Amman, March 21: Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi reiterated the urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza, calling for immediate international intervention to halt Israel’s military operations and reopen border crossings for humanitarian aid.

During calls with several of his counterparts Thursday, Safadi warned of the catastrophic consequences of Israel resuming its military operations in Gaza and blocking humanitarian aid delivery, underscored the need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, and condemned the resumption of hostilities and the use of food as a weapon, according to a statement by the ministry.

The discussions also addressed regional and international efforts to facilitate aid access and de-escalate tensions. Safadi cautioned against Israel’s illegal measures in the West Bank, warning they could further destabilise the region, Xinhua news agency reported.

He spoke with Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, Slovenian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, and Austria’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger.

In his conversation with the Bulgarian foreign minister, Safadi condemned the killing of a Bulgarian national who worked for the United Nations Office for Project Services in an Israeli attack on the UN office two days ago.

He extended Jordan’s condolences and urged Israel to ensure the safety of international organisations and their personnel in Gaza.

Earlier on Wednesday, at least 16 Palestinians were killed and over 30 wounded in an Israeli airstrike that struck a crowd of mourners in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Gaza health authorities.

The strike hit the Salatin area of Beit Lahia during a gathering to mourn victims of earlier Israeli attacks, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the incident.

New Delhi, March 21: London’s Heathrow Airport has been shut down for the day after a fire in a substation in the western part of the city led to a power outage and has left more than 16,000 homes without electricity.

According to British media over 150 people have also been evacuated.

In an X post on Friday morning (India time), the airport advised passengers not to travel and also to contact their respective airlines for further details.

“Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage. To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 11.59 pm on March 21,” the airport said.

An airport spokesperson told the Media, “Whilst fire crews are responding, we do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored… we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation.”

As per reports several flights have already been diverted while the airport authorities “expect significant disruption over the coming days”.

The reports have mentioned that the Scottish and Southern Electricity Network, which supplies power to nearly four million homes in central and southern England, as well as the north of Scotland, said the fire broke out at the North Hyde substation and that emergency services were on the scene.

The London Fire Brigade reported that a transformer inside the substation caught fire, prompting a large-scale emergency response. Ten fire engines and around 70 firefighters were deployed to the scene. As a precaution, a 200-metre cordon has been established, and residents have been advised to keep doors and windows closed because of smoke.

Heathrow is the UK’s largest airport, handling around 1,300 landings and take-offs each day. A record 83.9 million passengers passed through its terminals last year.

Sanaa, March 21: Yemen’s Houthi group early morning Friday claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile attack on southern Tel Aviv, a Houthi military spokesperson said in a televised statement.

“In support of the Palestinian people and response to the massacres perpetrated by Israel in the Gaza Strip, our forces carried out a qualitative military operation targeting an Israeli military target south of Tel Aviv, using a hypersonic ballistic missile,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in the statement aired by the group’s al-Masirah TV.

“This is the second operation within 24 hours,” he said, referring to the first ballistic missile attack that the group said was aimed at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, which Israel announced it intercepted.

He reiterated that the group would continue attacks on Israel and its ships until the war on Gaza ceases and crossings reopen to allow aid in, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Thursday morning, the Houthi group also claimed it had launched strikes against the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the northern Red Sea, marking the fifth such strike since Saturday.

In response, the US military has resumed air attacks on Houthi targets since Saturday, claiming its campaign aims to protect international shipping. The new round of US airstrikes has killed dozens of people, according to Houthi-run health authorities.

The Houthi group controls a large swath of Yemen, including the strategic Hodeidah port and the capital Sanaa, after a civil war broke out in 2014.