Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group announced on Friday that it was entering a new and escalating phase in its conflict with Israel. Iran also stated that the spirit of resistance will be strengthened following the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

Sinwar, who was a mastermind of the October 7, 2023, attack that sparked the Gaza war, was killed during an operation by Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday, a significant development in the year-long conflict.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death was confirmed by Hamas official Basem Naim on Friday, as reported by Israeli media. Naim serves as the political bureau head of the organization.

Upon confirming Sinwar’s death, Naim stated, “Hamas becomes stronger and more popular with each elimination of its leaders. It hurts to lose people, especially unique leaders like Yahya Sinwar, but we are sure we will win in the end.”

Naim also expressed doubt about Israel’s ability to dismantle the organization by targeting its leadership.

“Israel seems to believe that killing our leaders means the end of our movement and the struggle of the Palestinian people. They can believe what they want, and this is not the first time they have said that,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that the killing of Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip marked the beginning of the end of the year-long war in the Palestinian territory.

The Israeli military announced that after a lengthy pursuit, troops had eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip.

Shortly after, around 7:45 pm, confirmations came from the IDF, Shin Bet, Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz, and others, confirming Sinwar’s death. Evidence that Sinwar was dead included matching both his dental records and fingerprint records, which Israel had from the period when he was in Israeli prisons until 2011.

The Delhi’s Rouse Avenue court on Friday granted bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Satyendar Jain in the money laundering case. He was arrested in May 2022 in this case.

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar asserted on Thursday that the results of the recent Haryana elections, where the BJP registered victory by defeating the Congress, will not influence the upcoming elections in Maharashtra.

Noting the recently concluded Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections, where the NC-Congress coalition retained power by defeating the BJP, Pawar said: “We are studying Haryana, but at the same time, look at the results of Jammu and Kashmir polls. I do not think that Haryana’s results will have any bearing on Maharashtra’s elections. As far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, the world community gives more attention to it, and the results of Jammu and Kashmir are more important for the country.”

Elections for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly are scheduled for November 20, with results to be declared on November 23. In the Haryana polls held on 5 October, the BJP achieved an unprecedented third term in the state, winning 48 out of 90 seats, while Congress secured 37 seats. Nayab Singh Saini took oath as the new Chief Minister.

Pawar also addressed the unveiling of the new Lady of Justice statue at the Supreme Court, which features open eyes replacing the traditional blindfold and the Constitution in hand instead of a sword. He remarked, “A new direction has been shown by the CJI as this thought never occurred in this country.”

Responding to a question about the INDIA bloc’s strategy following the Congress’s defeat in Haryana, he acknowledged the BJP’s dominance in the state but emphasised the importance of Jammu and Kashmir’s political developments.

Responding to a query on the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) not accepting the NCP (SP)’s request to freeze the trumpet symbol available in the free list of symbols, Pawar explained that the Election Commission of India had informed them the picture of their party symbol was not very clear.

However, he added, “So we can expect that it (the symbol) will not affect us,” as the image has now been enlarged for better visibility. The NCP (SP) had previously requested the poll body to freeze the trumpet symbol, as it bears resemblance to the “man blowing turha” symbol formally allocated to their party.

Moreover, Pawar mentioned that the decision on which seats in Satara district the NCP (SP) would demand as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi’s seat-sharing will be determined by the party’s state unit chief, Jayant Patil.

Regarding the projection of a chief ministerial candidate for the MVA, Pawar stated that the matter had been resolved among the three coalition constituents—Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress, and NCP (SP)—as clarified during a joint press conference with Uddhav Thackeray present. Concluding, he hinted at a more significant role for Jayant Patil, saying, “Patil has a big responsibility as he is the state president of the party.”