Israel cuts off Gaza's southern city of Rafah, vows to 'vigorously' expand in territory
Tel Aviv, Israel (AP): Israel announced Saturday it has completed construction of a new security corridor that cuts off the southern city of Rafah from the rest of Gaza, as the military said it would soon expand “vigorously” in most of the small coastal territory. Palestinians were further squeezed into shrinking areas of land.
“Soon, (military) activity will expand rapidly to additional locations throughout most of Gaza and you will have to evacuate the fighting zones,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement, without saying where Palestinians were meant to go.
The statement urged Palestinians to stand up and remove Hamas and release the remaining hostages, saying, “This is the only way to stop the war." There was no immediate response from Hamas.
Israeli troops were deployed last week to the new security corridor referred to as Morag, the name of a Jewish settlement that once stood between Rafah and Khan Younis, after the army ordered sweeping evacuations covering most of Rafah, indicating it could soon launch another major ground operation.
Israel has vowed to seize large parts of Gaza to pressure Hamas to release the remaining 59 hostages, 24 of them believed to be alive, and accept proposed new ceasefire terms.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has also imposed a month long blockade on food, fuel and humanitarian aid that has left the territory's roughly two million Palestinians facing acute shortages as supplies dwindle -- a tactic that rights groups say is a war crime.
Israel has claimed that enough supplies entered Gaza during the two-month ceasefire that it shattered last month. Aid groups have disputed that.
Netanyahu has said Morag would be “a second Philadelphi corridor,” referring to the Gaza side of the border with Egypt farther south, which has been under Israeli control since May 2024. Israel has also reasserted control of the Netzarim corridor, which cuts off Gaza's northern third from the rest of the territory.
The corridors, coupled with a buffer zone that Israel has razed and expanded, give it more than 50 per cent control of the territory.
Katz said Palestinians interested in “voluntarily” relocating to other countries would be able to as part of a proposal by US President Donald Trump. Palestinians have rejected the proposal and expressed their determination to remain in their homeland.
Trump and Israeli officials have not said how they would respond if Palestinians refuse to leave Gaza. But Human Rights Watch and other groups say the plan would amount to “ethnic cleansing” -- the forcible relocation of the civilian population of an ethnic group from a geographic area.
Many Palestinians have been crowding into squalid tent camps or the rubble of their previous homes, often displacing multiple times in response to Israel's evacuation orders since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, killed some 1,200 people, many of them civilians, and sparked the war.
Israel on Saturday ordered the evacuation of areas east of Khan Younis ahead of an attack. Military spokesperson Avichay Adraee added that fighter group had fired rockets into Israel from these areas.
Israeli strikes across Gaza continued, killing at least 21 people in the last 24 hours, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants but says most of the over 50,000 Palestinians killed in the war have been women and children.
The ministry said at least 1,500 people have been killed since Israel's surprise bombardment resumed the war last month.
Israel says it has killed around 20,000 fighters in the war, without providing evidence.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Another incident of alleged insult to Islamic prayer reported in Belthangady
case lodged against 47 individuals
Belthangady: Another incident involving individuals allegedly dancing indecently, dressed in a denigrating manner, and insulting the Azan (Islamic call to prayer) has come to light under the jurisdiction of the Venoor Police Station. A case has been lodged against 17 accused persons and 20 to 30 others who were allegedly involved in the act.
Based on a complaint filed by Mohammed Rafiq, a resident of Poyyegudde house in Padangady village, a case has been registered at Venoor police station against Savya residents Vasantha, Rajesh, Harish, Peradi residents Dayanand, Ranganath, Mohan, Shamit, Ravi, Ramesh Kulal, Suresh, Ashoka Kulal, Dhanush Haradottu, Harish Banthottu, Ramesh R.K, Suresh Barottu, Pramod, Prakash Peradi and 20 to 30 other individuals.
A case has been registered under Section 353(2) along with Section 3(5) Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 for disrespecting Islam, Prophet Muhammad and the Islamic prayer Azhan by wearing Muslim attire during a 'Purusha Kattuna' event on April 14th.
A video of the incident is reportedly circulating on various social media platforms. In the purported video, a group of individuals can be seen wearing traditional Muslim attire and allegedly insulting the Azan by dancing indecently during a 'Purusha Kattuna' (a ritualistic dance performed by men of different castes, typically marking the end of agricultural activities) event held in Peradi near Venoor.
This incident follows a similar episode reported just days ago during a Purushara Puja ceremony, where Islam was allegedly disrespected. A complaint had already been filed with the Venoor police regarding that incident.
Leaders from the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) had also approached the Venoor police and submitted an official complaint, and demanded immediate action against those who are responsible for creating unrest in the society by wearing Muslim attire and hurting religious sentiments.
The Venoor police have now registered a case following widespread outrage over the alleged video denigrating Islam.
