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Israeli forces kill Islamic Jihad and Hamas leaders in targeted strikes amid increased tension between Israel and Palestine

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Israeli forces kill Islamic Jihad and Hamas leaders in targeted strikes amid increased tension between Israel and Palestine

On May 12, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced that they have neutralized two top Hamas leaders in a targeted strike on Tuesday. The targets are identified as Hassan Kaogi, head of the Hamas military intelligence security department and Wail Issa, his deputy. In a tweet, IDF said, “Our fighter jets, with the ISA, neutralized key figures of Hamas’ intelligence: Hassan Kaogi, head of the Hamas military intelligence security department & his deputy Wail Issa, head of the military intelligence counterespionage department.” The IDF added, “Looks like our intel was better.”

Issa was said to be the brother of Marwas Issa, deputy commander of the Hamas military wing. Hassan and Issa were said to be responsible for rocket attacks on Israel. IDF also eliminated three additional senior Hamas officials identified as Bassam Issa, the Gaza Brigade commander, Rafa Salama, the Khan Younis Brigade commander and Mohammed Yazouri, the chief of Hamas intelligence.

Apart from Hamas leaders, three Islamic Jihad terrorists were killed were also killed in IDF strikes, which included Samah Abed al-Mamlouk, a Jihadi Islamist terrorist and Hassan Abu al-Ata, deputy commander of Islamic Jihad’s Gaza Brigade. According to Gaza-based Palestinian media, several others were injured in the attack. “An attack was carried out on a hiding place in which senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s rocket apparatus were staying,” the Israeli military said.

“Those who were eliminated were responsible for rocket fire by Palestinian Islamic Jihad, including in the most recent round of escalation,” they added.

What is happening in Israel?

The long-standing territorial-control issues between Israel and the pro-Palestinian forces have once again escalated, resulting in large-scale violence and attacks. Reports suggest that the fresh violence in the region took place after the eviction of illegal Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in east Jerusalem.

Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have escalated very high in Jerusalem for the last several days, with thousands of Palestinians clashing violently with Israeli forces at the Temple Mount. The holy site is deeply revered by both Muslims and Jews. Reportedly, over 800 Palestinians and more than 30 police officers were wounded in the clashes.

Bombay HC orders Maharashtra govt to approve transfer of vaccine plant to Bharat Biotech after forest dept blocked the deal

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Bombay HC orders Maharashtra govt to approve transfer of vaccine plant to Bharat Biotech after forest dept blocked the deal

On Tuesday, the Bombay High Court permitted Biovet Private Limited, an associate company of Bharat Biotech, to take possession of a fully operational and ready-to-use vaccine manufacturing plant in Pune to produce Covaxin, the indigenous vaccine against Covid-19. Biovet has purchased the plant from its previous owner, but the forest department was not allowing the transfer citing irregularities.

The unit on the 12-hectare plot was being used by Intervet India Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of Merck & Co.) to manufacture vaccines for Foot and Mouth Disease. The land was granted for the manufacturing unit in 1973.

Subsequently, Biovet had purchased the unit along with the plot of land from Intervet to manufacture vaccines, however, when Biovet approached the government for approval of the transfer of the plant, the deputy conservator of forests (Pune division) intervened saying it was a reserved forest and the initial 1973 grant itself was problematic. 

Biovet then had to approach the High Court to challenge the refusal of the govt to approve the transfer of the plant, and in an interim application, sought direction to the government to grant it licences and permissions to initiate manufacturing of Covaxin and vaccine for Foot and Mouth Disease.

A division bench comprising Justices KK Tated and N R Borkar on May 6 heard the application filed by Karnataka’s Biovet Private Limited seeking direction to the Maharashtra government to hand over possession of the manufacturing unit. 

Considering the COVID-19 situation, the HC declared, “The respondent (state government) is directed to grant appropriate licences/permissions/NOCs to the applicant (Biovet) in a time-bound manner to enable manufacture of the Food and Mouth Disease vaccine, Covaxin and other life-saving vaccines.”

