UNITED NATIONS: Members of the United Nations Security Council called on Monday for a surge in assistance to reach people in need in Israeli-basieged Gaza, warning that the situation in the Palestinian enclave was getting worse.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said there needs to be a “huge, huge rise in aid” to Gaza, where most of the population of 2.3 million people has been displaced and health officials in the coastal enclave say that more than 43,922 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s 13-month-old offensive against Hamas.
“The situation is devastating, and frankly, beyond comprehension, and it’s getting worse, not better,” Lammy said. “Winter’s here. Famine is imminent, and 400 days into this war, it is totally unacceptable that it’s harder than ever to get aid into Gaza.”
The war erupted after Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israel in October last year, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council that Washington was closely watching Israel’s actions to improve the situation for Palestinians and engaging with the Israeli government every day.
“Israel must also urgently take additional steps to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza,” she said.
President Joe Biden’s administration concluded this month that Israel was not currently impeding assistance to Gaza and therefore not violating US law, even as Washington acknowledged the humanitarian situation remained dire in the Palestinian enclave.
The assessment came after the US in an Oct. 13 letter gave Israel a list of steps to take within 30 days to address the deteriorating situation in Gaza, warning that failure to do so might have possible consequences on US military aid to Israel.
Thomas-Greenfield said Israel was working to implement 12 of the 15 steps.
“We need to see all steps fully implemented and sustained, and we need to see concrete improvement in the humanitarian situation on the ground,” she said, including Israel allowing commercial trucks to move into Gaza alongside humanitarian assistance, addressing persistent lawlessness and implementing pauses in fighting in large areas of Gaza to allow assistance to reach those in need.
Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, said Israel had facilitated the entrance of hundreds of aid trucks a week but there had been a failure of aid agencies to collect that aid and Hamas had looted trucks. Hamas has denied the accusation.
“Not only must the UN step up its aid distribution obligations, but the focus must also shift to Hamas’ constant hijacking of humanitarian aid to feed the machine of terror and misery,” Danon said.
Two UN aid agencies told Reuters on Monday that nearly 100 trucks carrying food for Palestinians were violently looted on Nov. 16 after entering Gaza in one of the worst losses of aid during the war.
Tor Wennesland, the UN coordinator for the Middle East peace process, said humanitarian agencies face a challenging and dangerous operational environment in Gaza and access restrictions that hinder their work.
“The humanitarian situation in Gaza, as winter begins, is catastrophic, particularly developments in the north of Gaza with a large-scale and near-total displacement of the population and widespread destruction and clearing of land, amidst what looks like a disturbing disregard for international humanitarian law,” Wennesland said.
“The current conditions are among the worst we’ve seen during the entire war and are not set to improve.”
Members of UN Security Council call for surge in assistance to Gaza
https://arab.news/5am6t
Members of UN Security Council call for surge in assistance to Gaza
- British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said there needs to be a “huge, huge rise in aid” to Gaza
- “Israel must also urgently take additional steps to alleviate the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza,” US Ambassador to the UN said
‘We played for Gaza’: How Palestine’s U-20 Women’s team went from underdogs to champions
- Shock penalty shootout win over Jordan secures first U-20 West Asian Football Federation title
AMSTERDAM: When rank outsiders secure a victory they tend, often, to be of the moral variety. If victory is achieved it rarely ends up with an outsider advancing to the final match and lifting the trophy.
On Saturday afternoon, Palestine’s U-20 Women’s team did just that. While Palestine’s senior men’s team has been punching above its weight for the past decade it has been an entirely different story for other teams in the program.
Palestine has been absolutely abject in youth football. Since gaining admission to the Asian Football Confederation and FIFA in 1998, Palestine’s men’s and women’s teams have qualified for a single youth tournament, the U-23 Asian Cup.
The gaps have only widened for female sides as other countries in the region invested in the sector, leaving Palestine far behind neighbours Lebanon and Jordan.
When the U-20 West Asian Football Federation Championship kicked off last week, not much was expected from Palestine. Jordan were seen as heavy favorites due to their home advantage and the absence of Lebanon, the only other side of note in the region.
Palestine were expected to finish above Kuwait but behind Jordan and Syria in the four-team tournament.
Preparation was anything but ideal with the team meeting only 48 hours before their first game. With football suspended throughout Palestine there was a heavy reliance on the diaspora to fill the gaps. Palestine’s squad featured players born in Sweden, Canada and the United States as well as professionals plying their trade in Chile and Egypt.
