CONFLICT BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS

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WAR BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS:

The fighting between Israel and Hamas, which launched a surprise attack on Saturday, is the latest in seven decades of war and conflict between Israelis and Palestinians that has drawn in outside powers and destabilized the wider Middle East.

WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE CONFLICT?

The conflict pits Israeli demands for security in what it has long regarded as a hostile region against Palestinian aspirations for a state of their own.

Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the modern State of Israel on May 14, 1948, establishing a safe-haven for Jews fleeing persecution and seeking a national home on land to which they cite deep ties over generations.

Palestinians lament Israel’s creation as the Nakba, or catastrophe that resulted in their dispossession and blocked their dreams of statehood.

In the war that followed, some 700,000 Palestinians, half the Arab population of what was British-ruled Palestine, fled or were driven from their homes, ending up in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria as well as in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israel, a close U.S. ally, contests the assertion it drove Palestinians from their homes and points out it was attacked by five Arab states the day after its creation. Armistice pacts halted the fighting in 1949 but there was no formal peace.

Palestinians who stayed put in the war today form the Arab Israeli community, making up about 20% of Israel’s population.

WHAT MAJOR WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT SINCE THEN?

In 1967, Israel made a pre-emptive strike against Egypt and Syria, launching the Six-Day War. Israel has occupied the West Bank, Arab East Jerusalem, which it captured from Jordan, and Syria’s Golan Heights ever since.

In 1973, Egypt and Syria attacked Israeli positions along the Suez Canal and Golan Heights, beginning the Yom Kippur War. Israel pushed both armies back within three weeks.

Israel invaded Lebanon in 1982 and thousands of Palestinian fighters under Yasser Arafat were evacuated by sea after a 10-week siege. In 2006, war erupted in Lebanon again when Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers and Israel retaliated.

In 2005 Israel quit Gaza, which it had captured from Egypt in 1967. But Gaza saw major flare-ups in 2006, 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021 that involved Israeli air raids and Palestinian rocket fire, and sometimes also cross border incursions by either side.

As well as wars, there have been two Palestinian intifadas or uprisings between 1987-1993 and again in 2000-05. The second saw waves of Hamas suicide bombings against Israelis.

WHAT ATTEMPTS HAVE THERE BEEN TO MAKE PEACE?

In 1979, Egypt and Israel signed a peace treaty, ending 30 years of hostility. In 1993, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Arafat shook hands on the Oslo Accords on limited Palestinian autonomy. In 1994, Israel signed a peace treaty with Jordan.

The Camp David summit of 2000 saw President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Arafat fail to reach a final peace deal.

In 2002, an Arab plan offered Israel normal ties with all Arab countries in return for a full withdrawal from the lands it took in the 1967 Middle East war, creation of a Palestinian state and a “just solution” for Palestinian refugees.

Peace efforts have been stalled since 2014, when talks failed between Israelis and Palestinians in Washington.

Palestinians later boycotted dealings with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump since it reversed decades of U.S. policy by refusing to endorse the two-state solution – the peace formula that envisages a Palestinian state established in territory that Israel captured in 1967.

WHERE DO PEACE EFFORTS STAND NOW?

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has focused on trying to secure a “grand bargain” in the Middle East that includes normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, custodian of Islam’s two holiest shrines.

The latest war is diplomatically awkward for Riyadh as well as for other Arab states, including some Gulf Arab states next to Saudi Arabia, that have signed peace deals with Israel.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN ISSUES?

A two-state solution, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem, and refugees are at the core of the dispute.

Two-state solution – an agreement that would create a state for the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip alongside Israel. Hamas rejects the two-state solution and is sworn to Israel’s destruction. Israel has said a Palestinian state must be demilitarized so as not to threaten Israel.

Settlements – Most countries deem Jewish settlements built on land Israel occupied in 1967 as illegal. Israel disputes this and cites historical and Biblical ties to the land. Their continued expansion is among the most contentious issues between Israel, the Palestinians and the international community.

