New Delhi, March 19: Sunita Williams’ safe return to Earth after unplanned and prolonged nine-month stay in the space has brought immense joy to her relatives and villagers in Jhulasan, her ancestral village in Gujarat’s Mehsana. As the news surfaced about her safe return, the villagers broke into celebrations by bursting firecrackers and dancing.

An Akhand Jyot (eternal lamp) that has been burning continuously for the past nine months in the local temple was lit up to pray for her safe return. Now that she is back on Earth, the family is set to immerse the lamp in a special ceremony.

Talking to Media, Sunita’s cousin, Naveen Bhai Baboolal, expressed his emotions: “Sunita visited us in 2007 and it was a joyful occasion. She came to the local temple and participated in a wonderful program. Since then, we believed that there was divine power in our village, and it became clear that Sunita was destined for great things.”

“During her third space mission, she took the idols of both our village deities with her. The sweets we prepare here, including the ‘Sukhdi’ and ‘Ganapati’s Ladoo’, were sent with her to space,” he added.

Naveen further shared, “When Sunita left for space, we had no idea she would remain there for nine months instead of a few days, due to technical difficulties. We were deeply worried, but we believed that our divine deities would protect her. That’s why we kept the Akhand Jyoti burning in the temple, praying for her safe return. And today, she’s finally back, so we’re celebrating her safe return with a village procession.”

He informed that villagers have planned a celebratory procession in her honour, accompanied with fireworks to create an atmosphere like Diwali and Holi.

“A procession will be taken out from the village school to the temple where the ‘Akhand Jyot’ has been kept. The ‘Akhand Jyot’ will be immersed after the procession reaches the temple,” he said.

Another family member, Dinesh Pandit, said, “The Akhand Jyoti was lit specifically for Sunita, as she faced challenges with her spacecraft during her mission. When we heard about the problems with her aircraft, we feared that her chances of returning were slim. But we prayed to the goddesses, and we had full faith that they would bring her safely back. This is not the first time we’ve done this; we’ve kept this tradition whenever she’s gone on her space missions, and it has always worked out.”

Dinesh added, “We are all part of one big family, and Sunita is like a sister to us. Our bond with her is very special, and our prayers for her have always been strong.”

Meanwhile, Sunita Williams and her fellow astronauts, Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth on Tuesday evening aboard SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft.

The spacecraft safely splashed down off the coast of Florida just minutes before 6 p.m. local time. The astronauts were greeted by recovery teams, and Williams emerged third from the capsule, smiling and waving after a safe return.

Cairo, March 19: Palestine requested an extraordinary session of the Council of the Arab League (LAS) after Israel’s renewed, deadly airstrikes on Gaza.

In a statement, Palestine’s Permanent Representative to the LAS Muhannad al-Aklouk, on Tuesday said his country submitted a request to the General Secretariat of the LAS to convene an extraordinary session of the council at the level of permanent representatives, Xinhua news agency reported.

Al-Aklouk further stated that this request was prompted by Israel’s renewed “crimes of aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing” directed against the Palestinian people.

He also noted that these events have coincided with Israel’s disconnection of electricity to Gaza and the obstruction of humanitarian, medical, and relief aid delivery to the strip.

The anticipated extraordinary session, he explained, is intended to discuss Arab and international initiatives aimed at compelling Israel to “halt its crimes and aggression against the Palestinian people and comply with international law and international legitimacy resolutions.”

Early Tuesday, Israel launched massive airstrikes across Gaza, killing more than 400 people and shattering a fragile ceasefire that took effect on January 19.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the attacks, stating that they were carried out in coordination with the Israeli Security Agency (ISA).

“In accordance with the political echelon, the IDF and ISA are currently conducting extensive strikes on terror targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip,” the Israeli military announced on X.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said later in the day that Israel will escalate its renewed assault on the enclave and that “from now on, the negotiations (on Gaza ceasefire) will take place only under fire.”

Gaza, March 18: The Hamas-run media office warned that the Gaza Strip is facing a worsening humanitarian crisis as Israel’s tightened blockade entered its 16th consecutive day, preventing crucial aid from reaching the population.

In a press statement, the media office said the Israeli blockade “has led to a catastrophic deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip,” with 80 per cent of the population losing access to food sources due to the suspension of aid entry.

The crisis has forced 25 per cent of bakeries to shut down amid a severe fuel shortage, with more closures anticipated in the coming days, Xinhua news agency reported.

The lack of fuel has also disrupted the operation of wells and desalination plants, leaving 90 per cent of Gaza’s residents without sustainable access to clean drinking water.

The health sector is also on the brink of collapse, with severe shortages of supplies worsening the suffering of approximately 150,000 sick and wounded people. Cases of malnutrition and anemia are rising, particularly among children and the elderly, the statement noted.

The media office called on the international community to intervene urgently, demanding increased pressure on Israel to allow the immediate entry of humanitarian aid and to lift restrictions on Gaza.

It also urged Arab and Islamic nations to fulfill their commitments by working to end the blockade, opening crossings for relief supplies, and holding Israel accountable for the legal and humanitarian consequences of its actions.

In a separate statement, Hamas accused Israel of “targeting the lives of the most vulnerable Palestinians — namely, the sick, the elderly, children, and those with special needs” by imposing the blockade.

“The US must compel the occupation to implement the ceasefire agreement as signed, instead of expanding the circle of fire,” it added.

Meanwhile, Ismail al-Thawabta, director of the Hamas-run media office, said that the Israeli authorities continue to impose a “suffocating blockade” on the Gaza Strip by keeping all border crossings closed for over two weeks.

Al-Thawabta said in a statement that “the occupation has prevented more than 10,000 aid trucks from entering Gaza and has refused to allow the entry of 850 fuel and cooking gas trucks, paralysing the transportation sector, closing bakeries, and disrupting humanitarian work.”

Israel has prevented aid shipments, including food, from entering Gaza since March 2, following the expiration of the first phase of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.