Egypt-Gaza border crossing opens, letting desperately needed aid flow to Palestinians
Rafah (Gaza Strip) (AP/PTI): The border crossing between Egypt and Gaza opened on Saturday to let desperately needed aid flow to Palestinians running short of food, medicine and water in the territory that is under an Israeli siege.
More than 200 trucks carrying roughly 3,000 tonnes of aid had been positioned near the crossing for days before heading into Gaza. An Associated Press reporter saw the trucks entering.
Many in Gaza, reduced to eating one meal a day and without enough water to drink, are waiting desperately for the aid. Hospital workers were also in urgent need of medical supplies and fuel for their generators as they treat huge numbers of people wounded in the bombings.
Hundreds of foreign passport holders also waited to cross from Gaza to Egypt to escape the conflict.
Israel has sealed off the territory for two weeks, forcing Palestinians to ration food and to drink filthy water from wells. Hospitals say they are running low on medicine and fuel for emergency generators amid a territory-wide blackout.
A line of empty flatbed trucks could be seen moving on the Gaza side, perhaps in preparation for bringing in the desperately needed aid. Israel said Friday it does not plan to take long-term control over the tiny territory, home to some 2.3 million Palestinians.
Work continued Friday to repair the road at the Rafah crossing with Egypt, Gaza's only entry point not controlled by Israel. Trucks unloaded gravel, and bulldozers and other equipment were used to fill in large craters.
But there also appeared to still be differences over the manner of delivering aid. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was working with Egypt, Israel, the U.S. and others to overcome the "impasse" preventing the trucks from entering, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters Friday.
Guterres wants to ensure "meaningful" numbers of trucks cross daily, that inspection of truck cargo is "expedited" and that U.N. authorities have fuel to distribute the supplies within Gaza.
More than 200 trucks and some 3,000 tons of aid were positioned near the crossing. Israel said the supplies could only go to civilians and that it would "thwart" any diversions by Hamas. It was unclear if fuel for the hospital generators would be allowed to enter.
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Puttur: Four arrested for alleged negligent disposal of Dalit labourer’s body
Puttur (Karnataka), Nov 26: Four people have been arrested for allegedly disposing of a Dalit labourer’s body negligently in Puttur taluk of Dakshina Kannada district, police said on Tuesday.
The deceased, Shivappa (70), a resident of Keremoole near Sullia, worked as an assistant mason at Tauro Cement Fabrication Unit in Salmara village. He reportedly collapsed and died during work hours on November 16.
Instead of providing medical assistance or notifying his family, the factory owner, Henry Tauro, allegedly loaded Shivappa’s body onto a pickup truck and dumped it near his home, placing it on wooden logs by the roadside, according to police.
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The incident sparked outrage among Dalit organisations in Puttur, including the Adi Dravida Samaja Seva Sangha, who demanded a thorough investigation.
Protests over delays in apprehending the accused intensified public pressure, leading to the arrests of Tauro, his son Kiran, their assistant Prakash, and a mason named Stany.
According to a complaint lodged by Shivappa's son-in-law, the accused brought Shivappa home unresponsive on the evening of November 16. He was rushed to a hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
A case has been registered under the Prevention of Atrocities Against Dalits Act, and investigations are underway to establish the cause of death and examine allegations of mishandling the victim’s body, police added.
