Headline

Israel-Gaza War: Death Toll Rises Above 1,000 As Fighting Intensifies

Published

2 years ago

October 8, 2023

…countries divided over attack, India, Germany, Italy Support Israeli, Iran, others, Palestinian

Israel, reeling from the deadliest attack in half a century, formally declared war on Hamas Sunday as the conflict’s death toll surged above 1,000 after the Palestinian militant group launched a massive surprise assault from Gaza.
Israel, reeling from the deadliest attack in half a century, formally declared war on Hamas Sunday as the conflict’s death toll surged above 1,000 after the Palestinian militant group launched a massive surprise assault from Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu steeled the shocked and grieving nation for a “long and difficult” war after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets at Israel on Saturday and sent a wave of fighters who gunned down civilians and took at least 100 hostages.

The bloody escalation sharply heightened Middle East tensions and killed more than 600 people on the Israeli side, the country’s worst losses since the 1973 Arab-Israeli war when it came under attack from a coalition led by Egypt and Syria.

“Israel was caught flat-footed by the unprecedented attack,” said Jonathan Panikoff, director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. “I’ve heard multiple comparisons to 9/11, and many Israelis are struggling to understand how this could have happened.”

In Gaza — which was hammered by Israeli air strikes on 800 targets ahead of what many feared may be a looming ground invasion — officials reported at least 413 deaths, with thousands more wounded across the war zone.

US President Joe Biden ordered “additional support for Israel in the face of this unprecedented terrorist assault by Hamas,” the White House said.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington “will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions”.

Austin also said he had directed the USS Gerald R. Ford, an aircraft carrier, and its accompanying warships to the eastern Mediterranean, and that Washington was augmenting fighter aircraft squadrons in the region.

Several foreign countries have reported nationals killed, abducted or missing in the fighting, among them Brazil, Britain, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, Nepal, Thailand, Ukraine and the United States.

Tens of thousands of Israeli forces were deployed to battle holdout Hamas fighters in the south, where the bodies of civilians had been found strewn on roads and in town centres.

“The enemy is still on the ground,” said military spokesman Daniel Hagari as a second night fell after the attack, adding that Israel was reinforcing its military strength near the Gaza Strip.

Gun battles raged as the Israeli army sought to secure desert regions near the coastal enclave, rescue Israeli hostages and evacuate all areas near Gaza.

“We’ll reach each and every community until we kill every terrorist in Israel,” vowed Hagari, a day after Hamas fighters launched their shock offensive and surged into Israel using vehicles, boats and motorised paragliders.

Countries around the world have condemned a wave of Palestinian attacks by land, sea and air that Israel’s army says left more than 600 dead.

Israeli jets carried out “intense” airstrikes on targets in Gaza Sunday afternoon, shortly after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced that the security cabinet had voted Saturday evening to put the country officially at war, meaning it can carry out “significant military activities.”

Some countries also called for a de-escalation of the conflict, after Israel launched air strikes and other military operations targeting Gaza that Palestinian .

“We are at war,” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said when he vowed severe retaliation after Hamas’s surprise assault.

Here is a roundup of the reactions:
United States

President Joe Biden said US support for Israel was “rock solid and unwavering”.

“The United States stands with Israel,” Biden said in a televised statement at the White House, flanked by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“We will not ever fail to have their back.”

A White House official said talks with Israel on military aid were “very much under way”.

Iran

A senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei expressed support for the attack, calling it a “proud operation”.

“We support this operation,” Yahya Rahim Safavi said, quoted by ISNA news agency.

Safavi expressed backing for the Palestinian militants “until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem”.

At a parliament session on Saturday, Iranian lawmakers chanted “Down with Israel”, “Down with America” and “Welcome Palestine”, according to a video published by the Tasnim news agency.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said: “The Kingdom calls for an immediate halt to the escalation between the two sides, protection of civilians, and self-control”.

“The Kingdom is reminded of its repeated warnings of the dangers of an explosive situation as a result of the continued occupation and deprivation of the Palestinian people of their legitimate rights,” it added.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged diplomatic efforts in the Middle East in order to prevent wider conflict, saying Saturday that “only through negotiation leading to a two-state solution can peace be achieved.”

The UN’s human rights chief Volker Turk said: “I call for an immediate stop to the violence, and appeal to all sides and key countries in the region to de-escalate to avoid further bloodshed.”

He said he was “deeply concerned at reports that Israeli civilians have been taken hostage”.

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said: “I unequivocally condemn the attack carried out by Hamas terrorists against Israel.”

“It is terrorism in its most despicable form. Israel has the right to defend itself against such heinous attacks,” she said.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said “This horrific violence must stop immediately. Terrorism and violence solve nothing. The EU expresses its solidarity with Israel in these difficult moments.”

He added: “News of civilians taken as hostages in their homes or to Gaza are appalling. This is against international law. Hostages must be released immediately”.

