"Gratuitous Advice": India Dismisses China's Remarks On Khalistan Terrorist

'Gratuitous Advice': India Dismisses China's Remarks On Khalistan Terrorist

An Indian has been charged by the US Justice Department for Pannun’s murder-for-hire.

New Delhi:

Hitting back at China over its comments on the investigation into the alleged foiled assassination plot against Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the Ministry of External Affairs said that India and the United States are capable of dealing with any issues between the two countries.

The MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, added that there is no role for any “speculative comments and gratuitous advice” by “unrelated third parties.”

This comes after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian, during a press conference, said that the relevant countries must observe international law and the basic norms governing international relations.

“China noted the reports. We hope relevant countries will earnestly observe international law and the basic norms governing international relations,” Mr Jian said.

Addressing the weekly press briefing on Thursday, the MEA spokesperson said, “India and the United States, as two countries adhering to the rule of law, are capable of dealing with any issues that we have between ourselves. There is no role for any speculative comments and gratuitous advice by unrelated third parties.”

Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is an India-designated terrorist who holds American and Canadian citizenship.

As per the US Justice Department indictment, an Indian, Nikhil Gupta, who is currently in custody, has been charged with the murder-for-hire of Pannun.

The US Justice Department had claimed that an Indian government employee, who was not identified in the indictment filed, had recruited the Indian national to hire a hitman to allegedly carry out the assassination of Pannun, which was foiled by US authorities.

Last year, India formed a committee to inquire into the allegations of the foiled assassination plot.

In December last year, US Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer acknowledged India’s establishment of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate the plot to allegedly kill Pannun in the US.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hard To Balance Being A Good Dad And Leading UK: Rishi Sunak

Hard To Balance Being A Good Dad And Leading UK: Rishi Sunak

London:

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has admitted it is a hard balance for him to strike as the father of two young children and holding the top job of leading the country through various crises.

In a friendly podcast interview for “The Times” with former Conservative Party leader William Hague, the 43-year-old British Indian leader was asked about some of the challenges of taking charge at 10 Downing Street in the wake of intense political turmoil.

He shared his concerns about not being able to find as much time as he would like to focus on his daughters Krishna, 12, and Anoushka, 11.

“I’ve got two young girls who mean the world to me and it’s hard to balance being a good dad and doing the job well,” said Mr Sunak.

“You have to prioritise this job because it’s an important job and you’re doing it on behalf of the whole country. So not being there for them as much as any dad would like to be is a challenge. There are particular moments where you feel that acutely because there’s something very difficult going on. That’s tough, but that’s the job,” he said.

Further, on a personal note about his Indian heritage, Mr Sunak said he would like to “understand a bit more about” his grandparents who migrated from East Africa via India.

“My grandparents largely went from India to east Africa and then my parents and grandparents came from east Africa to the UK as immigrants and when my grandmother made that journey, I think it was probably one of the first times she had been on a plane. I think she didn’t know when she was going to see her family again,” he said.

Southampton-born Sunak pointed out that while his grandmother had come to the UK “not quite knowing how that would all work”, within a couple of generations he was sitting in former prime minister Margaret Thatcher’s study in Downing Street for the newspaper’s ‘The Story’ podcast.

“That is an incredible journey. I’m inspired by that, and that’s something that speaks to our country’s story of openness and tolerance. I think there are very few countries in the world where my story would be possible… my family’s story is one of hard work, loving family and service to a community; those were the values I was raised with and I would like to understand where all that came from,” he said.

William Hague, a Tory veteran and Sunak’s predecessor as the member of Parliament for the Richmond Yorks constituency in North Yorkshire, probed his young successor on the difficult scenario in which he had taken over as Prime Minister in October 2022.

While acknowledging he had been handed the “worst hospital pass” in the wake of the short-lived premiership of Liz Truss, Mr Sunak insisted that he feels optimistic that there are better times ahead.

“I think someone described it as the worst hospital pass for any incoming Prime Minister in however many decades. There’s lots of frustration, we’ve been through a lot as a country over the past few years, which people are understandably frustrated about. It makes the environment trickier but I am entirely confident that there are better times ahead,” he said.

