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Ernakulam blast: Preliminary probe reveals incendiary device used, explosives found in tiffin box, NIA and NSG team rushes to the spot

OpIndia Staff
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Ernakulam blast: Preliminary probe reveals incendiary device used, explosives found in tiffin box, NIA and NSG team rushes to the spot

On 29th October (Sunday), 1 woman was killed and over 40 were injured in multiple blasts – suspected to be a terrorist attack – that took place at a convention centre in Kalamassery in Ernakulam district of Kerala. The convention centre was holding a religious meeting of Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian denomination. Following the blasts, Kerala DGP Dr. Shaik Darvesh Saheb briefed the media stating that it was likely an IED blast. 

He said, “Preliminary investigation shows it is an IED device and we are investigating it.”

According to the Kerala DGP, preliminary investigation hints towards the use of an IED (improvised explosive device) for the blasts. It is suspected that a “tiffin box” had been used to store it. Since most of those critical have burn injuries, investigators are also working on the premise that an “incendiary device” might have been used. An improvised incendiary device (IID) is designed to destroy so as to start fires in different ways instead of exploding. There were several fires at the place following the series of blasts.

Following the suspected terrorist attack, Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan regarding the blast at a convention centre of a Christian group in Kochi, sources said. 

At the directive of the Home Minister, the teams of the National Security Guard (NSG) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) are being sent to Kerala to assist the state government. 

A source said, “The home minister spoke to the Kerala chief minister to take stock of the situation after the blast. The chief minister briefed the home minister about the incident.” 

As per media reports, a 4-member NIA team has rushed to the spot to investigate the matter along with the local police. Additionally, an eight-member National Security Guard (NSG) team, including an officer, is expected to reach the bomb blast site by this evening to inquire about the bomb explosion. 

Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called an all-party meeting tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Chief Minister’s Conference Hall in the Secretariat.

Security alert sounded in different parts of the country

Officials probing the Kerala blasts stated that they are thoroughly examining the CCTV footage of three days at the convention centre to find out when and by whom the bombs were planted. The Kerala DGP has asked the public not to spread provocative or hateful messages on social media. He also warned that stringent action will be taken against those who are found doing so.

Taking to X, Kerala Police posted in Malayalam saying, “Strict action will be taken against those who spread fake news through social media, etc. in order to promote religious rivalry and communal hatred.” 

Furthermore, Kerala authorities have enhanced security in 14 districts, railway stations, and bus stops. According to media reports, the state authorities have issued a direction to all 14 district police chiefs in the state asking them to remain careful, and alert, especially around railway stations and bus stations. They have warned that Police patrolling should be strictly ensured.

In the neighbouring state of Karnataka, the state government has sounded an alert in the state in the wake of the deadly blast, suspected to be a terrorist act, in Kerala. The police have been ordered to increase security, particularly in the border areas. The authorities added that these areas will be closely monitored.

Sources added that the Karnataka authorities will conduct random checks on vehicles entering Karnataka from Kerala at all entry points of the Karnataka-Kerala border. 

Notably, there are 7 major and 7 minor points of entry into Karnataka from Kerala. In the wake of Sunday’s blast in Kerala, all of these entry points have been put on high alert. Police personnel will be deployed at all 14 spots, while the number of personnel deployed will be dynamic and based on intelligence input, sources added.  

According to sources, Intelligence agencies had already issued alerts for possible attacks at Jewish places in India amid the Israel-Hamas war. 

Sources added that intelligence agencies had issued an important alert notifying that the Jewish places in India could be the target of terrorists. 

Media reports highlight that two ISIS terrorists were recently arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell. Prior to the arrest, the suspected terrorists had also raided the Chaward House, an important Jewish site in Mumbai. They also sent videos of that place to foreign terrorists. 

Sources added that the security agencies had exposed the network of the terrorist organisation Al Sufa in Madhya Pradesh’s Ratlam, however, the Jewish sites in India were also the target of these terrorists. 

The Central Agency had recently received many such inputs, prompting to increase the security in all places as a precautionary measure.

