Talks over a ceasefire in Gaza have reached a stalemate due to Israel's operations in Rafah, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said on Tuesday. Watch in for more details!

Israel-Hamas War: Talks over Gaza ceasefire at stalemate after Rafah operation, says Qatar PM

Israeli military forces are once again pushing into Gaza's north and south leaving thousands of Palestinian civilians scrambling to find safety amid the shelling. Qatar says that Israel's action in Rafah has set ceasefire talks backwards, even as US Clings to denying that Israel's actions in Gaza amount to genocide.

Israel war: Israeli forces press offensive in Gaza's north and south

An Indian personnel working with the United Nations lost his life in Gaza after his vehicle was targeted in an attack in Rafah, making it the “first international" casualty for the organisation since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Watch in for more details!

Israel-Hamas War: Indian staff member with the UN killed in Gaza

Israel-Hamas Conflict: Indian staff member with the UN killed in Gaza

Hamas Military Wing released a video showing its fighters said to be firing weapons at Israeli forces in Jabalia in northern Gaza. The video shows Hamas members hiding in buildings and firing at Israeli troops. Israeli troops were back fighting in the north of the Gaza Strip.

Israel War | Hamas latest video: Hamas attacking IDF soldiers

Israel-Hamas War: Indian serving as UN aid worker killed in Gaza

Amid the ever-escalating war in West Asia, Hamas is potentially looking to open up a new front. A report by the Times UK claims it has 'seen documents' indicating Hamas is trying to establish a secret base in Turkey.

Hamas trying to set up secret base in Turkey? | Israeli forces claim capturing Hamas document

Israel war: Israeli forces press Gaza offensive from North & South

Israel-Hamas War: Israeli forces claim to find key Hamas military document

Israel-Hamas War: Hamas trying to set up secret base in Turkiye?

Israel war: First international UN staff member killed in Gaza attack

Hamas planned to establish a secret base in Turkey and other terror cells elsewhere to co-ordinate attacks against Israeli targets in neighbouring countries, including NATO members, according to files captured by the Israeli army in Gaza. Watch in for more details!

Israel-Hamas War: Israeli forces claim capturing Hamas military strategy documents

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that “more than 1,000 members” of the Palestinian militant group Hamas were being treated in Turkey hospitals amid the ongoing war in Gaza. Watch in for more details!

Israel-Hamas War: More than 1,000 Hamas members treated in Turkey, says Erdogan

Hezbollah has stepped up attacks against Israel launching a new heavy rocket called 'Jihad Mugniyeh' as a war in West Asia spills over.

Israel war: Hezbollah targets Israeli posts with drones, missiles & rocket

The worst fears of Gazans are coming true Israel is pounding the southern end of the Gaza Strip which it considers the last stronghold of Hamas. Fighting is going on in Northern and Central Gaza. Hamas says the death toll has risen to over 35,000 and over 57 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours.

Israel-Hamas war: Fighting rages in North and South of Gaza

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended a decision to pause a delivery to Israel of 3,500 bombs over concerns they could be used in the Gazan city of Rafah, saying Israel lacked a “credible plan” to protect civilians sheltering there. Watch in for more details!

Israel-Hamas War: Israel lacks 'credible plan' to protect Rafah civilians, says Blinken

Israel war: Cracks emerge in US-Israel alliance

Israel war: Hezbollah targets Israeli soldiers in Zibdine with new rockets

Israel war: Egypt to back South Africa's ICJ case against Israel

Israel-Hamas War: Antony Blinken defends weapons pause to Israel

Israel-Hamas War: Antony Blinken says Israel 'lacks credible plan' to protect civilians

Israel war: US' strongest public criticism of Israel, Blinken defends arms pause

UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, stated that forced displacement continues as Israeli forces intensify their assault of Rafah. Watch to know more.

Israel-Hamas war: 'Death or displacement', Gazans in Rafah head to Al-Mawasi

Palestinian militant group Hamas said Sunday (May 12) that&nbsp;US President Biden's remarks that the truce in Gaza war is linked&nbsp;to the release of hostages was a "setback" to peace negotiations.&nbsp;

"We condemn this position by the US president, we consider it a setback from the outcomes of the latest round of negotiations, which led to the movement's agreement to the proposal put forward by mediators," Hamas said&nbsp;in a statement.

A day before, Biden suggested that a ceasefire in the besieged territory was possible 'tomorrow' if Hamas released all hostages it captured in the&nbsp;October 7&nbsp;attack.

<h2>Truce talks stalled</h2>

Hamas also said that Israel's decision to advance with the Rafah attack 'overturned' peace talks.

Negotiations, led by mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States, have&nbsp;largely stalled&nbsp;due to Israel's operation in Rafah.

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjo4JTDvoiGAxWGS2wGHarAD6QQxfQBKAB6BAgMEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/its-just-wrong-biden-issues-most-direct-warning-to-israel-against-rafah-invasion-719507" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/its-just-wrong-biden-issues-most-direct-warning-to-israel-against-rafah-invasion-719507&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjo4JTDvoiGAxWGS2wGHarAD6QQxfQBKAB6BAgMEAE">Israel reacts to Biden`s most direct warning against full blown Rafah invasion</a>

The militant group accused the Israeli government of "escalating their brutal massacres in various areas of the Gaza Strip" and "reaffirming their pursuit of continuing the genocidal war in Gaza".

