Khan Younis ‘smells like death’ as Palestinians return to devastated homes
“It smells like death,” says Maha Thaer, a mother of four, as she returns to her devastated home in Khan Younis after Israeli troops announced their withdrawal from southern Gaza. “We don’t have a city any more, only rubble. There is absolutely nothing left. I could not stop myself crying as I walked through the streets,” said the 38-year-old on Sunday. “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 Younis returning to find what remained of their homes. Nearly 400,000 people lived in Khan Younis and its environs before October 7. Much of the area is now in ruins after months of Israeli bombardment and heavy fighting. A straggle of men and boys riding donkey carts, bicycles and the odd pick-up 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 Dar Essalam 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 Younis, 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 neighbours suffered a greater misfortune. “They found their homes destroyed and they don’t know where they will go,” she said. Other Palestinians in Gaza 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 Younis which once had been a home. Not a single structure within sight appeared untouched by the war. Adblock test (Why?)
Total solar eclipse 2024: Where, when, and how to watch
Millions of people across North America will get the chance to experience a very special natural event on Monday when a total solar eclipse will be visible from parts of Mexico, the United States and Canada. The total eclipse – which occurs when the moon completely blocks out the sun – will darken skies for a few minutes “as if it were dawn or dusk”, the US’s NASA space agency explains. It will be visible from a 185km-wide (115 mile-wide) band that stretches from the western coast of Mexico, through the US, and up to Canada’s easternmost province of Newfoundland and Labrador – what’s known as the “path of totality”. “Weather permitting, people along the path of totality will see the sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere, which is usually obscured by the bright face of the sun,” NASA says on its website. The path of totality is really “where it’s at” on Monday, said Anthony Aveni, professor emeritus at Colgate University in New York and author of the book, In the Shadow of the Moon: The Science, Magic, and Mystery of Solar Eclipses. “It’s that precious three minutes or so … of totality when you see a whole range of phenomena that you just don’t see in everyday life,” he told Al Jazeera. “It takes your breath away and you stop what you’re doing and gawk at nature.” So how often do total solar eclipses occur? How long does it typically last? Where and how can you watch safely? Here’s everything you need to know. A man uses protective glasses to observe the solar eclipse over South America, in Bariloche, Argentina, on December 14, 2020 [File: Carlos Barria/Reuters] Where will the total eclipse be visible from, and at what time? Monday’s total eclipse will be visible from parts of Mexico, the US and Canada. It will enter continental North America in Mazatlan, in the northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, at 11:07am local time (18:07 GMT). It will exit the continent on the Atlantic coast of Newfoundland, Canada, at 5:16pm local time (19:46 GMT). In the US, the eclipse will enter the state of Texas at 1:27pm local time (18:27 GMT) and exit in Maine at 3:35pm local time (19:35 GMT). It will last only a few minutes, and the exact time it will be visible depends on where you are within the path of totality. For example, in Erie, Pennsylvania, totality starts at 3:16pm local time (19:16 GMT) and ends at 3:20pm (19:20 GMT). It will reach Buffalo, New York, a few minutes later: there, totality starts at 3:18pm local time (19:18 GMT) and ends at 3:22pm (19:22 GMT). A partial eclipse also will be visible for about two hours on Monday, before and after totality. What happens during a total solar eclipse? While the Earth and moon both orbit the sun, the moon also circles the Earth each month. During a total solar eclipse, the moon passes directly between the sun and the Earth, completely blocking the sun’s light on one side, and casting a shadow on a small area of Earth on its other side. The dark inner part – the “umbra” – of this shadow creates a narrow track or “path” as the moon orbits the Earth. Areas on this path, and especially on its centreline, which fall directly under the shadow, are the ones from where the total eclipse will be visible. This track is about 160km (100 miles) wide and 16,000km (10,000 miles) long. “If it was a lunar eclipse, it would last for a few hours and people around the world could see it. But the difference is that total eclipses only happen over a specific path of that new moon,” said Khady Adama Ndao, a NASA eclipse ambassador. This eclipse only occurs during a new moon. And the moon’s position in its orbit, relative to the sun and Earth, as well as the angles of all three at a specific time, are what create a total eclipse. While the moon will be close enough to Earth so as to look as though it entirely covers the sun during an eclipse, in reality the moon is 400 times smaller than the sun. It’s the increased distance between the moon and the sun at the time of a total eclipse that makes the moon look like it is big enough to cover the sun. Meanwhile, people who are close to the path of totality, but not directly in it, may see what’s known as a partial eclipse on Monday. That’s when only a part of the sun is obscured by the moon. Areas from which a partial eclipse will be visible fall under faint parts of the moon’s wider shadow, called the “penumbra”. What does a total eclipse look like? As the moon moves past the sun during an eclipse, it will slowly obscure the sun – creating a dark sky – before reaching the moment of “totality”. That’s when almost the entirety of the sun will be covered, leaving only a faint circle of the sun’s light or the corona. After a few minutes, people in the path of totality will see a partial eclipse again as the moon moves away. The sun will become fully visible again. What else happens during the moment of totality? There is a drop in temperature and animals also start to behave as if it’s nighttime. The chirping patterns of birds may change, while nocturnal animals such as bats and owls may start to wake up and look for prey. Stars and celestial objects hanging in the dark sky may also become more visible. If a person were to stand on the moon or a space station orbiting Earth, they would also be able to see a dark shadow passing over the Earth. The eclipse will go through several stages before and after totality [File: Ted S Warren/AP Photo] How long will the total solar eclipse last on April 8? A total solar eclipse can last between two
Russia says Ukraine attack hits Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant
Ukraine has struck the dome above a shutdown reactor at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear station, the plant’s Russian-installed administration said. It was not immediately clear what weapon was used in Sunday’s attack against the nuclear plant, which was taken by Russian forces shortly after their full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, although the Russian state-owned nuclear agency Rosatom said the site had come under a drone attack. Radiation levels were normal and there was no serious damage after the attack, according to the plant’s officials. But Rosatom later said that three people had been wounded, specifically in a drone strike near the site’s canteen. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has experts at the site, said it had been informed by the Russian-run plant that a drone had detonated at the site and the information was “consistent” with IAEA observations. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has warned both sides to refrain from actions that “jeopardise nuclear safety”. IAEA experts have been informed by ZNPP that a drone detonated on site today. Such detonation is consistent with IAEA observations. “I urge to refrain from actions that contradict the 5 IAEA principles and jeopardise nuclear safety,” Director General @rafaelmgrossi said. — IAEA – International Atomic Energy Agency ⚛️ (@iaeaorg) April 7, 2024 The nuclear plant, which is the largest in Europe, has six Soviet-designed VVER-1000 V-320 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors containing uranium-235. There is also spent nuclear fuel at the facility. Reactors number one, two, five and six are in cold shutdown, while reactor number three is shut down for repair and number four is in so-called “hot shutdown”, according to the plant’s administration. The plant remains close to the front lines, and both Ukraine and Russia have repeatedly accused the other of attacking the plant and so risking a possible nuclear disaster. Front-line fighting Earlier on Sunday, a woman was killed when shrapnel from a downed Ukrainian drone hit a car travelling in Russia’s Belgorod region, according to the local Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, Gladkov said that four more people, including two children, had been wounded after air defences downed four Ukrainian drones on the approach to Belgorod city. The Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, has come under regular attack from Kyiv’s forces since 2022, with 25 people killed in a single missile strike on Belgorod city in December. Russia’s army on Sunday said that it had destroyed 15 Ukrainian drones over its border in Belgorod and in the Bryansk region. The army added that 12 of the 15 drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region. Ukraine has for months launched drone attacks on several border areas as it tries to push back Russia’s advancing forces. “Ukrainian drones destroy the occupiers. They protect the lives of our soldiers on the front lines. And they help Ukraine decrease Russiaʼs war potential,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on the social media platform X on Saturday. “In the sky and at sea, our drones have demonstrated that Ukrainian strength can defeat Russian evil,” he added. Ukrainian drones destroy the occupiers. They protect the lives of our soldiers on the front lines. And they help Ukraine decrease Russiaʼs war potential. In the sky and at sea, our drones have demonstrated that Ukrainian strength can defeat Russian evil. I thank everyone who… pic.twitter.com/AFPAiLlyyW — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 6, 2024 However, Zelenskyy also highlighted that Russian attacks continue in front-line regions like Kharkiv and Zaporizhia. On Sunday, Kyiv said that a Russian strike on the town of Huliaipole in the southern Zaporizhia region killed three people. “Two men and a woman died under the rubble of their own private house, which was hit by a Russian shell,” the head of the region, Ivan Fedorov, said on social media. Officials added that a woman was also killed in the city of Kupiansk, in the northeastern Kharkiv region that has seen increased attacks in recent months. Meanwhile in the main city of Kharkiv, Kyiv said Russia launched another attack on Sunday, wounding five civilians, a day after a deadly attack there. On Saturday, two Russian strikes on Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, killed eight civilians and injured at least 10 people, according to regional officials. “We must put an end to this terror,” Zelenskyy said. On Sunday, during a video meeting of the Kyiv-organised fundraising platform United24, Zelenskyy said that it was crucial for the US Congress to approve military aid to Ukraine, as the war continues to rage. “It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war,” he said. “If Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked.” Adblock test (Why?)