‘Will overturn law against polygamy when we come to power, those who have the ability should marry two wives’ – AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal

OpIndia Staff
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‘Will overturn law against polygamy when we come to power, those who have the ability should marry two wives’ – AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal

On 27th October, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) chief Badruddin Ajmal claimed that when his party comes to power, he would overturn the law proposed against polygamy in Assam. Notably, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is pushing to ban polygamy in the state.

CM Sarma has categorically said that anyone having two wives will not be eligible for government jobs in the state. The CM also said that govt employees can’t marry for a second time even if it is allowed in their religions.

Speaking to the media, Ajmal urged Muslims to marry twice. He said, “Those with the ability should consider marrying two wives. I am elderly and unable to take on two wives at this point in my life…” He was then asked about the law that restricts persons indulging in polygamy from getting government jobs. He said, “They [Himanta Biswa Sarma-led BJP government in Assam] will not stay in power forever. At some point, we will come into power and overturn the restrictions imposed on second marriage by the government.”

“Muslims are No. 1 in rape, murder, loot” – AIUDF chief Ajmal

Earlier, Ajmal said that Muslims are “number 1” when it comes to crimes like robbery, rape, murder, eve-teasing and also on top in going to jail. The businessman-politician-cleric blamed the lack of education among Muslims for the high rate of crimes among them. Speaking at an event in the Dalgoma Anchalik College, a private college in Assam’s Goalpara district, the AIUDF chief said, “Crimes like robbery, dacoity, rape, loot, we are No.1 in all. We are also No.1 in going to jail. Our children find no time to go to schools and colleges but find enough time to gamble to cheat others. For all such wrong things, ask who’s involved. It’s Muslims…and that’s sad.”

Permission required for second marriage, says Sarma

On 27th October, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that no state government employee can enter into a second marriage without the approval of the government. “As an Assam government employee, from the point of our service rule, he is not entitled to enter into a second marriage. However, if some religion allows you to do so, even then as per the rule, you have to get permission from the state government. It might give you or may not give you. After the death of the employee, two wives fight with each other over pension issues and we find it very difficult to settle those,” CM Sarma said.

He also said that this rule was there earlier, but “we did not enforce it. Now, we have decided to enforce it”. The order dated October 20 issued by Niraj Verma, additional chief secretary of the personnel department conveyed the same to all the government employees.

Proposed law banning polygamy in Assam

Assam cabinet will bring a law banning polygamy in the state soon, and the state govt has already formed a committee to draft the bill, which will be table by the end of this year or early next year. The decision came after an expert committee formed by the govt said that the Assam assembly has the authority to enact a law banning polygamy in the state. The expert committee was formed in May this year, and it submitted its report to the CM in July.

The committee found that while the state assembly can enact a law banning polygamy, the bill will have to be assented to by the president of India, not the state governor like most state bills. Assam govt will also have to amend some other laws to implement the polygamy ban, including the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935.

After the expert committee’s report, the Assam govt in August 2023 invited opinions from the public and organisations on the matter. As per CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, 98% of the responses supported the proposed ban on polygamy. Following this, the state govt formed a drafting committee last month to frame the bill.

Punjab: Shopkeeper sitting outside his shop shot dead in Bhatinda by unidentified men, murder caught on CCTV camera

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: Shopkeeper sitting outside his shop shot dead in Bhatinda by unidentified men, murder caught on CCTV camera

Harjinder Singh Johal, the president of the Bathinda Mall Road Shopkeepers Association, was shot and killed on 28th October outside his “Amritsari Kulcha” store on Bathinda’s Mall Road. He was looking at his cell phone while sitting on a chair outside his shop when two anonymous individuals, who were riding a motorcycle, opened fire on him multiple times. The entire incident was captured on camera from a nearby store.

One of the men got off the two-wheeler and fired several rounds at the victim before fleeing the scene. Johal was brought to a government hospital in Bathinda for treatment after suffering severe injuries. However, he was sent to Max Hospital due to the severity of his wounds where he passed away. Cops have recovered six bullets at the crime scene. Initial inquiries indicated that the perpetrators potentially employed a 9mm firearm during the assault.