<h2>US says Israel lacks a credible plan for&nbsp;Rafah</h2>

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the Biden administration's decision to halt arms delivery to Israel by saying that the Jewish nation lacked credible plans to safeguard the civilian population.

Biden has made clear to Israel that if it “launches this major military operation to Rafah, then there are certain systems that we’re not going to be supporting and supplying for that operation,” Blinken said.

“We have real concerns about the way they’re used,” he continued. Israel needs to “have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we haven’t seen.”

Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjo4JTDvoiGAxWGS2wGHarAD6QQxfQBKAB6BAgQEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-releases-evacuation-orders-for-people-in-more-areas-of-gazas-rafah-720367" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-releases-evacuation-orders-for-people-in-more-areas-of-gazas-rafah-720367&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjo4JTDvoiGAxWGS2wGHarAD6QQxfQBKAB6BAgQEAE">Israel orders evacuation from more areas in Rafah, presses ahead with ground offensive</a>

Experts are worried a full-throttle military offensive in Gaza would further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the territory.

As per data released by the Gaza health ministry, more than 35,000 Palestinians have&nbsp;been killed&nbsp;in the war triggered after the&nbsp;Oct 7&nbsp;attacks.&nbsp;

More than 78,000 people have sustained injuries. Most of the casualties have been women and children, the health ministry has said.

<h2>IDF opens&nbsp;‘Western Erez’ Crossing&nbsp;</h2>

The IDF revealed that it has&nbsp;opened&nbsp;‘Western Erez’ Crossing in northern Gaza for transfer of humanitarian aid.&nbsp;This was done in accordance with the government directive and in coordination with the US, as part of the effort to increase aid routes to Gaza and to the northern part in particular.

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Today (Sun), the ‘Western Erez’ Crossing was opened in the area of northern Gaza for the transfer of humanitarian aid. 
 
This was done in accordance with the government directive and in coordination with the US, as part of the effort to increase aid routes to Gaza and to the… <a href="https://t.co/Tqosop32F5">pic.twitter.com/Tqosop32F5</a>
— COGAT (@cogatonline) <a href="https://twitter.com/cogatonline/status/1789686967589843327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Palestinian militant group Hamas said Sunday (May 12) that US President Biden's remarks that the truce in Gaza war is linked to the release of hostages was a "setback" to peace negotiations.

Palestinian militant group Hamas said Sunday (May 12) that US President Biden's remarks that the truce in Gaza war is linked to the release of hostages was a "setback" to peace negotiations. "We condemn this position by the US president, we consider it a setback from the outcomes of the latest round of negotiations, which led to the movement's agreement to the proposal put forward by mediators," Hamas said in a statement. A day before, Biden suggested that a ceasefire in the besieged territory was possible 'tomorrow' if Hamas released all hostages it captured in the October 7 attack. Truce talks stalled Hamas also said that Israel's decision to advance with the Rafah attack 'overturned' peace talks. Negotiations, led by mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States, have largely stalled due to Israel's operation in Rafah. Also read: Israel reacts to Biden`s most direct warning against full blown Rafah invasion The militant group accused the Israeli government of "escalating their brutal massacres in various areas of the Gaza Strip" and "reaffirming their pursuit of continuing the genocidal war in Gaza". US says Israel lacks a credible plan for Rafah Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the Biden administration's decision to halt arms delivery to Israel by saying that the Jewish nation lacked credible plans to safeguard the civilian population. Biden has made clear to Israel that if it “launches this major military operation to Rafah, then there are certain systems that we’re not going to be supporting and supplying for that operation,” Blinken said. “We have real concerns about the way they’re used,” he continued. Israel needs to “have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we haven’t seen.” Also read: Israel orders evacuation from more areas in Rafah, presses ahead with ground offensive Experts are worried a full-throttle military offensive in Gaza would further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in the territory. As per data released by the Gaza health ministry, more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the war triggered after the Oct 7 attacks. More than 78,000 people have sustained injuries. Most of the casualties have been women and children, the health ministry has said. IDF opens ‘Western Erez’ Crossing The IDF revealed that it has opened ‘Western Erez’ Crossing in northern Gaza for transfer of humanitarian aid. This was done in accordance with the government directive and in coordination with the US, as part of the effort to increase aid routes to Gaza and to the northern part in particular. Today (Sun), the ‘Western Erez’ Crossing was opened in the area of northern Gaza for the transfer of humanitarian aid. This was done in accordance with the government directive and in coordination with the US, as part of the effort to increase aid routes to Gaza and to the… pic.twitter.com/Tqosop32F5 — COGAT (@cogatonline) May 12, 2024 × (With inputs from agencies)

‘Setback for peace talks’: Hamas slams Biden’s call for releasing all hostages in Gaza

Weeks after attending a pro-Palestinian demonstration, Egyptian-American student Layla Sayed received a text message from a friend drawing her attention to a website dedicated to exposing people it says promote hatred of Jews and Israel.

"I think they found you from the protest," the friend wrote.

When Sayed visited the site, called Canary Mission, she found a photo from the Oct. 16 rally at the University of Pennsylvania with red arrows pointing to her among the demonstrators. The post included her name, the two cities she lives in, details about her studies and links to her social media accounts.

Canary Mission later posted a photo of her on its X and Instagram accounts labeled "Hamas War Crimes Apologist," a reference to the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which around 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies.

