US rhetoric over Israel's UNRWA ban

With regard to Thomas Watkins's article US 'deeply troubled' by UNRWA ban and calls for 'pause' in implementation (October 30): No matter what Israel does, the US is always just "deeply concerned". In the meantime it keeps supplying Israel with weapons. It's become a joke, how can anyone take the country's condemnation seriously any more when their words mean nothing?

Ezra Reyner, Michigan, US

The suffering in Gaza must end

In response to The National's video about Abed Bardini, the Palestinian ambulance worker who discovered the body on the stretcher was his own mother killed by an Israeli air strike (October 31): Heartbreaking to watch. The horrors of war are bad enough for the adults. But it's also children who are paying the price. The world just watches in silence. This level of suffering shouldn't be ignored.

Sophia Martinez, San Francisco, US

Money should be spent on schools and hospitals, not wars

With regard to Mukesh Kapila's op-ed Humanising wars requires going beyond the Geneva Conventions (October 28): Apart from Gaza, guns are blazing in various civil wars, in Sudan, Burkina Faso, etc. India and Pakistan remain adversaries. North Korea is always a concern as is Iran’s nuclear programme. To exacerbate matters, inflation across the world is keeping people hungry and impoverished. Unemployment is on the rise in too many countries, in Africa and Asia.

And despite these concerns, guns still sound in several countries. War is an absolute waste of human lives. It is an attrition of economic resources. Money is spent on bullets and guns, instead of schools and hospitals. All war is a failure of human intelligence and wisdom. Leaders are elected to prevent wars, not to engage in them or fan the flames.

Rajendra Aneja, Dubai

Delhi's toxic air on Diwali

With reference to Taniya Dutta's report Delhi air: Toxic smog greets residents of India's capital day before Diwali (October 30): It's a grim reality facing residents of Delhi and some states in North India as toxic smog blankets several areas during Diwali. The increasing pollution levels, exacerbated by fireworks and farm smoke, present a troubling scenario.

Despite experts’ warnings and repeated advice by the Pollution Control Board, concrete solutions remain elusive. It is crucial for authorities to take decisive action to address this persistent issue and restore Delhi's air quality. Will the government prioritise public health and environmental safety to ensure that Delhi can truly be the capital it aspires to be? Now is the time to act.

K Ragavan, Bengaluru, India