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Middle East Eye
a day ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel's war on Palestinians will not end until the apartheid system is dismantled
More than 600 days into what many now call a "genocide war" in Gaza, even staunch supporters of Israel are beginning to question its motives. Some have started using the term "genocide" to describe Israel's actions. Yet focusing solely on Gaza obscures a broader, long-standing strategy - one targeting the Occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Palestinians inside Israel's pre-1967 borders. To oppose genocide effectively, it is not enough to condemn what is happening in Gaza. We must also reject the systematic dehumanisation, dispossession and legal discrimination that Israel enforces against Palestinians everywhere. Western commentators such as Piers Morgan and former White House spokesperson Matthew Miller were slow to criticise Israel's conduct in Gaza, even as their platforms helped justify it for months. Their delayed condemnation reveals a deeply entrenched presumption: Israel is "right until proven wrong", while Palestinians are "wrong until proven otherwise". This imbalance stems from colonial privilege and Israel's near-total control over Palestinian life - from the river to the sea. By controlling every aspect of life, including electricity, water, movement and economic access, Israel reshapes Palestinian communities to serve its own interests and directly manipulates Palestinian politics. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters And in this regard, it is crucial to return to the beginning. Blueprint for control The term "Gaza Strip" only emerged after the Nakba of 1948. Before that, there was the Gaza District, which covered approximately 1,196 sq km. After the Nakba, it was reduced to just 365 sq km - less than one-quarter of its original size. The model of siege, deprivation and periodic warfare has been viewed as a blueprint for civilian control, and it drew virtually no meaningful international sanctions Before 1948, the Gaza District was home to 150,000 Palestinians. Following the Nakba, the population of the newly formed Gaza Strip swelled to 280,000 - 80,000 of them original residents, and another 200,000 refugees who had fled from elsewhere. For Israel, Gaza came to represent the logic of "minimum land with maximum Arabs", in order to secure "maximum land for minimum Jews". In the decades that followed - especially after the Oslo Accords - Gaza was transformed into a closed system. Calorie rations were kept at subsistence levels, electricity and water were tightly controlled, and movement was heavily restricted. From 2008 through to September 2023, Israel launched four major military assaults on Gaza, killing around 6,300 Palestinians. Despite the scale of destruction, no senior Israeli political or military official has ever been held accountable. This model of siege, deprivation and periodic warfare has been viewed as a blueprint for civilian control, and it drew virtually no meaningful international sanctions. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war The architect of this strategy was then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. His 2005 Disengagement Plan was rooted in demographic calculations. With more than one million Palestinians and just 9,000 settlers in Gaza, the economic and political cost of direct military rule had become untenable. During meetings with US officials in 2004, Sharon made clear that he expected American backing for expanding settlements in the West Bank in exchange for withdrawal from Gaza. And that is precisely what happened. The number of settlers in the West Bank increased from 250,000 to 500,000, not including those in East Jerusalem. Legislated supremacy At the same time, under successive Likud governments, a raft of legislation was passed to erode the civil rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel. The 2011 Nakba Law authorised the finance minister to withhold public funds from institutions that commemorate the Nakba. The 2017 Kaminitz Law gave the state sweeping powers to demolish "unauthorised" structures - disproportionately impacting Palestinian towns. The 2018 Nation-State Law made Hebrew Israel's sole official language, downgraded Arabic to a "special status", and affirmed that only Jewish settlements merit state support. More recent laws have empowered Israeli authorities to deport the family members of alleged "terrorists" without due process, and to criminalise any public expression deemed sympathetic to Palestinian resistance. Cumulatively, these laws entrench a racialised hierarchy of citizenship that privileges Jewish lives over Palestinian ones. Expanding conquest In late 2024 and early 2025, the Knesset approved a wave of building permits that enabled the seizure of both state-owned and privately held Palestinian land around Hebron - a scale of expansion not seen since 2007. In Hebron alone, around 5,000 olive trees were uprooted. Jenin and Nur Shams refugee camps were razed. Between October 2023 and mid-2025, Israeli forces killed roughly 900 Palestinians and arrested nearly 14,000 in the West Bank - many held without charge under sweeping administrative detention orders. Why Israel is accelerating its expansionist plan in the Naqab Read More » Israeli authorities also demolished at least 227 Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem and other Palestinian towns inside Israel during that same period, citing minor zoning violations to justify large-scale demolitions. Meanwhile, under the pretext of "developing the Negev (Naqab)", Israel revived the 2011 Mokedim ("Focal Points") plan in 2024. Tens of thousands of dunams have since been slated for confiscation, threatening the homes of around 85,000 Bedouin citizens. The plan seeks to forcibly concentrate Bedouin communities into state-recognised townships while