humanitarian assignment denied

HUMANITARIAN/EXCEPTIONAL FAMILY MEMBER REASSIGNMENT/DEFERMENT PROGRAMS

The following information is provided to help you better understand the subject programs and what, if any, options are available if you desire consideration under either program.

HUMANITARIAN REASSIGNMENT/DEFERMENT PROGRAM : This program is designed to assist you in providing assistance to your extended family when short term problems arise that are not resolvable without your presence. Situations that warrant approval of a humanitarian request include those based on the terminal illness of an extended family member (siblings do not normally qualify), financial hardship not as a result of overextension or misuse of your military pay (i.e., loss of home/possessions through fire/theft/natural disaster), to complete adoptions, recent death of a spouse or child (member must apply within 6 months of death), sexual abuse/assault of a dependent, child abandonment, or to establish/operate an effective family advocacy program. Our tasking under this program is to place you at the closest location to the family member(s) in need. Retraining may be utilized to accomplish this.

EXCEPTIONAL FAMILY MEMBER REASSIGNMENT/DEFERMENT PROGRAM (EFMP) : This program is designed to ensure your dependents receive any special medical or educational care they require at your present and projected accompanied assignment locations. Enrollment in the program is mandatory, however, reassignment or deferment under the program is voluntary. Enrollment is accomplished by the EFMP office located in the medical treatment facility at your base of assignment. Once you are enrolled, the AFPC medical staff will load an Assignment Limitation Code Q into PDS. When you are selected for reassignment, this code generates a printout at base level notifying the local EFMP officer that the availability of services for the exceptional family member(s) needs to be coordinated prior to you proceeding on the assignment.

Regrettably, we do not have the resources to let you know whether services are available for your exceptional family member prior to your selection for assignment. In order for the system to work as it is designed, you are selected for assignment first, then services are coordinated at base-level (medical treatment facility to medical treatment facility) via processing of an AF Form 1466. If it is determined services for the exceptional family member are not available at the projected location, it is your responsibility to submit an application IAW AFI 36-2110, Atch 7, if you desire consideration under this program.

If you are enrolled in the EFMP and selected for reassignment to an overseas location, the following options apply:

a. If selected for a long tour regardless of volunteer status and dependent travel is denied based on nonavailability of special education services (or any medical service that impacts the child's ability to be educated, i.e., speech therapy, occupational therapy), you will be released and the assignment canceled. This is mandated by public law, not Air Force policy. However, if a pinpointed assignment is made available, and you were selected as the most eligible nonvolunteer, you will be required to proceed to the pinpointed assignment. (NOTE: A pinpointed assignment is an alternate location identified by the command surgeon as having available services. It is the resource manager’s decision whether or not manning supports diverting you to the alternate location.) If you have been selected as the most eligible nonvolunteer and the assignment is to a split-tour (remote) area, where the unaccompanied tour length is 15 months or less and dependent travel is denied, you are required to proceed unaccompanied.

b. If selected for a long tour as a volunteer and dependent travel is denied based on nonavailability of general medical services, you may request release from the assignment through the appropriate resource manager.

c. If selected for a long tour as the most eligible nonvolunteer and dependent travel is denied based on nonavailability of general medical services, you may volunteer for a short tour. If there are no current or projected short tour requirements available, you will be required to serve the unaccompanied tour length at the projected overseas location.

Under both programs, deferment is normally for a period of 12 months. You may apply for an extension if the problem continues to exist, however, extensions are normally only for a 6-month period, except in the case of terminal illness of a parent, in which case you may receive a 12-month extension (total deferment not to exceed 24 months).

When you are reassigned under the Humanitarian Program, you are deferred from reassignment and extended TDY (in excess of 30 days) for 12 months from date arrived station. Reassignment under the EFMP defers you from selection for PCS for 12 months, but does not provide for deferment from extended TDY. If you are reassigned under EFMP and require deferment from extended TDY, you must submit a separate application for such consideration. If approved, the Humanitarian/EFMP Assignments Branch will direct the requesting MPF to update DAC 44 for a specified period (not to exceed 12 months).

