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Court Case Targets Eswatini–Trump Deportation Pact
Human rights lawyers and activists in Eswatini have taken the government to court over a secretive deal with US President Donald Trump’s administration to accept third-country deportees — calling the move unconstitutional.
The case was due be heard at the High Court of Eswatini on Friday but was postponed until September 25 because the government did not file response papers, the lead applicant told Reuters outside the court on Friday.
‘Frivolous Legal Application’
Eswatini’s Attorney General Sifiso Khumalo said in a text message that the case had no legal basis. “It’s a frivolous legal application,” he wrote.
In July the US deported five individuals from Vietnam, Jamaica, Laos, Cuba and Yemen to the Southern African country. All were convicted felons, and Eswatini says it is holding them in solitary confinement until they can be repatriated.
‘We Want Transparency’
The applicants in the case, led by the Eswatini Litigation Centre, say that the agreement made with the US was illegal because it was not submitted to parliament for approval and the terms were not disclosed.
They also say they do not know the condition of the deportees because no one has been allowed access to them.
“We want the executive to be held accountable; we want transparency dealing with matters of state importance, (and) respect for the rights of all individuals who are in Eswatini regardless of who they may be,” said lead applicant and lawyer Mzwandile Masuku.
Agreement Based On Good Relations
Eswatini, an absolute monarchy ruled by King Mswati III, has previously said the deportees pose no threat and that the agreement was based purely on its good relations with Washington.
The International Organization for Migration told Reuters it had received a request from Eswatini to provide “post-arrival assistance” for the deportees but did not say whether it would accept or what that might entail.
“We are discussing with Government of Eswatini, their request,” a spokesperson for the UN agency said on Thursday.
Trump aims to deport millions of immigrants who entered the US illegally and his administration has sought to increase removals to third countries.
(With inputs from Reuters)
FBI Raids Home Of Ex-Trump Adviser John Bolton In National Security Investigation
On Friday, FBI agents conducted a search of the residence of John Bolton, the former national security adviser to President Donald Trump and now an outspoken critic, as part of an ongoing national security probe, according to a source familiar with the matter.
Federal Bureau of Investigation agents began searching his house in the Washington suburb of Bethesda, Maryland, at 7 a.m. as part of a probe ordered by FBI Director Kash Patel, according to the New York Post, which first reported the raid.
An FBI spokesperson confirmed “court authorized activity” in the area of Bolton’s home.
“NO ONE is above the law… @FBI agents on mission,” Patel wrote, without mentioning Bolton, in an X post shortly after 7 a.m.
Bolton could not immediately be reached for comment. CNN reported that he said he was unaware of the law enforcement activity and was looking into it further.
Bolton served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and as the White House national security adviser during Trump’s first term in office. He has since become a critic of the Republican president, calling him unfit to serve and writing a scathing book about his time in Trump’s first administration.
Criminal Investigation
Trump has repeatedly moved to wield the levers of presidential power against his perceived enemies since taking office in January, following his campaign promise of political retribution.
It was not immediately clear why the FBI was searching the property. The Justice Department during Trump’s first term sued and started a criminal investigation into Bolton over allegations that the book, “The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir,” contained classified information.
A judge rejected the administration’s bid to block publication of the book in 2020. Both the criminal investigation and lawsuit were dropped in 2021 during the Biden administration.
The president previously stripped Bolton of protective Secret Service detail that had been assigned after the U.S. Justice Department said Iran had threatened his life.
Bolton has continued his criticism of Trump since he returned to office. After Trump’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last week, Bolton told CNN that Putin “clearly won” the summit and while Trump “did not lose” he looked “very tired” and there was no meaningful progress on ending the war in Ukraine.
Bolton has also been critical of Trump-nominated FBI Director Kash Patel, telling NBC’s “Meet The Press” in December that the Senate should reject his nomination “100-0.” Patel was later confirmed.
(With inputs from Reuters)
US Halts Worker Visas For Foreign Drivers After Indian Man’s Fatal Crash
The United States has moved to immediately suspend the issuance of visas for foreign commercial truck drivers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday, a decision that followed a fatal crash, which ignited outrage among President Donald Trump’s supporters.
“Effective immediately, we are halting all worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Rubio wrote in a post on X. He argued that the rising presence of foreign drivers behind the wheels of heavy tractor-trailers was both putting American lives at risk and undermining the livelihoods of U.S. truckers.
