90 Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza’s humanitarian zones
Deir Al-Balah: Over 90 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in the past 48 hours, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as Israel continues its military campaign on the besieged territory.
Hospital sources reported that at least 15 people, including women and children, were killed overnight in a designated humanitarian zone. In Khan Younis, 11 people, including some sheltering in tents in the overcrowded Mwasi area, lost their lives. Israel has officially recognised Mwasi as a humanitarian zone.
Four others, including a mother and her daughter, were killed in separate attacks in Rafah. Their bodies were taken to the European Hospital, according to medical staff.
Humanitarian organisations have raised alarm over worsening conditions in Gaza, with thousands of children suffering from malnutrition and many residents surviving on just one meal a day, according to the United Nations.
On Friday, Dr Hanan Balkhy, head of the World Health Organization’s Eastern Mediterranean office, urged newly appointed U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, to push Israeli authorities to ease the blockade and allow the entry of essential supplies. She expressed hope that visiting Gaza might change his stance.
Meanwhile, during his first public appearance, Huckabee visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem and placed a note said to contain a prayer written by U.S. President Donald Trump. He also said efforts were underway to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The latest escalation comes as the Israeli military resumed operations after breaking a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. The ongoing war has killed nearly 51,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, including at least 876 infants under the age of one. Health workers, aid personnel, and journalists are also among the dead.
Massive destruction across Gaza has wiped out critical infrastructure, including food production units, while around 90% of the population has been displaced, many forced to live in tents or damaged buildings.
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Protest against demolition drive turns violent in Kolkata, 3 cops injured
Kolkata (PTI): A protest against the recent bulldozer action in Kolkata's Tiljala turned violent on Sunday as demonstrators hurled stones at police personnel in the minority-dominated Park Circus area, injuring at least three officials and damaging several vehicles.
The flare-up came days after bulldozers rolled into Tiljala as part of the West Bengal government's demolition drive against alleged illegal constructions following the factory fire that killed two persons earlier this week.
On Sunday afternoon, a large number of people gathered near Park Circus Seven Point Crossing to protest against the anti-encroachment drive and attempted to block roads, police said.
As police tried to disperse, what they described as an "unlawful assembly", a section of protesters allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, triggering chaos in the area.
Several vehicles parked along the roadside, including those carrying central forces, were vandalised, officials said.
Heavy deployment of Kolkata Police and central forces was made in the area after the clashes. Route marches and intensified patrolling were undertaken in adjoining localities to prevent further escalation and restore normalcy.
Kolkata Police Additional Commissioner Ashesh Biswas said action has already been initiated against those involved in the violence.
"Some people tried to block the road. It was an illegal gathering. The police were trying to disperse them, and there was pelting of stones. Three of our colleagues were injured," Biswas told reporters.
"We have already arrested a few people," he said.
The officer said police followed standard operating procedures, and efforts were underway to identify all those involved in the violence.
"There was an attack on the police. We will see who is behind it and arrest everyone. Strict legal action will be taken," he added.
While the police maintained the agitation was linked to administrative action against illegal buildings, some locals claimed that grievances over alleged restrictions on the use of loudspeakers during religious prayers and curbs on offering prayers on roads had also contributed to the tensions.
The developments come close on the heels of tension in Kolkata's Rajabazar area on Friday, where a standoff broke out after a group of people allegedly attempted to offer prayers on a public road despite restrictions on blocking traffic.
According to police sources, a large contingent of personnel reached the area and asked people to vacate the road, after which the situation turned tense briefly.
Members of the local community argued that holding Friday prayers on roads had been a long-standing practice in the locality, while the administration maintained that keeping roads clear was necessary for traffic movement and maintenance of law and order.
Police, however, did not indicate any direct connection between the Rajabazar incident and Sunday's violence in Park Circus.
Authorities also did not immediately disclose the number of persons arrested in Sunday's clashes or whether any protesters sustained injuries during the confrontation.
