ISREAL is set to mobilise more than 400,000 troops as it plans a full military occupation of the Gaza Strip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aims to completely flush out the terrorists from the besieged enclave after vowing to “free Gaza from Hamas”.
The plan would see the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) expand the war and fully take over Gaza City and some of the central camps – the last few parts of the strip not under Israeli control.
This would allow Israel – which currently controls roughly 70 per cent of Gaza – to establish a full military occupation in the strip.
Netanyahu claims these parts of Gaza – home to well over half a million Palestinians – are the last remaining Hamas strongholds.
His government has now granted Defence Minister Israel Katz permission to call up some 430,000 military reservists until November 30.
Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara said on Sunday that the country has no alternative but to continue mobilising reservists, i24 reported.
Netanyahu was defiant on Sunday, telling journalists: “This is the best way to end the war, and the best way to end it speedily.”
“Our goal is not to occupy Gaza, our goal is to free Gaza.”
The goals, he said, include demilitarising the territory, the Israeli military having overriding security control and a non-Israeli civilian administration in charge.
To support the humanitarian effort, Israel plans to increase aid deliveries significantly.
Daily aid truck convoys are expected to increase from 300 to 1,200,
Plans are also to establish more humanitarian aid distribution centres in non-combat zones.
However, criticism has only intensified after Netanyahu’s security cabinet announced plans to expand the conflict.
Israel is now expected to tell civilians in Gaza City to evacuate by October 7 before the IDF launches a full military occupation.
The population will be ordered to move to the south of the strip before new offensive operations begin.
It is widely understood that the plan will apply to every piece of the enclave not yet under Israeli control.
Israeli security officials estimate the occupation could continue for at least half a year.
Netanyahu said the new operation would be implemented on “a fairly short timetable”.
He said the operation will aim “to dismantle the two remaining Hamas strongholds in Gaza City and the central camps”, while establishing secure corridors and safe zones to allow civilians to leave the area.
“Israel has no choice but to finish the job and complete the defeat of Hamas. Now, we’ve done a great deal. We have about 70 to 75 per cent of Gaza under Israeli control, military control,” he said.
“But we have two remaining strongholds, OK? These are Gaza City and the central camps in Al Mawasi.”
After Hamas is wiped out and Gaza becomes demilitarised, the PM says Israel will maintain “security responsibility”.
A “non-Israeli civilian administration” will be established in Gaza within 24 hours, he added.
Israel’s cabinet also signed off on five guiding principles to conclude the war this week with a roadmap that leaves no room for compromise with Hamas.
Israel has made it clear that the terrorist group must be stripped of its weapons entirely – not just weakened, but dismantled – to prevent any future attacks on Israeli civilians.
The 22-month war has left tens of thousands dead after Hamas attacked Israeli civilians on October 7.
They took 251 hostages during the assault, with 49 still being held in Gaza – including 27 who the IDF say are dead.
The return of all hostages, both living and dead, is also a non-negotiable pillar of the plan.
Israeli leaders have stressed that no resolution will be accepted unless it includes the safe return of every captive held in Gaza.
Israel’s offensive has killed at least 61,430 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s health ministry, figures the United Nations says are reliable.
According to Gaza’s civil defence agency, at least 27 people were killed by Israeli fire across the territory Sunday, including 11 who were waiting near aid distribution centres.
An Israeli strike also killed five journalists who were working for Al Jazeera.
They were all stationed inside a media tent near Gaza City’s Al-Shifa Hospital, which was targeted.
Correspondents Anas al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Moamen Aliwa, and their assistant Mohammed Noufal have all been named by the publication.
The IDF confirmed it struck al-Sharif, 28, who has been one of Al Jazeera’s top reporters out in northern Gaza throughout the war.
Israel accused al-Sharif of “serving as the head of a terrorist cell in Hamas” for some time during the war.
They said he has been posing as a journalist and claimed he is “responsible for advancing rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and IDF troops”.
A MAN says his driveway has begun to crumble just months after it was poured – in what could be a widespread problem across the US.
Bill Keith, a homeowner from Leawood, Kansas, believes his newly laid drive should’ve lasted for up to 30 years.
According to a worrying recent report by FOX4, a number of homeowners in Missouri have been dealing with crumbling driveways.
And that coverage caught the attention of Keith, who reached out to the network to reveal he’s experienced the same problem.
“After I saw your story, I was like that’s us,” said Keith.
“Hopefully together we can get a positive resolution.”
The issue seemingly stems from a new cement mix called Portland 1L, which requires stricter standards for care and pouring.
Worse still, builders have been reportedly unaware of the switch to this new cement mix, which has led to premature driveway deterioration.
Will Ruder, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City, said: “What we have learned is that the 1L concrete is less forgiving.
“So there really has to be a tighter set of standards regarding how it is cared for and how ultimately it is poured.”
The result has left homeowners like Keith mightily frustrated, with many experiencing issues within months.
Indeed, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has reported a significant number of complaints related to concrete problems in the Midwest Plains region.
“This should be a driveway that lasted us 25-30 years,” Keith said.
Consumers are being advised to continue filing complaints with the BBB or to seek legal assistance if businesses fail to address the issue.
Josh Planos, who covers the BBB of Midwest Plains (Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and South Dakota), said 6.6% of all their complaints this year across the region have been related to issues around concrete.
He said: “It’s created a lot of headache within the Kansas City metro.
“Certainly it does fall on the business to make the consumer happy.
“I think most businesses would stand behind their products [and] what they do to source their materials. They don’t want an unhappy consumer any more than any reputable business does.”
But Keith believes concrete companies should take responsibility.
“I’m a dentist. I’m a small business owner, too,” he said.
