How the Hamas attack in Israel has prompted India to change rules for hang gliders

The 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas shocked the entire world. The Palestinian militant group carried out a well-planned attack on Benjamin Netanyahu-led country using paragliders to infiltrate Israel, launching deadly attacks on its people. India quickly changed its powered hang glider rules after learning about the possible use of hang gliders for significant terrorist attacks, according to PTI. Here are the new rules for motorised hang gliders. New rules for hang gliders The new rules have been issued by the country’s aviation regulator, DGCA. As per the rules, it is strictly prohibited to operate a motorised hang glider without the prior approval of a DGCA examiner or instructor. The eligibitlity for working as an examiner or instructor were also covered by DGCA. He or she is required to have 50 powered hang gliding hours and 10 hours on dual machines. Such a person can permit people to fly motorised hang gliders once they have received regulator approval. According to news agency ANI, DGCA laid down the criteria for being eligible to pilot such a craft. It said no person shall fly a powered hang glider unless the person holds a Commercial Pilot License with 25 hours flying time on a powered hand glider. A person with 50 hours of flying experience and holding prior authorisation will also be eligible to fly the craft. The sale and purchase of powered hang gliders is strictly prohibited. It is necessary to have a certificate from the DGCA, which can only be obtained following the buyer’s background check by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The owner or operator cannot lease or hire out the hang glider. The regulations also state that anyone or any company wishing to purchase or produce powered hang gliders will need to obtain security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs via DGCA. The Ministry of Home Affairs will later force them to abide by certain security measures. Unless specifically authorised by the MHA and only when necessary for the aircraft’s safe operation, a powered hang glider is not permitted to carry any weapons, remote sensing equipment, or photography/video gear. Prior to each flight, parking and other operations must follow the security procedures approved by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. The reason for revision In one of the worst attacks on Israel, Hamas stormed the nation by land and air routes. The group entered Israel on land using bulldozers and motorcycles, and opted for hang gliders and paragliders to enter into the southern region of Israel. They even released videos of its fighters practising using gliders during the attack. The gliders used by Hamas were found to have a single canopy and a tiny motor, as per Republic Media Network. [caption id=“attachment_13275952” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Palestinians celebrate by a destroyed Israeli tank at the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Younis, during a surprise attack on Israel. AP[/caption] The brutal attack has increased tension throughout the world and raised questions about how to stop similar attacks in the future. According to PTI, the DGCA considered current security concerns and modified the hang-gliding regulations to prevent possible misuse for objectives similar to Hamas’s. The DGCA intends to strictly enforce these new regulations in order to prevent misuse of hang-gliders by ongoing government intervention. Latest developments Israeli airstrikes on Gaza continue and Israel’s defense minister has told troops to be ready for a ground assault on the Palestinian territory, although it is unclear when that will begin. The airstrikes continued overnight Friday in southern Gaza and ambulances transported the wounded to Gaza’s second-largest hospital, Nasser, in Khan Younis, according to The Associated Press. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that limited humanitarian aid would be allowed into Gaza from Egypt following a request from US president Joe Biden. More than 200 trucks and some 3,000 tons of aid were positioned at or near Rafah, but work has not yet begun on repairing a road on the Gaza side that was damaged by airstrikes. More than one million Palestinians, roughly half of Gaza’s population, have fled homes in the north and Gaza City after Israel told them to evacuate. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said Thursday that 3,785 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 12,500 others have been wounded. While in Israel, more than 1,400 people have been killed, mostly in the initial attack. An Israeli military spokesperson said Thursday that the families of 203 people believed to have been captured by Hamas and taken into Gaza had been notified. Israel has vowed to destroy the militant group. President Biden pledged unwavering support for Israel’s security, “today and always,” while adding that the world “can’t ignore the humanity of innocent Palestinians" in the besieged Gaza Strip. In an address Thursday night from the Oval Office, hours after returning to Washington from an urgent visit to Israel, Biden drew a distinction between ordinary Palestinians and Hamas. He linked the current war in Gaza to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, saying Hamas and Russian President Vladimir Putin “both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy.” With inputs from agencies