The businessman can be seen in agony and contorting in pain while informing some people about the incident. People who were present at the location rushed towards Johal as he lost consciousness.

Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal offered condolences to the deceased’s family and targeted the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab. He noted, “Shocking incident in Bathinda. Mall Road Association President Harjinder Singh Mela Ji was shot dead in broad daylight. Such incidents have become common in Punjab under the Aam Aadmi Party regime. The entire trading community is in a state of fear.” The MP from Firozpur called for swift action in the case and immediate arrest of those responsible for the horrifying murder.

Dipu, a worker at Harjinder Singh Johal’s shop revealed, “I was standing on top of the shop when I heard the sound of gunfire as if someone was bursting crackers. Then, Mr Johal shouted that he had been shot and told me to catch the people who did it. I chased them, but they were on a motorcycle and got away. There were two people on the motorcycle.”

Senior Superintendent of Police Bathinda Gulneet Singh Khurana informed that the victim had not received any calls or threats of extortion. He mentioned that to identify the culprits and determine the motivations for any potential attacks, the authorities are watching CCTV footage from the area around the location of the assault.

Local store owners demonstrated against the murder and complained about the state’s deteriorating law and order. Shop owners in the area have vowed to close down operations in the area if the offenders are not apprehended and have called for severe punishment against them. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Roopchand Singal also condemned the AAP administration for the poor condition of law and order in Punjab.

2023 World Cup: As India takes on England, read why Indian players are wearing black armbands

ANI
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2023 World Cup: As India takes on England, read why Indian players are wearing black armbands

The Indian cricket team wore black armbands in memory of the legendary Bishan Singh Bedi who passed away earlier on Monday.

The Indian team stepped on the pitch to face England at Lucknow’s Ekana Sports City on Sunday in the ongoing World Cup while wearing a black armband. Even the support staff members, like head coach Rahul Dravid, were seen wearing black armbands during the national anthem.

In a do-or-die clash for the defending champions, India was put to bat first by England skipper Jos Buttler after winning the toss. The celebrated left-arm spinner, who formed a much-vaunted spinning quartet along with Erapalli Prasanna, Srinivas Venkataraghavan, and Bhagwat Chandrasekhar in his heydays, passed away in Delhi on Monday after a prolonged illness.

The legendary spinner represented India in 67 Tests and 10 ODIs, taking a combined of 273 wickets. Well known for his profound understanding of the game, Bedi’s elegant and rhythmic bowling action, coupled with his ability to generate prodigious spin, and his discipline with the ball earned him tremendous success.

With an astounding 1560 first-class wickets to his credit, Bedi also led India in 22 Tests, with three of the six wins coming on foreign soil. He also featured in India’s inaugural ODI, played on July 13, 1974, in Leeds.

At the time of his retirement, Bedi held the distinction of being India’s highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

US: Spray-paint, anti-semitic stickers across Starbucks in New York; 7,000 pro-Palestinian protesters storm Brooklyn Bridge, give calls for elimination of Jewish state

OpIndia Staff
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US: Spray-paint, anti-semitic stickers across Starbucks in New York; 7,000 pro-Palestinian protesters storm Brooklyn Bridge, give calls for elimination of Jewish state

On 28th October (Saturday), Pro-Palestinian protestors held large demonstrations in several places including the West Bank, London, Berlin, Rome, and New York in the wake of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In a spree of such protests, at least 7,000 pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, US, raising anti-semitic slogans. They openly cheered Hamas terrorists’ barbaric attacks on Israel, the New York Post reported. 

In New York, the day-long rally was organised by the Palestinian-led community group ‘Within Our Lifetime’. Thousands of protestors stretched for several blocks as they travelled through the Brooklyn Museum to the Brooklyn Bridge, chanting “Free, free Palestine!”

