The Evening Wrap: Palestinians flee northern Gaza after Israel orders 1 million to evacuate

Palestinians began a mass exodus from northern Gaza Friday after Israel’s military told some 1 million people to evacuate toward the southern part of the besieged territory, an unprecedented order ahead of an expected ground invasion against the ruling Hamas militant group. The U.N. warned that so many people fleeing en masse — almost half the Gaza population — would be calamitous. Hamas, which staged a shocking and brutal attack on Israel nearly a week ago and has fired thousands of rockets since, dismissed the evacuation order as a ploy and called on people to stay in their homes. The evacuation order, which applies to GazaCity, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, sparked widespread panic among civilians and aid workers already running from Israeli airstrikes and contending with a total siege of Gaza. Israel has cut off all food, water and supplies and caused a territory-wide blackout. The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday that humanitarian organisations would not be able to assist more than a million people in Gaza who Israel has given 24 hours to evacuate to the south of the enclave. “With a military siege in place, humanitarian organisations including the ICRC will not be able to assist such a massive displacement of people in Gaza,” ICRC said in a statement. “The needs are staggering, and humanitarian organisations must be able to increase aid operations.” Meanwhile, the Red Cross has said that the Hamas attack doesn’t justify Gaza’s destruction. The massive Hamas attack on Israel cannot justify the “limitless destruction” of the Gaza Strip, the Red Cross said Friday, as Israel pounded the enclave. “Nothing can justify the horrific attacks Israel suffered last weekend... but those attacks cannot in turn justify the limitless destruction of Gaza,” the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement. Supreme Court to hear plea against seizure of laptops, phones of academicians in police raids on November 2 The Supreme Court on October 13 listed on November 2 a petition highlighting the concern expressed by the academia about the seizure of mobile phones and computers of the academia as “electronic evidence” by investigating agencies during raids. The case was orally mentioned for early hearing by senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan and advocate Prasanna S,appearing for Professors Ram Ramaswamy, Sujata Patel, M. Madhava Prasad, Mukul Kesavan and Deepak Malghan. The academicians have contended that the seizure of their personal digital devices amounted to a violation of their right to privacy and they run the risk of losing their life’s work when police carry off their computers and drives after a raid. The case resonates issues raised by recent Delhi Police raids on journalists and activists in the NewsClick case. “Members of a civilised democratic society have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Privacy is not the singular concern of journalists or social activists. Every citizen of India ought to be protected against violations of privacy. It is this expectation which enables us to exercise our choices, liberties, and freedom,” the Supreme Court had held in its judgment in the Pegasus case in October 2021. A recent letter from 16 media collectives to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) had urged the apex court to frame norms against the seizure of laptops and mobile phones of journalists on a whim. In a recent hearing in the Ram Ramaswamy case, the Bench led by Justice Kaul remarked that the academicians had a right to protect their work. “Today people live on this (personal devices),” Justice Kaul had observed orally. The Ministry of Home Affairs, in its affidavit had said that while laptops, computers and mobiles were commonly used in contemporary society, criminals also “use these devices in the facilitation of their unlawful activities”. “Today, virtually every crime has an electronic component in terms of computers and electronic technology being used to facilitate the crime,” the ministry had said. It contended that these devices may contain a host of electronic evidence related to the crime under investigation, whether it was a conventional crime or a terrorist act. Technology allows crimes to be committed remotely with near anonymity on targets which are borderless. Devices were seized “simply as material evidence related to an offence”. “No one can be treated above the law. An accused cannot claim the right to privacy when computers, tablets, laptops, mobile phones, etc, especially when it is used for committing crime or has vital information related to a crime under investigation… Digital devices have to be examined thoroughly by forensic experts,” the ministry had said. Listen to today’s episode of the In Focus podcast Does the Bihar Caste Survey point to a need for a national caste census? Earlier this month, the Bihar government published the ‘Bihar Caste-based Survey 2022’. The survey data showed that extremely backward classes (EBCs) and other backward classes (OBCs) together made up nearly 63% of the 13-crore population, making them the largest caste group in the State. The Congress has made a demand for a caste survey a core element of its poll campaign in the