It's important to understand reassignment/deferment consideration under these programs is not automatic. The member must submit a formal application for consideration IAW AFI 36-2110, Atch 7. Additionally, these are not base of preference programs. Humanitarian reassignments are driven by the location of the reason for the request, while EFMP reassignments are driven by needs of the Air Force and availability of special services.

REASONS HUMANITARIAN APPLICATIONS ARE MOST OFTEN DISAPPROVED

The approval authority will not approve your application for reassignment or deferment if the problem might exist for an indefinite period or you base your request on one of the following circumstances:

·          Threatened separation, divorce action, or the desire to pursue child custody.

·          A single parent’s desire to make or facilitate either short or long-term child care arrangements.

·          Psycho neurosis (such as various psychic or mental disorders characterized by special combinations of anxieties, compulsions, obsessions, phobias, and motor or sensory manifestations) resulting from family separation incident to military assignment.

·          Climatic conditions or geographical areas adversely affecting a family member’s health, and the problem is of a recurring nature (for example, asthma, allergies). An exception to this is when continued presence in such an environment is clearly life threatening.

·          Normal pregnancy, possible miscarriage, breech birth, cesarean sections, or RH blood factor.

·          The existence of a housing shortage or home ownership problems.

·          A financial problem, to include bankruptcy, resulting from over extension of military income.

·          A financial or management problem related to off-duty employment, the spouse’s employment, private business activities, or settling estates.

·          Passport or visa problems involving newly acquired dependents in the overseas area.

·          A desire to provide emotional or domiciliary support to a parent or parent-in-law due to age, nonterminal or chronic illness, or recent death in the family.

·          The problem existed or was reasonably foreseeable at the time of latest entry on active duty or prior to departure on PCS. For airmen, reenlistment, without a break in service, is not the latest entry on active duty.

·          A consecutive PCS or deferment based on the continuation of the same circumstances.

·          A request based on the medical condition of the Air Force member.

·          To receive preferred medical treatment when adequate treatment is available at the current or projected PDS.

·          If you falsified or omitted information on an AF Form 1466. Unless your presence is essential, your dependents will return to the CONUS and you will complete the overseas tour length prescribed based on your status.

REASONS WHY EFMP APPLICATIONS ARE MOST OFTEN DISAPPROVED

·          The approval authority will not reassign or defer you for the following circumstances:

·          Reassignment from the CONUS to overseas for the sole purpose of establishing an EFMP.

·          Reassignment based on the availability of a free or lower cost program in an area other than where you are currently assigned (unless significant financial hardship is being incurred).

·          Your dependent is in an institution, unless institution officials certify your frequent and regular visits will benefit your dependent, or if admittance to or retention in the institution requires establishing, continuing, or renewing, state residency.

·          The disability is due to a short-term illness or injury, or when the prognosis for complete recovery is satisfactory without the benefit of reassignment or deferment.

·          Climatic conditions or geographical areas adversely affecting a family member’s health, and the problem recurs and the environment is clearly life threatening.

·          Reassignment in order to establish or continue an EFMP based on the availability of a preferred or optimal program in an area other than where currently assigned when adequate facilities or services can be, or are provided. Also, you can not have an EFMP deferment to pursue a preferred or optimal program.

·          If you caused or contributed to the commission of an AF Form 1466 violation, either by falsifying or omitting information. Unless your presence is essential, your dependents will return to the CONUS and you will complete the overseas tour length prescribed based on your status. 

GOVERNING DIRECTIVES: The following Department of Defense and Air Force directives and instructions apply to Humanitarian and EFMP assignments and deferments:

DODD 1010.13 DODD 1315.7 DODD 1342.12 DODD 1342.14 AFI 36-2110 AFI 36-3020 AFI 40-301

HUMANITARIAN/EXCEPTIONAL FAMILY MEMBER PROGRAM FAQ

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AF Humanitarian Reassignment and Deferment Program

The Humanitarian Reassignment and Deferment Program, run by the Air Force Personnel Center (AFPC), assists active-duty Airmen in resolving severe, short-term problems involving a family member while Airmen continue to meet the needs of the Air Force. A reassignment or deferment is a one-time action to resolve a critical problem with a family member, normally 12 within months. The definition of 'family member' is limited to spouse, child, parents, or other persons actually residing in the household who are dependent on the Airman for more than half of their financial support. For more information, Airmen can chat with a personnel specialist live on myPers . Click on the Humanitarian/EFMP link under 'Assignment Programs' on the active-duty myPers Assignment landing page, hover the mouse cursor for 30 seconds and a chat window will appear.

