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The military later says it resumed enforcing the ceasefire, and an Israeli security official confirms that aid deliveries will resume on Monday
Gaza’s fragile ceasefire faced its first major test on Sunday as Israeli forces launched a wave of deadly strikes, saying Hamas militants had killed two soldiers, and an Israeli security official said the transfer of aid into the territory was halted.
The military later said it resumed enforcing the ceasefire, and the official confirmed that aid deliveries would resume on Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to discuss the issue with the media.
A little over a week has passed since the start of the US-proposed ceasefire aimed at ending two years of war. US President Donald Trump said the ceasefire remained in place and “we want to make sure it’s going to be very peaceful”.
He told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday that Hamas has been “quite rambunctious” and “they’ve been doing some shooting”. He suggested that the violence might be the fault of “rebels” within the organisation rather than its leadership.
“It’s going to be handled toughly but properly,” he said. Trump did not say whether he thought the Israeli strikes were justified, saying “it’s under review”.
Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that he may visit Israel in the coming days.
“We’re trying to figure it out,” he told reporters, saying the administration wants to “go and check on how things are going”. Regarding the ceasefire, he said that “there’s going to be fits and starts”.
Health officials said at least 36 Palestinians were killed across Gaza, including children. Israel’s military said it struck dozens of Hamas targets after its troops came under fire.
A senior Egyptian official involved in the ceasefire negotiations, on condition of anonymity, said “round-the-clock” contacts were under way to de-escalate the situation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directed the military to take “strong action” against any ceasefire violations but did not threaten to return to war.
Israel’s military said militants had fired at troops in areas of Rafah city that are Israeli-controlled according to agreed-upon ceasefire lines.
Hamas, which continued to accuse Israel of multiple ceasefire violations, said communication with its remaining units in Rafah had been cut off for months and “we are not responsible for any incidents occurring in those areas”.
US President Donald Trump reiterated on Sunday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him India will stop buying Russian oil, while warning that New Delhi would continue paying “massive” tariffs if it did not do so.
“I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Asked about India’s assertion that it was not aware of any conversation between Modi and Trump, Trump replied: “But if they want to say that, then they’ll just continue to pay massive tariffs, and they don’t want to do that.”
Russian oil has been one of the main irritants for Trump in prolonged trade talks with India – half of his 50% tariffs on Indian goods are in retaliation for those purchases. The US government has said petroleum revenue funds Russia’s war in Ukraine.
India has become the biggest buyer of seaborne Russian oil sold at a discount after Western nations shunned purchases and imposed sanctions on Moscow for its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Trump on Wednesday said Modi had assured him that day that India would stop its Russian oil purchases. India’s foreign ministry said it was not aware of any telephone conversation between the leaders that day, but said that New Delhi’s main concern was to “safeguard the interests of the Indian consumer”. A White House official said on Thursday that India has halved its purchases of Russian oil, but Indian sources said no immediate reduction had been seen.
AI pilot’s father moves SC, seeks fair probe into crash
The ninth edition of the Military Literature Festival is scheduled to be held in Chandigarh from November 7-9 on the theme of “Heartland and Rimland Powers in Multi-domain Warfare and India”. The western, southern and eastern edges of Eurasia have been categorised as Rimland, with central and northern areas being the heartland.
Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria will inaugurate the festival, while Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan will deliver a keynote address on the concluding day. The closing ceremony, dedicated to heroes of the 1965 India-Pakistan War, will be presided over by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Operation Sindoor in the context of employing air power in multi-domain warfare will figure among the discussions along with other topics like multi-domain threats from Pakistan and China, challenges in the maritime domain, role of energy in the changing geopolitical scenario and changing dynamics in Af-Pak region and Iran.
A British delegation will discuss the shared heritage between the militaries of India and Britain, while a session will be devoted to the diamond jubilee of the 1965 war. Homage to martyrs, a bravehearts motorcycle rally, weapons and equipment display, exhibition of military paintings and stamps, screening documentaries, horse show and dog show are other events.
The Department of Posts has launched a dedicated service to facilitate the pick-up, booking, transmission, and door-step delivery of medicines that are not available at ECHS polyclinics under Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme, an official statement said on Friday.
Under the initiative launched in collaboration with the Department of Ex-servicemen (DESW), medicines will be procured and packaged through Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) Common Service Centre (CSC) stationed at ECHS polyclinics, while logistics and delivery will be managed by India Post’s trusted delivery network.
“The Department of Posts (DoP), in collaboration with Department of Ex-servicemen (DESW), has launched a dedicated service to facilitate the pickup, booking, transmission, and doorstep delivery of medicines that are not available at ECHS polyclinics under Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS),” the statement said.
The service was first piloted in Delhi on July 31, where it received an encouraging response and subsequently expanded to the NCR region, covering Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
“Building on the success of the pilot wherein more than 1,700 packets of medicines were delivered, a comprehensive mapping of 458 ECHS locations across the country has been completed, and the service will be available across the country from October 17,” the statement said.Non-communicable diseases drive two-thirds of global deaths: Report’
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The service will ensure timely and reliable delivery of medicines to ECHS beneficiaries, the postal department said.
Every inch of Pakistan’s territory lies within the range of BrahMos and what happened during Operation Sindoor was just a trailer, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday.
