Month: February 2025

Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, was on Saturday presented with the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) medal.

He was presented the medal at a special investiture ceremony in the presence of friends and family at the British High Commissioner’s residence in New Delhi.

The ceremony follows the announcement in 2024 that The King has been graciously pleased to confer Mittal the Honorary Knighthood for services to UK-India business relations, according to British High Commission New Delhi.

Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India, expressed her delight in presenting the KBE medal to Mittal and said, “I was delighted to present Sunil Bharti Mittal the KBE medal on behalf of the King. Mittal is a great friend of the UK – with significant investments, including BT, Gleneagles, Norlake Hospitality, and OneWeb.”

“Mittal’s leadership has made a lasting impact on the UK-India partnership, including through his work with the India-UK CEO Forum. Most recently, he led a senior Indian business delegation to the UK to meet with Prime Minister Starmer, the Foreign Secretary, the Chancellor, and other Cabinet Ministers to identify opportunities for accelerating economic growth across both nations. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Mittal and congratulate him once again,” she added.

Sunil Mittal, on receiving the honour, expressed his gratitude, “It is an honour to have received the KBE from King Charles III.

“As India and the United Kingdom continue to chart remarkable scale in our bilateral relations, I acknowledge this recognition both as a privilege and a responsibility. I remain committed to working with stakeholders in our nations towards advancing India – UK business relations,” he further said.

“On the occasion of this very special milestone, I extend my gratitude to all for their support through this journey,” he added.

The KBE is among the highest honours awarded to foreign nationals for preeminent contributions in various fields. (ANI)

India is gearing up to launch a nationwide HPV vaccination program, providing women vaccines to combat cancer a year after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced it in Parliament.

Girls aged 9-16 years will be priority group for inoculation. The planned drive is part of the government’s efforts to combat rising cancer rates in the country.

Medical community is poised to play a crucial role in its distribution. Dr Sudeep Gupta, Director of Tata Memorial Hospital and renowned cancer expert, revealed that the medical community would actively participate in the distribution of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine after it will be included in the national program.

When asked if vaccines to fight cancer in women will be available in five to six months, reports suggest that research on the vaccine is almost complete and trials are underway.

To this, the doctor replied, “The vaccine, aimed at preventing HPV infections that could lead to cancer, is administered to girls aged 9-16. Once the vaccine is included in the national program, the medical community will actively participate in its rollout,” said the doctor.

The HPV vaccine is a significant development in the fight against cancer, particularly cervical cancer, which is the second most common type of cancer affecting women in India.

The vaccine has undergone rigorous testing, and its inclusion in the national program is expected to significantly reduce the burden of cervical cancer in the country.

He also discussed significant advancements in the fight against cancer, highlighting improvements in blood tests, upcoming vaccines, and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in treatment.

When asked how far we have reached in the accuracy of blood tests for detecting cancer and whether the accuracy of blood tests for pancreatic cancer is 85 per cent, the doctor replied, “If we talk about accuracy, then the new tests for pathology are called molecular pathology and these include sophisticated techniques like PCR or NGS. It is done through these, which are sub-classifications of cancer. The accuracy of this has reached 90-95 per cent.

We will include more tests on this and extend it.”

The expert noted ongoing discussions in national committees in response to queries about making cancer treatment tax-free. This comes after the Union Budget by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced exemptions on basic cusroms duty on 36 lifesaving drugs against cancer.

“Cancer treatment options such as medicines, chemotherapy, and diagnostics are being reviewed for possible tax reductions to make them more affordable for patients,” said the doctor.

This move aims to make cancer treatment more affordable for patients, who often face significant financial burdens.

Furthermore, research has identified genetic variants that increase the risk of gallbladder cancer, particularly in women.

On the prevalence of gallbladder cancer in North India and the Purvanchal region, the doctor revealed that while there is no conclusive answer, research at Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital identified genetic variants (SNIP) in two genes–ABCB1 and ABCB4–that increase the risk of gallbladder cancer, particularly in women and said that a detailed study on this matter has been published.