bulldozing so-called "unrecognised villages". Israel's current posture is not merely a reaction to the events of 7 October 2023. It is the latest expression of a century-long campaign to dehumanise and criminalise Palestinians. This narrative has been widely accepted in western media and politics, conditioning global audiences to side with Israel regardless of its actions. It took almost two years of daily images documenting Gaza's devastation for the world to finally shift its stance. But Gaza is not a "bug" in Israel's system - it is a feature. It is a demonstration of the extreme measures Israel is willing to deploy against any Palestinian population. Designed brutality The genocide in Gaza is not an aberration - it is the logic of the system laid bare. One cannot condemn what is happening in Gaza while ignoring everything else Israel has done to the Palestinian people. Some Israeli political factions, and their international allies, now realise the scale of the disaster can no longer go unnoticed - that accountability may be inevitable. And so they have moved to the damage-control phase. This is not about fits of rage but a system built to distort reality and preserve Israeli and Jewish supremacy Precisely for this reason, it is more urgent than ever to remind the world that this system will continue unless it is dismantled. Anyone who truly opposes genocide must also oppose the structures of Israeli control over Palestinians everywhere. This is not about "fits of rage" or temporary moments of excess. It is about a system designed to distort and forcibly reshape reality in order to preserve Israeli and Jewish supremacy over Palestinians. Now, as during the Second Intifada, with elections on the horizon, more Israeli voices will speak out against Netanyahu - not out of opposition to the war itself, but because the international backlash has grown too costly. Fearing sanctions and international boycotts, they will try to engineer an "Oslo 2.0" - a "peace process" filled with promises, yet like its predecessor, ultimately designed to entrench control after the genocide in Gaza. And so, the next Palestinian disaster becomes only a matter of time. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
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First Post
15-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
‘From Kargil to Pahalgam, DGMO hotline has stood test of time': Ex-DGMO Lt Gen Bhatia on Operation Sindoor
In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, former Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General (Retired) Vinod Bhatia said that the DGMO hotline between India and Pakistan has stood the test of time and has played critical roles from working out ceasefires to managing crises. read more For years, high-level political dialogue and diplomatic engagement between India and Pakistan has been frozen, but one channel has been open and has served as the only high-level direct communication between the two countries: the hotline between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries. Set up sometime after the India-Pakistan War of 1971, the DGMO hotline has been central to some very historic moments. Lieutenant General (Retired) Vinod Bhatia, who retired as the DGMO in 2014, told Firstpost that the DGMO hotline has played a very constructive role in the India-Pakistan relationship. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The main purpose of the DGMO hotline is crisis management. It also serves as a confidence-building measure between the two countries. Over the years, the hotline has been used to resolve misunderstandings, discuss the situation along the border, and reach understandings on particular issues,' said Bhatia. In the India-Pakistan conflict this month, the hotline served as the only direct communication channel between the two countries — at least publicly. After Indian strikes on nine terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK) on May 7, the Indian DGMO, Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, reached out to his Pakistani counterpart, but the Pakistani side did not convey any intention to stand down. As India battered Pakistan over the next four days under Operation Sindoor, Pakistan activated the hotline and conveyed the intention to stand down to Ghai on May 10. Subsequently, the understanding to cease hostilities was reached over the hotline. In war & peace, DGMO hotline has stood test of time In peacetime, the DGMO hotline has been critical in resolving misunderstandings that may sometimes arise over troop movements or some military activities that the other side may misinterpret. The hotline also serves as the primary high-level communication channel when the cross-border firing gets intense. In times of wars and conflicts, Bhatia said that the DGMOs and their hotline have always been central to ceasefire efforts. Bhatia is an authority on the subject as he, as the DGMO at the time, negotiated a ceasefire understanding with his Pakistani counterpart in 2013. 'In 2013, discussions held over the hotline led to a historic meeting at the Wagha border crossing in December between me and my Pakistani counterpart. That was the first such meeting in a long time. We reached an understanding regarding the ceasefire that lasted for many months into 2014,' said Bhatia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Before that, Bhatia said that the DGMOs hotline had been instrumental in reaching the ceasefire in the Kargil War in 1999. 'While the Kargil War formally ended on July 26, 1999, when Prime Minister Vajpayee announced the successful conclusion of Operation Vijay, the understanding to cease hostilities was exchanged by the two sides over the DGMO hotline a few days back,' said Bhatia. In peacetime, the DGMO hotline has resolved situations that could have snowballed into conflicts if left unaddressed. A case in point is the accidental firing of an Indian Brahmos missile into Pakistan in 2022. Soon after the accidental launch on March 9, 2022, the hotline was activated and it was communicated to the Pakistani side that the launch was accidental and not an authorised act. Even as Pakistan reacted angrily in public, the two countries did not get into any conflict as the situation was duly addressed — thanks to the hotline. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How does the India-Pakistan DGMO hotline work? The hotline is a secure telephone link that connects the DGMO of India with their counterpart at the Pakistani Army headquarters at Rawalpindi in Pakistan. Bhatia said that the hotline is manned by a duty officer 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. Unlike how movies depict such communication channels, the working is quite simple yet effective. Bhatia said, 'The hotline has a simple handset. As soon as someone on either side picks the handset, the call gets initiated. There is no dialler like regular landline phones and you don't have to dial any number.' Once a call has been initiated by one side, it is an obligation on the other side's DGMO to answer it, said Bhatia. 'Once a call has been initiated, the duty officer at the other end picks up. The duty officer informs the DGMO and the DGMO arrives in the secure room at the earliest to talk to their counterpart. If the DGMO is not around, as they might be away at that moment, they arrive and make the call at the earliest available moment. Once a call has been initiated by the other side, answering it is not your choice but a requirement that has to be fulfilled without failure,' said Bhatia. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While the public learns about the DGMOs' calls during momentous times, it is a channel continuously in operation in peacetime as well. 'DGMOs hold weekly calls over the hotline every Tuesday. Whether it's war or peace, the DGMOs' hotline has always been functional. It has stood the test of time," said Bhatia. Operation Sindoor is the latest instance of the hotline fulfilling its role. Once a decision has been made at the level of political leadership, the DGMOs over the hotline work out the details about their implementation on the ground. In 2021, after multiple rounds of talks led by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, the two sides arrived at an understanding of a ceasefire. Once the political leadership approved, the DGMOs finalised the technical details. The 2021 ceasefire lasted until last month when the Pahalgam attack shattered the uneasy calm between India and Pakistan. As for Operation Sindoor, Bhatia said that India kept the initiative, controlled the escalation ladder, did not allow Pakistan to take the lead, and achieved the objectives it started the operation with. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'India did not want to start a war. India started Operation Sindoor with the clear objective of imposing costs for Pakistan's actions. So far, Pakistan had played a low cost-high effect game against India with terrorism. Operation Sindoor turned that into a high cost-low effect game and sought to set a new normal. India controlled the escalation ladder accordingly so as to not get into an uncontrolled spiral,' said Bhatia.
Business Recorder
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Indian border villagers want recompense for damages in Pakistan clashes
JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Pakistan and India are maintaining a ceasefire that ended four days of intense military clashes, but many in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) are demanding compensation for damages from cross-border firing. Hundreds of villagers evacuated their homes as the rivals targeted each other's military installations with missiles and drones, killing about 70 civilians, after New Delhi struck what it called terrorist camps across the border. Many returned to find their homes destroyed or roofless. 'Where will we go with our kids? We don't have anywhere to live and anything to eat,' said Roshan Lal, from the village of Kot Maira in Akhnoor in India's district of IIOJK, about 7 km (4 miles) from the de facto border. The shelling had left his home uninhabitable, the 47-year-old added. 'I want to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government for justice,' he said. 'We need compensation for the damages.' Blasts heard in IIOJK's Srinagar, say official, Reuters witness, residents In the nearby village of Pahari Wala, farmer Karan Singh said he buried seven cattle in his field, while his family are living in makeshift shelters. 'I left the village when the conflict began,' he said. 'We don't have a place to stay.' In Salamabad, a border village in the IIOJK Valley, shelling injured Badrudin Naik and his six-year-old son, but both returned home after five days. 'I am happy to return,' he said. 'But my house is damaged. My two uncles' houses were completely destroyed. We want a permanent peace as it is we on the border who suffer more.' Teams have fanned out in the region to assess damage to homes, shops and other facilities, said a senior local government official, who sought anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media. 'Today our teams have gone to the areas which were affected,' he said, adding, 'The government will decide the amount of compensation.' Blast heard in Pakistan's Lahore amid tensions with India, say Reuters witness On Monday, Modi warned Pakistan that New Delhi would target 'terrorist hideouts' across the border again if there were new attacks on India. Pakistan denies Indian accusations of supporting militants who attack India. Standing in front of the cracked wall of his Pahari Wala home, Joginder Lal said Modi should ignore US President Donald Trump, who announced the ceasefire, saying Washington had played a role in halting the fighting. 'We want to take full revenge against Pakistan,' the 60-year-old added.
