Israel says it has begun 'extensive' new ground operations in Gaza
Deir al-Balah, May 18 (AP): Israel launched “extensive” new ground operations in the Gaza Strip while airstrikes in a new offensive killed at least 103 people, including dozens of children, overnight and into Sunday, hospitals and medics said, and forced northern Gaza's main hospital to close.
Airstrikes killed more than 48 people in and around the Palestinian territory's southern city of Khan Younis, some hitting houses and tents sheltering displaced people, according to Nasser Hospital, which said it struggled to count the dead because of the condition of the bodies. Eighteen children and 13 women were among them, spokesperson Weam Fares said.
In northern Gaza, a strike on a home in the built-up Jabaliya refugee camp killed nine members of a family, according to the Gaza Health Ministry's emergency services.
Another strike on a residence in Jabaliya killed 10, including seven children and a woman, according to the civil defence, which operates under the Hamas-run government.
In Gaza City, Um Mahmoud al-Aloul lay across the shrouded body of her daughter, Nour al-Aloul.
“You took my soul with you,” she cried. “I used to turn off my phone from how much you called.”
Israel's military had no immediate comment, but its statement announcing the ground operations said that preliminary strikes over the past week killed dozens of Hamas fighters and struck more than 670 targets. Israel blames civilian casualties on Hamas because the group operates from civilian areas.
Israel launched the offensive Saturday with the aims of seizing territory, displacing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to Gaza's south and taking greater control of aid distribution.
An Israeli blockade on food, medicine and other supplies is now in its third month, with global food security experts warning of famine across the territory of more than 2 million people.
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Bank manager shot dead in fit of rage by security manager upset by salary, denied leave
Lucknow (PTI): A security guard of a Ghaziabad bank upset over leave and salary related issues walked into the manager's cabin and shot him dead, police said on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old manager of the Loni branch of the Punjab and Sind Bank was rushed to a hospital on Monday where he was declared dead, they said.
The security guard, Ravindra Hooda (50) and his accomplice, Shishupal (57), have been arrested, police said.
"The security guard along with his accomplice entered the cabin of the bank manager and fired at him. The injured bank manager was taken to GTB Hospital in Delhi for treatment, where doctors declared him as dead," police said in a statement.
SHO Loni Border Manish Bist on Tuesday said the bank manager, Abhishek Kumar, was from Patna. He has been posted in Ghaziabad since August 2025, and was living in a rented house with his wife.
Police said that during interrogation, Hooda said he had been working in the branch for the past two and a half months.
"He said his salary was reduced, and when he would ask for leave, it was refused. Following this, there was an argument with him (Abhishek Kumar)," the police statement said.
He said he fired at the bank manager in anger and that Shishupal was present with him during the incident, it added. Hooda and Shishupal were from the same village in Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh.
Police said a case under section 103 (1) (punishment for murder) of the BNS has been registered against him. Police have recovered a double-barrel gun and ammunition and the Arms Act has also been slapped on the accused, the statement said.