forthcoming assembly elections, and the INDIA alliance is likely to do the same in the 2024 general elections as well. So, what does the data of the Bihar caste survey reveal? Is the caste survey only about removing the existing caps on reservations? Is it likely that a Mandal 2.0 moment will emerge in opposition to ‘Kamandal’ politics? NewsClick row: Delhi HC refuses to interfere with the arrest of Prabir Purkayastha, Amit Chakravarty The Delhi High Court on Friday, October 13, 2023, rejected the pleas by NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty challenging their arrest and police custody in a case lodged under anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Dismissing their plea challenging the police action, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said, “The court does not find merit in both petitions.” Purkayastha and Chakravarty were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3. Earlier on October 9, the Delhi High Court reserved its verdict on pleas by NewsClick founder. Police had on August 17 registered a case under Sections 13, 16, 17, 18 and 22 of the anti-terror UAPA pertaining to unlawful activities, raising of funds for a terrorist act, threatening witness and Sections 153 A and 120 B of the IPC (promoting religious enmity between groups on grounds of religion and criminal conspiracy respectively). UAPA, financial regulations being misused to target scribes, activists, say international rights groups Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and 10 other international rights groups have jointly condemned what they termed as Indian authorities’ misuse of counter-terrorism laws, financial regulations, and other laws to “silence journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and critics of the government”. Their statement, released on Friday, comes in the wake of the recent search and seizure operations conducted against at least 46 journalists associated with NewsClick, and the subsequent arrest of the website’s editor and Human Resources head. The statement also refers to the recent sanction granted by the Delhi L-G to prosecute author Arundhati Roy in a 13-year-old case, with the human rights groups speculating that this was a reaction to Roy’s participation in protests against the NewsClick raids. The statement also highlighted the alleged targeting of activist Teesta Setalvad, the Income Tax department’s raids at the BBC’s India offices, the filing of alleged “politically motivated charges” against student activists in the Delhi riots case, the arrest and detention of Kashmiri journalists Fahad Shah and Sajad Gul and Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez, and the continued detention of Dalit, Adivasi and Bahujan activists in the Bhima Koregaon case. “The arrest and raids at NewsClick, an outlet known to criticize the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government for failing to uphold human rights, are the latest attempts by authorities to harass and intimidate independent journalists,” said the statement. It was issued by Reporters Without Borders, Committee to Protect Journalists, Front Line Defenders, International Federation of Journalists, International Service for Human Rights, and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), among others. “Since the BJP government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to power in 2014, Indian authorities have carried out an escalating crackdown on the media and civil society,” the statement said, adding that journalists and activists from minority groups are particularly at risk. The rights groups urged Indian authorities to “immediately and unconditionally” release all journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and critics arrested in politically motivated cases, drop all charges against them, and stop threatening, harassing and intimidating them, including through criminal prosecution. “They have arrested journalists on spurious terrorism and other criminal charges, and have routinely targeted critics and independent news organizations with allegations of financial irregularities. Similarly, they have used the counterterrorism law, national security laws, foreign funding laws, and income tax regulations to target and prosecute human rights defenders and peaceful protesters,” the statement said. It quoted an analysis by Amnesty International to say that despite the increased use of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), only 2.2% of the cases registered under this law from 2016 to 2019 ended in a court conviction, while 11% of cases were closed for lack of evidence. “The delay in filing charges and several acquittals in these cases show that the counterterrorism law is used to keep critics locked up for years, and send a chilling message to others who speak out, making the judicial process itself a tool for persecution and punishment,” the statement said, adding that the UN’s human rights experts have repeatedly condemned the use of UAPA to target journalists, human rights defenders, and other critics. “The government should also amend the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act to bring it in line with international human rights standards and, pending its amendment, the government should stop using it to target critics,” the groups said. Supreme Court flags