The republican backed house of representatives has passed a bill that would grant $14.3 billion in aid to Israel. The bill faces pushback from democrats who want an additional aid package to Ukraine. And say the bill won't pass in the senate...Susan Tehrani has more from New York.

Republican-led House of Representatives passes $14.3 billion aid bill for Israel

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will arrive in India next week for the 2+2 ministerial dialogue in New Delhi. The visit will be part of Blinken's week-long tour that will also include trips to Israel, Jordan, Japan and South Korea.

US, India to discuss Israel-Hamas war & Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Israeli economy has not been spared from the impact of the war. Cafes, hotels, and malls are running empty. Factories don't have enough workers, and tourism has come crashing down. Ghadi Francis reports how the war has spelt doom for the Israeli economy.

Israel-Palestine war: How will this war hit Israeli economy harder?

After a month of the Israel-Hamas war, Israel has announced that it has totally encircled Gaza City. The fears of a war spillover are also becoming a reality as tensions are escalating on other fronts. Let's look at the latest developments.

Israel-Palestine war: UN launches $1.2 bn aid appeal to help Gaza & West Asia bank residents

It has been revealed that the terrorists from Hamas who carried out the unexpected attack on October 7th, which led them to declare war on Israel, were under the influence of a potent and illicit synthetic stimulant.

Israel-Palestine war What you need to know about Hezbollah

After a month of the Israel-Hamas war, Israel has announced that it has totally encircled Gaza City. The fears of a war spillover are also becoming a reality as tensions are escalating on other fronts. Let's look at the latest developments. To know more watch this interview with a professor of International Relations, Glenn Diesen.

Israel-Palestine war: Thousands of Gazan workers sent back from Israel

The US military is reportedly flying surveillance drones in Gaza to locate hostages held captive by Hamas as reported by New York Times. The MQ-9 Reaper drones have been spotted over the enclave and as for some US Defence Department officials, they are being used to locate hostages and monitor signs of life in Gaza.

Israel-Hamas war | Reports: US drones flying over Gaza to locate hostages

Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) began surrounding Gaza City nearly four weeks after Hamas' deadly rampage in Israel.

Hamas, Hezbollah fire rockets towards Israel | IDF releases footage showing strikes

Days after starting their ground operations in Gaza, Israeli forces are moving ahead with caution into the territory. The reason behind this is Gaza's intricate tunnel network that made the city a strategically complicated battleground. Keep watching to know more.

Israel-Palestine war: All you need to know about the 'Gaza metro' | A wildcard in Gaza

This episode explores the possible scenarios for Gaza, if and when the war ends. Could India play a pivotal role in Gaza's peacekeeping efforts, as India has peacekeeping troops in Lebanon. Will America and the U.S. join hands in case a peacekeeping force is sent to Gaza? With the Israel-Hamas conflict escalating, and amid concerns that it could turn into a wider war, calls for peace intensify. We delve into the possibilities, examining the evolving situation on the ground, the involvement of key global players, and the complex dynamics at play.

Gravitas: Will India lead a peacekeeping force in Gaza?

Jabalia, Gaza's largest refugee camp, has been bombed for the second day in a row. At least 50 people have died. Israel claims it has killed Hamas' commander Ibrahim Biari in Jabalia. Hamas claims Biari was never in Jabalia. Which side should you believe? And why are innocents being caught in the crossfire?

Gravitas | Israel-Palestine war: Jabalia bombed again. Here's how the tragedy unfolded

As the situation spirals out of control in West Asia - we have seen numerous protests erupt all across the globe - man has been arrested for releasing boxes of rodents inside three McDonalds in UK as part of pro-Palestine war.

UK: Pro-Palestine protests break in Birminghams's McDonald's branches | World News | WION

What impact is the Israel-Hamas war having on our minds? It has led to the constant fear of violence and fear of the unknown. The fear of death is in the air. Molly Gambhir tells you more.

Gravitas: How Israel-Hamas war is impacting you?

Among the 15 Israeli soldiers killed so far during the war with Hamas, a 20-year-old soldier identified by the Israeli military is believed to be of Indian-origin.

