Hamas, Israel agree on truce in Gaza
Gaza, Aug 10 : The Islamic Hamas movement said that a truce with Israel on halting escalation in the Gaza Strip began from Thursday midnight.
The agreement, brokered by Egypt and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov, will end another round of military confrontation between Israel and Hamas, a source from Hamas told Xinhua news agency.
"A calm-for-calm deal has been brokered by Egypt and by the UN Special envoy on condition that the Israeli occupation should respect the agreement," the Hamas source said on condition of anonymity.
"The Palestinian resistance has the right to respond to any Israeli violation," the source added.
Meanwhile, a source from the Popular Resistance Committees, a coalition of armed Palestinian groups in Gaza, said the agreement came into effect at midnight.
Israeli war jets have struck more than 150 sites in Gaza since Wednesday overnight, killing a pregnant woman, her baby and a Hamas fighter, while Gaza militants launched more than 100 rockets toward southern Israel, injuring over 20 Israelis.
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Karnataka: Home Department asks motorists to drive on highways with caution to avoid robbery
Belagavi: The Home Department has advised motorists to stay alert while travelling on national and state highways, warning that gangs involved in robbery and extortion have been active in several stretches. It said people should be extra cautious if anyone tries to stop their vehicle in isolated areas.
Replying to an unstarred question on Thursday, the department said Karnataka has recorded 403 highway robbery cases in the past three years. According to the data, national highways saw 81 extortion and 23 robbery cases in 2023, followed by 66 extortion and 16 robbery cases in 2024. Until November 15 this year, 51 extortion and 14 robbery cases have been reported.
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On state highways, 39 extortion and 17 robberies were reported in 2023, while 2024 saw 35 extortion and 22 robbery cases. In 2025 so far, 20 extortion and 19 robbery cases have taken place. The department noted that curbing highway robberies remains a major challenge for the police.
To tackle the issue, police stations have been directed to set up regular checkpoints on stretches of highways passing through their limits. Suspicious individuals and vehicles are being checked. Two-wheelers have been allocated to every station for night patrol, and staff have been instructed to conduct night rounds using vehicles fitted with sirens and red lights.