issue of delay in child adoption process Terming child adoption a “human thing”, the Supreme Court on Friday flagged the issue of “great delay” in the process and said several children are awaiting adoption in hope of a better life. A bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, which was hearing two pleas including one seeking to simplify the legal process for child adoption in India, said the petitioners have said this process has virtually come to a standstill. “There is great delay which is taking place in this,” said the bench, also comprising justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. Terming it a serious issue, the bench observed if a couple in their twenties have to wait for three or four years to adopt a child, their position as parents as well as position of the child to be adopted might change due to passage of time. “Why are they (Central Adoption Resource Authority) stalling adoptions? Why CARA is not doing it. Hundreds of children are awaiting adoption in hope of a better life,” the CJI observed. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, said their affidavit in the matter is ready and they will be filing it in the apex court. “Permit us to place before the court the exercise which we have done,” she said. The bench asked Bhati to apprise the court about the number of adoptions which has taken place in the past three years compared to the number of children for adoption. An advocate, appearing for one of the petitioners, stressed on the need for simplification of the adoption process and said adoption of children with special needs is more abysmal. “Our feedback is that CARA does not allow adoption ….There are so many persons who are willing to adopt. Many of them are good people. It is a human thing,” the bench observed, while asking the ASG to discuss the issue with CARA. Referring to one of the petitions, the bench said it has been highlighted that only 4,000 adoption takes place in the country annually. One of the petitioners referred to the difficulty in the adoption process and said India has become the orphan capital of the world. The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on October 30. In April last year, the apex court had agreed to hear one of the pleas seeking to simplify the legal process for child adoption in India. It had issued notice to the Centre seeking its response while hearing a plea filed by NGO The Temple of Healing. International Olympic Committee approves cricket for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics IOC president Thomas Bach, speaking after the second day of an executive board meeting in Mumbai on October 13, said officials had accepted a proposal by LA organisers for Twenty20 cricket to be included as one of five new sports together with baseball/softball, flag football (non-contact American football), squash and lacrosse. But the final choice of which sports are on the 2028 programme will be voted on October 16 at the IOC session in Mumbai, one of the hotbeds of cricket, as India hosts the men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup. “For the IOC, it is a great opportunity to engage with new athlete and fan communities,” said Bach. “We see the growing popularity of T20 cricket and we look forward to welcoming the world’s best players to the US in 2028,” he added. Los Angeles chiefs have proposed a six-team event, in both men’s and women’s T20 cricket, with the United States set to field sides as the host nation. But no firm decision on the number of teams or how they are qualified will be taken unless and until cricket receives formal ratification on Monday. Cricket last featured at the 1900 Paris Olympics, when a team from Britain beat a side representing France. The sport has made moves towards a return to the Games for more than a decade, with the encouragement of the Olympic movement. Adding cricket to the Olympic programme is an obvious move, financially speaking. It would tap into the lucrative south Asian market, attracting fans in countries such as India and Pakistan. T20 cricket is the sport’s shortest international format. Meanwhile, the status of boxing at the 2028 Games remains uncertain after the IOC stripped the International Boxing Association of its recognition following a dispute over how the sport is governed. Boxing has been part of every Olympics since 1920 and will feature in Paris next year. “We want boxing on the programme,” said Bach. “We have no problem, with boxing or boxers -- we have a problem with the governing body.” In Brief: The caretakers of the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar have accused the Lieutenant Governor’s administration of closing the mosque, preventing Friday prayers, and placing the Kashmir Valley’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq — also chairman of the Hurriyat — under house arrest again. The move comes amid fears that protests against Palestinian deaths in the ongoing conflict would erupt after the prayers. A spokesman of the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, the caretaker body for the mosque, said that police officials had closed the gates of the mosque and conveyed that, “Friday prayers will not be allowed today”. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 13 October 2023 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Israel-Hamas war | Palestinians flee northern Gaza after Israel orders 1 million to evacuate [Palestinians began a mass exodus from northern Gaza Friday after Israel’s military told some 1 million]( people to evacuate toward the southern part of the besieged territory, an unprecedented order ahead of an expected ground invasion against the ruling Hamas militant group. The U.N. warned that so many people fleeing en masse — almost half the Gaza population — would be calamitous. Hamas, which staged a shocking and brutal attack on Israel nearly a week ago and has fired thousands of rockets since, dismissed the evacuation order as a ploy and called on people to stay in their homes. The evacuation order, which applies to GazaCity, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, sparked widespread panic among civilians and aid workers already running from Israeli airstrikes and contending with a total siege of Gaza. Israel has cut off all food, water and supplies and caused a territory-wide blackout. The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Friday that humanitarian organisations would not be able to assist more than a million people in Gaza who Israel has given 24 hours to evacuate to the south of the enclave. “With a military siege in place, humanitarian organisations including the ICRC will not be able to assist such a massive displacement of people in Gaza,” ICRC said in a statement. “The needs are staggering, and humanitarian organisations must be able to increase aid operations.” Meanwhile, the Red Cross has said that the Hamas attack doesn’t justify Gaza’s destruction. The massive Hamas attack on Israel cannot justify the “limitless destruction” of the Gaza Strip, the Red Cross said Friday, as Israel pounded the enclave. “Nothing can justify the horrific attacks Israel suffered last weekend... but those attacks cannot in turn justify the limitless destruction of Gaza,” the International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement. Supreme Court to hear plea against seizure of laptops, phones of academicians in police raids on November 2 [The Supreme Court on October 13 listed on November 2 a petition highlighting the concern expressed by the academia about the seizure of mobile phones and computers of the academia as “electronic evidence” by investigating agencies during raids.]( The case was orally mentioned for early hearing by senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan and advocate Prasanna S ,appearing for Professors Ram Ramaswamy, Sujata Patel, M. Madhava Prasad, Mukul Kesavan and Deepak Malghan. The academicians have contended that the seizure of their personal digital devices amounted to a violation of their right to privacy and they run the risk of losing their life’s work when police carry off their computers and drives after a raid. The case resonates issues raised by recent Delhi Police raids on journalists and activists in the NewsClick case. “Members of a civilised democratic society have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Privacy is not the singular concern of journalists or social activists. Every citizen of India ought to be protected against violations of privacy. It is this expectation which enables us to exercise our choices, liberties, and freedom,” the Supreme Court had held in its judgment in the Pegasus case in October 2021. A recent letter from 16 media collectives to the Chief Justice of India (CJI) had urged the apex court to frame norms against the seizure of laptops and mobile phones of journalists on a whim. In a recent hearing in the Ram Ramaswamy case, the Bench led by Justice Kaul remarked that the academicians had a right to protect their work. “Today people live on this (personal devices),” Justice Kaul had observed orally. The Ministry of Home Affairs, in its affidavit had said that while laptops, computers and mobiles were commonly used in contemporary society, criminals also “use these devices in the facilitation of their unlawful activities”. “Today, virtually every crime has an electronic component in terms of computers and electronic technology being used to facilitate the crime,” the ministry had said. It contended that these devices may contain a host of electronic evidence related to the crime under investigation, whether it was a conventional crime or a terrorist act. Technology allows crimes to be committed remotely with near anonymity on targets which are borderless. Devices were seized “simply as material evidence related to an offence”. “No one can be treated above the law. An accused cannot claim the right to privacy when computers, tablets, laptops, mobile phones, etc, especially when it is used for committing crime or has vital information related to a crime under investigation… Digital devices have to be examined thoroughly by forensic experts,” the ministry had said. Listen to today’s episode of the In Focus podcast Does the Bihar Caste Survey point to a need for a national caste census? Earlier this month, the [Bihar government published the ‘Bihar Caste-based Survey 2022’](. The survey data showed that extremely backward classes (EBCs) and other backward classes (OBCs) together made up nearly 63% of the 13-crore population, making them the largest caste group in the State. The Congress has made a demand for a caste survey a core element of its poll campaign in