Israel-Gaza war Live updates: Israel approves Gaza takeover plan as global leaders urge restraint
Netanyahu's comments: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid outside combat zones. Speaking to Fox News, he said Israel intended to take military control of the entire Gaza Strip but did not plan to govern it, instead seeking to hand it over to Arab forces. 'We don't want to keep it… We want to have a security perimeter,' he said, without specifying which Arab nations might be involved.
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The Hindu
25 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Gaza civil defence says 18 killed across territory
Gaza's civil defence agency said at least 18 people were killed across the Palestinian territory on Saturday (August 9, 2025), including civilians who were waiting to collect aid. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP that at least six people were killed and 30 wounded after Israeli troops targeted civilians assembling near an aid point in central Gaza. The spokesman said strikes hit areas elsewhere in central Gaza, resulting in multiple casualties. He later added that a drone attack near the southern city of Khan Younis killed at least three people and injured several others. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence and the Israeli military. Thousands of Palestinians congregate daily near food distribution points in Gaza, including four managed by the U.S. and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Since launching in late May, its operations have been marred by almost-daily reports of Israeli forces firing on those waiting to collect aid. Israeli restrictions on the entry of supplies into Gaza since the start of the war nearly two years ago have led to shortages of food and essential supplies, including medicine and fuel, which hospitals require to power their generators. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting pressure to secure a ceasefire to bring the territory's more than two million people back from the brink of famine and free the hostages held by Palestinian militants. But early Friday, the Israeli security cabinet approved plans to launch major operations to seize Gaza City, triggering a wave of outrage across the globe. Despite the backlash and rumours of dissent from Israeli military top brass, Netanyahu has remained defiant over the decision. In a post on social media late Friday, he said 'we are not going to occupy Gaza -- we are going to free Gaza from Hamas'. The Palestinian militant group, whose October 7, 2023 attack triggered the war, has slammed the plan to expand the fighting as a 'new war crime'. Israel's offensive has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas-run Gaza's health ministry, figures the UN says are reliable. Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
UK police arrest 150 pro-Palestinian protesters amid rising Gaza death toll from malnutrition
Police in London have arrested around 150 people after protesters defied a new law banning public support for the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action, according to the Associated Press (AP). The Metropolitan Police said officers moved in after seeing placards expressing support for the group, which Parliament designated a terrorist organisation in July. 'Officers have moved in and are making arrests,' police posted on X. Arrest update: We've now arrested 150 people in Parliament Square. While many of those remaining in the Square are media and onlookers, there are still people holding placards supporting Palestine Action. Officers are steadily working through the crowd making further arrests. — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) August 9, 2025 Supporters of Palestine Action had gathered in Parliament Square on Saturday, saying the ban limits freedom of expression. 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action,' read some of the signs. The group Defend Our Juries said on its website: 'Once the meaning of 'terrorism' is separated from campaigns of violence against a civilian population, and extended to include those causing economic damage or embarrassment… then the right to freedom of expression has no meaning.' The UK government banned Palestine Action after activists entered RAF Brize Norton in June, damaging two tanker aircraft with red paint and crowbars. The group has previously targeted sites linked to Israel's military. Meanwhile in Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry said 11 more people have died from malnutrition, bringing the total to 212, including 98 children, BBC reported. The ministry also said at least 38 people were killed and 491 injured in Israeli military action in the past 24 hours. The UN says aid entering Gaza is 'far below the minimum required' and warns of famine conditions. Israel denies there is starvation in Gaza, accusing UN agencies of delays in collecting and delivering aid.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
1,700 Indians deported under Trump 2.0; Govt flags treatment of returnees, visa delays for students
The United States (US) government has deported more than 1,700 Indian nationals since Donald Trump stormed back to power. The Indian government said it has raised concerns with Washington over the treatment of those sent back and delays faced by students in securing student visas. Among those deported, 1,562 were men and 141 women. The highest number of deportees came from Punjab (620), followed by Haryana (604) and Gujarat (245). Providing further details on the mode of transportation, the Minister said that 333 Indian nationals were deported via Customs and Border Protection (Military) flights on February 5, 15, and 16. Three charter flights operated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried 231 deportees in March and June, while 300 were sent back through Department of Homeland Security (DHS) charter flights in July. Commercial flights from the US brought back 767 deportees. Another 72 deportees, who were stranded in Panama, arrived individually or in small groups when their flight tickets were arranged. From 2009 to 2024, a total of 15,564 Indian nationals have been deported by the US through chartered and commercial flights, according to the Press Information Bureau (PIB). Since President Donald Trump took office in January, the US has ramped up efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, a move that has been scrutinised by the public and governments alike, particularly over the treatment of deportees. The use of shackles on deportees, especially on women and children, has been taken up with the US, alongside concerns with regard to religious and cultural sensitivities, including the use of turbans and dietary preferences, the Minister said. Since July, students aspiring to pursue higher education in the US have flagged difficulties in obtaining visa appointments — another issue DMK's Karunanidhi raised. MoS External Affairs responded that the Indian government has engaged with the US authorities over the matter, and the latter have acknowledged that additional security requirements for student visas have reduced the capacity of the US Embassy and Consulates in India to process visas. However, the authorities said the student visa appointments are now open. For the J-1 physician category, the US has launched a software-based solution to prioritise appointments, and students have subsequently got appointments. The US Embassy is working to open a limited number of additional student visa appointments through the end of August, before the start of the new academic year, he said. The embassy is developing a student visa fact sheet with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to help reduce uncertainty around delayed appointments. The US Department of State tightened vetting procedures after a series of student protests in premier universities over the Israel-Hamas conflict, which rattled the administration. The matter related to deportation gained further traction in the media in May, after the Trump administration came at loggerheads with the university authorities over these protests, which it claims were 'anti-semitic,' while taking measures to restrain their ability to enrol international students. As a result, the State Department issued a notification in June, saying it would enhance vetting procedures and review social media profiles of student visa applicants, requiring them to make their profiles public. The minister said the Centre remains engaged with US authorities to promote 'mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks that allow for streamlining avenues for legal mobility of students and professionals, and facilitating short-term tourist and business travel.' According to an Open Doors 2024 report, funded by the US Department of State, Indians surpassed the Chinese as the largest cohort of international students in the US. Last year, the MEA said 48 Indian students were deported from the US over a three-year period. Relations between Washington and New Delhi are facing strains after Trump doubled tariffs levied on imports to 50 per cent ostensibly over India's import of Russian oil. Kanimozhi Karunanidhi was among the all-party delegation sent as part of India's global outreach against terrorism in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. The MP from Thoothukkudi led the delegation that visited Russia, Slovenia, Greece, Latvia, and Spain.