Fighting in southern Syria following bombing kills 17: War monitor
A blast that killed eight children on Saturday in al-Sanamayn led to clashes between rival groups in Deraa, says the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). A war monitor has said at least 17 people were killed in southern Syria’s Deraa province in violence triggered by an explosion a day earlier that killed a group of children. Deraa was the cradle of the 2011 uprising against President Bashar al-Assad’s, rule but it returned to government control in 2018 under a ceasefire deal backed by Russia. The province has since been plagued by violence, with frequent clashes and precarious living conditions. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said on Sunday that an armed group led by a figure who previously worked for a Syrian state security agency had been accused by a rival group of planting an explosive device that went off on Saturday in the city of al-Sanamayn, killing eight children. On Sunday, a rival armed group led by a former member of ISIL (ISIS) who now works for military intelligence stormed part of al-Sanamayn and the two groups began clashing, the monitor said. The battle left 17 dead, among them a former ISIL member, 12 fighters, and a civilian killed by a stray bullet, SOHR said. The monitor, which added that clashes were ongoing on Sunday afternoon, had reported 12 dead in a previous toll. Syrian state media did not immediately report the clashes. Blast blamed on ‘terrorists’ Official news agency SANA, quoting a police source, gave a different toll for Saturday’s explosion, saying seven children were killed in the blast, which it blamed on “terrorists”. Attacks, some claimed by ISIL, regularly occur in Deraa province, as well as armed clashes and assassinations of government supporters, former opposition figures and civilians working for the government. Former rebels in the province who accepted the 2018 ceasefire deal sponsored by Russia – a key ally of Damascus – were able to keep their light weapons. In late January, SOHR said a local leader and seven other members of an ISIL affiliate were killed in clashes with local factions in the province. The war in Syria, which erupted in 2011 after the government repressed peaceful pro-democracy protests, has killed more than half a million people, displaced millions, and ravaged the country’s economy and infrastructure. Adblock test (Why?)
Week in pictures: An earthquake in Taiwan to Ramadan prayers in Jerusalem
[unable to retrieve full-text content] A roundup of some of last week’s events.
Thousands of Israelis protest against government, urging captive deal
Local media reported demonstrations taking place in 50 locations across the country amid anger at Netanyahu’s government. Thousands of Israeli antigovernment protesters have gathered in Tel Aviv, among other parts of the country, to call on the government to reach a deal to free dozens of captives held by the Hamas group in Gaza and to hold early elections. The demonstrators shouted slogans late on Saturday, expressing anger at Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for its inability to secure the release of the captives after six months of fighting. Israeli media reported scenes of confrontations between security forces and protesters in Tel Aviv, where demonstrators reportedly started several fires, before they were quickly put out by the police. People chanted “Police, police who exactly are you guarding?”, and “Ben-Gvir is a terrorist”, referring to Israel’s minister of national security, the Haaretz newspaper reported. The protest organisers quoted by local media said rallies were taking place at about 50 other locations nationwide in addition to Tel Aviv. Such Saturday protests have become a regular occurrence in Tel Aviv and other parts of the country, since the early months of the war that began on October 7. The latest demonstrations come as ceasefire negotiations – which include discussions about the release of the captives – are set to take place in Cairo. The talks are being mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States. Two protests merge Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan, reporting from Tel Aviv, said that two different rallies had merged on Saturday, and the huge turnout of protesters was likely to put a lot of pressure on Netanyahu. “The ‘Bring Them Home Campaign’ now joined the antigovernment protesters,” he said. “The former is the advocacy group for the hostages. For six months, they have been demanding the prime minister to release the Palestinian political prisoners and in turn, get the hostages back. “Now, they are saying enough is enough. It has been six months and nothing has happened in terms of getting the majority of people out,” our correspondent added. “All the speeches we heard tonight had two key messages: Netanyahu failed and the hostages have to come home now.” Organisers of the antigovernment protests in Tel Aviv say that 100,000 people participated in the demonstrations, according to the Israeli media. Saturday protests calling for the release of captives have become a regular occurrence in Tel Aviv and other parts of the country [Ariel Schalit/AP] Israel declared war on Gaza after Hamas carried out a deadly attack on October 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 200 others captive. More than 100 have since been released, but others remain captive in Gaza. Netanyahu launched Israel’s relentless war on Gaza in the aftermath of Hamas’s attack. In the last six months, at least 33,137 Palestinians have been killed and 75,815 wounded in Israeli attacks on the strip – with starvation and famine reported in particular in the north of the enclave due to lack of international aid access. Israel said on Saturday its special forces had recovered the body of a captive killed in Gaza. A new round of indirect truce negotiations is expected to begin in Cairo on Sunday. CIA Director Bill Burns will attend the talks along with his Egyptian counterpart. A representative from Hamas will also attend, the group said on Saturday. The Israeli side has not yet said whether it would send a delegation to the talks. Adblock test (Why?)