Jerusalem – Palestinians want East Jerusalem, which includes sites sacred to Muslims, Jews and Christians, to be the capital of their state. Israel says Jerusalem should remain its “indivisible and eternal” capital. Israel’s claim to the eastern part of Jerusalem is not recognized internationally. Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital – without specifying the extent of its jurisdiction in the disputed city – and moved the U.S. embassy there in 2018.

https://alianawazblog.wordpress.com/ — Result of War, No War Please

Refugees – Today about 5.6 million Palestinian refugees – mainly descendants of those who fled in 1948 – live in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza. About half of registered refugees remain stateless, according to the Palestinian foreign ministry, many living in crowded camps.

Palestinians have long demanded that refugees should be allowed to return, along with millions of their descendants. Israel says any resettlement of Palestinian refugees must occur outside of its borders.

Credit: This Article was published on October 10, 2023 Compiled by Reuter’s journalists; Editing by Edmund Blair.

“It is deeply concerning to witness the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, which has resulted in the loss of innocent lives and widespread suffering on both sides. We must recognize the urgency of finding a peaceful and just solution that respects the rights and aspirations of both the Palestinian and Israeli people. Dialogue, diplomacy, and international cooperation are crucial to achieving a lasting peace in the region, and we call upon all parties involved to prioritize the well-being and security of their citizens and work towards a peaceful resolution.”

MY MESSAGE:

My message is just to stop the war, don’t kill innocent people. live is precious . Resolve the problem by diplomacy, dialogue, and mutual alliance and cooperation. Urgent International help will play an important role to achieve a lasting peace in the region. Stop war, saving human-being lives is very important. No War please…

Alia Nawaz

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Climate Change

Consequences of Climate Change.

“We have a single mission: to protect and hand on the planet to the next generation” – Francois Hollande

The activities performed by humans unintentionally are putting The Earth in danger. Overexploitation and overconsumption of natural resources, pollution, and deforestation are causing hazards to our environment. As every action has a reaction: either positive or negative. Our planet Earth has started to react in different ways: Global Warming, Wildfires, Floods, Earthquakes, Land sliding, and Hurricanes. Earth is sending a message to human beings, to start taking care of the resources we are left with.

Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns are referred to as climate change. The causes of Climate Change are deforestation, pollution, overconsumption, production at a high rate, oil drilling, power plant, dumping wastes, and overfishing. Moving towards the effects of Climate Change, the major consequences are higher temperatures, a rise in droughts, severe storms, loss of species, less food, and health risks. The most recent study from a United Nations climate panel indicates that the negative effects of climate change are intensifying considerably more quickly than scientists anticipated less than ten years ago. Forest fires in Australia and California. Floods in Pakistan and Europe, Landslides in Florida, Fiona hurricanes in Atlantic Canada, and heat waves around the globe are the signs that it is happening already.

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Talking about the floods in Pakistan that originated in June 2022, it is called the deadliest in the world since the South Asian floods in 2017. Pakistan declared a state of emergency on August 25 due to floods. One-third of the country was under water by August 29, according to Pakistan’s minister of climate change, affecting 33 million people. The flooding is thought to have cost the Pakistani government loss of $40 billion More than 1,600 people died including 555 children. The terrible storms, floods, and landslides brought on by this year’s high monsoon rains in Pakistan have affected roughly 16 million children. Up to 7 million individuals have temporarily moved elsewhere (Unicef, Sept 2022). Sherry Rehman, Pakistan’s climate change minister said “Why should we in Pakistan pay for catastrophic floods we had no part in causing?” because Pakistan is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change while producing less than 1% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. She also reported that the provinces of Sindh and Balochistan had received 784 percent and 500 percent more rain in August than usual.

