Israeli Minister calls for West Bank destruction similar to Gaza's Jabalia
Tel Aviv: Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sparked outrage on Monday by declaring that parts of the occupied West Bank "must look like Gaza's Jabalia," referencing the extensive destruction inflicted on the besieged enclave during Israel's ongoing military operations.
The incendiary remarks came in response to a shooting near the illegal West Bank settlement of Kedumim, where three Israeli settlers were killed and eight others injured. Reports indicate that at least two Palestinians opened fire on vehicles and a bus before fleeing the scene.
Smotrich, notorious for his inflammatory rhetoric, specifically named Funduq, Nablus, and Jenin in his comments, calling for their destruction to mirror Jabalia, a northern Gaza area that has suffered severe devastation. Jabalia was heavily targeted during Israel’s military operations, which included strikes on hospitals and other civilian infrastructure.
Since the escalation of violence in October 2023, the Israeli assault on Gaza has resulted in over 45,800 Palestinian deaths, with approximately 11,000 individuals still missing and presumed buried under rubble. In the occupied West Bank, 835 Palestinians have been killed and 6,450 injured in Israeli attacks during the same period.
The violence comes amid heightened tensions and ongoing international condemnation of Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Last year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian, including the Gaza Strip, West Bank, and East Jerusalem, is unlawful. The Court declared the associated settlement regime, annexation policies, and exploitation of natural resources to be in violation of international law.
The ICJ also called on Israel to end its occupation, dismantle illegal settlements, provide reparations to Palestinian victims, and facilitate the return of displaced populations. UN experts have further recommended an arms embargo on Israel, sanctions on individuals and entities involved in illegal activities, and an end to commercial engagements harming Palestinian communities.
Smotrich's comments have drawn widespread criticism from human rights organizations and international observers, who view them as a dangerous escalation of the already volatile situation in the region.
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Thane man kills brother after fight over Rs 500
Thane (PTI): A 32-year-old man allegedly killed his younger brother after an argument over Rs 500 in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said.
The incident took place on Tuesday night in Kalyan area, they said, adding the accused has been arrested.
The accused, Salim Shamim Khan, who was inebriated, got enraged when his brother Naseem Khan (27) confronted him for taking Rs 500 from his pocket without permission, an official from Bazarpeth police station said on Wednesday.
The argument escalated and the accused allegedly stabbed his younger brother to death with a knife, he said.
Their mother later alerted the authorities about the incident.
Based on her statement, the accused was arrested on Wednesday and booked under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 103(1) (murder).
The body was sent to a government hospital for post-mortem and a probe was on into the case, the police added.