Does Israel’s attack on aid workers mark a turning point for its allies?
The killing of international aid workers with World Central Kitchen (WCK) sparks strongest Western reaction to date. After six months of war and more than 33,000 Palestinians in Gaza killed, it was Israel’s killing of international aid workers this week that triggered the West’s most furious response to date. Israel has faced sharp criticism since Monday’s attack on a World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid convoy in Gaza – with even the United States joining the global chorus of condemnation. So how have events this week affected Israel’s international standing? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Nour Odeh – Palestinian political analyst Gideon Levy – Columnist for Haaretz newspaper in Tel Aviv Chris Doyle – Director at the Council for Arab-British Understanding in London Adblock test (Why?)
Latin American countries condemn Ecuador raid on Mexico embassy
Governments across Latin America have rallied around Mexico after security forces in Ecuador stormed the Mexican embassy in Quito to arrest a controversial politician who had been granted political asylum there. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela sharply rebuked Ecuador on Saturday, hours after the seizure of Ecuador’s former Vice President Jorge Glas, with Nicaragua joining Mexico in severing diplomatic ties with Quito. During the incident, which took place late on Friday night, special forces equipped with a battering ram surrounded the Mexican embassy in Quito’s financial district, and at least one agent scaled the walls to extract Glas. The 54-year-old politician is wanted on corruption charges and has been holed up inside the Mexican embassy since seeking political asylum in December. Mexican authorities granted that request on Friday. Following his arrest, Glas could be seen on video circulating on social media being taken by a police convoy to the airport in Quito, flanked by heavily armed soldiers. He then boarded a plane en route to a jail in Guayaquil, the Andean nation’s largest city. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador blasted the unusual diplomatic incursion and arrest as an “authoritarian” act as well as a breach of international law and Mexico’s sovereignty, while the government of Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa argued asylum protections were illegal because of the corruption charges Glas is facing. Still, under international law, embassies are considered the sovereign territory of the country they represent, and the Vienna Convention, which governs international relations, states that a country cannot intrude upon an embassy on its territory. Brazil’s government condemned Ecuador’s move as a “clear violation” of international norms and said the action “must be subject to strong repudiation, whatever the justification for its implementation”. Colombian President Gustavo Petro argued in a post on X that Latin America “must keep alive the precepts of international law in the midst of the barbarism that is advancing in the world”, while his government said in a separate statement that it will seek human rights legal protections for the now-detained Glas. The United States also said it condemns any violation of the convention protecting diplomatic missions and encouraged “the two countries to resolve their differences in accord with international norms”. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, meanwhile, said he was “alarmed” by the raid, and urged both sides to show moderation in resolving the dispute, according to a spokesman. The Washington-based Organization of American States also issued a call for dialogue to resolve the escalating dispute, adding in a statement that a session of the body’s permanent council will be convened to discuss the need for “strict compliance with international treaties, including those that guarantee the right to asylum”. On Saturday, the Mexican embassy remained surrounded by police and the Mexican flag had been taken down. Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late in the day that diplomatic personnel and their families would leave Ecuador on a commercial flight on Sunday, adding that personnel from “friendly and allied countries” would accompany them to the airport. In Mexico City, about 50 demonstrators rallied outside Ecuador’s embassy, accusing Quito of being “fascist”. In an interview with national broadcaster Milenio, Mexico’s top diplomat Alicia Barcena expressed shock at Ecuador’s incursion into the country’s embassy, adding that some embassy personnel were injured in the raid. She added that Glas was granted asylum after an exhaustive analysis of the circumstances surrounding the accusations he faces. Glas was vice president under former leftist president, Rafael Correa, between 2013 and 2017. He was released from prison in November after serving time for receiving millions of dollars in kickbacks in a vast scandal involving Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht. He faces another arrest warrant for allegedly diverting funds that were intended for reconstruction efforts after a devastating earthquake in 2016. Glas has claimed he is the victim of political persecution, a charge Ecuador’s government has denied. Former President Correa, who has been exiled in Belgium since 2017 and was sentenced in absentia to eight years in prison for corruption, wrote on X that “not even in the worst dictatorships has a country’s embassy been violated”. He said Glas “was struggling to walk because he was beaten”. Adblock test (Why?)
