The Pioneer – Maneka Gandhi files nomination

BJP candidate Maneka Gandhi filed her nomination papers from the Sultanpur Lok Sabha seat here on Wednesday.

Gandhi took out a roadshow to reach the collectorate and filed her papers in front of District Election Officer Krittika Jyotsna.

Sultanpur – Panjab – India, NDA ally NISHAD Party president Dr Sanjay Nishad and Apna Dal leader and cabinet minister Ashish Patel were with her at the time of the nomination filing.

After filing her nomination, Gandhi said she will do more work in the next five years than was done in the last five.

She said she wants to provide more houses to the people under the Pradhan Mantri Aawas Yojana here.

“We have to take this region ahead. The people living in the area must get all facilities – this has always been my effort and will be in future as well,” she said.

On the opposition’s allegation that the BJP, if voted back to power, will take away the reservation by changing the Constitution, she said no one can end quota.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/india/maneka-gandhi-files-nomination.html

The Pioneer – Shivakumar – a corrupt politician does not need his certificate: Rajeev Chandrasekhar

A day after senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar questioned the contribution made by Rajeev Chandrasekhar to the development of Kerala, the BJP leader on Wednesday hit back by saying he does not need the certificate of a “corrupt” politician who is out on bail.

Thiruvananthapuram – Kerala – India, 17 April 2024. Chandrasekhar, who is facing off against Congress’ Shashi Tharoor in the Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, said ever since he began his poll campaign, he has stated what he will do if he wins and will follow through on that.

He further said in the next couple of days he would be releasing a vision document on bringing development and investment to the southern state.

“Once I become an MP and a minister from here, for the next five years I will work to implement that vision document,” Chandrasekhar, also the Union Minister of State for Information Technology and Electronics, told a TV channel.

Regarding comments by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Shivakumar against him, Chandrasekhar said everyone knows the Congress leader was “an out on bail and a corrupt politician”.

“I do not require his certificate. Shashi Tharoor can have his certificate. Everyone knows what kind of person Shivakumar is, his politics and his background. So I have nothing to say to him,” the BJP leader said.

Shivakumar, also the Karnataka Congress chief, was in Kerala on Tuesday and at a press conference had questioned what contribution Chandrasekhar had made to Kerala’s development.

He had also said Chandrasekhar was morally obligated to resign as a minister before contesting the elections.

Shivakumar had also claimed there was no BJP or Modi wave in the country and asserted that the INDIA bloc will form the government at the Centre.

The Karnataka Congress chief had taken part in the roadshows of Tharoor and KPCC chief K Sudhakaran in Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, respectively.

The Lok Sabha elections will be held in Kerala on April 26 and the results will be declared on 04 June.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/top-stories/shivakumar–a-corrupt-politician–don-t-need-his-certificate–rajeev-chandrasekhar.html

The Pioneer – BJP names 111 more candidates for LS polls; fields actors Kangana Ranaut, Arun Govil

New Delhi – India – 24 March 2024. The BJP on Sunday named 111 more candidates for the Lok Sabha polls, dropping Union ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey and V K Singh, besides MP Varun Gandhi, while fielding actors Kangana Ranaut and Arun Govil.

Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan will contest from Sambalpur and the party’s spokesperson Sambit Patra will try his luck from Puri once again after losing out in a close contest in 2019.

The party fielded Maneka Gandhi from Sultanpur, while Uttar Pradesh minister Jitin Prasada has replaced Varun Gandhi in Pilibhit. Sita Soren will fight from Dumka (Jharkhand).

The party has dropped ex-Union minister Anant Kumar Hegde from Uttara Kannada constituency.

Actor Arun Govil, who played Ram in popular TV serial Ramayan, has been fielded by the BJP from the Meerut Lok Sabha seat.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/top-stories/bjp-names-111-more-candidates-for-ls-polls–fields-actors-kangana-ranaut–arun-govil.html

The Pioneer – Pakistan’s newly-elected PM Shehbaz rakes up Kashmir issue, pledges to improve ties with all leading nations, including neighbours

Pakistan’s newly-elected PM Shehbaz rakes up Kashmir issuer, pledges to improve ties with all leading nations, including neighbours. [centre]

Islamabad – Pakistan – 03/03 2024. Pakistan’s newly-elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday raked up the Kashmir issue in his maiden address but pledged to improve ties with all leading nations, including the country’s neighbours.