“Considering the present position of Covid-19 and as the Applicants are ready and willing to start manufacturing activities without prejudice to the rights and contentions of both the parties in writ petition proceeding and considering the undertaking given by the Applicants by their affidavit-cum-undertaking dated April 30, 2021, and as the Learned Advocate General has no objection to allow the present interim application, we are satisfied that the Applicants have made out a case for allowing this Interim Application,” the court added.

RD Soni, who appeared for Biovet, had argued that the unit and machinery was lying idle due to a delay in handing over possession of the land.

Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni told the court that the Maharashtra government had no objection if the company used the unit for manufacturing life-saving vaccines, including Covaxin. However, he warned that the company should not claim any right, title and interest in future.

Soni assured the court that the company would not claim any equity in respect to the land in question, in case that was the cause of hesitancy in approving the transfer. 

“The concerned authorities are directed to hand over peaceful possession of the ready-to-use BSL-3 vaccine manufacturing facility,” added HC.

Bharat Biotech ramps up production

To support the largest vaccination drive being carried out by India, Bharat Biotech has ramped up the manufacturing capacity of Covaxin to 700 million doses per annum.

The manufacturing scale-up is happening in a step-wise manner across multiple facilities with newer ones being added to the list.

Congress leader Ali Mehdi wishes the destruction of Israel hours after terror outfit Hamas launches massive air strikes against Jewish nation

OpIndia Staff
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Congress leader Ali Mehdi wishes the destruction of Israel hours after terror outfit Hamas launches massive air strikes against Jewish nation

As the Israel-Palestine conflict flares up yet again, Delhi Congress VP Ali Mehdi on Wednesday took to Twitter to express his hatred for the Jewish nation. Mehdi foreboded the destruction of Israel, saying that Allah will destroy it.

“Allah will destroy Israel InshaAllah #AllahuAkbar,” Mehdi tweeted.

Source: Twitter

Along with the tweet wishing destruction for Israel, Mehdi attached a picture of a sobbing Arab woman with Al Aqsa mosque in the background.

Tensions between Israel and Palestine escalates as Hamas launches aerial rockets at the Jewish nation

Mehdi’s hateful tweet against Israel comes at a time when the hostilities between the Jewish nation and its nemesis Hamas is at an all-time high, especially after the intense aerial exchanges that started on Tuesday evening and continued well past midnight.

On Tuesday, Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas unleashed massive airstrikes against Israel, firing hundreds of rockets inside the country. The country’s air defence system, popularly known as Iron Dome, intercepted the continuous barrage of rockets targeting Tel Aviv and central Israel Tuesday evening.

Israel, in response, stepped up its attacks on the Palestinian terror group Hamas inside Gaza Strip. The Israel Defence Forces carried out airstrikes on targets in Gaza in response to continued attacks by Hamas against Israel. During the retaliatory strikes on Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike struck a high-rise office and residential building controlled by Hamas.

At least 35 people were killed in Gaza and five in Israel in the most fierce aerial exchanges for years.

The violence is the culmination of weeks of tensions in Jerusalem, with clashes taking place between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters in and around the Al Aqsa Mosque compound, a chronic flashpoint in the protracted Israel-Palestine conflict. The mosque is perched on a 35-acre site known by Muslims as Haram al-Sharif, or the Noble Sanctuary. It is also revered by Jews as the Temple Mount.

Kerala nurse killed after terror group Hamas launches rocket attack in Israel

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala nurse killed after terror group Hamas launches rocket attack in Israel

In a tragic incident, an Indian nurse from Kerala has been killed in a Hamas rocket attack at Ashkelon in Israel.

According to the reports, a 31-year-old caregiver Soumya Santosh, hailing from Idukki, Kerala, was killed in a rocket attack by Palestinian terrorists from the Gaza coastal strip. Soumya Santosh worked as a caregiver to an old woman in the southern Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon.

The Kerala nurse was on the phone with her husband when the rocket hit the apartment she was in. The wheel-chair bound lady who Soumya was taking care of was also killed during the attack. Reportedly, Soumya had lived in Israel for the last ten years in Ashkelon and is survived by a nine-year-old son and husband in Kerala.

