'Can't uproot 50K people overnight': SC stays eviction of over 4,000 houses in Haldwani

The extremist Israeli finance minister has called for the occupation of the Gaza Strip and halving the population of the Palestinian territory that is reeling from almost 14 months of genocide.  

Bezalel Smotrich, who has a history of racist statements against Palestinians, made the controversial remarks during a conference of the Yesha Council settler group on Monday.

“We can occupy Gaza and thin the population by half within two years,” through encouraging the so-called “voluntary emigration," he said.

The racist minister also urged the Tel Aviv regime to use its favorable ties with the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump to implement the plan.

“Occupying Gaza is not a dirty word,” he further claimed.

Once the success of the “voluntary emigration" is proven in the besieged Gaza Strip, it can be replicated in the occupied West Bank, he added.

Last month, Smotrich urged the full annexation of the West Bank and Gaza, asserting that Israel should unequivocally declare there would be no Palestinian state.

Israel launched its brutal Gaza onslaught on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

However, nearly 14 months into the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has failed to achieve its declared objectives of finding captives held in Gaza and eliminating Hamas.

So far, the occupying regime has killed at least 44,235 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 104,638 others, in Gaza. 

It has been committing the war crimes of starvation and of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population in the besieged territory.

Gaza health authorities say Israel’s military has "erased” over 1,400 Palestinian families in the besieged territory over the past year.

The Health Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that the Israeli regime "completely erased about 1,410 families, numbering 5,444 people, from the civil registry during the same period.”

It said that there were 3,463 families with only one survivor, while 2,287 families had more than one survivor.

In northern Gaza, Israel’s warplanes have continued dropping bombs over Palestinian families, Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

It said one airstrike hit a family home in Jabalia, causing numerous casualties on Tuesday.

According to Gaza's civil defense agency, at least seven people were killed and several others wounded in the attack.

Another person was killed in a strike on a house in nearby Beit Lahia, a town in northern Gaza, which has been declared “a disaster area" by the municipality due to "the Israeli war of extermination and siege, and it has no food, water, hospitals, doctors, services, or communications."

The health ministry said, “Israeli forces killed 14 people and injured 108 others in three massacres of families in the last 24 hours.”

“Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them.”

International organizations and leaders believe that Israel’s genocidal war, now in its second year, is a deliberate attempt to destroy the population of Gaza.

Mangaluru: The upcoming assembly session at Suvarna Soudha, Belagavi, scheduled from December 9 to 19, will primarily focus on addressing issues pertaining to North Karnataka, according to Assembly Speaker U T Khader. "While the main emphasis will be on North Karnataka, concerns from other regions will also be part of the discussions," he clarified.

Speaking to reporters at the Circuit House in Mangaluru on Thursday, Khader shared that a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee had been convened, with the Chief Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and other key figures in attendance to ensure effective deliberations during the session.

"The session was initially planned from December 9 to 20. However, it was later decided to conclude it by December 19, as the All India Kannada Literary Convention is set to begin on December 20 in Mandya," Khader explained.

When asked about the process for discussions in the Assembly, Khader assured, "Discussions will take place according to the established rules."

The Speaker also highlighted his participation in various international conferences. "As Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, I have consistently sought opportunities to represent the Assembly at overseas conventions. I am pleased to announce that I will be attending the International Peace Conference in Vatican City," he said. "It is an honor to participate as a representative of the Mangaluru constituency and as the Speaker of the Assembly."

In response to questions about government grants, Khader remarked, "Grants do not come automatically. MLAs must actively follow up with the relevant authorities rather than simply complain about the lack of grants in their constituencies."

Addressing the tragic incident of three students drowning at a resort in Ullal, the Speaker emphasized, "The Deputy Commissioner has been instructed to enforce strict safety measures in resorts to prevent such incidents in the future."