In addition to the HPV vaccine, India has made significant advancements in cancer treatment, including improvements in blood tests, upcoming vaccines, and the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in treatment.

The doctor explained that AI is being used in two key areas: image-based diagnostics, such as X-rays and CT scans, where AI assists in preparing preliminary reports, and natural language processing, which helps identify symptom patterns for early diagnosis. These technologies are already in use at medical units in Mumbai.

Finally, when asked about the potential cancer risks from polluted water, particularly Sangam water, the doctor clarified that no direct evidence links water pollution to cancer.

“Current reports from Sangam Water do not show any connection to cancer risk, though water pollution remains an ongoing area of research,” he said.

Overall, India’s efforts to combat cancer are multifaceted and comprehensive, with a focus on prevention, treatment, and research. The nationwide HPV vaccination program is a significant step forward in this effort, and the medical community is poised to play a vital role in its success. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy regarding the ongoing rescue efforts at the SLBC tunnel, where eight workers are trapped following a roof collapse near Domalapenta in Nagar Kurnool district. The Prime Minister assured the Chief Minister of full assistance from the Central government in the rescue operations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi enquired about the accident at the SLBC tunnel near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district. Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy briefed the Prime Minister on all the details of the incident, as per the CMO statement.

The CM informed the PM that eight workers were trapped inside the tunnel and that necessary rescue operations were being done. The CM also informed the PM that Ministers Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao were overseeing the rescue efforts on site.

PM Modi assured CM Revanth Reddy that an NDRF team would be dispatched immediately for rescue operations. The Prime Minister assured that the Central government is ready to give full cooperation, said the statement.

Similarly, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy is constantly reviewing the situation. Eight workers are feared trapped in the tunnel, according to the Telangana CMO statement.

The Chief Minister instructed the officials to expedite the necessary rescue operations and save the trapped workers. On the CM’s instructions, Ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Jupally Krishna Rao, DIG, IG and senior officials of Irrigation already rushed to the accident site.

The District Collector, SP and other officials are closely monitoring the rescue operations.

The Chief Minister has also ordered the officials to provide better medical treatment to the injured in the incident and assured the affected families that the government would extend all kinds of support.

As per the statement, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams will also reach the accident site shortly. The Chief Minister instructed the officials of all departments to be alert and take all precautions while undertaking rescue operations. The officials have also been asked to update the situation from time to time to the Chief Minister.

The Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed under the Eegalapenta police station limits in the Nagarkurnool district. The incident occurred while approximately 50 workers were engaged in work inside the tunnel. According to police, several workers managed to escape immediately after the collapse. However, eight workers remain unaccounted for. (ANI)

Actor Kunal Kemmu opened up on his early memories of Kashmir, where he lived as a six-year-old before his family moved to Mumbai. Recalling the tense atmosphere and the uncertainty of those times, Kemmu shared how he witnessed incidents that he didn’t fully understand as a child.

In a conversation with ANI, the ‘Golmaal 3’ actor recalled the fear that surrounded his childhood in Srinagar, where sudden explosions and stone-pelting incidents were a part of everyday life. The actor also spoke about the fear that existed at the time, such as how hearing a “loud sound” would cause confusion about whether it was “a cylinder blast or a bomb.”

“It’s from the perspective of a 6-year-old. And that’s how I saw it. I remember… I remember the great things about Srinagar—my school, going to Dal Lake with the family, or going to Pahalgam. And then I remember them being stressed. Because as a six-year-old, you don’t really know what’s happening. And your parents and family are trying to protect you as much as they can. But you still hear about things, right?” he said.

“I remember there used to be this thing… that if you heard a loud sound, there was always this confusion ki kahin cylinder phata hai ki bomb. So I remember that as a chatter sometimes. I remember there were times when, for some reason, you wouldn’t turn on the lights at night because there was a risk of a stone coming into the house, since it was declared that lights should not be on in the evening,” Kunal added.

Recalling the “harsh experience” of a bomb blast that occurred right beneath his house, Kemmu said, how they all were playing, when suddenly he was “thrown off” with complete darkness and smoke in front of him.