“All the things that I have been working hard on for the last year I think you can start to see are making a difference, that change is starting to become more apparent in people’s lives and that is what gives me optimism about the future,” he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

'Serious' leap in trade as Iran president plans to visit Turkmenistan

Iran’s foreign minister says preparations are underway for President Ebrahim Raeisi’s visit Turkmentian and that the two neighbors will witness a “serious jump” in trade in the coming weeks.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met top Turkmen officials in Ashgabat Thursday, including chairman of the People’s Council of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President Sardar Berdimohamedov and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov.

“In these meetings, we exchanged views on the dimensions of bilateral relations and regional and international developments,” the Iranian foreign minister said.

“We had forward and fruitful discussions on issues related to energy, transit, as well as water tensions in the region and the need for stronger cooperation between Tehran and Ashgabat in preserving the water resources available in the two countries.”

Amir-Abdollahian said the two countries have already been cooperating  in the field of electricity and gas, which they will strengthen further.

There are also a small number of prisoners in the two countries, which they agreed to take steps to extradite and exchange them, he added.

The minister touched on consultations held regarding the issue of water rights of Turkmenistan from Friendship Dam on their joint border, which is affected by the upstream programs of Afghanistan.  

He said a joint committee will work to ensure that upstream programs do not affect the water rights of Iran and Turkmenistan.

The Iran–Turkmenistan Friendship Dam is a water reservoir built on the Hariroud River, which forms part of the international boundary between the two neighbors.

The dam was completed in 2004, and both countries agreed that each would have an equal right to the waters of the river. The dam provides drinking water and irrigation for the surrounding areas.

Hariroud flows into Iran from Herat in Afghanistan, before turning north and disappearing in Turkmenistan’s Karakum desert.

The river is prone to severe seasonal droughts with dire consequences. The last time the 1,000-km river completely dried up, in 2000, the second-largest Iranian city of Mashhad suffered severe water shortages.

The Salma Dam, an India-sponsored project on the Hariroud which began operating in 2015, has reduced the annual water flow to Iran by 71%, according to a 2014 study commissioned by the United Nations Environment Program.

Afghanistan is home to five river basins that also sustain large populations in Iran, Pakistan and Central Asia, but the country lacks water-sharing agreements with its neighbors.

The sole exception is a 1973 agreement over the Helmand river, which flows westwards from Afghanistan into Sistan and Baluchistan in Iran.

Iran has already complained that Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities do not comply with the water-sharing treaty which is an internationally binding accord.  

"Questions For You": M Kharge Counters PM's "Browbeat and Bully" Comment

'Questions For You': M Kharge Counters PM's 'Browbeat and Bully' Comment

New Delhi:

Congress’s Mallikarjun Kharge issued a strong rebuttal this evening to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment that to “browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture”. In a statement that started with a mild “it is not proper form for the PM to comment on our judiciary”, the Congress chief went on to ask four pointed questions and accused the Prime Minister of being “personally responsible” for “usurping” the powers of institutions and “weakening our country”.

What drew the Congress chief’s rejoinder was a blistering post by PM Modi earlier today after 600 lawyers wrote to Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, alleging attempts by “a vested interest group” to undermine the judiciary’s integrity and defame courts.

“To browbeat and bully others is vintage Congress culture. Five decades ago, they itself had called for a ‘committed judiciary’ – they shamelessly want commitment from others for their selfish interests, but desist from any commitment towards the nation,” PM Modi said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Later in the evening, the Congress chief, in his statement posted on X, “As you consider India’s institutions to be your personal property, I have some questions for you”.

The first question pertained to an unprecedented press conference in January 2018 by four judges of the Supreme Court, who went public with their complaints against the then Chief Justice of India, Dipak Misra. An independent judiciary is essential for a functioning democracy, the judges had said.

“Why was one of the judges nominated by your Govt to the Rajya Sabha?” he asked next, refering to the unprecedented Upper House nomination of former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi in 2020. The recommendation by then President of India Ram Nath Kovind is unprecedented – till then, no Chief Justice had been nominated to the Upper House by the head of the state.