Shehbaz said that Pakistan would not become part of any “great game” and his government would increase the number of friends.

He pledged to build and improve ties with all leading nations, including neighbours.

“We will keep ties with neighbours on the basis of equality,” Shehbaz, 72, said as he easily won the election in the National Assembly to become Pakistan’s prime minister for a second time.

Shehbaz, however, raked up the Kashmir issue and equated it with Palestine. “Let’s all come together […] and the National Assembly should pass a resolution for the freedom of Kashmiris and Palestinians,” he added.

He also thanked his allies in the coalition government for putting their trust in him and making him Leader of the House.

“When my Quaid (leader Nawaz) was elected the prime minister thrice, the development that followed in the country is an example of its own. And it is not wrong to say that Nawaz Sharif is the one who built Pakistan,” Shehbaz said in his victory speech.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president thanked his elder brother Nawaz and all the allies for putting their trust in him and making him Leader of the House.

Shehbaz, who was the consensus candidate of the PML-N and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), received 201 votes in the 336-member house.

Shehbaz’s challenger Omar Ayub Khan of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) secured 92 votes.

Shehbaz said that the country was facing challenges primarily due to the fragile economy. He said that he was starting his tenure when the country was facing a budgetary deficit of more than one trillion rupees.

“How we will pay the salaries for armed forces and how to pay the civil servants,” he wondered and added that reforming the economy was the biggest challenge faced by the country.

Shehbaz highlighted the burden of debt paying and said that the country was required to pay billions of rupees in interest only.

He highlighted that the energy sector was crumbling due to the accumulating debt owed by the country to the power-producing companies. He also mentioned that state-owned entities like Pakistan International Airlines were running into losses worth billions of rupees.

He promised to put the country on the path of development and announced to overcome all hurdles. “Though it is easier said than done, we will fulfill our task,” he said.

Shehbaz said that the government was determined to bring the country out of the current crisis. “I don’t want to set any deadline but due to various steps we will take, the positive results will start pouring in after a year,” he said.

He promised to bring investment into the country and create economic conditions that would spur economic growth. He also vowed to spread the web of “one window” export zones in all four provinces and work day and night to fulfil all these promises.

The newly-elected premier vowed to make Pakistan “self-sufficient”. “We will rise and we will make Pakistan self-sufficient,” said Shehbaz.

“There are talented people sitting in this Parliament who can steer Pakistan’s ship to the shore […] these include journalists, intellectuals, politicians, religious leaders,” he said.

Shehbaz said Pakistan had a big challenge and opportunity before it. “If we come together and decide to change the fate of Pakistan then God willing, we will defeat these challenges and take Pakistan to its rightful position,” he said.

He highlighted that this job was difficult but not impossible.

“Back to the good old days of development! Onwards and upwards. Nawaz Ka vision, Shehbaz Ka mission,” the PML-N said in a post on X along with a picture of both the leaders.

“The other name of deliverance is MUHAMMAD SHEHBAZ SHARIF,” it said in another post.

The session of the new parliament was convened amid ruckus and sloganeering by PTI-backed lawmakers.

In his speech, Shehbaz also said that the nation would always remember the sacrifices of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the maternal grandfather of Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

He also announced the elimination of terrorism from the country by following the already adopted National Action Plan to deal with extremism in the country.

Shehbaz also targeted his rivals Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for attacking the national institutions and army buildings on 09 May last year when supporters of Imran Khan resorted to violent protest against his arrest in a case of alleged corruption.

“It is shameful that the country saw a day when GHQ, corps commander houses, airfields were attacked on 09 May,” Shehbaz said, adding that such sights are unforgettable.

He said that the PTI put the entire opposition behind bars without caring about women or children and used language that cannot be said out loud. “This is the difference between this leadership and that leadership; the entire assembly is witness to the fact that we never thought of the politics of revenge,” he said.