The tournament got off to the best possible start for Al-Fidai’yat, a 9-0 hammering of Kuwait set the stage, but a 3-0 loss to bitter rivals Jordan had the doubters circling the team. Many of the comments of the Palestine Football Association Facebook page were tinged with sexism while others demanded women’s football have its funding suspended.
The nature of the loss was particularly frustrating for Palestine who showed an ability to compete with their more established rivals but were undone on a series of corner kicks and set pieces.
Palestine emerged from Matchday 2 in good shape thanks to Syria’s narrower margin of victory against Kuwait. That result meant Palestine needed only a draw against the Qasioun Eagles to set up a rematch against Jordan in the final.
A goalmouth scramble after an early corner kick was finished off by Narin Abu Asfar giving Palestine the lead against Syria. They looked the better side for much of the match but a late Syrian equalizer against the run of play in the 84th minute set up a grandstand finish. A series of corner kicks in the game’s dying seconds had fans fearing the worst but Palestine’s players held their nerve and saw the game out.
A rematch against Jordan was on the cards.
Palestine’s futility at the WAFF Championship is well documented. The senior men’s team has never advanced past the group stage of the regional tournament. The senior women’s team's greatest accomplishment was a second-place finish in 2014 in a four-team tournament in which they were battered 10-0 by champions Jordan.
Palestine were not expected to put up much of a fight. After all, success in women’s football starts with investment, and Jordan has been the leading light in the region, punching above their weight in all age categories for both genders since the turn of the century.
A cagey first half under the hot Aqaba sun ended scoreless, just as it did five days earlier. Manager Ahmed Hammad went to his bench and called on Selina Ghneim to change the match.
The forward did just that, thumping home a header from Narin Abu Asfar’s corner to open the scoring.
Jordan answered through a substitute of their own, Marah Abbas, who also scored off a corner kick.
A penalty shootout was needed to settle the match, which ended 1-1. Typically, underdogs favor the lottery of the shootout, which increases their chances of victory considerably. There was just one problem for Palestine. Their goalkeeper Miraf Maarouf had broken her foot in warmups.
Any doubt as to the imperious goalkeeper’s ability to perform injured and under pressure was immediately put to rest. Maarouf dove to her right and blocked Jordan’s first two attempts giving Palestine a lead in the shootout they would not relinquish.
An embarrassing moment of confusion took place after captain Naomi Philips scored to make it 3-1 after three and a half rounds. Palestine’s players rushed on to the pitch to celebrate with Maarouf, who was imploring her teammates to clear the area because there was still a Jordanian kick to deal with.
Jordan scored to force a fifth round of kicks but Miral Kassis did not feel the pressure. The FC Masar forward had to leave the team midway through the tournament due to club commitments. She had played in Egypt less than 24 hours before and arrived in Aqaba only on the day of the final.
Her winning penalty came with a high dose of bravado, with the 19-year-old seeming to ask Celine Seif which side she wanted to be scored on.
“Forget tactics and all that. We played for Gaza. We took care of organization (to correct mistakes from the first game) but the players fought to get the win,” Omar Barakat, the team’s assistant coach, told Arab News.
Reaction from a fanbase starved of success has turned dramatically with snide and sexist comments conspicuously absent from recent comments.
“We are proud of ourselves because we play for Gaza. We play in the name of Palestine in the name of every mother that has lost her son, in the name of every martyr,” Malak Barakat told the media after the historic win.
“My message is that this is only the start and you will be hearing more from us in the future.”
Barakat might be right — she and several of her teammates have already made the jump to the senior team.
Georgina Rodriguez shows off Arabic tattoo
DUBAI: Argentine model Georgina Rodriguez gave fans a peek into her life in Saudi Arabia this week through a series of Instagram stories. One standout moment was a close-up photo highlighting her Arabic tattoo, which reads: “Keep all evil away from us, Amen.”
She included the same phrase in Arabic as a caption. In the photo, she also showed off a large emerald-cut diamond ring, a glittering watch and a crocodile-skin handbag.
Later that afternoon, Rodriguez shared more family moments when she posted videos of stepson Cristiano Ronaldo Jr’s football training with Al-Nassr’s youth team. In one clip, captioned “The best team,” the group was seen singing and cheering.
Rodriguez also gave her followers a behind-the-scenes look at her personal routine in Riyadh, sharing a short video of herself practicing salsa dancing. “Third salsa class in Riyadh,” she wrote in Spanish.
The posts are part of her continued documentation of life in Saudi Arabia, where she lives with her partner, football star Cristiano Ronaldo, and their children.
The couple recently appeared together in a new campaign for Saudi Arabia’s luxury cruise line, Aroya Cruises.