(Image Source – New York Post)

The protest rally crossed through Barclays Center, Brooklyn Bridge, and finally culminated at Union Square. During their day-long protest, they vandalised properties including damaging police cars; blocked traffic, and gave anti-semitic calls.

(Pro-Palestinian protest in New York)

Following the day-long rally, at least 800 pro-Palestinian protesters descended on Union Square where they spray-painted and plastered anti-semitic stickers across a Starbucks in Union Square.

In video footage of the incident, several pro-Palestine vandals, hiding behind masks and head coverings, can be seen etching “Free Gaza” across the East 15th Street restaurant as customers dined inside.

The vandals also slammed stickers that read “Zionism is terrorism” and “Zionism: hands off our universities” on the glass doors of the coffee shop. In a video, one protestor can be seen lifting another protestor so he could paste an “End the Lies or Gaza dies” sticker on the glass panel just below the Starbucks sign.

At their final protest site, Union Square, some protestors carried signs that read, “Support Palestinian resistance,” while others climbed the square’s iconic George Washington statue.

(Image Source – New York Post)

At the statue, they chanted “free Palestine” and plastered it with stickers that read “Zionists are terrorists.” The anti-Israel protestors even erected a makeshift basketball hoop with “f–k Israel” inscribed on its backboard and they took turns shooting free throws at it. 

On the 13th Street, a group of anti-Israel protesters chanted “Long live Hamas” while a Muslim woman speaking to the crowd vowed “Until it’s free, we will not stop.”

(Protestors raised the antisemitic slogan From Rivers to the Sea, Palestine will be free)

Before the vandalism on Union Square, the protestors flooded the Manhattan-bound side of the Brooklyn bridge and raised slogans. A few protestors scaled the metal support structure and unfurled Palestinian flags, and protestors started raising chants of, “Gaza! Gaza! Gaza!”

(Image Source – New York Post)

Some protestors chanted, “Resistance is justified when people are occupied.”

‘What do you expect’: Protestors justified 7th October attacks on civilians

A pair of 24-year-old friends held signs depicting Israeli flags while calling for the eradication of the Jewish state. One of the women protestors, a resident of Crown Heights, said, “I personally don’t think the state of Israel should exist. I don’t think anything except that we need to give the land back to Palestine.”  

The woman added that she thought Hamas was justified in slaughtering over 1,400 civilians on 7th October, including women and children, the New York Post reported.

The woman said, “What do you expect? They have no other way of freeing themselves other than attacking Israel. I don’t think anyone could expect Palestinians to peacefully try to reclaim their freedom. I don’t think it’s very idealist and unrealistic.” 

Another protestor, Jason (37) was decked out in Palestinian accessories and carried a giant flag. Batting down the claims that Hamas decapitated Israeli babies and children, Jason said, “That’s the narrative that they put so they can put a bad name on the Palestinians.”

Liking objectionable posts on Facebook or X is not a crime, but sharing or retweeting them is an offence under IT Act: Allahabad High Court

OpIndia Staff
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Liking objectionable posts on Facebook or X is not a crime, but sharing or retweeting them is an offence under IT Act: Allahabad High Court

According to a recent ruling by the Allahabad High Court, simply expressing approval for a lewd post on Facebook or X (formerly Twitter) does not qualify as a crime as per Section 67 of the Information Technology Act (IT Act).

Mohd Imran Kazi of Agra was charged with posting disparaging remarks on social media and the court was considering a request to have the case dismissed. The posts, according to the police, were the reason behind the gathering of between 600–700 members of the Muslim community.

The Court ruled that sharing or retweeting such a post could result in legal ramifications under Section 67 of the Information Technology (IT) Act as it would be deemed “transmission.” Justice Arun Kumar Singh Deshwal elaborated that simply having an appreciation for offensive material does not equate to disseminating or sharing the same.

The order read, “A post or message can be said to be published when it is posted, and a post or message can be said to be transmitted when it is shared or retweeted. Liking a post will not amount to publishing or transmitting the post, therefore, merely liking a post will not attract Section 67 IT Act.”

