KHAN YUNIS: “It smells like death,” said Maha Thaer, a mother of four, as she returned to the devastated southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis on Sunday, after Israeli troops withdrew.
“We don’t have a city anymore — only rubble. There is absolutely nothing left. I could not stop myself crying as I walked through the streets,” the 38-year-old told AFP.
“All the streets have been bulldozed. And the smell... I watched people digging and bringing out the bodies,” said Thaer, whose home was partially destroyed.
Soon after the Israeli army said its troops were pulling out, people began to emerge into the devastated landscape — the residents of Khan Yunis returning to find what remained of their homes.
Nearly 400,000 people lived in Khan Yunis and its environs before October 7. Much of the area is now in ruins after months of bombardment and heavy fighting between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants.
A straggle of men and boys riding donkey carts, bicycles and the odd pickup truck headed north out of Rafah in the far south of the Gaza Strip, where more than 1.5 million Palestinians had taken refuge from the relentless Israeli ground invasion and bombardment.
They passed the burned-out shell of the Al-Salam hospital, with almost all of the buildings around it razed to the ground.
Thaer, from the upmarket Hamad City district in the west of Khan Yunis, said she was “very shocked and sad.”
“There were no walls or windows. Most of the towers were completely blown up,” she said.
Thaer said she would move back into her badly damaged apartment, “even though it is not suitable for living, but it is better than tents.”
Her neighbors suffered a greater misfortune. “They found their homes destroyed and they don’t know where they will go,” she said.
Other Gazans carried a mattress on their heads in the hope they would still have four walls to put it in.
One of those who left Rafah on Sunday climbed on the top of a heap of rubble in Khan Yunis which once had been a home.
With everything around him in ruins, AFP photographs showed the man standing among smashed concrete and corrugated iron roofing.
Not a single structure within sight appeared untouched by the war.
Other images showed large swathes of the city flattened.
The Israeli army told AFP that it had pulled its 98th division of ground troops out of the southern city on Sunday to “recuperate,” with one official telling the Israeli media it had killed thousands of Hamas fighters there.
“There’s no need for us to remain... We did everything we could there,” an army official told Haaretz newspaper.
The Gaza war broke out on October 7 with an attack by Hamas militants that resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, Israeli figures show.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,175 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
‘It smells like death’: Gazans return to devastated Khan Yunis
https://arab.news/6pyqk
‘It smells like death’: Gazans return to devastated Khan Yunis
- “We don’t have a city anymore — only rubble," Palestinian mother says
Farmers in Gilgit Baltistan foresee economic boom as Pakistan exports first cherry consignment to China
- Region’s fruit farmers say it is easier to transport cherries to China than to Pakistan’s major urban centers
- GB’s agriculture department says the region produces approximately 5,000 tons of cherries every season
KHAPLU: Fruit farmers in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit Baltistan (GB) region expressed optimism on Friday their access to the Chinese market will strengthen the local economy after the country’s trade authorities announced the successful dispatch of the first-ever consignment of Pakistani cherries across the border this week.
GB is frequently described as Pakistan’s gateway to China since it is home to the Khunjerab Pass, which is the highest paved international border crossing in the world and the highest point on the Karakoram Highway. This pass and highway are crucial components of the route that connects Pakistan to China, facilitating trade and travel between the two countries.
GB’s mild to cold climate also makes it an ideal location for fruit orchards, particularly cherries, which are considered some of the best in the region. The area also supports the cultivation of other fruits like apricots and apples, contributing to its reputation for high-quality produce.
Despite its proximity with China, the farmers in GB never exported fruit to the neighboring market before the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) announced the dispatch of the first consignment of cherries on June 5.
“We are very happy that our cherries have entered the Chinese market,” Abbas Skinderi, a cherry farmer from Nagar district, spoke to Arab News over the phone. “If half of GB’s production goes to China, the farmers will be the top beneficiaries.”
