UN Envoy applauds Nigeria's Response to Ebola Outbreak

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-style: inherit;">Dr David Navarro, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Ebola, on Wednesday applauded Nigeria’s handling of the outbreak of the Ebola Virus disease.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Navarro, who gave the commendation at a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, told State House correspondents that the government and the entire Nigerians performed excellently in their response to the disease.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He said he was in Nigeria in continuation of his tour of the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, which are affected by the virus.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“We have discussed with His Excellency, the President, the result of my mission in other countries in the region and we have also examined the situation of the Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“The point I made to the President of Nigeria is that this country and its people have performed excellently in their response to Ebola Virus Disease.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ywm7sxXmh_I?list=UUm_i4O8qek0AX6dS0dv2abA" width="640"></iframe></span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“It’s been a whole of country effort, all of society has been involved and the correct procedures have been adopted.’’</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Navarro stated that there would always be outbreaks of dangerous diseases in the world due to globalisation and the free movement of people between countries and communities.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">He, however, noted that good public health techniques, full involvement of all citizens and strong leadership by all, irrespective of party affiliations, could lead to successful control efforts.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“There may still be some people who’d get sick and die as a result of this current Ebola insertion into Nigeria.</span></div> <div style="padding: 0px 0px 5px;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“But I’m confident that the government and the people would be able to respond in a proper way and to ensure that the situation is kept under control in a way that pays full attention to people’s rights and entitlements.</span></div> <div> <br /></div> </div>

UN Envoy applauds Nigeria's Response to Ebola Outbreak

Dr David Navarro, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Ebola, on Wednesday applauded Nigeria’s handling of the outbre...

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EXCLUSIVE: Obama Will Personally Chair U.N. Security Council Meeting

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <span class="byline" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">BY <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/?person=hbrown" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">HAYES BROWN</a><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=HayesBrown" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: bold; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;"><img class="twitter-bird" src="http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/plugins//cap-byline/bird_blue_16.png" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px -1px 0px 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px 0px 0px 5px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; line-height: inherit; text-transform: uppercase;"> </span></span></span><span class="posted-on" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: baseline;">POSTED ON <time class="published" datetime="August 18, 2014 at 2:03 pm" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">AUGUST 18, 2014 AT 2:03 PM</time></span><br /> <div class="wide-photo-box" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: none; float: none; margin: 1em auto; max-width: 638px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <img alt="President Barack Obama chairs a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in 2009" src="http://thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/AP090924015002-638x424.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; display: block; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 638px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 100% !important;" /><div class="photo-caption" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; padding: 0.5em 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">President Barack Obama chairs a meeting of the United Nations Security Council in 2009</span></div> <div class="photo-credit" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; padding: 0.5em 0px 0px; position: relative !important; right: 0em !important; text-align: left; text-shadow: none !important; top: 0em !important; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">CREDIT: AP PHOTO/CHARLES DHARAPAK</span></div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">President Barack Obama will preside over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council during his attendance of the U.N.’s annual General Assembly, ThinkProgress has learned, marking the second time in history that a U.S. president has done so.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The last time the U.S. was president of the Council during the weeklong opening of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) was 2009, the year that President Obama assumed office. Then the meeting was convened to discuss the spread of nuclear weapons and material, and Obama’s presence ensured it was a widely attended event that lead to the unanimous passage of a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/images/Politics/B0013931.pdf" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">resolution</a> meant to strengthen safeguards against nuclear proliferation. According a draft schedule for this year’s UNGA week, seen by ThinkProgress, the current plan is to have President Obama take advantage of the Council’s presidency once again, this time to discuss counterterrorism.