“Why has your party fielded a former high court judge from West Bengal for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections?” Mr Kharge has also asked, referring to the former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijeet Gangopadhyay, whose move into electoral politics has raised eyebrows.

Mr Kharge also questioned why the government brought the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) that was struck down by the Supreme Court. The Congress, though, had supported the constitutional amendment bill in parliament.

The letter by over 600 lawyers, including veteran advocate Harish Salve and Bar Council chairperson Manan Kumar Mishra, alleged that the vested interest group is putting pressure on the judiciary, especially in cases of corruption involving political leaders.

The letter also targeted a section of lawyers without naming them and alleged they defend politicians by day and then try to influence judges through the media at night.

Refering to the letter, Union minister Kiren Rijiju posted on X that “sane voices” are coming out now. “These Congress people coined the concept of committed judiciary and suspended Indian Constitution. The Congress and leftists want courts and constitutional authorities to serve them or else they immediately start attacking the very institutions,” his post read.

Kriti Sanon’s Biggest Fear: being stagnant and typecast

“I’m genuinely afraid of becoming stagnant. I don’t want to be known for doing the same types of films or roles repeatedly. Being typecast is my biggest fear because it leads to boredom for both myself and the audience,” shared Kriti, who is set to appear in ‘Crew’.

Updated On – 28 March 2024, 04:05 PM


Kriti Sanon’s Biggest Fear: being stagnant and typecast


Mumbai: Actress Kriti Sanon has talked about what she fears and said that she is afraid of getting typecast and stagnant.

“I actually am scared of getting stagnant. No one should say that I only do these same kinds of films or play the same kind of roles. Getting typecasted is what I am afraid of, because with that people get bored,” said Kriti, who will next be seen in ‘Crew’.


Kriti, who has maintained to enthrall the audience with her work in films such as ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’, ‘Luka Chuppi’, ‘Mimi’ and ‘Teri Baaton Main Aesa Uljha Jiya’, among many others, said that she gets excited when she plays myriad of characters on screen.

“There is always an excitement when you play a different character or portray a role. But if this same excitement ends, maybe you won’t feel like going to work and that boredom always makes me feel afraid,” she said.

Kriti will be next seen in ‘The Crew’, which also stars Tabu, Diljit Dosanjh and Kareena Kapoor Khan.

The film is all set to release on March 29.

‘Crew’ tells the story of three friends working as cabin crew.

Jaishankar concludes Malaysia visit with Digital Minister meeting

In a recent post on X, EAM Jaishankar shared, “Wrapped up my visit to Malaysia with a meeting with Digital Minister @GobindSinghDeo. Explored digital cooperation, exchanging best practices and discussing potential business opportunities.”

Updated On – 28 March 2024, 04:06 PM


Jaishankar concludes Malaysia visit with Digital Minister meeting


Kuala Lumpur: External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar on Thursday held a meeting with the Malaysian Minister of Digital, Gobind Singh Deo and concluded his two-day official visit to the country.

In his meeting with the Malaysian minister, EAM discussed bilateral cooperation in the digital sector.


In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar said, “Concluded my program in Malaysia by meeting Digital Minister @GobindSinghDeo. Discussed digital cooperation, including exchange of best practices and exploring business opportunities.”

Jaishankar was on a two-day official visit to Malaysia from March 27-28, followed by the ones in Singapore and the Philippines.

During his official visit to Malaysia, EAM paid a courtesy call on Malaysian Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim and conveyed greetings on behalf of PM Modi.

“EAM paid a courtesy call on H.E. YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Bin Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, and conveyed him greetings on behalf of Prime Minister Modi. He thanked Prime Minister Anwar for his support in deepening bilateral ties under the India-Malaysia Enhanced Strategic Partnership,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in an official statement.

He also held a bilateral meeting with his Malaysian counterpart, Dato Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan, and discussed wide-ranging topics of bilateral cooperation in various sectors.

Ministry said, “EAM held bilateral meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, H.E. Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hasan. The two leaders held wide ranging discussions on bilateral cooperation including political, trade and economic, defence, digital, culture and education. They also exchanged views on issues of regional and global interest. EAM also met H.E. YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital.”