The statements were made by the judge upon the quashing of the criminal proceedings that were ongoing against Mohd Imran Kazi of Agra which were brought under the Indian Penal Code and section 67 of the IT Act. He highlighted, “I do not find any material which could connect the applicant with any objectionable post, as there is no offensive post available in the Facebook and WhatsApp accounts of the applicant. Therefore, no case is made out against the applicant.”

He acknowledged that it is illegal to pass on offensive material under the IT Act, however, he continued that in this particular case, “The applicant has liked the post of one Farhan Usman for unlawful assembly, but liking a post will not amount to publishing or transmitting the post, therefore, merely liking a post will not attract section 67 IT Act. Even otherwise section 67 of the IT Act is for obscene material and not for provocative material.” 

The accused’s attorney claimed that there was insufficient evidence against him to prove he had broken any laws. The Investigating Officer reacted by citing a reportedly insulting post that the complainant liked. The Court looked into the clause since Section 67 of the IT was mentioned in the case. It was determined that this provision only applies when someone publishes, transmits or orders the distribution or dissemination of any information in electronic form that has the potential to corrupt and deprave those who read, view or hear it.

However, the Court reasoned that only liking a post would not be considered as publishing or transmitting it and therefore would not fall under Section 67 of the IT Act or any other criminal offence. Furthermore, it noted that Section 67 of the IT Act specifically addresses obscene content and does not encompass material considered merely “provocative.”

The court declared, “The words ‘lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest’ mean relating to sexual interest and desire, therefore, Section 67 I.T. Act does not prescribe any punishment for other provocative material.”

The accused was found to have no substantial connection to any offensive post, per the Court which concluded that there was no case against him and halted the proceedings against him. The petitioner was represented by lawyer Jai Raj and the State was represented by counsel Rajeev Kumar Singh.

Petitioner Mohd Imran Kazmi was prosecuted and a formal accusation was lodged against him for expressing approval of “inciting” content on social media. This action led to the gathering of approximately 600-700 individuals from the Muslim community, who organised a procession without the necessary authorization. On 30 June of this year, the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court in Agra acknowledged the charge sheet and issued a non-bailable warrant against him.

As Kerala gets rocked by multiple blasts, state CM Pinarayi Vijayan is in Delhi protesting in support of Gaza

OpIndia Staff
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As Kerala gets rocked by multiple blasts, state CM Pinarayi Vijayan is in Delhi protesting in support of Gaza

On Sunday (29th October), CPI(M) leaders including Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and party leader Sitaram Yechury participated in an anti-Israel protest in Delhi. These leaders protested outside AKG Bhawan over the Israel-Hamas war with the message “Stop this Genocidal Aggression on Gaza”. The Kerala chief minister was present at the protests in Delhi at a time when bomb blasts were reported in his state.

One woman was killed and around 40 were injured in multiple blasts at a Jehovah’s Witnesses prayer meeting at a convention centre at Kalamassery, Ernakulam in Kochi district on Sunday morning.

CPI and CPI(M) earlier issued a joint statement

In a joint statement issued on Saturday (28th October), the CPI and the CPI(M) said that India’s abstention from voting on a United Nations resolution calling for a truce in Gaza is “shocking” and shows that the country is shaping its foreign policy as “a subordinate ally of US imperialism”. The protests were thus organised at the AKG Bhavan office of CPI (M) in Delhi on Sunday to express solidarity with Palestine.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury and his CPI counterpart, D Raja issued a joint statement titled “Stop this Genocidal Aggression in Gaza”. In this statement, they said India’s move negates its longstanding support for the Palestinian cause. The statement read, “It is shocking that India abstained on a resolution overwhelmingly adopted by the UN General Assembly calling for a humanitarian truce titled ‘Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations’ in the ongoing Israeli offensive in Gaza.”

The left parties said, “Respecting the overwhelming mandate of the UN General Assembly that there must be an immediate ceasefire. The United Nations must re-energise itself to implement the mandate of the Security Council for a two-state solution with pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine.”