the forthcoming assembly elections, and the INDIA alliance is likely to do the same in the 2024 general elections as well. So, what does the data of the Bihar caste survey reveal? Is the caste survey only about removing the existing caps on reservations? Is it likely that a Mandal 2.0 moment will emerge in opposition to ‘Kamandal’ politics? NewsClick row: Delhi HC refuses to interfere with the arrest of Prabir Purkayastha, Amit Chakravarty The [Delhi High Court on Friday, October 13, 2023, rejected the pleas by NewsClick founder Prabir Purkayastha and human resources department head Amit Chakravarty challenging their arrest]( and police custody in a case lodged under anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Dismissing their plea challenging the police action, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said, “The court does not find merit in both petitions.” Purkayastha and Chakravarty were arrested by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police on October 3. Earlier on October 9, the Delhi High Court reserved its verdict on pleas by NewsClick founder. Police had on August 17 registered a case under Sections 13, 16, 17, 18 and 22 of the anti-terror UAPA pertaining to unlawful activities, raising of funds for a terrorist act, threatening witness and Sections 153 A and 120 B of the IPC (promoting religious enmity between groups on grounds of religion and criminal conspiracy respectively). UAPA, financial regulations being misused to target scribes, activists, say international rights groups [Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and 10 other international rights groups have jointly condemned what they termed as Indian authorities’ misuse of counter-terrorism laws]( financial regulations, and other laws to “silence journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and critics of the government”. Their statement, released on Friday, comes in the wake of the recent search and seizure operations conducted against at least 46 journalists associated with NewsClick, and the subsequent arrest of the website’s editor and Human Resources head. The statement also refers to the recent sanction granted by the Delhi L-G to prosecute author Arundhati Roy in a 13-year-old case, with the human rights groups speculating that this was a reaction to Roy’s participation in protests against the NewsClick raids. The statement also highlighted the alleged targeting of activist Teesta Setalvad, the Income Tax department’s raids at the BBC’s India offices, the filing of alleged “politically motivated charges” against student activists in the Delhi riots case, the arrest and detention of Kashmiri journalists Fahad Shah and Sajad Gul and Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez, and the continued detention of Dalit, Adivasi and Bahujan activists in the Bhima Koregaon case. “The arrest and raids at NewsClick, an outlet known to criticize the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government for failing to uphold human rights, are the latest attempts by authorities to harass and intimidate independent journalists,” said the statement. It was issued by Reporters Without Borders, Committee to Protect Journalists, Front Line Defenders, International Federation of Journalists, International Service for Human Rights, and Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA), among others. “Since the BJP government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, came to power in 2014, Indian authorities have carried out an escalating crackdown on the media and civil society,” the statement said, adding that journalists and activists from minority groups are particularly at risk. The rights groups urged Indian authorities to “immediately and unconditionally” release all journalists, human rights defenders, activists, and critics arrested in politically motivated cases, drop all charges against them, and stop threatening, harassing and intimidating them, including through criminal prosecution. “They have arrested journalists on spurious terrorism and other criminal charges, and have routinely targeted critics and independent news organizations with allegations of financial irregularities. Similarly, they have used the counterterrorism law, national security laws, foreign funding laws, and income tax regulations to target and prosecute human rights defenders and peaceful protesters,” the statement said. It quoted an analysis by Amnesty International to say that despite the increased use of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), only 2.2% of the cases registered under this law from 2016 to 2019 ended in a court conviction, while 11% of cases were closed for lack of evidence. “The delay in filing charges and several acquittals in these cases show that the counterterrorism law is used to keep critics locked up for years, and send a chilling message to others who speak out, making the judicial process itself a tool for persecution and punishment,” the statement said, adding that the UN’s human rights experts have repeatedly condemned the use of UAPA to target journalists, human rights defenders, and other critics. “The government should also amend the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act to bring it in line with international human rights standards and, pending its amendment, the government should