Shehbaz also said that those responsible for the 09 May incident would not be spared while saying that all innocent people implicated in various cases would be spared.

Opposition PTI lawmakers kept on shouting slogans during the speech by the prime minister who, undeterred by the rowdyism continued his address and made a long speech on the occasion. He asked the opponents to seek recourse to the national institutions to get the complaints about rigging redressed.

Shehbaz also questioned why Imran Khan wrote a letter to the International Monetary Fund which he said was tantamount to inviting foreign intervention in the affairs of the country. He offered reconciliation to the opposition and invited them to also cooperate to address the economic issues.

He will be administered the oath of office on Monday at the Presidential mansion, Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Shehbaz earlier served as prime minister of a coalition government from April 2022 to August 2023 before Parliament was dissolved to hold general elections.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/trending-news/pak-s-newly-elected-pm-shehbaz-rakes-up-kashmir-issuer–pledges-to-improve-ties-with-all-leading-nations–including-neighbours.html

The Pioneer – PM Modi assures farmers of relief

Amid the farmers’ protest for the fourth consecutive day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that his Government at the Centre has been actively working on various schemes for the “benefit of farmers”.
Addressing a public gathering after laying the foundation stone for AIIMS at Rewari in Haryana, the PM said his BJP-led NDA Government has provided farmers with the “guarantee” to seek loans from banks, a privilege previously denied to them.

Rewari – Haryana /New Delhi India, 17 February 2024. “We provided farmers with the Modi guarantee. Banks did not grant them loans, but we assured farmers,” the PM said. He made these assertions at a public rally where he recalled that his first address after the party named him the Prime Ministerial candidate in 2013 was at Rewari.

Modi inaugurated several development projects worth several crores for Rajasthan and Haryana, including the Rewari AIIMS, a new rail line, and a metro line.

Modi noted that the journey began there, securing over 273 Lok Sabha seats, and expressed hope for the NDA Government to claim more than 400 Lok Sabha seats in the upcoming elections.

This holds significance as another round of meetings between farmer representatives and Union Ministers is scheduled for 18 February, following ‘positive’ discussions in the meeting concluded on the night of Thursday-Friday.

Meanwhile, the situation at sensitive Delhi-Haryana and Haryana-Punjab borders remained peaceful, with continued talks between agitating farmers’ organisations and Central Government representatives.

Haryana Police fired tear gas shells to disperse protesting farmers at the Shambhu border near Ambala. There was a mixed response to the ‘Gramin Bharat Bandh called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha on Friday, with markets and bazaars in Delhi and NCR opening.

Amid the impasse, Union Ministers and farmer leaders will meet on Sunday for the fourth round of talks. Despite inconclusive talks on 08 – 12 – and 15 February, the third round of discussions between protesting farmers in Punjab and three central ministers concluded positively in the wee hours of Friday.

Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda described the meeting as cordial, with a positive discussion. He confirmed that talks will continue on Sunday at 6 pm, expressing optimism in finding a solution through dialogue.

Among the farmer leaders present were SKM (non-political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee general secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher.

Pandher highlighted the detailed discussion on demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP and debt waiver. He acknowledged the ministers’ request for time.

Meanwhile, protesting farmers vowed to continue their presence at the Punjab and Haryana borders over various demands, as the deadlock persisted despite the third round of talks with Union Ministers.

During the Gramin Bharat Bandh on Friday, protests occurred in parts of western Uttar Pradesh in response to the ‘Bharat Bandh’ call given by the SKM.

Commuters in Punjab faced inconvenience as buses stayed off the roads in support of the SKM’s call for a ‘Bharat Bandh’ to press the Government to accept farmers’ demands, including a legal guarantee of MSP.

Markets and commercial establishments at several places in the State also remained shut while farmers held demonstrations and blocked national highways in Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Bathinda, and Jalandhar.

They raised slogans against the Centre for not accepting their demands.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Union Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda said the meeting between the Government and the farmer leaders took place in a cordial atmosphere.

