Hamas blames Israel for ‘assassinating’ its top leader Ismail Haniyeh
Beirut: Hours after the assassination of senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran’s capital Tehran on Wednesday, the Palestinian Hamas group has accused Israel of being behind the attack, terming it a “grave escalation”. Hamas described Haniyeh as their “brother and leader” and alleged that he was killed in a “treacherous Zionist raid” in his residence, after attending the inauguration ceremony of the new Iranian president.
Israel has not responded to the incident yet, according to Reuters. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri mentioned that this assassination by the Israeli occupation of Haniyeh is a severe escalation that aims to break the will of Hamas. He also said that Hamas is a “concept and an institution and not persons,” adding that they are confident of victory.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also condemned the assassination, calling it a “cowardly act and dangerous development,” in a statement from the official Wafa news agency. He urged Palestinians to remain united, patient, and steadfast in the face of the Israeli occupation.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Minister of Heritage Amichai Eliyahu, defend the action, asserting that it is part of a necessary effort to “clean the world from filth” and make the world a better place. “The iron hand that will strike them is the one that will bring peace and a little comfort and strengthen our ability to live in peace with those who desire peace,” he stated.
This incident follows Israel’s claim of killing top Hezbollah commander allegedly responsible for a recent deadly attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bhopal gas tragedy: Effects of leak seen in next generation of survivors, says ex-forensic doctor
Bhopal (PTI): The effects of poisonous gases that leaked from the Union Carbide factory in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal 40 years ago were seen in the next generations of those who survived the tragedy, a former government forensic doctor has said.
At least 3,787 people were killed, and more than five lakh were affected after a toxic gas leaked from the pesticide factory in the city on the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984.
Speaking at an event held by organisations of gas tragedy survivors on Saturday, Dr D K Satpathy, former head of the forensics department of Bhopal's Gandhi Medical College, said he performed 875 post-mortems on the first day of the disaster and witnessed 18,000 autopsies the next five years.
Sathpathy claimed Union Carbide had denied questions about the effects of poisonous gases on unborn children of women survivors and said effects would not cross the placental barrier in the womb in any condition.
He said blood samples of pregnant women who died in the tragedy were examined, and it was found that 50 per cent of poisonous substances found in the mother were also found in the child in her womb.
Children born to surviving mothers had the poisonous substances in their system, and this affected the health of the next generation, Sathpathy claimed and questioned why research on this was stopped.
Such effects will continue for generations, he said.
Satpathy said it was said that MIC gas leaked from the Union Carbide plant, and when it came in contact with water, thousands of gases were formed, and some of these caused cancer, blood pressure and liver damage.
Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information and Action said Satpathy, who carried out most autopsies, and other first responders in the 1984 disaster, including the senior doctors in the emergency ward and persons involved in mass burials, narrated their experiences during the event.
Rashida Bee, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh, a poster exhibition covering every aspect of the disaster will be held till December 4 to mark the 40th anniversary of the tragedy.
An anniversary rally will be organised, with focus on global corporate crimes such as industrial pollution and climate change, she said.