Staff-Sgt. Halel Solomon, who hailed from the southern Israeli Dimona town, was killed when a Namer armoured personnel carrier he was in was hit by an anti-tank guided missile fired by Hamas on Wednesday (Nov 1), the IDF said, according to Times of Israel&nbsp;newspaper.

At least 11 soldiers from the Givati Infantry Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion were killed in that incident.

Dimona's Mayor Benny Bitton expressed condolences to Solomon’s family in his Facebook post.

<h2>Family, community remember Solomon&nbsp;</h2>

“It is with great sorrow and grief that we announce the death of a son of Dimona, Halel Solomon, in the battle in Gaza,” Dimona's Mayor, Benny Bitton said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

“We share in the grief of the parents, Ronit and Mordechai, and the sisters: Yasmin, Hila, Vered, and Shaked .... Halel aspired to do a meaningful service and enlisted in the Givati (Brigade). Halel was a devoted son and had respect for his parents always in his eyes. Possessing immense good qualities he believed in endless giving, modesty, and humility. The whole city of Dimona is grieving his passing,” Bitton said.

<h2>'Little India' in Israel</h2>

Dimona is also known as ‘little India’ due to the large concertation of Jews from India settling there.

Indian community members spoke to the PTI news agency describing Solomon as “a young man with pleasant manners and a very bright future ahead.”

They were saddened by his passing away and at the loss of lives of other young Israelis “fighting a just war for Israel’s existence.”

Terming the conflict as a “difficult war” with “painful losses,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue Israel’s fight “until victory.”

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-shows-its-airprowess-uses-arrow-3-missile-killer-for-first-time-to-intercept-houthi-rockets-654011">Israel shows its air prowess, uses Arrow 3 ‘missile-killer’ for first time to intercept Houthi rockets</a>

“We are in a difficult war. This will be a long war. We have so many important achievements but also painful losses,” Netanyahu said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/top-un-official-resigns-citing-genocide-in-gaza-strip-654023">Top UN official resigns citing 'genocide' in Gaza Strip</a>

“We know that every soldier of ours is an entire world. The entire people of Israel embrace you, the families, from the depth of our hearts. We are all with you during your heavy sorrow. Our soldiers have fallen in the most just of wars, the war for our home,” the Israeli Prime Minister said.

“I promise the citizens of Israel: We will complete the work – we will continue until victory,” he stressed.

(With inputs agencies)

Among the 15 Israeli soldiers killed so far during the war with Hamas, a 20-year-old soldier identified by the Israeli military is believed to be of Indian-origin.

Among the 15 Israeli soldiers killed so far during the war with Hamas, a 20-year-old soldier identified by the Israeli military is believed to be of Indian-origin. Staff-Sgt. Halel Solomon, who hailed from the southern Israeli Dimona town, was killed when a Namer armoured personnel carrier he was in was hit by an anti-tank guided missile fired by Hamas on Wednesday (Nov 1), the IDF said, according to Times of Israel newspaper. At least 11 soldiers from the Givati Infantry Brigade’s Tzabar Battalion were killed in that incident. Dimona's Mayor Benny Bitton expressed condolences to Solomon’s family in his Facebook post. Family, community remember Solomon “It is with great sorrow and grief that we announce the death of a son of Dimona, Halel Solomon, in the battle in Gaza,” Dimona's Mayor, Benny Bitton said in a Facebook post on Wednesday. “We share in the grief of the parents, Ronit and Mordechai, and the sisters: Yasmin, Hila, Vered, and Shaked .... Halel aspired to do a meaningful service and enlisted in the Givati (Brigade). Halel was a devoted son and had respect for his parents always in his eyes. Possessing immense good qualities he believed in endless giving, modesty, and humility. The whole city of Dimona is grieving his passing,” Bitton said. 'Little India' in Israel Dimona is also known as ‘little India’ due to the large concertation of Jews from India settling there. Indian community members spoke to the PTI news agency describing Solomon as “a young man with pleasant manners and a very bright future ahead.” They were saddened by his passing away and at the loss of lives of other young Israelis “fighting a just war for Israel’s existence.” Terming the conflict as a “difficult war” with “painful losses,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue Israel’s fight “until victory.” Also read | Israel shows its air prowess, uses Arrow 3 ‘missile-killer’ for first time to intercept Houthi rockets “We are in a difficult war. This will be a long war. We have so many important achievements but also painful losses,” Netanyahu said. Also read | Top UN official resigns citing 'genocide' in Gaza Strip “We know that every soldier of ours is an entire world. The entire people of Israel embrace you, the families, from the depth of our hearts. We are all with you during your heavy sorrow. Our soldiers have fallen in the most just of wars, the war for our home,” the Israeli Prime Minister said. “I promise the citizens of Israel: We will complete the work – we will continue until victory,” he stressed. (With inputs agencies)