He said there was a positive discussion, and the talks will continue, scheduled for Sunday at 6 pm. “We will find a solution by sitting together,” he added.

Among the farmer leaders who participated in the meeting were SKM (non-political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee General Secretary Sarwan Singh Pandher.

Pandher stated that a detailed discussion was held on their demands, including a legal guarantee for MSP and a debt waiver. “They (Union ministers) said they need time,” said Pandher.

Meanwhile, protesting farmers will remain at the two borders of Punjab and Haryana over their various demands as the deadlock persists despite the third round of talks with a panel of Union Ministers.

Besides a legal guarantee on MSP, the farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, “justice” for the victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/page1/pm-modi-assures-farmers-of-relief.html

The Pioneer – Pakistan elections: No clear victor in sight as vote counting process nears completion

No clear victor has emerged from the divisive elections in Pakistan as the tardy vote-counting process neared completion on Saturday, indicating that the elusive political stability for the cash-strapped country may still be a distant dream.

Islamabad, Pakistan, 10 February 2024. The general elections were held on Thursday and the counting began soon after the polling ended at 5 pm with the hope that the majority of 265 contested seats would be available by Friday morning.

However, the announcement of results was delayed beyond normal, giving air to speculation about vote rigging.

The PPP of former president Asif Ali Zardari already announced during elections that his young son and party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would be the candidate for the prime minister’s post, whereas Sharif is keen to become the premier for the record fourth time.

The PTI leadership is going to begin internal consultations from Saturday to decide which party its supported elected representative should join.

They may join a smaller party which would become the largest party to counter Sharif’s claim that PML-N was the largest and had the right to form the government.

It is believed that the situation would remain fluid for a few days until the independents decide their future.

But one thing is clear: the government would be a hotchpotch of various parties, which would put more strain on the country rather than providing a cohesive force to make difficult decisions in the cash-strapped nation.

Last year, the country narrowly averted a default when the International Monetary Fund provided a USD 3 billion short-term loan.

Economic experts believe that the new government would need an urgent new IMF programme on more stringent conditions.

The situation in the four provinces is more stable as PML-N is the largest party in Punjab with 131 seats out of 296 contested, the PPP in Sindh with 84 out of 130 seats and the independent swept the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa with 90 seats out of 113 contested seats.

In Balochistan, a coalition government is expected as PPP got 11 seats and PML-N followed with 9 out of a total of 51 contested seats.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/trending-news/pak-elections–no-clear-victor-in-sight-as-vote-counting-process-nears-completion.html

The Pioneer – LAC: Putting together the jigsaw puzzle

The Government’s secrecy and censorship cast shadows on the true story of LAC, leaving critical gaps in the nation’s defence narrative

Ashok K Mehta

New Delhi – India, 24 January 2024. Unlike soldiers, diplomats and government officials are like the three wise monkeys. One such person not in that league I met more than a year ago told me about Chinese intrusions across LAC in 2020 and Operation Snow Leopard, the Indian Army’s only riposte to the intrusions.

Naravane writes he got these orders from the very top. All this might seem like history but like the present government keeps flaying Nehru for losing Aksai Chin, a future non-BJP government will castigate it for letting China realise its 1959 Claim Line in Ladakh and the government for surrendering the gains of Op Snow Leopard.

The government official in 2022 ruled out any military or diplomatic breakthrough on LAC. He said India has achieved what China is willing to concede. He also said there will be no high-level meetings though we know that Modi did try for one at the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

He also said nothing will happen till after the 2024 elections as the government will keep a lid on LAC till it has won a third term. 90 per cent of his predictions have turned out true and for the rest we have to wait.

It is a pity we may not know about the blanks in the LAC story as Naravane’s book is likely to be heavily censored if it is released at all.

Ajay Bisaria’s book has had no such problems though it contains critical details about operational matters as it shows that both the Balakot air strikes (whose effectiveness he does not confirm) and the readiness of nine missiles that were ready to be launched to force Wing Commander Abhinandan’s release were evidence of governments muscularity.