Skinderi said there were limited markets available to farmers in GB, adding the recent development would reduce poverty in the area.
“As China opens its door for our cherries, we will plant more of these trees,” he continued.
Irfan Ali Shah, another farmer, agreed, saying the export to the Chinese market would change the lives of local farmers.
“Hundreds of people in GB are associated with cherry farming,” he noted. “This is the first time our cherries have been exported to China. This will change our destiny since the Chinese market is very close to the region.”
Shah said the development was also significant due to the limited shelf life of cherries.
“Due to transportation problems and dilapidated roads, it’s difficult to safely send our cherries to Pakistan’s main cities,” he informed. “China, in contrast, is much closer to GB than cities like Lahore or Karachi, ensuring that our production will not be wasted and our incomes will increase.”
GB’s major cherry-producing areas include Hunza, Nagar, Gilgit, Ghizer, Skardu and Ghanche districts.
Speaking to Arab News, Nazir Ali, a TDAP assistant director, said the first consignment of cherries was packed in a refrigerated container used internationally for transporting perishable goods.
“Over 100 cherry orchards, alongside a cold storage and packing house at Rahimabad in Gilgit, are now registered with the General Administration of Chinese Customs,” he said. “This registration ensures that the cherries meet the stringent quality and safety standards required by the Chinese market, thereby guaranteeing the best prices for Pakistani farmers.”
Javed Akhtar, a deputy director at GB’s agriculture department, said the first consignment had 15 to 20 tons of cherries.
“China’s protocol for exporters of cherries is very tough,” he continued. “Luckily, under the guidance of the plant protection and agriculture departments, our traders fulfilled all protocols and managed to successfully send the first consignment to China. The climate of GB is very favorable for cherry production and 14 different varieties of cherries are found in the region.”
According to the agriculture department, the region produces about 5,000 tons of cherries per season. Access to the Chinese market is expected to significantly boost this production level as more and more farmers adopt advanced agricultural practices and begin to grow the fruit.
Beneficiaries cite ‘Guests of God’ program for Hajj as best evidence of care for Muslims
RIYADH: A number of guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Hajj, Umrah and Visitation confirmed that the invitation they received to perform Hajj is the best evidence of Saudi Arabia’s care and concern for Islam and Muslims.
They said Saudi Arabia’s hosting of Hajj is an extension of the humanitarian work carried out by the Kingdom for all Muslims.
“It is no secret that the Kingdom is making great services for the comfort of the guests of God and meeting their needs. These are tangible efforts with an honorable history, and they are not limited to serving pilgrims or the feelings only, but rather they extend to include Makkah and Madinah,” Mustafa Yusuf, secretary-general of the Islamic Society of Vietnam, told the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
He added that “the Kingdom’s generosity has and continues to overcome all obstacles for Muslims to perform rituals with ease and reassurance.”
The initiative, also called Guests of God Service Program, was inaugurated by King Salman in 2019 as one of Saudi Arabia’s key reform plans under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
The program seeks to host large numbers of pilgrims, facilitate their access to the Two Holy Mosques, ensure they have access to high-quality services through the most advanced technology, and enhance their cultural and spiritual experience.
It also seeks to ensure that pilgrims safely return to their countries of origin after completing all their rituals.
Haji Murad of Uzbekistan hailed the initiative as a worthy humanitarian program. He also cited the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Call and Guidance for its efforts in implementing the initiative “in a distinguished manner.”
Abdul Wali Abdul Baqi, another guest of the program from Uzbekistan, and who works as a correspondent on Uzbek state television, said: “Praise be to God who made it possible for me to visit this country in order to perform Hajj with the convoy of guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and I was very happy when I saw the Holy Kaaba.”
Saudi climate envoy takes part in Ocean Action event in Costa Rica
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s climate envoy took part in the High Level Event on Ocean Action: Immersed in Change, the Saudi Press Agency reported early on Saturday.
