

3rd ODI: February 12, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.

Israeli strike in Gaza kills 8 from same family

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Jerusalem: An Israeli strike in Gaza killed at least eight people from the same family, most of them women and children, Palestinian medics said Tuesday.

The strike late Monday hit a house in Gaza City’s central neighbourhood of Daraj, according to the Health Ministry’s ambulance and emergency service.

Among the bodies recovered from the rubble were a father and his three children, and the children’s grandmother, according to a casualty list obtained by The Associated Press. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military on the strike.

Israeli bombardment and offensives in Gaza have killed more than 45,000 Palestinians over the past 14 months, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry’s tally does not distinguish between combatants and civilians, but it says more than of half the dead were women and children.

Israel launched its campaign in retaliation for Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel in which Hamas group killed some 1,200 people and abducted 250 others, around 100 of whom remain in captivity.

Netanyahu says Israeli forces have seized buffer zone in Golan Heights after Syrian unrest

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Damascus: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli forces have seized a buffer zone in the Golan Heights established by a 1974 ceasefire agreement with Syria.

He spoke on Sunday after a lightning rebel advance ended Syrian President Bashar Assad’s rule.

Netanyahu said the decades-old agreement had collapsed and that Syrian troops had abandoned their positions, necessitating the Israeli takeover.

Israel captured the Golan Heights in the 1967 Mideast war and allegedly annexed it. The international community, except for the United States, views it as occupied Syrian territory.

Russian state news agencies say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad is in Moscow given asylum

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Moscow, Dec 8: Russian state news agencies are reporting that ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad has arrived in Moscow with his family and given asylum.

The agencies, Tass and RIA, cited an unidentified Kremlin source. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the reports but has contacted the Kremlin for comment.

RIA also cited an anonymous Kremlin source that Moscow had received guarantees from Syrian insurgents of the security of Russian military bases and diplomatic posts in Syria. The report did not give further details.

Assad reportedly left Syria early Sunday.

Syrians have been pouring into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire after a stunning rebel advance reached the capital, ending the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule.

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