October 4, 2024

*) Some 100 US doctors reject Israel’s claim of Hamas misusing Gaza hospitals A group of 99 American physicians and medical professionals have said they saw no signs of Hamas activity in hospitals, calling on the Biden administration to immediately cease support for Israel. In a letter sent to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris the group of doctors shared their firsthand experiences of the dire humanitarian conditions saying they had "witnessed crimes beyond comprehension." Doctors said in the letter that Israel's "continued, repeated" displacement of the malnourished and sick population of Gaza, half of whom are children, to areas without running water or even toilets available is "absolutely shocking." *) US backs Israel’s invasion of Lebanon as bombs rattle Beirut The Biden administration believes it is appropriate for Israel to continue with its ground and air attacks on Lebanon for now, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. Miller said the nature of all conflicts was "fluid" and "unpredictable" and therefore it was impossible to say how long it would take Israel to achieve its stated goal of clearing Hezbollah infrastructure. *) Death toll from Helene that tore through southeast US tops 200 More than 210 people are now confirmed dead after Hurricane Helene carved a path of destruction through several US states, officials said, making it the second deadliest storm to hit the US mainland in more than half a century. The storm flooded towns and cities, made countless roads impassable, knocked out power and water service, and left communities shell-shocked as they grappled with the start of a years-long recovery effort. A compilation of official figures confirms 212 fatalities across North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia. *) Arab Americans unimpressed by Harris' outreach Arab Americans from various walks of life have voiced their disapproval of US Vice President Kamala Harris' latest attempt to reconnect with the minority community ahead of the 2024 elections. TRT World spoke with more than a dozen community members who voiced their sentiment in clear terms — it's simply not enough. As the presidential race intensifies, Harris' campaign finds itself scrambling to repair damaged ties with Muslim and Arab American voters, many of whom feel deeply disappointed by the administration's support for Israel's war on Palestinians in besieged Gaza. *) Netanyahu bugged my private toilet — Boris Johnson Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has alleged that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has bugged his private living quarters on at least one occasion in 2017. Johnson shared excerpts of his forthcoming memoir, "Unleashed" , to daily Telegraph. In his book, which is set to be released on October 10, he writes, "Thither Bibi repaired for a while, and it may or may not be a coincidence but I am told that later, when they were doing a regular sweep for bugs, they found a listening device in the thunderbox." When pressed byTelegraph for more details on the alleged bugging, Johnson deflected, encouraging them to read his memoir upon its release for further revelations.