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Eight members of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) have called upon the regime’s minister of military affairs Israel Katz to instruct the occupation army to destroy all water, food and energy sources in the Gaza Strip “to achieve the war goals.”

The letter to Katz asserted “the Israeli military’s operations were failing to achieve the political objectives set for the war”, the Israeli Haaretz daily newspaper reported. 

Despite Israel’s complete siege on the Gaza Strip and the reduction in aid being allowed into the coastal territory, the legislators said the current plans to displace north Gaza residents to the south are not being implemented “properly”.

The Knesset members urged Katz to re-examine war strategies, asserting that after besieging northern Gaza and displacing its residents, the Israeli military should destroy all energy, food and water sources in the area.

They also called for the killing of anyone who moved within northern Gaza without surrendering by waving a white flag.

The measures should not be limited to northern Gaza, they said, but extended to other regions.

They made no mention of the Israeli captives being held in Gaza, Haaretz noted.

Backed by the United States and its Western allies, Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against the Israeli regime in response to its decades-long campaign of oppression against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed at least 45,658 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 108,583 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

Mangaluru: Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in Singapore remain determined to establish direct air connectivity between Mangaluru and Singapore despite setbacks. This follows Air India Express' (AIE) recent decision to postpone its planned direct flight service on this route, disappointing many expats.

In response, NRIs have proposed an alternative solution: extending IndiGo's existing Singapore-Bengaluru flight to Mangaluru. Currently, the Singapore-Bengaluru flight lands at Kempegowda International Airport at 7:40 AM, but passengers cannot board the 9:00 AM Bengaluru-Mangaluru connection due to insufficient transit time. Extending the Singapore-Bengaluru flight to Mangaluru would address this issue and benefit travelers.

Rajesh H. Acharya, director of HQ Connections in Singapore and coordinator of the Singapore Tuluver community, expressed disappointment over AIE's handling of the situation. "We’ve been advocating for this route since 2017, and it was close to becoming a reality. However, the sudden postponement and lack of stakeholder support have delayed our efforts," he said.

A petition has been submitted to IndiGo Airlines requesting the introduction of a direct Mangaluru-Singapore flight. Alternatively, it suggests extending IndiGo’s existing Singapore-Bengaluru flight to include Mangaluru. Expats have also approached Scoot Airlines in Singapore for direct connectivity. However, the lack of 'Point of Call' status for Mangaluru Airport remains a significant hurdle for international flights.

Despite the challenges, NRIs continue their efforts to make direct air connectivity between Mangaluru and Singapore a reality.

Mangaluru: Air India Express (AIE) has postponed its much-anticipated direct flight service between Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) and Singapore, citing low bookings. Passengers who had booked tickets for the inaugural flight scheduled for January 21 and subsequent dates have been notified of the cancellation through email.

In its email, AIE assured passengers of alternative travel arrangements, including connecting flight options between MIA and Singapore. However, the decision to delay the direct service has left travelers and travel agents disappointed.

An AIE official attributed the postponement to operational challenges but clarified that the airline has not abandoned plans for the route. “We are committed to starting the service, but there is no immediate confirmation on the new launch date,” the official stated. He further explained that sustaining a route requires consistent demand, and seasonal travel alone is insufficient to justify operations.

Another AIE representative admitted that the number of bookings for the inaugural flight was below expectations but declined to disclose specific figures.

Rajesh H Acharya, director of HQ Connections Pte Ltd in Singapore and coordinator of the Singapore Tuluver community, expressed his disappointment. Acharya, who has been advocating for a direct flight between Mangaluru and Singapore since 2017, said, “After years of effort, we finally convinced the airline to start this service, but it has now been deferred.”

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Acharya posted: "Did not expect such behavior from @AirIndiaX, now owned by @TataCompanies & @SIAirlines. If there are issues, travelers deserve to be informed well in advance. This decision needs investigation at the highest level."

The delay has raised questions among the travel community, with many hoping the airline will address these concerns and provide a clear timeline for the launch of the Mangaluru-Singapore direct flight.