20-year-old Indian-origin Israeli solider killed during war with Hamas in Gaza

It is the 27th day of the Israel-Hamas war and after weeks of carrying out endless air strikes on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Defense Forces claim that they are inching forward with their ground invasion. So far the IDF has confirmed that at least about 15 of their soldiers have been killed in pitched battles that they've fought with Hamas Fighters.

Israel-Hamas war: IDF confirms 15 soldiers killed in ground invasion in Gaza

Pope Francis is calling for Hamas to release all hostages they took from Israel this is the strongest comment the head of the Vatican church has made since a full-scale war erupted in the region 5 days ago. He also said that Israel's Siege on Gaza is concerning.

Israel-Hamas war: Pope Francis advocates on two-state solution; calls for Jerusalem's special status

The United Nations human rights office has said the Israeli air attack on Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp could amount to a war crime, amid growing horror at the rising number of civilians killed in the nearly month-long war.

Israel-Palestine war | UN: Jabalia refugee camp attack could be war crime

Days after a massive attack by Israel on the Jabalia refugee camp killed over 50 Palestinians, Hamas said that Thursday (Nov 2) saw another such attack, this time near a UN-run school in this Gazan area. Hamas-led health ministry said that the air strikes killed as many as 27 individuals present there.&nbsp;

The ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra in a statement said the bodies of 27 were "recovered and a large number of people wounded."&nbsp;

However, the AFP news agency could not verify the figures shared by the ministry even as the footage by the agency showed people running to save others from the bombardment as well as many running for cover.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-jordan-bahrain-recalls-ambassador-to-israel-cuts-economic-ties-654405">After Jordan, Bahrain recalls ambassador to&nbsp;Israel, cuts economic ties</a>

Media reports also pointed to attacks by Israel on a UNRWA-run school in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza on Nov 2.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Israel's ground offensive on Gaza is now intensifying. As per reports, the Israeli Army on Thursday (Nov 2), with means of leaflets dropped on the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, directed residents to evacuate immediately.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-sets-immigration-targets-for-2024-2026-with-view-to-contain-housing-woes-654371">Canada limits immigration targets for 2024-2026 with view to contain housing woes</a>

“Our forces will bomb Hamas terrorists with overwhelming force in the coming hours. We do not promise that there will be another message. Evacuate immediately,” the leaflet reportedly read.

<h2>Gazans displaced amid Israel-Hamas war&nbsp;</h2>

The airstrikes have displaced thousands of people in northern Gaza, many of whom have sought shelter in the UNRWA-run school in the Shati refugee camp.&nbsp;

About five Palestinians were killed in an earlier raid that targeted areas near these schools.

The footage widely spread on social media allegedly showed white plumes of the controversial white phosphorus being used on the school grounds. Palestinians were seen scurrying to douse the fire.

Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/joe-biden-interrupted-by-a-rabbi-demanding-a-ceasefire-in-gaza-during-campaign-event-654387">Joe Biden interrupted by a rabbi demanding a ceasefire in Gaza during campaign event</a>

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“They are targeting schools with phosphorus,” a person shown in the video said.