In response to that raid, Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.

Comments about Sayed from social media users poured in.

"No future for that c.nt," one X user wrote. "Candidate for deportation to Gaza," wrote another.

Although Sayed has long supported Palestinian causes, she said it was the first time she had participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Penn, and Canary Mission did not flag any other activities.

"My initial reaction was just absolute shock," Sayed, a 20-year-old sophomore, told Reuters. "I wasn't there to say I supported Hamas. I wasn't there to say I hated Israel. I was there to say what's happening in Palestine is wrong."

She said she did not realize at the time that a chant Canary Mission took issue with, "When people are occupied, resistance is justified," is considered by some as an expression of support for Hamas' killings. She joined in the chants, she said, to show support for demonstrations.

Responding to an inquiry submitted via its website, Canary Mission said it has been "working around the clock" to combat a "wave of antisemitism" on college campuses since Oct. 7, including by exposing people who endorse Hamas.

Canary Mission did not respond to questions about Sayed's profile or the online abuse directed against its targets, according to the comments from the site provided by a spokesperson from a Tel Aviv-based public relations firm, Gova10.

While Canary Mission relies on tips, it said it verifies what it publishes, drawing from publicly available sources. Canary Mission’s profiles include links to its targets' social media posts, public speeches and interviews with journalists.

Penn officials did not respond to questions about Sayed's case.

"Penn is focused on the well-being of all members of the community," a university spokesperson, Steve Silverman, told Reuters, adding that staff reach out to offer support when aware of concerning situations.

Canary Mission is one of the oldest and most prominent of several digital advocacy groups that have intensified campaigns to expose Israel's critics since the war broke out, often leading to harassment such as Sayed experienced. The people behind the site have kept their identities, location and funding sources hidden.

Reuters reviewed online attacks and abusive messages directed at scores of people targeted by Canary Mission since Oct. 7.

The site has accused over 250 U.S. students and academics of supporting terrorism or spreading antisemitism and hatred of Israel since the start of the latest Gaza conflict, according to the Reuters review of its posts. Some are leading members of Palestinian rights groups or were arrested for offenses such as blocking traffic and punching a Jewish student. Others, like Sayed, said they had just stepped into campus activism and were not charged with any crimes.

Reuters spoke to 17 students and one research fellow from six U.S. universities featured on Canary Mission since Oct. 7. They include other students who chanted slogans during protests, leaders of groups that backed statements saying Israel bears sole responsibility for the violence and people who argued in social media posts that armed resistance by Palestinians is justified. All but one said they had received hate messages or seen vitriolic comments posted about them online.

Messages reviewed by Reuters called for their deportation or expulsion from school or suggested they should be raped or killed. 

Several pro-Palestinian groups that use similar tactics to call out Israel's defenders have emerged in recent months. They include an X account called StopZionistHate and Raven Mission, a website launched in December that emulates Canary Mission by spotlighting people it accuses of Islamophobia or helping perpetuate atrocities against Palestinians.

Raven Mission did not respond to requests for comment. StopZionistHate said it wanted to "ensure that the American public is aware of the threat posed by Zionist extremism."

ACCUSATIONS OF CYBERBULLYING

Some critics accuse sites on both sides of cyberbullying or doxxing, which they note can have a chilling effect on free expression.

Tensions have been mounting on U.S. college campuses, where Israel's war in Gaza has unleashed an outpouring of student activism. Some of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been met with counter-protesters accusing them of fomenting anti-Jewish hatred and intimidating Jewish students on campus. Both camps have clashed with police.

The U.S. Department of Education has opened investigations into dozens of colleges since Oct. 7, noting an "alarming nationwide rise" in reports of antisemitic, anti-Muslim and other forms of discrimination and harassment. It declined to provide details about these investigations, including whether any concern Canary Mission, Raven Mission or StopZionistHate, or incidents these groups have highlighted. &nbsp;

Across the U.S., pro-Palestinian student groups are advising followers to wear masks at protests, to avoid drawing unwelcome attention.

Canary Mission and its defenders argue that those who promote hatred and bigotry should be held to account. On its site, Canary Mission provides academic and employer details for the people it profiles, calling on its tens of thousands of followers to ensure "today's radicals are not tomorrow's employees." 

Ten of the students interviewed by Reuters feared that appearing on the site could derail their careers. Canary Mission is often at the top of its targets' Google search results, and its social media posts can draw hundreds of comments.

For those targeted, there are few options to seek redress, lawyers and advocacy groups say. Much of what Canary Mission publishes is protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment on free speech, three lawyers told Reuters.

It generally isn't illegal to publish information about someone without consent when the information is accurate and was acquired lawfully from the public domain, said Eugene Volokh, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The legal standard for defamation is high, with the burden on claimants to prove the site made false statements about them, added Dylan Saba, an attorney at Palestine Legal, which represents pro-Palestinian activists. He could recall only a handful of cases where students succeeded in getting Canary Mission profiles changed or removed by threatening defamation suits.

The low profile of Canary Mission's principals poses an additional hurdle.

"If you're going to sue somebody, you have to know where you're serving them," Saba said.

Canary Mission says on its site that it will remove profiles of people who "recognize their earlier mistakes" and reject what it describes as "latent anti-Semitism" in groups that campaign for boycotts against Israel over its policies in the Palestinian territories. It publishes what it says are their apologies on an "ex-canary" page but does not identify the individuals.

