Drone Attacks On The Rise In Arabian Sea, Indian Navy Steps Up Surveillance

NEW DELHI, Dec 31: The Indian Navy has stepped up surveillance in the north and central Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden following frequent security incidents on merchant vessels sailing through international shipping lanes.

Naval task groups comprising destroyers and frigates have been deployed to undertake maritime security operations and help merchant vessels in case of any incident, the navy said in a statement today.

The navy said it is also working closely with the Coast Guard to check new security risks in the Indian Ocean.

The Indian Navy's move comes days after a merchant vessel, MV Chem Pluto, was struck by a drone 400 km off the Indian coastline. The ship with 21 crew members - 20 Indians and a Vietnamese - arrived at the Mumbai port under the protection of Coast Guard ship Vikram on December 26, two days after it was struck in the Arabian Sea.

"The last few weeks have seen increased maritime security incidents on merchant vessels transiting through international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and central/north Arabian Sea," the navy said in the statement.

"The piracy incident on MV Ruen, approximately 700 nautical miles from the Indian coast, and the recent drone attack on MV Chem Pluto, approximately 220 nautical miles southwest of Porbandar, indicates a shift in maritime incidents closer to Indian EEZ (exclusive economic zone)," the navy said.

Apart from destroyers and frigates, the navy has deployed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and maritime patrol aircraft.

Long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8Is are being regularly tasked to maintain domain awareness.

The attack on MV Chem Pluto amid a flurry of new drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on the vital Red Sea shipping lane since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, with the group claiming to act in solidarity with Gaza.

The Pentagon claimed the tanker ship was targeted by a drone "fired from Iran." It was the first time the Pentagon openly accused Iran of directly targeting ships since the start of Israel's war on Hamas, which is backed by Tehran.

US sinks 3 Houthi vessels that attacked its container ship in Red Sea

WASHINGTON, Dec 31: US Navy helicopters sank three vessels operated by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels that had attacked a container ship in the Red Sea, the military said Sunday.

After the Houthis fired on the US helicopters, they "returned fire in self-defense", sinking three of four small boats that had come within 20 meters of the ship, and killing the crews, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

"The fourth boat fled the area," it added.

CENTCOM said the navy responded to a request for assistance from the Maersk Hangzhou, a Singapore-flagged, Denmark-owned and operated container ship that reported coming under attack for a second time in 24 hours while transiting the Red Sea.

The vessel had earlier been targeted with two anti-ship ballistic missiles that the US military shot down.

One of the missiles, both launched from Huthi-controlled Yemen, hit the Maersk Hangzhou.

The Huthis have repeatedly targeted vessels in the vital Red Sea shipping lane with strikes they say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is battling militant group Hamas.

The attacks are endangering a transit route that carries up to 12 percent of global trade, prompting the United States to set up a multinational naval task force this month to protect Red Sea shipping.

The latest round of the Israel-Hamas conflict began when the Palestinian militant group carried out a shock cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7 that killed about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.

The United States rushed military aid to support Israel, which has carried out a relentless campaign in Gaza that has killed at least 21,672 people, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.

Those deaths have sparked widespread anger in the Middle East and provided an impetus for attacks by armed groups across the region that are opposed to Israel.

US forces in Iraq and Syria have also repeatedly come under fire from drone and rocket attacks that Washington says are being carried out by Iran-backed armed groups.

Israel Bombs Gaza As Oldest Woman Held Captive By Hamas Confirmed Dead

TEL AVIV, Dec 29: Israeli forces on Thursday battled Hamas in Gaza where air strikes and urban combat rocked the southern city of Khan Yunis, near where many hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge.

UN World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for "urgent steps to alleviate the grave peril" facing besieged Gaza's people, including "terrible injuries, acute hunger and... severe risk of disease".

In Jerusalem, families of hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza again rallied for their release, and a kibbutz announced that a 70-year-old US-Israeli thought to be the oldest woman held captive had died.

US President Joe Biden said he was "devastated" by the news Judith Weinstein Haggai was dead, and pledged that Washington will "not stop working" with its ally Israel to bring the remaining hostages home.

The war, which started with Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, has left much of northern Gaza in ruins while the battlefront has shifted ever further to the south of the besieged territory.

The Israeli army said it had deployed an additional brigade to Khan Yunis, hometown of Hamas's Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, where correspondents reported sustained air and artillery strikes.

The Palestinian Red Crescent society reported that shelling had killed at least 10 people near the city's Al-Amal hospital, an area where it said about 14,000 people are sheltering.

Later Thursday, Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry said 20 people were killed, most of them women and children, and dozens wounded in shelling of the Shaboura camp in the southern city of Rafah.

Israel said Thursday it had given preliminary approval to the Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus for a "maritime lifeline" to ship aid to Gaza.

"There's a basic authorisation to use this route, but there are still some logistical problems that are waiting to be solved," said Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Lior Haiat.

One of the many Palestinians displaced, 28-year-old Iman al-Masry, recently gave birth to quadruplets in southern Gaza after fleeing her home in the devastated north.

The arduous journey "affected my pregnancy", she said, recounting that she gave birth by C-section on December 18 to two girls and two boys, one of whom was too fragile to leave hospital.

"They are very slim," she said, speaking in a schoolroom turned shelter in Deir al-Balah. "It's cold and windy and there's no bathtub... I just use wipes."

Big Relief For 8 Indian Navy Veterans On Death Row In Qatar

NEW DELHI, Dec 28: Eight ex-Navy personnel sentenced to death by a Qatar court in October - for charges not yet known - will face commuted punishments, the Indian government said this afternoon. Details about the reduced terms - most likely heavy jail time - are unclear since the judgement has not yet been released.

The Indian government has said it is in "close touch with the legal team, as well as family members, to decide on the next steps". "We have stood by them since the beginning, and we will continue to extend all consular and legal assistance. We will also continue to take up the matter with Qatari authorities."

The arrested personnel are Purnendu Tiwari, Sugunakar Pakala, Amit Nagpal, and Sanjeev Gupta, who are Commanders, and Navtej Singh Gill, Birendra Kumar Verma, and Saurabh Vasisht, who are Captains. The eighth is Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar. The charges against them were never made public.

Several of them are highly-decorated military personnel who once commanded Indian warships, and were working for a private firm providing training and related services to Qatar's armed forces.

They were "not engaged in espionage for Israel", the families said. "They went to build the Qatari Navy and build that nation's security. They could never spy. There are no proof of allegations..."

The next steps in this case are unclear now but, under the terms of a 2015 agreement, "Indian prisoners convicted in Qatar can be brought back to India to serve the remaining part of their sentence". There is a similar provision for Qatari citizens convicted in India.

All eight have been in jail since August last year and were handed death sentences on October 26, after a brief trial in March. Bail was denied numerous times during their incarceration and trial.

An appeal was immediately lodged and, last month, the Qatari court accepted that appeal. The eight were working for Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy Services when arrested.

Commuting of the death sentence comes weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Qatari ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, on the side-lines of CoP28 summit in Dubai.

Details of the conversation were never made public, but there was speculation this issue was raised.

France's Macron Urges Netanyahu For 'Lasting Ceasefire' In Gaza

PARIS, Dec 28: French President Emmanuel Macron demanded a "lasting ceasefire" in Gaza during a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, his office said, as an escalating humanitarian crisis grips the Palestinian territory.

"France will work in the coming days in cooperation with Jordan to carry out humanitarian operations in Gaza," the French presidency added in a statement.

Macron, an ally of Netanyahu since the start of the war triggered by the unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, told the Israeli premier of his "deepest concern" about civilian deaths and the humanitarian emergency in Gaza.

He also insisted on the importance of measures to end violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank and prevent new planned settlements.

Putin Meets Jaishankar, Invites PM To Russia, Seeks Ukraine Solution

MOSCOW, Dec 27: Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Wednesday and held talks over a range of issues, including the war in Ukraine.

Putin invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Russia next year.

"We will be glad to see our friend, Mr Prime Minister Modi, in Russia," Putin told Jaishankar, who is on a five-day official visit to the country.

Jaishankar also met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov earlier on Wednesday.

The Russian President said he knows PM Modi is willing to do his outmost to resolve the Ukraine crisis peacefully. Mr Putin said Russia is willing to share information with India on how the Ukraine crisis can be resolved peacefully.

"Many times I advised him (PM Modi) on how things are going there (Ukraine) and I know he is willing to do his utmost so that the issue is resolved by peaceful means. So we will delve into that deeper now and we will give additional information to you," Putin said during the meeting with Jaishankar.

During a joint media appearance along with Mr Lavrov after their talks, Jaishankar said he was confident that Modi and Putin would meet for an annual summit next year. In his opening remarks earlier, Jaishankar said that the two leaders have been in frequent contact.

The summit between Modi and Putin is the highest institutional dialogue mechanism in the strategic partnership between the two sides. So far, 21 annual summits have taken place alternatively in India and Russia. The last summit took place in Delhi in December 2021.

Putin said the trade turnover between Russia and India is growing, particularly on account of crude oil and high technology areas.

