Palestinian group Hamas, engaged in a war with Israel in the Gaza Strip, warned Sunday that no hostage would leave the territory alive unless the group’s demands were met.

“Neither the fascist enemy and its arrogant leadership… nor its supporters… can take their prisoners alive without an exchange and negotiation and meeting the demands of the resistance,” Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, said in a televised broadcast, referring to the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

A one-week truce in the war that collapsed on December 1 saw 105 hostages held by the group freed, including 80 Israelis released in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

Israel on Saturday said 137 captives remained in the Palestinian territory.

Mediator Qatar said on Sunday that efforts to secure a new truce and release more hostages were ongoing but warned that the relentless Israeli bombardment was “narrowing the window” for a successful outcome.

Obeida said the group would continue to fight Israeli forces.

“We have no choice but to fight this barbaric occupier in every neighbourhood, street and alley,” he said.

“The enemy’s holocaust aims to break the strength of our resistance… but we are fighting on our land in a holy battle.”

The war in Gaza was triggered after Hamas operatives carried out a brutal attack on southern Israel on October 7 that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.

In Israel’s retaliatory air, land and sea assault against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, at least 17,700 people, most of them also civilians, have been killed, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in the territory.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India on Sunday night described as “fake” and “completely fabricated” a media report which claimed that a “secret memo” was issued by New Delhi in April to take “concrete” measures against certain Sikh separatists including Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the report is part of a “sustained disinformation campaign” against India and the outlet that came out with it is known for propagating “fake narratives” peddled by Pakistani intelligence.

Online American media outlet The Intercept came out with the report.

“We strongly assert that such reports are fake and completely fabricated. There is no such memo,” Mr Bagchi said.

“This is part of a sustained disinformation campaign against India. The outlet in question is known for propagating fake narratives peddled by Pakistani intelligence. The posts of the authors confirm this linkage,” he said.

“Those who amplify such fake news only do so at the cost of their own credibility,” he said, responding to media queries on the report.

In September, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made the allegation of a “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar on Canadian soil on June 18.

India strongly rejected the charges, calling them “absurd”.

In its report, The Intercept claimed that the Indian government issued instructions on a “crackdown scheme” against certain Sikh entities in western countries.

It further claimed that the secret memorandum issued in April by the Ministry of External Affairs lists several “Sikh dissidents under investigation by India’s intelligence agencies, including the Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar”.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The verdict from a five-judge Constitution bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud comes in response to a slew of petitions challenging the Centre’s move four years ago.
The petitioners have argued that Article 370 cannot be scrapped unilaterally by the Centre, since the powers of the Constituent Assembly was vested in the J&K legislature after it was dissolved in 1957.
The top court has questioned who can recommend the revocation of Article 370. Under the rules, a nod is required from the Constituent Assembly to scrap Article 370, which the Constitution held temporary. The court has also asked how the Article became permanent after the Constituent Assembly was dissolved.
The Centre has argued that its decisions were taken within the legal framework. It has also contended that the mainstreaming of Jammu and Kashmir has reduced terrorism and provided a level playing field.
Over the last four years, it has helped move the erstwhile state on the fast-track to development, the government has argued.
Article 370, it also maintained, deprived the people of J&K of many fundamental rights, including the right to education. The Constitutional rights that automatically apply to every Indian could not apply to residents of Jammu and Kashmir unless okayed by the state legislature.
Conversely, Article 35A, which was also scrapped along with Article 370, did not allow people from other parts of the country the right to get jobs, own land and settle in Jammu and Kashmir — which is part of their fundamental rights. These were reserved as special privileges reserved only for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
Security has been strengthened in Kashmir Valley ahead of the verdict. The BJP has said the decision of the top court should be respected.
Former Chief Minister and National Conference chief Omar Abdullah said his party will not disturb the peace even in case of an adverse verdict. They will continue their fight in a lawful manner, he said. Mehbooba Mufti’s People’ Democratic Party and the Congress have expressed hope that the court will be on the side of the people.
Article 370 was scrapped and Jammu and Kashmir split in August 2019 – over a year after the PDP-BJP alliance government had collapsed . It took place while the erstwhile state was under President’s Rule.