Tel Aviv, May 13 (AP): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says there is “no way” Israel will halt its war in Gaza, even if a deal is reached to release more hostages.
His comments are likely to complicate talks on a new ceasefire that had seemed to gain momentum after Hamas released the last living American hostage on Monday in a gesture to US President Donald Trump, who is visiting the region but skipping Israel.
They pointed to a potentially widening rift between Netanyahu and Trump, who had expressed hope that Monday's release of Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander would be a step toward ending the 19-month war.
In comments released by his office Tuesday from a visit to wounded soldiers the previous day, Netanyahu said Israeli forces were just days away from a promised escalation of force and would enter Gaza “with great strength to complete the mission. ... It means destroying Hamas.”
Any ceasefire deal reached would be temporary, the prime minister said. If Hamas were to say they would release more hostages, “we'll take them, and then we'll go in. But there will be no way we will stop the war,” Netanyahu said. “We can make a ceasefire for a certain period of time, but we're going to the end.”
Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in return for more Palestinian prisoners, a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The dispute over whether to end the conflict has been the main obstacle in negotiations going back more than a year.
Israel says 58 hostages remain in captivity, with as many as 23 of them said to be alive, although authorities have expressed concern about the condition of three of them.
Many of the 250 hostages taken by Hamas-led militants in the Oct. 7, 2023 attack that started the war were freed in ceasefire deals.
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Mangaluru (Karnataka), Jul 26 (PTI): Mangaluru International Airport has earned the prestigious Level 4 accreditation in Airport Customer Experience from Airports Council International (ACI), positioning itself among a select group of global airports recognised for excellence in customer-centric service, officials said on Saturday.
The accreditation, awarded on July 16, 2025, is valid for one year and follows the airport’s attainment of Level 3 accreditation in February 2024, they said.
According to a statement from the airport spokesperson here, the ACI programme is the first global initiative dedicated to advancing customer experience management in the aviation sector.
According to ACI, Level 4 accreditation demonstrates a strong foundation of customer-focused practices and a readiness for the strategic, enterprise-wide transformation required to reach Level 5 — the highest level of the programme.
Over the past year, the airport has implemented several key initiatives including the launch of the Adani OneApp and Digi Yatra, deployment of AI-based surveillance systems, smart cleaning robots, improved flight information displays, and free Wi-Fi kiosks. These upgrades have not only enhanced operational efficiency but also improved the overall passenger experience, it stated.
The spokesperson for the airport said, “This Level 4 accreditation is a testament to our team’s dedication to providing a seamless and memorable journey for travellers. We remain committed to being a modern and efficient gateway for the region.”
The airport’s strategy, customer insights, digital innovation, and governance were among the factors evaluated for the accreditation.