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Observer
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Observer
Dhofar Municipality promises unforgettable Khareef 2025 with world-class shows and interactive experiences
Salalah: Dhofar Municipality has unveiled an ambitious programme for Khareef Dhofar 2025, offering visitors an exceptional mix of culture, entertainment and innovation, alongside first-time international performances and record-breaking attractions. Ammar bin Obeid Ghawas, Director of Events and Awareness at Dhofar Municipality, said the season was carefully designed to cater to visitors of all ages and backgrounds, combining modern interactive experiences with authentic Omani traditions. 'We are committed to delivering a season that blends culture, entertainment and innovation in a way that meets the expectations of our diverse audience,' Ghawas told the Oman Observer. 'This year, we are introducing attractions never before seen in Oman — and some of them on a global scale.'Ittin Square, the season's central hub, will host the world's largest inflatable amusement park and the largest stage of its kind, equipped with cutting-edge sound and lighting systems. Visitors can look forward to eco-friendly fireworks and daily drone shows over 47 days, folklore performances from 18 countries, and vibrant Omani markets showcasing products from small and medium enterprises. A dedicated area will promote local brands led by Omani modern promenade at Ittin Plain will feature a walking track, 'World Stations' for children, a Princesses' Palace attraction, and a variety of restaurants and food trucks — creating a complete leisure and learning destination for families. Heritage enthusiasts can explore 'Awda' (The Return), a live re-creation of traditional Omani life featuring folk arts, heritage souqs and handicrafts, while Awqad Park (Kids' Time) will offer creative learning zones and interactive play areas in a safe and engaging and wellness will also take centre stage at Salalah Park (the Health Park), which includes running tracks and activity zones designed to promote an active lifestyle. Beyond Salalah, the programme includes events such as Ausara, Avicennia, Al-Gharf, the Frankincense Market, and the Al Haffa Beach Market, along with activities in Taqah, Mirbat and Sadah. Major international sporting events — including the Salalah International Cycling Tour, the Sand Drag Race Championship, and the Khareef Dhofar Traditional Shooting Competition — will also be part of the line-up. Ghawas emphasised that the season is designed to showcase Omani identity, with more than 1,000 Omani home-based businesses and entrepreneurs participating. All events will be managed and operated by Omani-owned companies, reflecting the Municipality's commitment to supporting national projects, empowering youth, and turning Khareef Dhofar into a genuine platform for sustainable development.
Nahar Net
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Militants kill 5 Israeli soldiers in Gaza, Israeli strikes kill 51 Palestinians
by Naharnet Newsdesk 09 July 2025, 13:46 Five Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack in the northern Gaza Strip, Israel's military said Tuesday, while health officials in the Palestinian territory said that 51 people were killed in Israeli strikes. The bloodshed came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the White House for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump about a ceasefire plan to pause the Gaza fighting. While there was no announcement of a breakthrough, there were signs of progress toward a deal. The soldiers' deaths could add to pressure on Netanyahu to strike a deal, as polls in Israel have shown widespread support for ending the 21-month war. A senior Israeli official said that 80-90% of the details had been ironed out and a final agreement could be days away. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because they weren't authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations with the media. In a separate development, Israel said that it targeted a senior Hamas militant with a rare airstrike in northern Lebanon that killed three people and wounded 13 others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Soldiers attacked with explosive devices The soldiers were killed roughly two weeks after Israel reported one of its deadliest days in months in Gaza, when seven soldiers were killed after a Palestinian attached a bomb to their armored vehicle. An Israeli security official said that explosive devices were detonated against the five soldiers during an operation in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza, an area where Israel has repeatedly fought regrouping militants. Militants also opened fire on the forces who were evacuating the wounded soldiers, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the attack with the media. The military said 14 soldiers were wounded in the attack, two of them seriously. It brings the toll of soldiers killed to 888 since Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war. In a statement, Netanyahu sent condolences, saying the soldiers fell 'in a campaign to defeat Hamas and to free all of our hostages.' Children among the dead in Israeli strikes Health officials at Nasser Hospital, where victims of the Israeli strikes were taken, said one strike targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing four people. A separate strike in Khan Younis killed four people, including a mother, father and their two children, officials said. 'He sleeps in the tent with his two children, Awda and Misk,' said Nisma al-Baiouk, the sister of one man killed. 