Israel and Hamas on Thursday agreed to a cease-fire, putting an end to a bruising 11-day war that occasioned widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip, brought life in much of Israel to a standstill, and left more than 200 people dead. At 2 a.m. local time, just as the cease-fire took effect, life returned to the streets of Gaza. People went out of their homes, some shouting “Allahu Akbar” or whistling from balconies. Many fired in the air, celebrating the truce. Like the three previous wars between the bitter enemies, the latest round of fighting ended inconclusively.
Ramadan Fast Continues Till Wednesday As Saudi Arabia Agency Declares No Sight Of Crescent Moon
Haramain Sharifain, an Islamic agency in Saudi Arabia, has declared that fasting in the month of Ramadan continues on Wednesday while eid-il-fitr will be held on Thursday. As this year’s Ramadan nears its end, astronomers have been engaging in careful observation for a new moon to determine the day of eid-il-fitr. In a tweet on Tuesday, Haramain Sharifain announced that Ramadan will last for 30 days. It said the conclusion was derived from the findings of astronomers positioned at different locations in Saudi Arabia, including Sumair and Tumair.
Biden To Withdraw U.S Troops From Afghanistan by Sept 11
United States’ President Joe Biden plans to withdraw the remaining U.S troops from Afghanistan by Sept 11, 2021, ending the 20 years presence of American forces in the Middle Eastern country since the 9/11 attack by al Qaeda. According to Reuters, U.S Secretary of State, Antony Blinken and U.S Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin are expected to brief NATO allies on Wednesday in Brussels, while the president may also make a public announcement on the decision. Also, a senior Biden administration official said “The president has judged that a conditions-based approach, which has been the approach of the past two decades, is a recipe in staying in Afghanistan forever.”
Indonesian Church Hit With Palm Sunday Suicide Bombing
An Indonesian Roman Catholic Cathedral in the eastern City of Makassar was rocked by an explosion on Sunday, causing a ruckus during the Palm Sunday mass. Though no Churchgoers were killed, 14 were injured and treated at the Makassar hospital.
The explosion occurred around the gate of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral. Shortly before the bombing, two people on a motorcycle were stopped by security personnel, who suspected they were targeting the church around the end of the Palm Sunday mass.
Dozens Killed In Baghdad Hospital Fire
At least 82 people have died and over 100 injured in a hospital fire in Iraq’s capital, Baghdad on Saturday, in the Coronavirus intensive care unit of the hospital. The fire broke out at the Ibn al-Khatib Hospital after oxygen tanks in the COVID-19 unit exploded.
COVID-19: Saudi Arabia To Reject Nonimmunized Pilgrims
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has on Monday said only people immunized against COVID-19 will be allowed to perform the year-round Umrah pilgrimage from the Beginning of the fasting month of Ramadan. The country’s Hajj and Umrah ministry stated this in a statement explaining that there are three categories of people considered to be “immunised”, those who have been administered with the two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, people who have received a single dose of the vaccine at least 14 days prior and people who have recovered from the infection.
Dubai Deputy Ruler Sheikh Hamdan Dies
The Finance Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum has died at age 75 after months of being unwell and surgery abroad in October.