Catholic nun becomes last Filipino in Gaza as Israel prepares assault on Rafah
Latest group of 14 Filipinos, 2 Palestinians evacuated from Gaza to Egypt on Saturday
Philippine authorities have not been in touch with the nun since December
Updated 19 February 2024
Ellie Aben
MANILA: A Catholic nun who has categorically refused to leave her church in Gaza is the only remaining Philippine national in the besieged enclave, Manila’s envoy in Jordan said on Monday, after authorities evacuated 14 nationals from the city of Rafah.
A group of 14 Filipinos and 2 Palestinians were evacuated on Saturday from Gaza to Egypt through the crossing at Rafah, authorities said late on Sunday, as Israeli attacks continue on the city where more than 1.5 million people are sheltering.
Mass evacuations of foreigners from Gaza took place in November, but movement has been limited since then as Israel regularly shelled cars, including ambulances, and individuals trying to reach the border.
Philippine authorities have now evacuated all but one of the 137 Filipinos known to have been in Gaza, with the latest group scheduled to leave Cairo on Tuesday.
The last remaining Philippine national is a 63-year-old Catholic nun from the Missionaries of Charity, who earlier refused to leave her church in the enclave. Authorities previously said that she was unreachable and that their last contact with her was in December.
“We received information that the church she is staying in Gaza City is still standing. The church is still holding masses for the parishioners,” Philippine Ambassador to Jordan Wilfredo Santos, who has coordinated evacuation efforts, told Arab News on Monday.
“All indications are that the Filipino nun is safe but has decided to stay and complete her mission in Gaza … She is the only Filipino remaining in Gaza.”
Rafah is Gaza’s southernmost city and was previously designated as a “safe zone” as Israel began its military operation in October in the north of the territory. It became the last refuge for Palestinians forced to flee Israel’s deadly attacks, but has come under a wave of air raids and intensifying artillery fire in recent weeks as the government of Benjamin Netanyahu announced troops would advance on the city.
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said Rafah is “severely overcrowded,” with Palestinians trapped in dense clusters within the limited spaces not filled with debris or being targeted by Israeli bombs.
Over 28,900 people have been killed and 68,800 others injured during four months of Israel’s ongoing deadly onslaught on Gaza, according to local authorities.
UN agencies fear the real toll is much higher as thousands of people remain trapped under the rubble and the wounded cannot seek help as Israeli forces have destroyed the majority of medical facilities.
Trial of Salman Rushdie’s assailant will remain in the New York county where the stabbing happened
Updated 10 sec ago
Hadi Matar’s trial was put on hold days before the scheduled Oct. 15 start of jury selection, pending a decision by the Rochester court A new trial date was not immediately set
NEW YORK: An appellate court on Friday denied a request to move the trial of the New Jersey man charged with attacking author Salman Rushdie with a knife in 2022, clearing the way for the trial to move forward in the western New York county where the stabbing occurred. Hadi Matar’s trial was put on hold days before the scheduled Oct. 15 start of jury selection, pending a decision by the Rochester court. A new trial date was not immediately set. Matar’s attorney, Nathaniel Barone, argued that Matar would not receive a fair trial in Chautauqua County because of extensive publicity and the lack of an Arab American community in the county whose population is 93 percent white. District Attorney Jason Schmidt opposed the move. Matar, 26, is accused of running onto the stage at the Chautauqua Institution as Rushdie was about to speak and stabbing him more than a dozen times until being subdued by onlookers. The “Satanic Verses” author was severely injured, including being blinded in one eye. The event’s moderator, Henry Reese, was also wounded. Matar has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault. He also has pleaded not guilty to related terrorism charges in US District Court in Buffalo.
German leader to discuss migrants, Middle East crisis on Turkiye visit
Ankara ‘expects Berlin to suspend restrictions on defense sales,’ analyst says
Updated 18 October 2024
AFP
ISTANBUL: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visits Turkiye on Saturday for talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the escalating Middle East crisis and migration, while Ankara hopes to speed up the purchase of Eurofighter jets.
Scholz, who last visited in March 2022 a few months after taking office, will meet President Erdogan in Istanbul.
Last week, German officials said the Ukraine war, the Middle East conflict, and migration would be the main focus of the visit.
Turkiye’s relations with Germany — home to Europe’s largest Turkish diaspora of some 3 million people — are sensitive and Berlin has voiced concerns over the state of human rights and democracy under Erdogan.
The outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has further strained ties.
FASTFACT
Turkiye’s relations with Germany — home to Europe’s largest Turkish diaspora of some 3 million people — are sensitive.
Erdogan has long been a fierce critic of Israel’s year-long military campaign in Gaza and its recent deadly push into Lebanon, comparing Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler.
But Berlin is a strong supporter of Israel and has defended its right to self-defense, while increasingly calling for restraint.
When Erdogan visited Germany last year, he traded barbs with Scholz over the conflict.
