In a display of solidarity amidst mounting global outrage over the war and escalating demands for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza, certain nations have opted to prohibit New Year’s celebrations. Pakistan announced that it will ban New Year’s Eve celebrations as a gesture of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, according to reports from The New Arab, a London-based pan-Arab news outlet. The ban was “a sincere expression of solidarity and humanitarian cooperation with our siblings in the Gaza Strip,” Sharjah police said in a Facebook post. Seven emirates make up the United Arab Emirates, each headed by a different monarch. The festivities, however, are expected to go on as scheduled in other UAE emirates and other Middle Eastern countries.

Source: Punch January 01, 2024 15:36 UTC