Lauding the operational role of the missile, he said it was the greatest practical proof of national security during Operation Sindoor.
The minister, along with UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, flagged off the first batch of BrahMos missiles manufactured at the Integration and Testing Facility Centre, Lucknow.
Addressing the threat from Pakistan, he said, “Every inch of Pakistan’s territory is now within the reach of BrahMos. Operation Sindoor is the proof that victory has become a habit for us, and now we must further enhance our capabilities.”
He said India was strengthening its security and demonstrating to the world that it was a credible partner in defence and technology.
Rajnath stressed that achievements such as the BrahMos, a joint venture between India and Russia, had proved that “Made in India” was no longer a slogan but a global brand.
The missile features a traditional warhead and an advanced guided system and possesses the capability to strike long distances at supersonic speeds.
The Lucknow centre was built at the cost of Rs 380 crore. Almost 100 missile systems will be produced here every year.
Adityanath said the UP defence industrial corridor was making progress. “The BrahMos facility stands as one of the most significant projects under the corridor,” he said.
Later, the Defence Minister dedicated to the nation the Titanium and Superalloy Materials Plant set up by PTC Industries, Lucknow
An MoU was signed between PTC Industries and public sector undertaking Bharat Dynamics Limited to form a joint venture for the design, development and manufacture of propulsion systems, guided bombs and small aeroengines for missiles, UAVs and loitering munitions.
PTC Industries also received a letter of technical acceptance from the Centre for Military Airworthiness and Certification, under the Defence Research and Development Organisation, for the indigenous development and manufacture of casting for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft programme.
The PTC Industries is located in the strategic materials technology complex that has been established with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore. With a production capacity of over 6,000 tonnes per annum, this plant enables India to produce aviation-grade titanium and superalloys from domestic and recycled sources — a decisive move towards strategic materials independence.
A tri-service multi-domain exercise was conducted under the aegis of the Army’s Northern Command headquarters, setting new benchmarks in preparedness for next-generation conflicts, a defence spokesperson said here on Saturday.
The four-day exercise tested commanders, staff and troops against futuristic threats in the cyber, space, electromagnetic and cognitive domains. Central Armed Police Forces, sister services, central government agencies and private sector players participated jointly, underscoring the importance of an integrated, whole-of-nation approach to the evolving security landscape, the spokesperson added.
He said the involvement of indigenous defence industry players established a new standard in jointness, aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) and innovation. Troops deployed in forward areas were trained to respond to challenges such as cyber intrusions, spectrum saturation, electronic jamming, spoofing and cognitive attacks.
“In modern warfare, the lines are blurring between domains, so we need to leverage niche technology and keep innovating. A whole-of-nation approach is required to protect our territorial integrity and critical assets and also unleash punitive action on the adversary if the situation so demands,” said Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Pratik Sharma, while interacting with the troops.
Initiated after a strategic dialogue held during Samvad at Mathura on October 4, the exercise reflected that readiness for future warfare begins with open minds and seamless teamwork, the spokesperson said. He added that the Northern Command now stands “better equipped, united and prepared” to counter emerging threats with strategic foresight and multi-domain synergy.
In a major step towards normalising bilateral ties and restoring post-pandemic connectivity, China Eastern Airlines on Saturday announced the resumption of direct flights between Shanghai and Delhi, beginning November 9, marking another major China-India route revival after Indigo Airlines.
The airline will operate thrice-weekly round trips — on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays — using an Airbus A330-200 wide-body aircraft. The outbound flight, MU563, will depart Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 12.50 pm and arrive at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport at 5.45 pm (local time). The return flight, MU564, will leave Delhi at 7.55 pm and reach Shanghai at 4.10 am the next day. Tickets for the route are already on sale.
Describing the Shanghai-Delhi corridor as one of the most strategically significant air routes between the two Asian giants, China Eastern said the move would boost business, academic and tourism exchanges. “The resumption of this route marks the full restoration of China Eastern Airlines’ China-India network, injecting new impetus into personnel exchanges and economic and trade cooperation between the two countries,” the airline said in a statement.
The announcement follows an agreement between India and China on October 2 to resume direct air services between designated points from October 26. The understanding marks a major confidence-building step between the two neighbours after years of strained ties.
Civil aviation authorities from both sides have been in technical-level talks since early 2025 to revise the existing Air Services Agreement and finalise safety and operational protocols.
Officials said the restart aligns with the upcoming winter flight schedule, subject to commercial readiness by the airlines and fulfilment of regulatory clearances. “Resuming direct connectivity will enhance air links, support people-to-people exchanges and contribute to deeper economic collaboration,” a senior aviation official said.
The resumption was also discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Both leaders agreed that the two countries were “development partners” and that “differences should not be allowed to become disputes”, according to the MEA’s August 31 readout.
Diplomatic sources said the flight restoration forms part of a broader outreach, including steps to reopen the Kailash-Manasarovar Yatra route and reintroduce tourist visa channels, which were suspended after the 2020 border clashes.
Earlier, IndiGo Airlines had also announced it will resume daily non-stop services between Kolkata and Guangzhou from October 26, pending regulatory clearance. The airline will deploy Airbus A320neo aircraft on the route and opened bookings from October 3. IndiGo also plans to launch direct Delhi-Guangzhou flights later this year once approvals are finalised.