The Herald Scotland
11-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Exposing the privatisation and profiteering of Palestinian pain
Israel's current onslaught in Gaza and the occupied West Bank is precisely a point in case. This past week Israel announced its latest phase in that onslaught, a military strategy, ominously dubbed 'Gideon's Chariots.' Unanimously approved by Israel's security cabinet, the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pulling out all the stops to frame Gideon's Chariots as an operation to dismantle Hamas in Gaza and retrieve those remaining hostages being held there by the group. While partly true, the reality of the mission however is underpinned by an altogether different motive. Again framing it their way, Israeli officials have described the mass movement of Palestinians that the operation will require, as a 'voluntary relocation'. This though will be anything but, given that the intent and scale clearly of what will be overwhelming force by land, sea, and air, will amount to forced displacement and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. This in turn of course will be a violation of international law if implemented without guarantees of return or safety. READ MORE: DAVID PRATT IN UKRAINE: Escape from Mariupol: One woman's story of survival from 'hell on Earth' DAVID PRATT IN UKRAINE: Inside the small village that stood fast against Russia's attempt to capture Kyiv David Pratt in Ukraine: It's hard to comprehend this level of destruction Netanyahu himself could not have spelt out more clearly what this blueprint for permanent occupation involves doing so in a social media video following the cabinet meeting. 'Gaza's population will be moved,' Netanyahu said in a video message posted on X, adding that Israeli soldiers won't go into Gaza, launch raids and then retreat. 'One thing will be clear: there will be no in-and-out. We'll call up reserves to come, hold territory - we're not going to enter and then exit the area, only to carry out raids afterward. 'That's not the plan. The intention is the opposite of that.' Along with giving the green light for Gideon's Chariots, the Israeli cabinet according to daily newspaper Haaretz, also backed a preliminary plan to seize control of humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza with the help of private US military contractors (PMC's). Such contractors of course have been a feature of numerous conflict across the world these past decades including Iraq and Afghanistan and have not been short of controversial. That they have made vast financial profits for those who run them is also beyond doubt. This aerial photo shows displaced Gazans walking toward Gaza City on January 27, 2025, after crossing the Netzarim corridor from the southern Gaza Strip 'Unwinnable war' Gaza might be called an 'unwinnable' war, but the fighting that has ensued there these past 19 months and escalation of hostilities in the Occupied West Bank, has been nothing but a win, win, for some in terms of money making. From bombs and guns to aid air drops, people trafficking to Airbnb's, Israel's years of war and oppression of the Palestinians has been a real business for many. The biggest profits of course come from the weapons used to prosecute the war. Just last week a new report found that UK firms have continued to export military items to Israel despite a government suspension in September last year, amid allegations that the British parliament has been deliberately 'misled'. A report by the Palestinian Youth Movement, Progressive International and Workers for a Free Palestine revealed last Wednesday that the UK sent '8,630 separate munitions since the suspensions took effect, all in the category 'Bombs, Grenades, Torpedoes, Mines, Missiles And Similar Munitions Of War And Parts Thereof-Other.' This though is the tip of the iceberg in terms of weapons supplies and the profits accumulated from them. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) with the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the arms revenues of the three companies based in Israel in the global Top 100 reached $13.6 billion. This was the highest figure ever recorded by Israeli companies in the SIPRI Top 100. 'The biggest Middle Eastern arms producers in the Top 100 saw their arms revenues reach unprecedented heights in 2023 and the growth looks set to continue,' said Dr Diego Lopes da Silva, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme. 'In particular, as well as taking in record arms revenues in 2023, Israeli arms producers are booking many more orders as the war in Gaza rages on and spreads.' But the obvious enormous profits from the arms trade aside, there has been no shortage of others queuing up to make money from Gaza's suffering. Few reading this will have forgotten US President Donald Trump's plan for the US to take over the Gaza Strip and build a 'Riviera of the Middle East.' While many simply mocked the idea as ludicrous and morally obscene given the current suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, as the online portal Middle East Eye (MEE) reported in February when looked at more closely, it became apparent that one of Trump's closest family members had been discussing something similar for at least a year prior to the president's remarks. What's more he has the funds and political connections to make it a reality. 