Threatening to sack migrant nursing staff ‘abhorrent beyond words’, says Royal College of Nursing in response to Reform UK
Responding to Reform UK plans to scrap indefinite leave to remain for migrants, RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Professor Nicola Ranger said “Threatening to sack thousands of migrant nursing staff is abhorrent beyond words. These are people who have come to the UK to care for patients and become part of our communities. They deserve so much better than this.
“The policy of retrospectively removing people’s rights in this way would be unprecedented, leaving migrant nursing staff unable to work or access welfare, despite having paid tax. It shows neither compassion nor an understanding of the fundamental role our brilliant migrant nursing staff play in health and care. Without them, services would simply cease to function.
“As the largest nursing union, we are deeply concerned by the increasingly hostile rhetoric shown towards migrants. We urge all political parties to end this race to the bottom and instead acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of those who come to the UK from overseas.”
Illegal settlers storm Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, hold prayers for slain US activist Charlie Kirk
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Scores of illegal Israeli settlers stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday and held prayers for US right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed earlier this month, Anadolu reports.
The Hebrew-language site Srugim reported that the ritual was led by far-right Rabbi and former Knesset member Yehuda Glick, a prominent advocate of expanding Jewish access to the site.
Kirk, a conservative activist known for supporting US President Donald Trump and Israel, was fatally shot in the neck while delivering a speech at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.
The official Palestinian news agency Wafa said illegal settlers entered the mosque in groups, performing rituals, singing and dancing inside the courtyards as preparations for the Jewish New Year gathered pace.
Wafa added that right-wing settler groups are mobilizing to bring larger numbers of illegal settlers into the flashpoint site during the holiday period.
On Saturday, the Israeli army said it would send reinforcements to the occupied West Bank amid heightened alert ahead of the holidays.
READ: Al-Aqsa preacher Skeikh Sarandah barred by Israel police from entering mosque after his brief arrest
According to Jerusalem’s Islamic Endowments Directorate, violations at Al-Aqsa have escalated sharply since far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir became Israel’s national security minister in late 2022.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is the world’s third-holiest site for Muslims. Jews call the area Temple Mount, claiming it was the site of two Jewish temples in ancient times.
Israel occupied East Jerusalem, where Al-Aqsa is located, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980 in a move never recognized by the international community.
Palestinians see the settler incursions into Al-Aqsa as part of efforts to Judaize East Jerusalem and erase its Arab and Islamic identity. They insist East Jerusalem is the capital of a future Palestinian state, in line with international resolutions rejecting Israel’s 1967 occupation and its 1980 annexation of the city.
Since October 2023, at least 1,042 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Gaza death toll nears 65,300 as Israel continues genocidal war against Palestinians
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At least 65,283 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, the enclave’s Health Ministry said on Sunday, Anadolu reports.
A ministry statement said that 75 bodies, including four retrieved from under the rubble, were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours, while 304 people were injured, taking the number of injuries to 166,575 in the Israeli onslaught.
“Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.
The ministry also noted that five Palestinians were killed and 24 others injured by Israeli army fire while trying to get humanitarian aid in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of Palestinians killed while seeking aid to 2,523, with more than 18,473 others wounded since Oct. 7.
Since March 18, the Israeli army has resumed its attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 12,724 people and injuring 54,534 others, shattering a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January, according to the ministry.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice over its war on the enclave.
There is a path to stop ‘genocide still happening daily before us’ in Gaza: Ex-New Zealand premier
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Amnesty International: Recognition of Palestinian state is a ‘hollow gesture’ without meaningful action to end genocide
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Amnesty’s Crisis Response Manager, Kristyan Benedict, said on Sunday that: “Recognition is no doubt significant but will be a hollow gesture if the UK does not also seek to end Israel’s genocide, illegal occupation, and system of apartheid against the Palestinian people.
Speaking in response to the UK government’s recognition of the State of Palestine Benedict said: “For recognition or any ‘political solution’ to be effective, it must be firmly rooted in respect for human rights and international justice.”
“The UK needs to take action now to ensure Israel lifts the blockade on Gaza, dismantles illegal settlements, ends apartheid, respects Palestinians’ right to return, and upholds the rights of victims on all sides to justice and full reparation.
“Words alone won’t stop the atrocities. Recognition must be tied to real accountability: the UK must halt UK arms exports, divest from arms companies that continue to sell arms to Israel, sanction Israeli officials implicated in crimes under international law and stop trade with settlements.”
A statement issued by the rights organisation emphasised: “The occupation and apartheid system must be ended, and justice must be delivered – anything less while Palestinians continue to be slaughtered by Israeli forces in an ongoing genocide is just empty words.”
READ: UK formally recognises State of Palestine, premier announces
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