"Our trade turnover is growing, for the second year in a row at the same time and at a steady pace. The growth rate this year is even higher than in the last year," the Russian President said.

On Tuesday, Jaishankar held a "comprehensive and productive" meeting with Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov on the bilateral economic cooperation during which they saw the signing of some "very important" agreements related to the construction of future power-generating units of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu.

The ties between India and Russia remained strong notwithstanding Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. India has not yet condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine and it has been maintaining that the crisis must be resolved through diplomacy and dialogue.

India's import of Russian crude oil has gone up significantly despite increasing disquiet over it in many Western countries.

India Deploys 3 Warships To Counter Attacks In Arabian Sea

NEW DELHI, Dec 26: The Indian Navy's explosive ordnance disposal team on Monday carried out a detailed inspection of merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto on its arrival at Mumbai harbour, two days after the ship was hit by a drone off India's west coast in the Arabian Sea when it was on its way to New Mangalore port.

In view of spate of attacks on commercial vessels in the Arabian Sea, the Navy deployed P-8I long-range patrol aircraft for surveillance, and warships INS Mormugao, INS Kochi and INS Kolkata in the region to maintain "deterrent presence", officials said.

Saturday's drone attack on Liberian-flagged MV Chem Pluto came amid increasing concerns over various commercial vessels being targeted reportedly by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The Liberian-flagged vessel with 21 Indian and one Vietnamese crew, anchored at outer anchorage off Mumbai at 3:30 pm.

"On her arrival, the Indian Navy explosive ordnance disposal team inspected the vessel to make a preliminary assessment of the type and nature of attack. The analysis of the area of attack and debris found on the ship points towards a drone attack," a Navy spokesperson said.

"However, further forensic and technical analysis will be required to establish the vector of attack including type and amount of explosive used," he said.

A Pentagon spokesperson said on Sunday that MV Chem Pluto was hit by "a one-way attack drone fired from Iran".

The Indian Navy spokesperson said a joint investigation by various agencies commenced following completion of the analysis of the vessel by the explosive ordnance team.

"MV Chem Pluto has been cleared for further operation by her company-in-charge at Mumbai. The ship is scheduled to undergo mandatory checks by the various inspecting authorities before undertaking ship to ship transfer of cargo," he said.

US Strikes Iran-Backed Forces, Including Kataib Hezbollah, In Iraq

WASHINGTON, Dec 26: The US forces carried out strikes on three sites used by Iran-backed forces in Iraq after an earlier attack left three American personnel injured. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described the strikes as "necessary" and "proportionate".

"Today, at @POTUS' direction, US military forces conducted necessary & proportionate strikes on 3 facilities used by Kataib Hezbollah & affiliated groups in Iraq. These precision strikes are a response to a series of attacks against US personnel in Iraq & Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias, including an attack by Iran-affiliated Kataib Hezbollah and affiliated groups on Erbil Air Base earlier today," Austin said in a statement that also shared on X, formerly Twitter.

Today's attack, the statement said, wounded three US personnel and the condition of one of them is critical. "My prayers are with the brave Americans who were injured today," Austin said.

The US Defense Secretary said President Biden "will not hesitate to take necessary action to defend the US". "And let me be clear - the President and I will not hesitate to take necessary action to defend the United States, our troops, and our interests. There is no higher priority. While we do not seek to escalate conflict in the region, we are committed and fully prepared to take further necessary measures to protect our people and our facilities," the statement said.

The Kataib Hezbollah is a Shiite militia founded in 2007 with the support of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The US declared Kataib Hezbollah as a 'Foreign Terrorist Organisation' in 2009 and sanctioned its Secretary General, Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, for violence against US-led coalition forces in Iraq.

The attacks on US troops in Iraq have spiked amid the war in Gaza between US ally Israel and Hamas. The Gaza conflict was triggered by a shock attack on Israel cities that left over 1,100, mostly civilians, dead. Israel's retaliation in Gaza has killed over 20,000 people, according to the Hamas-run territory's administration.

The deaths in Gaza have sparked widespread anger in the Middle East and provided an impetus for attacks on American troops by forces opposed to their presence in the region.

There are roughly 2,500 American troops in Iraq and some 900 in Syria as part of efforts to prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State group.

'We're Not Stopping': Israel Intensifies Gaza Strikes As War Rages

TEL AVIV, Dec 26: Israel on Monday said it was "intensifying the fighting" against Hamas in Gaza, where relentless strikes across the Palestinian territory exacerbated the dire conditions for civilians in the war's 12th week.

The conflict has heightened tensions across the Middle East where Iran -- which supports Hamas -- on Monday accused Israel of killing a senior Revolutionary Guards general in Syria and vowed revenge.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Monday after visiting Gaza, "We're not stopping," according to a statement from his Likud party.

"We're intensifying the fighting in the coming days," he told party members.

Palestinian militants launched rockets towards Israel during the day, most of which were intercepted by Israeli air defences.

Iran Guards say Israeli strike kills senior general in Syria

TEHRAN, Dec 26: A senior general with Iran's Revolutionary Guards was killed Monday by an Israeli air strike in Syria, the military force and Iranian state media said.

There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has repeatedly said it will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in Syria.

Razi Moussavi "was killed during an attack by the Zionist regime a few hours ago in Zeinabiyah district in the suburbs of Damascus," Tehran's official IRNA news agency reported, using a different name for Sayyida Zeinab south of the Syrian capital.

IRNA said Moussavi was "one of the most experienced advisors" of Quds Force, the foreign arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The general was "active in the field of providing logistical support to the axis of resistance in Syria," IRNA added, referring to groups backed by Tehran and arrayed against Israel.

The IRGC confirmed Moussavi's death in a statement, saying he was killed in a "missile attack".

The statement added that Moussavi was a companion of General Qassem Soleimani, Iran's revered Quds commander who was killed in Baghdad in a US drone strike in 2020.

Next week Iran will mark the fourth anniversary of Soleimani's assassination.

A Britain-based monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported Israeli strikes Monday on positions used by Iranian groups and by Lebanon's powerful Tehran-aligned Hezbollah in the Sayyida Zeinab area.

Residents of the area reported hearing loud explosions and seeing columns of smoke rising from farms there.

Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its northern neighbour since Syria's civil war began in 2011, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.

Israel, which rarely comments on reported strikes in Syria, has intensified attacks there particularly against Hezbollah since the start of its war against Hamas -- also backed by Iran -- triggered by the Palestinian militant group's deadly October 7 attacks.

The Islamic republic, which supports Hamas financially and militarily, has hailed the attacks as a "success" but denied any direct involvement.

According to a tally based on Israeli figures, about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, were killed in Israel on October 7.

Israel's relentless retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 20,400 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run coastal territory.

Iran does not recognise Israel and has made support for the Palestinian cause a centrepiece of its foreign policy since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Drone Strike On Ship Off Gujarat Was 'Fired From Iran', Says US

WASHINGTON, Dec 24: A Japanese-owned chemical tanker struck Saturday off the coast of India was targeted by a drone "fired from Iran," the Pentagon said, a sign of expanding risks to commercial shipping beyond the Red Sea.

The attack came amid a flurry of drone and missile strikes by Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels on a vital Red Sea shipping lane since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, with the group claiming to act in solidarity with Gaza.

Saturday's attack took place around 10 am local time (0600 GMT) and caused no casualties aboard the vessel, it said, adding that a fire was extinguished.

The US military "remains in communication with the vessel as it continues toward a destination in India," it added.

The drone strike occurred 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) off the coast of India, it said, adding that no US Navy vessels were in the vicinity.

It was the first time the Pentagon has openly accused Iran of directly targeting ships since the start of Israel's war on the Hamas, which is backed by Iran.

The Pentagon statement said the MV Chem Pluto ship flew under a Liberian flag and was operated by a Dutch entity, although the ship is owned by a Japanese company.

Ambrey, a maritime security firm, said the "chemical/products tanker... was Israel-affiliated" and had been on its way from Saudi Arabia to India.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Dutch company operating the MV Chem Pluto "is connected to Israeli shipping tycoon Idan Ofer."

The Indian navy said it had responded to a request for assistance.

"An aircraft was dispatched and it reached overhead the vessel and established safety of the involved ship and its crew," a navy official told AFP.

"An Indian navy warship has also been dispatched so as to provide assistance as required."

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the strike.

Last month, an Israeli-owned cargo ship was hit in a suspected drone attack by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the Indian Ocean, according to a US official.

The Malta-flagged vessel managed by an Israeli-affiliated company was reportedly damaged when the unmanned aerial vehicle exploded close to it, according to Ambrey.

The Red Sea attacks on shipping since the start of the Israel-Hamas war have prompted major firms to reroute their cargo vessels around the southern tip of Africa, despite the higher fuel costs of much longer voyages.

The Huthi rebels have launched more than 100 drone and missile attacks, targeting 10 merchant vessels involving more than 35 different countries, according to the Pentagon.

On Saturday, an official in Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned of the forced closure of other waterways unless Israel halted its war with Hamas.

"With the continuation of these crimes, America and its allies should expect the emergence of new resistance forces and the closure of other waterways," Mohammad Reza Naqdi said, quoted by Iran's Tasnim news agency.