For more Air Force news, visit the Military.com Air Force section . For more military family support resources, visit the Military.com Spouse and Family section .

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Humanitarian assignments considered for Airmen in time of need

Today’s American Airmen do the impossible every day. They pursue their mission with excellence and integrity to become leaders and warriors, providing help to a world in need. However, even Airmen need help at times, especially if an acute problem occurs with a family member. The Humanitarian Reassignment and Deferment Program, run by the Air Force Personnel Center, assists active-duty Airmen in resolving severe, short-term problems involving a family member while Airmen continue to meet the needs of the Air Force. “The spirit and intent of the program is to place the Airman at the closest location to where the problem exists,” said Kimberly Schuler, Chief, Humanitarian Assignment Policy. “Typically, a reassignment or deferment is a one-time action to resolve a critical problem with a family member within a reasonable period of time, normally 12 months.” The definition of “family member” for the Humanitarian Program is limited to spouse; child; parents, to include in-laws and stepparents; person in loco parentis; or other persons actually residing in the household who are dependent on the Airman for more than half of their financial support. “We often get asked about siblings,” Schuler said. “That’s always a tough one because siblings aren’t within the scope of the definition of ‘family member.’ However, if the sibling is terminally ill, we’ll look at the request as an exception to policy.” In a case that requires a long-term solution, an Airman would have to look at other options, she said. “The Humanitarian Program is a temporary solution to a short-term problem and the Air Force is unable to consider a permanent or prolonged deferment.” The Comptroller General has ruled that the Air Force cannot make moves at government expense based solely on humanitarian reasons. The reassignment or deferment must be to meet Air Force mission needs in addition to helping the Airman. Therefore, a valid vacancy must exist at the gaining base and the Airman must meet retainability requirements for a permanent change of station. Schuler’s team in AFPC’s Military Assignment Programs Branch, along with a team of six case managers in the Assignment Support Section and 11 Total Force Service Center Assignment Technicians processes approximately 1,000 requests annually to expedite assistance to Airmen in need. Humanitarian reassignment or deferment is not limited to a single reason. Circumstances can include the terminal illness of a family member, the death of an Airman’s spouse or child, the sexual assault of the Airman’s spouse or child, or issues involving a serious financial impact such as the loss of property through fire or natural disaster. “The reason doesn’t have to fit into a box,” Schuler said. In each situation, the AFPC Medical Review Board or the AFPC Administrative Law Office reviews requests for verification of clinical data submitted with an application or for the verification of legal documentation. Careful consideration goes into the adjudication of each request, as these Airmen are normally in a crisis and deserve the most compassionate eyes possible on their situation. “It’s not just personnelists making the decision,” Schuler said. “It’s a whole system of checks and balances. The entire team looks at the whole-person concept. We look at each situation as if we were in that Airman’s shoes and view the circumstances with empathy and kindness.” Missing documentation can delay the process, which is normally about two to four weeks. Schuler said the more supporting documentation the Airman can provide about every aspect of the situation, the better, as it paints a clearer picture of the scope of the problem. Burden of proof is on the member to prove that their situation is more than what an average Airman is going through. “Everyone has a tipping point, so we weigh everything—everything—happening in that Airman’s life to determine the best course of action,” she said. Currently, 2,916 Airmen are directly benefiting from humanitarian assignments at bases across the Air Force. However, if the Airman’s application does not meet the threshold for an approval under the Humanitarian Program, the case managers take the extra step to research if the Airman may be eligible for another alternative assignment option. “Perhaps the Airman can apply for a Base of Preference or a follow-on assignment,” Schuler said. “Or maybe they don’t meet the requirements right now, but if something changes, they can reapply. We try to manage their expectations and provide resources instead of just simply saying, ‘Denied.’” Schuler’s team is also working on improvements to the application process to make it more intuitive. Two efficiencies they would like to implement include a “delivery” status bar, visible to customers in the virtual Military Personnel Flight, and a defined set of statuses with detailed explanations of the application process. To help Airmen navigate those resources, Schuler’s team hosts recurring webcasts on the Humanitarian Reassignment and Deferment Program. The next webinar (https://conference.apps.mil/webconf/Humanitarian) for all Airman is scheduled for Sept. 27 at 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Additionally, Airmen can chat with a personnel specialist live on myPers (https://mypers.af.mil/) about the humanitarian program between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CDT. To access the chat feature, click on the Humanitarian/EFMP link under “Assignment Programs” on the active-duty myPers Assignment landing page, hover the mouse cursor for 30 seconds and a chat window will appear. For more information about Air Force personnel programs, visit myPers (https://mypers.af.mil/). Individuals who do not have a myPers account can request one by following these instructions (http://www.afpc.af.mil/myPers). – 30 –