“My brother heard a huge sound during the video call. Suddenly the phone got disconnected. Then we immediately contacted fellow Malayalees working there. Thus, we came to know about the incident,” said Saji, brother-in-law of the deceased nurse.

Soumya could not reach the bomb shelter in time

According to the local media network Channel 12, the nearest rocket shelter was a minute away from the spot, but they could not reach it in time. The apartment where the old lady was staying lacked a fortified room.

Ashkelon, a border town near the disputed Gaza Strip, has come under massive fire from Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. At least 32 people have so far been killed after terrorists from Gaza fired more than two hundred rockets towards Israel since Monday evening.

India’s Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan has expressed condemnation against the attacks and expressed grief over Soumya’s demise.

“Spoke with the family of Ms Soumya Santhosh to convey my deep condolences at her tragic demise during the rocket attacks from Gaza today. Assured all possible assistance. We have condemned these attacks and the violence in Jerusalem, and urged restraint by both sides,” he said in a tweet.

Israeli Ambassador to India Ron Malka also condoled the Indian woman’s death.

“On behalf of the state of Israel, I convey heartfelt condolences to the family of Ms Soumya Santosh, murdered by Hamas indiscriminate terror attack on innocent lives. Our hearts are crying with her 9 years old son that lost his mother in this cruel Terrorist attack,” the Israeli Ambassador said in his tweet.

The Israel-Palestine clashes:

The long-standing territorial-control issues between Israel and the pro-Palestinian forces have once again escalated, resulting in large scale violence and attacks. The court ruling of eviction of illegal Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in east Jerusalem has stoked tensions and sparked fresh violence in the region.

Prior to the latest exchange of fire, Israeli police were attacked by Palestinians inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on Sunday. The Israel police had come under severe attack by Palestinians, who pelted stones and unleashed heavy attacks on them inside the Al-Aqsa compound. More than 21 officers were wounded after attacks by Palestinians during the attacks on Monday.

Following the Israeli retaliation, the terror outfit Hamas escalated its attack on Israeli civilians by launching hundreds of rockets against Israel. At least five Israelis have been killed after Hamas launched hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip. In response to the rocket attacks, the Israeli army has struck some 140 targets in the coastal enclave after Hamas openly joined Palestinian terrorists to intensify the clashes between the two sides.

Israel: Arab mobs set synagogues on fire, mayor says civil-war has erupted in the Jewish-Arab city of Lod

OpIndia Staff
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Israel: Arab mobs set synagogues on fire, mayor says civil-war has erupted in the Jewish-Arab city of Lod

The ongoing conflict between Palestinian supporters and Israel has shaped into a war-like situation with many cities of Israel facing constant rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. 

In a recent update, an intense riot has hit the central-Israel city of Lod, with three synagogues set on fire by the Israeli Arab Muslims. The rioters even attacked the local shops and parked cars setting them all ablaze. The Israeli government has now declared a state of emergency in the mixed Jewish-Arab city and has dispatched several Border Police companies to work to restore law and order. 

A Rabbi inspects the damage inside a torched religious school in the central Israeli city of Lod, near Tel Aviv, on May 11, 2021. (Image Source / AFP)

As per a news channel, some residents reported power cuts in their homes after which petrol bombs were hurled through the windows. A 56 year-old local man sustained serious injuries after being hit by a slab in his car. The police officials confirmed having escorted some residents from a community center to their homes as the Arabs lashed out on the streets of the city.

Not just the residential areas, but even the City Hall and local museums were under attack. The Mayor of the city has compared the growing unrest to the Nazis’ 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom (also called Night of Broken Glass when Nazis attacked Jewish population and properties).

“This is unthinkable. Synagogues are being burned. Hundreds of cars set alight. Hundreds of Arab thugs are roaming the streets… Civil war has erupted in Lod… The Orthodox-nationalist community here has guns. I’m imploring them to go back home but they understandably want to protect their homes. Petrol bombs are being thrown into (Jewish) homes. The situation is incendiary,” said Mayor Revivo in an interview to a local channel.

Emergency imposed in Lod

The Mayor had to appeal to the Prime Minister for urgent help after which an emergency was imposed after several decades to bring the situation under control. 