Pinarayi Vijayan joined the protests ignoring bomb blasts in his states

The protests were organised on the last day of the three-day meeting of the CPI (M) that started on Friday. With other communist leaders, Kerala’s chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan attended these protests when his home state was rocking with bomb blasts. He prioritised sympathising with Gaza over looking after the victims of the bomb blasts in Kerala.

In his speech at this protest, Pinarayi Vijayan said, “We are here to protest against the inhuman genocide that is going on against the Palestinian people and the support being extended to Israel by the government of India in blatant violation of time-tested policy of solidarity with the Palestinian people who fight for their own land. It is really shocking that the government has gone to the extent of abstaining from discussion of the UN resolution, supporting Israel and the US.”

Bomb blasts in Kerala

On 29th October, a woman was killed, and around 40 were injured in multiple blasts at a Jehovah’s Witnesses prayer meeting at a convention centre at Kalamassery, Ernakulam in Kochi district. The injured were rushed to the Government Medical College Hospital. As per reports, a charred body has been recovered by the Fire Department personnel from the site. The number of victims might rise. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been called for the investigation. It is notable that Jehovah’s Witnesses is a Christian denomination.

Reports suggest that multiple blasts took place at the convention centre, with social media users reporting 3 to 4 blasts. Police have said that multiple explosions took place at around 9 AM on Sunday morning, but didn’t give a number. Kalamassery CI Vibin Das said the first explosion took place around 9 AM and multiple blasts followed thereafter, over the next one hour. Some of the injured sustained injuries in the blast, while others got injured while trying to get out of the convention hall.

Punjab: Lawyer arrested for assaulting his 73-year-old mother after CCTV footage goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: Lawyer arrested for assaulting his 73-year-old mother after CCTV footage goes viral

In the Rupnagar (formerly known as Ropar) district of Punjab, a lawyer Ankur Verma was arrested on Saturday (28 October) for brutally assaulting and torturing his 73-year-old mother. A CCTV footage of the shocking incident had gone viral sparking outrage online. A case has been registered against accused lawyer Ankur Verma, his wife Sudha, and his son.

The 73-year-old victim Asha Rani resided in the Giani Zail Singh Nagar locality with her son, daughter-in-law and grandson.

As seen in the CCTV footage dated 19 September 2023, the victim’s grandson poured water on victim Asha Rani’s mattress and then complained to his parents that she had urinated on the bed. Ankur and Sudha questioned the victim about it. Subsequently, Ankur is seen assaulting his mother as she lies on the bed. He punches her back, slaps her continually and alternates between the two, all while appearing to be screaming at her. The brutal assault on the old woman goes on for around a minute.

The CCTV footage was accessed by the victim’s daughter Deepshikha after her mother informed her about the misbehaviour meted out to her by her son, daughter-in-law and grandson. The victim was rescued by her daughter with the help of a social organisation recently.

As seen in the visuals posted by ANI on X, after getting rescued from her own house, the victim received medical attention amidst police presence at a hospital.

Meanwhile, SHO Pawan Kumar informed that accused lawyer Anukur Verma was arrested on 28th October and produced before the court. He added that the court sent the accused on a one-day police remand.

In this matter, a case has been registered under Sections 327, 342, and 323 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 24 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act.

Taking to X, the Government of Punjab informed that cabinet minister Dr Baljit Kaur condemned the incident and has ordered the Director of the Social Security, Women and Child Development Dept to investigate the matter & submit a report as soon as possible.

Captured Hamas terrorists confirm that the group’s operational base is under Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, used to store weapons, explosives and other supplies

OpIndia Staff
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Captured Hamas terrorists confirm that the group’s operational base is under Gaza’s Shifa Hospital, used to store weapons, explosives and other supplies

On 28 October a video provided by the Israeli military confirmed that the Palestinian terrorist organisation Hamas has a bunker beneath Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, which is the largest hospital in Gaza. It showed excerpts from the interrogation of two assailants who participated in the 7 October massacre in southern Israel.