Israel accused in world court of trying to 'destroy Palestinian life': Updates

South Africa asked the top international court Thursday to order a halt to the Rafah offensive, accused Israel of genocide and said the country's war effort "must be stopped" to protect the Palestinian people.

South Africa’s legal representatives at the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, said Israel's shutdown of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom border crossings have plunged Gaza into "unprecedented levels of humanitarian need." They demanded Israel completely withdraw from Rafah, a city of 250,000 before the war that swelled to more than 1 million as refugees fled fighting elsewhere in Gaza.

“From the onset, Israel's intent was always to destroy Palestinian life and to wipe them off the face of the earth," said South African law professor Max du Plessis. "Rafah is the final stand."

Israel will provide a response in court Friday. Israeli officials have previously denied in court claims the country's military campaign violates the 1949 Genocide Convention, arguing that it stepped up efforts to provide humanitarian aid for Gaza in accordance with previous court orders.

The court's rulings and orders are binding, but it has no way to enforce them. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly claimed Israel is defending itself after the Hamas-led attack Oct. 7 that resulted in almost 1,200 deaths and the seizing of more than 250 hostages.

Egypt rips Israel: Says nation is deflecting blame for Gaza crisis

Developments:

∎ The Arab League called for a U.N. peacekeeping force in Gaza. The “Manama Declaration” issued by the 22-member bloc meeting in Bahrain said the force is needed until a two-state solution is implemented.

∎ On back-to-back nights, including Thursday, Israeli settlers physically assaulted and injured truck drivers in the occupied West Bank under the belief they were delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza, the Times of Israel reported, citing Hebrew media reports. Also Thursday, Canada sanctioned what it called four "extremist Israeli settlers'' for acts of violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

∎ The World Food Program said it is providing hot meals to thousands of families in central Gaza, but that remaining stocks of food parcels will run out within days. And distributions in Rafah have "come to a halt," the agency said.

∎ Israeli forces killed three men in raids across the occupied West Bank on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, during a search of money-changing shops, the Palestinian Health Ministry and Palestinian officials said.

US-built Gaza pier: Aid delivery to population isolated by war starting

More aid goes into Gaza, but misery lingers

The number of aid trucks entering Gaza, which had dwindled substantially since Israel began its so-called limited military operation in Rafah last week, has increased recently at President Joe Biden's urging, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday.

Still, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said moments before that the humanitarian situation in the territory continues to deteriorate, and travel and the flow of desperately needed fuel have "come to a complete halt." Israel said on the X platform that 20,000 gallons of fuel were brought in Thursday.

More than 7,000 trucks carrying humanitarian assistance have gone into Gaza since April 5, Jean-Pierre said. That's an average of 180 a day, considerably below the 500 that were common before the war. Jean-Pierre said trucks are entering through the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south and a new one, Erez West in the north, but that operations through the critical Rafah access point remain limited.

"We need to get more aid into Gaza because we know how dire the humanitarian situation is," she said. "We have seen some progress; we need to get more in."

In its daily update Wednesday, the United Nations said the "number of drivers and trucks cleared by Israel to use (the road to Kerem Shalom) is insufficient to meet demand, causing delays and fewer aid deliveries than planned.''