Among the waterways he mentioned was the Mediterranean Sea. He did not elaborate.

Indian-flagged oil tanker hit by Houthis' attack drone in Red Sea: US military

WASHINGTON, Dec 24: An Indian-flagged crude oil tanker in the Red Sea reported that it was hit by an attack drone fired by Houthi militants, sending out a distress call to a US warship in the area, the US military said on Saturday. The Gabon-owned tanker MV Saibaba reported no injuries from the strike, Central Command said in a social media post.

The US Central Command also said a US Navy destroyer patrolling in the Red Sea knocked down four attack drones before they could strike the warship.

The USS Laboon "shot down four unmanned aerial drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that were inbound" toward the American vessel, Centcom said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), adding there were "no injuries or damage".

The attack came amid a flurry of new drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on the vital Red Sea shipping lane since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, with the group claiming to act in solidarity with Gaza.

“On December 23 two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen. No ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles. Between 3 and 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), the USS LABOON (DDG 58) was patrolling in the Southern Red Sea as part of Operation PROSPERITY GUARDIAN (OPG) and shot down four unmanned aerial drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that were inbound to the USS LABOON. There were no injuries or damage in this incident,” Central Command said in the statement.

“At approximately 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Naval Forces Central Command received reports from two ships in the Southern Red Sea that they were under attack. The M/V BLAAMANEN, a Norwegian-flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil tanker, reported a near miss of a Houthi one-way attack drone with no injuries or damage reported,” it added.

“A second vessel, the M/V SAIBABA, a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, reported that it was hit by a one-way attack drone with no injuries reported. The USS LABOON (DDG 58) responded to the distress calls from these attacks. These attacks represent the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since Oct. 17,” the statement said.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency earlier reported that an uncrewed aerial system had exploded near a vessel in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, 45 nautical miles southwest of Saleef, Yemen, news agency Reuters reported.

The United States launched Operation Prosperity Guardian three days ago, saying more than a dozen countries had agreed to participate in an effort that will involve joint patrols in Red Sea waters near Yemen.

The Sanaa-based group has obstructed their passage through the strait.

Israel In The Grip Of Hamas-Hezbollah Dual Attacks, Rocket Blitz As Hostage Deal 'Falls Apart'

TEL AVIV, Dec 22: Israel has been hit by dual attacks in the past few hours amid complicated negotiations between Tel Aviv and Hamas for a new hostage deal.

The Al-Qassam brigades and Hezbollah claimed responsibility for rocket salvos in southern and northern Israel. Initial reports claimed that 30 rockets were fired from Gaza towards Tel Aviv.

Meanwhile in the north, Hezbollah took three direct hits targeting Israeli civilians.

10 people killed in a mass shooting in downtown Prague; shooter eliminated

PRAGUE, Dec 21: A mass shooting in downtown Prague killed 10 people and injured about 30 others, and the person who opened fire also is dead, Czech police and the city's rescue service said Thursday.

Police gave no details about the victims or the circumstances of the gunfire in the Czech Republic’s capital. They said officers were deployed due to a shooting at a school in Jan Palach Square.

The philosophy department of Charles University, which is located in the square, was evacuated, Prague Mayor Bohuslav Svoboda said.

The police department said the square has been sealed off. It urged people to leave the surrounding streets and stay inside.

Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan said no other assailant was at the scene, but he urged people to cooperate with police.

Prague’s rescue service confirmed that 11 people had died, including the shooter. It said about 30 others suffered various injuries, including nine with serious ones.

Pavel Nedoma, the director of Rudolfinum Gallery, which also is located in the square, told Czech public television he saw from a window a person who was shooting from a gun toward the nearby Manes bridge across the Vltava River.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala canceled his scheduled events and was heading for Prague.

Putin said Russia ready to talk on Ukraine. Kremlin hums different tune

MOSCOW, Dec 20: The Kremlin said that there is no current basis for talks between Russia and Ukraine as none of the prerequisites are in place, a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin said that Moscow would be prepared to talk to Ukraine with the United States and Europe. The Russian leader said that his country will continue to defend its national interests as well.

"In Ukraine, those who are aggressive towards Russia, and in Europe and in the United States - do they want to negotiate? Let them. But we will do it based on our national interests," Vladimir Putin told a meeting of the defence leadership in Moscow.

“We will not give up what is ours," he asserted.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Ukraine withdrew from the negotiation process in 2022 "at Britain's insistence" and "forbade" negotiations with Russia. But Ukraine has repeatedly said that peace can only based on a full Russian withdrawal from all the territory that Moscow has seized since the war began in February 2022.

Russia needed better military communication, reconnaissance, targeting and satellite capability, Vladimir Putin noted while praising Russia's defence industry for “responding faster than West.”

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said that no one knows when the war with Russia will end. He said, "I think that no one knows the answer. Even respected people, our commanders and our Western partners, who say that this is a war for many years, they do not know. If we don't loose our resilience, we will end the war sooner".

On US aid, Ukrainian leader said, “I’m certain the US won’t betray us — and what has been agreed upon will be fulfilled."

Israel ‘almost catches’ Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar hiding in tunnel

TEL AVIV, Dec 20: Hamas’ leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar narrowly evaded capture by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) twice in recent days, according to Israeli media reports. Yahya Sinwar is said to be hiding in tunnels under Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis.

Israeli forces have been engaged in intense fighting in recent weeks in the city and have breached some of the underground structures as they attempt to hunt down Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders.

Yahya Sinwar is believed to have orchestrated Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel which killed about 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians. Hamas also took around 250 hostages, of whom 105 have been released and several killed.

Israel has relentlessly bombarded Gaza and sent in ground troops. Tel Aviv's offensive has killed 19,667 people in the territory, mostly women and children but the Hamas chief was reported to have escaped just before the Israeli forces arrived in the tunnel.

Intelligence gathered by the IDF indicated that Yahya Sinwar is on the move rather than remaining in any one place for an extended period.

Qatar-based Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Egypt for discussions on the "aggression in the Gaza Strip and other matters", Hamas said as per a news agency, as he was due to meet Egypt's spy chief for talks on "stopping the aggression and the war to prepare an agreement for the release of prisoners".

Ismail Haniyeh earlier met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Qatar.

Menwhile, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families that he had twice sent his spy chief to Europe in efforts to "free our hostages".

"It's our duty, I'm responsible for the release of all the hostages," the premier told the relatives of 129 captives still believed to be held in Gaza.

US defence secretary Austin says they will 'continue' providing arms to Israel

TEL AVIV, Dec 18: Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin on Monday said the United States will provide more arms and munitions to Israel, whose forces battle Palestinian militants in Gaza following deadly attacks.

Austin also warned Iran to "stop" supporting Yemen's Huthi rebels who were increasingly attacking vessels in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas war began on October 7.

"We'll continue to provide Israel with the equipment that you need to defend your country... including critical munitions, tactical vehicles and air defence systems," the US defence secretary said, according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister's office.

"In the Red Sea, we're leading a multinational maritime taskforce to uphold the bedrock principle of freedom of navigation. Iran's support for Huthi attacks on commercial vessels must stop," Austin said.

He said an international coalition was being built to address the issue.

"This is an international problem, and it deserves an international response," Austin said.

"That's why I'm convening a meeting tomorrow, a ministerial meeting with fellow ministers in the region and beyond to address this threat," he said, adding it would be a virtual meeting.

Earlier on Monday the Huthi rebels said they had attacked two "Israeli-linked" vessels in the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza.

The attacks on the Norwegian-owned Swan Atlantic and another ship identified by the Huthis as the MSC Clara are the latest in a flurry of maritime incidents that are disrupting global trade in an attempt to pressure Israel over its war against Hamas militants.

Islam And Europe Have A Compatibility Problem: Italy PM Georgia Meloni

ROME: Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said that Islamic culture and the values and rights of European civilisation have a "compatibility problem".

Meloni's controversial remark came at an event organised by her right-wing, ultra-conservative Brothers of Italy party, which was attended by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and billionaire Elon Musk.

"I believe there is a problem of compatibility between Islamic culture or a certain interpretation of Islamic culture and the rights and values of our civilisation," she said. "It does not escape my mind that most of the Islamic cultural centres in Italy are financed by Saudi Arabia."

Meloni also criticised Saudi Arabia's rigid Sharia law under which apostasy and homosexuality are criminal offences. Sharia law, commonly referred to as Islamic law, constitutes a set of principles and regulations rooted in the Quran and the Hadith, representing the foundational religious texts of Islam.

"Sharia means lapidation for adultery and the death penalty for apostasy and homosexuality. I believe that these should be raised, which does not mean generalising on Islam. It means raising the problem that there is a process of Islamisation in Europe that is very distant from the values of our civilisation," she said.

During his visit to Rome, Sunak backed Meloni's migration approach. Sunak's controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda has been met with a barrage of legal challenges and accusations of inhumane treatment. Meloni, on the other hand, has drawn flak for her attempts to limit the activities of charity rescue ships operating in the Mediterranean Sea.