Canary Mission told Reuters the site was established in 2015 to counter rising antisemitism on college campuses. It  did not answer questions about its leadership and funding.

LINKS TO ISRAELI NON-PROFIT&nbsp;

A 2016 tax filing by a prominent Jewish American philanthropic organization, the Helen Diller Family Foundation, revealed a financial link between Canary Mission and an Israeli non-profit called Megamot Shalom. That year, the Diller foundation gave $100,000 to the Central Fund of Israel earmarked "Canary Mission for Megamot Shalom," according to the document, which was first reported by the U.S. Jewish news outlet the Forward and reviewed by Reuters.

The Central Fund is a U.S.-based group that acts as a conduit for Americans to make tax-deductible donations to Israeli charities. Its president, Jay Marcus, told Reuters his organization only supports registered charities but would not confirm whether Megamot Shalom or Canary Mission were among them, citing the privacy of its donors and recipients.

Despite several attempts, Reuters could not reach a representative of the Diller foundation.&nbsp;

The organization that oversees the Diller foundation's giving, the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund of San Francisco, referred Reuters to a 2018 statement confirming the donation was to support the work of Canary Mission and saying neither group would fund the site further. The statement said the federation had determined that the Central Fund did not comply with its giving guidelines but did not respond to requests to elaborate.

Canary Mission did not respond to questions about Megamot Shalom or its connection to the nonprofit.

Megamot Shalom was founded in 2016 "to preserve and ensure the national strength and image of the State of Israel" through media initiatives, according to documents obtained from Israel's corporations registry.

As of 2022, the most recent year for which records are available, it employed 11 people, including four content writers. The only donor identified in the registry documents is the Central Fund, from which it received 13.2 million shekels ($3.5 million) between 2019 and 2022, the records show.

Reuters was unable to reach Megamot Shalom's founder, Jonathan Bash, or any other listed employees. When Reuters visited the group's registered address in Beit Shemesh, a city 23 km (15 miles) southwest of Jerusalem, it found a locked one-story building with no sign of activity.

"A TARGET ON MY BACK"

Canary Mission has targeted at least 30 Penn students and academics since Oct. 7.

The university is one of several elite campuses that have been at the center of unrest over the Gaza war. Its former president, Liz Magill, resigned in December after coming under fire for her handling of accusations of antisemitism on campus.

On Friday, police dismantled an unsanctioned pro-Palestinian encampment on Penn's main lawn and arrested about 33 people following accusations of harassing and threatening behavior by protesters and the defacement of campus landmarks.

After finding her profile on Canary Mission, Sayed consulted the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group. Ahmet Tekelioglu, executive director of CAIR's Philadelphia branch, said the group offered her help to remove information from the internet but advised that it would be hard to take legal action against a group that isn't registered in the U.S.&nbsp;

Despite the "blatant negative framing," Canary Mission's comments were presented as quotes or opinions, which typically cannot be the subject of a defamation claim, Tekelioglu told Reuters.

Fearful for her safety, Sayed said she removed the Palestinian keffiyeh scarf she had tied to her backpack, which she said felt like "a target on my back." She avoided walking alone on campus and put her LinkedIn profile in hibernation. 

Canary Mission also profiled seven Georgetown University School of Medicine students after they were featured in a Dec. 21 article by the conservative Washington Free Beacon news site headlined, "At Georgetown Med, the Doctors of Tomorrow Aren't Hiding Their Support for Terrorism."

One of them, Yusra Rafeeqi, 22, said the websites published a screenshot of a post she said she had shared privately with her Instagram followers showing a man atop an Israeli tank waving a Palestinian flag on the day Hamas militants broke through the border fence between Gaza and Israel. The image was captioned, "No more condemning Palestinian resistance. Radical change requires radical moves."

"Fire her immediately," an X user commented on a Canary Mission post that tagged her school and a clinic where she volunteers.

Rafeeqi told Reuters she reposted the image to support resistance to what she described as Israel's "violent occupational forces" and noted she did not comment on Hamas' killing of Israelis.

A Georgetown representative referred Reuters to a statement issued by Edward Healton, the medical school's executive dean, calling the leaking of students' private information and reports of retribution against those believed responsible "unacceptable." Healton said the school condemns antisemitism and Islamophobia, and encouraged students to report potential threats.

Rafeeqi said she has had "massive anxiety" about how this might affect her ability to pursue a career in medicine and continue advocating for Palestinians.

"I no longer feel safe in this country I once called home," said Rafeeqi, whose parents immigrated from Pakistan.

Canary Mission and the Washington Free Beacon did not respond to questions about Rafeeqi's case.

Weeks after attending a pro-Palestinian demonstration, Egyptian-American student Layla Sayed received a text message from a friend drawing her attention to a website dedicated to exposing people it says promote hatred of Jews and Israel.

