ESCALATING CONFLICT IN ISRAEL AS HAMAS AND HEZBOLLAH JOIN FRAY

The conflict between Israel and Palestinian fighters has intensified, resulting in over 1,100 casualties in two days. Israel has launched repeated airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, while Hamas fighters have targeted Israeli towns and army positions from air, sea, and land.

In a concerning expansion of the conflict, Hezbollah militants from Lebanon fired mortar shells and rockets. Additionally, in Egypt, two Israeli tourists were tragically shot dead by an on-duty policeman. Israeli authorities have urged Hezbollah to refrain from further involvement.

Responding to the Hezbollah attacks, Israeli artillery targeted Lebanon. An Israeli army spokesperson emphasized their commitment to safeguarding Israeli civilians, as continuous airstrikes in Gaza caused significant casualties, including 20 children.

In southern Israel, including areas settled by Jews, Hamas fighters engaged in battles with Israeli security forces. The Israeli military reported ongoing clashes but claimed control over most infiltration points, capturing hundreds of attackers.

Hamas launched a dawn attack on Saturday, breaching the fence separating the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of over 600 Israelis, according to local media reports. Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs shared images of individuals, including young children, abducted by Hamas and civilians, both young and elderly, killed by Hamas militants.

The Israeli military spokesperson stressed that they would intensively target Hamas, indicating a prolonged conflict. Israel has deployed a substantial presence around the Gaza Strip, raising speculation of a potential ground invasion. Hezbollah has warned from Lebanon that it may increase its involvement if such an invasion occurs.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed condolences to the families of the victims and vowed resilience. He thanked international leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and UK PM Rishi Sunak, for their support and engaged with US President Biden to secure freedom of action for Israel in the ongoing campaign.

NETANYAHU FACES MAJOR CHALLENGE WITH KIDNAPPED ISRAELIS

Hamas Takes Israeli Hostages, Including Women, Children, and Military Commanders

The abduction of Israeli citizens, including women, children, and military commanders, poses a significant challenge for Prime Minister Netanyahu. Israel has a history of making substantial concessions in exchange for the release of its citizens. Notably, in 2011, Tel Aviv freed over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners after five years of negotiations for the return of just one Israeli soldier. Similarly, in 1985, it released over 1,150 PLO and Hezbollah detainees.

However, the current situation is exceptionally complex. Hamas has taken hundreds of Israeli hostages into the Gaza Strip, making any potential deal on their release monumental. To further complicate matters, Hamas has announced the capture of Israeli army commanders. Negotiations have even been underway regarding the transfer of remains.

The gravity of the situation was underscored by Hamas' military leader, Mohammed Deif, who revealed that the surprise attack had kidnapping Israelis as its primary objective. Reports from Palestinian human rights organizations have highlighted deteriorating prison conditions under Interior Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Israel currently detains over 5,500 Palestinian prisoners, with many being transferred to the notorious Nafha prison under Ben-Gvir's leadership. This move has resulted in reduced visiting rights and challenging living conditions for detainees.

IN SHOW OF FORCE, US TO SEND CARRIER STRIKE GROUP CLOSER TO ISRAEL

Washington : US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said Sunday he has ordered the Ford carrier strike group to sail to the Eastern Mediterranean to be ready to assist Israel after the surprise attack by Hamas.

The USS Gerald R Ford and its approximately 5,000 sailors and deck of warplanes will be accompanied by cruisers and destroyers in a show of force that is meant to be ready to respond to anything, from possibly interdicting additional weapons from reaching Hamas and conducting surveillance.

The large deployment, which also includes a host of ships and warplanes, underscores the concern that the US has in trying to deter the conflict from growing. The Israeli government formally declared war Sunday and gave the green light for “significant military steps” to retaliate against Hamas.

Along with the Ford the US is sending the cruiser USS Normandy, destroyers USS Thomas Hudner, USS Ramage, USS Carney, and USS Roosevelt and the U.S. is augmenting Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16, and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons in the region. “The US maintains ready forces globally to further reinforce this deterrence posture if required,” Austin said.

In addition, the Biden administration “will be rapidly providing the Israel defence Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions. The first security assistance will begin moving today and arriving in the coming days,” Austin said.

CHAOS ERUPTS AT MUSIC FESTIVAL NEAR GAZA STRIP

During an all-night outdoor music festival in Israel's Negev Desert, hundreds of attendees fled in a desperate attempt to escape incoming rockets and gunfire from Palestinian militants. The exact number of casualties and injuries remains unclear, but reports indicate that dozens of bodies were removed from the festival site. Worried loved ones have been sharing lists of missing attendees on social media.