"If we do not tackle this problem, the numbers will only grow. It will overwhelm our countries and our capacity to help those who actually need our help the most," he said. "Making that deterrent credible will mean doing things differently, breaking from consensus. And both Giorgia and I are prepared to do that."

The two leaders also met Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to discuss migration.

'Biggest Hamas Tunnel' With 4-Km Long Network Found Under Gaza, Says Israel

TEL AVIV, Dec 17: The Israeli army said on Sunday it had uncovered the biggest Hamas tunnel in the Gaza Strip so far, just a few hundred metres from a key border crossing.

Such was its size that small vehicles would be able to travel within the tunnel, a photographer granted access to it reported.

The underground passage formed part of a wider branching network that stretched for over four kilometres and came within 400 metres (1,300 feet) of the Erez border crossing, the army said in a statement.

It cost millions of dollars and took years to construct, Israeli forces said, with the project lead by Mohamed Yahya, brother of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to have masterminded the October 7 attacks.

The honeycomb of passageways features a drainage systems, electricity, ventilation, sewage and a communication network as well as rails.

The floor is compacted earth while its walls are reinforced concrete and its entrance is a metal cylinder with 1.5 centimetre (half-inch) thick walls.

Footage released by the Israeli army, which it said was filmed by Hamas, showed a small construction vehicle being driven into the tunnel, an extensive temporary warehouse filled with pre-cast concrete for lining the walls and workers digging beneath the earth using crude power tools.

The Israeli army said it had found a large number of weapons stored in the tunnel, ready to be used in an attack.

Hamas had expended huge resources in the project, said Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht, an army spokesman, and did so to "serve only one purpose -- attacking the State of Israel and its residents".

He said the tunnel was deliberately built near the Erez crossing, which Israel uses to facilitate the strictly controlled entry of Palestinian workers and those travelling for medical care.

"For Hamas, attacking the people of Israel continues to take priority over supporting the people of Gaza," he said.

The group launched a surprise attack against southern Israel on October 7, killing around 1,140 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 hostages, according to the latest Israeli figures.

In response, Israel set out to destroy Hamas and launched a relentless bombardment and ground invasion of the Gaza Strip to achieve that goal.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says Israel has killed more than 18,800 people, mostly women and children, during the war.

Dubbed the "Gaza Metro" by the Israeli military, the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the coastal territory was initially devised as a way of circumventing the crushing Israeli-Egyptian blockade, in place since 2007.

Hundreds of tunnels were built under the border with Egypt and into the Sinai Desert, allowing people, goods and weapons to cross into Gaza from the outside world.

Since the 2014 war with Israel, the tunnel network has been expanded and Hamas has made frequent use of it to facilitate its rocket launches.

A study published on October 17 by the Modern War Institute at the US military academy West Point said there were 1,300 tunnels stretching over 500 kilometres (310 miles).

The Israeli army said at the beginning of December that it had discovered more than 800 tunnels, with 500 destroyed.

Reports in Israeli media last week said that the army was considering flooding the tunnels with seawater pumped from the Mediterranean and had already conducted succesful tests.

'US, Canada issues not same': S Jaishankar on attack plot allegations

BENGALURU, Dec 17: Referring to the recent allegations of plots to murder pro-Khalistan elements in the United States and Canada, external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said the two issues weren't the same. He said the Americans "told us some specific things".

Drawing a distinction between the allegations, he said India is always ready to look into specific issues raised by other countries.

"If any country, not just Canada, if any country has a concern and gives us some input or some basis for that concern, we are always open to look at it. This is what countries do," he said.

"The point was when Americans brought up some issues...and the two issues are not necessarily the same. When they brought up that issue the Americans told us some specific things. What happens in international relations from time to time such challenges can arise. So we very sincerely have told the Canadians saying that look it's up to you, I mean your choice whether you would like us to pursue it, further look into it or not," he said at an event in Bengaluru.

The United States has asked India to assist in a probe in an unsuccessful alleged plot to kill Khalistan separatist Gurpatwant Sing Pannun. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed an indictment against a man named Nikhil Gupta, accusing an Indian government employee asking him to hire hitmen to kill the pro-Khalistan separatist.

In response, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) expressed concern about one of its government officials being linked to the alleged plot, from which it dissociated itself, as being against government policy.

Earlier this month, India said it would investigate the concerns raised by the United States.

Both the countries have had multiple discussions over the issue.

The Central government has formed a probe committee into the matter.

The US government earlier this month briefed five India-American lawmakers on the indictment of Gupta.

"We welcome the Government of India's announcement of a Committee of Enquiry to investigate the murder plot, and it is critical that India fully investigate, hold those responsible, including Indian government officials, accountable, and provide assurances that this will not happen again," it lawmakers later said.

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic on June 30 at the request of the US, it has n been reported.

Canada had accused Indian agents of planning the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, leading to an unprecedented low in the diplomatic relations between India and the north American country. India has rubbished the allegations and said Canada hasn't backed its allegations with evidence.

On China, Jaishankar said India wants better relations with China.

"I know there are some neighbouring relationships which are a problem, but I would suggest to you that the one with Pakistan is actually an exception... I would say each one of our neighbours today actually has a lot of good experiences and a lot of good things to say about India. It's also natural with neighbours that there will be issues of difference. I think we should not expect that all our neighbours will agree with us on all issues every day... In China,...we would certainly like our relationship with China to be better than what it is today. But if things have taken a turn for the more difficult in the last three years, it's not because of us. It is because they have chosen not to observe the agreements on the border. But again, diplomacy is, however difficult your neighbours, however challenging they are, you never give up," he added.

UN Security Council is like an old club: Jaishankar

BENGALURU, Dec 17: External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar on Sunday compared the United Nation's Security Council with an old club, saying that the latter is not keen to admit more member states and they don't want to let go of their control.

Speaking at an event in Bengaluru, the union minister said, “Security Council is like an old club, where there are set members who don't want to let go of the grip. They want to keep control over the club. Not very keen to admit more members, not keen to have their practices questioned.”

India, Oman adopt vision document to expand bilateral ties

NEW DELHI, Dec 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik on Saturday, December 16, firmed up a vision document to significantly expand bilateral cooperation in around 10 key areas and pushed for concluding a trade pact as early as possible during their “productive” talks here.

Modi and Tarik also discussed the situation arising out of the Hamas-Israel conflict and the challenge of terrorism, as well as the larger need to try and achieve a two-state solution to the Palestine issue as a way forward.

At a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra described the discussions between Modi and the visiting leader as “comprehensive and constructive.”.

He said Modi and Oman’s Sultan adopted a joint vision document to lay the pathway for bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, including the maritime sphere, connectivity, green energy, space, digital payments, health, tourism, agriculture, and food security.

Kwatra said Modi and Sultan Tarik also gave strong impetus and pushed to conclude the India-Oman comprehensive economic partnership agreement as early as possible.

The Sultan of Oman arrived in Delhi on a state visit on Friday—his first trip to India as the top leader of the influential Gulf nation.

“Today is a historic day in India-Oman relations as the Sultan of Oman is on a state visit to India after 26 years… I am sincerely welcoming you on behalf of all the people of India,” Modi said in his opening remarks at the delegation-level dialogue.

India and the Sultanate of Oman are strategic partners, and the bilateral trade and investment relationship between the two nations has been on the upswing in the last few years.

Israel, Qatar Set To Revive Talks Over Gaza Hostage Deal: Report

WASHINGTON, Dec 16: Israeli and Qatari officials were set to meet in Norway on Saturday in an effort to revive talks about the release of hostages held in Gaza in return for a ceasefire and the freeing of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani was due to meet David Barnea, director of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, in Oslo, the report added, citing people familiar with the matter. Barnea is also likely to meet with Egyptian officials, the Journal reported.

Significant obstacles impede a resumption of negotiations on a new hostage deal including disagreements over the possible terms within Hamas, the report added, citing people familiar with the talks.

The report of the talks comes a day after Israeli military said it mistakenly killed three hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas.

During a week-long truce in late November, Hamas released more than 100 women, children and foreigners it was holding in Gaza in exchange for the release of 240 women and teenagers.

Israel PM Netanyahu says 'nothing will stop us' until victory in Gaza war

TEL AVIV, Dec 14: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday said "nothing will stop" Israel from continuing the war in the Gaza Strip until it achieves victory against Hamas militants. "We will continue until the end. There is no question at all. I say this in light of great pain, but also in light of international pressure. Nothing will stop us. We are going until the end, until victory, nothing less than that," Netanyahu said in a video statement released by his office.

Gaza War To Continue 'With Or Without International Support': Israel Minister

JERUSALEM: Israel declared on Wednesday its determination to continue its Gaza war "with or without international support", after it came under mounting pressure even from key backer the United States. Now in its third month, the war was launched in response to the unprecedented attacks on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7 that Israeli officials say killed 1,200 people. It has left Gaza in ruins, killing more than 18,600 people, mostly women and children, according to the latest toll from the Hamas-run health ministry, and causing "unparallelled" damage to its roads, schools and hospitals.