stop using it to target critics,” the groups said. Supreme Court flags issue of delay in child adoption process Terming child adoption a “human thing”, the [Supreme Court on Friday flagged the issue of “great delay” in the process and said several children are awaiting adoption in hope of a better life](. A bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, which was hearing two pleas including one seeking to simplify the legal process for child adoption in India, said the petitioners have said this process has virtually come to a standstill. “There is great delay which is taking place in this,” said the bench, also comprising justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra. Terming it a serious issue, the bench observed if a couple in their twenties have to wait for three or four years to adopt a child, their position as parents as well as position of the child to be adopted might change due to passage of time. “Why are they (Central Adoption Resource Authority) stalling adoptions? Why CARA is not doing it. Hundreds of children are awaiting adoption in hope of a better life,” the CJI observed. Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, said their affidavit in the matter is ready and they will be filing it in the apex court. “Permit us to place before the court the exercise which we have done,” she said. The bench asked Bhati to apprise the court about the number of adoptions which has taken place in the past three years compared to the number of children for adoption. An advocate, appearing for one of the petitioners, stressed on the need for simplification of the adoption process and said adoption of children with special needs is more abysmal. “Our feedback is that CARA does not allow adoption ….There are so many persons who are willing to adopt. Many of them are good people. It is a human thing,” the bench observed, while asking the ASG to discuss the issue with CARA. Referring to one of the petitions, the bench said it has been highlighted that only 4,000 adoption takes place in the country annually. One of the petitioners referred to the difficulty in the adoption process and said India has become the orphan capital of the world. The bench has posted the matter for further hearing on October 30. In April last year, the apex court had agreed to hear one of the pleas seeking to simplify the legal process for child adoption in India. It had issued notice to the Centre seeking its response while hearing a plea filed by NGO The Temple of Healing. International Olympic Committee approves cricket for 2028 Los Angeles Olympics [IOC president Thomas Bach, speaking after the second day of an executive board meeting in Mumbai on October 13, said officials had accepted a proposal by LA organisers for Twenty20 cricket to be included as one of five new sports together with baseball/softball, flag football (non-contact American football), squash and lacrosse.]( But the final choice of which sports are on the 2028 programme will be voted on October 16 at the IOC session in Mumbai, one of the hotbeds of cricket, as India hosts the men’s 50-over Cricket World Cup. “For the IOC, it is a great opportunity to engage with new athlete and fan communities,” said Bach. “We see the growing popularity of T20 cricket and we look forward to welcoming the world’s best players to the US in 2028,” he added. Los Angeles chiefs have proposed a six-team event, in both men’s and women’s T20 cricket, with the United States set to field sides as the host nation. But no firm decision on the number of teams or how they are qualified will be taken unless and until cricket receives formal ratification on Monday. Cricket last featured at the 1900 Paris Olympics, when a team from Britain beat a side representing France. The sport has made moves towards a return to the Games for more than a decade, with the encouragement of the Olympic movement. Adding cricket to the Olympic programme is an obvious move, financially speaking. It would tap into the lucrative south Asian market, attracting fans in countries such as India and Pakistan. T20 cricket is the sport’s shortest international format. Meanwhile, the status of boxing at the 2028 Games remains uncertain after the IOC stripped the International Boxing Association of its recognition following a dispute over how the sport is governed. Boxing has been part of every Olympics since 1920 and will feature in Paris next year. “We want boxing on the programme,” said Bach. “We have no problem, with boxing or boxers -- we have a problem with the governing body.” In Brief: The [caretakers of the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar have accused the Lieutenant Governor’s administration of closing the mosque]( preventing Friday prayers, and placing the Kashmir Valley’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq — also chairman of the Hurriyat — under house arrest again. The move comes amid fears that protests against Palestinian deaths in the ongoing conflict would erupt after the prayers. A spokesman of the Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid, the caretaker body for the mosque, said that police officials had closed the gates of the mosque and conveyed that, “Friday prayers will not be allowed today”. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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