Page 134 - Israel

Palestinians stream south in Gaza as Israel urges a mass evacuation

Palestinians scrambled to flee northern Gaza on Saturday after the Israeli military ordered nearly half the population to evacuate south and carried out limited ground forays ahead of an expected land offensive a week after Hamas' bloody, wide-ranging attack into Israel. Israel renewed calls on social media and in leaflets dropped from the air for some 1 million Gaza residents to move south, while Hamas urged people to stay in their homes. The UN and aid groups have said such a rapid exodus would cause untold human suffering, with hospital patients and others unable to relocate. Families in cars, trucks and donkey carts packed with possessions crowded a main road heading away from Gaza City as Israeli airstrikes continued to hammer the 40-kilometre (25-mile) long territory, where supplies of food, fuel and drinking water were running low because of a complete Israeli siege. Egyptian officials said the southern Rafah crossing would open later Saturday for the first time in days to .

Blinken calls for civilian's protection as Israel prepares for Gaza assault

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Saturday for protection for civilians in both the Gaza Strip and Israel as the Israeli military ordered half of the Palestinian territory's population to evacuate in advance of an expected ground assault. Blinken met his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, in Riyadh as he began a third day of intense Middle East diplomacy aimed at preventing the Israel-Hamas war from expanding into a regional conflict and fuelling a humanitarian crisis. Both stressed the importance of minimising the harm to civilians as Israel prepared for an anticipated incursion against Hamas a week after the militant group's unprecedented attack in Israel. As Israel pursues its legitimate right, to defending its people and to trying to ensure that this never happens again, it is vitally important that all of us look out for civilians, and we're working together to do exactly that, Blinken said before heading to the United Arab Emirates for similar ..

Killed top Hamas commando who led assault on Israeli communities: IDF

"Ali Qadi led the inhumane, barbaric October 7 massacre of civilians in Israel. We just eliminated him. All Hamas terrorists will meet the same fate," the IDF wrote on 'X'

Air India, SpiceJet to operate one flight each to Tel Aviv on Saturday

Air India and SpiceJet will operate one flight each to Tel Aviv on Saturday to bring back Indians amid escalating tensions due to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, according to officials. These chartered flights will be operated under Operation Ajay, which the government has launched to facilitate the return of those who wish to come back from Israel. The officials in the know said Air India will be operating a flight from the national capital to Tel Aviv while SpiceJet will operate a flight from Amritsar to Tel Aviv. Both flights are expected to return and land at the Delhi airport on Sunday morning, they added. One of the officials said Air India is scheduled to operate another flight to Tel Aviv on Sunday. On Saturday morning, an Air India flight AI 140 returned to the national capital with 235 Indians from Israel. On Friday morning, more than 200 people had come from Tel Aviv in an Air India flight, which was also the first under Operation Ajay. Minister of State for Ext

Air India suspends scheduled flights to Tel Aviv till Oct 18 amid conflict

Air India has extended the suspension of its scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv till October 18, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and militant group Hamas. The full service carrier, which normally operates five weekly scheduled flights to Tel Aviv, had earlier suspended the services till October 14. An airline official on Saturday said the scheduled flights to and from Tel Aviv have now been suspended till October 18. The carrier will operate chartered flights to bring back Indians depending on the requirements, the official added. Normally, Air India operates five weekly flights to Tel Aviv from the national capital. The service is on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Under Operation Ajay launched by the government to bring Indians who wish to come back from Israel, the airline so far has operated two flights. Following the unprecedented attacks on Israeli cities by Hamas militants, Israel has launched a massive counter offensive.

Hamas makes al-Qaeda look pure: US Prez Biden amid Israel-Hamas conflict

Palestinian militant group Hamas, which attacked Israel last week taking more than 1,000 innocent lives, is worse than al-Qaeda, US President Joe Biden said Friday. "The more we learned about the attack, the more horrifying it becomes. More than 1,000 innocent lives lost, including at least 27 Americans," Biden said at the top of his remarks on Hydrogen Hubs in Philadelphia. "These guys make -- they make al-Qaeda look pure. They're pure evil. Like I said from the beginning, the United States, make no mistake about it, stands with Israel. The United States stands with Israel," Biden said. "Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Israel yesterday, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is there today," the President said. "We're making sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself and respond to these attacks. It's also a priority for me to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," he said. Biden said at his direction, his teams are working in the region, including ...