Weeks after attending a pro-Palestinian demonstration, Egyptian-American student Layla Sayed received a text message from a friend drawing her attention to a website dedicated to exposing people it says promote hatred of Jews and Israel. "I think they found you from the protest," the friend wrote. When Sayed visited the site, called Canary Mission, she found a photo from the Oct. 16 rally at the University of Pennsylvania with red arrows pointing to her among the demonstrators. The post included her name, the two cities she lives in, details about her studies and links to her social media accounts. Canary Mission later posted a photo of her on its X and Instagram accounts labeled "Hamas War Crimes Apologist," a reference to the Palestinian militant group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which around 1,200 people were killed and 253 taken hostage, according to Israeli tallies. In response to that raid, Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. Comments about Sayed from social media users poured in. "No future for that c.nt," one X user wrote. "Candidate for deportation to Gaza," wrote another. Although Sayed has long supported Palestinian causes, she said it was the first time she had participated in a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Penn, and Canary Mission did not flag any other activities. "My initial reaction was just absolute shock," Sayed, a 20-year-old sophomore, told Reuters. "I wasn't there to say I supported Hamas. I wasn't there to say I hated Israel. I was there to say what's happening in Palestine is wrong." She said she did not realize at the time that a chant Canary Mission took issue with, "When people are occupied, resistance is justified," is considered by some as an expression of support for Hamas' killings. She joined in the chants, she said, to show support for demonstrations. Responding to an inquiry submitted via its website, Canary Mission said it has been "working around the clock" to combat a "wave of antisemitism" on college campuses since Oct. 7, including by exposing people who endorse Hamas. Canary Mission did not respond to questions about Sayed's profile or the online abuse directed against its targets, according to the comments from the site provided by a spokesperson from a Tel Aviv-based public relations firm, Gova10. While Canary Mission relies on tips, it said it verifies what it publishes, drawing from publicly available sources. Canary Mission’s profiles include links to its targets' social media posts, public speeches and interviews with journalists. Penn officials did not respond to questions about Sayed's case. "Penn is focused on the well-being of all members of the community," a university spokesperson, Steve Silverman, told Reuters, adding that staff reach out to offer support when aware of concerning situations. Canary Mission is one of the oldest and most prominent of several digital advocacy groups that have intensified campaigns to expose Israel's critics since the war broke out, often leading to harassment such as Sayed experienced. The people behind the site have kept their identities, location and funding sources hidden. Reuters reviewed online attacks and abusive messages directed at scores of people targeted by Canary Mission since Oct. 7. The site has accused over 250 U.S. students and academics of supporting terrorism or spreading antisemitism and hatred of Israel since the start of the latest Gaza conflict, according to the Reuters review of its posts. Some are leading members of Palestinian rights groups or were arrested for offenses such as blocking traffic and punching a Jewish student. Others, like Sayed, said they had just stepped into campus activism and were not charged with any crimes. Reuters spoke to 17 students and one research fellow from six U.S. universities featured on Canary Mission since Oct. 7. They include other students who chanted slogans during protests, leaders of groups that backed statements saying Israel bears sole responsibility for the violence and people who argued in social media posts that armed resistance by Palestinians is justified. All but one said they had received hate messages or seen vitriolic comments posted about them online. Messages reviewed by Reuters called for their deportation or expulsion from school or suggested they should be raped or killed.  Several pro-Palestinian groups that use similar tactics to call out Israel's defenders have emerged in recent months. They include an X account called StopZionistHate and Raven Mission, a website launched in December that emulates Canary Mission by spotlighting people it accuses of Islamophobia or helping perpetuate atrocities against Palestinians. Raven Mission did not respond to requests for comment. StopZionistHate said it wanted to "ensure that the American public is aware of the threat posed by Zionist extremism." ACCUSATIONS OF CYBERBULLYING Some critics accuse sites on both sides of cyberbullying or doxxing, which they note can have a chilling effect on free expression. Tensions have been mounting on U.S. college campuses, where Israel's war in Gaza has unleashed an outpouring of student activism. Some of the pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been met with counter-protesters accusing them of fomenting anti-Jewish hatred and intimidating Jewish students on campus. Both camps have clashed with police. The U.S. Department of Education has opened investigations into dozens of colleges since Oct. 7, noting an "alarming nationwide rise" in reports of antisemitic, anti-Muslim and other forms of discrimination and harassment. It declined to provide details about these investigations, including whether any concern Canary Mission, Raven Mission or StopZionistHate, or incidents these groups have highlighted. Across the U.S., pro-Palestinian student groups are advising followers to wear masks at protests, to avoid drawing unwelcome attention. Canary Mission and its defenders argue that those who promote hatred and bigotry should be held to account. On its site, Canary Mission provides academic and employer details for the people it profiles, calling on its tens of thousands of followers to ensure "today's radicals are not tomorrow's employees."  