Hamas hails return of Palestinians to war-wracked north Gaza; Ben-Gvir says ‘we must return to war’

A group of nearly 300 migrants, including Indians deported from the United States under President Donald Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, are currently held in a hotel in Panama's Darien jungle region. These migrants hail primarily from Asian countries such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and China.

The migrants are not permitted to leave the hotel as the Panamanian government awaits international authorities to arrange their return to their home countries. According to a report, Panama's Security Minister Frank Abrego stated that the migrants are receiving medical attention and food as per an agreement between the United States and Panama.

However, a report from The New York Times quoted Artemis Ghasemzadeh, 27, an Iranian deportee, who said, "It looks like a zoo; there are fenced cages. They gave us a stale piece of bread. We are sitting on the floor."

Deputy Foreign Minister of Panama, Carlos Ruiz-Hernandez, confirmed that 97 people were transferred to the camp. He emphasized that the migrants were not "detainees" but rather in a migrant camp where they will be taken care of, not a detention camp.

Migrants in the hotel rooms displayed messages on the windows reading "Help" and "We are not safe in our country." According to the report, 40% of the migrants are refusing to return to their home countries voluntarily.

Panama serves as a transit country due to the challenges the US faces in deporting individuals directly to some countries. While Panama acts as a "bridge," the US government bears the cost of these arrangements. This agreement between the two countries was announced following the visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Panama. The threat of retaking control of the Panama Canal by Trump is mounting pressure on Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino.

Costa Rica is also expected to receive a group of deportees on Wednesday.

Abrego stated that 171 of the 299 deportees had agreed to return to their home countries with the assistance of the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration. The remaining 128 migrants are still being processed, with efforts being made to find alternative locations for them. While individuals who refuse to return to their home countries will be detained in a facility in the remote province of Darien for a while, one deported Irish individual has already returned home.

Puttur, Feb 20: In a heartbreaking incident a 13-year-old boy died by suicide at Tannirupanta village in Belthangady taluk of Dakshina Kannada. 

The deceased has been identified as Shravan, a Class 7 student at a private school in Uppinangady. He was the son of Dombayya Gowda. 

According to reports, Shravan had dinner with his mother on Tuesday night (February 18), which included a chicken dish prepared by his aunt. 

After his mother fell asleep, he is believed to have taken his own life by hanging himself from a ceiling fan. Disturbingly, he had saved some of the chicken dish for the next day’s meal and had gathered flower buds for morning prayers, making the incident even more puzzling.

Described as a cheerful and well-liked student, Shravan showed no apparent signs of distress, leaving family, friends, and teachers shocked by his tragic decision. He is survived by his parents and a sister.

As a mark of respect, his school organized a silent prayer to honor his memory.

Mental health matters. If you or someone you know is struggling, please seek help. Call the toll-free helpline at 9152987821. Remember, no problem is too big to be solved.

The Trump administration has given the go-ahead for a nearly $3 billion arms sale to Israel, sidestepping the standard congressional review process to expedite the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs widely used by the Israeli military in its ongoing onslaught in the Gaza Strip.

In a series of notifications sent to Congress on Friday, the State Department has reported it has approved the sale of more than 35,500 MK 84 and BLU-117 bombs and 4,000 Predator warheads worth $2.04 billion to Israel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio “has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defense articles and defense services in the national security interests of the United States, thereby waiving the Congressional review requirements,” the department said.

Deliveries are set to begin next year, it said.

According to the same statement, Rubio has also approved another munitions sale to Israel worth $675.7 million to be delivered starting in 2028.

The Israeli regime has extensively used the MK 84, also known as the 2,000-pound bomb, in its genocidal wars against the people of Lebanon and Palestine, including the assassination of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders.

Last May, the previous US administration attempted to curb Israel’s military aggression in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza, by imposing a temporary ban on the sale of 2,000-pound bombs.

This effort, however, proved futile in halting the invasion, as the US continued to supply other weapons to the Israeli regime.

On February 25, Trump’s National Security Adviser, Michael Waltz, rescinded the ban to allow the State Department to resume the sale of the bombs to the regime.

The State Department has also approved the sale of Caterpillar D9 Bulldozers and related equipment for an estimated cost of $295 million to Israel.

The Israeli regime has used D9 bulldozers to demolish thousands of Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

The Office of the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights has advised Caterpillar Inc. that by supplying the bulldozers to the regime, it is complicit in human rights violations.

D9 has been involved in several incidents of civilian deaths, including in 2023 when it was used against the refugees sheltering outside the Kamal Adwan Hospital.