PM Modi himself bragged in an election rally about targeting Pakistan with nine missiles, adding these were not meant for Diwali. For an election speech, it breached many red lines. All is forgiven and forgotten about publishing classified information when it demonstrates the government’s strength and power. Naravane’s book apparently does not.

(The writer, a retired Major General, was Commander, IPKF South, Sri Lanka, and founder member of the Defence Planning Staff, currently the Integrated Defence Staff. Views are personal)

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/columnists/lac–putting-together-the-jigsaw-puzzle.html

The Pioneer – Kerala Minister retracts controversial remarks on bishops amid Church criticism

Kochi, Kerala, India, 03 January 2024. Facing criticism from various church groups for his remarks against bishops who attended the Prime Minister’s Christmas programme, Kerala Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan on Tuesday said he is withdrawing the controversial parts of his speech related to “cake and wine” that had offended them.

Cheriyan, a senior leader of the CPI(M) in Kerala, however, maintained his stance on the alleged silence of bishops regarding “violence targeting Christians” in Manipur and other parts of the country during Modi’s Christmas programme.

He addressed the media, acknowledging the criticism from the Catholic Church and other Christian groups, particularly regarding his comments against priests present at the Prime Minister’s Christmas event at his official residence in New Delhi on 25 December 2023.

“If there is any difficulty and pain in the remarks about cake and wine, those parts are withdrawn,” Cheriyan said in response to attacks against him.

He said that the priests had raised concerns about his speech during the inauguration of a CPI(M) local committee office in Alappuzha district on Sunday evening.

Cheriyan acknowledged that the mention of wine and cake in his speech may have caused discomfort. The Minister withdrew his contentious statement following Kerala Catholic Bishops Council’s (KCBC) declaration of non-cooperation with the state government until he retracts it.

“The mention of wine and cake is retracted if they feel like it,” he said, referring to KCBC president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis’ displeasure over his statement.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2024/india/kerala-minister-retracts-controversial-remarks-on-bishops-amid-church-criticism.html

.html

The Pioneer – Adequate arrangements made to ensure peace in Kashmir: IGP

Srinagar – Jammu & Kashmir -India, 11 December 2023. Adequate security arrangements have been made to ensure a peaceful atmosphere in Kashmir as the Supreme Court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on Monday on a bunch of petitions challenging the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution by the Centre in August 2019, a senior police officer said on Sunday.

“We are duty-bound to ensure that peace prevails in the valley under all circumstances,” Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir Zone V K Birdi told PTI.

The Supreme Court has listed for pronouncement of judgment the petitions challenging the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into Union territories by the Centre on 05 August 2019.

A five-judge bench of the apex court reserved its verdict on the petitions on 05 September after conducting daily hearings in the matter from 02 August.

While the IGP refused to divulge specifics of the security set-up for Monday, he said “adequate arrangements” have been put in place.

“We are taking all precautions and will ensure that peace is not disturbed in Kashmir,” Birdi, who held security review meetings in most of the 10 valley districts over the last two weeks, said.

Asked if orders invoking section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) on the misuse of social media were related to the Supreme Court’s expected judgment, he said there have been several incidents of some elements trying to provoke people.

“There have been several posts recently, in which there were attempts to provoke people. Action has been taken against such elements in the past and action will be taken in the future as well,” he added.

The authorities here have issued guidelines for social media users under CrPC section 144 to curb the spread of contents that are communally sensitive or promote terrorism and secessionism.

“The guidelines aim to provide clarity on actions citizens should take when encountering content related to terrorism, secessionism, threats, intimidation or communally-sensitive material on social media platforms,” the circular, issued by police in several districts, read.

According to the guidelines, the citizens have been asked to contribute to maintaining a safe online environment and promptly report any suspicious activity.

“If you receive a message containing objectionable content, then report it immediately to the nearest police station or police post with a screenshot and detailed information,” the guidelines read.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/india/adequate-arrangements-made-to-ensure-peace-in-kashmir–igp.html

The Pioneer – UN agency in Gaza says urgent ceasefire is “a matter of life and death” for millions of Palestinians

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees told a UN emergency meeting Monday “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire has become a matter of life and death for millions,” accusing Israel of “collective punishment” of Palestinians and the forced displacement of civilians.