Contributing: Francesca Chambers

Netanyahu to confront Defense Minister Gallant about his Gaza comments

Netanyahu said Thursday he'll have a talk with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who warned the previous day that he would stand in the way of Israel establishing a military or civil government in Gaza after the war, comments that defied the prime minister's expressed plans.

If Netanyahu intends to fire Gallant for the apparent insubordination, he'll get popular opposition. A survey by Israel's Channel 12 revealed 60% of respondents are against Gallant getting fired, compared to 23% in favor.

Speaking on television Wednesday, Gallant said Netanyahu should make a public commitment for Israel not to play a role in ruling Gaza after Hamas has been driven away, suggesting it would be better for Palestinians and "international actors'' to take over the territory's government, according to the Times of Israel .

During a meeting with reporters near the Gaza border Thursday, Netanyahu was asked whether he and Gallant − two of three voting members of Israel's War Cabinet, along with Benny Gantz − could still work together. According to the Times , he responded: “If you’re talking about what the defense minister said yesterday, then what I have to say to him I’ll first say one-on-one, and not here.”

Netanyahu, who said that meeting would take place soon, already fired Gallant once in March 2023 when the defense minister raised concerns about the impact of a judicial overhaul Netanyahu pushed for. After an outcry, Gallant was brought back.

5 Israeli soldiers killed in friendly fire tank attack

Five Israeli soldiers were killed and seven wounded in a northern Gaza incident when Israeli tanks fired shells "for unclear reasons" at a building being used by Israeli troops, the military announced Thursday. An initial investigation revealed the tanks, a few dozens yards from the building, identified a weapon and fired at least two shells, the military said in a statement. Officials were investigating "why the shells were fired and if the soldiers were mistaken for armed militants." The soldiers who died were all ages 20 to 22.

The incident took place in an area of northern Gaza initially cleared of Hamas militants early in the war. In recent days, however, Israeli forces have returned to face fierce fighting around Gaza City and the Jabalia refugee camp, raising doubts about Israel's progress in eliminating Hamas from the enclave.

Early Thursday, the Israeli military announced another issue, an "operational accident as a result of a munitions explosion in military territory" where forces were stationed in Israel less than a mile from Gaza. There was no immediate report on casualties, and the military said that incident was under investigation.

Egyptian leader says Israel has no interest in cease-fire deal

Israel is stalling to avoid all efforts to reach a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, and Arab leaders and the international community must unite to protect the future of all Palestinians, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said Thursday. El-Sisi, speaking at the Arab League Summit in Bahrain, said the region is facing a defining moment and must choose between peace and stability or "chaos and destruction." Egypt, Qatar and the U.S. have led mediation efforts that so far have failed to reach a cease-fire agreement since a weeklong truce in November.

“We are facing the absence of a genuine international political will to end the occupation and address the root-causes of the conflict through the two-state solution,” El-Sisi said. “All the future generations of Palestine and Israel deserve to live in a region where justice thrives, peace prevails and security reigns."

Netanyahu, who has opposed a two-state solution, says Israel has the right to defend itself and has pledged to continue the military effort until Hamas is crushed.

Aid to begin flowing through US-built pier

The Pentagon has built a pier in Gaza after a two-month effort and aid is expected to begin flowing within days, Solani Korde, a senior official with the U.S. Agency for Development, said Thursday. Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, acknowledged land routes are the most efficient means of getting aid to civilians in Gaza who face dire food shortages. Border closures and tight security demanded by Israel have severely limited the flow of aid along land routes.

The new pier was fixed to the shore early Thursday, and about 500 tons of aid are staged for delivery in the next few days, Cooper said.

"Trucks carrying humanitarian assistance are expected to begin moving ashore in the coming days," Central Command said in a statement. "The United Nations will receive the aid and coordinate its distribution into Gaza."

− Tom Vanden Brook

Pentagon begins building floating pier: Will ferry humanitarian aid to Gaza

Israel to send more troops into Rafah

Israel forces are "wearing down" Hamas resistance in Rafah and more Israel troops will join the ground operation, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Thursday.

"This operation will continue with additional forces," Gallant said in a statement. "Several tunnels in the area have been destroyed by our forces and more tunnels will be destroyed soon." He said Hamas is unable to "regenerate itself" because it has no reserves, no ability to manufacture weapons, no supplies or ammunition.