Saudi Minister of State Adel Al-Jubeir led the Kingdom’s delegation to the event in the Costa Rican capital San Jose.
The meeting, taking place between June 7 and 8, seeks to spotlight globally important topics related to ocean conservation and to propel actionable measures addressing the pressing environmental crisis affecting oceans.
Fishing resources, the fight against ghost fishing gear, and the blue economy are among the topics that will be addressed by an international panel.
In 2022, the UN Ocean Conference saw significant financial pledges, totaling billions of dollars, with around 50 high-level commitments, including “an investment of at least $1 billion to support the creation, expansion, and management of marine protected areas and Indigenous and locally governed marine and coastal areas by 2030,” according to the UN.
The conference in 2017 concluded with the adoption of a “Call for Action” and 1,300 voluntary commitments towards ocean conservation.
11 bodies retrieved from Mediterranean off Libya: NGO
ROME: The bodies of 11 people, believed to be migrants, were retrieved off the Libyan coast on Friday, the Doctors Without Borders (MSF) NGO said on X.
“Sadly, after a search operation that lasted over nine hours, GeoBarents team retrieved the bodies of 11 people who unfortunately lost their lives,” MSF said.
MSF had been alerted to the corpses by German NGO Sea-Watch, which said earlier on Friday it had spotted the 11 bodies in the water.
“During today’s flight with our Seabird, the crew spotted 11 bodies,” said Sea-Watch, which also rescues migrants in the Mediterranean.
“It is unclear whether the bodies discovered off the Libyan coast were victims of a previously unknown shipwreck.”
While out searching for the bodies, MSF sighted a boat and rescued the 20 people aboard, it said.
Both NGOs accused European countries of complicity in the deaths due to their migration policies.
Sea-Watch said Libyan authorities had chosen to leave the bodies at sea.
“The so-called Libyan coast guard — financed by the EU — ignored our call demanding that the bodies be recovered,” said Sea-Watch, which has in the past clashed with Libyan authorities, who they claim once threatened to shoot down their aeroplane with a missile.
Libya is a major jumping-off point for migrants trying to head from Africa to Europe, with the Italian island of Lampedusa the nearest European destination.
According to Italy’s interior ministry, the number of migrant arrivals in the country has dropped considerably in 2024 to just under 21,800 since the beginning of the year, compared to close to 53,300 in the same period last year.
The journey can be dangerous with more than 3,000 migrants reported to have gone missing in 2023 while attempting to cross the Mediterranean, according to the International Organization for Migration.
The US is making its biggest push yet to get Israel and Hamas to halt fighting. Is it succeeding?
- The world still is waiting for signs that the ceasefire appeal begun May 31 by President Joe Biden was working
WASHINGTON: In Middle East capitals, at the UN, from the White House and beyond, the Biden administration is making its most concentrated diplomatic push of the eight-month-old war in Gaza to persuade Israeli and Hamas leaders to take a proposed deal that would bring a ceasefire and release of more hostages.
But one week into the US pressure campaign, the world still is waiting for signs that the ceasefire appeal begun May 31 by President Joe Biden was working, by moving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders toward a negotiating breakthrough.
For Israel and Hamas, the US diplomatic press has become a public test of whether either side is ready to stop fighting — at least on any terms that fall short of their professed goals, whether it’s the complete crushing of the militant group or the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza.
For Biden, who describes the proposal as Israeli, it’s the latest high-profile test of US leadership in trying to convince ally Israel as well as the militant group to relent in a conflict that is killing tens of thousands of people, inflaming regional tensions and absorbing much of the administration’s focus.
Here’s a look at the US-led push for a Gaza ceasefire and where it stands:
Going public
It wasn’t that the ceasefire proposal Biden outlined in a televised address from the White House a week ago was startingly new. It was that Biden laid out the terms to the world and put the full weight of the US presidency behind the appeal for both sides to take this deal.
The terms that Biden described for the first of three phases sounded much like the deal that US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators and Israel and Hamas have been haggling over for months.