“If a company that I buy supplies from would’ve changed things without telling me, I would expect that they would fix it for me because I’m a regular customer of theirs.”
Planos, meanwhile, suggests homeowners should ask for more protection before signing a warranty.
He said: “There’s a lot of conversation that can be had on the front end that many of us choose to bypass because we don’t feel like it’s necessary.”
Tips to avoid being scammed into a driveway, sidewalk, or walkway job:
Just because someone shows up at your door wearing a reflective vest, a hard hat, and work boots does not mean they come from a reputable contracting company.
A scammer may tell you they could do a driveway, walkway, or sidewalk repaving for much cheaper than the previous contractor told you, appealing to homeowners looking to save thousands on home repairs.
Before writing a check or paying cash for what seems like an offer that’s too good to be true, here are some tips to ensure it’s not a scam.
Read more here.
THIS is the shocking moment a knife-wielding thief attempts to snatch a baby during a bungled supermarket heist.
Terrified shoppers watched in horror as the shoplifter wrestled with the tot’s mum with a knife in his hand after his failed burglary.
The thief tried to leave the supermarket without paying for several bags of weighed seafood items.
He was initially apprehended by a staffer, but later managed to break free at the store in Penang, Malaysia, the New Straits Times reported.
The robber, reportedly a 36-year-old Vietnamese national, was then seen in the jaw-dropping footage, trying to dodge several shoppers and workers in an attempt to run away.
He is first seen shrugging off the grip of two onlookers, before making a dash for the exit.
Wearing a blue top and white shorts, the suspect is seen frantically running away.
But on his way out, he snatches a baby out of an innocent mum’s hands.
She desperately clings on to her child – and the mum and thief are then seen pulling the baby in two separate directions.
The baby is seen wailing while other shoppers can be heard calling for the man to be stopped.
Violently clawing onto the baby’s shirt, the man is then grabbed by a brave bystander who tries to subdue the sick attacker.
He can be seen clenching his fist while gripping a knife in one hand while he uses the other to tussle with the child’s parent.
Another onlooker even attempts to clobber the man with a chair, as he approaches the scuffle with a stool.
The baby was thankfully wrestled free just moments later after several others shoppers decided to intervene.
The suspect was also apprehended by a worker after he took a few punches from outraged bystanders.
The Vietnamese man was arrested by local cops in Butterworth after the ordeal which unfolded at around 12:45pm on August 9.
Local police chief Assistant Commissioner Anuar Abd Rahman said: “In a subsequent attempt to recapture him, the suspect allegedly grabbed an 11-month-old boy and held a knife to the child in a bid to avoid arrest.
“The suspect was eventually overpowered and detained by the supervisor with the help of supermarket staff (members) and passers-by.”
The officer added that the suspect “tested negative for drugs, and he has no prior record”.
Police have launched a probe and are still currently investigating the circumstances of the ordeal.
In January, haunting footage captured the shocking moment a “cradle snatcher” who posed as a nurse fled from a hospital with a stolen baby wrapped in her arms.
Natalia Edith González, 39, was arrested for allegedly nabbing the newborn from a hospital in Paraguay.
She was just 50 metres from escaping over the Argentine border with it.
It was believed she was on the hunt for an infant to steal after lying to her family – including her partner – about being pregnant, and identified a target after scouring three hospitals.
DRIVERS who break a 30mph speed limit in a US state could be jailed for up to 60 days.
Tough new laws are being introduced from October 1 to combat reckless driving.
The state of Maryland has passed significant updates to its traffic laws under the Sergeant Patrick Kepp Act.
Starting in October, the updated rules increase penalties and refines the definitions of reckless, negligent, and aggressive driving.
The new act, enacted as Chapter 447 (Senate Bill 590), is named in honor of Sergeant Patrick Kepp.
Sgt Kepp was seriously injured in a reckless driving incident and the law in his name aims to deter dangerous driving behavior.
The state of Maryland intends to deter reckless driving by elevating certain offenses, imposing stricter penalties, and clarifying the statutory definitions of aggressive and reckless driving
This includes a reclassification of reckless driving.
Reckless driving may seem like the type of activity where you know it when you see it, conjuring images of speeding cars swerving between lanes of traffic and trying to beat yellow lights.
But it actually has a specific legal definition that’s far broader.
And knowing what’s legally considered reckless driving can help you avoid consequences like a fine or jail time.
While any driver convicted of reckless driving previously could be subjected to a fine in Maryland, this now carries a potential penalty of up to 60 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
For anyone convicted of negligent driving, the penalty increases to a fine of up to $750,
This increase is designed to signal the state’s intent to treat all forms of dangerous driving more seriously.
But perhaps the biggest change in the law is the classification of driving 30 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit as a form of reckless driving.
This reclassification transforms what was previously a high-tier speeding ticket into a criminal traffic offense punishable by jail time, fines, and points on a driving license.
The definition of aggressive driving has also been streamlined.
A person now commits aggressive driving by violating three or more of the following traffic laws in a single, continuous period of driving.
These include disobeying traffic lights with steady indications; improper overtaking and passing; passing on the right; and failing to stay in a single lane (laned roadways).
The other three violations are following too closely (tailgating); failure to yield the right-of-way and speeding over the posted maximum speed limit.
Montgomery County Police Sergeant Patrick Kepp survived a devastating on-duty incident in 2023, resulting in the loss of both his legs.
Since then he has been channeling his resilience into a new mission — making Maryland’s roads safer.
Kepp is a powerful voice in Annapolis, has been advocating for legislation that would monitor and regulate the speed of convicted reckless drivers.
This will now come into law on October 1.
As a leader in this initiative, he brought a personal and compelling perspective to a critical issue affecting communities statewide.
