United News of Bangladesh

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called on Lebanon’s political leaders to rise above division and work as genuine peacemakers, as he brought a message of hope to a country struggling with economic hardship, political deadlock and fears of renewed conflict with Israel. Leo arrived in Beirut from Istanbul on the second leg of his first papal trip. He said he wanted to encourage the Lebanese people at a fragile moment and support the country’s Christian community, one of the most important in the Middle East. The visit fulfilled a plan long held by his predecessor, Pope Francis, who had hoped to travel to Lebanon but was unable to do so because of the country’s crises and his own declining health. Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system has long produced long political vacuums and repeated stalemates, including disputes over the stalled probe into the deadly 2020 Beirut port explosion. The country is also sharply divided over calls for Hezbollah to disarm after its war with Israel last year left widespread destruction. Leo did not mention Hezbollah or the conflict directly in his address at the presidential palace, but he referred to the country’s suffering. “You have suffered greatly from the consequences of an economy that kills, from global instability and from the radicalization of identities and conflicts,” he said. “But you have always known how to start again.” He urged Lebanon’s leaders to seek the truth, listen to those who have suffered injustice and put the common good above personal or political interest. The pope’s highest-profile moment will come Tuesday when he prays silently at the site of the Aug 4, 2020, port explosion, which killed more than 200 people and caused massive damage. Many Lebanese said his presence alone was meaningful. “It shows that Lebanon is not forgotten,” said Bishop George, head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut. Security was tight throughout the visit. After landing in Beirut with a Lebanese military escort, the pope was greeted by President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. He traveled through the city in a closed popemobile as troops lined the streets and a helicopter monitored from above. His convoy entered the palace grounds as dancers performed dabke under heavy rain. In Turkey, Leo marked a major Christian anniversary. In Lebanon, he focused on offering hope to citizens who feel abandoned by political leaders and encouraged Christians to remain in their homeland or return if they have left. Lebanon, a Muslim-majority country with a large Christian population, has long been a priority for the Vatican as Christian communities in the region continue to shrink. “Much good can come” from the Lebanese diaspora, Leo said, but he stressed that staying and working for peace at home remained vital. President Aoun said Christians would not leave the country. “Your Holiness, tell the world that we will not die. We will not leave, we will not despair and we will not surrender,” he said. Despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last year, Israel continues to launch near-daily airstrikes, saying they target Hezbollah. More than 4,000 people were killed in Lebanon during the war and large areas were devastated. “The pope is coming for the sake of peace,” said Beirut resident Farah Saadeh. “We hope nothing happens after he leaves.” Before Leo arrived, Hezbollah urged him to denounce what it called Israeli aggression. The group also told its supporters to line the pope’s route, and hundreds did so, waving Lebanese and Vatican flags. Mounir Younes, head of a Hezbollah-linked scout group, said they wanted to show the value of coexistence. “Muslim-Christian coexistence is a great wealth that we must hold onto,” he said. Hezbollah has alliances with several Christian parties, though the Lebanese Forces, the largest Christian bloc, opposes the group and blames it for dragging the country into war. Lebanon remains deeply split over calls for Hezbollah to give up its weapons. Around 300 Christians from Syria traveled to Beirut to attend the pope’s meeting with young people and a public Mass on the waterfront. Syrian Christian communities have dwindled during 14 years of civil war. “We need someone like the pope to give us hope,” said 24-year-old Dima Awwad, who came with the delegation. She said many hoped the pope would one day visit Syria as he did Lebanon.  

Two Palestinian children were killed by Israeli fire in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, hospital officials said, highlighting tensions under a fragile ceasefire with Hamas. The brothers, aged 11 and 8, died when an Israeli drone struck near a school sheltering displaced people in Beni Suhaila, according to staff at Nasser Hospital, which received their bodies. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident. Since the ceasefire took effect on October 10, at least 352 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but maintains detailed records widely regarded as reliable. Israel has said its strikes target militants violating the truce, but the deaths of civilians have strained the fragile agreement. Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of ceasefire violations. Hamas called on mediators Saturday to pressure Israel following the killing of the children. Israeli operations have also intensified on other fronts. Syrian officials said Israeli forces raided a village on Friday, killing at least 13 people after residents confronted troops. Israel said the operation targeted militants planning attacks and that troops were fired upon, injuring six. Strikes in Lebanon have increased, with Israel targeting Hezbollah sites to prevent rearmament. In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians accused Israeli soldiers of killing two men after apparent surrender on Thursday. Israel said it is investigating the incident. Settler violence has also risen in the West Bank. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that 10 Palestinians were injured in attacks by settlers using live ammunition and beatings in Khallet al-Louza near Bethlehem. Meanwhile, a U.S. plan for Gaza’s future remains in early stages. The proposal calls for an international stabilization force, a transitional authority overseen by President Donald Trump, and envisions a potential path toward an independent Palestinian state.  