'My nephew Awda has no face, his face is gone.' Nasser Hospital records showed a total of 41 people killed on Tuesday. In central Gaza, Israeli strikes killed another 10 people and wounded 72, according to Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp. Israel's military had no immediate comment on the strikes, but it blames Hamas for any harm to civilians because the militants operate in populated areas. The fighting has pushed the health care system in Gaza close to collapse. On Tuesday, the Palestine Red Crescent said the Al-Zaytoun Medical Clinic in Gaza City ceased operations after shelling in the surrounding area. It said the closure would force thousands of civilians to walk long distances to get medical care or obtain vaccinations for children. Seeking a 60-day pause in fighting Trump has made clear that following last month's 12-day war between Israel and Iran, he would like to see the war in Gaza end soon. White House officials are urging both sides to quickly seal an agreement that would bring about a 60-day pause in the fighting, send aid flooding into Gaza and free at least some of the remaining 50 hostages held in the territory. Netanyahu has said 20 are alive. A sticking point has been whether the ceasefire will end the war altogether. Hamas has said that it's willing to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu says the war will end once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile — something it refuses to do. The initial Hamas attack in 2023 killed around 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. Most have been released in earlier ceasefires. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas-run government, doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants. The U.N. and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties.
Yomiuri Shimbun
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Militants Kill 5 Israeli Soldiers in Gaza and Israeli Strikes Kill 51 Palestinians
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Five Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack in the northern Gaza Strip, Israel's military said Tuesday, while health officials in the Palestinian territory said that 51 people were killed in Israeli strikes. The bloodshed came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the White House for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump about a ceasefire plan to pause the Gaza fighting. While there was no announcement of a breakthrough, there were signs of progress toward a deal. The soldiers' deaths could add to pressure on Netanyahu to strike a deal, as polls in Israel have shown widespread support for ending the 21-month war. A senior Israeli official said that 80-90% of the details had been ironed out and a final agreement could be days away. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because they weren't authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations with the media. In a separate development, Israel said that it targeted a senior Hamas militant with a rare airstrike in northern Lebanon that killed three people and wounded 13 others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Soldiers attacked with explosive devices The soldiers were killed roughly two weeks after Israel reported one of its deadliest days in months in Gaza, when seven soldiers were killed after a Palestinian attached a bomb to their armored vehicle. An Israeli security official said that explosive devices were detonated against the five soldiers during an operation in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza, an area where Israel has repeatedly fought regrouping militants. Militants also opened fire on the forces who were evacuating the wounded soldiers, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the attack with the media. The military said 14 soldiers were wounded in the attack, two of them seriously. It brings the toll of soldiers killed to 888 since Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war. In a statement, Netanyahu sent condolences, saying the soldiers fell 'in a campaign to defeat Hamas and to free all of our hostages.' Children among the dead in Israeli strikes Health officials at Nasser Hospital, where victims of the Israeli strikes were taken, said one strike targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing four people. A separate strike in Khan Younis killed four people, including a mother, father and their two children, officials said. 'He sleeps in the tent with his two children, Awda and Misk,' said Nisma al-Baiouk, the sister of one man killed. 'My nephew Awda has no face, his face is gone.' Nasser Hospital records showed a total of 41 people killed on Tuesday. In central Gaza, Israeli strikes killed another 10 people and wounded 72, according to Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp. Israel's military had no immediate comment on the strikes, but it blames Hamas for any harm to civilians because the militants operate in populated areas. The fighting has pushed the health care system in Gaza close to collapse. On Tuesday, the Palestine Red Crescent said the Al-Zaytoun Medical Clinic in Gaza City ceased operations after shelling in the surrounding area. It said the closure would force thousands of civilians to walk long distances to get medical care or obtain vaccinations for children. Seeking a 60-day pause in fighting Trump has made clear that following last month's 12-day war between Israel and Iran, he would like to see the war in Gaza end soon. White House officials are urging both sides to quickly seal an agreement that would bring about a 60-day pause in the fighting, send aid flooding into Gaza and free at least some of the remaining 50 hostages held in the territory. Netanyahu has said 20 are alive. A sticking point has been whether the ceasefire will end the war altogether. Hamas has said that it's willing to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu says the war will end once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile — something it refuses to do. The initial Hamas attack in 2023 killed around 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. Most have been released in earlier ceasefires. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas-run government, doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants. The U.N. and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties. Rare Israeli airstrike in northern Lebanon The Israeli airstrike hit a car in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. The Israeli military said that it killed Mehran Mustafa Bajur, who it described as a key Hamas commander in Lebanon who had been involved in rocket attacks on Israel. There was no immediate comment from Hamas. Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, fought a bruising war last year that nominally ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in November. Since then, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily airstrikes in Lebanon targeting what it says are officials and facilities of Hezbollah and other militant groups. Most of the strikes have been in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah had a major military presence. Around 250 people have been killed in strikes in Lebanon since the ceasefire, according to the Health Ministry. Hezbollah, which suffered heavy losses in the war, has been under increasing international and domestic pressure to give up its remaining arsenal, but has refused to do so before Israel withdraws from five key border points it's occupying in southern Lebanon and stops its airstrikes.
Boston Globe
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Militants kill 5 Israeli soldiers in Gaza and Israeli strikes kill 51 Palestinians
A senior Israeli official said that 80-90 percent of the details had been ironed out and a final agreement could be days away. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, because they weren't authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations with the media. Advertisement In a separate development, Israel said that it targeted a senior Hamas militant with a rare airstrike in northern Lebanon that killed three people and wounded 13 others, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. The soldiers were killed roughly two weeks after Israel reported one of its deadliest days in months in Gaza, when seven soldiers were killed after a Palestinian attached a bomb to their armored vehicle. An Israeli security official said that explosive devices were detonated against the five soldiers during an operation in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza, an area where Israel has repeatedly fought regrouping militants. Militants also opened fire on the forces who were evacuating the wounded soldiers, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the attack with the media. Advertisement The military said 14 soldiers were wounded in the attack, two of them seriously. It brings the toll of soldiers killed to 888 since Hamas-led militants launched an attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war. In a statement, Netanyahu sent condolences, saying the soldiers fell 'in a campaign to defeat Hamas and to free all of our hostages.' Health officials at Nasser Hospital, where victims of the Israeli strikes were taken, said one strike targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing four people. A separate strike in Khan Younis killed four people, including a mother, father, and their two children, officials said. 'He sleeps in the tent with his two children, Awda and Misk,' said Nisma al-Baiouk, the sister of one man killed. 'My nephew Awda has no face, his face is gone.' Nasser Hospital records showed a total of 41 people killed on Tuesday. In central Gaza, Israeli strikes killed another 10 people and wounded 72, according to Awda Hospital in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp. Israel's military had no immediate comment on the strikes, but it blames Hamas for any harm to civilians because the militants operate in populated areas. The fighting has pushed the health care system in Gaza close to collapse. On Tuesday, the Palestine Red Crescent said the Al-Zaytoun Medical Clinic in Gaza City ceased operations after shelling in the surrounding area. It said the closure would force thousands of civilians to walk long distances to get medical care or obtain vaccinations for children. Advertisement Trump has made clear that following last month's 12-day White House officials are urging both sides to quickly seal an agreement that would bring about a 60-day pause in the fighting, send aid flooding into Gaza and free at least some of the remaining 50 hostages held in the territory. Netanyahu has said 20 are alive. The initial Hamas attack in 2023 killed around 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. Most have been released in earlier cease-fires. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas-run government, doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants. The United Nations and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties. The Israeli airstrike hit a car in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli. The Israeli military said that it killed Mehran Mustafa Bajur, who it described as a key Hamas commander in Lebanon who had been involved in rocket attacks on Israel. There was no immediate comment from Hamas. Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, fought a bruising war last year that nominally ended with a US-brokered cease-fire in November. Advertisement Since then, Israel has continued to carry out near-daily airstrikes in Lebanon targeting what it says are officials and facilities of Hezbollah and other militant groups. Most of the strikes have been in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah had a major military presence.
