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A major upgrade in safety and monitoring is planned for Haj 2026, with every Indian pilgrim set to receive a Haj Suvidha smart wristband linked to the official Haj Suvidha mobile app. The initiative aims to support pilgrims—especially senior citizens—who may struggle with smartphones during the 45-day journey.

What the Smart Wristband Will Do

Officials said the device will come with:
•    Location tracking
•    Pedometer
•    SOS emergency button
•    Qibla compass
•    Prayer timings
•    Basic health monitoring

SP Tiwari, secretary of the UP State Haj Committee, said the goal is to make the pilgrimage safer and more comfortable.

“Most Hajis are elderly and not comfortable with mobile apps,” he said. “The smartwatch will help locate pilgrims who forget their way or cannot communicate their location.”

The wristbands will be monitored by the Consulate General of India in Saudi Arabia, similar to mobile tracking via the Haj Suvidha App.

Free Distribution and Training

•    Smart wristbands will be given free of cost.
•    Training for pilgrims will be conducted between January and February 2026.
•    Sample units will reach state Haj committees soon.
•    Final devices will be distributed as pilgrims begin their journey.

New Rules for Accommodation

Two major decisions have also been finalised for Haj 2026:
1.    Separate rooms for men and women – including married couples. They may stay on the same floor but must occupy different rooms, following stricter Saudi guidelines.
2.    Cooking banned – gas cylinders will not be allowed; all meals will be provided through official catering services arranged by the Haj Committee of India.

These decisions were finalised during a meeting of the Haj Committee of India and state representatives in Mumbai.

Haj Suvidha App Launched Earlier

The government launched the Haj Suvidha App in 2024, offering:

•    Training modules
•    Accommodation and flight details
•    Baggage information
•    SOS and translation tools
•    Grievance redressal

Haj 2026 Quota and Key States

•    India’s total Haj quota for 2026: 1,75,025 pilgrims
•    70% (1,25,000) allotted to the Haj Committee of India
•    30% (around 50,000) reserved for Haj Group Organisers

Uttar Pradesh has the largest allocation (around 30,000 seats), though approximately 18,000 pilgrims are expected to go this year. States with high pilgrim numbers include Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Dates of Haj 2026

The pilgrimage is scheduled to take place from 24 May to 29 May, 2026 (tentative).
Haj is one of the five pillars of Islam and is mandatory for Muslims who meet the required conditions.

Mangaluru, Nov 26: Mangaluru East police have registered a case following a sophisticated online fraud where a 57-year-old local resident was allegedly cheated out of ₹13.4 lakh after being targeted on Facebook.

The scam began in February when the complainant, while browsing Facebook reels, was contacted by a woman identifying herself as "Lillian Mary George" from London. After establishing a chat relationship, the woman claimed she would visit India in November and bring a significant sum of money.

The trap was sprung on November 15, when the victim received a call from a woman named "Sonali Gupta," who claimed Lillian had arrived at Mumbai International Airport but was detained by customs. The fraudsters convinced the man that Lillian was carrying £25,000 (about ₹26 lakh) in traveller’s cheques and 1 kg of gold (valued at around ₹30 lakh).

Under the pretense of clearing these items, the victim was asked to make numerous online transfers between November 15 and 18 for various bogus charges, including:

•    "Pounds exchange registration"
•    "Customs declaration issues"
•    "Discount charges"
•    "Money-laundering charges"

Believing the fictitious story, the complainant transferred the cumulative sum of ₹13.4 lakh to various bank accounts provided by the fraudsters. He realised he was cheated when the culprits later promised a refund within two days but stopped answering his calls. The Mangaluru East police are now investigating the case, which highlights the continuing threat of transnational cyber fraud using social engineering and promises of fictitious wealth.

Local authorities say the Israeli military has expanded the so-called “yellow line” truce demarcation in Gaza City and repositioned its forces deeper into the territory in violation of a ceasefire agreement that came into force on October 10, besieging dozens of Palestinian families.

Gaza’s Government Media Office announced in a statement on Thursday that Israeli forces widened the boundary by shifting the markers, and advanced roughly 300 meters (984 feet) into the neighborhoods of Ash-Shaaf, An-Nazzaz and Baghdad Street.

The move pushed further into civilian areas, trapping families who were unable to flee as tanks rolled forward, it added.

“The fate of many of these families remains unknown amidst the shelling that targeted the area,” the office said, adding that the expansion of the yellow line shows a “blatant disregard” for the ceasefire deal.

On Friday, sources said the Israeli military carried out continued air and artillery strikes inside the so-called “yellow line” east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to the reports, Israeli warplanes and tanks targeted areas within the zone. One Palestinian was reported killed and several others wounded in the strikes, the sources said.

The fresh aggression came only a day after 25 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City and Khan Younis on Wednesday.

The media office reported that Israel has consistently violated the truce deal since its implementation last month, with near-daily attacks by air, artillery and direct shootings.

The office said over 400 violations have been documented. These breaches have resulted in the deaths of more than 300 Palestinians and left hundreds injured.

The Government Media Office in Gaza urged the guarantors of the ceasefire — the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — to take swift action to halt the ongoing violations and facilitate the delivery of food, shelter materials, medical aid, and infrastructure equipment.

The so-called “yellow line,” set out in the agreement between Israel and Hamas resistance movement, refers to a non-physical partition where the Israeli military repositioned itself when the truce deal took effect.

It has allowed Israel, which routinely fires at Palestinians who approach the line, to retain control over more than half of the Gaza Strip.

International bodies, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, and other rights groups, have concluded that the Israeli war on Gaza amounts to genocide.

In the attacks in Gaza since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 69,546 people and injured 170,833 others, leveling large swaths of the territory and displacing almost all of the population.