In response to the floods, Imran Khan, former Prime Minister of Pakistan held a television fund-raising event and donated Rs. 500 crores through it for flood relief. Apart from this, Senators, federal cabinet officials, and army officers each donated their one month’s pay to the flood relief fund. The largest telecom and internet service provider in Pakistan, PTCL Group, declared Rs. 1.75 billion donations to help flood victims. Talking about the aid received on an international level, Pakistan received $370 million in relief funding from the World Bank. $10 million was granted by the World Health Organization for immediate health support. Canada provided $5 million in contributions for humanitarian aid to Pakistan on August 29. Canada announced on September 13 that it will increase its contribution to $30 million and provide a $3 million matching fund. China donated $58 million including relief materials like tents and blankets. Prince Rahim Aga Khan donated $10 million to victims of the flood. Frank Bainimarama, the prime minister of Fiji, claimed that Pakistan’s terrible floods were the result of high-emitting nations. This aid is still not enough for re-stability. We urge WHO, UNICEF, United Nations, and the whole world to come together and contribute more to reinstating Pakistan’s infrastructure.

Fiona, a historic storm for Atlantic Canada, originated from Puerto Rico and hammered coastal towns on Saturday morning, Sept 24 at 3 a.m. The Mayor of New Foundland declared a state of emergency. In Newfoundland, several homes were destroyed or washed away, while others were flooded, the roads were blocked, and residents had to be evacuated. Fiona “certainly left a stamp on the province,” according to Premier of Nova Scotia, Tim Houston, who also described the damage as “heartbreaking.” On Prince Edward Island, wind gusts of up to 150 km/h, about 100 millimeters of rain, damaged and flooded homes and businesses, and at one point, 95% of Maritime Electric customers were without power. After the storm raced over, residents of East Canada are now being urged to stay off the roads and take cover. The devastation was beyond anyone’s imagination.

Climate change is alarming for all of us as residents of this planet have to come together to help reduce the impacts of climate change. Individuals have to take initiative. Although some organizations like Climate Action Network, C40 Cities, Sierra Club Canada, and Alliance for Climate Education are already working on Climate Crisis. It is not enough to deal with and manage the rapid speed of Climate change. For saving lives and this planet, people have to work hard together and also assist at the individual level more. Change starts with one person and we can start by recycling, reducing waste, using public transport, and using energy wisely. Taking action is necessary now, or we won’t have another planet left to reside on.

Dr. Alia Nawaz

Credit with thanks: Photos are taken from the internet and media

World Cancer Day

World cancer day is celebrated on 4 February every year. This day is wished to increase Global awareness of cancer. It was introduced in the year 2000 and the very first summit against cancer was held in Paris where government agencies and cancer organizations from all over the world approved and signed the charter of Paris against cancer.

Cancer awareness is a very important factor as there are plentiful advancements in researches on cancer. Many cancer diseases are diagnosed each year but 40% of deaths are prevented. Awareness of cancer has become a conspicuous goal around the world. Health Institutions and many cancer centers organize webinars and educational materials to aware of cancer and cancer prevention. On cancer day many parades, Fundraising events, galas, concerts, and auctions are organized. More than 75% of the deaths occurred from cancer so, many governments had launched Awareness television shows and radio programs. World cancer day and the world cancer campaign have been launched to spread awareness and it has become a mechanism to pull attention toward cancer prevention.

The pink ribbon represents Breast cancer Researchers in many organizations wear a pink ribbon to aware people to stand against the beast and save lives as well as raising funds to help the people.

Cancer is the mal growth of abnormal cells in the body. Our nation is suffering from more than 200 types of cancer such as Bladder, skin cancer, Breast, Colorectal, Kidney, Lung, Pancreatic, Thyroid, etc. When normal body cells start developing abnormally that causes cancer. A person exposed to chemical compounds, ionizing radiation, insertion of pathogens, etc. could cause cancer. There are signs and symptoms that depend upon the degree of cancer a person is suffering from. A person basically feels tired, Pain, change in skin texture, weight loss, cough, bleeding, etc. There are many tests to screen and diagnose cancer. Every cancer is of a different kind and is treated in a different way according to its variety and stage. Most of the cancers are cured by means of surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation therapies

Cancer is a leading cause of death but during this time most of the researchers are indulged in searching for the cure to the covid-19, which has been declared as a global pandemic and every nation is trying to come over this.

Dr. Alia Nawaz