Ten of the students interviewed by Reuters feared that appearing on the site could derail their careers. Canary Mission is often at the top of its targets' Google search results, and its social media posts can draw hundreds of comments. For those targeted, there are few options to seek redress, lawyers and advocacy groups say. Much of what Canary Mission publishes is protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment on free speech, three lawyers told Reuters. It generally isn't illegal to publish information about someone without consent when the information is accurate and was acquired lawfully from the public domain, said Eugene Volokh, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles. The legal standard for defamation is high, with the burden on claimants to prove the site made false statements about them, added Dylan Saba, an attorney at Palestine Legal, which represents pro-Palestinian activists. He could recall only a handful of cases where students succeeded in getting Canary Mission profiles changed or removed by threatening defamation suits. The low profile of Canary Mission's principals poses an additional hurdle. "If you're going to sue somebody, you have to know where you're serving them," Saba said. Canary Mission says on its site that it will remove profiles of people who "recognize their earlier mistakes" and reject what it describes as "latent anti-Semitism" in groups that campaign for boycotts against Israel over its policies in the Palestinian territories. It publishes what it says are their apologies on an "ex-canary" page but does not identify the individuals. Canary Mission told Reuters the site was established in 2015 to counter rising antisemitism on college campuses. It  did not answer questions about its leadership and funding. LINKS TO ISRAELI NON-PROFIT A 2016 tax filing by a prominent Jewish American philanthropic organization, the Helen Diller Family Foundation, revealed a financial link between Canary Mission and an Israeli non-profit called Megamot Shalom. That year, the Diller foundation gave $100,000 to the Central Fund of Israel earmarked "Canary Mission for Megamot Shalom," according to the document, which was first reported by the U.S. Jewish news outlet the Forward and reviewed by Reuters. The Central Fund is a U.S.-based group that acts as a conduit for Americans to make tax-deductible donations to Israeli charities. Its president, Jay Marcus, told Reuters his organization only supports registered charities but would not confirm whether Megamot Shalom or Canary Mission were among them, citing the privacy of its donors and recipients. Despite several attempts, Reuters could not reach a representative of the Diller foundation. The organization that oversees the Diller foundation's giving, the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund of San Francisco, referred Reuters to a 2018 statement confirming the donation was to support the work of Canary Mission and saying neither group would fund the site further. The statement said the federation had determined that the Central Fund did not comply with its giving guidelines but did not respond to requests to elaborate. Canary Mission did not respond to questions about Megamot Shalom or its connection to the nonprofit. Megamot Shalom was founded in 2016 "to preserve and ensure the national strength and image of the State of Israel" through media initiatives, according to documents obtained from Israel's corporations registry. As of 2022, the most recent year for which records are available, it employed 11 people, including four content writers. The only donor identified in the registry documents is the Central Fund, from which it received 13.2 million shekels ($3.5 million) between 2019 and 2022, the records show. Reuters was unable to reach Megamot Shalom's founder, Jonathan Bash, or any other listed employees. When Reuters visited the group's registered address in Beit Shemesh, a city 23 km (15 miles) southwest of Jerusalem, it found a locked one-story building with no sign of activity. "A TARGET ON MY BACK" Canary Mission has targeted at least 30 Penn students and academics since Oct. 7. The university is one of several elite campuses that have been at the center of unrest over the Gaza war. Its former president, Liz Magill, resigned in December after coming under fire for her handling of accusations of antisemitism on campus. On Friday, police dismantled an unsanctioned pro-Palestinian encampment on Penn's main lawn and arrested about 33 people following accusations of harassing and threatening behavior by protesters and the defacement of campus landmarks. After finding her profile on Canary Mission, Sayed consulted the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy group. Ahmet Tekelioglu, executive director of CAIR's Philadelphia branch, said the group offered her help to remove information from the internet but advised that it would be hard to take legal action against a group that isn't registered in the U.S. Despite the "blatant negative framing," Canary Mission's comments were presented as quotes or opinions, which typically cannot be the subject of a defamation claim, Tekelioglu told Reuters. Fearful for her safety, Sayed said she removed the Palestinian keffiyeh scarf she had tied to her backpack, which she said felt like "a target on my back." She avoided walking alone on campus and put her LinkedIn profile in hibernation.  Canary Mission also profiled seven Georgetown University School of Medicine students after they were featured in a Dec. 21 article by the conservative Washington Free Beacon news site headlined, "At Georgetown Med, the Doctors of Tomorrow Aren't Hiding Their Support for Terrorism." One of them, Yusra Rafeeqi, 22, said the websites published a screenshot of a post she said she had shared privately with her Instagram followers showing a man atop an Israeli tank waving a Palestinian flag on the day Hamas militants broke through the border fence between Gaza and Israel. The image was captioned, "No more condemning Palestinian resistance. Radical change requires radical moves." "Fire her immediately," an X user commented on a Canary Mission post that tagged her school and a clinic where she volunteers. Rafeeqi told Reuters she reposted the image to support resistance to what she described as Israel's "violent occupational forces" and noted she did not comment on Hamas' killing of Israelis. A Georgetown representative referred Reuters to a statement issued by Edward Healton, the medical school's executive dean, calling the leaking of students' private information and reports of retribution against those believed responsible "unacceptable." Healton said the school condemns antisemitism and Islamophobia, and encouraged students to report potential threats. Rafeeqi said she has had "massive anxiety" about how this might affect her ability to pursue a career in medicine and continue advocating for Palestinians. "I no longer feel safe in this country I once called home," said Rafeeqi, whose parents immigrated from Pakistan. Canary Mission and the Washington Free Beacon did not respond to questions about Rafeeqi's case.