“And then to top it all, the one harsh experience I remember was a blast below our house while we were inside. I remember sitting and playing cards with my cousin. We were playing a game called Bluff. And all of a sudden, I just remember being thrown off. You couldn’t hear anything. I just remember seeing smoke and glass shatter. But it was all visual. I remember it was like a film scene. I remember going upside down and seeing all of that. And then there was just darkness. My memories after that are of waking up at some point.”

“I can’t even say if it was terror on people’s faces because there were people just running around, and I remember there was a house at some point, one of the rooms, where the floor had opened up because I think the explosion happened just below. And then the entire street was filled with people. But weirdly, as silly as it may sound, I remember in the evening, the only thing I was looking at was how our area was on television. People were talking about it, and everybody was calling home. So I was like, we were being made to feel important. And so it’s like, that’s why I said the perspective was from a six-year-old,” he added.

Kunal also spoke about experiencing moments of unrest where sudden incidents of “stone pelting” would lead to the army’s arrival.

Explaining how, as a child, he struggled to understand what was happening, Kunal shared, “And there were times in Nawakadal, also, sometimes when, you know, stone pelting would start and then the army would come. And I remember my other cousin and I would look through the windows and not understand what was transpiring.”

“So for me, what happened is after that, and after we left and came to Mumbai, not knowing that we wouldn’t be going back, we were still trying to figure it out. I think our parents kind of did an amazing job of sheltering us from it. But at six and seven, you always heard people talk about it,” he added.

Kunal said, that as a child, he found the situation ‘unpleasant’ because of this he never tried to actively pursue what exactly was happening in the valley.

“And you saw people getting emotional about it and stressed about it. And you knew something was wrong. I think somewhere, as a kid, I kind of wanted to block that out. And that’s why even while growing up, I never actively tried to pursue what was going on, what happened, or why it happened. Because I thought that, when you’re a kid, those questions may be like, ‘Okay, you don’t get involved in this.’ And then anyway, when people were discussing it, you saw that it wasn’t a pleasant thing. So I think somewhere, I kind of built that wall to not ask those questions,” he further said.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Kunal is known for his roles in films such as ‘Raja Hindustani’, ‘Kalyug’, ‘Traffic Signal’, ‘Golmaal 3’, ‘Blood Money’, ‘Golmaal Again’, and ‘Lootcase’. He was last seen in ‘Madgaon Express’. (ANI)

India is set to lock horns with arch-rivals and host Pakistan in the highly anticipated Champions Trophy clash at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. The game is a high-stakes battle for both teams, as while Pakistan will try to keep their title defence alive, India will aim to almost confirm its berth in the semis.

The game is also being touted as an opportunity for India to avenge the loss of the 2017 Champions Trophy Final when Virat Kohli’s men were deprived of putting their hands on the ICC trophy.

Unlike the 50-over and T20 World Cups, Pakistan holds a 3-2 advantage over India in the Champions Trophy. The most notable encounter remains the 180-run triumph in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, which makes Sunday’s game even more exciting for fans from both sides of the border.

It is pertinent to note that Pakistan’s win in 2017 came during the peak of star India batter and former India captain Virat Kohli, at a time when no target was considered too much for the team. Virat, who holds a great record against Pakistan, will look forward to returning to his old colours in the all-important game.

Pakistan will fly to Dubai after conceding a 60-run defeat against New Zealand in the tournament opener in their backyard.

There were plenty of issues visible on the ‘Men in Green’ side. From ace pacers, Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah struggling to pick up wickets in powerplay and the bowlers failing to restrict runs in the death overs, to the batters failing to build partnerships and some big names like Babar Azam, skipper Rizwan struggling for form. Pakistani side’s problems have further been compounded by Fakhar Zaman — hero of the 2017 CT final — being ruled out of the tournament due to injury.

On the other hand, Team India will come riding high on confidence after a convincing 6-wicket win against Bangladesh in their campaign opener.

The ‘Men In Blue’, however, will have to be in its top form heading into the match. While India was able to inflict a strong top-order collapse restricting Bangladesh to 35/5, it allowed the opponents to escape a 154-run stand between Jaker Ali and Towhid Hridoy took Bangladesh to a respectable total of 228 runs.