Israel Says Arrested Hamas Operatives 'Telling Interesting Things'

JERUSALEM, Dec 12: Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has said that the war against Hamas in Gaza will end after Israel achieves its goals, The Times of Israel reported. He said that the Hamas' Jabaliya and Shejaiya battalions in the northern Gaza Strip are on the "verge of being dismantled."

While addressing a press conference, Gallant said, "The war will end when its goals are achieved. I take into consideration everything the US asks and says, and take seriously, along with all the members of the cabinet, what America is doing."

He further said, "We will find a way to help the Americans help us."

Asked about potential new hostage deal with Hamas, Gallant stated that he believes that there will be more offers for hostage deals if Israel increases military pressure, The Times of Israel reported.

He said, "I believe that if we increase the military pressure, there will be offers for more hostage deals, and if there are offers, we will consider them."

Gallant said that Israel forces have encircled the last strongholds of Hamas in Jabaliya and Shejaiya. He stated that hundreds of Hamas operatives have surrendered to Israeli troops in recent days, which he stresses "shows what is happening" to the terror group.

He said, "We have encircled the last strongholds of Hamas in Jabaliya and Shejaiya, the battalions that were considered invincible, that prepared for years to fight us, are on the verge of being dismantled."

Gallant said, "Whoever surrenders -- his life is spared," adding that among those who have been arrested by the IDF are terrorists who participated in the October 7 terror attack on Israeli communities. He added, "They are telling us very interesting things."

He even warned Hamas head Yahya Sinwar, saying that his fate and that of "any other senior commander in Hamas, and the fate of the [low-ranking] terrorist is the same: surrender or die. There is no third option," according to The Times of Israel report.

Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Forces and Shin Bet have announced that they have arrested more than 500 terror operatives in the Gaza Strip in the last month. The IDF's Military Intelligence Directorate's Unit 504 and the security agency have taken these terror operatives for questioning.

According to the joint statement, more than 140 of the operatives have been arrested since the ceasefire ended on December 1. The IDF said, "The operatives were detained during battles in recent days by IDF troops. Some of them voluntarily surrendered and were taken by the field interrogators... for further investigation."

The IDF said that some of the operatives were arrested while they were hiding in civilian buildings, including schools and shelters for civilians, The Times of Israel reported.

Earlier on Monday, the IDF announced the deaths of seven more soldiers, taking the death count of troops in Israel's ground offensive against Hamas to 104. Six of these soldiers were killed while fighting in the southern Gaza Strip on Sunday.

23 Killed In Suicide Bombing Attack At Pakistan Army Base: Report

PESHAWAR, Dec 12: At least 23 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a Pakistan army base on Tuesday, an official said, in an attack claimed by militants affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban.

The early-morning attack targeted a base in Dera Ismail Khan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the Afghan border, according to a local official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Many of them were killed while they were sleeping and in civilian clothes so we are still determining if they are all military personnel," the official added.

An additional 27 people were wounded when the explosive-laden suicide vehicle detonated at a school building which had been commandeered as a makeshift military base, he said.

Three rooms had collapsed and efforts were underway to pull bodies from the ruins, with fears the toll could rise further still, he added.

Tehreek-e-Jihad Pakistan -- a new group affiliated with the Pakistan Taliban -- said the assault began around 2:30 am (2130 GMT) with a "martyrdom attack" by one fighter before others stormed the compound.

Pakistan's army has not yet commented on the incident.

Pakistan has witnessed a dramatic spike in militant attacks, mainly in its border regions with Afghanistan, since the Taliban returned to power there in 2021.

Analysts say Islamist fighters have been emboldened by the neighbouring insurgency's success following the withdrawal of US forces in 2021.

The first half of 2023 saw a nearly 80 per cent spike in attacks compared to last year, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.

Islamabad alleges that hostile groups operate from "sanctuaries" across the border, a charge the Taliban government routinely denies.

The biggest threat to Pakistan is its domestic chapter of the Taliban known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which shares lineage and ideology with Kabul's rulers.

In January, the TTP was linked to a mosque bombing which killed more than 80 police officers inside a headquarters in the northwestern city of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Islamabad said four troops were killed in September during a cross-border raid by "hundreds" of TTP fighters in Chitral, an area popular with domestic tourists.

'Beginning Of The End': Netanyahu Says Hamas Operatives Surrendering

JERUSALEM, Dec 11: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday called for Hamas operatives to lay down their arms, saying the Palestinian group's end was near, as the war in the Gaza Strip raged more than two months after it began.

"The war is still ongoing but it is the beginning of the end of Hamas. I say to the Hamas terrorists: It's over. Don't die for (Yahya) Sinwar. Surrender now," Netanyahu said in a statement, referring to the chief of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. "In the past few days, dozens of Hamas terrorists have surrendered to our forces," Netanyahu said. The military has, however, not released proof of operatives surrendering, and Hamas has rejected such claims.

Almost one month ago, Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Hamas had "lost control" of Gaza.

Hamas triggered the conflict with the deadliest-ever attack on Israel on October 7 in which it killed around 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures, and dragged around 240 hostages back to Gaza.

Israel has responded with a relentless military offensive that has reduced much of Gaza to rubble and killed at least 17,997 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Philippine vessels face off on Day 2 of clashes over matitime territory

Chinese and Philippine vessels faced off in multiple clashes in the South China Sea over the weekend as tensions continued to escalate between the two countries over maritime territory.

The Philippines’ sea task force said its vessels were damaged after being “directly targeted" on Sunday by a Chinese coast guard ship with a water cannon during a supply mission to Second Thomas Shoal. A Filipino boat was also rammed by a Chinese vessel, the task force said in a statement.

China’s Coast Guard said the Philippine boat ignored warnings and “deliberately collided" with its vessel, which was sailing normally for law enforcement purposes. The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

“The Philippines should immediately stop its infringements and strictly control frontline provocations," China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu said on Weibo. The Chinese authority will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights, he said.

China has laid sweeping claims over the South China Sea, an assertion that’s been met by growing pushback in the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose administration has publicized Beijing’s tactics in the disputed waters.

A group of 200 civilians from the Philippines had set sail to the disputed waters on Sunday and were forced to cut short their trip after they said they were shadowed by four Chinese vessels including two Navy ships. The convoy, escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard, had planned to go near Second Thomas Shoal and parts of the Spratly Islands to deliver supplies to fishing communities.

The group of youth leaders, fisherfolk and media personnel decided on “erring on the side of caution" and returning to Palawan province after the “constant shadowing," its organizer said.

Manila on Saturday reported that the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons at Filipino civilian ships near Scarborough Shoal, drawing US condemnation.

The US has pledged to continue bolstering ties with Indo-Pacific allies to counter Beijing’s expansive claims in the crucial waterway. The Philippines has strengthened its longstanding defense alliance with Washington, expanding access for American soldiers and holding joint patrols in contested waters.

Israel Bombs Gaza After Hamas' 'No Hostage Will Leave Alive' Warning

TEL AVIV, Dec 11: Israel bombed southern Gaza's main city on Monday after Hamas warned no Israeli hostages would leave the territory alive unless its demands for prisoner releases were met.

Hamas triggered the conflict when the group carried out the deadliest-ever attack on Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, according to Israeli figures, and taking about 240 hostages back to Gaza.

Israel has responded with a military offensive that has reduced much of Gaza to rubble and killed at least 17,997 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Israeli strikes on Monday hit the city of Khan Yunis, a correspondent reported, while Palestinian militants Islamic Jihad said they had blown up a house where Israeli soldiers were searching for a tunnel shaft.

The army reported rocket fire from Gaza into Israel on Monday and said fierce fighting had taken place on Sunday around Gaza City and Khan Yunis.

Hamas on Sunday warned that Israel would not receive "their prisoners alive without an exchange and negotiation and meeting the demands of the resistance".

Israel says there are still 137 hostages in Gaza, while activists say around 7,000 Palestinians are in Israeli jails.

Months of intense bombardment and clashes have left Gaza's health system on the brink of collapse, with most hospitals no longer functioning and nearly two million people displaced.

A correspondent visited the bombed-out ruins of the Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City and found at least 30,000 people taking refuge amid the rubble after Israeli forces raided the medical facility last month.

Mahua Moitra moves Supreme Court against expulsion from Lok Sabha: Report

NEW DELHI, Dec 11: Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra has moved the Supreme Court against her expulsion from the Lok Sabha over the cash-for-query allegations against her. Moitra was ousted from the Parliament last week after the Ethics Committee of the Lok Sabha found her guilty of jeopardising national security by sharing her parliamentary portal's login credentials with businessman Darshan Hiranandani.

On Friday, Mahua Moitra said the ethics panel didn't have the power to expel her. She also said there was no evidence of her accepting cash from the businessman, which was the main accusation levelled by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and her ex-partner Jai Anant Dehadrai. She also pointed out that she wasn't allowed to cross-examine Hiranandani and Dehadrai.

The ethics panel had recommended her expulsion in November, soon after a stormy meeting with her in which she accused the panel's chief of asking her inappropriate questions. The report of the panel was tabled in the Lok Sabha on December 8.