</span></div> <div id="aol-mobile-ad" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div class="tp-advertisement" id="div-gpt-ad-1406054322033-0" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div id="google_ads_iframe_/17107625/tp_all_article_z2_1x1_1_0__container__" style="border: 0pt none; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><iframe frameborder="0" height="1" id="google_ads_iframe_/17107625/tp_all_article_z2_1x1_1_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="google_ads_iframe_/17107625/tp_all_article_z2_1x1_1_0" scrolling="no" style="border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100% !important; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" width="1"></iframe></span></div> </div> </div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Specifically the meeting will cover the phenomenon of foreign fighters travelling to conflict zones and joining terrorist organizations, as seen in the <a href="http://carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=53811" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">surge in foreigners joining ranks</a>with such groups as Jahbat al-Nusra in Syria. “Certainly the problem of terrorists traveling to foreign conflicts is not new, but the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters has become even more acut,” a U.S. Mission to the U.N. official told ThinkProgress when asked about the meeting. “The internet and social media have given terrorist groups unprecedented new ways to promote their hateful ideology and inspire recruits. The conflicts in Syria and Iraq have highlighted this threat, with an estimated 12,000 foreign terrorist fighters joining that conflict.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Currently the plan is to have a U.S.-drafted resolution to address the phenomenon negotiated and ready to pass during the September meeting. During the last time Obama chaired the Council, the leaders of Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China — the other permanent members of the Council — were <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2009/09/president-obama-convenes-meeting-of-un-security-council/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all in attendance</a>. This time, the audience is not guaranteed to be quite so lustrous. France’s mission to the United Nations told ThinkProgress that French president Francois Hollande should be attending the General Assembly but would not confirm whether he would be attending the Security Council meeting. A spokesperson for the British mission said that plans were still being finalized for that week, but “will take into account” President Obama chairing the meeting. Neither China nor Russia’s missions responded to queries from ThinkProgress, but Russian president Vladimir Putin has proven himself an infrequent attendee at the annual General Assembly meeting.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Every month, the presidency of the Security Council rotates between the 15 member body, giving them the chance to set the agenda and lead meetings of the body. September, the next time that the U.S. is slated to hold the gavel, is also when the General Assembly — which comprises all 193 member-states — holds its annual meeting at U.N. headquarters. World leaders and other high-level dignitaries flock to New York and diplomatic meetings on the sidelines often produce results, including last year when the U.S. and Iran spoke direct at the highest level since 1979. Obama’s presence will make the upcoming meeting the first Head of Government-level Security Council session since 2009.</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“When President Obama first chaired a Security Council meeting, the question of the US relationship with the organization was much more salient than it is today,” David Bosco, an assistant professor at American University and author of a book on the workings of the Security Council, told ThinkProgress in an email. “Obama’s first time in the chair was an opportunity to very visibly distance himself from what was perceived–not always fairly–as the hostility of the Bush administration to the UN’s work. The US/UN relationship has now become much less fraught. There are plenty of frictions, but there’s no sense of hostility from Washington.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Richard Gowan, associate director at New York University’s Center for International Cooperation, agreed that Obama’s first time at the U.N. was a success, noting that the president “didn’t just chair the Security Council but gave an expansive speech to the General Assembly about common interests and convened a special meeting with other leaders on UN peacekeeping.” While this drew a line under the Bush years, Gowan continued in his email to ThinkProgress, “this was a prelude to repeated multilateral setbacks like the 2009 Copenhagen climate summit mess, the Syrian horror story and the South Sudan debacle.”</span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“Counterterrorism is a smart topic for a top-level Security Council debate,” Gowan wrote, pointing to the fact that such disparate Council members as France, China, Nigeria, and Russia would all want to discuss the issue because of their relationship with Mali, worries over the Xinjiang provence, the rise of Boko Haram, and unrest in the Caucasus respectively.</span></div> <span id="trigger-slidedown" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br /> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 0.4em 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">“But there may be blowback too,” Gowan cautioned. “This being the UN, someone inside or outside the Council will equate Israel’s behaviour in Gaza with terrorism. The Russians may well talk about the ‘terrorists’ that overthrew the government in Kiev, while Western governments could push back and accuse Russia of supporting terrorists in eastern Ukraine. Perhaps everyone will be on good behaviour and show President Obama due deference, but at a minimum there will be a lot of barely-suppressed political tensions around the Security Council table.”</span></div> </div>

