Seven killed in Gaza strikes on Nakba Day as Israel targets Hamas commander
Gaza City: At least seven Palestinians, including three women and a child, were killed and dozens injured after Israeli air strikes hit a residential building and a civilian vehicle in Gaza City on Friday, coinciding with Nakba Day commemorations across Palestinian territories.
Medical sources cited by AL Jazeera said four people died after missiles struck a residential building in the Rimal neighbourhood in western Gaza City, while three others were killed in a separate strike targeting a civilian vehicle. More than 45 people were reported injured, several of them critically.
Witnesses said the attack on the residential building involved multiple missiles and triggered a major fire, forcing residents to flee the area amid panic and chaos.
Mahmoud Basel, spokesperson for Gaza’s civil defence agency, said hundreds of displaced civilians had been staying inside the building at the time of the strike.
“The missile was fired without any warning or prior notice,” Basel said, adding that families were among those trapped under the rubble.
The strikes came hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced that Israeli forces had targeted Izz al-Din al-Haddad, a senior commander of Hamas’s armed wing in Gaza.
In a joint statement, the two leaders described Haddad as one of the key figures behind the October 7 attacks and accused him of obstructing ongoing efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and hostage agreement.
The statement did not confirm whether Haddad had been killed in the operation. Hamas had not issued any response till late Friday.
The attacks took place on the anniversary of the Nakba, observed by Palestinians to remember the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel.
Residents in Gaza said many families displaced from eastern parts of the city had moved towards western neighbourhoods such as Rimal in search of relative safety from repeated military operations.
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CJI Surya Kant clarifies 'parasites' remarks, says 'pained' over media reports
New Delhi (PTI): Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday issued a strongly worded clarification on his 'parasites' remarks, saying he was "pained" by media reports that suggested he criticised youth.
"I am pained to read how a section of the media has misquoted my oral observations made during the hearing of a frivolous case yesterday," the CJI said in a statement.
Kant emphasised that his remarks were specifically directed at individuals entering the legal profession through "fake and bogus degrees" and were "misquoted by a section of the media."
The clarification follows a controversy during a hearing on Friday, when the CJI used words like "parasites" and "cockroaches" while pulling up a lawyer for his plea seeking senior designation.
"What I had specifically criticised were those who have entered professions like the Bar (legal profession) with the aid of fake and bogus degrees. Similar persons have sneaked into the media, social media, and other noble professions as well, and hence, they are like parasites.
"It is totally baseless to suggest that I criticised the youth of our nation. Not only am I proud of our present and future human resource, but every youth of India inspires me. It is not an exaggeration to say that Indian youth have great regard and respect for me, and I too see them as the pillars of a developed India," the chief justice said about his remarks.