“Prime Minister Netanyahu directed that lawbreakers be dealt with severely and that units on the ground be reinforced in order to restore quiet and order to the city forthwith,” said a government official in a statement. 

The National Police Commissioner of the city too called the situation unprecedented. “We are seeing a situation in the mixed (Jewish-Arab) cities that we have never seen before, including the incidents of October 2000,” Kobi Shabtai the commissioner said.

Meanwhile, around 130 rockets have been fired by Hamas at central Israel, with “victory” being claimed by its leader Ismail Haniyeh who says this was “the battle for Jerusalem.”

Visuals from the city

Several media networks as well as the locals took to Twitter to share the gruesome visuals coming out from the city of Lod.

Kan News shared visuals of a restaurant in the old city that was set on fire.

Yedioth Ahronoth an Israeli national daily newspaper shared videos of parked cars set ablaze in the city of Lod.

A local shared visuals of Arab rioters marauding the streets of the city setting everything on fire.

Another resident saying “situation in Lod is out of control” shared spine chilling videos of an Arab rioter shooting at Israeli police with an automatic weapon.

President Reuven Rivlin had urged Arab Israeli leaders to speak out against the outbursts of violence and restore peace, however, no appeal seems to be working at the moment.

Violence in Israel

Tensions in Jerusalem escalated in recent weeks as Palestinians protested the restrictions imposed by Israel on access to access parts of the Old City during the holy month of Ramzan. 

The Palestinians are also vehemently opposing an order by the authorities which has asked several Palestinian families to vacate their homes and make way for Israeli settlers. Recent incidents of stone-pelting and attacks on police personnel near the Al-Aqsa Mosque had further aggravated the situation.

COVID-19 vaccination: 18 states, including Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal getting a direct supply of Covaxin, says Bharat Biotech

OpIndia Staff
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COVID-19 vaccination: 18 states, including Maharashtra, Delhi and West Bengal getting a direct supply of Covaxin, says Bharat Biotech

Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech on Tuesday said that 18 Indian states have been directly supplied with its COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin. The company also added that it will continue the steady supply of its vaccine in the country’s fight against the pandemic.

“COVAXIN has been directly supplied to 18 states since May 1st. Unflinching in our efforts, we will continue the steady supply of our #vaccine,” Bharat Biotech said in a tweet.

The company is supplying its vaccine to Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, and Telangana.

Joint Managing Director of Bharat Biotech Suchitra Ella had earlier said that the company had started direct supply of Covaxin with effect from May 1 to several states based on the allocation received by the central government.

Earlier last month, Bharat Biotech announced the pricing of its vaccine for state governments and private hospitals. It had kept Rs 600 per dose for state governments while Rs 1200 per dose for private hospitals. However, after facing flak from several quarters, it announced a cut in the price of Covaxin for states to Rs 400 per dose.

India had embarked upon the fourth phase of its ambitious vaccination drive by allowing its large 18-plus population to get inoculated from May 1.

Amid Covid crisis, corpses found floating in Ganga in UP and Bihar. Here’s what we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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Amid Covid crisis, corpses found floating in Ganga in UP and Bihar. Here’s what we know so far

Close to 100 unidentified and decomposed bodies were found floating in the Ganga over a couple of days, sparking fear among the locals in several districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. While 71 bodies have been recovered from Bihar’s Buxar district, other 25 bodies were fished from Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district with locals suspecting them to be the bodies of Covid victims.

After Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, in a horrifying video, at least half a dozen corpses were seen floating in the Runj river in the Panna district of Madhya Pradesh.

Buxar police suspect the bodies may have floated from the neighboring Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh. Authorities of both the districts are yet to confirm if the bodies are of Covid victims. 

Bihar administration’s response

Assuring that the recovered bodies have been disposed of as per government protocols, Buxar SP Neeraj Kumar in a statement to The Indian Express confirmed, “We have so far fished out 71 bodies from the Ganga. We conducted postmortem of all bodies and have also taken DNA and Covid samples.”

