Heritage ‘not hit by Makkah expansion’

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees says over 625,000 children in Gaza have not attended school for more than eight months as the Israeli regime continues its brutal war on the densely-populated territory.

In a social post, the UN agency said there were 300,000 UNRWA students before the war.

"Play and learning activities provided by UNRWA teams are critical in preparing children to get back to school and restore their right to education," the UN agency said, posting photos of UNRWA staff training Gazan kids.

The regime has been attacking the densely-populated region non-stop for nearly nine months now, killing at least 15 thousand children, in defiance of a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

The regime has also imposed a total blockade on the strip that has cut the flow of food, clean water, and medicine to the region.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered the regime to halt its offensive in Rafah immediately.

Last Saturday, the Gaza Government’s Media Office said in a statement that at least 800,000 students of various educational levels have been deprived of their right to education in the region.

It said about 40,000 high school students will not be able to take this year’s exams, which endangers their opportunities in local and international higher education.

“40,000 high school students from various branches will not be able to participate in this year’s session of the high school exams, representing an unprecedented violation that threatens their future and undermines their chances of enrolling in local and international universities and colleges,” the media office added.

The media office said, “85 percent of educational facilities are out of service due to direct and deliberate targeting, posing a significant challenge to efforts to resume the educational process after the war ends."

It said plans have been implemented to make up for the academic year for students to ensure that the academic year is not lost and that they possess the essential concepts and skills necessary for their continued learning.

The Israeli ministry of military affairs says the number of disabled Israeli soldiers has surpassed the 70,000 mark for the first time, adding that 8,663 troops have also been injured since the start of the war on Gaza.

The report revealed by the rehabilitation division of the Israeli ministry said that 35% of those wounded since the start of the Gaza massacre are struggling with mental health conditions, while 21% sustained physical injuries.

The department is expecting for an influx of approximately 20,000 additional injured soldiers from the beginning of the ongoing conflict until the conclusion of 2024.

An expert analysis revealed that approximately 40% of the individuals who will be admitted by year-end may experience a range of psychological responses, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, adaptation and communication difficulties, etc.

The Israeli medical association has reported that more than 1,000 new male and female veterans are under treatment in the department on a monthly basis, with about 20% of them dealing with mental reactions and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Out of the total number of disabled Israeli occupation forces, including soldiers from all Israeli wars, a significant portion of 9,539 soldiers are suffering from PTSD and mental reactions.

On June 7, 2024, an Israeli military soldier named Eliran Mizrahi took his own life, after he was called back to war while suffering from PTSD and two injuries.

A recent study by researchers said in March that over half a million of Israelis are at risk of developing PTSD in the aftermath of the Gaza genocide.

Despite facing huge sufferings, the Israeli military persists in its aggression against Gaza, disregarding the UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities.

The regime also defies the International Court of Justice's order to halt the invasion of Rafah and implement measures to prevent genocide amid the dire humanitarian conditions in the Strip.

At least 68 Indian nationals have been confirmed dead during this year's Hajj pilgrimage, according to a diplomat in Saudi Arabia. Several Indians are reported missing too. This comes amid record-high temperatures in the Saudi holy city of Mecca, and the deaths of 550 pilgrims this year.

"We have confirmed around 68 dead... Some are because of natural causes and we had many old-aged pilgrims. And some are due to the weather conditions, that's what we assume," the diplomat told news agency AFP about the death of Indians on the condition of anonymity.

The diplomat also said that many Indian nationals are also reported missing, but he declined to give their exact numbers.

"This is a recurring occurrence every year," he stated, informing us that the situation is similar to previous years, with further details expected soon.

The Hajj pilgrimage, a central part of Islam, brings millions annually to Makkah, during the Islamic month of Dhu al-Hijjah. Each Muslim has to fulfil this religious obligation at least once in their lifetime.

This year's pilgrimage also saw intense heat and rising temperatures, which are the highest in recent decades.

A Saudi study even revealed how the temperatures in the pilgrimage area have increased by 0.4 degrees Celsius per decade. In 2023, over 200 pilgrims died during Hajj, and over 2,000 people suffered from heat-related stress as temperatures touched as high as 48 degrees Celsius.

Deaths have been reported of other nationals as well: Iran, Indonesia, Tunisia, Senegal, and Iraq's Kurdistan region. There have been no comments on the deaths by the authorities of these countries.