[Current Affairs] 17 May, 2021 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for PPSC Test Preparation

2. Protests in solidarity with Palestinians

What’s going on? Over the weekend, people in Pakistan held protests across the country to speak out against the Israeli army’s airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. Israel’s army has been bombarding Gaza for six straight days. Solidarity marches also took place in other major cities around the world, including Los Angeles, New York, Boston, Toronto, Madrid, Lebanon, Doha, Berlin, London, Paris, and Madrid. Protests are reportedly scheduled to take place in Pakistan today as well.

The details: Since Monday, Israeli airstrikes on Gaza have killed at least 139 Palestinians, including 40 children. In the meantime, Hamas rockets fired on Israel have killed at least eight people, including one child. Israel’s Iron Dome defense system intercepted most of the rockets. Hamas is a Palestinian resistance movement that currently controls Gaza. It also has an armed wing. Israel and the US have declared Hamas a terrorist organization.

What happened over the weekend?

• An Israeli airstrike flattened a high rise building in Gaza that housed the offices of two news organizations – the Associated Press and Al Jazeera Media Network. This 11-storey building had one working elevator, around 60 residential apartments, and a number of offices. Israel’s army gave the residents an hour to evacuate. When Israel’s army launches strikes on buildings in Gaza, it usually claims to be targeting “military interests of Hamas intelligence.”

• Israeli airstrikes on the Shati refugee camp in Gaza reportedly killed 10 members of a Palestinian family (i.e. the Abu Hatab family),  including eight children. The Shati refugee camp is home to more than 85,000 refugees, who all live in a cramped, small area.

• Hamas responded to the attack on Shati refugee camp by firing  rockets towards the Israeli towns of Askhelon and Ashdod. However, there were no reported casualties.

• Ramzan restrictions: The recent round of confrontations began in April. Israeli forces restricted access to Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem, where Muslims traditionally gather during Ramzan. Israeli police said the barriers were put in place due to coronavirus restrictions. Israeli police removed the restrictions later on in response to continuous demonstrations.

• Sheikh Jarrah: Tension was still at a boiling point, because a Jewish settler group is trying to seize Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah, a neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. Palestinians are calling this “a forced expulsion,” and an illegal attempt to give Palestinian property to settler groups. However, the Jewish settler group claims Jews historically owned this land in Sheikh Jarrah before 1948. Israeli forces reportedly carried out unprovoked attacks on Palestinian demonstrators in Sheikh Jarrah.

• Al-Aqsa Mosque: Violence escalated on the last Friday of Ramzan, when Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and tried to disperse unarmed protestors and worshippers with stun grenades, rubber-coated bullets, and water cannons. In response, protesters threw stones and lit fires. Israeli police continued to raid the Al-Aqsa mosque compound over the next few days, resulting in at least 840 injured Palestinians and 21 injured Israeli police.

The bottom line: Protestors in Pakistan and around the world are demanding an end to the Israeli air raids on Gaza. Protestors believe Israel is launching a deadly assault on Palestinians in Jerusalem and Gaza. They are also looking at the lopsided death count, and arguing that the power dynamics are largely in Israel’s favor. Israel has an actual army, and an advanced air defense system that blows incoming rockets out of the sky. Israel also gets billions of dollars in military aid from the U.S.

3. Incoming tropical cyclone

A developing tropical cyclone (i.e. Cyclone Tauktae) over the Arabian Sea is reportedly heading towards Pakistan and India. On Friday CNN, said it could pose a potentially “catastrophic threat” to portions of India and Pakistan. So far, landfall location, timing, and intensity are still unclear. If the storm ends up being as strong as a major hurricane, it could cause winds over 100 mph, excess rain, and rough seas. However, on Saturday, Pakistan’s Meteorological (MET) Department said the cyclone “didn’t pose a serious threat to Pakistan’s coastal areas.” The MET Department has still forecast dust, thunderstorms, moderate to heavy rain, and gusty winds in Thatta, Sujawal, Badin, Tharparkar, Mirpur khas, Umerkot, Sanghar, Karachi, Hyderabad, Jams­horo and Shaheed Benazir­abad between May 17-20.