'Gaza's waterfront property, it could be very valuable,' Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and former Middle East advisor, said in February 2024. "It's a little bit of an unfortunate situation there, but I think from Israel's perspective, I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up,' he added. Palestinian children struggle to get donated food at a community kitchen in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana). Waterfront property Kushner it seems was happy to put aside the fact that international law dictates those territorial rights, and the US does not control the property rights for Gaza's waterfront or its maritime boundaries. But as Middle East Eye's report rightly points out Kushner's words matter. 'He is not just an in-law or even a former White House advisor. After Trump's first term in office ended, Kushner launched a private equity fund, Affinity Partners. The fund almost seems tailor-made for Trump's vision of building a luxury city in Gaza.' But the 'long-term ownership position' as Trump calls it of Gasa aside, even as the war continues there are those cashing in. Even humanitarian aid it seems is not exempt from the profiteering says MEE. Only a few days ago it detailed how the Jordanian authorities have profited significantly from overseeing the delivery of international aid into Gaza. According to MEE sources both the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization (JHCO), an official body overseeing humanitarian aid into Gaza, has coordinated with Israeli authorities to act as the sole conduit for aid passing through Jordan. MEE cited sources both from international aid organisations and people with direct knowledge of the JHCO's operations. Source also told the news platform that Jordanian authorities have demanded $2,200 for every aid truck entering Gaza and charged 'between $200,000 and $400,000 per airdrop over Gaza this despite 'each aircraft carrying the equivalent of less than half a truckload of aid.' With last week's confirmation that the Israeli government is backing a preliminary plan to seize control of humanitarian aid distribution in Gaza with the help of private US military contractors there is renewed concern not just at the humanitarian implications of this but just in whose interests exactly would this be undertaken. On Friday the Associated Press (AP) obtained a proposal document from the newly created group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) a little know entity registered in Switzerland. Comprised of American security contractors, ex-military officers and humanitarian aid officials it is proposing to take over the distribution of food and other supplies in Gaza. GHF's board of directors includes Nate Mook, the former CEO of World Central Kitchen. It also includes Loik Henderson, who is said to be a legal and business professional with 20 years' experience including to Fortune 500 companies; Raisa Sheynberg, a vice president of government affairs and policy at Mastercard who previously led Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency project and also worked on national security and economic policy for the US government; and Jonathan Foster, founder and managing director of Current Capital Partners LLC. In the GHF proposal seen by the Financial Times (FT), the group says their scheme will provide assistance through the initial establishment of four 'Secure Distribution Sites'. These would be set up in southern Gaza and secured by armed private contractors. According to the proposal and several people briefed on the plan says the FT, Palestinians will be invited to the distribution sites, most likely on a weekly basis, to pick-up 'pre-packaged rations, hygiene kits, and medical supplies'. GHF has budgeted $1.30 per meal, including the cost of logistics, which it claims will be enough to provide every 'at-risk civilian' with a 1,750 calorie meal. The new American- Israeli plan would supplant the one run by the UN and other international aid agencies who have rejected such 'private' moves to control aid distribution. Instead, they say, Israel's current aid blockade should be lifted, and supplies be distributed by humanitarian organisations that are not party to the conflict. The European Union said humanitarian aid 'must never be politicised or militarised'. Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said on the social media platform X that it was 'totally wrong' for one party in a conflict to be distributing aid. 'This new Israeli aid plan is both totally insufficient to meet the needs in Gaza, and a complete breach of all humanitarian principles,' he said. The GHF document focuses repeatedly on how GHF will be transparent, saying it has secured banking with US-based Truist Bank and JPMorgan Chase. 