Gazans returning through the Rafah crossing described being subjected to checks by a Palestinian militia linked to Israel, while Google employees demanded the company cut ties with U.S. immigration enforcement, and Storm Leonardo continued to batter Europe and northern Africa. These events, along with the opening of Greenland consulates and a Nigerian village massacre, dominated the news cycle.
Two Gazan women who passed through the newly reopened Rafah crossing with Egypt on Monday told the BBC that a local Palestinian militia, known as the Abu Shabab militia or Popular Forces and linked to Israel, carried out checks at an Israeli military checkpoint inside the Gaza Strip. Lamia Rabia, who was traveling with her children, stated that they were escorted by Israeli forces from the border to a nearby checkpoint where members of the militia searched them and their belongings. Delays and security restrictions meant only 12 Palestinians were able to return to Gaza on Monday, according to the BBC.
Meanwhile, Google executives faced pressure from nearly 900 full-time employees over the company's ties to the federal government's crackdown on immigration enforcement. In an open letter published on Friday, the employees demanded more transparency regarding how the company's technology is being used within the U.S. government. A Google employee of seven years, speaking after the letter's publication, said he found it "mind-boggling" that Google was maintaining its ties with the immigration enforcers, according to BBC Business.
Across the Atlantic, Storm Leonardo continued to wreak havoc. The Iberian peninsula was placed under severe weather alerts as the storm brought torrential rain and strong winds to parts of Spain and Portugal. Spain's state meteorological agency, Aemet, issued its highest red alert for heavy rainfall in Cádiz and parts of Málaga, according to The Guardian. Flash floods in Morocco forced more than 100,000 people to evacuate.
In Nigeria, the traditional chief of a village in Kwara state recounted a night of terror when jihadists massacred residents earlier in the week. Umar Bio Salihu, the local head of Woro, said gunmen arrived and began shooting, killing two of his sons and kidnapping his wife and three daughters, according to The Guardian.
In a show of support for Denmark and the Arctic island, Canada and France opened diplomatic consulates in Nuuk, Greenland, on Friday. This move followed U.S. efforts to secure control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory, according to The Guardian. Canada had promised to open a consulate in Nuuk in 2024.
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