Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed to visit Oman on Monday
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Khaleej Times
24 minutes ago
- Khaleej Times
Trump envoy meets Israeli hostage families, says he has 'very good plan' to end Gaza war
US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy told families of hostages being held by the Palestinian group Hamas on Saturday that he was working with the Israeli government on a plan that would effectively end the war in Gaza. Trump has made ending the conflict a major priority of his administration, though negotiations have faltered. Steve Witkoff is visiting Israel as its government faces mounting pressure over the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the enclave. In a recording of the meeting, reviewed by Reuters, Witkoff is heard saying: "We have a very, very good plan that we're working on collectively with the Israeli government, with Prime Minister Netanyahu ... for the reconstruction of Gaza. That effectively means the end of the war." Witkoff also said that Hamas was prepared to disarm in order to end the war, though the group has repeatedly said it will not lay down its weapons. In response to the reported remarks, Hamas, which has dominated Gaza since 2007 but has been militarily battered by Israel in the war, said it would not relinquish "armed resistance" unless an "independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital" is established. Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza war and a deal for the release of half the hostages ended last week in deadlock. On Saturday, Hamas released its second video in two days of Israeli hostage Evyatar David. In it, David, skeletally thin, is shown digging a hole, which, he says in the video, is for his own grave. Witkoff met with Netanyahu on Thursday. Afterwards, a senior Israeli official said an understanding between Israel and Washington was emerging that there was a need to move from a plan to release some of the hostages to a plan to release all the hostages, disarm Hamas and demilitarise the Gaza Strip, echoing Israel's key demands for ending the war. Witkoff arrived in Israel with Netanyahu's government facing a global outcry over devastation in Gaza and the starvation growing among its 2.2 million people. The crisis has also prompted a string of Western powers to announce they may recognise a Palestinian state. On Friday, Witkoff visited a US-backed aid operation in southern Gaza, which the United Nations has partly blamed for deadly conditions in the enclave, saying he sought to get food and other aid to people there. Dozens have died of malnutrition in recent weeks after Israel cut off all supplies to the enclave for nearly three months from March to May, according to Gaza's health ministry. It said on Saturday that it had recorded seven more fatalities, including a child, since Friday. Israel blames Hamas for the suffering in Gaza and says it is taking steps for more aid to reach its population, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas, air drops and announcing protected routes for aid convoys. UN agencies have said that airdrops of food are insufficient and that Israel must let in far more aid by land and quickly ease access to it.
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Hamas says it won't disarm unless independent Palestinian state established
Hamas said on Saturday that it would not disarm unless an independent Palestinian state is established — a fresh rebuke to a key Israeli demand to end the war in Gaza. Indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at securing a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza war and deal for the release of hostages ended last week in deadlock. On Tuesday, Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating ceasefire efforts, endorsed a declaration by France and Saudi Arabia outlining steps toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and saying that as part of this Hamas must hand over its arms to the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. In its statement, Hamas — which has dominated Gaza since 2007 but has been militarily battered by Israel in the war — said it could not yield its right to "armed resistance" unless an "independent, fully sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital" is established. Israel considers the disarmament of Hamas a key condition for any deal to end the conflict, but Hamas has repeatedly said it is not willing to lay down its weaponry. Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described any future independent Palestinian state as a platform to destroy Israel and said, for that reason, security control over Palestinian territories must remain with Israel. He also criticised several countries, including the UK and Canada, for announcing plans to recognise a Palestinian state in response to devastation of Gaza from Israel's offensive and blockade, calling the move a reward for Hamas' conduct. The war started when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza. Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza has turned much of the enclave into a wasteland, killed over 60,000 Palestinians and set off a humanitarian catastrophe. Israel and Hamas traded blame after the most recent round of talks ended in an impasse, with gaps lingering over issues including the extent of an Israeli military withdrawal.
Khaleej Times
5 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
NRIs in UAE: How to file Income Tax Return online, complete step-by-step guide
Do you live in the UAE and earn income in India? Here's some good news, the deadline for filing your Income Tax Return (ITR) has been extended to September 15, 2025. The extension aims to give taxpayers more time to ensure accurate filing and full compliance with tax regulations. Non-Resident Indians most commonly file for ITR-2, of all the types. Below is a step-by-step guide on how you can file your ITR online. This process begins after you've completed the pre-filing stage, where you're required to enter all relevant income and tax-related information. 1. Log in to the e-Filing portal Visit the official e-Filing portal and log in using your PAN (as User ID), password, and captcha code. 2. Begin the Filing Process Once logged in, go to your dashboard and navigate to: e-File > Income Tax Returns > File Income Tax Return If your PAN is not linked with Aadhaar, a warning message will pop up indicating that your PAN is inoperative. You can either click 'Link Now' to link it immediately or proceed (not recommended). 3. Choose the assessment year Select Assessment Year 2024–25 and click 'Continue'. 4. Select mode of filing Choose 'Online' as your preferred mode and proceed. If you've started a return previously, you'll see the option to 'Resume Filing'. To discard the existing draft and begin anew, click 'Start New Filing'. 5. Specify your filing status Choose the category that applies to you: Individual, HUF, or Others. Click 'Continue'. 6. Select the appropriate ITR form You have two options: Help me decide: Let the system guide you based on your responses to simple questions. I know which ITR form I need: If you're sure, select the correct form from the dropdown and proceed. If you're unsure about which ITR form, schedules, or deductions apply to you, the guided option is the safer choice. 7. Review required documents Before proceeding, you'll see a checklist of documents needed. Click 'Let's Get Started' to continue. 8. Review and edit pre-filled data Your personal details and other information may already be pre-filled from previous records. Review this carefully, make any necessary changes, and complete the additional fields. Click 'Confirm' after each section. 9. Enter income and deduction details Provide your income details from salary, interest, business/profession, etc., and claim applicable deductions under various sections (e.g., 80C, 80D). After completing all sections, click 'Proceed'. 10. Tax Summary and Payment If tax is payable You will see a summary of your tax computation. You can either: Pay now Pay later: But this may attract interest or penalty and flag you as a defaulter. If no tax is payable or a refund is due If there is no tax liability or if you're eligible for a refund, click 'Preview Return' to proceed. 11. Make payment (if applicable) If you chose to 'Pay Now', a message will appear confirming redirection to the 'e-Pay Tax Service'. Click 'Continue', complete the payment, and return to the filing portal. 12. Return to filing dashboard After successful payment, click 'Return to Filing' to resume the ITR submission process. 13. Preview your return Click 'Preview Return' and review the full summary of your inputs. 14. Make declaration Enter your place of residence, tick the Declaration checkbox, and click Proceed to Preview. If you haven't used a Tax Return Preparer (TRP), leave those fields blank. 15. Final review and validation Go through your return one last time and click 'Proceed to Validation'. 16. Error check If errors are detected, you'll need to correct them before submission. If there are no errors, proceed to verification. 17. Verify your return On the 'Complete Your Verification' page, choose your preferred verification method and click 'Continue'. - e-Verification is the easiest, safest, and fastest method. If your PAN is still inoperative, you'll see a reminder to link it with Aadhaar. - If you choose 'e-Verify Later', ensure the return is verified within 30 days of filing, or it will be treated as invalid. 18. Complete e-Verification You can e-Verify using options such as: All done! Once verification is complete:
