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PM says Israel at war after 100 killed in attack from Gaza

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(picture BBC)

At least 100 people have been killed in Israel after Palestinian militant group Hamas launched its biggest attack in years.

Militants crossed into Israel from Gaza under the cover of heavy rocket fire – and have since taken dozens of Israelis captive. Some hostages – both soldiers and civilians – were taken back to Gaza.

Israel has responded with a wave of air strikes on targets in Gaza killing 198 people, Palestinian officials say.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “at war” and vowed that Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, will “pay a price it has never known”. “This morning Hamas launched a murderous surprise attack against the state of Israel and its citizens,” he said.

This is one of the most serious escalations in the Israel-Palestinian conflict in years.

The attack by Hamas saw fighters cross the perimeter fence at just after dawn. At the same time, barrages of rockets were launched from Gaza – some reaching as far as the cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. How the gunmen managed to penetrate one of the most heavily fortified borders in the world is unclear.

The Israeli military has said dozens of fighter jets are carrying out air strikes on Hamas sites in Gaza, and it has hit 17 Hamas military compounds. It also said it has mobilised tens of thousands of reservists.

The Palestinian health ministry says 198 people have been killed in Israeli strikes. and another 1,610 have been wounded. Israeli bombs destroyed an 11-story tower in downtown Gaza City which houses Hamas radio stations in the rooftop.

Medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres said a nurse and an ambulance driver were killed in Israeli strikes on two hospitals in Gaza.

Reuters news agency reported Israel’s energy minister, Israel Katz, as saying that Israel will cut off Gaza’s electricity supply.

(BBC)



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Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern and Southern provinces and in Monaragala district

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Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 15 April 2026, valid for 16 April 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Eastern
and Southern provinces and in Monaragala district.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491

 

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Pakistani army chief in Tehran amid bid to restart US talks

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Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (right) receives Pakistani Army Commander Asim Munir upon his arrival in Tehran [Aljazeera]

Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, has landed in Iran as part of a delegation to hold high-level talks on the resumption of talks between Iran and the US.

Iran’s army has warned it will block trade through the Red Sea along with the Gulf and Sea of Oman if the US naval blockade on Iranian ports continues.

The US military says it has “completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea” as its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz  continues for a second day.

US President Donald Trump says the war is “close to over” after hinting at a second round of face-to-face talks with Iran in Pakistan in the coming days.

(Aljazeera)

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Sri Lanka repatriates 238 Iranian sailors stranded after US torpedo attack

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More than 200 Iranian sailors left stranded in Sri Lanka after a US torpedo attack are returning home after being stuck in the country for more than a month.

On Wednesday, Sri Lanka’s Deputy Defence Minister, Aruna ⁠Jayasekara, confirmed 32 sailors rescued from the Iris Dena and 206 from Irins Bushehr, had left the country.

The Iranian warship, Iris Dena, sank on 4 March about 40km (25 miles) from Sri Lanka’s southern coastline after it was hit by a torpedo from a US submarine, killing 104 sailors.

On March 5, Sri Lanka took control of the Iranian naval vessel, Irins Bushehr, after it had requested to dock at one of country’s ports after one of its engines malfunctioned.

Speaking to Reuters, ⁠Jayasekara confirmed the crew of both ships were flown out on Tuesday night.

The stranded sailors were granted 30-day entry visas by the Sri Lankan government and were housed in navy and air force camps.

The Iris Dena had been returning from a military exercise hosted by India when it was attacked.

Video released by the US Department of Defense after the incident showed a ship being struck, causing the stern to rise up before exploding.

The bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in the attack were recovered and later repatriated in a chartered plane arranged by Iran.

Its sinking in international waters came just a few days into the current US-Israeli war with Iran and marked a dramatic widening of the conflict.

Iran has since launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East – targeting Gulf countries allied with the US.

A map showing the Arabian Sea region including Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, India, and Sri Lanka. A red label near Sri Lanka marks the location where the Iris Dena sank near Galle. The Strait of Hormuz is labelled between Iran and Oman. In the upper-right corner, an inset photo shows a grey naval ship docked at a port with cranes in the background, labelled the Iris Dena in Brazil in 2023. A small world map in the upper-left highlights the region with a red rectangle.

About 15 Iranian sailors will remain in Sri Lanka to operate the Irins Bushehr, which is anchored off Trincomalee in the northeast of the island.

Sri Lankq had allowed the Iranian vessel to dock at a north-eastern port on 5 March after hours of discussion, with its president saying they would “never hesitate to protect humanity”.

“Our position has been to safeguard our neutrality while demonstrating our humanitarian values,” President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said in a statement at the time.

“[Sri Lanka] intervened in a way that demonstrated our commitment to international conventions, protecting the reputation and dignity of our country, and protecting human lives,” he said.

Sri Lanka has maintained a long-standing policy of non-alignment since it became independent in 1948.

It has strong economic and diplomatic ties with both Iran and the US.

(BBC)

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