Fatal Florida Crash
The announcement came in the wake of a deadly incident in Florida, where Harjinder Singh, an Indian national, allegedly caused a crash that killed three people while attempting an illegal U-turn on Florida’s Turnpike.
Federal officials said Singh had entered the United States unlawfully via Mexico in 2018 and later failed an English proficiency test after the crash. He has since been charged with three counts of vehicular homicide.
The case has received widespread media coverage and quickly took on political overtones. Florida officials, aligned with Trump’s Republican Party, spotlighted the crash, with the state’s lieutenant governor personally accompanying immigration officers to California to oversee Singh’s extradition on Thursday.
The controversy has drawn attention to Singh’s time in California, a state led by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, which issued him a commercial license despite its opposition to Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
Trump, Newsom Trade Blame
The Trump administration accused Newsom of enabling the tragedy, pointing to the license issuance, while Newsom’s office countered that it was the federal government under Trump that had approved Singh’s work permit, adding that California fully cooperated in returning him to Florida authorities.
Republican lawmakers had already been criticising foreign-born truck drivers before the crash, citing an uptick in highway accidents, though no direct evidence has been presented to link immigrant drivers to rising crash rates.
In June, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy mandated that commercial truck drivers must demonstrate English proficiency, reversing Obama-era 2016 guidance that advised against removing drivers solely on language grounds.
To obtain a U.S. commercial license, drivers have long been required to show basic English skills, including the ability to read road signs.
Immigrant Drivers Fill Shortages
Nonetheless, the trucking industry has increasingly relied on foreign-born workers to fill shortages. Federal statistics show that the number of immigrant truck drivers more than doubled from 2000 to 2021, reaching approximately 720,000.
Presently, immigrants account for 18% of the U.S. trucking workforce—matching the broader labour market but marking a notable shift for an occupation historically associated with the white working class.
Industry data indicates that over half of these foreign-born drivers are from Latin America, with a growing number in recent years arriving from India and Eastern European countries, particularly Ukraine.
(With inputs from IBNS)
ADB Steps In To Finance Pakistan Railway Upgrade After China Delays
The Asian Development Bank has agreed to provide funding to modernize part of Pakistan’s aging railway network, stepping in after long delays in financing from China raised concerns over potential strain on a key strategic mining project, according to two sources.
An extensive revamp of 1,800 km (1,118 miles) of railways has been the centrepiece of a $60 billion Chinese investment programme in Pakistan announced in 2015 as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative global infrastructure push.
A decade of negotiations, however, have yet to produce a finance package for the rail upgrades – the single biggest project under the programme with China. And Pakistan is, meanwhile, struggling to repay Chinese debt owed for other projects.
The ADB is in advanced talks to lead the financing of a $2 billion upgrade of a 500-km stretch of the railway line from Karachi to Rohri in the country’s south that had previously been part of the Chinese project, two sources with direct knowledge of the discussions said.
Upgrade Is Necessary
The upgrade has become urgent, they said, as it is needed to transport copper ore from the Reko Diq mine currently being developed by Canada’s Barrick Mining Corp.
“We will have a crisis. How will you evacuate output from Reko Diq? The exhausted line will come under even more pressure,” one of the sources, a senior government official, said.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan’s railways ministry or China’s foreign ministry.
The ADB would not confirm the finance package, according to repoets. But it said Pakistan’s government and the regional lender “have regular discussions on railway sector development”.
“Any potential ADB assistance would be subject to comprehensive due diligence and consideration under ADB’s policies and procedures before any commitment is made,” it wrote in a statement.
The deal, expected to be announced later this month, would see the ADB lead a consortium to finance the project and bring in an international engineering contractor to carry out the work through a competitive bidding process, the sources said.
The ADB announced $410 million in financing for the Reko Diq mine itself earlier this week. And its president is due to visit Islamabad next week, the sources said.
China And Pakistan: ‘Ironclad Friends’?
The sources said the plan is diplomatically tricky but has been squared with China.
“We would never do anything to jeopardise that relationship,” the senior Pakistani official said.
China rolled out major power and infrastructure projects after the 2015 launch of the investment programme, known locally as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. But momentum has stalled, with the last big project – the Gwadar East Bay Expressway – inaugurated in 2022.
Islamabad has fallen behind on payments for electricity generated by Chinese-built power plants. And following a government report looking at the cost of the power stations, Islamabad has for the past year sought to reschedule debt payments for the plants.