Hamas "has no ability to properly treat terrorists who are injured, and this means that we are wearing it down," Gallant said.

Israel, Egypt clash over fate of Rafah border crossing

Egypt has rejected an Israeli proposal for reopening the Rafah border crossing between Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip and to manage its future operation, two Egyptian security sources told Reuters. Among concerns: Egypt demands that Palestinians manage the border after Israel's withdrawal. Israel is unwilling to relinquish control amid concerns that Hamas could regain influence in the enclave.

The Rafah crossing had been a main conduit for humanitarian aid entering Gaza. Egypt blames the current border shutdown on the Israeli military operation amid concerns the Sinai will be overwhelmed with refugees fleeing Gaza. Israel says it is willing to open the border for civilians who want to flee the fighting.

The U.N. and international aid agencies say the closures of the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings have essentially severed the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Contributing: Reuters

U.S. tells Israel: Connect Gaza operation to political strategy

National security adviser Jake Sullivan met Benjamin Netanyahu as war cabinet member Benny Gantz threatens to quit over the lack of a postwar plan for Gaza.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan reaffirmed to senior Israeli officials Sunday a need for the government to “connect its military operations [in Gaza] to a political strategy” to ensure a lasting defeat of Hamas , a complete hostage release and a better future for the enclave, the White House said.

Sullivan, who met in Israel with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi, also proposed “a series of concrete measures” to ensure more aid enters Gaza, the White House said in a statement , and discussed steps for a more effective system to protect humanitarian workers delivering that aid.

Sullivan traveled to Israel after meeting in Saudi Arabia with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The pair “reviewed the strategic relations between the two countries,” the state-run Saudi Press Agency said , and discussed needs for more humanitarian aid in Gaza and a path to a two-state solution for Palestinians.

The Biden administration is eager to complete a deal with Saudi Arabia that would cool regional tensions — but it’s unclear what form it might take. U.S. officials once hoped for a regional deal in which Saudi Arabia would recognize Israel and that would include a Palestinian state. But as negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza have faltered, so, too, have hopes of a larger diplomatic settlement.

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Netanyahu opposes Palestinian statehood, but he has not identified an alternative that would allow Israeli forces to secure military gains on the ground in Gaza and eventually withdraw from the territory. Some Arab countries have suggested that a Palestinian unity government should assume responsibility for security in Gaza, but after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas refused to step down, plans to revamp the authority also appeared to have stalled.

Netanyahu faces an ultimatum from war cabinet member Benny Gantz that threatens to destabilize his fragile coalition government. Gantz warned Saturday that he would resign from the cabinet if it was unable to draft and approve a postwar plan for Gaza, including the return of hostages, the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip and an alternative to Hamas rule, by June 8. Netanyahu said Gantz’s demands would mean a defeat for Israel and an end to the war, Israeli media reported.

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), speaking before Israel’s parliament Sunday, criticized President Biden for blocking arms deliveries to Israel and called on Washington to supply whatever is necessary for the Israeli military “to achieve total victory.”

“There is no excuse for an American president to block aid to Israel,” she said. Biden’s threat this month to halt U.S. offensive weapons to Israel if it moves ahead with its invasion of Rafah drew GOP criticism. In her speech, Stefanik presented the Republican Party as the true allies of Israel, and described Israel’s offensive against Hamas as a “just war.”

Stefanik also praised the policies of former president Donald Trump , including decisions to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and to cut off funding to the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

Here’s what to know

The Israel Defense Forces said it was continuing its multiday operation in Jabalya, a refugee camp in northern Gaza. Doctors working at al-Awda Hospital there said that Israeli troops were surrounding the facility. “We are now totally besieged,” Bakr Abusafeya told The Washington Post on Sunday. He said that hospital staff were unable to leave the facility out of fear they might be attacked “by drones that are firing at every moving object.” The IDF said in response that “we cannot comment as to the location of our forces.” World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the situation “deeply worrisome.”