Also during the run-chase, India struggled against Rishad Hossain’s spin and was reduced to 144/4 during the run-chase, from where the game could have gone either way. Virat Kohli in particular struggled against spin, taking 10 balls to open his account and scored only a sluggish 22 off 38 balls, before perishing to spin.

While stars have aligned more often than not for India’s top stars against Pakistan in recent years, they will have to find a way to deal with the fiery pace of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah and the crafty spin bowling of Abrar Ahmed and Salman Agha and a rock-solid batting line-up headlined by Babar Azam and Mohammed Rizwan.

Also, the absence of Jasprit Bumrah will give Pakistan an added motivation to go hard against India, who have an inexperienced fast-bowling line-up headlined by Mohammed Shami, the veteran who has just made a return from an injury that sidelined him for more than a year, and young Harshit Rana.

Sunday’s game might effectively decide the fate of the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy, and fans will be looking forward to a nail-biting encounter between the two arch-rivals.

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (c), Babar Azam, Imam-ul-Haq, Kamran Ghulam, Saud Shakeel, Tayyab Tahir, Faheem Ashraf, Khushdil Shah, Salman Ali Agha, Usman Khan, Abrar Ahmed, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi. (ANI)

Emirates ruler and the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates have sent separate messages of condolences to the custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, on the passing of Princess Alanoud bint Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud bin Faisal Al Saud.

their rulers, Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi of Sharjah, Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid Al Nuaimi of Ajman, Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed Al Sharqi of Fujairah, Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu’alla of Umm Al Qaiwain, and Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi of Ras Al Khaimah, dispatched separate cables of condolences to King Salman.

Their Crown Princes and Deputy Rulers sent similar messages of condolences to the Saudi King. (ANI/WAM)

Preparations are underway in Gaza for the release of six Israeli hostages in exchange for more than 600 Palestinian terrorists held in Israeli prisons. The six hostages are the last to be freed alive during the first phase of the deal with Hamas

Eliya Cohen, aged 27 was abducted from the Nova Festival area in Re’im. Eliya an electronic and techno music lover was at the site together with his fiancee Ziv Aboud, her nephew Amit Ben Avida and his fiancee Karin Schwartzman. They hid in a shelter which turned into a death trap. Eliya was abducted and taken to Gaza, Ziv was wounded but escaped while Amit and Karin were killed. A video of his abduction showing him with other hostages as they were driven to Gaza surfaced months later. After that, first sign of life from Eliya was received only last week through hostages who were released. According to his mother, Sigi Cohen, he was held in a tunnel, chained, wounded in his legs, without food, suffering from abuse.

Omer Shem Tov, aged 22, was abducted from the Nova Music Festival. Terrorists drove him in his car to Gaza along with his friends Maya and Itay Regev. Maya and Itay were released during the first ceasefire in November 2023. Itay revealed that during their captivity he was giving Omer hope with the words “Od kitzat, od tipa”, meaning “a bit longer, just a bit longer” which has since been made into a song by Miri Mesika and Dror Keren. His mother Shelly was very active demanding his release and a deal on the hostages. He suffers from celiac disease and asthma.

Tal Shoham, aged 40, was kidnapped in kibbutz Be’eri. The family had travelled from their home in Lower Galilee to visit Tal’s mother-in-law Shoshan Haran for Simchat Torah. Tal was kidnapped along with his wife, Adi Shoham, his daughter, Yahel, 3 and son, Naveh, 8 as well as his mother-in-law, his wife’s aunt Sharon Avigdori and her daughter Noam, 12. In November 23 the six family members were released. Tal remained a hostage ever since.

Omer Wenkert, aged 22, was at the Nova Festival with his friend Kim. At the time of the attack he managed to text his parents describing what has happening around him. At some point contact was lost and later in the day it became clear that Kim had been murdered. Omer’s fate remained uknown until his family show a video of him lying in a truck handcuffed and being transferred to Gaza. Omer suffers from an intestinal illness, and he is expected to be released on humanitarian grounds.