“During the visit, EAM held a round-table meeting with the CEOs and leaders of industry. He also interacted with members of the Indian diaspora in Malaysia and praised their contribution towards India-Malaysia ties,” it added.

Malaysia is a key partner for India in ASEAN and our Act East Policy. EAM’s visit to Malaysia provided an opportunity to reiterate its commitment to further develop the Enhanced Strategic Partnership, MEA said.

IPL 2024: Parag's Magnificent 84 Sets Up Rajasthan' 12-Run Win Over Delhi

Young Riyan Parag showed why he is considered a precocious talent as he struck a stunning 84 not out off 45 balls to set up a 12-run win for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Capitals in their IPL match in Jaipur on Thursday. Sent in to bat, RR were reduced to 36 for 3 in the eighth over but the 22-year-old Parag single-handedly took the home side to 185 for 5 with a magnificent unbeaten knock studded with seven fours and six sixes.

Parag, who was promoted to number 4 by the team management this season and made 43 in the previous match, took 25 runs off veteran South African pacer Anrich Nortje with scores of 4, 4, 6, 4, 6, 1 in the final over to hit his highest T20 score.

Chasing 186 for a win, DC could only manage 173 for 5 in 20 overs though South African youngster Tristan Stubbs (44 not out off 23 balls) kept them in the hunt till the final over from which they needed 17 runs.

Avesh Khan conceded just four runs to help RR win their second consecutive match.

South African pacer Nandre Burger and Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets apiece to also contribute in the RR win.

“Definitely disappointed. The best thing to do from here is to learn from it. The bowlers did well through the 15-16 overs. But the batters did well at the death, hopefully we do better in the next game,” DC skipper Rishabh Pant said.

DC were reduced to 34 for 2 in the fourth over with Burger taking two wickets in three balls in a fine display of fast bowling.

Burger, who was brought in as Impact Sub for Shimron Hetmyer, dismissed opener Mitchell Marsh (23 off 12 balls) and Ricky Bhui (0) in the fourth over.

DC captain Rishabh Pant came out to bat at the fall of Bhui’s wicket and along with senior batter David Warner built the innings without taking too much risk. Delhi were 89 for 2 at the halfway stage.

Warner was the more aggressive one as he got the boundaries to keep DC in the hunt. The senior Australian batter fell one run short of his fifty courtesy a brilliant diving catch by Sandeep Sharma off the bowling of Avesh in the 12th over.

Warner and Pant were involved in a crucial 67-run partnership for the third wicket.

Playing in his 100th IPL match and 14 months after a horrible car crash, Pant tried to build the innings with occasional boundaries. But he got out for a 26-ball 28 as Chahal induced a faint lower edge for Sanju Samson to do the rest behind the stumps in the 14th over.

The asking rate shot up to more than 13 runs an over and DC needed 66 from the last five overs.

Stubbs kept DC in the game with two consecutive sixes off Ravichandran Ashwin in the 17th over, but in the end the Delhi side were short by 12 runs.

They needed 34 runs from the final two overs which they could not get. It was DC’s second consecutive loss.

Earlier, Parag shared 54 and 52 runs respectively with Ravichandran Ashwin (29) and Dhruv Jurel (20) after RR made a shaky start.

Royals captain Samson struck three consecutive boundaries in the fourth over bowled by pacer Mukesh Kumar before nicking a Khaleel Ahmed delivery two overs later to Pant to get out for 15.

RR were 30 for 2 by then as Mukesh had given DC their first breakthrough with the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal (5).

The Royals were in more trouble after wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav literally forced his captain Pant to take a review, which later proved to be successful, to dismiss Englishman Jos Buttler for an LBW decision.

Ashwin came out to bat at number five and he lofted a Kuldeep delivery for a six to help RR reach 58 for 3 at halfway stage. He gave Nortje even a harsher treatment with two sixes in the next over that yielded 15 runs.

Ashwin, however, holed out to Tristan Stubbs near the boundary ropes for a 19-ball 29.

Parag then made his presence felt, striking two boundaries and a six off Ahmed to take RR past 100 in the 15th over.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Topics mentioned in this article

Israeli Soldiers Seen Posing With Gaza Women's Underwear In Online Posts

Israeli Soldiers Seen Posing With Gaza Women's Underwear In Online Posts

Israel-Hamas war has been going on since October 7, 2023

Israeli soldiers have been posting photos and videos of themselves toying with lingerie found in Palestinian homes, creating a dissonant visual record of the war in Gaza as a looming famine intensifies world scrutiny of Israel’s offensive.

In one video, an Israeli soldier sits in an armchair in a room in Gaza grinning, with a gun in one hand and dangling white satin underwear from the other over the open mouth of a comrade lying on a sofa.

Elsewhere, another soldier sits atop a tank holding a female mannequin dressed in a black bra and helmet and says: “I found a beautiful wife, serious relationship in Gaza, great woman.”

The two videos shot by Israeli soldiers are among dozens of posts in which troops in Gaza are shown displaying lingerie, mannequins, and in some cases both. The lingerie images have been viewed tens of thousands of times – nearly half a million in one case – after being reposted by Younis Tirawi, who describes himself as a Palestinian reporter.

Approached about images he reposted to his more than 100,000 followers on X between February 23 and March 1, Tirawi provided links to the original posts by IDF soldiers. Reuters then independently verified eight posted on Instagram or YouTube.

“The posting of such images is demeaning to Palestinian women, and all women,” said Ravina Shamdasani, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson.

Reuters sent details of the eight verified posts on YouTube or Instagram to the Israel Defense Forces, requesting comment.

In response, a spokesperson sent a statement saying the IDF investigates incidents that deviate from the orders and expected values of IDF soldiers, as well as reports of videos uploaded to social networks.

“In cases where suspicion of a criminal offense arises that justifies opening an investigation, an investigation is opened by the Military Police,” it said.

“It should be clarified that in some of the examined cases, it is concluded that the expression or behaviour of the soldiers in the video is inappropriate, and it is handled accordingly,” the statement said.

The IDF declined to say whether it was referring to any of the images highlighted by Reuters, or whether any of the soldiers responsible have been disciplined.

The Israeli soldiers whom Reuters was able to identify did not respond to requests for comment sent via their social media accounts.

MANNEQUINS AND UNDERWEAR

The authenticated posts include a photo of a soldier holding a bare female mannequin from behind with his hands on its breasts and one of a soldier handling a half-naked doll.

One photo shows a soldier posing with his gun, making a thumbs-up gesture, in front of a double bed strewn with packets of women’s underwear.

YouTube said it had removed a video flagged by Reuters for violating the platform’s harassment policies, which prohibit content that reveals someone’s personally identifiable information. Instagram did not comment.

Israel’s military campaign in Gaza was launched in response to an attack on Israel by Palestinian Islamist group Hamas on October 7 in which Hamas operatives killed about 1,200 people and took 253 hostage, according to Israel.

The posts come at a time when Hamas and Israel are both being accused of grave war crimes. A team of UN experts said this month in a report that there were reasonable grounds to believe sexual violence, including rapes and gang rapes, occurred at several locations during the October 7 attack by Hamas.

The experts also said there was convincing information that some Israeli hostages taken to Gaza had been subjected to sexual violence which may still be ongoing.

Israel stands accused of pushing Gaza towards famine. The team of UN experts also said in its recent report that it had received information from institutional and civil society sources and direct interviews in the West Bank about sexual violence against Palestinians by the IDF.

Both sides reject accusations of sexual violence.

The lingerie and mannequin posts do not compare in gravity to the alleged crimes against women reported since October 7. Still, two legal experts said they potentially breached international law.

Ardi Imseis, an assistant professor of law at Queen’s University in Canada, said the posts violated article 27 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which governs the treatment of civilians in wartime.

Article 27 says civilians are entitled to respect for their honour, family rights, manners and customs, and must be protected against insults and public curiosity, and that women must be especially protected against any attack on their honour.

