Israel pounds Gaza City despite ceasefire offer, prepares year-long plan to wipe out entire city

Agencies
August 24, 2025

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Israeli jets and tanks struck parts of Gaza City on Sunday, August 24, in preparation for a major assault, as the Israeli military’s chief of staff warned officials in Tel Aviv that carrying out the order to demolish the city of 700,000 residents could take "over a year" and place additional strain on Israeli troops.

According to a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on Sunday, Eyal Zamir issued the warning following an ultimatum from Israeli minister of military affairs Israel Katz to the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, threatening that if the terms set by Israel to end the war were not accepted, Gaza City could face a fate similar to the cities of Rafah and Beit Hanoun.

The report went on to say that Zamir has informed Israeli officials that in such a scenario, they would encounter a more critical situation with reserve units, which are already grappling with decreasing turnout rates and low morale.

Zamir, who has previously clashed with Israeli officials regarding the occupation plan for Gaza City and the threat it poses to the captives, said that the offensive can only begin after all necessary operational and legal preparations are in place, despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence on expediting the assault on Gaza City. 

As of now, no "humanitarian zones", as demanded by Zamir, have been established, and there have been instances in the past where such zones, designated as “safe” areas, came under Israeli bombardment during the war. 

Israeli military sources have indicated that the evacuation of the southern Gaza city of Rafah took two weeks, and it is estimated that evacuating Gaza City, home to approximately 1.2 million people, will take even longer. 

According to the report, the military's plan outlines that the Gaza City operation would be halted if Israel and Hamas can reach a ceasefire agreement.

The military is prioritizing negotiations to release captives before considering any assault, the report said.  

The offensive comes even though Hamas has accepted a 60-day ceasefire proposal, involving the release of half of the captives in Gaza in exchange for a number of Palestinian prisoners, following negotiations with Egyptian and Qatari officials in Cairo.

Despite this, Israel is determined to proceed with the occupation of Gaza City.

Meanwhile, witnesses have reported continuous explosions and shelling in various areas of Gaza City, with Israeli forces targeting buildings and homes.

The Israeli military has stated that its recent combat activities in the Jabalia area are aimed at dismantling Hamas tunnels and strengthening control of the region, in order to prevent further operations by Hamas fighters.

In a statement, Hamas declared that Israel's plans to take over Gaza City demonstrate a lack of seriousness about achieving a ceasefire, emphasizing that a ceasefire agreement is crucial for the return of the Israeli captives and holding Netanyahu accountable for their safety.

The Israeli regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has killed more than 62,000 Palestinians and injured 156,230 others, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

Since March 2, when it violated its ceasefire agreement with Hamas, the regime has sealed all border crossings, blocking the entry of humanitarian aid and further deepening Gaza’s already dire humanitarian crisis.

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Agencies
November 22,2025

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New York/Washington: US President Donald Trump has again claimed to have solved the conflict between India and Pakistan, repeating his assertion during a meeting with New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani in the Oval Office.

Mamdani flew to Washington DC for his first meeting with Trump in the White House on Friday. Trump said he “enjoyed” the meeting, which he described as “great.”

During remarks in the Oval Office, with Mamdani standing next to him, Trump repeated his claim that he solved the May conflict between India and Pakistan.

"I did eight peace deals of countries, including India and Pakistan,” he said.

On Wednesday, Trump had said he threatened to put 350 per cent tariffs on India and Pakistan if they did not end their conflict, repeating his claim that he solved the fighting between the nuclear-armed neighbours and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called him to say “we're not going to go to war.”

Since May 10, when Trump announced on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire after a “long night” of talks mediated by Washington, he has repeated his claim over 60 times that he “helped settle” the tensions between India and Pakistan.

India has consistently denied any third-party intervention. India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians. India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

Mamdani emerged victorious in the closely-watched battle for New York City Mayor, becoming the first South Asian and Muslim to be elected to sit at the helm of the largest city in the US.

He had been the front-runner in the NYC Mayoral election for months and defeated Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa and political heavyweight former New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent candidate and was officially endorsed by Trump just hours before the elections.

Indian-descent Mamdani is the son of renowned filmmaker Mira Nair and Columbia University professor Mahmood Mamdani. He was born and raised in Kampala, Uganda and moved to New York City with his family when he was 7. Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen only recently, in 2018.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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