“China and Pakistan are ironclad friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners,” China’s foreign ministry said on August 19, ahead of a visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Islamabad this week.
In Wang’s meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday, both sides said they sought to deepen ties and move on to the next phase of CPEC.
Pakistan’s Mining Ambitions
The Reko Diq copper and gold mine – at the heart of the government’s strategy to attract investment to Pakistan’s mining sector – is due to enter production in 2028 with anticipated annual output of some 200,000 metric ton of copper concentrate.
One of the world’s largest untapped copper deposits, it is Pakistan’s largest foreign investment in recent years.
The ADB-financed rail upgrade would modernise the track and bridges from the commercial capital Karachi north to Rohri, close to the city of Sukkur, so that diesel trains can run faster, the sources said.
In Rohri, the line will meet a branch coming from the area of the Reko Diq mine and will carry the copper concentrate to port.
Tim Cribb, Reko Diq’s project director, said that the government and Barrick would work together on securing financing for the upgrading of the branch coming from the west to Rohri.
The mine also faces security concerns, as it lies in the insurgency-hit western province of Balochistan, with terrorists frequently targeting the rail network.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Taiwan Economy Minister Resigns Amid Reshuffle Buzz
Taiwan’s economy minister stepped down citing health reasons on Friday, amid growing speculation over an impending cabinet reshuffle as the government grapples with domestic hurdles and an opposition-controlled legislature.
One of the ministry’s key roles is overseeing the crucial semiconductor sector in Taiwan, home to the world’s largest contract chipmaker TSMC.
It also enforces controls to ensure sensitive high-tech goods do not end up in countries subject to export curbs such as China or Russia, and oversees energy policy.
15-Month Tenure
Kuo Jyh-huei, previously a senior executive of a TSMC supplier, Topco Scientific, assumed the role in May of last year as President Lai Ching-te’s administration took office.
In a statement issued by his ministry, Kuo said his resignation was based on “health considerations” given the taxing nature of the job.
Criticism
Kuo has faced criticism from opposition parties for his frequent verbal slip-ups.
“Regarding the criticism and feedback I have received from various sectors during this period, whether directed at policies or at me personally, I sincerely appreciate it and humbly accept it,” he said in his resignation statement.
There was no immediate word from the cabinet on his replacement.
Predictable Outcome
Lai has been grappling with strong resistance from opposition parties, who hold a majority in parliament — frequently blocking government-proposed legislation, pushing through their own bills, and enforcing sweeping budget cuts that have further complicated his administration’s efforts.
Taiwanese media reported this week that a cabinet reshuffle was likely this month, with Kuo among the top ministers expected to be replaced.
Kuo had also played a key role in shaping the government’s response to US President Donald Trump’s 20% tariff on Taiwanese exports to the United States.
Earlier on Friday, Digital Affairs Minister Yennun Huang said he was also stepping down, to return to academia.
(With inputs from Reuters)
UK Moves To Challenge Court Ruling On Relocating Asylum Seekers From Hotel
British Security Minister Dan Jarvis said on Friday that the UK government plans to appeal a court ruling requiring the relocation of asylum seekers from a hotel that has become a flashpoint for anti-immigration protests
The Bell Hotel in Epping, just north of London, has seen weeks of anti-immigration demonstrations and counter-protests since an Ethiopian asylum seeker living in the hotel was charged last month with sexual assault. He denies the charges.
Labour Plans Gradual Phaseout
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer‘s Labour government has pledged to end the costly practice of housing the thousands of asylum seekers arriving in small boats in hotels around the country, but has said it will do so in a gradual manner.
Epping council’s successful legal action to have migrants removed from the Bell Hotel has spurred other local councils to consider similar action, pressuring the government’s ability to comply with its legal duty to provide accommodation for asylum seekers.
Hotel Closures Promised
“We’re going to close all asylum hotels in this Parliament,” Dan Jarvis told broadcasters.
“But this needs to be done in an ordered and managed fashion, and that’s why we’ve taken the decision to appeal the legal ruling,” the British Security Minister added.
Hundreds of people have protested outside the Bell Hotel in recent weeks, with 16 people also having been charged in relation to what police described as criminal disorder. Similar protests have been held outside other hotels housing migrants.
