عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
World

Lawsuit Alleges US Failed to Evacuate Palestinian Americans Trapped in Gaza

FILE PHOTO: Palestinian houses stand badly damaged during the ongoing Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Palestinian houses stand badly damaged during the ongoing Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
TT
TT

Lawsuit Alleges US Failed to Evacuate Palestinian Americans Trapped in Gaza

FILE PHOTO: Palestinian houses stand badly damaged during the ongoing Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Palestinian houses stand badly damaged during the ongoing Israeli military operation, amid Israel-Hamas conflict, in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip, December 18, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Nine Palestinian Americans sued the US government on Thursday, alleging that it had failed to rescue them or members of their families who were trapped in Gaza where Israel's war has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis.
The lawsuit accuses the State Department of discriminating against Americans of Palestinian origin by abandoning them in a war zone and not making the same effort that it would to promptly evacuate and protect Americans of different origins in similar situations, Reuters reported.
It was the second case against the US government this week after Palestinian families sued the US State Department on Tuesday over Washington's support for Israel's military.
A US State Department spokesperson said the department does not comment on pending litigation, while adding the safety and security of American citizens around the world is a "top priority."
Thursday's lawsuit was announced by advocacy group Council on American Islamic Relations and attorney Maria Kari, and filed in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
The suit alleges the plaintiffs' right to equal protection under the US Constitution has been violated by depriving them "of the normal and typical evacuation efforts the federal government extends to Americans who are not Palestinians."
It mentions comparable instances of the US government evacuating its citizens from conflict zones such as in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Sudan and names President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as defendants.
The State Department spokesperson said the US has evacuated Americans from unsafe areas around the world, including Gaza.
Israel's war has killed over 45,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry while also sparking accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The military assault has displaced nearly Gaza's entire 2.3 million population and caused a hunger crisis.
The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Most Viewed

 
 
World

Republicans Mount a Third Attempt to Fund Government, Shutdown Imminent

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters ahead of a vote to pass the American Relief Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, December 19, 2024. (Reuters)
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters ahead of a vote to pass the American Relief Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, December 19, 2024. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Republicans Mount a Third Attempt to Fund Government, Shutdown Imminent

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters ahead of a vote to pass the American Relief Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, December 19, 2024. (Reuters)
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks to reporters ahead of a vote to pass the American Relief Act on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, December 19, 2024. (Reuters)

Republicans in the US Congress mounted a third attempt to avert a government shutdown on Friday with only hours to spare, after two previous plans were scuttled by President-elect Donald Trump and members of their own party.

Republican Representative Ralph Norman told reporters that party leaders planned to hold a vote on a third spending bill, though he did not provide details.

Others said they would not try to win over Democrats whose support likely will be needed to extend funding past midnight Friday (0500 GMT Saturday), when it is due to expire.

"We're not working with Democrats," Republican Representative Nancy Mace said.

Republicans were considering whether to simply extend the deadline for several weeks, according to a source familiar with their discussions. They also were weighing a broader package that would extend funding into March, provide disaster relief, and extend farm and food aid programs due to expire at the end of the year.

"We have a plan," House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters. "We're expecting votes this morning." House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he has been in touch with Johnson, but has not seen the latest Republican plan.

It would be the third attempt for Johnson, who saw his first package -- a bipartisan deal negotiated with Democrats who control the Senate and the White House -- collapse on Wednesday after an online fusillade of criticism by Trump and Elon Musk, his billionaire adviser.

A second package, which paired government funding and disaster aid with Trump's demand to lift the national debt limit, failed to pass the House on Thursday as Democrats and 38 Republicans voted against it.

Democrats accused Johnson of caving to pressure from an unelected billionaire, while Republican opponents said they would not vote for a package that increased government spending and cleared the way for trillions of dollars in increased debt.

Trump, who takes office in one month, overnight ratcheted up his rhetoric, calling for a five-year suspension of the US debt ceiling even after the House rejected a two-year extension.

"Congress must get rid of, or extend out to, perhaps, 2029, the ridiculous Debt Ceiling. Without this, we should never make a deal," Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform shortly after 1 a.m.

If Congress does not act, funding for everything from law enforcement to national parks will be disrupted and millions of federal workers will go unpaid. The Transportation Security Administration has warned that travelers during the busy Christmas season could face long lines at airports.

The federal government last shut down for 35 days during Trump's first White House term over a dispute about border security. Previous fights over the debt ceiling have spooked financial markets, as a US government default would send credit shocks around the world. The limit has been suspended under an agreement that technically expires on Jan. 1, though lawmakers likely would not have had to tackle the issue before the spring.