The air strikes have hit schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure as Israel blames Hamas for using human shields amid the ongoing war.&nbsp;

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lsrael bombs UN school, where thousands are seeking refuge, with banned white phosphorus. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gaza_under_attack?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gaza_under_attack</a> <a href="https://t.co/icxzCtOZ5K">pic.twitter.com/icxzCtOZ5K</a>
— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) <a href="https://twitter.com/Timesofgaza/status/1720010164206530627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The white phosphorus, when inhaled, can lead to lung injuries and suffocation and the use of it in war zones is highly contentious.&nbsp;

At least six people were killed in mid-October in an alleged Israeli rocket that struck a school operated by United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in Gaza's Al-Maghazi refugee camp.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

Days after a massive attack by Israel on the Jabalia refugee camp killed over 50 Palestinians, Hamas said that Thursday (Nov 2) saw another such attack, this time near a UN-run school in this Gazan area.

Days after a massive attack by Israel on the Jabalia refugee camp killed over 50 Palestinians, Hamas said that Thursday (Nov 2) saw another such attack, this time near a UN-run school in this Gazan area. Hamas-led health ministry said that the air strikes killed as many as 27 individuals present there. The ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra in a statement said the bodies of 27 were "recovered and a large number of people wounded." However, the AFP news agency could not verify the figures shared by the ministry even as the footage by the agency showed people running to save others from the bombardment as well as many running for cover. Also Read | After Jordan, Bahrain recalls ambassador to Israel, cuts economic ties Media reports also pointed to attacks by Israel on a UNRWA-run school in the Shati refugee camp in Gaza on Nov 2. Israel's ground offensive on Gaza is now intensifying. As per reports, the Israeli Army on Thursday (Nov 2), with means of leaflets dropped on the Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, directed residents to evacuate immediately. Also Read | Canada limits immigration targets for 2024-2026 with view to contain housing woes “Our forces will bomb Hamas terrorists with overwhelming force in the coming hours. We do not promise that there will be another message. Evacuate immediately,” the leaflet reportedly read. Gazans displaced amid Israel-Hamas war The airstrikes have displaced thousands of people in northern Gaza, many of whom have sought shelter in the UNRWA-run school in the Shati refugee camp. About five Palestinians were killed in an earlier raid that targeted areas near these schools. The footage widely spread on social media allegedly showed white plumes of the controversial white phosphorus being used on the school grounds. Palestinians were seen scurrying to douse the fire. Watch | Joe Biden interrupted by a rabbi demanding a ceasefire in Gaza during campaign event × “They are targeting schools with phosphorus,” a person shown in the video said. The air strikes have hit schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure as Israel blames Hamas for using human shields amid the ongoing war. lsrael bombs UN school, where thousands are seeking refuge, with banned white phosphorus. #Gaza_under_attack pic.twitter.com/icxzCtOZ5K — TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) November 2, 2023 × The white phosphorus, when inhaled, can lead to lung injuries and suffocation and the use of it in war zones is highly contentious. At least six people were killed in mid-October in an alleged Israeli rocket that struck a school operated by United Nations' Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) in Gaza's Al-Maghazi refugee camp. (With inputs from agencies) Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

At least 27 killed in Israeli strikes near UN-run Gaza school, claims Hamas-run health ministry

Iran has warned Israel of harsh consequences if the bombing of the Gaza strip continues Iran's Foreign Minister has said, 'if this war didn't stop immediately then the consequences will be grave.

Israel-Palestine war: Iran Ambassador to India sees it's 'constructive' role amid West Asia crisis

The Rafah border between Gaza and Egypt for a second day today. Around 400 foreign nationals from the strip were allowed to pass through. On the other hand, there are thousands of locals with nowhere to go the nightmare continues.

Egypt: First group of foreign passport holders leave Gaza

Israel-Palestine war: Hamas 'tunnel operation' proves formidable for IDF

The brief 'targeted' incursion comes ahead of a widely expected ground invasion after nearly four weeks of air strikes.

Israel-Palestine war: 76 injured Palestinians, 35 foreigners leave for Egypt in 1st evacuations

An emergency plenary session of the UN General Assembly is being held to discuss the conflict between Israel and Hamas as well as the circumstances in the Palestinian territory. It comes after a UN Security Council resolution urging "humanitarian pauses" in the violence was not approved on October 18. The US vetoed the resolution.