United Nations – New York – 31 October 2023. Philippe Lazzarini warned that a further breakdown of civil order following the looting of the agency’s warehouses by Palestinians searching for food and other aid “will make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the largest UN agency in Gaza to continue operating.”

Briefings to the Security Council by Lazzarini, the head of the UN children’s agency UNICEF and a senior UN humanitarian official painted a dire picture of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza 23 days after Hamas’surprise October 7 attacks in Israel, and its ongoing retaliatory military action aimed at “obliterating” the militant group, which controls Gaza.

According to the latest figures from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, more than 8,300 people have been killed – 66 per cent of them women and children – and tens of thousands injured, the UN humanitarian office said.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell tolf that that toll includes over 3,400 children killed and more than 6,300 injured. “This means that more than 420 children are being killed or injured in Gaza each day – a number which should shake each of us to our core,” she said.

Lazzarini said:. “This surpasses the number of children killed annually across the world’s conflict zones since 2019.” And he stressed: “This cannot be `collateral damage.’”

Many speakers at the council meeting denounced Hamas’ 07 October 7 surprise attacks on Israel that killed over 1,400 people, and urged the release of some 230 hostages taken to Gaza by the militants.

But virtually every speaker also stressed that Israel is obligated under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and their essentials for life including hospitals, schools and other infrastructure – and Israel was criticized for cutting off food, water, fuel and medicine to Gaza and cutting communications for several days.

Lazzarini said “the handful of convoys” allowed into Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt in recent days “is nothing compared to the needs of over 2 million people trapped in Gaza.”

“The system in place to allow aid into Gaza is geared to fail,” he said, “unless there is political will to make the flow of supplies meaningful, matching the unprecedented humanitarian needs.”

The commissioner-general of the UN agency known as UNRWA said there is no safe place anywhere in Gaza, warning that basic services are crumbling, medicine, food, water and fuel are running out, and the streets “have started overflowing with sewage, which will cause a massive health hazard very soon.”

UNICEF oversees water and sanitation issues for the UN, and Russell warned that “the lack of clean water and safe sanitation is on the verge of becoming a catastrophe.”

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield urged the divided Security Council – which has rejected four resolutions that would have responded to the 07 October 7 Hamas attacks and the ongoing war – to come together, saying “the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is growing more dire by the day.”

Stressing that all innocent civilians must be protected, she said the council must call “for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, address the immense humanitarian needs of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, affirm Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorism, and remind all actors that international humanitarian law must be respected.”

She reiterated President Joe Biden’s call for humanitarian pauses to get hostages out, allow aid in, and safe passage for civilians.

“That means Hamas must not use Palestinians as human shields – an act of unthinkable cruelty and a violation of the law of war,” the US ambassador said, “and that means Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harm to civilians.”

In a sign of increasing US concern at the escalating Palestinian death toll, Thomas-Greenfield told the council Biden reiterated to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday “that while Israel has the right and responsibility to defend its citizens from terrorism, it must do so in a manner consistent with international humanitarian law.”

“The fact that Hamas operates within and under the cover of civilians areas creates an added burden for Israel, but it does not lessen its responsibility to distinguish between terrorists and innocent civilians,” she stressed.

Following the rejection of the four resolutions in the 15-member Security Council – one vetoed by the US, one vetoed by Russia and China, and two for failing to get the minimum nine “yes” votes – Arab nations went to the UN General Assembly last Friday where there are no vetoes.

The 193-member world body adopted a resolution calling for humanitarian truces leading to a cessation of hostilities by a vote of 120-14 with 45 abstentions.

Now, the 10 elected members in the 15-member Security Council are trying again to negotiate a resolution that won’t be rejected. While council resolutions are legally binding, assembly resolutions are not though they are an important barometer of world opinion.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2023/trending-news/un-agency-in-gaza-says-urgent-ceasefire-is–a-matter-of-life-and-death–for-millions-of-palestinians.html