The festival took place near the Gaza Strip, close to the kibbutz of Urim. Israeli news outlets reported that many young Israelis hid for hours, some in their cars, while Israeli security forces evacuated dozens to nearby towns and hospitals. Videos circulating on social media captured scenes of attendees running, yelling, and escaping in vehicles. Social media platforms saw lists circulating with the names of missing individuals, with one list containing over 500 names and contact information for their families.

Messages from attendees who experienced the chaos began to surface on a WhatsApp group dedicated to southern Israel residents. One message described people being shot in their cars as they attempted to leave the festival, and the ensuing panic as people ran for safety.

Additionally, the Nepalese embassy in Tel Aviv confirmed that ten Nepalese citizens were among the casualties resulting from the Hamas assault on Israel. Foreign Minister N.P. Saud revealed that 17 Nepalese students were studying at Kibbutz Alumim in southern Israel, an area heavily impacted by the Hamas attack.

REPUBLICANS SLAM BIDEN FOR IRAN DEAL

Republicans seized on the Hamas attack on Israel on Saturday to try to lay blame on President Biden, drawing a connection between the surprise assault and a recent hostage release deal between the US and Iran, a longtime backer of the group. Former President Trump, who has frequently presented himself as a unflinching ally of Israel , said the attacks had occurred because “we are perceived as being weak... with a really weak leader.” In exchange for the release of five Americans held in Tehran, the Biden administration agreed to free up $6 bn in frozen Iranian oil revenue funds for humanitarian purposes.

NETANYAHU'S FOES OPEN TO WARTIME COALITION; EGYPT AND JORDAN SEEK DE-ESCALATION

Amidst the escalating conflict in the region, political opponents of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have signaled a willingness to join an emergency government led by him. Yair Lapid, the leader of the Yesh Atid party with 24 parliamentary seats, and Benny Gantz, the head of the National Unity party with 12 seats, both expressed their openness to such a coalition following Saturday's deadly attack by Palestinian militants.

Lapid's condition for joining such a government is that Netanyahu must distance himself from hard-line partners like Itamar Ben-Gvir, the ultranationalist national security minister. Gantz emphasized the need for an emergency government focused solely on security challenges, allowing his party to have an influential role in decision-making.

Meanwhile, Egypt and Jordan, two neighboring countries that share borders with Israel, are actively working to de-escalate the conflict. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Jordanian King Abdullah II held a phone call, emphasizing the importance of coordinating regional and international efforts to end the ongoing escalation and violence. Both Egypt and Jordan have maintained relatively stable relations with both Israel and Palestine, making their involvement crucial in seeking a peaceful resolution to the crisis.

FINLAND-ESTONIA PIPELINE SHUT OVER SUSPECTED LEAK

Helsinki : Finland and Estonia said Sunday that the undersea Balticconnector natural gas pipeline running between the countries across Baltic Sea was temporarily taken out of service due to a suspected leak. Gasgrid Finland and Elering, the Finnish and Estonian gas operators, said they noted an unusual drop in pressure in the pipeline around 2am Sunday, after which they shut off gas flow.

The pipeline is bi-directional, transferring gas between the two countries depending on demand and supply.

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR VETOES BILL WHICH BANS CASTE DISCRIMINATION

LOS ANGELES: Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a Bill on Saturday that would have made California the first U.S. state to outlaw caste-based discrimination. Mr. Newsom called the Bill “unnecessary,” and that California “already prohibits discrimination based on other characteristics”.

EARTHQUAKE DEATH TOLL RISES TO 2,000 AS RESCUERS SEARCH FLATTENED AFGHAN VILLAGES

The toll from a series of earthquakes in western Afghanistan rose sharply again on Sunday to more than 2,000, with nearly 10,000 injured, as rescue workers dug through razed villages for vanishing signs of life.

More than 1,300 homes were toppled when Saturday’s magnitude 6.3 quake — followed by eight strong aftershocks — jolted hard-to-reach areas 30 km northwest of the provincial capital of Herat, according to officials.

In rural Zinda Jan district, dozens of households were reduced to jumbles of broken masonry, where makeshift rescue teams dug trenches in the hope of unearthing survivors.

“Our people witnessed an unprecedented earthquake,” said Disaster Management Ministry spokesperson Mullah Janan Sayeq, putting the number of dead at 2,053 and injured at 9,240 across 13 villages.

“For the treatment of the victims, we are doing our best,” he told presspersons.

One further aftershock of magnitude 4.2 hit the same area around 7.00 a.m. on Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Most rural homes in Afghanistan are made of sun-fired mud bricks built around wooden support poles, with little in the way of modern steel reinforcement. Multi-generational extended families generally live under the same roof, meaning disasters like this can devastate local communities.