Brazil

Brazil, which holds the UN Security Council presidency, condemned the attacks on Israel.

A statement from its foreign ministry urged “all parties to exercise maximum restraint in order to avoid escalating the situation”.

Shortly after, it said it would call an emergency UN Security Council meeting on the crisis. The Council announced they would meet Sunday.

China

China said it was “deeply concerned” by the weekend’s dramatic escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinians, urging all sides to show “calm”.

“China is deeply concerned about the current escalation of tension and violence between Palestine and Israel,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said, adding it “calls on all parties concerned to remain calm and exercise restraint, cease fire immediately, protect civilians and prevent further deterioration of the situation”.

Russia

Russia’s foreign ministry called for an “immediate ceasefire”.

“We call on the Palestinian and Israeli sides to immediately cease fire, renounce violence, show the necessary restraint and — with the help of the international community — establish a negotiation process aimed at establishing a comprehensive, lasting and long-awaited peace,” ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.

Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose country is fending off a Russian invasion, said Israel had an “indisputable” right to defend itself.

“Terror is always a crime, not just against one country or specific victims, but against humanity as a whole,” he said.

Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Israel and Palestinians to avoid further escalation.

“We invite all parties to act reasonably and to stay away from impulsive steps that raise tensions,” said Erdogan, who strongly supports the Palestinian cause.

France

France expressed “full solidarity with Israel and the victims” and underscored “its absolute rejection of terrorism and its commitment to Israel’s security”.

President Emmanuel Macron said he “firmly condemns” the attacks.

Germany

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Israel “has our full solidarity” and “the right, guaranteed by international law, to defend itself against terrorism”.

Britain

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was “shocked” by the attacks.

“Israel has an absolute right to defend itself,” he said.

He went further in a post later on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“As the barbarity of today’s atrocities becomes clearer, we stand unequivocally with Israel,” he wrote.

“This attack by Hamas is cowardly and depraved.”

Italy

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni spoke by telephone on Sunday with Netanyahu, to whom she “reaffirmed Rome’s full solidarity” following the offensive launched by Hamas.

“The Italian government will work with international partners to coordinate support” for Israel, Rome said in a statement.

“Italy stands by the Israeli people at this difficult time”.

Japan

Japan “strongly condemns” the cross-border attacks, foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa said.

Tokyo also criticised the kidnapping of a number of Israelis, including several civilians, she said in a statement.

“Meanwhile, we are seriously concerned about the large number of casualties in the Gaza Strip as a result of attacks by the Israel Defence Forces,” her statement continued.

“Japan once again calls on all parties to exercise the utmost restraint to prevent further damage.”

South Africa

South Africa’s foreign ministry expressed its “grave concern over the recent devastating escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.

“The region is in desperate need of a credible peace process that delivers on the calls of a plethora of previous UN resolutions for a two-state solution and a just and comprehensive peace between Israel and Palestine,” it added.

India

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country stood “in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour”.

“Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel,” Modi said.

Venezuela

Venezuela’s government expressed its “deep concern” over the clashes.

In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, it said the fighting was “the result of the impossibility of the Palestinian people to find in multilateral international legality a space to assert their historic rights”.

Yemen

In Yemen, Huthi rebels who control the capital Sanaa expressed their support for “the heroic jihadist operation”.

In a statement published on the website of the Huthi-controlled SABA news agency, the Iran-aligned militant group said the attack “revealed the weakness, fragility and impotence” of Israel.

It added that this operation “is a battle of dignity, pride, and defence”.

AFP

Headline

Nigerian Man Jailed In US For $1.3m COVID-19 Fraud

Published

10 hours ago

July 12, 2025

Editor

A Nigerian man living in the San Gabriel Valley, Abiola Femi Quadri, was sentenced to 135 months in federal prison for defrauding California and Nevada out of $1.3m in COVID-19 pandemic unemployment and disability insurance benefits.

Quadri, 43, was caught submitting more than 100 fraudulent applications using stolen identities and using the money to build a nightclub and mall in Nigeria.

He was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him to pay $1,356,229 in restitution and a $35,000 fine.

This was contained in a press statement issued by the Public Information Officer, United States Attorney’s Office, Central District of California, Ciaran McEvoy, on Thursday, July 10, 2025.

Headline

Palestinian-American Beaten To Death By Israeli Settlers In Occupied West Bank

Published

15 hours ago

July 12, 2025

Editor

…another man shot dead

Israeli settlers killed a 20-year-old Palestinian-American man in the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health and an eyewitness, as settler violence against Palestinians ramps up in the occupied territory.

The twenty-year-old Sayfollah Musallet “was martyred after being severely beaten all over his body by settlers in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah,” the health ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The municipality of Sinjel said that Musallet died following a “barbaric attack” carried out by settlers as part of “daily assaults” on local residents. It alleged Israeli forces stormed the area at the same time as the settlers’ attack, obstructing the work of paramedics and volunteers.