An Israeli airstrike struck a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least 31 people , according to Mahmoud Bassal, a spokesman for Gaza’s civil defense responders. At least 20 people were injured in the attack, he said, with searches ongoing. The IDF told The Post that it was operating in the camp to dismantle Hamas capabilities and that it “follows international law and takes feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm.” Its statement did not mention reports of casualties.

Nearly 800,000 Palestinians have been forced to flee Rafah since May 6 after Israel launched a military operation, Philippe Lazzarini , the head of UNRWA, said Saturday. The designated humanitarian zones, he said, are ill-equipped to handle the influx. “No place is safe. No one is safe,” he added.

The IDF said it recovered the body of Israeli hostage Ron Benjamin , who was killed during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and whose body was subsequently taken to Gaza. Benjamin, 53, was a father of two and was out for a bicycle ride with friends near Kibbutz Beeri when he was killed, the IDF said. On Friday, the IDF said it recovered the bodies of three more hostages in Gaza: Shani Louk, 22; Amit Esther Bouskila, 28; and Itzhak Gelerenter, 58. The three were killed on Oct. 7, it said.

At least 35,456 people have been killed and 79,476 injured in Gaza since the war began, according to the Gaza Health Ministry , which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority of the dead are women and children. Israel estimates that about 1,200 people were killed in Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, including more than 300 soldiers, and says 282 soldiers have been killed since the launch of its military operation in Gaza.

Lior Soroka and Sammy Westfall contributed to this report.

Israel-Gaza war

The Israel-Gaza war has gone on for six months, and tensions have spilled into the surrounding region .

The war: On Oct. 7, Hamas militants launched an unprecedented cross-border attack on Israel that included the taking of civilian hostages at a music festival . (See photos and videos of how the deadly assault unfolded ). Israel declared war on Hamas in response, launching a ground invasion that fueled the biggest displacement in the region since Israel’s creation in 1948 .

Gaza crisis: In the Gaza Strip, Israel has waged one of this century’s most destructive wars , killing tens of thousands and plunging at least half of the population into “ famine-like conditions. ” For months, Israel has resisted pressure from Western allies to allow more humanitarian aid into the enclave .

U.S. involvement: Despite tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and some U.S. politicians , including President Biden, the United States supports Israel with weapons , funds aid packages , and has vetoed or abstained from the United Nations’ cease-fire resolutions.

History: The roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and mistrust are deep and complex, predating the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 . Read more on the history of the Gaza Strip .

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Court pulls up Mumbai civic body for denying maternity leave to doctor on contract job

The bombay high court said, on humanitarian grounds, the corporation should have ensured that such petitions did not reach the court..

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The Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) not to precipitate the issue of a woman employee going on maternity leave after delivering a child by terminating her, and to pay her any due salary.

The bench of Justices Arif Doctor and Somasekhar Sundaresan told the BMC that on humanitarian grounds, the corporation should have ensured such petitions did not reach the court. The bench directed the BMC not to take any coercive action against the woman and to release her salary for April, which she had not been paid as she proceeded on maternity leave.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Dr Seemanti Bose, a qualified doctor in Obstetrics and Gynecology from Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. Her plea states she is fully qualified to be appointed as Teacher Grade II (Junior Consultant) at the Medical College and Hospital and has been employed at the civic-run Bhabha Hospital.

Advocate Swaraj Jadhav, appearing for Bose, submitted that there was an urgent need for the petition to be heard as the petitioner had proceeded on leave after delivering her child and had not been paid her salary. There was also a fear she would be terminated for going on maternity leave.

Jadhav pointed out that Bhabha Hospital had filed a reply to Bose’s plea, relying on BMC circulars that allegedly hold that only casual leaves can be availed by contractual employees. Since Bose was employed with the hospital on a contractual basis, she was informed she could not proceed on maternity leave. Following an advertisement by the BMC, Bose was employed on a contractual basis on December 1. A couple of days after resuming work, she informed the hospital she would be going on maternity leave.

However, she was informed that a woman contractual employee cannot avail of maternity leave and that if she intended to go on leave, it would be without pay. She then attached a Supreme Court order in which the top court had ruled that even contractual employees can proceed on maternity leave. Despite this, the hospital again in April refused to let her avail of maternity benefits, pointing to contract clauses in her appointment letter. It was after this that Bose decided to approach the high court.