Name and shame: Pro-Israel website ramps up attacks on pro-Palestinian student protesters

United States President Joe Biden on Saturday (May 11) said that a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas would happen as soon as "tomorrow" if the Palestinian militant group released the hostages it held captive following its Oct 7 assault.

"There would be a ceasefire tomorrow if Hamas would release the hostages," Biden said at a fundraiser outside Seattle, at the home of a former Microsoft executive, after avoiding the topic at three similar events on Friday.

"Israel said it's up to Hamas, if they wanted to do it, we could end it tomorrow. And the ceasefire would begin tomorrow," Biden said while addressing the crowd of about 100 people.

The US president's remarks came after he issued a warning to Israel stating that he would not supply weapons, including artillery shells if its forces attack the city of Rafah.

"If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used... to deal with the cities," Biden said in a televised interview with CNN.

"We're not gonna supply the weapons and the artillery shells that have been used."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-releases-evacuation-orders-for-people-in-more-areas-of-gazas-rafah-720367">Israel orders evacuation from more areas in Rafah, presses ahead with ground offensive</a>

<h2>Israel hits parts of Gaza as more evacuations ordered in Rafah</h2>

This also comes as Israel on Saturday hit several parts of Gaza including Rafah where it had ordered more evacuations earlier in the day.

As per news agency AFP, at least 21 people were killed during strikes in central Gaza and taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. While, in Rafah, there were intense air strikes near the crossing with Egypt.

WATCH |&nbsp;US: Biden Administration acknowledges possible Israeli weapons misuse in report to Congress

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&nbsp;

The strikes came after the Israeli military on Tuesday (May 7) seized and closed the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing -- through which all fuel passes into Gaza -- after ordering residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate.

On Saturday, the military said that troops were fighting "armed terrorists" at the crossing and had found "numerous underground tunnel shafts."&nbsp;

<h2>Hamas releases video showing hostage</h2>

Meanwhile, Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, on Saturday (May 11) released a video showing a man held hostage in Gaza. The man can be seen alive in the 11-second footage. The video is superimposed with text in Arabic and Hebrew that reads: "Time is running out. Your government is lying."

The man in the video is believed to be Nadav Poplewell, a UK national, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim. Hamas said, "he died of wounds that he sustained in an Israeli air strike more than a month ago."

The 51-year-old hostage was kidnapped along with his mother Channa Peri, who was released in a hostage-sharing agreement in November last year.

(With inputs from agencies)

United States President Joe Biden on Saturday (May 11) said that a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas would happen as soon as "tomorrow" if the Palestinian militant group released the hostages it held captive following its Oct 7 assault.

United States President Joe Biden on Saturday (May 11) said that a ceasefire in the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas would happen as soon as "tomorrow" if the Palestinian militant group released the hostages it held captive following its Oct 7 assault. "There would be a ceasefire tomorrow if Hamas would release the hostages," Biden said at a fundraiser outside Seattle, at the home of a former Microsoft executive, after avoiding the topic at three similar events on Friday. "Israel said it's up to Hamas, if they wanted to do it, we could end it tomorrow. And the ceasefire would begin tomorrow," Biden said while addressing the crowd of about 100 people. The US president's remarks came after he issued a warning to Israel stating that he would not supply weapons, including artillery shells if its forces attack the city of Rafah. "If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used... to deal with the cities," Biden said in a televised interview with CNN. "We're not gonna supply the weapons and the artillery shells that have been used." Also read: Israel orders evacuation from more areas in Rafah, presses ahead with ground offensive Israel hits parts of Gaza as more evacuations ordered in Rafah This also comes as Israel on Saturday hit several parts of Gaza including Rafah where it had ordered more evacuations earlier in the day. As per news agency AFP, at least 21 people were killed during strikes in central Gaza and taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. While, in Rafah, there were intense air strikes near the crossing with Egypt. WATCH | US: Biden Administration acknowledges possible Israeli weapons misuse in report to Congress × The strikes came after the Israeli military on Tuesday (May 7) seized and closed the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing -- through which all fuel passes into Gaza -- after ordering residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate. On Saturday, the military said that troops were fighting "armed terrorists" at the crossing and had found "numerous underground tunnel shafts." Hamas releases video showing hostage Meanwhile, Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, on Saturday (May 11) released a video showing a man held hostage in Gaza. The man can be seen alive in the 11-second footage. The video is superimposed with text in Arabic and Hebrew that reads: "Time is running out. Your government is lying." The man in the video is believed to be Nadav Poplewell, a UK national, who was kidnapped from Kibbutz Nirim. Hamas said, "he died of wounds that he sustained in an Israeli air strike more than a month ago." The 51-year-old hostage was kidnapped along with his mother Channa Peri, who was released in a hostage-sharing agreement in November last year. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden says Gaza ceasefire possible as soon as 'tomorrow' if Hamas releases hostages

Thousands of Israelis rallied on Saturday, asking that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accept a cease-fire agreement with the Islamist movement Hamas, which would see the remaining Israeli hostages returned from Gaza. Watch to know more.

Israel-war: Protest in Tel Aviv for release of hostages, thousands of Israelis take to streets

The Pro-Palestinian university protests have gone global. Students in France, Australia and Canada have also joined in. Will students stop the war in Gaza?

Israel-war: US students stage pro-Palestinian protest, demand universities cut tie with Israel

UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, stated that forced displacement continues as Israeli forces intensify their assault of Rafah. Watch to know more

Israel-Hamas war:: As exodus from Rafah continues, UN urges reopening of aid lines

The Palestinian Islamist group Hamas announced on Saturday that another hostage kidnapped during their October 7 raid on Israel has died. Watch to know more.

Israel-Hamas war: Hamas says another Israeli hostage held in Gaza is dead

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.