A friend of the deceased man’s family told CNN he was with Musallet and took him to a hospital in Ramallah, adding the young man was an American citizen born in Tampa, Florida.

Israel’s military said it was “aware of reports regarding a Palestinian civilian killed and a number of injured Palestinians as a result of the confrontation, and they are being looked into by the ISA [Israeli Security Agency] and Israel Police.”

Musallet’s family is demanding the US State Department lead an investigation into the incident.

“We are devastated that our beloved Sayfollah Musallet (nicknamed Saif) was brutally beaten to death by Israeli settlers while he was protecting his family’s land from settlers who were attempting to steal it,” the family said in a statement.

“We demand justice.”

The US State Department said in a statement to CNN that it is aware of reports of the death of an American in the West Bank, without providing a name.

“Out of respect for the privacy of the family and loved ones during this difficult time, we have no further comment,” a department spokesperson said.

Musallet ran a business in Tampa and had been in the West Bank since June 4 to visit family and friends, the family statement said.

A second Palestinian man died in the attack in Sinjel after he was shot in the chest by settlers, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Ten others were wounded in the same attack, it added.

Following the attacks, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticised what it called Israel’s expanding settlement projects in the occupied territory and called for urgent action to hold the perpetrators of settler violence accountable.

Israel has recently ramped up military operations in the West Bank, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians and razing entire communities as it targets what it says are militants operating in the territory.

Multiple American citizens have been killed in the West Bank in the past few years, according to Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses, including a 14-year-old boy whom the Israeli military shot dead last April in what they described as a “counterterrorism operation.”

Israeli soldiers also shot dead a 26-year-old woman during a protest against an Israeli settlement in September 2024.
(CNN)

Headline

Japan’s Petabit: What To Know About Internet Speed That Can Download 67 Million Songs In A second

Published

20 hours ago

July 12, 2025

Editor

Researchers in Japan have broken the record for the fastest internet speed ever recorded: 1.02 petabits per second. That’s fast enough to “download 67 million songs in a second.”

Contents
How Fast is 1.02 Petabits Per Second?How Did Japan Make This Happen?
When Can the World Expect to Use This?

According to FirstPost, this new speed could let someone download the entire Netflix library almost instantly—or stream millions of 8K videos at once without any buffering.

To give some perspective, Japan’s new speed is around 16 million times faster than India’s average internet speed of 63.55 Mbps and 3.5 million times faster than the U.S. average.

How Fast is 1.02 Petabits Per Second?

A petabit is one million gigabits. So when researchers say they hit 1.02 petabits per second, they’re talking about a connection fast enough to transfer more than 100,000 HD movies in just one second.

This speed could technically download the full Netflix catalog in less than a second. Big game downloads, like the 150GB Call of Duty: Warzone, would finish in a flash.

According to Gagadget, the full English Wikipedia is about 100GB. At this speed, you could download it “10,000 times in just one second.”

Music platforms can’t even match the scale. Spotify says a minute of audio uses about 1MB. That means, “with Japan’s new speed, you could theoretically download 67 million songs in a second—that’s more than 1,27,000 years of continuous music.”

While these examples help show how fast this is, the real impact will likely be on emerging technology.

Things like cloud computing, AI, autonomous vehicles, and real-time translation depend on large volumes of data moving quickly. With speeds like this, data centers in different parts of the world could work together almost as if they were on the same local network. That would allow global AI systems to run with almost no delay.

How Did Japan Make This Happen?

The breakthrough came from Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), working with Sumitomo Electric and European partners.

The team sent data over 1,800 kilometers—about the distance from Delhi to Goa—using a specially built fiber-optic cable.

Typical fiber cables send data down a single path of light. This new design packs 19 separate cores into a standard-sized fiber, which researchers describe as “a 19-lane superhighway” for internet traffic. It increases capacity without requiring totally new infrastructure.

Sumitomo Electric developed the cable, while NICT and international researchers built the transmission system.

To deal with long-distance signal loss, they used advanced amplification and signal processing. The setup involved 19 loops of fiber, each 86.1 km long, with the signal passed 21 times. That totaled 1,808 km, and during the test, “180 individual data streams were sent at record-breaking speed and stability.”

When Can the World Expect to Use This?

Most home internet is still measured in megabits per second, not terabits, much less talking about petabits. We’re far from seeing these speeds in everyday life. That means using this speed is not anytime soon.

Still, the breakthrough is getting attention from telecom companies, infrastructure providers, and governments. This could help shape the future of undersea cables, national internet backbones, and next-generation networks like 6G.

It may take years to reach consumers, but the progress points toward a future where fast, high-capacity internet becomes standard—not something rare.

(FirstPost/Tribune)