Meanwhile, the Buxar District Magistrate Aman Sameer also informed that the local administration is now keeping a close watch on Ganga ghats to ensure that more bodies are not allowed to be dumped in the river.

Uttar Pradesh government takes swift action

The Uttar Pradesh government has also sprung into action by passing an order directing people to stop the ritual of Jal Samadhi followed by some communities in which bodies are disposed of in the river. “This order is being followed strictly in the state,” informed ADG Kumar. 

MP district administration shares details

The Panna administration in Madhya Pradesh too rushed to the village after the videos of bodies floating in the river went viral in social media. Sharing additional details, Panna collector Sanjay Mishra informed that the bodies disposed of were of two patients, a 95-year-old man and a cancer patient. The bodies were let in the river by locals as part of a ritual. These bodies have been fished out and buried properly, assured the officer.

Union Ministry takes cognizance of the matter

Taking cognizance of the matter, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekawat on Tuesday Tweeted, “We have taken serious note of the issue of dumping dead bodies in River Ganga and instituted measures for the prohibition of the same. The Centre through the NMCG and district authorities will ensure all unidentified bodies are disposed as per the protocol.”

The administration of respective districts have put in place strict protocols to ensure no such incident is repeated. 

Tikri gang rape: ‘Farmer leader’ Yogendra Yadav interrogated for two hours by Police

OpIndia Staff
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Tikri gang rape: ‘Farmer leader’ Yogendra Yadav interrogated for two hours by Police

‘Farmer leader’ Yogendra Yadav was interrogated for two hours by the Jhajjar Police on Tuesday in connection to the gang-rape of the 25-year-old ‘activist’ from West Bengal. The victim, who had arrived from West Bengal to Delhi in April to participate in ‘farmer protest’, was allegedly sexually assaulted more than once. She subsequently got diagnosed with Chinese coronavirus and unfortunately succumbed to the virus.

Along with Yadav, Yogita Suhag, another ‘activist’ named in the FIR was also interrogated for three hours. She was questioned about her visit to the poll-bound state of West Bengal and the people who had accompanied her. As per reports, she was also questioned about her return trip as well as the video recording of the victim’s statement which she had made.

As per DSP Pawan, an SIT has been formed and hideouts of the accused, AAP leaders Anil Malik and Anup Singh, are being raided to arrest them at the earliest.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Tuesday issued notices to Yogendra Yadav and BKU Ekta Ugrahan president Joginder Singh Ugrahan as well. The report sought explanation for delay in informing police about the heinous crime when the leaders were aware of the same.

Tikri border gang rape

A woman ‘activist’ from West Bengal who had come to join the ‘farmer protests’ at Tikri border was sexually assaulted allegedly by two AAP leaders. In an FIR filed by her father, Yogendra Yadav knew about the assault but did not approach the police for the same.

Pro-Palestine groups get violent outside Israeli consulates in NYC and LA, condemn Israel’s retaliation against terrorist attacks

OpIndia Staff
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Pro-Palestine groups get violent outside Israeli consulates in NYC and LA, condemn Israel’s retaliation against terrorist attacks

The ongoing clashes between Israel and Palestine have now reached the United States as supporters of both Israel and Palestine clashed on the streets of New York City on Tuesday.

According to the reports, Pro-Palestinian supporters marched through New York City, carrying banners condemning Israeli retaliation against Palestinian terror attacks. The Palestinian supporters also gathered near the Israeli consulate in Manhattan and shouted slogans against Israel.

The pro-Palestinian activists gathered outside the building after calls were made on social media platforms to assemble for “an emergency rally for Palestine”. A handful of pro-Israel activists organized a counter-protest. The pro-Palestine supporters clashed with Israel supporters outside the consulate and attempted to attack each other over the ongoing clashes between Israel and Palestine in the Middle east.

Following the attacks, the New York police officers attempted to prevent clashes between the two sides. However, the protestors broke free in an attempt to physically assault one another.

As the protests intensified outside the consulate, the staff members at the Israeli consulate in New York City were sent home, fearing for their safety. Similar protests were seen in LA too.