The footage was made public one day after Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari stated that Hamas’s primary operating headquarters was beneath the largest hospital in the Gaza Strip and that the group’s operations were documented with images and audio that had been intercepted. The clips were with English subtitles and featured the captives being questioned.

One of them, Amar Sammy Marzuk Abu A’yoah told his interrogator that he is a member of Hamas’s naval commando force, the Nukhba and belongs to Gaza City’s Tuffah region. He revealed about the network of Hamas tunnels and pointed out that they pass under residential areas, however, not all neighbourhoods have entrances. He clarified that tunnels are concealed beneath hospitals and mentioned that Shifa Hospital has “underground levels.”

He noted, “Shifa is not small, it is a big place that can be used to hide things.” He asserted that Hamas takes advantage of hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities because it knows that Israel won’t attack them. The terrorist organisation utilise the establishments to transfer “explosives, weapons, food and medical equipment.” He added, “Shifa is a safe place, it will not be struck. To them it is safe. That’s what we know.”

“First they (Hamas) worry about the machines and their jeeps and then they give to the people,” he confirmed another Israeli allegation that Hamas was stockpiling gasoline instead of delivering it to Gazans. He proclaimed that anybody seeking to depart Gaza through Egypt must obtain the outfit’s authorisation in order to do so.

A man identifying himself as combat medic Hassan Hassn Hassin Za’areb appears in another video. According to him, he was involved in the attacks on Kibbutz Sufa, a community close to the Gaza border where armed individuals went from house to house murdering every individual they could find.

“According to what I’ve heard, the Shifa hospital, they’re using it, they’re hiding there. But I don’t know about Najar,” he highlighted and named another medical centre in the Gaza city of Rafah.

IDF Spokesperson Daniel Hagari announced on 27 October that Hamas possesses multiple subterranean structures beneath Shifa, which serve as bases for the terrorist organization’s leaders to orchestrate assaults on Israel. The military spokesman reports that Israel believed that it had concrete evidence that many terrorists took refuge in the hospital following the 7 October assault.

Approximately 2,500 terrorists used a constant barrage of rockets to infiltrate the border in order to carry out the deadly attack following which they launched a devastating rampage through more than 20 nearby communities in the vicinity of the Gaza Strip. Around 1,400 individuals lost their lives with the majority being innocent civilians as they were brutally killed in their homes as well as in an outdoor music event. A total of more than 220 individuals were also taken to Gaza as hostages by the terrorists.

Israel has made a commitment to wipe out Hamas in response to the attack while actively seeking to minimize harm to innocent civilians. An extensive bombardment has been conducted on terrorist objectives as a preemptive measure before a potential invasion by ground forces. Hamas and other terrorist groups continue to fire rockets into southern and central Israel which resulted in an increase in the number of victims and fatalities.

The IDF alleged that Hamas’s internal security operates a command centre within Shifa Hospital from where it stocks up on weapons and executes rocket attacks into Israel. According to Daniel Hagari, Hamas is employing the hospital’s energy infrastructure as part of its underground base. He alleged that the terrorist group is using the hospital which has 1,500 beds and the people inside it including around 4,000 staff members as human shields.

Arab and Western officials notified The New York Times recently that Hamas is hoarding essential supplies like food and fuel in the Gaza Strip, depriving the desperate residents of accessing them. On 27 October, the officials informed the newspaper that the terror group had gathered supplies within its extensive tunnel network.

Shifa Hospital, Gaza (Al-Jazeera)

While Hamas has an extensive network of tunnels under Gaza, which is virtually an entire underground city, the group is not using it to protect civilians from Israeli bombings. The tunnels are for the exclusive use of terrorists.

The anonymous sources claimed that in addition to food, medicine and water reserves, Hamas controlled hundreds of thousands of gallons of fuel that it used to power trucks, rockets and other military equipment. The publication was informed by a top Lebanese official that Hamas owned sufficient supplies to allow the outfit to fight for three to four months without requiring reinforcements.