Israel-Palestine war | True cost of war on Gaza to be measured in lives of children: UN

Israel's relentless air strikes are forcing residents of Northern Gaza city to seek refuge in the southern city of Rafa with supplies running critically low due a total blockade.

Israel-Palestine war: US reiterates its support for Israel | Jordan recalls Ambassador to Israel

In the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, after the Rafah crossing opened for the first time on Wednesday and hundreds of foreign nationals and injured people were allowed to evacuate from Gaza.

Israel-Palestine war: Israel kills 'another' Hamas Commander as it strikes Jabalia Refugee Camp

Hamas has told mediators it will release a number of foreign captives in the coming days, Abu Ubaida, the spokesman of the group’s armed wing, al-Qassam Brigades, said in a video on its Telegram account on Tuesday.

Israel dropped 18,000 tonnes of bombs since October 7, above 200,000 buildings destroyed: Hamas

Israel-Palestine war: Gaza isolated from whole world; 2 Palestinians cut off from electricity, water

The Gaza strip ---- home to some 2.3 million people has now become a strip of graveyard for thousands of children. According to the United Nations agency -- UNICEF. The figure of children killed and injured daily is at over 400.

Israel-Hamas war: Over 400 children killed & injured daily in Gaza

Israel is showing no signs that it will de-escalate its offensive against Gaza for a second time in 2 days. Israel has struck Gaza’s largest refugee camp in Jabaliya. Killing 195 Palestinians, wounding another 777. Israel says it struck Hamas' hideouts.

Israel-Hamas war: Gaza's largest refugee camp struck again, killing hundreds

Trigger warning: Some readers may find the details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised

In just the first 25 days, more than 3,600 children have lost their lives to the increasingly brutal Israel-Hamas war, reports the Hamas controlled Gaza Health Ministry.

Gaza, as per the UN's children agency UNICEF, has become "a graveyard for thousands of children", where more than 400 are killed or injured every day. Gazans say parenthood in the war-torn land has become a "curse".

<h2>The toll on innocence</h2>

As per global charity Save the Children, in just over three weeks, the ongoing war has claimed the lives of more children than all the world's conflicts combined in the last three years.

In the crowded Gaza Strip, almost half of the 2.3 million inhabitants are under 18, and so far, around 40 per cent of the dead are children.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/your-whole-world-stops-israel-vs-hamas-war-claims-42-members-of-family-youngest-victim-three-month-old-653823">'Your whole world stops': Israel vs Hamas war claims 42 members of a family; youngest victim three-month-old</a>

James Elder, the United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF) spokesperson,&nbsp;said, "Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children".

According to UNICEF estimates, every day, more than 400 children are killed or injured in Gaza due to the Israeli offensive.&nbsp;

In a statement, the UN agency said that around 3,500 children have reportedly been killed, while more than 6,800 have been injured due to the "ongoing bombardment".

"This cannot become the new normal," it asserted, adding, "Children have endured too much already. The killing and captivity of children must stop. Children are not a target."

<h2>The 'curse' of parenthood</h2>

"It’s a curse to be a parent in Gaza," said Ahmed Modawikh, who lost his eight-year-old daughter to the war, as quoted by news agency AP.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mom-im-fine-family-reveal-6-year-old-hate-crime-victims-heartbreaking-last-words-647816">'Mom, I'm fine': 6-year-old Muslim boy's heartbreaking last words before dying in hate crime</a>

Another Gazan, Yasmine Jouda, who has lost 68 members of his extended family in an airstrike on a four-story building in Deir al-Balah, summed up the situation in just nine words: "People are running from death only to find death".

It is not just Gaza. Israeli children have also become victims of the bloodshed too. When Hamas militants launched their attack on October 7, about 1,400 Israelis were killed, among them babies and small children. 
 
Reports of allegedly beheaded babies and charred bodies of children shocked the global community. Of the more than 240 hostages still stuck in the clutches of militants, some 30 are children.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/horrible-horrible-images-war-correspondent-stands-by-report-of-beheadings-of-israeli-babies-645754">I wish that it wasn't true: War correspondent stands by report of beheadings of Israeli babies</a>

The tragedy of lost innocence unfortunately doesn't end here. Hundreds of minors have lost their parents, many are left without a family.