Israeli forces on Thursday shot dead two Palestinian men in the occupied West Bank after they appeared to surrender, prompting Palestinian officials to accuse Israel of executing them in cold blood. The Israeli military said the incident is under investigation. Footage aired by Palestine TV and Egypt’s Al-Ghad showed the men emerging from a garage in Jenin with their hands raised and shirts lifted to show they carried no explosives. The videos show them forced to the ground, kicked, then ordered back toward the garage before gunfire erupts. The men collapse as troops surround them, and at least one soldier is seen firing. Israeli authorities said the pair were wanted militants who had thrown explosives and opened fire at troops. They said that after the men surrendered, “fire was directed toward the suspects,” adding that the case is under review. Palestinian officials identified the victims as Al-Muntasir Abdullah, 26, and Yousef Asasa, 37. The Palestinian prime minister’s office called the deaths an extrajudicial killing and a violation of international humanitarian law. Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir praised the forces involved, saying “terrorists must die.” The incident drew comparisons to the 2017 case of Israeli soldier Elor Azaria, convicted of manslaughter for killing an already wounded Palestinian attacker. The shooting comes amid a wider Israeli operation in the northeastern West Bank, where more than 100 people have been detained since Tuesday, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club. Israel says the raids target attempts to build militant strongholds. Violence in the West Bank has surged since the Hamas attack on Oct 7, 2023, which triggered the Gaza war. Palestinians and rights groups say Israeli raids and settler attacks have intensified, often with little accountability. Israel also carried out new airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday, saying the strikes aim to prevent Hezbollah from rearming. The UN says Israeli strikes have killed at least 127 civilians in Lebanon since last year’s ceasefire. Tensions rose this week after a rare Israeli strike in Beirut killed Hezbollah’s chief of staff. Meanwhile, an American teenager, Mohammed Ibrahim, was released after nine months in Israeli detention. His family said he appeared thin and pale, with signs of scabies. The 16-year-old was arrested during a family visit to the West Bank for allegedly throwing stones at settlers, a claim he said he confessed to only after being threatened during interrogation.  

Israeli forces carried out a raid in southern Syria on Friday, leaving at least 13 people dead after troops opened fire when confronted by residents, Syrian officials and local witnesses reported. The incident comes as Israel remains engaged on multiple fronts, even as a fragile ceasefire in Gaza continues. Syria’s Foreign Ministry denounced the operation as “a horrific massacre,” saying women and children were among the dead. State news agency SANA said Israeli troops entered the village of Beit Jin to detain several men, prompting a confrontation that led to heavy gunfire. Dozens of families fled the area as the raid unfolded. The Israeli military said it launched the operation based on intelligence to apprehend members of Jamaa Islamiya (Islamic Group) allegedly planning attacks on Israeli civilians. It said militants opened fire on Israeli soldiers, injuring six who were later hospitalized. Troops returned fire and received air support. The military said all targeted suspects were detained and several militants were killed. Israel has viewed developments in Syria cautiously since the collapse of Bashar Assad’s government in late 2024. Following Assad’s ouster, Israeli forces took control of a former U.N. buffer zone established under a 1974 disengagement deal. Israel has conducted frequent strikes on Syrian military positions while urging the creation of a demilitarized zone south of Damascus. Syrian authorities condemned Friday’s raid as a breach of sovereignty and urged international intervention. A local official, Walid Okasha, told the AP the dead were civilians, including a man who had been married just one day earlier. Syrian children return to shattered classrooms as war-scarred schools reopen Beit Jin has been targeted previously: in June, Israeli forces detained several people they claimed were Hamas members and killed another man whose family said he suffered from schizophrenia. The raid comes amid rising tensions across the region. On Thursday, Israeli airstrikes hit areas in southern Lebanon. The U.N. says Israel has killed at least 127 civilians in Lebanon since last year’s ceasefire. Tensions escalated further this week with a rare Israeli strike in Beirut that killed a senior Hezbollah commander. Source: AP 

