内容摘要：Midwife Celena Brown examines Kayleigh Sturrup during a pregnancy checkup. Midwives at Commonsense Childbirth are striving to provide good, accessible care. Experts cite the nonprofit, started by an immigrant from the U.K., Jennie Joseph, as model for helping reduce maternal mortality. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 (AP Photo/Laura Ungar)

Midwife Celena Brown examines Kayleigh Sturrup during a pregnancy checkup. Midwives at Commonsense Childbirth are striving to provide good, accessible care. Experts cite the nonprofit, started by an immigrant from the U.K., Jennie Joseph, as model for helping reduce maternal mortality. Tuesday, June 25, 2024 (AP Photo/Laura Ungar)

But the statement did little to calm pet owners in Kashmir, where cats have been long revered in Islamic folklore for their cleanliness and considered noble and intelligent creatures.Mir Mubashir, a local businessman who lives on the outskirts of Srinagar, the region’s main city, said the posts and reports made him worried. His heart heavy, he took Liger, his Persian kitty, to her vet to make sure she was fine.

“I felt really scared,” he said. Only after the vet’s assurances that all was well did he calm down.A Kashmiri family eats dinner with their pet cats sitting beside them inside in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025 (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)A Kashmiri family eats dinner with their pet cats sitting beside them inside in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025 (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Reflecting the level of concern, Altaf Gilani, the head of the main Srinagar animal hospital, said they had examined 2,594 cats in the first seven weeks of this year, compared to a total of 1,010 cats in January and February last year.If regular deworming, vaccinations and hygiene protocols are followed, pet owners are not at risk, he said.

Yousman zahoor poses for a photograph with her pet cat at her home in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)

Yousman zahoor poses for a photograph with her pet cat at her home in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Saturday, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that under the aid mechanism, Gaza’s population would eventually be moved to a “sterile zone” in Gaza’s far south. He said it was for their protection while Israeli forces fight Hamas elsewhere. He also said once the Palestinians enter the area, “they don’t necessarily go back.”

Israel also says that after Hamas is defeated, it will implement a plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump tooutside Gaza, though it portrays migration as “voluntary.” The Palestinians, along with nearly all of the international community, have rejected the idea.

GHF said in a statement it is independent and apolitical and will not be part of any mass displacement. It said its system is fully consistent with humanitarian principles including impartiality and independence.Israel had previously told aid groups it intends to vet aid recipients and use facial recognition technology. GHF has said food will be given according to need, without eligibility requirements. However, aid groups say recipients will have to pass close to or through Israeli military positions to reach the hubs, exposing them to vetting.