“The first, second, and third item on Scholz’s agenda is likely to be refugee cooperation as anti-refugee sentiment is rising throughout Europe,” said Ozgur Unluhisarcikli of the German Marshall Fund, a US think tank.
Scholz’s government has been under heightened pressure over the issue after a series of violent crimes and extremist attacks committed by asylum seekers.
Last month, Berlin said it had agreed on a plan with Ankara to step up its deportations of Turkish failed asylum seekers — only for Turkiye to deny any such deal had been struck swiftly.
Even so, immigration was likely a topic where both states “will be on the same page,” said Deniz Sert, an international relations professor at Istanbul’s Ozyegin University.
“Both will argue they have the right and obligation to protect order within their borders and that irregular migrants are the threat,” she said.
Turkiye will also expect progress on its plans to buy 40 Eurofighter Typhoons, notably in the wake of America’s delayed delivery of F-16 warplanes greenlit earlier this year.
Last year, Ankara said it was keen to acquire Eurofighter jets built by a four-nation consortium, including Germany.
However, talks have been slow, mainly because of Berlin’s opposition to Turkiye’s stance on the Gaza conflict.
Any consortium member, including Britain, Italy, and Spain, can veto a deal.
“The biggest obstacle to the sale of the jets is Germany’s Israel policy,” a Turkish source said.
However, things have progressed in recent months, with the source pointing to “positive developments,” although an agreement was not imminent on Saturday.
“Ankara expects Berlin to suspend its restrictions on defense sales and greenlight Eurofighter sales to Turkiye,” Unluhisarcikli said.
Ozgur Eksi, editor-in-chief for the TurDef.com defense news website, said Berlin was initially concerned Turkiye could use the jets against outlawed Kurdish militants in the southeast or in Syria.
“Do the same concerns remain in place? Yes, but other issues, including security, have gained weight, especially after Turkiye lifted its veto on Sweden’s NATO membership,” he said.
With Russia’s war in Ukraine, there are concerns in the West about the consequences of Turkiye getting closer to Moscow, which Berlin is keen to avoid, Eksi said.
Turkiye has sought balance in its ties with Russia and Ukraine since the outbreak of the Kremlin’s invasion, sending drones to Kyiv but also pulling away from Western-led sanctions on Moscow.
NATO would need to agree conditions for Ukraine invitation, Dutch minister says
NATO has declared that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance one day but also said Kyiv cannot join while at war
Brekelmans, whose country is among NATO’s 32 members, said there were “very different opinions” in the alliance on the issue
Updated 18 October 2024
Reuters
BRUSSELS: NATO countries will need to discuss conditions for Ukraine to get a membership invitation and to join the alliance in response to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s “victory plan,” Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans said on Friday.
Zelensky presented the five-point plan publicly for the first time this week, including a call for an immediate NATO invitation to make clear to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow’s invasion would end with geopolitical defeat.
NATO has declared that Ukraine will become a member of the alliance one day but also said Kyiv cannot join while at war, as that could lead to a direct conflict between NATO and Russia.
Alliance leaders have so far avoided a direct response to Zelensky’s new push for an invitation.
Brekelmans, whose country is among NATO’s 32 members, said there were “very different opinions” in the alliance on the issue.
To reach the necessary consensus, he said, allies would need to agree clear criteria that Ukraine would need to meet to get an invitation and others required to later become a member.
“If you don’t have that clarity upfront, I don’t see (that) 32 allies agree to granting an invitation,” he told reporters after a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.
Asked what conditions Ukraine might need to meet, Brekelmans cited fighting corruption.
“If you want to modernize the Ukrainian armed forces, and have involvement of other countries, then I can imagine that you also want to assess the progress that Ukrainians make on that dimension,” he said.
UK’s Starmer says death of Hamas chief is ‘opportunity’ for ceasefire
“I do think the death of Sinwar provides an opportunity for a step toward that ceasefire that we’ve long called for,” Starmer said
Starmer added that “allies will keep working together to de-escalate across the region because we know there’s no military-only solution here — the answer is diplomacy“
Updated 18 October 2024
AFP
BERLIN: The killing by Israel of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could help bring an end to fighting in the Gaza Strip, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said during a visit to Berlin on Friday.
Sinwar, who mastermind the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel on October 7 last year, was killed by the Israeli military in southern Gaza’s Rafah on Wednesday.
“I do think the death of Sinwar provides an opportunity for a step toward that ceasefire that we’ve long called for,” Starmer said after talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, US President Joe Biden and France’s President Emmanuel Macron.
The comments echo those of Biden, who said Sinwar’s death was “an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas.”
Starmer added that “allies will keep working together to de-escalate across the region because we know there’s no military-only solution here — the answer is diplomacy.”
He also said that the “dire humanitarian situation can’t continue” in Gaza and called for Israel to facilitate the delivery of more aid to the Strip.