Families across Gaza spent Tuesday bailing muddy water from their tents as winter storms compounded the misery that has persisted two years into the war. Heavy rain flooded makeshift encampments where more than 2 million displaced Palestinians are sheltering, leaving many standing ankle-deep in water and expressing anger toward both Hamas and Israel despite the ceasefire. “All the tents collapsed,” said Assmaa Fayad of central Gaza, describing how her temporary shelter was destroyed in the downpour. “Where is Hamas? Who is seeing how our children are drowning?” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem blamed conditions on the Israeli blockade, saying on Telegram that global relief efforts “cannot succeed under siege.” Aid groups warn that the winter season will worsen humanitarian conditions already strained by shortages and the destruction of infrastructure. Most displaced people are living in tents or improvised shelters built over rubble, without sewage systems; latrines — often pits dug near tents — overflow when it rains. In Deir al-Balah, among the hardest-hit areas, Reham al-Hilu said her shelter of wood and metal collapsed overnight, injuring her. “The mattresses are flooded. Everything is soaked — the clothes, everything — and my children are soaked too,” she said. The U.N. humanitarian office reported last week that at least 13,000 tents had been damaged by recent storms, wiping out what little belongings many families had left. Aid groups had begun winter preparations in October after the ceasefire, transporting materials such as winter tents into Gaza, but distribution has been slowed by Israeli restrictions on the entry of shelter supplies, the U.N. said. Israel’s COGAT agency said it is working to increase deliveries but did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Despite the constraints, aid organizations distributed more than 3,600 tents, 129,000 tarpaulins and 87,000 blankets earlier this month, according to the U.N. Roads in Deir al-Balah turned into shallow streams, forcing residents to wade through icy water. Some tried to mop up the flooding with pieces of cloth. Although major fighting has paused, Israel continues limited strikes, saying Hamas is violating the ceasefire — accusations the group denies. Meanwhile, most displaced Palestinians remain packed into areas of Gaza not under Israeli control.

A senior Hamas delegation met Egypt’s intelligence chief in Cairo on Sunday to address Israel’s repeated breaches of the ceasefire, the group said, as Palestinians in Gaza held funerals for dozens killed in recent Israeli attacks. Hamas said in a statement that while it reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the first phase of the ceasefire, Israel’s “continued violations” threaten to undermine the deal. The delegation, including exiled Gaza chief Khalil al-Hayya, called for a clear mechanism under mediator supervision to document and prevent further breaches. Egypt, Qatar, and the United States have been mediating between Hamas and Israel since the ceasefire came into effect last month. Hamas also discussed urgent measures to reach fighters trapped in Rafah tunnels in Israeli-controlled areas, noting that communication with them has been cut off. The meeting followed Israeli airstrikes across Gaza on Saturday that destroyed homes, makeshift shelters, and a vehicle, killing at least 24 Palestinians, including children. Israel said the attacks targeted Hamas operatives after the group sent a fighter into Israeli-controlled Gaza. Hamas denied the claim, accusing Israel of using it as a pretext for killings, and urged mediators to pressure Israel to halt the violations immediately. According to Gaza authorities, Israel has violated the ceasefire at least 497 times since October 10, killing some 342 civilians, most of them women, children, and the elderly. Palestinians in Gaza fear the attacks could escalate. Al Jazeera correspondent Tareq Abu Azzoum reported from Gaza City that residents are concerned about further destruction and remain skeptical about advancing to the second phase of the ceasefire, which involves humanitarian aid, reconstruction, and governance reforms under the Trump-led peace plan. Under phase one, Hamas has released remaining captives, and Israel has freed nearly 2,000 Palestinians, though border restrictions continue to impede aid. Phase two envisions Gaza governance under a technocratic Palestinian committee, international monitoring, and a temporary stabilization force. Hamas has said it will not disarm while the Israeli occupation persists. The Trump plan, endorsed by the UN Security Council, also guarantees that no Palestinians would be forced to leave Gaza and that Israel will not annex the territory.   Source: ALJAZEERA

Israel carried out a series of airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, marking the latest major challenge to the ceasefire that began on October 10. Health officials in Gaza said at least 24 people were killed and 54 others injured, including many children. The strikes came as global attention intensified on Gaza following Monday’s U.N. Security Council approval of a U.S.-backed plan for stabilizing and governing the territory. The roadmap allows for an international security force, a transitional authority under President Donald Trump, and the possibility of a future independent Palestinian state. Israel has launched similar attacks during earlier flare-ups in the truce. Health officials said at least 33 Palestinians — mostly women and children — were killed during a 12-hour escalation on Wednesday and Thursday. On Saturday, one strike hit a vehicle in Gaza City’s Rimal neighborhood, killing 11 people and wounding more than 20, said Rami Mhanna, managing director of Shifa Hospital. Hospital director Mohamed Abu Selmiya said most of the wounded were children. AP footage showed residents examining the charred vehicle with its roof blown off. Another strike on a home near Al-Awda Hospital in central Gaza killed at least three people and injured 11. A separate strike on a house in Nuseirat camp killed seven, including a child, and wounded 16 others. Al-Aqsa Hospital confirmed three more deaths — including a woman — from a strike on a home in Deir al-Balah. Residents described scenes of terror. “I heard a huge explosion and the whole area filled with smoke,” said Khalil Abu Hatab of Deir al-Balah. “The upper floor of my neighbor’s house was gone. This ceasefire is so fragile — there is no safe place.” Israel’s military said the strikes followed an incident in which an “armed terrorist” crossed into an Israeli-controlled zone in southern Gaza and opened fire, though no soldiers were injured. The military said the crossing occurred on a route used for humanitarian aid deliveries, calling it a severe breach of the ceasefire. The army also said its forces killed five militants in Rafah and two others in northern Gaza after separate attempts to cross into Israeli-held areas. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Most hostages or their remains have since been returned under various ceasefire deals. Gaza’s Health Ministry says 69,733 Palestinians have been killed and 170,863 wounded since Israel’s retaliatory offensive began. Officials say the toll continues to rise during the ceasefire due to new strikes and the recovery of bodies from earlier bombardments. The ministry does not separate civilian and combatant deaths but says women and children form the majority of those killed. Its casualty records, maintained by medical staff under the Hamas-run administration, are widely considered credible by independent analysts.    

