Gaza official warns of possible Israeli raid on Al Shifa hospital

People stand outside the emergency ward of Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City on November 10, 2023, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. (AFP)
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Updated 15 November 2023
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Gaza official warns of possible Israeli raid on Al Shifa hospital

  • Qidra said Gaza officials had informed the International Committee of the Red Cross about Israel’s warning

GAZA: Gaza’s health ministry spokesperson warned on Wednesday of a potential Israeli raid on the enclave’s Al Shifa hospital complex, saying Israel informed Gaza health officials that its forces would raid the facility.
The Israeli military, asked for comment, said it was looking into the matter.
The Gaza health ministry spokesperson, Ashraf Al-Qidra, told Al Jazeera that Israel “informed us that it will raid Al Shifa hospital complex in the coming minutes.”
But he added: “The occupation did not specify whether (its forces) would enter the complex. But it said that within a few minutes it would raid the complex. We do not know how it will raid it or what mechanism will be used, nor do we know (Israel’s) intentions with the raid.”
Reuters was not able to independently confirm the situation at Al Shifa.
Israeli forces have surrounded Al Shifa, Gaza’s biggest hospital, after waging fierce street battles with Hamas fighters they accuse of having a command post under the complex. The US on Tuesday cited intelligence backing Israel’s assertion, but Hamas denies it.

 

 


Russian missile strike kills 12 in Ukraine leader’s home city

Updated 1 min 23 sec ago
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Russian missile strike kills 12 in Ukraine leader’s home city

  • “Twelve people were killed in Kryvyi Rig,” regional governor Sergiy Lysak said
  • He added later that this included “three children“

KYIV: A Russian ballistic missile strike on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s home city of Kryvyi Rig killed 12 people on Friday, including three children, authorities said.
Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city’s military administration, said more than 50 people were wounded in the evening attack.
“Twelve people were killed in Kryvyi Rig,” regional governor Sergiy Lysak said on Telegram.
He added later that this included “three children.”
“The number of wounded is constantly increasing. This information will come later. A car and garages are on fire,” he said.
Unverified video on social media taken from a distance showed a plume of smoke rising into the evening sky.
Kryvyi Rig, in Ukraine’s central Dnipropetrovsk region, is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the front line but has regularly been targeted by Russian drones and missiles.
A Russian ballistic attack on the city on Wednesday killed at least four people and wounded more than a dozen others.
The strikes come as US President Donald Trump’s administration pushes for a speedy end to the more than three-year war, holding talks with both Russia and Ukraine.
Moscow has rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional and full ceasefire, while Ukraine has accused Russia of dragging out talks with no intention of halting its offensive.


King Abdullah, Bulgarian president co-chair Aqaba Process meetings in Sofia

Updated 14 min 46 sec ago
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King Abdullah, Bulgarian president co-chair Aqaba Process meetings in Sofia

  • Initiative aims to bolster cooperation on security, counterterrorism issues
  • King held separate talks with several regional leaders on sidelines of event

LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev co-chaired the third round of the Aqaba Process meetings in Sofia on Friday, bringing together international leaders to address pressing security challenges in the Balkans and beyond, the Jordan News Agency reported.

The Aqaba Process Balkans III forum, jointly organized by Jordan and Bulgaria, tackled issues such as regional security, counterterrorism efforts, online radicalization and illegal migration. The participants also explored opportunities for greater international cooperation, including intelligence sharing and strategic partnerships in combating extremism.

Attending the event were heads of state, government officials and security representatives from Serbia, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Italy, France, the UK, US and Japan.

Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, King Abdullah’s personal envoy and chief adviser on religious and cultural affairs, was among the attendees, while several international organizations, including the EU, Interpol, Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, were also represented.

On the sidelines of the forum, King Abdullah held meetings with several regional leaders, including Slovenian President Natasa Pirc Musar, Albanian President Bajram Begaj, Kosovan President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

Launched by the king in 2015, the Aqaba Process is designed to enhance coordination between regional and international actors in the fight against terrorism and extremism. It fosters military, security and intelligence cooperation, focusing on counterterrorism strategies and the exchange of expertise.