“The world will not tolerate any more excuses on humanitarian assistance. Civilians in northern Gaza need food now,” said Starmer, a human rights lawyer before going into politics.
The comments came as Britain’s Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) said a urgent appeal for funds for citizens in Gaza, Lebanon and the occupied West Bank had raised £8.8 million ($11.5 million) in the first day.
The DEC brings together 15 leading charities, including Oxfam and ActionAid, to launch national appeals at times of crisis overseas.
It said in a statement that Britain’s head of state, King Charles III, and his wife Camilla “were among the first to donate” to the latest appeal.
Saudi Arabia is ‘sincere’ and an ‘acceptable’ venue for potential Ukraine peace talks, Putin says
Russian president endorses two state solution, says Palestinian president invited to BRICS summit
Updated 17 min 39 sec ago
Faisal J. Abbas
MOSCOW: Saudi Arabia is “sincere” in its efforts and would be an acceptable location for Russian-Ukrainian peace talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday, but any negotiations would be dependent on Ukraine lifting its ban on dealing with Russia.
During a press conference following the launch of the BRICS Business Forum in the Russian capital, Putin said in response to an Arab News question that he was open to the idea of participating in a peace conference hosted by Saudi Arabia, but noted that while the Kingdom would be an acceptable venue, the substance of the discussions would matter more than the location.
“If such measures are organized in Saudi Arabia and the place, the venue, is acceptable, that would be acceptable to us,” he said, replying to a question from Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas.
However, Putin stressed that the focus of any talks should be based on previous negotiations, specifically the draft agreement initially reached in Istanbul in 2022, which he says Ukraine later backed away from.
“We are ready to continue a dialogue to attain peace, but building on a document that was prepared for detailed discussions for many months and was initialed by the Ukrainian side,” he said, adding that it was Ukraine, not Russia, that had halted negotiations.
Saudi Arabia, despite condemning the Russian offensive at the United Nations, has taken a balanced stance, maintaining strong relations with both Russia and Ukraine, and has expressed a willingness to help resolve the crisis. Putin acknowledged the Kingdom’s balanced approach and its ability to engage both sides in dialogue.
He clarified that Russia remained open to peace negotiations. “We would be ready to come back,” he said. “Like no other, Russia is interested to continue it as soon as possible by peaceful means.”
Putin also welcomed initiatives from other countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) with members of the media from BRICS countries and invited nations. (Yandex)
Praising Moscow’s ties Riyadh, Putin said: “We have good relations with both the King and friendly personal relations with the crown prince. I know, and I’m sure, that whatever Saudi Arabia does on this track, it does sincerely. No doubt here.”
He noted that Saudi Arabia had shown itself to be an invaluable intermediary, balancing its friendly relations with both Moscow.
The 16th annual BRICS summit will take place in Kazan, Russia, next week between the namesake five countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — as well as the first meeting for new members Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE.
Saudi Arabia, which was invited last year to join the bloc, will be represented by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
For nearly a year, the Saudi foreign minister has been engaged in intense diplomatic efforts aimed at global recognition of a Palestinian state and finding a way to end the conflict in the Middle East.
Putin told Arab News that the Israel-Palestine crisis would be on the agenda in discussions between the countries.
He reiterated the Kremlin’s support for the implementation of the two-state solution, adding that he was in contact with authorities in Israel and Palestine and had invited Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to take part in next week’s summit.
Putin told Arab News Editor-in-Chief Faisal J. Abbas at the briefing that the Israel-Palestine crisis would be on the agenda next week in discussions between the BRICS countries. (Screenshot)
“Our stance is well known,” Putin said. “The baseline of our position was that we need to put into practice the UN Security Council resolution on building two states — Israel and the State of Palestine. It is the root cause of all problems.”
He also said resolving the Palestinian issue could not be reduced to economic measures alone, underscoring the need to address the deep “historical” and “spiritual” dimensions of the conflict.
“In my opinion, in addition to just material concerns, there are aspects related to the spiritual domain, to history, to the aspirations of peoples living in certain territories,” he said. “I think it is a much deeper idea, and it is more complex too.”
In Putin’s view, the solution lies in ensuring the Palestinians have the right to return. He was clear that Russia’s stance, established during Soviet times, remains unchanged. “The main method to address the Palestinian issue is to create a full-fledged State of Palestine,” he said.
Putin also criticised the disbanding the Middle East Quartet, a group that included the UN, the EU, Russia, and the US which aimed to mediate between Israelis and Palestinians.
“Unfortunately, it was the wrong thing to do to disband the (Quartet). I mean, they (the US) are not to blame for everything, but the (Quartet) was working. They (the US) monopolized all the work. But eventually it failed, unfortunately.”
During the briefing, Putin also said that 30 other countries had expressed interest in cooperation with BRICS nations, and said that its “doors are open, we are not barring anyone.”
He echoed India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that BRICS was “not an anti-Western alliance, just a non-Western alliance.”
