The withdrawal was first reported by Bloomberg News.

Doctors and medical staff attend to a sick and injured pet cat inside Kashmir veterinary hospital in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Friday, Feb. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Mukhtar Khan)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)It says each of its initial four hubs would serve meals for roughly 300,000 people. It has said it will eventually be able to meet the needs of 2 million people. It said it will create more hubs within 30 days, including in the north, but did not specify their exact locations.

Aid will be delivered with the help of private subcontractors transporting supplies in armored vehicles from the Gaza border to the hubs, where they will also provide security. It said the aim is to deter criminal gangs or militants from redirecting aid.One of the hubs is in central Gaza, close to the Netzarim Corridor, a strip of land held by Israeli troops, according to a map issued by the Israeli military. The three others are in the area of Rafah, south of the Morag Corridor, another military-held strip.

Almost the entire population is currently in northern Gaza — where no hub is currently located — or in central Gaza. They would have to cross through Israeli military lines to reach the hubs near Rafah.Just before his resignation, Wood spoke of some adjustments, but it is not clear if Israel agreed to them.