Reporting under genocide: Six months in Gaza
With international reporters locked out, Palestinian journalists have made huge sacrifices to keep the world informed of the unprecedented killing and destruction in Gaza. More media workers have been killed by Israel since October 7 than in any other conflict in modern history. Like the rest of the population, Gaza’s journalists have also been maimed, arrested or threatened, have seen their homes and offices destroyed and are grieving over the loss of those close to them. The Listening Post spent time with three Al Jazeera journalists between February and March 2024. Contributors:Anas al-Sharif – Reporter, Al Jazeera ArabicHind Khoudary – Reporter, Al Jazeera EnglishMarah Elwadiya – Journalist, Al Jazeera Digital A Listening Post/Ain Media co-production. Videography by Mahmoud Sarraj, Ibrahim Nofal and Sari Hennawi. Tariq Nafi – Senior ProducerShrouq Aila – Gaza-based ProducerAhmed Madi – ProducerKit Harwood – EditorMeenakshi Ravi – Executive Producer Adblock test (Why?)
Palestinians mark last days of Ramadan on the eve of six months of war
Palestinian Muslims are marking a tense and sombre last weekend in Ramadan, as Israel’s war on Gaza approaches the six-month mark. Some 120,000 people descended on the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which dominates the Old City in Jerusalem, officials said on Friday. There were minor scuffles between worshippers and Israeli police controlling the entrance to the mosque, which is the third holiest site in Islam. Adli al-Agha, 53, from Jerusalem, told the AFP news agency that many people “had to flee dawn prayers” after Israeli police deployed a mini-drone spraying tear gas to disperse worshippers. Friday marked Laylat al-Qadr (“The Night of Power”), considered the holiest night of Ramadan, which commemorates the moment the Quran was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. It is the night when Muslims believe their prayers are most likely to be granted, a festive moment while children stay up late and shops stay open till the small hours. But many Palestinians are not in the mood to celebrate and are praying for an end to the war in Gaza after almost six months of bloodshed. Sameeha al-Qadi, 55, who had come from near Bethlehem, said Jerusalem “is sad and has lost its light – we all feel what is going on in Gaza. We can’t escape it for a minute”. This year there are few Ramadan decorations or lights in the Holy City, with Palestinians instead having a bitter coffee and a date – traditionally to mark mourning – on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when feasts are usually held. “There is sweet nothing about the feast this year. People are not celebrating,” said Sabah, 54, some of whose relatives have been killed in Gaza. “Everything is bitter in my mouth. It is so painful at this time which is all about family.” In Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinians gathered on Laylat al-Qadr, praying in and outside a tent they had built near the debris of al-Faruq Mosque – now reduced to ruins by Israeli air strikes. People also gathered to pray within the surviving section of the Great Omari Mosque in Gaza City. Also known as the Great Mosque of Gaza, the largest and oldest mosque in the strip was destroyed by Israeli military bombardments. Despite its destruction, the mosque remains a favoured venue for residents of the region to gather for prayers. Palestinians displaced from their homes in Gaza for almost six months by Israeli attacks have observed Ramadan in makeshift tents, under limited means and difficult conditions. Many are spending the last days reading the Quran or decorating their tents for Eid. Adblock test (Why?)