UAE reacts to Hamas, Israel conflict, says Hamas attacks 'Serious and grave escalation'
Gaza: On Sunday, the United Arab Emirates described the attack on Israeli towns by the Palestinian group Hamas as a serious and grave escalation, reports Reuters.
In a statement, Calling for the ending of violence and protection of the civilians, the UAE’s foreign ministry also said it is “appalled by reports that Israeli civilians have been abducted as hostages from their homes.”
The statement cited by state news agency WAM said, “Attacks by Hamas against Israeli towns and villages near the Gaza Strip, including the firing of thousands of rockets at population centers, are a serious and grave escalation.”
It added, “Civilians on both sides must always have full protection under international humanitarian law and must never be a target of conflict.”
On Saturday, Hamas launched its biggest attack on Israel in decades, At least 700 Israelis have been killed and more than 2,300 others wounded in the attack, the Israeli Health Ministry said.
Israel has retaliated with a series of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 410 Palestinians and wounding at least 2,300 others.
In 2020, UAE became the first Gulf country to normalise relations with Israel, breaking with decades of Arab policy toward the Palestinian cause.
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Electoral trusts fill BJP coffers after scrapping of electoral bonds, shows ECI website
New Delhi: Contrary to expectations that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be adversely affected by the Supreme Court’s scrapping of the electoral bonds scheme in February 2024, the party’s finances have seen a significant boost in 2024–25 through electoral trusts. It has emerged that electoral trusts alone donated ₹2,577 crore to the BJP during this period.
Following the abolition of electoral bonds, corporate donors seeking partial anonymity appear to have shifted to the electoral trust route, with the BJP continuing to be the largest beneficiary.
According to data available on the Election Commission of India’s website, a total of ₹4,276 crore was donated through electoral trusts, of which the ruling BJP received 83.6 per cent. Compared to 2023–24, corporate donations flowing to the BJP have increased nearly fourfold. The Congress received 7.3 per cent of the total donations, while the Trinamool Congress accounted for 3.6 per cent.
Donations received through electoral trusts constitute only a portion of the total funds collected by political parties. Parties also receive contributions directly from individuals, corporates, institutions and charitable organisations. Over the past several years, donations from sources other than electoral trusts have also shown a steady increase.
