General students from several institutions, including BRAC University (BRACU), Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Daffodil International University (DIU), Dhaka University (DU), Green University of Bangladesh (GUB), Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET), and Military Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) have penned statements declaring their support for the strike.

The call for the movement emerged amidst escalating violence by the Israeli Military in Gaza.

At least 12 departments of Dhaka University, along with the Law and Fine Arts faculties, have announced abstention from classes and examinations on April 7, expressing solidarity with the global community against Israeli aggression in Gaza.

The departments and institutions calling for the boycott include the Faculty of Fine Arts, Faculty of Law, Institute of Education and Research (IER), and the departments of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE), Nuclear Engineering, Psychology, Islamic Studies, Theatre and Performance Studies, Communication Disorders, Arabic, Sociology, Political Science, Finance, and Pali and Buddhist Studies.

Several other departments of Dhaka university expressed solidarity with the global demonstrations without boycotting classes.

News source- The Daily Star

Among the first patients brought in that morning was a young boy—quiet, badly wounded, and one of the first cases operated on. “Sick, injured children who are quiet are always more concerning than those who cry or scream,” the doctor explained. “A quiet child is an unwell child.”

The hospital was overwhelmed. During the first 20 minutes, doctors spent their time pronouncing the dead—most of them children. Many of the deceased adults, especially men, were taken directly to the morgue. Women and children, however, were brought into the emergency area, where teams worked desperately to save lives.

In one especially heartbreaking moment, the doctor recalled treating three critically injured children on a single trolley—there simply weren’t enough beds. Forced to act fast, he picked up the young boy and ran up four flights of stairs to the operating room. “I didn’t trust the elevators,” he said. “There were bombings going on. I didn’t want to get stuck in an elevator with a dying child.”

The boy had internal bleeding and had already lost two or possibly three siblings. When asked if the child’s parents were still alive, the doctor said that, all too often, at least one parent was dead or severely injured.

Next to him in the ward was another child—a five- or six-year-old girl—who was the second patient he operated on that day. She had injuries to her kidney, liver, spleen, and intestines from shrapnel. “That’s what shrapnel does,” he said. “It’s high-velocity, sharp metal flying in all directions—thousands of pieces.” Days later, when she woke up, they discovered a piece of shrapnel lodged in her brain. She was completely paralyzed on the right side of her body.

He also described a one-year-old boy with abdominal injuries. When the child regained consciousness, he began calling out for his mother—who had died in the attack.

Visiting the mortuary the following day, the doctor described scenes of unimaginable horror. Two rooms, each able to hold 25 bodies, were completely full, with additional bodies and body parts lying on the floor. “At least 60 to 70 bodies,” he said. “Many were unrecognizable. Some will never be claimed, and even when they are, the family members might be dead too. They’ll be buried in unmarked mass graves.”

After a brief moment of calm in the afternoon, the doctor left the operating room to get a drink of water. Walking through the 20-bed intensive care unit, he saw every bed occupied. When he returned later that evening—around the time when patients were breaking their fast—half the beds were empty. “They had all died,” he said. “That’s the reality when you’re dealing with a mass casualty situation.”

News source- Middle East Eye

Our colleagues on the ground report this updated death toll from Israeli attacks.

Israel’s renewed assault on the enclave since March 18 comes as part of a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at forcing Hamas to renegotiate the ceasefire deal agreed upon in January.

Hamas, however, has insisted on a return to the previously agreed deal and has offered to free all the captives at once in return for a permanent ceasefire.

Eyewitnesses and local sources confirm that the settlers set fire to multiple homes, properties, and vehicles. Disturbingly, Israeli occupation soldiers were present during the attack, not to intervene, but to accompany and protect the settlers. This pattern of violence is not new, as similar incidents have been recorded repeatedly in Palestinian towns across the region.

Human rights organizations have extensively documented the ongoing settler violence. Between October 2023 and October 2024, nearly 20 Palestinian communities were forcibly displaced due to such attacks, which continue with impunity and the backing of Israeli forces.

In a related development, Israeli Defense Minister, alongside the Minister of Finance, has vowed to combat what they term as “illegal Palestinian construction” in the occupied West Bank. This move further escalates the threat of forced displacement for Palestinian residents, compounding their already precarious living conditions.

The continuous aggression against Palestinian communities highlights the urgent need for international intervention to curb the growing cycle of violence and displacement in the occupied territories.