<meta name="uuid" content="uuid91qceSHr2MLs" />Israel on Saturday (May 11) hit parts of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip&nbsp;including&nbsp;Rafah&nbsp;as&nbsp;the hopes of a truce deal (between Israel and Hamas) were fading away. A report by the news agency AFP said that at least 21 people were killed during strikes in central Gaza and taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. While&nbsp;in Rafah, there were&nbsp;intense air strikes near the crossing with Egypt.

Other Israel strikes occurred in north Gaza, AFP reported citing witnesses. The strikes came after the Israeli military on Tuesday (May 7)&nbsp;seized and closed the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing -- through which all fuel passes into Gaza -- after ordering residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/egypt-refuses-to-coordinate-with-israel-on-gaza-aid-over-unacceptable-escalation-reports-720478">Egypt refuses to coordinate with Israel on Gaza aid over ‘unacceptable escalation,’ say reports</a>

On Saturday, the military said that&nbsp;troops were fighting "armed terrorists" at the crossing and had found "numerous underground tunnel shafts."&nbsp;

<h2>300k fled Rafah since the initial evacuation order</h2>

Israel said on Saturday that 300,000 people had fled Rafah since an initial evacuation order. Sharing a new evacuation order on X, the Israeli military told Palestinians&nbsp;to go to the "humanitarian zone" of Al-Mawasi, on the coast northwest of Rafah.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AC%D9%84?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#عاجل</a> 🔴 نداء إلى جميع السكان والنازحين المتواجدين في منطقة جباليا وأحياء السلام والنور وتل الزعتر ومشروع بيت لاهيا ومعسكر جباليا وعزبة ملين والروضة, والنزهة, الجرن، النهضة، والزهور - توجهوا فورًا إلى المآوي غرب مدينة غزة! 
 
⭕️تتواجدون في منطقة قتال خطيرة. تحاول حماس إعمار… <a href="https://t.co/oFYipXMajx">pic.twitter.com/oFYipXMajx</a>
— افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) <a href="https://twitter.com/AvichayAdraee/status/1789171670105636971?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
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"A call to all residents and displaced people in the Jabalia area and the neighbourhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Nour, Tal Al-Zaatar, Beit Lahia Project, Jabalia Camp, Ezbet Mlin, Al-Rawda, Al-Nuzha, Al-Jarn, Al-Nahda, and Al-Zuhour - go immediately to the shelters west of Gaza City!" the post added.&nbsp;

<h2>Death toll in Gaza nears 35,000</h2>

The war between Israel and Hamas began after the Palestinian militant group launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 last year, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

Also watch |&nbsp;Future of war: Will private military contractors take over? | WION Decodes

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Israel has said 128 of them are still held captive in the Palestinian territory. Among them, 38 are presumed to be dead.

Israel struck back hard in the Gaza Strip, killing&nbsp;at least 34,971,&nbsp;mostly&nbsp;women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. Thousands of people have&nbsp;been injured&nbsp;in the Palestinian territory.&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.

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. Israel on Saturday (May 11) hit parts of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip including Rafah as the hopes of a truce deal (between Israel and Hamas) were fading away. A report by the news agency AFP said that at least 21 people were killed during strikes in central Gaza and taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. While in Rafah, there were intense air strikes near the crossing with Egypt. Other Israel strikes occurred in north Gaza, AFP reported citing witnesses. The strikes came after the Israeli military on Tuesday (May 7) seized and closed the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing -- through which all fuel passes into Gaza -- after ordering residents of eastern Rafah to evacuate. Also read | Egypt refuses to coordinate with Israel on Gaza aid over ‘unacceptable escalation,’ say reports On Saturday, the military said that troops were fighting "armed terrorists" at the crossing and had found "numerous underground tunnel shafts." 300k fled Rafah since the initial evacuation order Israel said on Saturday that 300,000 people had fled Rafah since an initial evacuation order. Sharing a new evacuation order on X, the Israeli military told Palestinians to go to the "humanitarian zone" of Al-Mawasi, on the coast northwest of Rafah. #عاجل 🔴 نداء إلى جميع السكان والنازحين المتواجدين في منطقة جباليا وأحياء السلام والنور وتل الزعتر ومشروع بيت لاهيا ومعسكر جباليا وعزبة ملين والروضة, والنزهة, الجرن، النهضة، والزهور - توجهوا فورًا إلى المآوي غرب مدينة غزة! ⭕️تتواجدون في منطقة قتال خطيرة. تحاول حماس إعمار… pic.twitter.com/oFYipXMajx — افيخاي ادرعي (@AvichayAdraee) May 11, 2024 × "A call to all residents and displaced people in the Jabalia area and the neighbourhoods of Al-Salam, Al-Nour, Tal Al-Zaatar, Beit Lahia Project, Jabalia Camp, Ezbet Mlin, Al-Rawda, Al-Nuzha, Al-Jarn, Al-Nahda, and Al-Zuhour - go immediately to the shelters west of Gaza City!" the post added. Death toll in Gaza nears 35,000 The war between Israel and Hamas began after the Palestinian militant group launched an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 last year, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians. Also watch | Future of war: Will private military contractors take over? | WION Decodes × Israel has said 128 of them are still held captive in the Palestinian territory. Among them, 38 are presumed to be dead. Israel struck back hard in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 34,971, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. Thousands of people have been injured in the Palestinian territory. (With inputs from agencies)

Israel hits parts of Gaza including Rafah as truce deal hopes fade

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