Hisham al-Sayed, now 37, is a Bedouin who crossed the border into Gaza in 2015. His last sign of life was in 2022 when Hamas released a video of him in Gaza, connected to an oxygen mask. According to Human Rights Watch, before entering Gaza, al-Sayed was “diagnosed with schizophrenia and a personality disorder, among other conditions” and was repeatedly institutionalized. That did not stop Hamas from holding him for years as a hostage.

Avera Mengistu, aged 37, remains in Hamas captivity since 2014. He is said to be suffering from mental illness. He crossed into Gaza from Zikim beach was initially spotted by security cameras but disappeared before the IDF could reach him. He was abducted by a patrol of the terrorist organization and has been held hostage for 11 years. (ANI/TPS)

Despite over 60 crore visitors and countless holy dips during Mahakumbh, the Ganga remains completely germ-free.

According to a study conducted by a leading scientist reveals that Ganga is the world’s only freshwater river where 1,100 types of bacteriophages naturally purify the water by eliminating pollution and killing 50 times more germs than their number, even altering their RNA.

Padma Shri Dr. Ajay Sonkar, who APJ Abdul Kalam once praised, has unveiled a ground-breaking revelation about Ganga water at Mahakumbh. The top scientist likens Ganga’s power to seawater, crediting its bacteriophages for eliminating pollution and harmful bacteria before vanishing themselves. Known as Ganga’s ‘security guard,’ these bacteriophages instantly purify the river.

Dr. Sonkar, a global researcher in cancer, genetic code, cell biology, and autophagy, has also collaborated with leading institutions like Wageningen University, Rice University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, and Harvard Medical School.

Sonkar reveals that Ganga water contains 1,100 types of bacteriophages, which act like security guards–precisely identifying and eliminating harmful bacteria. Bacteriophages, though 50 times smaller than bacteria, possess incredible power.

They infiltrate bacteria, hack their RNA, and ultimately destroy them. During Maha Kumbh, as lakhs take a holy dip, Ganga detects body-released germs as a threat. As stated in the release, its bacteriophages activate instantly to neutralize them.

According to the study, the specialty of bacteriophages is that they destroy only harmful bacteria. Ganga’s 1,100 types of bacteriophages target and destroy various germs. Each phage rapidly produces 100-300 new ones, which continue the attack, eliminating harmful bacteria. Ganga’s bacteriophages are host-specific, targeting only bacteria introduced during bathing. This self-cleaning process mirrors the oceanic activity that purifies seawater.

Dr. Ajay Sonkar highlights the medical potential of bacteriophages, which can target harmful bacteria without affecting beneficial ones. He sees Ganga’s unique self-purification as a message from nature–just as the river safeguards its existence, humanity must live in harmony with nature, or risk nature taking its own course of action.

Dr Ajay has worked extensively on cell biology and autophagy with 2016 Nobel laureate Japanese scientist Dr. Yoshinori Ohsumi from Tokyo Institute of Technology. He has also worked twice on cognitive fitness and sensitive guts at Harvard Medical School. (ANI)

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed deep shock over the SLBC tunnel accident on Saturday. The Chief Minister alerted the officials soon after receiving information about the collapse of the roof at the tunnel which injured many people.

According to an official statement by the CMO, CM Reddy ordered district Collector, Superintendent of Police, Fire Services department, Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) and Irrigation officials to rush to the spot and take up relief measures immediately.

Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Advisor Adityanath Das and Irrigation officials left for the accident site in a special helicopter, on the instructions of the CM.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao also hit out at CM Reddy, saying that the latter should take responsibility for the accident.

“The state Chief Minister Revanth Reddy should take full responsibility for the accident at the SLBC tunnel. The fact that another tragedy has occurred in the state before the incident of the retaining wall collapse in Sunkishala is a testament to the failure of the Congress government,” KTR said in post on X.

He further alleged that such accidents happen due to collusion with contractors and evasion by supervisors.

