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The Israeli regime has announced the occupation of some 6,000 acres of Palestinian territories in the West Bank as part of the illegal entity’s land grab policy, marking the largest annexation by the Tel Aviv regime in decades.

Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich was cited by the regime’s Channel 14 on Friday as declaring the confiscation of 24,000 dunums (5930.5 acres) of the occupied West Bank and classifying them as what he claimed to be “state lands.”

Stressing that the decision covers nearly half of the land confiscated as “state lands” since the Oslo Accords in 1993, the broadcaster said the announcement is a dramatic step that is expected to affect regional planning and change the face of the region.

“At the right time, today we completed a complex process to announce 24,000 dunums of new state lands in the West Bank,” Smotrich said.

“This process creates a settlement sequence, builds land reserves for Israel to develop settlements, infrastructure and roads, and guarantees that we will continue to strengthen the settlements, and we are here to stay,” he added.

In a post on X, the Israeli finance minister also wrote, “More than 23,000 dunams of land for the benefit of the settlement in Yosh. We determine facts on the ground and thwart the establishment of a Palestinian state!”

According to Channel 14, the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, east of occupied al-Quds, would be expanded by approximately 2,600 dunums (642 acres) to the south to create a settlement chain linked to the illegal settlement of Kedar.

Other illegal settlements such as Migdal Oz and Susya in the southern West Bank and Yafit in the Jordan Valley will also be expanded.

The Israeli channel also quoted Smotrich as claiming that the decision was a “historic achievement that contributes to strengthening settlement activity and expanding land designated for infrastructure and settlement projects.”

Last month, the far-right minister claimed that next year would see the application of “Israeli sovereignty” over the occupied West Bank.

More than 700,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds, with international law viewing both as “occupied territories” and considering all Jewish settlement-building activity there as illegal.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion in July and declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and al-Quds.

The latest Israeli land garb comes as the regime has ramped up its aggression against Palestinians across the West Bank since October 7 last year, when it launched a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip. The occupation has since claimed more than 44,500 lives in the besieged enclave.

Udupi, Dec 7: A tragic incident involving the death of a 38-year-old hotel worker in Manipal has been confirmed as a case of suicide, dispelling initial reports of murder. Udupi Superintendent of Police (SP) Dr. Arun Kumar clarified the matter after an investigation, including CCTV footage review, revealed the victim, Sridhara, took his own life in a shocking and rare manner.

Incident Overview
The lifeless body of Sridhara, a resident of Kasarakoda and hotel employee in Manipal, was discovered early Friday near Ananta Kalyana Nagara. Initially, it was believed he had been murdered, his throat reportedly slit with a beer bottle. However, a detailed inspection of the scene and CCTV evidence from a nearby shop confirmed that Sridhara inflicted the fatal injury on himself.

Footage revealed the chilling sequence: Sridhara was seen walking purposefully to the spot before suddenly using a beer bottle to slit his throat, collapsing moments later. The act left his throat almost entirely severed, and the beer bottle, along with an empty bag, was found near his body.

Suspected Drug Influence
Authorities suspect Sridhara may have been under the influence of narcotics at the time. A post-mortem examination was conducted at KMC Manipal to uncover any potential contributing factors.

Public Concern and Investigation Status
Although the investigation has ruled out foul play, local residents have urged authorities to probe further to ensure no external involvement was overlooked. The police, while confident in their findings, have withheld the CCTV footage from public release due to the sensitive nature of the case and ongoing inquiries.

“This was a tragic and rare method of suicide, confirmed through thorough investigation and verified CCTV evidence,” SP Dr. Arun Kumar stated, urging the public to avoid speculation.

The incident has left the community in shock, sparking discussions around mental health awareness and the impact of substance abuse. Authorities continue to investigate further to close the case conclusively.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Friday granted bail to the prime accused actors Darshan Thoogudeepa Srinivas and Pavithra Gowda in the Renukaswmy murder case.

Justice S Vishwajith Shetty said that all the petitions have been allowed.

The other accused in the case, Nagaraju, Anu Kumar, Lakshman, Jagadeesh alias Jagga and R Pradoosh Rao have also been granted bail.

Renukaswamy was found dead on June 8, 2024. He was working in a medical shop in Chitradurga. The accused had kidnapped and allegedly murdered him in a shed at Pattanagere in R R Nagar police station limits of Bengaluru city for sending obscene messages to Pavithra Gowda.

The actor was arrested on June 11 this year. He was earlier lodged at the Parappana Agrahara Jail in Bengaluru, but when a photograph went viral showing him relaxing with some of the jail inmates, he was transferred to Ballari Central Jail.

Darshan is presently hospitalised for alleged back pain.