Not just in New York, more than 200 pro-Palestine protestors gathered outside the Israeli Consulate carrying Palestinian flags in Los Angeles too. The protestors carried “Free Palestine” and “We support Palestine” placards and shouted slogans against Israel.

The Israel-Palestine clashes:

The long-standing territorial-control issues between Israel and the pro-Palestinian forces have once again escalated, resulting in large scale violence and attacks. The eviction of illegal Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in east Jerusalem has now stoked tensions and sparked fresh violence in the region.

Prior to the latest exchange of fire, Israeli police were attacked by Palestinians inside the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in Jerusalem on Sunday. The Israel police had come under severe attack by Palestinians, who pelted stones and unleashed heavy attacks on them inside the Al-Aqsa compound. More than 21 officers were wounded after attacks by Palestinians during the attacks on Monday.

After the Israeli response, the terror outfit Hamas escalated its attack on Israeli civilians by launching hundreds of rockets against Israel. At least five Israelis have been killed after Hamas launched hundreds of rockets from the Gaza Strip. In response to the rocket attacks, the Israeli army has struck some 140 targets in the coastal enclave after Hamas openly joined Palestinian terrorists to intensify the clashes between the two sides.

Following the attacks, Israel has stepped up its attacks on the Palestinian terror group Hamas inside Gaza Strip. The Israel Defence Forces have carried out airstrikes on targets in Gaza in response to continued attacks by Hamas against Israel. During the retaliatory strikes on Tuesday, several high-profile Hamas terrorists are said to have been killed.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have released a number of videos of its Iron Dome air defence system intercepting the continuous barrage of rockets targetting Tel Aviv and central Israel Tuesday evening.

‘Biden’s weakness is leading to attacks on our allies’: Donald Trump says the US must stand with Israel

OpIndia Staff
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‘Biden’s weakness is leading to attacks on our allies’: Donald Trump says the US must stand with Israel

Former President of the United States Donald Trump has issued a statement on recent attacks on Israel by Palestinians. He called out President Biden for his weakness and lack of support for Israel. Trump said that when he was in office, Israel’s adversaries knew that the US would stand firmly with Israel and take swift action if someone attacks Israel. He added under the Biden administration, the world is getting more violent and unstable as Biden’s lack of support for Israel is leading to new attacks on US’s allies.

Trump said, “When I was in office, we were known as the ‘Peace Presidency’ because Israel’s adversaries knew that the United States stood strongly with Israel and there would be swift retribution if Israel was attacked. Under Biden, the world is getting more violent and more unstable because Biden’s weakness and lack of support for Israel is leading to new attacks on our allies. America must always stand with Israel and make clear that the Palestinians must end the violence, terror, and rocket attacks, and make clear that the US will always strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself.”

Screenshot of Donald Trump’s statement. Source: donaldjtrump.com

Trump mentioned Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in his statement and accused her of being a “crazed anti-American”, who attacks Israel even when they are under terrorist assault. He added, “Unbelievably, Democrats also continue to stand by crazed anti-American Rep. Ilhan Omar, and others, who savagely attack Israel while they are under terrorist assault.”

Trump had taken several steps to ensure support for Israel

The former President had helped to broker the Abraham Accord, which was a first-of-its-kind agreement for diplomatic relations between Israel, the UAE and Bahrain. He also moved the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which was criticized due to the disputed status of the holy city.

The recent escalation is considered to be one of the most intense series of attacks between Israel and Hamas since the 2014 war. It has to be noted that Hamas is a US-designated terrorist organization.

Biden himself has not issued any statement yet on the escalation in Israel. However, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that Biden had been briefed on the matter. Psaki said that the US Officials have candidly talked to the Israeli leaders about concerns regarding the eviction of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem that has spiked the protests in the last few weeks.

She said, “The President’s support for Israel’s security, for its legitimate right to defend itself and its people is fundamental and will never waiver. We condemn ongoing rocket attacks by Hamas and other terrorist groups, including against Jerusalem. We also condemn extremism that has inflicted violence on both communities.”

She further added that the President and his administration would continue to pursue conditions for diplomacy, dialogue and de-escalation and protection of civilians “even as we work together with our friends to deter acts of violence and terrorism.”

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