With so many bodies, Palestinians in Gaza are burying the unidentified dead in mass graves, with a number instead of a name, residents say. Now some families are using bracelets in the hope of finding their loved ones should they be killed.

The El-Daba family has tried to reduce the risk of being struck down during the heaviest-ever Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Israel launched the air strikes after Hamas militants attacked Israeli towns on Oct. 7 in a rampage that killed 1,400 people and hostages were taken.

Ali El-Daba, 40, said he had seen bodies ripped apart by the bombing and were unrecognisable.

He said he decided to divide his family to prevent them from all dying in a single strike. He said his wife Lina, 42, kept two of their sons and two daughters in Gaza City in the north and he moved to Khan Younis in the south with three other children.

El-Daba said he was preparing for the worst. He bought blue string bracelets for his family members and tied them around both wrists. “If something happens,” he said, “this way I will recognise them.”

Other Palestinian families were also buying or making bracelets for their children or writing their names on their arms.

Mass Burials

Mass burials have been authorized by local Muslim clerics. Before burial, medics keep pictures and blood samples of the dead and give them numbers.

The Israeli military has told people to leave the north of the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely-populated places in the world, and head south because it is safer. But air strikes have hit across the Hamas-ruled enclave.

An Israeli military spokesperson said: “The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has been encouraging residents of the northern Gaza Strip to move southward and not to stay in the vicinity of Hamas terror targets within Gaza City.”

“But, ultimately, Hamas has entrenched itself among the civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip. So wherever a Hamas target arises, the IDF will strike at it in order to thwart the terrorist capabilities of the group, while taking feasible precautions to mitigate the harm to uninvolved civilians.”

Israel’s military intensified its bombing of southern Gaza overnight after one of the deadliest days for Palestinians since Oct. 7. World leaders have called for a halt to fighting to allow aid into the besieged enclave, which is running out of water, food, fuel and medicines.

A total of 756 Palestinians, including 344 children, were killed in the past 24 hours, Gaza’s health ministry said on Wednesday. It said at least 6,546 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli bombardment since Oct. 7, including 2,704 children.

The Karnataka government today demanded Rs 17,901.73 crore in funds from the Centre to compensate farmers affected due to drought in the Kharif season this year.

Karnataka Agriculture Minister N Chaluvaraya Swamy, Rural Development Minister Priyank Kharge, and Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda met Union Agriculture Secretary Manoj Kumar Ahuja and Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla separately and updated them about the drought situation in Karnataka.

The three state ministers are also members of the Karnataka Cabinet sub-committee on drought management.

Briefing the media after the meeting, Mr Byregowda said, “We have sought a total drought relief of Rs 17, 901.73 crore as per the NDRF norms. We have requested the central government to clear the funds at the earliest.

As of September 22, the state as a whole recorded 26 per cent deficit rainfall that led to an estimated agriculture and horticulture crop loss in about 45.55 lakh hectares during the kharif season, he said.

The state has so far declared drought in 216 taluks and will examine the possibility of declaring more taluks as drought-hit in the first week of November, he said.

Out of Rs 17,901 crore estimated drought relief funds, the Revenue Minister said the state government for the first time has demanded Rs 12,577 crore as gratuitous relief to families whose livelihood has been seriously affected due to drought for 90 days.

The state has also demanded Rs 4414.29 crore for agriculture and horticulture crop loss during the kharif season (July-June) this year, while Rs 355 crore towards animal feed and Rs 554 crore for providing drinking water assistance in drought-affected taluks, he added.

The Karnataka government has estimated a total loss due to the crop damage in the state at Rs 33,770.10 crore. It has sought assistance of Rs 17,901.73 crore under the National Disaster Relief Find (NDRF).

Byregowda also said that the state government has requested the Centre to consider the latest number of small and marginal farmers which is 70 per cent of the state population while sanctioning the relief fund.

The state Rural Development Minister Kharge said he requested the Centre to release the pending Rs 600 crore MGNREGA funds to the state in a separate meeting with the Union Rural Development Secretary here.

“We have also sought an increase in the number of guaranteed man-days of work under the MNREGA for the state from the current 10 crore to 18 crore keeping in view the drought situation,” he said.

Already, 10 crore man-days of work have been exhausted till now and more man-days of work is required to provide livelihood to people affected in drought-hit areas, he said.

“Right now, there is no problem of drinking water, but cannot say in the next 2-3 months. We need funds to arrange for contingency water requirement in drought-hit taluks,” he added.

The state agriculture minister Mr Swamy said he also discussed problems being faced in the implementation of the Centre’s crop insurance scheme and sought some changes.
 

Ariana Grande making a splash with her fashion outings is nothing unusual in the world of fashion. From her wardrobe collections to her shoe cabinets, the American singer is true to her name of being a fashion icon. This time around it was a pair of very unique shoes that made the cut for the fashion headlines. Ariana’s recent photo dump on a wholesome experience surrounded by the most adorable goats on a farm was where her comic balloon pumps from the shelves of the Spanish luxury brand, Loewe made “farmtastic” entry. The medium concealer-hued pumps featured leather lining, with 90mm bobine heels that give the shoes its distinctive appeal. Their satin finish featuring hand embroidery is made with intricately clustered latex balloons and costs approx Rs 16 Lakh. The pair of quirky shoes may have been the hero of the outfit but comfort too followed for the singer when she paired her luxury pair with a knitted beige sweater and light-blue denim jeans for a relaxed afternoon.

Also Read: Ariana Grande On Stopping Botox And Fillers: “I Wanted To See My Well-Earned Cry Lines And Smile Lines”

Loewe’s creative director Jonathan Anderson, launched the first comic balloon pumps during the brand’s spring 2023 ready-to-wear show at the Paris Fashion Week in September this year. Apart from the medium concealer pair, the shoe company also harbours another colour variation of the stilettos.

American actress and model Kaia Gerber slipped into this Loewe creation during the I-D magazine photoshoot. She turned muse to designer Victoria Beckham, wearing a black mini dress from Victoria’s spring/summer 2023 collection paired with the yellow comic balloon shoes to complement her OOTD.

Also Read: Ariana Grande, Kim Kardashian And More Are Slaying These Trendy Ponytail Hairstyles

#VBMuse @KaiaGerber wears look 34 from the #VictoriaBeckham Spring Summer 2023 collection for the Spring 2023 issue of @i_D. pic.twitter.com/0zSln8WPmP

— Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) February 21, 2023

Another woman to have put on these balloon-inspired shoes is entrepreneur and socialite Natasha Poonawalla. Known for her avant-garde fashion sense, Natasha wore the Anthurium Red balloon embellished heels for a friend’s birthday party in New York City. Needless to mention, it created quite a stir on the internet. 

Traces of Loewe’s specially crafted balloon-themed footwear can be found in the company’s previous creations too. The brand houses leather balloon sandals with exquisitely buckled straps that float atop the pair, lending the shoes a surreal feel. In terms of fashion, the Spanish luxury brand takes up creative challenges graciously, gaining notoriety for its out-of-the-box footwear.

Also Read: You Can’t Trespass Natasha Poonawalla’s Piercing Black Leather Dress At Coachella Even If You Tried