EXCLUSIVE: Obama Will Personally Chair U.N. Security Council Meeting

BY  HAYES BROWN   POSTED ON  AUGUST 18, 2014 AT 2:03 PM President Barack Obama chairs a meeting of the United Nations Security Council i...

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U.N. names panel to investigate war crimes in Gaza; Israel slams it

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="cover-wrap " style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 30px; text-align: center; width: 718px;"> <div class=""> <div class="img-wrap" style="position: relative;"> <figure class=" cover get-lbdata-from-dom go-to-slideshow-lightbox " data-id="0b03a6ea-9701-322f-8981-f5b121919771" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div> <a data-rapid_p="6" data-ylk="rspns:xpnd;t1:a3;t2:ct-mod;t3:ld;sec:ct-mod;slk:expand;elm:img;elmt:ct;itc:1;grpt:;edtr_vos:;g:;aid:0b03a6ea-9701-322f-8981-f5b121919771;ct:4;cpos:1;" href="http://news.yahoo.com/u-n-names-panel-investigate-war-crimes-gaza-165927108.html#" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); outline: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><img alt="Palestinians sit in a tent outside their apartments, which witnesses said were destroyed in an Israeli offensive during a 72-hour truce in Beit Lahiya town in the northern Gaza Strip" class="inview" height="379px" src="http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/ZtlPf8uOMKvRkUQMtGHJOA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTM3OTtweG9mZj01MDtweW9mZj0wO3E9NzU7dz02NzQ-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2014-08-11T175402Z_724774838_GM1EA8C051701_RTRMADP_3_MIDEAST-GAZA.JPG" style="-webkit-transform: translate3d(0px, 0px, 0px); -webkit-transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; min-height: 1px; opacity: 1 !important; text-align: left; transition: opacity 0.3333s ease 0ms; vertical-align: baseline; visibility: visible !important; width: 718px;" width="674px" /></span></a></div> <span class="icon-slideshow icon-white-slideshow-small" style="background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-size: cover; border-bottom-left-radius: 7px; border-bottom-right-radius: 7px; border-top-left-radius: 7px; border-top-right-radius: 7px; cursor: pointer; height: 45px; left: 50%; margin-left: -32px; margin-top: -23px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; top: 50%; width: 64px; z-index: 1;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span></span></figure><div class="caption" style="margin: 7.5px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-overflow: ellipsis;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Palestinians sit in a tent outside their apartments, which witnesses said were destroyed in an Israeli offensive, during a 72-hour truce in Beit Lahiya town in the northern Gaza Strip August 11, 2014. Israeli and Palestinian negotiators resumed indirect talks mediated by Egypt on Monday on ending a month-old Gaza war, Egypt's state news agency said, after a new 72-hour truce appeared to be holding. REUTERS/Suhaib Salem (GAZA - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)</span></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="body yom-art-content clearfix" itemscope="" itemtype="http://schema.org/Article" style="margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px 10px; zoom: 1;"> <div class="yom-ad yom-ad-LREC" id="yom-ad-LREC" style="border: none; clear: both; float: right; height: 250px; margin: 0px 0px 1.1em 10px; max-height: 250px; text-align: center; visibility: inherit; width: 300px;"> <div class="darla" id="sb_rel_yom-ad-LREC-iframe" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); display: inline-block; height: 250px; position: relative; visibility: inherit; width: 300px; z-index: 9;"> <iframe allowtransparency="true" async="" frameborder="no" hidefocus="true" id="yom-ad-LREC-iframe" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://l.yimg.com/rq/darla/2-8-1/html/r-sf.html" style="display: block; height: 250px; left: 0px; margin: 0px auto; max-height: none; max-width: none; min-height: 0px; position: absolute; text-align: left; top: 0px; visibility: inherit; width: 300px; z-index: 10;" tabindex="-1"></iframe></div> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">By Stephanie Nebehay</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations on Monday named experts to an international commission of inquiry into possible human rights violations and war crimes committed by both sides during Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Israel, however, dismissed the inquiry as a U.N. Human Rights Council "kangaroo court".</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">William Schabas, a Canadian professor of international law, will head the panel whose other members are Doudou Diene, a Senegalese veteran U.N. human rights expert.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A U.N. statement said Amal Alamuddin, a British-Lebanese lawyer engaged to be married to Hollywood actor George Clooney would take part though Alamuddin later denied she would participate in the inquiry.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"I am honored to have received the offer, but given existing commitments - including eight ongoing cases - unfortunately could not accept this role," she said in a statement.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It was not clear who would replace Alamuddin on the panel.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The U.N. statement said the independent team will investigate "all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law ... in the context of the military operations conducted since 13 June 2014."</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A month of war, marked by Israeli air strikes on Gaza and rockets fired by Hamas militants into Israel, has killed 1,938 Palestinians and 67 Israelis while devastating wide tracts of densely populated Gaza.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The panel is to report by March 2015 to the U.N. Human Rights Council. Israel has long accused the 47-member state forum of bias against it.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Navi Pillay, the top U.N. human rights official, said on July 31 she believed Israel was deliberately defying international law in its military offensive in Gaza and that world powers should hold it accountable for possible war crimes.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Israel has attacked homes, schools, hospitals, Gaza's only power plant and U.N. premises in apparent violation of the Geneva Conventions, said Pillay, a former U.N. war crimes judge.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hamas militants in Gaza have violated international humanitarian law by firing rockets indiscriminately into Israel, Pillay said.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Israeli and Palestinian negotiators resumed indirect talks mediated by Egypt on Monday on ending the war, Egypt's state news agency said, after a new 72-hour truce appeared to be holding.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In a statement, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor issued a statement dismissing the inquiry. He cited Israel's view that "the Human Rights Council had long ago turned into the 'terrorist rights council' and a kangaroo court, whose 'investigations' are pre-determined."</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hamas Spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri in Gaza said "Hamas welcomes the decision to form an investigation committee into the war crimes committed by the occupation (Israel) against Gaza and it urges that it begin work as soon as possible."</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Israel is still angry about a U.N. inquiry on the December 2008-January 2009 Israeli war against Gaza, headed by South African jurist Richard Goldstone. That report said both Israel and Hamas appeared to have committed war crimes, though it was tougher on Israel.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Israel and Washington said that report was distorted and biased against Israel.</span></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 1.1em;"> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">(Additional reporting by Louis Charbonneau in New York, Eric Kelsey in Los Angeles, Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza and Ori Lewis in Jerusalem; Editing by Janet Lawrence and Andrew Hay)</span></div> </div> </div>

U.N. names panel to investigate war crimes in Gaza; Israel slams it

. Palestinians sit in a tent outside their apartments, which witnesses said were destroyed in an Israeli offensive, during a 72-hour ...

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