"What did this tiny baby do to deserve a life without any family?" questions Jouda, whose one-year-old Milissa is now an orphan, having lost her mother to an attack.

A huge number of injured children, their heartbreaking visuals of being pulled from the rubble, all bloody or writhing on dirty gurneys in makeshift hospitals, are a haunting reminder of the massive cost wars have on 'innocence'.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos. 
&nbsp;

Trigger warning: Some readers may find the details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised In just the first 25 days, more than 3,600 children have lost their lives to the increasingly brutal Israel-Hamas war, reports the Hamas controlled Gaza Health Ministry.

Trigger warning: Some readers may find the details of this report disturbing. Discretion is advised In just the first 25 days, more than 3,600 children have lost their lives to the increasingly brutal Israel-Hamas war, reports the Hamas controlled Gaza Health Ministry. Gaza, as per the UN's children agency UNICEF, has become "a graveyard for thousands of children", where more than 400 are killed or injured every day. Gazans say parenthood in the war-torn land has become a "curse". The toll on innocence As per global charity Save the Children, in just over three weeks, the ongoing war has claimed the lives of more children than all the world's conflicts combined in the last three years. In the crowded Gaza Strip, almost half of the 2.3 million inhabitants are under 18, and so far, around 40 per cent of the dead are children. Also read | 'Your whole world stops': Israel vs Hamas war claims 42 members of a family; youngest victim three-month-old James Elder, the United Nations Children's Fund's (UNICEF) spokesperson, said, "Gaza has become a graveyard for thousands of children". According to UNICEF estimates, every day, more than 400 children are killed or injured in Gaza due to the Israeli offensive. In a statement, the UN agency said that around 3,500 children have reportedly been killed, while more than 6,800 have been injured due to the "ongoing bombardment". "This cannot become the new normal," it asserted, adding, "Children have endured too much already. The killing and captivity of children must stop. Children are not a target." The 'curse' of parenthood "It’s a curse to be a parent in Gaza," said Ahmed Modawikh, who lost his eight-year-old daughter to the war, as quoted by news agency AP. Also read | 'Mom, I'm fine': 6-year-old Muslim boy's heartbreaking last words before dying in hate crime Another Gazan, Yasmine Jouda, who has lost 68 members of his extended family in an airstrike on a four-story building in Deir al-Balah, summed up the situation in just nine words: "People are running from death only to find death". It is not just Gaza. Israeli children have also become victims of the bloodshed too. When Hamas militants launched their attack on October 7, about 1,400 Israelis were killed, among them babies and small children. Reports of allegedly beheaded babies and charred bodies of children shocked the global community. Of the more than 240 hostages still stuck in the clutches of militants, some 30 are children. Also read | I wish that it wasn't true: War correspondent stands by report of beheadings of Israeli babies The tragedy of lost innocence unfortunately doesn't end here. Hundreds of minors have lost their parents, many are left without a family. "What did this tiny baby do to deserve a life without any family?" questions Jouda, whose one-year-old Milissa is now an orphan, having lost her mother to an attack. A huge number of injured children, their heartbreaking visuals of being pulled from the rubble, all bloody or writhing on dirty gurneys in makeshift hospitals, are a haunting reminder of the massive cost wars have on 'innocence'. (With inputs from agencies) Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos, and videos.

Gaza a 'graveyard' where parenthood is a 'curse': Israel-Hamas war claims lives of 400+ children every day

Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2016, but perhaps he should have won the peace prize. It is a toss-up really. As innocent children die by the hundreds in Gaza, whose night skies are lit up by Israeli bombs in response to the Palestinian Hamas rockets that thundered to spill blood over an Israeli music festival about a month ago, the lyrics of his most famous song ring true:

"Yes, and how many times must a man look up 
Before he can see the sky? 
And how many ears must one man have 
Before he can hear people cry? 
Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows 
That too many people have died? 
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind 
The answer is blowin' in the wind"

As "Blowin in the Wind' buzzes in our ears, let us look at the entity that actually won the Nobel Prize for peace in 1988: The United Nations Peacekeeping Forces.