Previous meetings have been hosted by Jordan, Albania, Brazil, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Rwanda, Singapore, Spain, the US and the UN General Assembly.

Discussions have covered diverse regions such as East Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, West Africa and the Sahel.


US lobbied UN rights council to dilute Pakistan’s Gaza proposal, diplomats say

Updated 29 min 40 sec ago
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US lobbied UN rights council to dilute Pakistan’s Gaza proposal, diplomats say

  • UN rights council adopted the resolution moved by Pakistan seeking Israel's accountability
  • Despite forsaking the council, US lobbied to block any new UN investigation against Israel

GENEVA: Two months after President Donald Trump announced a halt to US engagement with the United Nations Human Rights Council, Washington is influencing its work by applying pressure publicly and behind the scenes, seven diplomats and rights workers said.

The United States left its seat empty during a six-week session of the 47-member council ending on Friday, but its lobbying and pressure had some success, the sources told Reuters.

They said the US, which has accused the council of an anti-Israel bias, had focused on blunting a proposal by Pakistan on the creation of an International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism (IIIM), the most rigorous type of UN investigation, on Israel's actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The version of Pakistan's proposal that was passed on Wednesday by the council, whose mission is to promote and protect human rights worldwide, did not include the creation of the IIIM.

The council already has a commission of inquiry on the Palestinian Territories, but Pakistan's proposal would have created an additional probe with extra powers to gather evidence for possible use in international courts.

A March 31 letter sent by Brian Mast, Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, and James R. Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, cautioned against voting the proposal through.

“Any HRC member state or UN entity that supports an Israel-specific IIM ... will face the same consequences as the ICC faced,” the letter said.

It appeared to be referring to sanctions approved by the House of Representatives on the International Criminal Court in protest at its arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister over Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

The final version of Pakistan’s proposal referred only to an invitation to the UN General Assembly to consider an IIIM in the future.

Two Geneva-based diplomats said they had received messages from US diplomats before the change of wording asking them to oppose the new investigation.

“They were saying: ‘back off on this issue,’” said one, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Reuters could not establish whether the revision was a direct result of US actions.

A US State Department spokesperson said it was complying with the executive order signed by Trump on Feb. 4 withdrawing the US from the council and would not participate in it, adding: “As a matter of policy, we do not comment on private diplomatic conversations.”

Pakistan’s diplomatic mission in Geneva did not respond to a request for comment.

“The US seems to be trying to have it both ways. It doesn’t want to pay for or participate in the UN but it still wants to boss it around,” said Lucy McKernan, Deputy Director for United Nations at Human Rights Watch’s Geneva office.

‘RAW POWER’

The US and Israel are not members of the council but, like all UN member states have informal observer status and a seat in the council’s meeting chamber.

International human rights institutions are now at a critical juncture, said Phil Lynch, Director of International Service for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization.

“We are potentially confronting a future characterised by lawlessness and raw power,” he said.

The US was once the top donor to the UN rights system, but Trump has said the UN is “not being well run” and aid cuts by his administration have forced scalebacks.

The US and Israel have also opposed the mandate of one of the council’s independent experts during this session.

The Israeli ambassador said on March 24 that Francesca Albanese, a critic of Israeli actions in Gaza, had breached a UN code of conduct through “blatant antisemitic behaviour and discourse,” a diplomatic note showed.

The US State Department spokesperson said Albanese was “unfit for her role.”

“The correspondence received is under consideration,” council spokesperson Pascal Sim said, adding that whenever the council makes a nomination, “it does so with the knowledge that the mandate-holder is expected to serve up to six years in this function.”

The internal body that ensures UN experts adhere to a code of conduct condemned what it described as a coordinated campaign against Albanese, according to a letter from the Coordination Committee of Special Procedures dated 28 March.

It found no evidence to support Israel’s complaints against Albanese. However, it is introducing social media guidelines for UN experts in light of some concerns raised about her X posts.