Mounting Criticism
Starmer has been facing criticism over his immigration policies after official figures on Thursday showed asylum claims at a record high, with more migrants being housed in hotels compared with a year ago.
Immigration has overtaken the economy as the number one issue for the British public, according to at least two regular trackers of voters’ concerns.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Global Monitor Declares Famine In Gaza City, Warns Crisis Likely To Spread
A global hunger monitor confirmed on Friday that Gaza City and nearby areas are officially experiencing famine, warning it will likely spread—an assessment expected to intensify pressure on Israel to permit greater humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system said 514,000 people – nearly a quarter of Palestinians in Gaza – are experiencing famine, with the number due to rise to 641,000 by the end of September.
Some 280,000 of those people are in a northern region covering Gaza City – known as Gaza governorate – which the IPC said was in famine following nearly two years of war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas.
It was the first time the IPC had recorded famine outside of Africa, and the global group predicted that famine conditions would spread to the central and southern areas of Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of next month.
It added that the situation further north could be even worse than in Gaza City, but said limited data prevented any precise classification.
Israel dismissed the report as false and biased, saying the IPC had based its survey on partial data largely provided by Hamas, which did not take into account a recent influx of food.
“There is no famine in Gaza,” the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.
Extreme Food Shortages
For a region to be classified as in a famine, at least 20% of people must be suffering extreme food shortages, with one in three children acutely malnourished and two people out of every 10,000 dying daily from starvation or malnutrition and disease.
Previously, the IPC has only registered famines in Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan.
Even if a region has not yet been classified as in famine because those thresholds have not been met, the IPC can determine that households there are suffering famine conditions, which it describes as starvation, destitution and death.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that the Gaza famine was a “man-made disaster, a moral indictment, and a failure of humanity itself”.
He called for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages still held by Hamas and unfettered humanitarian access.
“People are starving. Children are dying. And those with the duty to act are failing … We cannot allow this situation to continue with impunity.”
U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said that famine in Gaza was the direct result of Israeli government actions, and warned that deaths from starvation could amount to a war crime.
The IPC analysis comes after Britain, Canada, Australia and many European states said the humanitarian crisis had reached “unimaginable levels”.
U.S. President Donald Trump last month said many people there were starving, putting him at odds with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has repeatedly said there was no starvation and blamed Hamas for creating food shortages.
Israel Controls Gaza Access
Israel controls all access to Gaza. COGAT, the arm of the Israeli military that oversees aid flows, said the IPC report ignored Israeli data on aid deliveries and was part of an international campaign aimed at denigrating Israel.
“The IPC report is not only biased but also serves Hamas’ propaganda campaign,” the agency said.
The U.N. has long complained of obstacles to getting aid into Gaza and distributing it throughout the war zone, blaming impediments on Israel and lawlessness. Israel has been critical of the U.N.-led operation and accuses Hamas of stealing aid, which the militants deny.
The IPC said the analysis released on Friday only covered people living in Gaza, Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis governorates. It was unable to classify the North Gaza governorate due to access restrictions and a lack of data, and it excluded any remaining population in the southern Rafah region, as it is largely uninhabited.
It is the fifth time in the past 14 years that a famine has been determined by the IPC – an initiative involving 21 aid groups, United Nations agencies and regional organisations that is funded by the European Union, Germany, Britain and Canada.
Past Famine Assessments Highlighted
The IPC has previously assessed that there was famine in areas of Somalia in 2011, South Sudan in 2017 and 2020, and Sudan in 2024. The IPC says it does not declare famine, but instead provides analysis for governments and others to do so.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll released this week found that 65% of Americans believe the U.S. should help those starving in Gaza.
Israel has long counted on the U.S., its most powerful ally, for military aid and diplomatic support. An erosion of U.S. public support would be a worrisome sign for Israel as it faces not only Hamas militants in Gaza but unresolved conflict with Iran, its regional arch-foe.
The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The United States, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to broker an end to the conflict.
(With inputs from Reuters)
Thailand Court Dismisses Royal Insult Case Against Ex-PM Thaksin
A court in Thailand on Friday threw out a royal insult case against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, marking the first key verdict in a string of high-stakes rulings tied to the influential Shinawatra political family.
Case Linked To 2015 Interview
The court said the case, brought by the royalist military stemming from a 2015 Thaksin interview with foreign media, lacked sufficient evidence to prove he had insulted the powerful monarchy, an offence punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
“Evidence from the plaintiff showed the interview by the defendant did not defame, insult or threaten the king, therefore the defendant is not guilty,” the criminal court in Bangkok said.
