'Praying for Peace', Sudarsan Pattnaik creates sand art expressing solidarity with Israel

Puri (Odisha): Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, popular sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik created a sand art at the Golden Sea beach in Odisha's Puri. Expressing his solidarity with the people of Israel affected by the Hamas terror attack, the Padma Shri Awardee made a sand sculpture that reads "Praying for Peace" and "Solidarity with Humanity". 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Pattnaik said, "My SandArt with the message " Solidarity with Humanity, Praying for Peace ", at Puri beach." Hamas on Saturday launched an attack on Israel killing over 700 people. Several Israelis were taken as hostages in Gaza. Israeli soldiers are fighting with Hamas fighters in the streets of southern Israel and launching airstrikes on Gaza, a day after an unprecedented surprise attack by Hamas fighters. In northern Israel, a brief exchange of strikes with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group raised fears of a broader conflict. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel is at war.