Headlines this week do not look pretty for a subordinate agency of the UN that has a long official web page singing its praises since the founding of the UNO at the end of the Second World War.

'Israeli strikes kill or injure 400+ children in Gaza every day: UN'.

'Top UN official resigns citing genocide in the Gaza Strip'.

Watch | Israel-Hamas war: Pope Francis advocates on two-state solution; calls for Jerusalem's special status

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As any person who has been to a New Delhi diplomatic party might know, the UN seems to have been reduced to a bunch of bureaucratic diplomats earning tax-free US-dollar salaries who issue statements that do not go anywhere. The UN Security Council is now in a perpetual logjam state as the US, Russia and China display their peculiarly tangential and frequently conflicting positions best illustrated by symbolic planets in the Hindu astrological chart. The vote in the General Assembly always mattered little compared to the veto in the Security Council, but what is happening now in West Asia should make us look up the organisation's peacekeeping role, which I did. (Meanwhile, the UN continues to call West Asia the Middle East in a Freudian description that matches the American worldview).

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sponge-bombs-killer-drones-and-attack-dogs-the-many-weapons-israel-will-use-to-tackle-hamas-tunnels-654215">'Sponge bombs,' killer drones, and attack dogs: The many weapons Israel will use to tackle Hamas tunnels</a>

To cut the long story short, the UN Peacekeeping actually began in 1948 precisely where all the bloody action is now to police a ceasefire between Arabs and Israelis. Since then it has been all over the planet mostly to police ceasefires as colonial exploitation gave way to ethnic strifes and civil wars bearing the indelible marks of a has-been imperialism turning into a never-say-die shadow colonialism.

The UN officially says its peacekeeper role changed after the end of the Cold War circa 1991 (Has it, really?). It has been to places like the former Yugoslavia, Angola, and Somalia and lists among the Peacekeeping Forces' tasks an objective to "stabilise the security situation". And it also says with an official straight face: "The nature of conflicts also changed over the years. UN Peacekeeping, originally developed as a means of dealing with inter-State conflict, was increasingly being applied to intra-state conflicts and civil wars."

I want to ask how one would describe the current conflict in Palestine. It is nothing but a prolonged civil war between two national communities that claim stakes to the same ancient homeland - divided by religion, language and heritage but not by territory. A two-state solution widely seen as the right way out implies that geographically intertwined nation-states are at war. The Israel-Hamas conflict has both inter-State and intra-state characteristics. Either way, the UN has to play some sort of a peacekeeping role that goes beyond the policing of a ceasefire that is simply not happening.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-un-raise-concern-over-settler-violence-in-west-bank-israels-lawmaker-may-make-situation-worse-654154">US, UN raise concern over settler violence in West Bank; Israel’s lawmaker may make situation worse</a>

Along with hundreds of kids and civilians, we also see irony dying a thousand deaths at Gaza in a world in which a veto-empowered Russia can bomb Ukraine and kill civilians in an ostensible "de-Nazification" act that enlists support from a private army named after a Nazi favourite composer, Wagner!&nbsp;

That digression to Ukraine is just a drone's eye view of the planet to show that we are now seeing a world in which geopolitics has become a theatre of the absurd. It would be funny were it not for the tragic destruction and deaths that we are witnessing day after day in Gaza. If there was ever a need to airdrop powerful military support to keep the peace, it is now and the place is exactly where it all began in 1948.

But who will bell the cat? US President Joe Biden and Russian strongman Vladimir Putin are now two of a kind. China remains mysteriously torn between being a stealthy expansionist and a wannabe deal-maker. France is fighting its own internal monsters like a latter-day Don Quixote. The answer is indeed blowing in the wind.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2016, but perhaps he should have won the peace prize. It is a toss-up really. As innocent children die by the hundreds in Gaza, whose night skies are lit up by Israeli bombs in response to the Palestinian Hamas rockets that thundered to spill blood over an Israeli music festival about a month ago, the lyrics of his most famous song ring true: "Yes, and how many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky?

Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for literature in 2016, but perhaps he should have won the peace prize. It is a toss-up really. As innocent children die by the hundreds in Gaza, whose night skies are lit up by Israeli bombs in response to the Palestinian Hamas rockets that thundered to spill blood over an Israeli music festival about a month ago, the lyrics of his most famous song ring true: "Yes, and how many times must a man look up Before he can see the sky? And how many ears must one man have Before he can hear people cry? Yes, and how many deaths will it take 'til he knows That too many people have died? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind The answer is blowin' in the wind" As "Blowin in the Wind' buzzes in our ears, let us look at the entity that actually won the Nobel Prize for peace in 1988: The United Nations Peacekeeping Forces. Headlines this week do not look pretty for a subordinate agency of the UN that has a long official web page singing its praises since the founding of the UNO at the end of the Second World War. 'Israeli strikes kill or injure 400+ children in Gaza every day: UN'. 'Top UN official resigns citing genocide in the Gaza Strip'. Watch | Israel-Hamas war: Pope Francis advocates on two-state solution; calls for Jerusalem's special status × As any person who has been to a New Delhi diplomatic party might know, the UN seems to have been reduced to a bunch of bureaucratic diplomats earning tax-free US-dollar salaries who issue statements that do not go anywhere. The UN Security Council is now in a perpetual logjam state as the US, Russia and China display their peculiarly tangential and frequently conflicting positions best illustrated by symbolic planets in the Hindu astrological chart. The vote in the General Assembly always mattered little compared to the veto in the Security Council, but what is happening now in West Asia should make us look up the organisation's peacekeeping role, which I did. (Meanwhile, the UN continues to call West Asia the Middle East in a Freudian description that matches the American worldview). Also Read | 'Sponge bombs,' killer drones, and attack dogs: The many weapons Israel will use to tackle Hamas tunnels To cut the long story short, the UN Peacekeeping actually began in 1948 precisely where all the bloody action is now to police a ceasefire between Arabs and Israelis. Since then it has been all over the planet mostly to police ceasefires as colonial exploitation gave way to ethnic strifes and civil wars bearing the indelible marks of a has-been imperialism turning into a never-say-die shadow colonialism. The UN officially says its peacekeeper role changed after the end of the Cold War circa 1991 (Has it, really?). It has been to places like the former Yugoslavia, Angola, and Somalia and lists among the Peacekeeping Forces' tasks an objective to "stabilise the security situation". And it also says with an official straight face: "The nature of conflicts also changed over the years. UN Peacekeeping, originally developed as a means of dealing with inter-State conflict, was increasingly being applied to intra-state conflicts and civil wars." I want to ask how one would describe the current conflict in Palestine. It is nothing but a prolonged civil war between two national communities that claim stakes to the same ancient homeland - divided by religion, language and heritage but not by territory. A two-state solution widely seen as the right way out implies that geographically intertwined nation-states are at war. The Israel-Hamas conflict has both inter-State and intra-state characteristics. Either way, the UN has to play some sort of a peacekeeping role that goes beyond the policing of a ceasefire that is simply not happening. Also Read | US, UN raise concern over settler violence in West Bank; Israel’s lawmaker may make situation worse Along with hundreds of kids and civilians, we also see irony dying a thousand deaths at Gaza in a world in which a veto-empowered Russia can bomb Ukraine and kill civilians in an ostensible "de-Nazification" act that enlists support from a private army named after a Nazi favourite composer, Wagner! That digression to Ukraine is just a drone's eye view of the planet to show that we are now seeing a world in which geopolitics has become a theatre of the absurd. It would be funny were it not for the tragic destruction and deaths that we are witnessing day after day in Gaza. If there was ever a need to airdrop powerful military support to keep the peace, it is now and the place is exactly where it all began in 1948. But who will bell the cat? US President Joe Biden and Russian strongman Vladimir Putin are now two of a kind. China remains mysteriously torn between being a stealthy expansionist and a wannabe deal-maker. France is fighting its own internal monsters like a latter-day Don Quixote. The answer is indeed blowing in the wind. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Missing in action: As Gaza burns, a failing UN needs Dylan's wake-up call

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