News source- Al Jazeera

Israeli forces have kept the area under their control, while deploying quadcopters, drones and heavy machineguns along the border.

The majority of people are on the move now, seeking shelter, not necessarily in the so-called “safe zone” – supposedly as designated by the Israeli military.

We have seen in the past months how this particular zone turned into more of a death trap with many of the displaced families, including women, children, the elderly, and the sick, killed in this “safe zone”.

The Israeli forces’ evacuation orders have been proven multiple times to be arbitrary, false, misleading and contradictory.

One key issue is Netanyahu’s approach to negotiations. While there are ongoing talks between Hamas and international mediators, Netanyahu’s rhetoric appears focused on escalating the conflict rather than resolving it. Critics argue that his threats of seizing land in Gaza are more about political posturing than actual military feasibility. The United States, the Arab League, and even segments of Israel’s own political establishment see these statements as impractical unless Hamas releases Israeli hostages.

Domestically, Netanyahu’s handling of the war has drawn significant criticism. Many Israelis, including those who have served in the military for extended periods, are increasingly unwilling to return to what they see as a futile war. Some believe the conflict is no longer about national security but rather Netanyahu’s political survival. Deep divisions within Israeli society have also been exacerbated by the war, further complicating the government’s ability to unify the nation.

Beyond the battlefield, Israel’s economy is feeling the strain. The recent approval of the 2025 budget highlights these financial pressures, with $30 billion allocated to defense compared to just $25 billion for education. The international credit agency Moody’s has issued warnings about the high political risk to Israel’s economy, citing concerns over the long-term effects of the war. Rising costs of living, real estate instability, and declining foreign investment are beginning to take their toll on Israeli citizens.

Economists warn that Israel has not yet faced the full financial impact of the war. While current hardships include immediate economic downturns, the long-term consequences could be even more severe, affecting generations to come. As the war drags on, the question remains: at what cost will Netanyahu’s government continue its current course?

“A group of settlers just lynched Hamdan Ballal, co-director of our film No Other Land. They beat him and he has injuries in his head and stomach, bleeding,” Abraham said in a post.

“Soldiers invaded the ambulance he called, and took him. No sign of him since,” he added.

A video provided by the Center for Jewish Nonviolence showed a masked settler shoving and swinging his fists at two activists from the group in a dusty field at night.

The activists rush back to their car. “Get in, get in!” one shouts, and they duck inside as the thuds of rocks can be heard hitting the car.

“Car window was broken,” the driver says as they drive off.

A group of 10 to 20 masked settlers also attacked Jewish activists at the scene with stones and sticks, smashed their car windows and slashed their tyres.

“We don’t know where Hamdan is because he was taken away in a blindfold,” Josh Kimelman, one of the activists who was at the scene, told The Associated Press news agency.

The Israeli military said it was looking into the episode but did not immediately comment.

No Other Land, a collaboration between Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers, follows activist Basel Adra as he risks arrest and violence to document the destruction of his hometown, Masafer Yatta, by the Israeli military.

The film has won a string of international awards, starting at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024. It has also drawn ire in Israel and abroad, as when Miami Beach briefly proposed ending the lease of a movie theatre that screened the documentary.

News source- Al Jazeera

Among the protesters was Angelique Aper, a former Dutch civil servant who resigned in protest against her government’s support for Israel. “The situation in Gaza is on my mind, especially what has happened this week,” she said. “Despite the violence, diplomatic, political, and economic relations with Israel continue as usual. The double standards are clear.”

The UN established the International Day Against Racism in the 1960s following the Sharpeville massacre in South Africa under apartheid rule. Organizers of the Amsterdam rally emphasized that with the far right gaining influence across Europe, including in the Netherlands, it is crucial to stand against racism and discrimination.

“We want to show that the Netherlands will remain a democracy that upholds the rule of law,” one organizer stated. “We will not tolerate divisive politics, and we demand that the government resign.”

Protesters also highlighted concerns over the Dutch government’s strict immigration policies. One undocumented participant shared their fears: “I worry every day. The government treats us differently, but we are all the same.”

Beyond Amsterdam, similar protests took place in France, where thousands marched in Paris and Marseille. Demonstrators expressed concern over the rise of far-right politics and Israel’s continued military operations in Gaza.

The large turnout in Amsterdam reflected growing public frustration—not just over the Palestinian crisis, but also over broader issues of racism and threats to democracy.

News source- Al Jazeera