'Real-time monitoring and beneficiary feedback loop into public dashboards so every dollar is traceable and every outcome verifiable,' it says. But many remain wary on a number of levels with financial transparency only one concern. The fact that the aid distribution system is inadequate for Gaza's needs and located in a way that forces people to move through tightly controlled Israeli military corridors known as 'filtration points' that would monitor recipients, leaves many uneasy. That aid would be distributed under private military contractor oversight and backed by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) is also of concern says critics. Trucks carrying humanitarian aid arrive from Egypt to the Israeli side of the Kerem Shalom border crossing with the southern Gaza Strip $1.30 per meal According to a report by the Washington Post the contractors will be supplied by UG Solutions and Safe Reach Solutions, the same American contractors previously involved in checkpoint and security maintenance in the Gaza Strip during the since-broken ceasefire. All this some fear is just another way to remove Palestinians from their homes while making money on the side. Such concerns are understandable in a conflict that has time and again seen individuals and businesses take advantage of the instability and suffering. From Egyptian tribal leaders making unofficial profits over the control of commercial and aid trucks accessing Gaza to those charging Palestinians at least $5,000 per adult and $2,500 for children under 16 to flee the war zone, those on the take it seems come from all sides. According to MEE and based on lists they accessed, one firm is said to have made at least $21m in February, $38.5m in March and $58m in April this year from such transactions. It's not only in Gaza either that the crisis is being exploited. Earlier this year an investigation by The Guardian revealed how two of the world's biggest travel companies are helping Jewish settlers commercialise land stolen from Palestinians. The newspaper's analysis found '760 rooms being advertised in hotels, apartments and other holiday rentals in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, on two of the world's most popular tourism websites.' 'Taken together, the listings that appear on either Airbnb or could host more than 2,000 people as of August 2024,' The Guardian report concluded. Last week Israel said it will give Hamas until the end of Trump's Middle East tour which starts this coming week May 13, before launching its 'Gideon's Chariots' operation. In the meantime the profiteering, just like the bombardment of Gaza goes on. Sadly the signs too are that those making money from Gaza's pain will continue to do so for some time yet.
NDTV
08-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
IPL 2025: B Praak To Perform As BCCI Set To Pay Tribute To Indian Armed Forces
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is set to honour the Indian armed forces on Thursday at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala. The apex cricket council of India will pay the tribute ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals. In the show, singer and composer B Praak will be peforming live in front of the audience. The news was shared by IPL's official X handle. "Dharamshala, get ready to sing with pride! B Praak brings the nation's sound on a night of patriotism and notes echoing India's spirit. With soulful melodies & powerful anthems, unite to celebrate our great culture. A tribute to the heart of Bharat!" it wrote. Dharamshala, get ready to sing with pride! B Praak brings the nation's sound on a night of patriotism and notes echoing India's spirit. With soulful melodies & powerful anthems, unite to celebrate our great culture. A tribute to the heart of Bharat! #TATAIPL | #PBKSvDC — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 8, 2025 The IPL match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, scheduled for May 11 in Dharamsala, has been shifted to Ahmedabad owing to the closure of the hill town's airport in the wake of military action against terror infrastructure in Pakistan. Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) secretary Anil Patel confirmed the development to PTI. The game will be played in the afternoon. "BCCI requested us and we accepted. Mumbai Indians are arriving later today and travel plans of Punjab Kings will be known later," said Patel. Punjab Kings play Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala on Thursday. The Dharamsala airport has been closed for commercial flights at least until May 10 in the wake of India's military strikes on terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. It remains to be seen how both Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals are ferried out of Dharamsala with the flight operations shut in the picturesque town. With Chandigarh airport also closed, teams need to find a way to get to Delhi. Like Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals are also scheduled to play on May 11 when they face Gujarat Titans at home. A Punjab Kings official said the BCCI is yet to inform the franchise on the venue change. "We have not heard from the BCCI yet. We can only figure out the travel plans once we have full clarity." Punjab Kings are on course to make their first IPL play-offs since 2014.