The authorities talked to the newspaper without disclosing their identities in order to protect their sources. The IDF published images earlier this week that appeared to display fuel tanks in the Gaza Strip and declared that it had reliable information that Hamas was keeping about 500,000 litres of fuel in storage there. The military charged that Hamas is taking fuel from the civilian population in Gaza.

After Hamas unleashed the atrocities on Israel on 7 October, the Jewish state which routinely supplied fuel to Gaza stopped all of the deliveries and stressed that it would allow Palestinian civilians to enter southern Gaza from Egypt with food, water, and medical supplies but not fuel so provided as the items do not reach Hamas.

Without a gasoline supply, hospitals and other crucial amenities in the Palestinian territory run the risk of collapsing. The IDF insisted that it is actively monitoring the situation and that there isn’t a humanitarian crisis in Gaza right now. The health ministry operated by Hamas in the Gaza Strip has revealed numbers claiming that over 7,000 people have died there since Israel initiated retaliatory air and artillery attacks on the day of the onslaught.

These figures which include Palestinian terrorists murdered by Israel and Palestinian civilians killed by misdirected rockets fired by terror organisations in Gaza, cannot be independently confirmed. 1,500 Hamas terrorists were reportedly killed by Israel on and after 7 October.

Pakistani politician hails Adolf Hitler amid Israel-Hamas war, justifies extermination of 6 million Jews

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistani politician hails Adolf Hitler amid Israel-Hamas war, justifies extermination of 6 million Jews

Amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, prominent Pakistani politician Afnan Ullah Khan justified the killing of 6 million Jews by the Nazi regime in Germany. Afnan Ullah Khan is a senator from the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party.

In a tweet on Saturday (28th October), he claimed, “Atleast now the world know, why he did, what he did #Gaza_Genocide.” The Pakistani politician tried to rationalise the extermination of the Jewish community by Adolf Hitler.

While lamenting Israel’s counterattack against Hamas terrorists, he posted a picture of Adolf Hitler and glorified the Nazi leader for killing Jews. Despite the anti-Semitic nature of his tweet, X (formerly Twitter) did not suspend the account of Afnan Ullah Khan.

Screengrab of the tweet by Senator Dr. Afnan Ullah Khan


The Holocaust, a horrifying event during World War II, was the systematic genocide perpetrated by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime and collaborators against the Jewish community. Between 1941 and 1945, they systematically annihilated around six million Jews.

Victims suffered in concentration camps, enduring starvation, forced labour, and gas chambers. The Holocaust also targeted millions of others, including Romani people, disabled individuals, Poles, and Soviet prisoners of war.

When Afnan Ullah Khan called Imran Khan ‘Jewish agent’

A live debate on a Pakistani news channel took a violent turn on 27th September this year when PML-N Senator Afnan Ullah Khan referred to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan as an ‘agent of Jews’ in the presence of PTI spokesperson Sher Afzal Marwat.

During a talk show on Express News, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Afnan Ullah Khan claimed that former Prime Minister of Pakistan and PTI chairman Imran Khan is an agent of Jews and has been working against the interests of the country.

Infuriated by this, PTI spokesperson Sher Afzal Marwat slapped the PML-N leader and the two then indulged in a fight on national television. Afnan Ullah Khan claimed that Imran Khan is the biggest “Boot Chaat” (bootlicker) in the country.

“From General Pervaiz Musharraf to others, he (Imran Khan) has licked the shoes of so many,” Khan said. Meanwhile, PTI’s Sher Afzal also abused the PML-N leader and his party. Thereafter, Afnan Ullah Khan went on to call Imran Khan a “HaramKh*r” as well.

The PML-N leader went on to assert that Yahudis (Jews) were the fathers of Imran Khan. Fuming in anger, the PTI representative in the debate got up and slapped Afnan Ullah Khan. The fight between the two leaders of Pakistan’s prominent political parties reached a point where the backstage crew had to intervene.

While taking to X (formerly, Twitter) on Thursday (September 28), PTI spokesperson Sher Afzal claimed that the Express-News journalist hosting the said talk show was spreading rumours that the PML-N leader was a “Superman”.

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