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A sudden wave of visa rejections is shattering the travel plans of Indian tourists hoping to visit Dubai. Stricter visa norms introduced by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have left travelers scrambling, causing financial losses and widespread frustration.

Indian tourists are facing an unprecedented rate of visa denials, with rejection rates skyrocketing from a mere 1-2% to 5-6% daily. These rejections are happening despite applicants meticulously submitting confirmed flight tickets, hotel bookings, and other required documents.

Tightened Rules and Rising Challenges
The UAE’s newly imposed regulations demand additional proof of accommodation, whether in hotels or with relatives. For those staying with family, documents such as the host’s rental agreement, Emirates ID, and residence visa copy must now be submitted.

Travelers and travel agencies report that even flawless applications are being rejected. “Even when confirmed flight tickets and hotel stay details are attached, the visa applications are being rejected,” said Nikhil Kumar, director of Passio Travels Pvt Ltd.

In a striking case, a family of four—despite submitting all required documents—faced rejection, derailing their meticulously planned trip. Similarly, a group of 35 saw their vacation plans collapse when one member’s visa was denied.

Mounting Financial Losses
The rejections are not just a logistical nightmare but also a financial burden. Passengers are losing thousands on visa fees, pre-booked flight tickets, and hotel reservations. Vijay Thakkar, director of Hasmukh Travels, shared how two of his clients lost nearly ₹34,000 due to visa denials.

Advisory from Travel Experts
Travel experts are urging applicants to avoid shortcuts like dummy tickets or fake documents, which could lead to lifelong bans. “Dubai is extremely strict. Rejections can create long-term complications. Ensure all documents are genuine and complete,” advised Nilesh Bhansali, president of the Travel Agents Association of Pune.

UAE’s New Visa Norms
The UAE has raised the bar for tourist visa applications, requiring travelers to:

• Submit hotel reservation proof and return tickets.
• Provide bank statements for the last three months with a minimum balance of ₹50,000.
• Present PAN cards if opting for hotel stays.

These measures aim to tighten entry protocols but have left many Indian travelers stranded, frustrated, and financially strained. For now, aspiring Dubai visitors must navigate these new hurdles with caution and precision to keep their travel dreams alive.

The Israeli military has occupied several villages south of Damascus, with its tanks now being stationed around 20 kilometers from the outskirts of the Syrian capital, a new report says.

Lebanon's al-Mayadeen television network reported on Tuesday that the Israeli tanks have moved past the southwestern Syrian city of Quneitra and reached 3 kilometers away from the town of Qatana, near Damascus. 

Israel started the push to expand its occupation of Syria on Sunday, after foreign-backed militants, led by Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), announced the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government following a rapid two-week offensive that led to the capture of Damascus.

Israeli forces seized the buffer zone that separates the occupied Golan Heights from the rest of Syria in violation of a 1974 disengagement agreement between the Tel Aviv regime and Syria.

They also captured the strategic Mount Hermon in Golan, which provides high ground for the entire area.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Syrian Golan Heights will remain part of the occupied territories “for eternity.”

Israel's exploitation of the current chaotic situation to deploy its occupation forces to Syria has drawn condemnations from regional countries.

“We condemn the fact that Israel has entered Syrian territory and taken control of the buffer zone,” Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said, "The seizure of the buffer zone in the Golan Heights … confirms Israel’s continued violation of the rules of international law, and its determination to sabotage Syria’s chances of restoring its security, stability and territorial integrity.”

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that the regime has carried out nearly 300 air raids on Syria over the past two days.

They added that if the aerial assaults continue at their current pace, the Syrian Air Force will be all but destroyed in a matter of days.

New Israeli strikes hit the Syrian city Salamiyah, in the eastern countryside of Hama Province, as well as military installations north of Raqqah, and the Shayrat air base in Homs' countryside.

The Israeli military has completely destroyed 70 percent of buildings in the Jabalia refugee camp as the occupying regime continues with its deadly aggression against northern Gaza. 

Amos Harel, a military affairs analyst, wrote in the Israeli daily Haaretz on Sunday that the Jabalia refugee camp has become a “ghost town” amid Israel’s deadly offensive in the area.

“As far as the eye can see lie miles and miles of destroyed homes. It's hard to look away from the devastated remains of Jabalia's refugee camp in northern Gaza,” Harel said.

“I could see that even the few buildings that are still standing were badly damaged,” he added.

Harel went on to say that the Israeli military has operated in the area twice before, but this time the camp was torn down.

“Jabalia has become a ghost town. Outside, you mainly see pack after pack of stray dogs roaming around and hunting for scraps of food,” he said.

The Israeli regime dispatched tanks again to northern Gaza last month in what it said was aimed at combating members of the Palestinian resistance movement launching retaliatory strikes, and preventing them from regrouping.

The towns of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Jabalia have been besieged for more than 40 days, without food, water, medicine, or aid, and under constant bombing, shelling, and drone attacks.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, after Hamas-led resistance groups waged the surprise Operation al-Aqsa Flood against the occupying entity in response to its decades-long campaign of devastation against Palestinians.

The regime’s bloody onslaught on Gaza has so far killed 45,227 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured 107,573 others. Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under rubble.

The Tel Aviv regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

Separately on Sunday, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, said its fighters hit a group of nine Israeli soldiers who had taken refuge inside a house in the west of the Jabalia refugee camp.

It made the remarks in a statement on Telegram, noting that several Israeli forces were killed and wounded in the attack which was carried out with a TBG (thermobaric) rocket.

Qassam Brigades further noted that its fighters had killed an Israeli soldier from a long distance in the central area of the Jabalia camp.

Qassam Brigades has been daily carrying out military operations against the Israeli occupation forces since October 7 last year.

On Thursday, Qassam Brigades said its fighters stabbed at close range an Israeli officer and three soldiers at the Jabalia refugee camp, resulting in their deaths.

The retaliatory operation came following another attack on Wednesday, when Hamas fighters killed five Israeli soldiers in central Jabalia, also at close range.