In the video, the pair exchange a lighthearted moment in Arabic. Rodriguez says “yalla” — meaning “let’s go” — after selecting the cruise on her phone, and Ronaldo replies cheerfully “yalla.”
The scene then changes into scenes of the couple exploring the cruise experience, with panoramic sea views, luxurious interiors and their private accommodation.
Both Ronaldo and Rodriguez shared the campaign on their social media profiles with the caption: “Home isn’t just a place — it’s a feeling.”
In addition to her lifestyle content and brand campaigns, Rodriguez has also taken part in humanitarian efforts in Saudi Arabia. Earlier this year, she visited the King Fahd National Centre for Children’s Cancer to support young patients.
She was joined by Monica Esteban, president of Spanish charity, the Juegaterapia Foundation, as they distributed Baby Pelones dolls featuring a scarf designed by Rodriguez. During her visit, the model hugged and spoke with the children and joined in their play with the dolls.
FIA president welcomes Georgia to sport’s global fight against online abuse
- Coalition embraces 10th country as sports minister signs charter during Bahrain Grand Prix weekend
DUBAI: Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile, has welcomed the government of Georgia to the organization’s growing United Against Online Abuse coalition.
Georgian Minister of Sport Shalva Gogoladze formally signed the charter during a meeting with the FIA chief over the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
It becomes the 10th country to join the united and influential coalition of governments, sporting bodies and technology platforms committed to combating online harassment and hate speech across the sporting world. Members of the group work in close partnership to confront the rise of online hate and its damaging impact on mental health, participation in and integrity of sport.
During their meeting, Ben Sulayem and Gogoladze discussed the minister’s commitment to protecting athletes and safe sports, as well as his “Start to Talk” campaign on the reporting of harassment and abuse.
As part of UAOA’s work to shape effective policies and strategies to address online abuse, the campaign is looking forward to collaborating with Georgia, exchanging best practices and strengthening cooperation through evidence-sharing.
UAOA was founded by Ben Sulayem in 2022 as a new initiative by the FIA, which is the governing body for world motorsport and the federation for mobility organizations.
He said: “I am delighted to welcome the government of Georgia to the United Against Online Abuse coalition. This endorsement underscores Georgia’s leadership in recognizing online abuse as a serious threat to the future of sport. Together we are building a strong, global alliance that will deliver meaningful change and make sport a safer space for everyone.”
Gogoladze added: “Georgia is honored to stand with our international partners in the fight against online abuse in sport. Signing the United Against Online Abuse Charter reflects our unwavering commitment to promoting safety, respect, and mental wellbeing for all athletes, coaches, officials and fans. We are proud to support this global movement established by the FIA and to play our part in creating a sporting culture that thrives on safety and inclusivity, both on and off the field.”
The campaign has witnessed rapid growth in recent months and was recently awarded Peace and Sport’s prestigious Coalition for Peace award in recognition of its efforts.
To date, the coalition has welcomed endorsements from the governments of Greece, France, Slovenia, Albania, Australia, Kenya, Costa Rica, Namibia and Rwanda, alongside organizations such as the Association of IOC Recognised International Sports Federations.
Dubai Basketball returns home with 10-game unbeaten record
- Team continues to dominate ABA League after win over Mornar-Barsko zlato of Montenegro
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball extended their winning streak to 10 games with a commanding 83-71 road win over Mornar-Barsko zlato in Round 27 of the ABA League.
The victory takes Dubai Basketball to a 22-5 record, as the team continues to assert its dominance in its debut ABA League season.
Controlling the tempo from the first quarter, Dubai Basketball set the tone early and never looked back. The team maintained a steady lead throughout the game, at one point building a 20-point advantage in the third quarter after an explosive 11-2 run. The early lead proved decisive, as Dubai expertly managed the game’s closing stages to secure another convincing result on the road.
Montenegro’s Mornar-Barsko zlato made a late push and reduced the deficit to 13 points by the final buzzer. However, Dubai’s composure and relentless work on both ends of the court ensured there would be no upset for the UAE-based team.
A standout performance from Jerry Boutsiele earned him the Man of the Match award by the ABA League. The center delivered an all-round performance, finishing with 13 points with an almost perfect free-throw record, nine rebounds, and as always, key contributions on defense.
Reflecting on the win, Boutsiele said: “We came here with the goal to stay focused and keep our momentum going. Everyone stepped up, and we all played our part, and the team dynamic has never felt better. Ten wins in a row means a lot, but we’re hungry for more. The job’s not done yet, and we look forward to giving our fans a home win soon.”
With this result, Dubai Basketball solidified its position as one of the most consistent teams in the league. The team is preparing to take on Croatian side Split for their first home game of the month on Sunday, April 20 at Coca-Cola Arena.