Israel plans to expropriate large sections of the Sebastia archaeological site in the West Bank, according to a government document obtained by The Associated Press, while settlers overnight established a new outpost near Bethlehem, escalating tensions in the occupied territory. The Israeli Civil Administration’s order, released Nov. 12, targets approximately 1,800 dunams (450 acres) of land, the largest seizure of archaeologically significant territory in the West Bank, Peace Now, an anti-settlement watchdog, said. Sebastia, home to thousands of olive trees, sits atop the ancient capital of Samaria and is believed by Christians and Muslims to contain John the Baptist’s burial site. Israel had previously announced plans to develop the site as a tourist attraction and allocated over $9 million for its expansion. Palestinians have 14 days to file objections to the declaration. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers inaugurated an unauthorized outpost near Bethlehem following a recent Palestinian attack in the area. Settler leaders framed the move as strengthening ties between Etzion and Jerusalem. Tensions have also intensified over settler violence. A Palestinian activist documenting abuses was detained and hospitalized, raising concerns over administrative detention without trial. Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of West Bank war crimes Human Rights Watch accused top Israeli officials of war crimes for forcibly displacing 32,000 Palestinians from three West Bank refugee camps earlier this year. Satellite analysis found more than 850 homes destroyed or heavily damaged. The military said the raids targeted militant infrastructure but provided no explanation for barring displaced residents from returning. The unfolding developments highlight growing international scrutiny of Israel’s settlement expansion and actions in the West Bank. Source: AP

Iran’s foreign ministry on Friday condemned a resolution by the U.N. atomic watchdog as “anti-Iranian” and warned of unspecified retaliatory actions, state media reported. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Thursday called on Iran to fully cooperate by providing “precise information” on its near weapons-grade uranium stockpile and granting inspectors access to nuclear sites. According to the official IRNA news agency, foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran informed the Vienna-based agency that, in addition to ending the Cairo agreement reached over the summer, it may take “other actions” in response to the resolution. Baghaei did not detail potential measures but hinted that further uranium enrichment could be among them. UN atomic watchdog urges Iran to disclose full uranium stockpile He accused the IAEA of siding with the United States, United Kingdom, France, and Germany and criticized the resolution for ignoring the fact that Iran had suspended inspections due to Israeli and U.S. strikes on its nuclear facilities in June. After the 12-day air war with Israel in June, which killed nearly 1,100 people including military commanders and nuclear scientists, Iran suspended all cooperation with the IAEA. Although inspections resumed following a September Cairo agreement, Tehran halted its implementation after the U.N. reimposed sanctions via the “snapback” mechanism of the 2015 nuclear deal, escalating tensions further. The latest resolution is likely to deepen the standoff between Tehran and the U.N. nuclear agency. Source: AP

Israel may have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity by forcibly displacing 32,000 Palestinians from three West Bank refugee camps earlier this year, Human Rights Watch said Thursday. The rights group called for investigations into top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and senior military commanders, urging prosecution if found responsible. The expulsions, conducted in January and February during a military operation dubbed “Operation Iron Wall,” represent the largest displacement in the West Bank since Israel occupied the territory in 1967. Thousands of Palestinians remain unable to return to their homes, with many living in overcrowded rentals, with relatives, or in public buildings. Some homes were reportedly bulldozed. Israel defended the raids as necessary to combat militancy, claiming troops dismantled explosives and reduced attacks in the West Bank by 70 percent, though evidence was not provided. The military said operations aim to “reshape and stabilize” the area, including opening new access routes inside the camps. Human Rights Watch criticized Israel for failing to justify the mass expulsions, restricting displaced residents from returning, and not providing shelter or humanitarian aid. The group said troops stormed homes, ransacked properties, and interrogated residents before displacing them. Satellite imagery analysis showed over 850 homes and buildings destroyed or heavily damaged. Nadia Hardman, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, said, “With global attention focused on Gaza, Israeli forces have carried out war crimes, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank that should be investigated and prosecuted.” The displaced camps, including Tulkarem, Nur Shams, and Jenin, house millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants dating back to the 1948 Nakba, when hundreds of thousands fled or were expelled from what is now Israel.