Wearing a yellow necktie, the colour associated with the palace, a smiling Thaksin had earlier announced the decision to reporters as he left the courthouse, outside of which about 150 of his red-shirted supporters had gathered.
Enduring Political Influence
The divisive 76-year-old tycoon remains a major force in Thai politics despite being retired and having previously spent 15 years in self-imposed exile before his return in 2023.
The billionaire has repeatedly pledged allegiance to the king, who is enshrined in the Thai constitution as being in a position of “revered worship”, with the palace seen by royalists as sacrosanct.
Thaksin’s case was the highest-profile among more than 280 prosecutions in recent years under the controversial lese-majeste law, which activists say has been abused by conservatives to silence dissent and sideline political rivals. Royalists say the law is necessary to protect the crown.
Legal Hurdles Ahead
Although he has no official role in government, Thaksin remains politically active and is widely seen as the power behind the ruling Pheu Thai party-led coalition, which is losing popularity and hanging by a thread.
The ruling came a week ahead of another key verdict involving his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who faces dismissal by the Constitutional Court for an alleged ethics violation over a leaked telephone conversation with Cambodia’s former leader about a border row that later spiraled into five days of armed conflict.
Thaksin also faces another legal test in September when the Supreme Court will decide if his six-month stint in hospital detention, prior to his release on parole in 2024, counts as time served in jail for an abuse of power and conflicts of interest conviction. He could potentially be made to serve that time in prison.
Thaksin had been sentenced to eight years in prison, reduced to one year by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, but did not spend a single night in jail and was transferred to the VIP wing of a police hospital on medical grounds.
Populist Legacy, Polarising Role
A former policeman who built a business empire worth billions, Thaksin was a Mould-breaking premier who won the hearts and votes of millions of working-class Thais with populist giveaways like cash handouts, village loans and universal healthcare.
That made his political parties unstoppable, but his influence and brash character riled Thailand’s old guard of conservatives and royalist generals in a long-running battle that has seen the fall of multiple Shinawatra-backed governments via coups or court rulings.
Supporters outside the court expressed relief at Friday’s decision, saying Thaksin was committed to helping the people.
“I’m glad,” said Khemanut Thauntong, 62. “He is a good and honest person who is loyal to the nation.”
(With inputs from Reuters)
World Has Entered Third Nuclear Age And Tensions Are Rising: Brig Arun Sahgal
The world is entering the Third Nuclear Age characterised by heightened nuclear tensions and the development of the concept of non-strategic nuclear weapons and strategic non-nuclear weapons, says Brig Arun Sahgal of the Forum for Strategic Initiatives, a Delhi-based think tank.
In a conversation on The Gist, Sahgal pointed out that in the case of strategic nuclear weapons, “We saw hypersonic weapons destroying deeply buried targets of the Ukrainians, actually a uranium processing plant .. and we saw strategic non-nuclear weapons being used by US B-2 bombers on Iran’s nuclear sites.”
India, too he said, used a strategic non-nuclear weapon to strike a presumed Pakistani nuclear command and control centre during Operation Sindoor. Pakistan is already raising concern about India’s plan to develop a “bunker buster” warhead of 7.5 tons, that will be mounted on an Agni-5 missile.
Sahgal says there is a clear shift in nuclear posturing towards “near nuclear use”, and it is happening at a time when every nuclear-armed power is upgrading its arsenal. They plan to increase the number of nuclear weapons from 500 to 1500 with an eye on developing counter strike capabilities using space-based assets for pinpoint accuracy.
“The Chinese leadership believes that precision strike capabilities and missile defences could create a situation where a nuclear second strike could get degraded, meaning a second strike could get intercepted before reaching the target.”
Therefore the need to upgrade in terms of numbers, technology and precision. This is also happening at a time when the Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty expires in February next year. Once that goes, there will be no limit on deployment of any kind of cruise missiles in any theatre.
There was a move during the Trump-Putin talks in Anchorage, Alaska over the weekend, to have a discussion and extend the treaty but the time was too short. In any case, the Chinese were not interested as they have argued that they are not strong enough in nuclear weapons at this point to join any conversation on reducing nukes.
Tune in for more in this conversation with Brig Arun Sahgal of the Forum for Strategic Initiatives.