Los Angeles Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Militants kill 5 Israeli soldiers in Gaza and Israeli strikes kill 51 Palestinians
TEL AVIV, Israel — Five Israeli soldiers were killed in an attack in the northern Gaza Strip, Israel's military said Tuesday, while health officials in the Palestinian territory said 51 people were killed in Israeli strikes. The bloodshed came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting the White House for talks with President Trump about a ceasefire plan to pause the Gaza fighting. While there was no announcement of a breakthrough, there were signs of progress toward a deal. The soldiers' deaths could add to pressure on Netanyahu to strike a deal, as polls in Israel have shown widespread support for ending the 21-month war. A senior Israeli official said 80-90% of the details had been ironed out and a final agreement could be days away. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations with the media. The soldiers were killed roughly two weeks after Israel reported one of its deadliest days in months in Gaza, when seven soldiers were killed after a Palestinian attached a bomb to their armored vehicle. An Israeli security official said explosive devices were detonated against the five soldiers during an operation in the Beit Hanoun area in northern Gaza, an area where Israel has repeatedly fought regrouping militants. Militants also opened fire on the forces who were evacuating the wounded soldiers, the official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the attack with the media. The military said 14 soldiers were wounded in the attack, two of them seriously. It brings the toll of soldiers killed to 888 since Hamas's Oct. 7, 2023, attack ignited the war. Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing, said on social media that the attack was an 'additional blow' against what he described as a 'weak' army. In a statement, Netanyahu sent condolences, saying the soldiers fell 'in a campaign to defeat Hamas and to free all of our hostages.' Health officials at Nasser Hospital, where victims of the Israeli strikes were taken, said one strike targeted tents sheltering displaced people in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing four people. A separate strike in Khan Yunis killed four people, including a mother, father and their two children, officials said. 'He sleeps in the tent with his two children, Awda and Misk,' said Nisma al-Baiouk, the sister of one man killed. 'My nephew Awda has no face, his face is gone.' Nasser Hospital records showed a total of 41 people killed on Tuesday. In central Gaza, Israeli strikes killed another 10 people and wounded 72, according to Awda Hospital in Nuseirat. Israel's military had no immediate comment on the strikes, but it blames Hamas for any harm to civilians because the militants operate in populated areas. The fighting has pushed the health care system in Gaza close to collapse. On Tuesday, the Palestine Red Crescent said the Al-Zaytoun Medical Clinic in Gaza City ceased operations after shelling in the surrounding area. It said the closure would force thousands of civilians to walk long distances to get medical care or obtain vaccinations for children. Trump has made clear that, following last month's 12-day war between Israel and Iran, he would like to see the Gaza war end soon. White House officials are urging both sides to quickly seal an agreement that would bring about a 60-day pause in the fighting, send aid flooding into Gaza and free at least some of the remaining 50 hostages held in the territory. Netanyahu has said 20 are alive. A sticking point has been whether the ceasefire will end the war altogether. Hamas has said it is willing to free all the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Netanyahu says the war will end once Hamas surrenders, disarms and goes into exile — something it refuses to do. The initial Hamas attack in 2023 killed some 1,200 people and took 251 others hostage. Most have been released in earlier ceasefires. Israel responded with an offensive that has killed over 57,000 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The ministry, which is under Gaza's Hamas-run government, does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The U.N. and other international organizations see its figures as the most reliable statistics on war casualties. Goldenberg, Khaled and Shurafa write for the Associated Press. Khaled reported from Cairo and Shurafa from Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip.