Her expulsion was recommended by the panel on the basis of Hiranandani's affidavit saying she accepted bribes to ask his questions targeting the Adani Group. In response, Moitra said she had provided him with the login passwords to take help from his staff for typing out her questions on the portal.

After her expulsion, Moitra attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party saying she would continue fighting it over the next 30 years.

"Ramesh Biduri stands up in Parliament and makes objectionable remarks against Danish Ali, one of the few Muslim MPs.... the BJP has sent 303 MPs but hasn't sent one Muslim MP to Parliament. No action has been taken against Biduri for abusing Ali…You hate minorities, you hate women, you hate nari shakti," she said.

"I am 49 years old, I will fight you for the next 30 years, inside parliament, outside parliament, in the gutter, on the street," she added.

The opposition rallied behind Moitra over her expulsion, demanding that it should have been given a few days to read the lengthy document. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said she would win the elections by a bigger margin.

China, Philippines vessels face off on Day 2 of clashes over matitime territory

Chinese and Philippine vessels faced off in multiple clashes in the South China Sea over the weekend as tensions continued to escalate between the two countries over maritime territory.

The Philippines’ sea task force said its vessels were damaged after being “directly targeted" on Sunday by a Chinese coast guard ship with a water cannon during a supply mission to Second Thomas Shoal. A Filipino boat was also rammed by a Chinese vessel, the task force said in a statement.

China’s Coast Guard said the Philippine boat ignored warnings and “deliberately collided" with its vessel, which was sailing normally for law enforcement purposes. The responsibility lies entirely with the Philippines, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

“The Philippines should immediately stop its infringements and strictly control frontline provocations," China Coast Guard spokesman Gan Yu said on Weibo. The Chinese authority will resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and maritime rights, he said.

China has laid sweeping claims over the South China Sea, an assertion that’s been met by growing pushback in the Philippines under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., whose administration has publicized Beijing’s tactics in the disputed waters.

A group of 200 civilians from the Philippines had set sail to the disputed waters on Sunday and were forced to cut short their trip after they said they were shadowed by four Chinese vessels including two Navy ships. The convoy, escorted by the Philippine Coast Guard, had planned to go near Second Thomas Shoal and parts of the Spratly Islands to deliver supplies to fishing communities.

The group of youth leaders, fisherfolk and media personnel decided on “erring on the side of caution" and returning to Palawan province after the “constant shadowing," its organizer said.

Manila on Saturday reported that the Chinese Coast Guard fired water cannons at Filipino civilian ships near Scarborough Shoal, drawing US condemnation.

The US has pledged to continue bolstering ties with Indo-Pacific allies to counter Beijing’s expansive claims in the crucial waterway. The Philippines has strengthened its longstanding defense alliance with Washington, expanding access for American soldiers and holding joint patrols in contested waters.

Jaishankar speaks to Palestinian PM, reiterates India's ‘long-standing position’

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Saturday held a conversation with Palestinian prime minister Mohmmad Shtayyeh, and reiterated India's ‘long-standing position’ on the Palestine-Israel issue.

“Spoke to Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh this evening. He expressed deep concern on the situation in both Gaza and the West Bank. (I) Reiterated India’s long-standing position on Palestine. (We) Agreed to remain in touch,” Jaishankar posted on X (formerly Twitter).

On October 19, twelve days after the commencement of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, the Islamic militant group that controls the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, prime minister Narendra Modi, in a conversation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, too, had reiterated New Delhi's long-standing position on the Palestine-Israel issue.

Earlier, on October 7, the day Hamas carried out attacks inside the Israeli territory, leading to retaliatory strikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), prime minister Modi had expressed his ‘deep shock at the news of terrorist attacks in Israel.’

"India always advocated the resumption of direct negotiations towards establishing a sovereign, independent, and viable state of Palestine, living within secure and recognised borders, side by side at peace with Israel. I think that position remains the same," as per an earlier statement by the Ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

India recognised the State of Palestine in 1988, and was among the first countries to do so. While it enjoys excellent ties with Israel – particularly under PM Modi – there have also been regular high-level visits between New Delhi and Palestine. In October 2015, then President Pranab Mukherjee became the first Indian President to visit Palestine, and in February 2018, PM Modi became the first Indian prime minister to go there.

In January 2016, then external affairs minister Sushmas Swaraj also went to Palestine. In May 2017, on the other hand, Palestinian President Abbas made his fifth State visit to India; the first four came in 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2012.

India Rejects Charges Of Involvement In Act Of Violence In Canada

NEW DELHI, Dec 9: In calling for India's cooperation into its allegations of a potential Indian link to the killing of a Khalistani leader on its soil, Canada has not provided any "specific and relevant information" to New Delhi for it to act upon, the government informed Parliament on Friday.

Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said in Lok Sabha that the government has conveyed to Canada its "concerns" over activities of anti-India elements in that country and requested Ottawa to take action against such elements besides denying space to them.

The government has rejected the allegations of its involvement in "any act of violence" in Canada, he said replying to a question.

In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive allegation of a "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil on June 18. India has strongly rejected the charges.

"The government has rejected the allegations of the government of India's involvement in any act of violence in Canada. While calling for India's 'cooperation', the Canadian government has not provided any specific and relevant information for us to act upon," Muraleedharan said.

"The government has conveyed to the government of Canada our concerns about anti-India elements in Canada and their activities, and requested Canada to take action against such elements and deny space given to them," he said.

Israel Says It Hit 450 Targets In Gaza In 24 Hours As War Rages, US Alarmed

TEL AVIV, Dec 8: Israel sharply intensified its strikes on the Gaza Strip, pounding the length of the Palestinian enclave and killing hundreds in a new, expanded phase of the war that Washington said contradicted Israeli promises to do more to protect civilians.

The Israeli military said on Friday it had struck more than 450 targets in Gaza from land, sea, and air over the past 24 hours - the most since a truce collapsed last week and around double the daily figures typically reported since then.

With the vast majority of Gazans now displaced and unable to access any aid, hospitals overrun and food running out, the main UN agency there said society was "on the verge of a full-blown collapse".

Residents and the Israeli military both reported intensified fighting in both northern areas, where Israel had previously said its troops had largely completed their tasks last month, as well as in the south where they launched a new assault this week.

Gaza's health ministry reported 350 people killed on Thursday, bringing the death count from Israel's two-month campaign in Gaza to more than 17,170, with thousands more missing and presumed buried under rubble. More strikes were reported on Friday morning in Khan Younis in the south, the Nusseirat camp in the center and Gaza City in the north.

"As we stand here almost a week into this campaign into the south... it remains imperative that Israel put a premium on civilian protection," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told a press conference in Washington on Thursday.

"And there does remain a gap between... the intent to protect civilians and the actual results that we're seeing on the ground."

With the fighting now extended across both halves of the Gaza Strip at the same time, residents say it has become almost impossible to find refuge. Israel says it is providing more detail than ever about which areas are safe and how to reach them and blames Hamas for harm that befalls civilians by operating among them, which Hamas denies.

Hamas reported the most intense clashes with Israeli forces were taking place in the north in Gaza City's Shejaia district, as well as in the south in Khan Younis, where Israelis reached the heart of the enclave's second-biggest city on Wednesday.

The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman posted to social media that troops were operating "forcefully against Hamas and terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, especially in the Khan Younis area and the northern Strip".

He said all residents must leave the Jabaliya and Zeitoun areas in the north, as well as Shejaia and the old city in Gaza City. In the south, residents seeking shelter should head along the coast, with the main north-south route through the spine of the enclave now "a battlefield", he said.

Journalists in the southern Gaza Strip have seen unprecedented numbers of dead and wounded overrunning the main Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, where there was no room on the floor on Thursday for patients sprawled across bloodsmeared tiles.

Thomas White, Gaza head of UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestinians, wrote on X: "Civil order is breaking down in Gaza - the streets feel wild, particularly after dark - some aid convoys are being looted and UN vehicles stoned. Society is on the brink of full-blown collapse."

Ramy Abdu, head of the Geneva-based Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor, posted pictures showing severe damage to the vast medieval Great Omari Mosque, the most important landmark in Gaza's Old City, apparently hit for the first time. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Putin announces to run for another Russian presidential term

MOSCOW, Dec 8: Vladimir Putin on Friday moved to prolong his repressive and unyielding grip on Russia for at least another six years, announcing his candidacy in the presidential election next March that he is all but certain to win, according to state media reports.

Putin still commands wide support after nearly a quarter-century in power, despite starting an immensely costly war in Ukraine that has taken thousands of his countrymen’s lives, provoked repeated attacks inside Russia -– including one on the Kremlin itself -– and corroded its aura of invincibility.

A short-lived rebellion in June by mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin raised widespread speculation that Putin could be losing his grip, but he emerged from it with no permanent scars, and Prigozhin’s death in a mysterious plane crash two months later reinforced the view that Putin was in absolute control.

Putin announced his decision to run in the March 17 presidential election during a Kremlin award ceremony, according to Tass and RIA Novosti state news agencies.

About 80% of the populace approves of his performance, according to the independent pollster Levada Center. That support might come from the heart or it might reflect submission to a leader whose crackdown on any opposition has made even relatively mild criticism perilous.

Whether due to real or coerced support, Putin is expected to face only token opposition on the ballot.

Putin, 71, has twice used his leverage to amend the constitution so he could theoretically stay in power until he’s in his mid-80s. He already is the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

In 2008, he stepped aside to become prime minister due to term limits but remained Russia’s driving force. Presidential terms were then extended to six years from four, while another package of amendments he pushed through three years ago reset the count for two consecutive terms to begin in 2024.

Indian Envoy Meets 8 Navy Veterans On Death Row In Qatar

NEW DELHI, Dec 7: India's envoy to Qatar met eight ex-Navy personnel - sentenced to death in October for reasons still not known - on Sunday, the government said this afternoon. External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, "Our Ambassador got consular access to meet all eight in prison on December 3."

On India's appeal against the death sentence, Bagchi said, "There have been two hearings so far (these were held on November 23 and November 30). We are closely following the matter and extending all legal and consular assistance. This is a sensitive issue, but we will do whatever we can."

The next hearing is expected soon, it has been learnt.

The Ambassador's meeting with the sailors has been seen as a positive step - one that addresses concerns over consular access to the eight naval personnel, which seems now to have improved.

Also seen as a positive step is that there have been two hearings since India filed its appeal.

News of the meeting with the eight sailors - arrested in August last year by that country's intelligence agency, allegedly for spying - is being linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with the Qatar ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, on the side-lines of CoP28 summit in Dubai.

"You would have seen (that) Prime Minister Modi meet Sheikh Tamim nin Hamad, the Emir of Qatar in Dubai on the side-lines of (the) CoP28 (summit). They had a good conversation on the overall bilateral relationship as well as the well-being of the Indian community..." Bagchi said.

The specifics of the PM's brief meeting with the Emir have not been made public, but it does appear the Prime Minister has now taken up this matter with the Qatari ruler directly.

On November 24 a Qatari court had accepted India's formal appeal against the death sentence, which the government said had left it "deeply shocked".

The arrested naval personnel are Commander Purnendu Tiwari, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht and Sailor Ragesh Gopakumar.

The eight ex-Navy officers include decorated individuals who once commanded major Indian warships, and were working for a private firm providing training and related services to Qatar's armed forces.

'Most Intense Day Of Fighting' Of Gaza War

TEL AVIV, Dec 7: Israeli troops battled Hamas in the heart of southern Gaza's main city where a suspected mastermind of the October 7 attacks is believed to be hiding.

Israel's Army, Air Force, and Navy have all launched an offensive in South Gaza forcing thousands of displaced civilians to seek shelter on the border and in a desolate seaside area of the besieged enclave.

In a statement, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said that several Hamas operatives were killed in today's strikes in Khan Younis.

"During operations in Jabalya, the troops conducted a targeted raid on a military compound belonging to Hamas' Central Jabalya Battalion. A number of terrorists were killed as part of the activity," the IDF said.

The Israeli troops also located a network of underground tunnels, which they claim is used as a weapons storage facility and training area.

Videos released by the IDF showed missiles destroying buildings in Khan Yunis. Ground troops went door-to-door to check for Hamas operatives and hidden tunnels.

Israel's naval forces struck several compounds with precise ammunition and firing shells accusing them of being Hamas military bases.

"We are in the most intense day since the beginning of the ground operation," the commander of the Israeli Defence Forces Southern Command General Yaron Finkelman said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces encircled the Khan Younis house of Hamas leader Yahya Al-Sinwar.

"His house may not be his fortress and he can escape but it's only a matter of time before we get him," Netanyahu said in a video statement.

Sinwar stands accused of being one of the masterminds of the October 7 attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities, and saw around 240 hostages taken.

Israel declared war on Hamas after the deadliest attack in its history, vowing to eradicate the group and bring home all the hostages.

Much of northern Gaza has already been reduced to rubble by fierce fighting and bombardment, displacing 1.9 million people according to UN figures.

Many civilians fled to Khan Yunis when Israel ordered them to evacuate the north of the territory earlier in the war. Residents said Israeli bombing has grown more intense, killing and wounding civilians.

They are now being pushed further south to Rafah on the border with Egypt and towards the desolate seaside area of the enclave.

Israeli forces storm Khan Younis

TEL AVIV, Dec 5: Israeli forces have been engaged in the heaviest day of fighting since the start of their invasion of Gaza, a senior commander said. "We are in the most intense day since the beginning of the ground operation," the commander of the Israeli Defence Forces Southern Command General Yaron Finkelman said as per news agency Reuters.

"We are in the heart of Jabalia, in the heart of Shejaiya (in northern Gaza), and now also in the heart of Khan Yunis," he said.

This come as the UN warned of an "even more hellish scenario" as intense fighting pushed civilians into the besieged territory as Israel launched its ground invasion in Gaza's north to destroy Hamas and free hostages taken in October 7 attacks. The Israel's army said it had moved south as it targets "Hamas strongholds throughout the Gaza Strip". Israeli tanks, armoured personnel carriers and bulldozers were seen near the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis, according to a news agency.

The Israeli army said it was taking "aggressive" action against Palestinian militants in Khan Yunis, Gaza's second-largest city. International aid organisations warned that civilians in the Gaza Strip are running out of places to flee to.

"Nowhere is safe in Gaza and there is nowhere left to go," said Lynn Hastings, UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories, adding, “If possible, an even more hellish scenario is about to unfold, one in which humanitarian operations may not be able to respond.”

Ambulances, trucks and other vehicles delivered more bloodied, dust-covered casualties to Khan Yunis's Nasser hospital, including children. The International Committee of the Red Cross president Mirjana Spoljaric said that she saw horrors that were hard to describe.

"What shocked me the most were the children with atrocious injuries and at the same time having lost their parents with no one looking after them," she said. An estimated 1.8 million people are displaced in Gaza- roughly three-quarters of the population, according to UN figures.

Israel says 'not trying to move anybody' out of Palestinian territories

TEL AVIV, Dec 4: Israel said Monday it was not seeking to force Palestinian civilians to permanently leave their homes, even as it acknowledged conditions in the besieged Gaza Strip were "tough".

Any suggestion of Palestinian dispersal is highly contentious in the Arab world as the war that led to Israel's creation 75 years ago gave rise to the exodus or forced displacement of 760,000 Palestinians, an event known as the Nakba, or "catastrophe".

Israel declared war on Hamas, which rules Gaza, after its brutal October 7 attacks on Israel killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

With the health ministry in the Palestinian territory reporting a death toll of more than 15,500 people, the impact of Israel's relentless bombardment and ground offensive has sparked growing international concern.

Since the collapse last week of a truce that allowed for the release of dozens of Israeli and other hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Israel has expanded its offensive in Gaza.

In its latest estimate, OCHA said around 1.8 million people in Gaza, roughly 75 percent of the population, had been displaced, many to overcrowded and unsanitary shelters.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Israeli military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said: "We are not trying to displace anyone, we are not trying to move anybody from anywhere permanently.

"We have asked civilians to evacuate the battlefield and we have provided a designated humanitarian zone inside the Gaza Strip," he said, referring to a tiny coastal area of the territory named Al-Mawasi, as he acknowledged the situation in Gaza was "tough".

"We are perfectly aware that there is limited space and limited access and that is why it is so important to have the buy-in and support of international humanitarian organisations to help with the infrastructure in the Al-Mawasi area," he added.

Israel bombs Gaza as pressure mounts to protect civilians amid war

TEL AVIV, Dec 3: Israel struck Gaza targets Sunday in its war on Hamas sparked by the October 7 attacks as international concern mounted over the spiralling civilian death toll on the third day of fighting after a truce ended.

More than 15,200 people have been killed in the besieged Palestinian territory, according to Hamas, in more than eight weeks of combat and heavy bombardment.

Israeli air and artillery strikes hit Gaza's northern frontier with Israel, throwing thick clouds of smoke and dust into the sky.

At least one rocket salvo fired from the territory at Israel was intercepted by air defence systems, said a reporter in Sderot near Gaza.

The UN humanitarian agency OCHA said at least 160 Palestinian deaths were reported in two incidents in northern Gaza Saturday: the bombing of a six-storey building in Jabalia refugee camp, and of an entire block in a Gaza City neighbourhood.

Repeated bursts of heavy automatic weapons fire were heard over an AFPTV livecam.

Gaza's Hamas government on Saturday said 240 people had been killed since the week-long truce expired early Friday.

The war broke out when Hamas militants burst through Gaza's militarised border into Israel on October 7 and killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, while also taking around 240 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.

India agrees to withdraw soldiers from Maldives, says President Muizzu

DUBAI, Dec 3: Indian government has agreed to withdraw its soldiers from the Maldives, the Indian Ocean archipelago's President Mohamed Muizzu said on Sunday.

Muizzu won the presidential election in September, having campaigned to alter the Maldives's "India first" policy and promising removal of a small Indian military presence of some 75 personnel.

"In the discussions we had, the Indian government has agreed to remove Indian soldiers," Muizzu told reporters. "We also agreed to set up a high level committee to solve issues related to development projects."