Israel Will Resume Gaza Talks To End War, Secure Hostages’ Release: Netanyahu
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Thursday that Israel would promptly restart negotiations aimed at securing the release of all hostages in Gaza and ending the nearly two-year war, but strictly under conditions acceptable to Israel.
It was Netanyahu’s first response to a temporary ceasefire proposal put forward by Egypt and Qatar that Hamas accepted on Monday. Israel will dispatch negotiators to talks once a location is set, an Israeli official said.
Speaking to soldiers near Israel’s border with Gaza, Netanyahu said he was still set on approving plans for defeating Hamas and capturing Gaza City, the densely populated centre at the heart of the Palestinian enclave.
Thousands of Palestinians have left their homes as Israeli tanks have edged closer to Gaza City over the last 10 days.
“At the same time, I have issued instructions to begin immediate negotiations for the release of all our hostages and an end to the war on terms acceptable to Israel,” he said, adding: “We are in the decision-making phase.”
Gaza Takeover Plan
Israel’s plan to seize Gaza City was approved this month by the security cabinet, which Netanyahu chairs, even though many of Israel’s closest allies have urged the government to reconsider.
His latest remarks underscore the Israeli government’s view that any deal ensures the release of all 50 hostages captured in Israel in October 2023 and still held by militants in Gaza. Israeli officials believe around 20 are still alive.
The proposal on the table calls for a 60-day ceasefire and the release of 10 living hostages held in Gaza by Hamas militants and of 18 bodies. In turn, Israel would release about 200 long-serving Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Once the temporary ceasefire begins, the proposal is for Hamas and Israel to begin negotiations on a permanent ceasefire that would include the return of the remaining hostages.
Palestinian Protests
In a sign of growing despair at conditions in Gaza, residents staged a rare show of protest against the war on Thursday.
Carrying banners reading “Save Gaza, enough” and “Gaza is dying by the killing, hunger and oppression,” hundreds of people rallied in Gaza City in a march organised by several civil unions.
“This is for a clear message: words are finished, and the time has come for action to stop the military operations, to stop the genocide against our people, and to stop the massacres taking place daily,” said Palestinian journalist Tawfik Abu Jarad during the protest.
The Gaza health ministry said at least 70 people had been killed in Israeli fire in the enclave in the past 24 hours, including eight people in a house in the Sabra suburb in Gaza City.
A statement from the Palestinian Fatah movement said one of those killed in Sabra was a Fatah leader and former militant, along with seven members of his family. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.
Ceasefire Or Capture Of Gaza City?
Even as the military begins its preparations to launch the assault on Gaza City, Israeli officials have indicated that there is time for a ceasefire to be reached.
On Wednesday, the military called up 60,000 reservists in a sign that the government was pressing ahead with the plan, despite international condemnation. Such a call-up is likely to take weeks.
Netanyahu is under pressure from some far-right members of his coalition to reject a temporary ceasefire and instead continue the war and pursue the annexation of the territory.
Some Palestinian families in Gaza City have left for shelters along the coast, while others have moved to central and southern parts of the enclave, according to residents there.
“We are facing a bitter, bitter situation: to die at home or leave and die somewhere else. As long as this war continues, survival is uncertain,” said Rabah Abu Elias, 67, a father of seven.
“In the news, they speak about a possible truce, but on the ground, we only hear explosions and see deaths. To leave Gaza City or not isn’t an easy decision to make,” he told Reuters by phone.
Evacuation Warnings Issued
On Thursday, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee wrote on X that the military had started making what he said were initial warning calls to medical and international organisations operating in Gaza’s north, telling them that Gaza City residents should start to prepare to move out of the city and towards the south.
Adraee shared a recording of what he said was an Israeli officer telling a Gazan health ministry official that hospitals in southern Gaza should also prepare to receive patients from medical facilities in the north, who will be forced to evacuate.
A Gaza health ministry official confirmed the phone call had taken place. The ministry rejected the Israeli request to shift medical resources south, warning it would cripple the already devastated health system and endanger over a million residents. It urged international bodies to intervene and protect lifesaving care.
Two more people have died of starvation and malnutrition in Gaza in the past 24 hours, the ministry said on Thursday. The new deaths raised the number of Palestinians who have died from such causes to 271, including 112 children, since the war began.
Israel disputes the malnutrition and starvation figures posted by the Gaza health ministry.
(With inputs from Reuters)