There would be a six-week ceasefire in which Israeli forces pulled back from populated areas of Gaza. In exchange for Israel releasing hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, Hamas would release some women, older people and wounded among hostages it had seized in the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel that set off the war.
The proposal calls for a full release of remaining hostages and an Israeli withdrawal in later phases, although the terms are vague.
“Everyone who wants peace now must raise their voices and let the leaders know they should take this deal,” Biden said a week ago.
But by Friday, neither Israel nor Hamas had said yes. Netanyahu says the terms of the proposal aren’t as they have been described publicly and that Israel will never cease fighting until “the destruction” of Hamas’ military and leadership.
In effect, said Nimrod Novik, a former senior adviser to the late Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, Biden “decided to ‘out’ Netanyahu and let the Israeli public know how serious the potential for bringing all hostages out.”
The US aim: “So Israel would say ‘yes’ to its own proposal,” said Novik, now the Israel fellow at the Washington-based Israel Policy Forum.
Keeping up the pressure
The Biden administration isn’t letting up in its drive to get Hamas and Israel on board.
“The US is going to do everything it can in some formulation to keep pushing this. Until there’s no place to go any more,” said Jonathan Panikoff, a former US intelligence official. He’s now the director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East program.
At the UN, US diplomats are asking the Security Council to adopt a resolution demanding a permanent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in Gaza, over Israel’s objections. Biden is sending Secretary of State Antony Blinken back to the Middle East next week for his eighth visit since the war began, a lightning tour of Middle East capitals to promote the ceasefire proposal.
CIA director Bill Burns and Biden Middle East adviser Brett McGurk also have traveled to the region to garner support for the deal and show key players how it could work.
The Group of Seven leading global economies endorsed the proposal. So have countries with hostages held by militants in Gaza. Biden, Blinken and other US officials are working the phones to rally support among Arab governments from Egypt and Qatar to Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Many allies appear to welcome the president’s initiative to get the ceasefire talks back on course after weeks of drift, Panikoff said.
The view from Israel
There’s little sign — yet — that the US efforts have been enough to change the political equation in Israel. Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners have vowed to bring down the government if the Israeli prime minister accepts the proposal that Biden outlined.
Trailing in opinion polls and facing an ongoing corruption trial, Netanyahu has little incentive to risk heading to another election. Although opposition leader Yair Lapid has offered to give Netanyahu backing for a hostage deal, the two men are bitter enemies and there is little reason to think any alliance would last.
Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Netanyahu’s war Cabinet, has called a news conference for Saturday, where he is expected to address his earlier threat to resign by this weekend if Netanyahu failed to release a plan for the war and Gaza.
Netanyahu will still control a parliamentary majority if Gantz leaves. But the departure of Gantz, a former military chief and defense minister who is respected in Washington, would weaken Netanyahu’s international credibility and leave him more dependent than ever on far-right coalition partners, who believe Israel should reoccupy Gaza and oppose the ceasefire proposal.
Popular protests could be one of the few scenarios that sway Netanyahu toward a deal, Novik said. Alternatively, Novik contended, just the threat of a public denunciation by Biden could prod Netanyahu toward compromise, given the United States’ importance as an ally.
How about Hamas?
Hamas is expected to deliver a formal response in coming days to the proposal that Biden is pushing, according to what the Qataris and Egyptians, who handle the direct communications with Hamas officials in the negotiations, told US officials this week.
Senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told reporters this week in Beirut that Biden’s announcement was “positive” but said the group couldn’t accept any deal without Israel’s guarantee of a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, a prisoner exchange and other conditions.
While the supreme leader of Hamas and other political figures are based abroad, Hamas also must relay any proposals to Yahya Sinwar — whose opinion is paramount — and other military leaders in Gaza. They inhabit tunnels up to 100 feet (30 meters) or more underground and are believed to have surrounded themselves with foreign hostages to discourage attack.