 


Saudi program to train teachers of Arabic as second language begins at US university

Updated 43 min 57 sec ago
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Saudi program to train teachers of Arabic as second language begins at US university

  • KSGAAL’s program aims to improve skills of teachers, students
  • Part of wider efforts to standardize Arabic language teaching, assessments

RIYADH: A new program is training teachers of Arabic as a second language at Indiana University in the US.
The course, initiated by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, will run until April 8 and is the second phase of a project aimed at training teachers.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Washmi, the secretary-general of KSGAAL, said that the program was part of the academy’s continued efforts to enhance the skills of Arabic language teachers and students.
KSGAAL is focused on improving teaching quality and introducing the standardized language assessment Hamza, Al-Washmi added.
He said that through its collaboration with Indiana University, KSGAAL was committed to academic exchange and the integration of global best practices in Arabic language teaching.
The secretary-general added that the Hamza test enhanced the global and academic standing of the Arabic language by providing a standardized assessment model based on international criteria.
It offered a reliable measure of language proficiency, enabling universities and academic institutions worldwide to rely on it for student admissions and assessing abilities, he said.
Al-Washmi added: “The test boosts scientific research in the field of Arabic language through the analytical data derived from its results, which contribute to the development of more effective teaching curricula.
“The test facilitates international recognition of Arabic as a global language that can be measured according to CEFR standards, further promoting its inclusion in global academic and employment frameworks.”
The academy’s plan for Arabic language assessments is based on several key pillars, including legislation and accreditation to ensure official recognition and reliability, as well as outreach and sustainability to expand the test’s accessibility to the widest possible audience.
Al-Washmi said: “We are committed to innovation and development to improve assessment mechanisms and enhance the test-taker experience.”
The language assessment program at KSGAAL was advancing according to the established strategy, Al-Washmi said, positioning Saudi Arabia, through the academy, as an international reference in Arabic language teaching, learning, and evaluation practices.
The program at Indiana University includes an introductory module on language assessments and the Hamza test, alongside a specialized training course for Arabic teachers of non-native speakers.
The program features a scientific seminar called “Saudi Arabia’s Efforts in Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers.” Participants will also engage in a hands-on session of the Hamza test, designed to deepen their understanding of language assessment mechanisms and their role in evaluating learners’ language proficiency.
This initiative is aligned with KSGAAL’s strategy to empower the Arabic language and enhance its presence in international academic institutions.


Investigation finds Meta profiting from ads promoting Israeli settlements in West Bank

Updated 52 min 5 sec ago
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Investigation finds Meta profiting from ads promoting Israeli settlements in West Bank

  • Ads included listings for property developments, calls for demolition of Palestinian homes, schools, playgrounds, appeals for donations for military equipment to be used in Gaza, Al Jazeera found
  • Allowing such ads might violate international law, legal experts claim

LONDON: Meta has profited from more than 100 advertisements promoting illegal Israeli settlements and far-right settler activity in the occupied West Bank, an investigation by Al Jazeera revealed earlier this week.

The ads include listings for property developments in settlements such as Ariel, located 20 km east of the Green Line, as well as calls for the demolition of Palestinian homes, schools, and playgrounds. Some also solicit donations for Israeli military units operating in Gaza.

One of the most prominent advertisers is a Facebook page called Ramat Aderet, promoting luxury apartments with amenities such as saunas, jacuzzis, and cold plunges. The company, valued at $300 million according to financial data firm PitchBook, has received funding from the First International Bank of Israel.

Another 48 ads were posted by Gabai Real Estate, marketing homes in the West Bank settlements of Ma’ale Adumim and Efrat.

At least 52 of the ads were placed by Israeli real estate firms targeting buyers in Israel, the UK, and the US. Many remain active on Facebook after being published in March 2024, Al Jazeera reported.

Meta defended its ad policies, stating: “We have robust processes and teams to review ads, and our ad review system is designed to review ads before they go live. This system relies primarily on automated technology to apply our advertising standards to the millions of ads that run across our apps, while relying on our teams to build and train these systems and, in some cases, to manually review ads.”

Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal.

Legal experts argue that by failing to take down and profiting from these ads, Meta “becomes complicit in their criminal activity” and could face legal consequences. They also warn that allowing ads soliciting donations for military equipment in Gaza may violate international humanitarian law, as well as Meta’s own policy prohibiting the promotion of “the sale or use of weapons, ammunition, or explosives.”