Weekend Bites: Another war, trouble in IT paradise, carmakers, 'those guys'

In which we munch over the week's platter of news and views

A plea for peace

In the ongoing Israel-Gaza war, can we choose peace over taking sides?

Israel puts 1.1 million in Gaza on evacuation notice, says report

Israel has said it will not lift its blockade until scores of hostages captured by Hamas are set free

2nd batch of Indian nationals to fly out of Israel on Friday evening

After safely evacuating 212 Indian nationals from Israel, the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv is facilitating more flights, including one on Friday evening, amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict. India launched 'Operation Ajay' on Thursday to facilitate the return of those who wish to return home following the brazen attacks on Israeli towns by Hamas militants from Gaza on October 7, triggering fresh tension in the region. The Embassy has emailed the next lot of registered Indian citizens for the special flight today. Messages to other registered people will follow for subsequent flights, the Indian Embassy posted the announcement on X. The first charter flight to facilitate the return of Indian citizens from Israel left late Thursday evening from the Ben Gurion airport carrying 211 adults and an infant living in the war-battered region and reached the Indian capital on Friday morning. The passengers were chosen on a first come first serve basis after a drive launched by the Indian embassy f

Endgame for Gaza? How Hamas weaponised Palestinians’ despair

Gaza, often termed an "open-air prison", is home to 2.3 million Palestinians, making it one of the world's most densely populated regions.

Israeli embassy staffer stabbed in China, admitted to hospital: Report

The attack on the Israeli embassy staffer has further strained relations between Israel and China

'Conflicts do not benefit anyone': PM Modi at P20 Summit | Top quotes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the world needs to move forward with a human-centric approach

Israel's military issues unprecedented orders to evacuate Gaza City

Israel's military told some 1 million Palestinians living in Gaza on Friday to evacuate the north, according to the United Nations, an unprecedented order for almost half the population of the sealed-off territory ahead of an expected ground invasion against the ruling Hamas militant group. The UN warned that so many people fleeing en masse would be calamitous, and Hamas, which staged a shocking and brutal attack on Israel this week, dismissed it as a ploy and called on people to stay in their homes, adding to widespread panic. The evacuation order, which includes Gaza City, home to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, sparked confusion among civilians and aid workers already running from Israeli airstrikes and contending with a total siege and a territory-wide power blackout. Forget about food, forget about electricity, forget about fuel. The only concern now is just if you'll make it, if you're going to live, said Nebal Farsakh, a spokeswoman for the Palestinian Red Crescent in

Security alert issued in New Delhi as Israel-Hamas war intensifies

Security has also been stepped up at Jewish religious establishments and the Israel Embassy

Israel-Hamas war: Red Cross warns Gaza hospitals could turn into 'morgues'

Israel has cut off electricity and water supply to Gaza, and stopped the entry of food and fuel

Israel-Hamas war: Iran's warning, support from world leaders, and more

Israel, which has vowed to crush Hamas, is now preparing for a possible ground offensive

Blinken vows support for Israel, says Hamas does not represent Palestinians

The US will never falter from its support for Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday but underlined the importance of taking "every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians" as the Israeli military prepares for a "next stage" of the war against Hamas militants in Gaza. "No country can or would tolerate the slaughter of its citizens or simply return to the conditions that allowed it to take place. Israel has the right, indeed the obligation, to defend itself and to ensure that this never happens again," Blinken told reporters while speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. Blinken also reiterated that respect for civilian life is what distinguishes democracies from the likes of Hamas, saying, "As the Prime Minister and I discussed, how Israel does this matters." Blinken also stressed that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. "This was just one of Hamas' countless acts of terror. It brings to mind the worst of ISIS

Operation Ajay begins: First group of 230 Indians from Tel Aviv heads home

An Air India B-787 plane departed from Delhi airport at 5 pm for the mission. The airline is scheduled to operate a total of seven flights till October 18 under 'Operation Ajay'

India always advocated for free Palestine living at peace with Israel: MEA

India sees attack by Hamas on Israel as terrorist attack, says MEA