Muizzu made the remarks following engagements on the sidelines of the COP28 climate summit with Indian officials.

India's ministry of foreign affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Sunday.

India and China have been vying for influence in the region, with the coalition that supports Muizzu considered to have a leaning more towards China.

Most of the Indian military personnel were in the Maldives to operate and manage two helicopters and a Dornier aircraft given to the Maldives by India.

India provides certain military equipment to the Maldives, assists in disaster response and has been helping build a naval dockyard there.

At his inauguration last month, Muizzu said he would ensure that his country has no foreign military presence.

He had made the request of Indian troop withdrawal to Kiren Rijiju, India's minister for earth sciences, who represented India at the president's inauguration.

One killed, 2 injured in terror attach near Eiffel Tower in Paris

PARIS, Dec 3: A German tourist died and two other people, including a British citizen, were hurt after an attack by a man armed with a knife and a hammer near the Eiffel Tower in Paris on Saturday, in what President Emmanuel Macron described as "a terrorist attack".

Police quickly arrested the 26-year-old man, a French national, after subduing him with a Taser stun gun, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told reporters on Saturday.

The suspect had in 2016 been sentenced to four years in prison for planning another attack, and had been on the French security services' watch list, the minister said, adding that he was also known for having psychiatric disorders.

The man attacked a tourist couple at around 1900 GMT with a knife on the Quai de Grenelle, a few feet away from the Eiffel Tower, mortally wounding the German national.

He was then chased by police and attacked two other people with a hammer, including the Briton, before being arrested.

"We are supporting a British man who was injured in Paris and are in contact with the local authorities,” a spokesperson for the British foreign ministry said.

Israeli strikes kill over 175 people in Gasa after ceasefire ends

TEL AVIV, Dec 2: After the end of a week-long ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) attacked houses and buildings, killing at least 178 people throughout the Gaza Strip in the first hours of fighting on early Saturday.

Militants in Gaza resumed firing rockets into Israel, and fighting broke out between Israel and Hezbollah militants. Israel said it struck more than 200 Hamas targets.

Qatar is making efforts to renew the truce deal, which saw Israel pause most military activity in Gaza and release 300 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for militants freeing over 100 hostages held in Gaza.

Israel says 115 adult men, 20 women, and two children are still held captive.

Up until the truce began, more than 13,300 Palestinians have been killed--roughly two-thirds of them women and minors, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

A senior Hamas official said Friday that his group is open to swapping more Israeli hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, but rebuffed a demand to free female Israeli soldiers.

The US says it believes Israel will begin allowing some humanitarian assistance to once again flow into Gaza, after blocking aid on Friday after a temporary cease-fire expired.

An Israeli hometown said three of its members have died in Hamas captivity, including the oldest person held hostage. Kibbutz Nir Oz said the community had received official confirmation of the deaths of Maya Goren, 56, Arye Zalmanovich, 86, and Ronan Engel, 54.

The Israeli army recovered the body of an Israeli man originally thought to be taken hostage in Gaza. In a statement, the army said Ofir Tzarfati’s body had been located by Israeli forces in Gaza.

The US said Friday that Israel has begun to implement civilian protection plans to reduce Palestinian casualties as it fights Hamas in Gaza.

'Hamas Reneged On Commitments': Blinken

DUBAI, Dec 2: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Saturday that the pause in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict ended due to Hamas, claiming the terror group 'reneged' on commitments.

While speaking to the media at Dubai airport, he said, "I made clear that after the pause it was imperative that Israel put in place clear protections for civilians and for sustaining humanitarian assistance going forward. And as we've seen just today, Israel has already moved out on parts of that, including sending out information, making it clear where people can be in safe areas in Gaza. And we'll be looking at that going forward. It's very, very important."

He highlighted that the end of the pause resulted from Hamas breaking commitments, citing a terrorist attack in Jerusalem and firing rockets before the pause ended.

"It's also important to understand why the pause came to an end. It came to an end because of Hamas. Hamas reneged on commitments it made. In fact, even before the pause came to an end, it committed an atrocious terrorist attack in Jerusalem, killing three people, wounding others, including Americans. It began firing rockets before the pause had ended. And as I said, it reneged on commitments it made in terms of releasing certain hostages."

Blinken reiterated US support for peace in the region, and said that the US is focusing on the release of Israeli hostages.

"We're determined to do everything we can to get everyone home, get them reunited with their families, including pursuing the process that worked for seven days. We had seven days of a pause; seven days of people coming home and being reunited with their families," he said.

"So, we're on that almost hour by hour. But meanwhile, we've also been very clear that we support Israel and its efforts to make sure that October 7th never happens again. We've also been very clear about the imperative of doing that in a way that puts a premium on protecting civilians and making sure that humanitarian assistance gets to those who need it. So that's what we're focused on, and we're doing both at the same time," he added.

"We remain intensely focused on getting everyone home, getting hostages back. It's something that I also worked on today. So, we're still at this. We're also very much focused, as we've been all along, on trying to make sure that this conflict doesn't spread, that it doesn't escalate in other places. But we're also using our diplomacy to look at not only what's happening today and how we're handling that, but also what happens the day after in Gaza and how we can get on the path to a just, lasting, and secure peace for Israelis, for Palestinians - in fact, for everyone in the region. And that's also a big focus of our diplomacy," he added.

This statement from US Secretary of State Blinken comes as the agreed truce between Israel and Hamas expired after seven days, according to CNN.

Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas resumed their war in the Gaza Strip on Friday morning after a week-long truce ended with the two sides failing to agree on the release of more hostages held by the Hamas group.

Israeli jets struck Hamas targets in Gaza soon after the cease-fire finished at 7 a.m. local time.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Blinken held a crucial meeting with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Thursday (November 30), marking his second visit to the West Bank since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war, as reported by CNN.

His visit was in the backdrop of increased Israeli settler violence in the region following the October 7 attack on Israel.

Hamas Seeks Gaza Ceasefire Extension As More Hostages Freed

GAZA, Dec 1: Hamas is willing to further extend a truce for hostage and prisoner exchanges, a source close to the group said Thursday, and the United States urged Israel to set up safe zones for Gaza civilians as a pause in their deadly war neared expiry.

International pressure has risen for a lasting halt to the war, sparked by deadly Hamas attacks on Israel that prompted it to mount a devastating assault on the Gaza Strip.

As the latest group of Israeli hostages was released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a source close to the Islamist group said it was willing to extend the truce that has paused weeks of deadly fighting and enabled aid to reach Gaza civilians. Israel had yet to respond.

With the current truce nearing expiry early Friday following a seven-day pause, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged an extension after meeting with leaders in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

"Clearly, we want to see this process continue to move forward," he told reporters in Tel Aviv. "We want an eighth day and beyond."

Israel "must put in place humanitarian civilian protection plans that minimise further casualties of innocent Palestinians", he said, "including by clearly and precisely designating areas and places in southern and central Gaza, where they can be safe and out of the line of fire".

A source close to Hamas, who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak to the media, said the Islamist movement was "willing to extend the truce".

"The mediators are currently making strong, intense and continuous efforts for an additional day in the truce and then working to extend it again for other days," the source said.

International bodies have called for more time to allow medical supplies, food, and fuel into Gaza after fierce combat and bombardments sparked by Hamas's bloody October 7 attacks on Israel.

"We have seen over the last week the very positive development of hostages coming home, being reunited with their families," Blinken said earlier at a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Tel Aviv.

"It's also enabled an increase in humanitarian assistance to go to innocent civilians in Gaza who need it desperately. So this process is producing results. It's important, and we hope that it can continue."

He later told Netanyahu it was "imperative" to protect civilians in southern Gaza "before any military operations there".

Before the truce, Israeli ground and air forces had pounded Gaza, forcing an estimated 1.7 million people -- around 80 percent of the Hamas-run territory's population -- to leave their homes and limiting the entry of food, water, medicine and fuel, according to the UN.

The initial four-day truce has been extended for three days following work by international mediators, led by Qatar.

Israel has however vowed to continue with its offensive to destroy Hamas once the truce process has run its course.

"We swore... to eliminate Hamas, and nothing will stop us," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video released by his office, after meeting with Blinken.

Hamas freed two Israeli women hostages in the latest round of exchanges under the existing truce, followed by six more hostages later in the evening, according to Israeli authorities.

Qatari officials mediating in the conflict said those eight people included nationals of Mexico, Russia and Uruguay.

Two others, Russian-Israeli dual citizens, were released on Wednesday night, as part of the group of 10 scheduled for Thursday.

In exchange, 30 Palestinian prisoners were released from Israeli jails, prison authorities said, including 23 minors and seven women.

Since the truce began on November 24, 80 Israeli hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners have been released.

More than 20 foreigners, most of them Thais living in Israel, have been freed outside the scope of the agreement.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office named the first two hostages released Thursday as French-Israeli dual national Mia Shem, 21, and Amit Soussana, 40.

Shem tearfully hugged her mother Keren and her brother as she arrived at an Israeli air base following her release, video distributed by the Israel government's press office showed.

Keren Shem had called on world leaders to help free her "baby" in a press conference on October 17, days after the Hamas attacks.