Pakistan aims to deport millions of Afghans but local ties and resistance stall the campaign
- The provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa appears reluctant to repatriate Afghans
- More than 35,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since the start of April
- Many recent deportations have been from eastern Punjab, which is hundreds of kilometers from the border and home to some 200,000 Afghans with documents
PESHAWAR: Akber Khan is seeing a brisk trade at his restaurant in the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar. Staff fan skewers of grilled meats and dole out rice and salad.
As an Afghan, Khan ought to be leaving as part of a nationwide crackdown on foreigners the Pakistani government says are living in the country illegally. But the only heat he feels is from the kitchen.
“I have been here for almost 50 years. I got married here, so did my children, and 10 of my family members are buried here. That’s why we have no desire to leave,” he said.
Khan is one of more than 3 million Afghans that Pakistan wants to expel this year. At least a third live in the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that’s just those with documents like an Afghan Citizen Card or proof of registration.
It is not clear how many undocumented Afghans are in the country.
Shared cultural, ethnic and linguistic ties
The provincial government — led by the party of imprisoned former premier Imran Khan — appears reluctant to repatriate Afghans. Mountainous terrain, sectarian violence and an array of militant groups have also challenged the central government's expulsion ambitions.
“Afghans can never be completely repatriated, especially from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as they return using illegal channels or exploiting loopholes in the system despite fencing at the border,” said Abdullah Khan, managing director of the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. “Many villages along the border are divided between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and people in the past three or four decades were never stopped from visiting either side.”
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s proximity to Afghanistan, together with shared ethnic, cultural and linguistic ties, make it a natural destination for Afghans. The province has hosted significant numbers since the 1980s.
Many Afghans have integrated, even marrying locals. The region feels familiar and it’s easier to access through legal and illegal routes than other parts of Pakistan.
While the provincial government was cooperating with federal counterparts, policy implementation remained slow, analyst Khan told The Associated Press.
“The (local) government is sympathetic to Afghans for multiple reasons," he said. "They share the same traditions and culture as the province, and former Prime Minister Imran Khan during his days in power consistently opposed coercive measures toward Afghan refugees.”
Authorities are also wary about unrest, with Afghans living in almost all of the province’s cities, towns and villages.
A slow repatriation rate
Although police were raiding homes in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other cities in Punjab and Sindh province farther from the border, the “lack of aggressive enforcement” was the main reason for the slow repatriation rate, analyst Khan said.
Pressure on Pakistan to have a change of heart — from rights groups, aid agencies and Afghanistan's Taliban government — could also be a factor.
More than 35,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since the start of April through the northwest Torkham crossing. It’s a far cry from the volume seen in the early phases of the expulsion campaign in 2023, when hundreds of thousands fled to beat a government-imposed deadline to leave.
Many recent deportations have been from eastern Punjab, which is hundreds of kilometers from the border and home to some 200,000 Afghans with documents.
‘We are going under duress’
At a highway rest stop on the outskirts of Peshawar, a truck carrying 30 Afghans stopped to give passengers a break before they left Pakistan for good. They had come from Punjab. Families nestled among furniture, clothes and other items. A woman in a burqa, the covering commonly seen in Afghanistan, clambered down.
Ajab Gul said the actions of Pakistani officials had forced them to leave: “We didn’t want to go. They raided our houses two or three times. We are going under duress.”
Another truckload of passengers from Punjab pulled over by the Torkham border crossing to speak to the AP.
Jannat Gul outlined the dilemma that awaited many. “Our children’s education (in Afghanistan) has been destroyed. We’re going there, but we have no connections, no acquaintances. In fact, people often call us Pakistanis. No one regards us as Afghan.”
‘If they take him, I will stop them’
There were happier scenes at the Kababayan refugee camp in Peshawar, where children played and ate ice cream in the sunshine. The camp, established in 1980 shortly after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, is home to more than 15,000 people and has schools, a health center, electricity and drinking water.
School is a crucial reason Afghans want to stay in Pakistan, because the Taliban have barred girls from education beyond sixth grade.
Muhammad Zameer, a camp resident, said girls’ education was “non-existent” across the border.
Other camp residents have a different concern: their Afghan husbands. Afghan men face deportation, and their local wives are unhappy.
Some are fighting to get their husbands a Pakistani identity card, which unlocks basic public services as well as indefinite stay, property ownership, bank account access and employment.
Some wives said they are willing to fight anyone deporting their husbands.
“I never imagined the government would treat my husband like this,” said one, Taslima. “If they take him, I will stop them."