Within Israel, the lingerie posts have attracted little attention, said Oren Persico of the Seventh Eye, a website covering Israeli media. By contrast, he said, posts showing weapons or Hamas flags said to have been found in Gazan homes have been circulating widely.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Trinamool Vs Women's Commission Chief Over Candidate From Sandeshkhali

Trinamool Vs Women's Commission Chief Over Candidate From Sandeshkhali

A social media post by Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress sparked a war of words today between the party and the Chairperson of the National Women’s Commission Rekha Sharma. The initial Trinamool post on X, formerly Twitter, was on Rekha Patra, the women from Sandeshkhali, whom the BJP has fielded as its candidate for Basirhat, the constituency that includes her village in the Sundarbans island.  

The Trinamool, attacking Ms Patra with an image of her state government health card, had accuseds her of playing the “ultimate game of hypocrisy, enjoying the benefits of Smt.@MamataOfficial’s schemes while aligning herself with Delhi’s JOMIDARS”.

“Caught red-handed! @BJP4India’s MP candidate from Basirhat, Rekha Patra, plays the ultimate game of hypocrisy, enjoying the benefits of Smt.@MamataOfficial’s schemes while aligning herself with Delhi’s JOMIDARS.PM @narendramodi, the next time you call her, don’t forget to inquire about her Swasthya Sathi card. It might help you understand how our leader’s brainchild, Swasthya Sathi, surpasses the failed Ayushman Bharat scheme,’ its post read.

Rekha Sharma immediately joined issue. “Is @MamataOfficial is paying from her own pocket? That’s taxpayers money and is for every citizen of west Bengal. Is it only for @AITCofficial workers? And what do you mean by Delhi’s Jomidars? Is west Bengal not part of India? You people behave as if Momta Benarji own the state,” her post read.

“Why do we call them Delhi’s Jomidars? Because despite collecting Rs 4.6 lakh crore as taxes from Bengal, BJP-led Centre has withheld Rs 1.6 lakh crore for crucial schemes. Also, being the chairperson of @NCWIndia you’re distorting the name of the only female CM of India? SHAME!” Trinamool shot back, highlighting its frequent complaint that the state is not receiving its share of revenue.

Many on the social media platform, meanwhile, pointed out that the party has inadvertently made public the candidate’s personal data, including her phone number and bank account details.

The candidature of Rekha Patra, who was among those who spearheaded the protests at Sandeshkhali   against Trinamool strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, has become a huge talking point in the state.

With the contest between Trinamool’s Mahua Moitra and Amrita Roy, the “Rajmata” of the erstwhile royal family of Krishnanagar being the other big draw, the coming assembly elections are being seen as a battle for the votes of women, who have so far backed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Pro-Palestine campaign forces Israeli arms maker to close UK factory


The logo of the Israeli military electronics firm Elbit Systems (Reuters)

A relentless campaign by the Palestine Action group has managed to force Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest arms company, to permanently shut down another weapons factory in Britain.

Palestine Action uses direct action tactics to shut down and disrupt the Israeli regime’s multinational arms dealers. It announced on Thursday that its campaign has forced Elbit Systems to vacate Elite KL factory in Tamworth, Staffordshire, for good.

This is the third Elbit Systems site in the UK to be shut down permanently by Palestine Action.

According to the pro-Palestine group, the company had previously manufactured cooling and power management systems for military vehicles, but was sold on after stating that it faced falling profits and increased security costs resulting from Palestine Action’s efforts. 

“Following the recent acquisition of Elite KL Limited by a UK investment syndicate, the newly appointed board has unanimously agreed to withdraw from all future defense contracts and terminate its association with its former parent company,” Elite KL’s new owners, listed as Griffin Newco Ltd, confirmed the news in an email to Palestine Action.

Elbit Systems itself provides 85 percent of the drones and land-based military equipment for the Israeli military, as well as a wide range of the munitions and armaments currently being used by the occupying regime in its brutal campaign in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The company also maintains the surveillance technology deployed at the Gaza border and military checkpoints there.

Analysts say the genocidal attacks on Gaza, which continue to escalate, provide Israel’s arms manufacturers with opportunities to test and develop their latest lethal inventions.

Despite a massive death toll, the Israeli military has failed to achieve the goals it has been seeking to score through the campaign in Gaza, such as “destroying” Hamas, finding the captives that the Gaza-based resistance movement is holding, and bringing about forced displacement of the Palestinian territory’s population to Egypt.


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