Iran will pay 'very heavy price' for targeting Israeli civilians: Israeli PM Netanyahu
Jerusalem, Jun 15 (PTI): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned that Iran will pay a “very heavy price” for targeting civilians in Israel.
He made the comments while visiting the site of an early morning Iranian missile strike in the city of Bat Yam, close to Tel Aviv. At least seven people were killed and several dozen others wounded in the strike.
“Iran will pay a very heavy price for the murder of civilians - women, children — that it carried out deliberately. We will achieve our objectives, and we will strike them with overwhelming force," the Prime Minister's Office quoted Netanyahu as saying.
Israel launched Operation Rising Lion early Friday, targeting Iran's nuclear, missile and military infrastructure. Iran later launched retaliatory strikes on Israel, which has threatened even greater force after some Iranian missiles struck buildings in the heart of the country.
In a separate incident, four people were killed in the northern Arab town of Tamra, raising the death toll to 14 since Israel launched the operation, which it says aims to deny Iran achieving nuclear capabilities and to foil its missile development programme.
Several dozen people were injured in an attack on the city of Rehovot, but there were no fatalities.
“We are here because we are in an existential battle — one that is now clear to every citizen of Israel. Think about what would happen if Iran had a nuclear weapon to drop on Israel’s cities,” Netanyahu said.
“Think about what would happen if Iran had 20,000 missiles like this one — not one, but 20,000. That is an existential threat to Israel. That is why we launched a war of salvation against a double threat of annihilation, and we are doing so with strength. Our soldiers, our pilots, are above the skies of Iran,” he added.
He advised citizens to follow the instructions of the Home Front Command during Iranian missile attacks.
Meanwhile, at a press conference, Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said that more Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Israel are expected in the coming days.
“Challenging days are ahead. There will be more launches and impacts in the coming days,” Defrin said, adding that the Israeli Air Force is “not stopping striking (in Iran) for a moment”.
“Even at this hour, we are striking dozens of targets in Tehran. We are deepening the damage to (Iran's) nuclear programme and military capabilities, to disrupt and reduce the risk to the home front,” the IDF spokesperson said.
In a post on X, the IDF said that contrary to Iran, which it said is targeting the civilian population, Israel has been trying not to harm the Iranian population.
"This is the message we spread to Iranian citizens. While Iran chooses to strike without warning, we choose to warn innocent people even if it means giving up the element of surprise. We warn them, in Persian, across many channels," the IDF wrote. "Because human life comes first to us. That’s the difference between us and our enemy," it added.
Official sources in Israel said that 270 missiles have been fired by Iran since Friday, impacting 22 sites, killing 13 people, including three minors and 10 adults, and injuring 390 people.
Among the injured, nine are in serious condition, 30 in moderate condition and 351 have minor injuries, they said.
Iran has also fired more than a hundred drones since Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on June 13.
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Porsche car crash case exposed systemic corruption: Pune police commissioner
Pune (PTI): The Porsche car crash case exposed "systemic corruption," but the Pune Police have successfully uncovered the nexus behind the replacement of the accused juvenile's blood samples with those of his mother, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said on Wednesday.
The case made national headlines after the high-end car allegedly driven by the 17-year-old boy in an inebriated state mowed down motorcycle-borne IT professionals Anish Awadhiya and Ashwini Costa in the Kalyani Nagar area on May 19 last year.
"Last year’s Porsche car crash case sparked widespread discussions about Pune’s deteriorating social culture, alleged police corruption, and several other issues. Amid all the criticism, one positive aspect stood out: the case exposed systemic corruption.
"It also demonstrated how the police, working within the same system, managed to uncover the entire nexus behind the replacement of the juvenile’s blood samples with those of his mother," Kumar said while addressing Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, an initiative aimed at raising awareness against drug addiction, organised at Modern College.
He added that the juvenile has been released since he was a minor.
"However, his mother has remained in jail for over a year, and his father continues to be behind bars. Doctors from Sassoon Hospital and others involved are also still in jail," Kumar said, adding that one mistake by a child, and an attempt by his parents to cover it up, destroyed an entire family.
He said the police will follow up on this case until every guilty person is punished.
Kumar also appealed to students to stay away from intoxicating substances and drugs.
"You are not only endangering your own life but also putting your entire family at risk," he said, urging the youth not to fall prey to harmful addictions.
"Instead, stand strong and act as a force to ensure that drug abuse is curbed in your surroundings. We assure you of full police support," he added.
He further stated that if youth from all colleges unite and decide to end this menace, "the day is not far when not even one gram of drug will be sold in the city".
The investigation into the car crash had revealed that the juvenile's blood samples were replaced with those of his mother.
The roles of Dr Ajay Taware, head of the forensic department, Medical Officer Shreehari Halnor, and a hospital staffer came under scrutiny.
While the mother is currently out on bail, the juvenile’s father, Sassoon Hospital doctors Taware and Halnor, staffer Atul Ghatkamble, two middlemen, Ashpak Makandar and Amar Gaikwad, and others remain in jail for the alleged blood sample swap.