“Such a series of incidents is happening due to the collusion with contractors, the evasion of supervision in the hunt for commissions, and the complete compromise on quality standards. If anyone is trapped inside in this roof collapse incident, rescue operations should be carried out on a war footing to bring them out safely,” his post read.

Urging the government to follow the construction rules laid out, he said, “To prevent such tragedies from happening in the future, the state government should ensure that the work is done as per the rules and regulations without getting in the way of the commissions. What will the Congress leaders, who caused a ruckus when a single pillar in a barrage collapsed as part of the Kaleshwaram project, say about the series of failures occurring under their government?”

He also demanded an investigation into the incident.

“The government, which hid the facts to protect the contractor in the Sunkishala accident, should at least conduct a transparent investigation into the SLBC incident and reveal the causes of the accident,” he added.

Meanwhile, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy also expressed shock over the SLBC tunnel accident, and ordered the officials to also rescue anyone trapped inside the tunnel.

Earlier today, a section of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Nagarkurnool district of the state collapsed. (ANI)

A day after a horrible ‘mixup’ in returning corpses of hostages by Hamas, Israel finally received the human remains of Shiri Bibas, and the same was confirmed by the deceased’s family, CNN reported citing hostage relatives’ forum.

Bibas’ remains had been expected to be among those of four hostages returned by Hamas on Thursday, alongside her sons, Kfir and Ariel, when they were taken captive.

However, while forensic tests done by Israeli authorities confirmed that the remains included those of the boys, the other remains were not those of their mother Shiri Bibas and nor did they match that of any other Israeli hostage, prompting outrage and condemnation.

“Last night, our Shiri was brought home. After the identification process at the Institute for Forensic Medicine, we received the news this morning that we had feared: our Shiri was murdered in captivity,” CNN quoted the forum as saying.

“She has returned home to her sons, her husband, her sister, and all her family to rest,” the statement added.

Shiri’s husband and the children’s father, Yarden Bibas, was released by Hamas earlier this month after 484 days of captivity.

Condolences poured in from all quarters of the Israeli society after Shiri Bibas’ remains were brought to Israel.

Opposition party leader Yair Lapid called the return of Bibas’ remains “a long and painful closing of a circle.” “I share in the pain and sorrow of the family and friends. We so hoped for a different ending,” CNN quoted Lapid.

Kibbutz Nir Oz, the community from where Bibas was taken hostage along with her husband and children in the Hamas-led attack of October 7, expressed its “deep sorrow” in a statement Saturday.

Earlier on Friday, the IDF had announced that the remains Hamas claimed were Shiri Bibas were not, in fact, her remains.

“This is a very serious violation by the Hamas terrorist organization, which is required by the agreement to return four dead hostages. We demand that Hamas return Shiri home along with all our hostages,” the military added.

After Hamas transferred the remains to the Red Cross in Gaza on Friday night, the IDF brought them to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for confirmatory testing.

The L Greenberg Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir confirmed that the remains transferred to Israel on Friday night belong to Shiri Bibas, following extensive testing, the Jerusalem Post reported.

The testing team was composed of a variety of specialists, including the DNA laboratory team and the institute’s director, Dr Chen Kugel.

Notably, the institute was also responsible for identifying the remains of Kfir and Ariel Bibas.

Jerusalem Post said that their bodies were identified using forensic analysis in an interdepartmental collaboration between the National Institute of Forensic Medicine and the Israel Police.

CNN noted that the convoy carrying the remains arrived in Tel Aviv for identification on Friday night and saw mourners lined the street outside, holding Israeli flags.

Hamas had earlier said that Shiri and her sons were killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2023, but later said that her body may have earlier been mixed up with the body of another person killed in the airstrike, and assured to investigate.

Israel has rejected Hamas’ explanation of how the Bibas family members died. On Friday, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari claimed forensic evidence showed militants had murdered the two boys “with their bare hands.” He did not elaborate on the claim, which Hamas later dismissed as “sheer lies.”

As per the Jerusalem Post, Israel announced on Friday night that it would be handing the body of the woman Hamas had misidentified as Shiri back to Gaza’s health authorities. (ANI)