Indian Institute of Technology to start undergraduate courses in UAE

A Palestinian prisoners’ rights group says Israeli forces have abducted a total of 108 journalists during violent raids across the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip ever since the regime’s onslaught on the besieged coastal territory started more than a year ago.

The Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, which is also known as Addameer, said in a statement on Monday that at least 58 journalists remain in Israeli custody, including six female journalists and 22 journalists from Gaza whose identities have been confirmed.

Addameer added that at least 16 of the journalists are being held under administrative detention.

An overwhelming majority of Palestinian prisoners are arrested under a quasi-judicial process known as administrative detention, under which Palestinians are initially jailed for six months. Their detentions can then be repeatedly extended for an indefinite period without charge or trial.

Neither the administrative detainees, who include women and children, nor their lawyers are allowed to see the “secret evidence” that Israeli forces say form the basis for their arrests.

Addameer noted that more than 9,000 orders of administrative detention have been issued since October 7 last year, ranging between new orders and renewals, including orders against children and women.

The report comes as another Palestinian journalist was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, bringing the total death toll of journalists killed since October 7 last year to 175.

The government media office in the Gaza Strip in a statement identified the victim as Hassan Hamad, without giving details about the circumstances of his death.

“We condemn in the strongest terms the targeting, killing, and assassination of Palestinian journalists by the Israeli occupation,” it said.

The media office also called on the international community and international organizations to “deter the occupation and prosecute it in international courts for its ongoing crimes.”

Journalists operating in the Palestinian territory are faced with increased dangers as they report on the conflict amidst Israeli ground assaults and airstrikes, disrupted communications, supply shortages, and power outages.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 last year, after Palestinian resistance groups carried out a surprise retaliatory operation into the occupied territories.

So far, the Israeli war on Gaza has killed at least 41,909 Palestinians, most of them women, children, and adolescents, and injured 97,303 others.

Israeli media have revealed that a plan is underway to ethnically cleanse northern Gaza and kill any Palestinian who remains there.

Three Israeli reserve soldiers deployed to Gaza told Haaretz this week that they believe the “Generals’ Plan,” also known as the Eiland Plan, is being implemented.

“The goal is to give the residents who live north of the Netzarim area a deadline to move to the south of the Strip. After this date, whoever will remain in the north will be considered an enemy and will be killed,” a soldier stationed in the Netzarim Corridor was quoted as saying.

The soldier said the plan does not conform to any standard of international law. 

“People sat and wrote a systematic order with charts and an operational concept, at the end of which you shoot whoever isn’t willing to leave. The very existence of this idea is unfathomable.”

A second soldier said “the commanders say openly that the Eiland Plan is being promoted by the military.”

There are now signs that even if the policy has not been adopted by top military officials who are reportedly discussing it, the plan is already being carried out, the report said on Wednesday.  

Haaretz journalist Amos Harel wrote, "Ideas such as deliberately opening fire close to a population and even steps towards starving the inhabitants are being debated." 

Major international aid organizations have called on leaders and the international community to stop Israel’s forced displacement in northern Gaza.

“The Israeli forces’ assault on Gaza has escalated to a horrifying level of atrocity,” said organizations such as Oxfam, Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map), ActionAid, Islamic Relief, Christian Aid and other UK-based charities on Tuesday.

“This is not an evacuation; this is forced displacement under gunfire. Since 1 October, no food has been allowed into the area, and civilians are being starved and bombed in their homes and their tents.”

Over the past 10 days, Israeli forces ordered hundreds of thousands of people to flee northern Gaza before launching a new offensive. 

Great news for Indian nationals! If you hold a tourist visa for the European Union (EU), United States (US), or United Kingdom (UK), you no longer need a pre-entry visa to visit the UAE.

Here’s a simple breakdown of what you need to know:

Who’s Exempt?

Indian nationals who:

Have a valid tourist visa for the EU, US, or UK.

Previously, only those with residence permits from these countries were exempt.

How Long Can You Stay?
 

14-Day Entry Visa: For Indian travelers (and family members) with ordinary passports and a valid tourist visa, residency, or green card from the US, EU, or UK.

> Fee: AED 100 (about INR 2,250)

Extend Your Stay: You can stay an additional 14 days.

> Fee: AED 250 (about INR 5,600)

60-Day Visa: If you plan to stay longer, you can opt for a 60-day visa.

> Fee: AED 250 (same as above)
 

Important Requirements:

Your tourist visa for the EU, US, or UK must be valid.

Your passport must have at least six months of validity.

This update, announced by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Ports Security, makes travel easier for Indian tourists. Enjoy your visit to the UAE!