President Donald Trump on Tuesday proposed moving Gazans to a “good, fresh, beautiful piece of land” in another country, offering a vision of mass displacement that would likely inflame sentiments in the Arab world as he prepared to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House.
Archiv: Westasien („Naher / Mittlerer Osten“) / West Asia („Near / Middle East“)
President Barzani, anti-ISIS coalition commander discuss ISIS ‘dangers’
When ISIS seized swathes of Iraqi land in 2014, Peshmerga played a key role in driving the extremist group out of the areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, especially Kirkuk. The US-led global coalition provided Peshmerga and Iraqi forces with military assistance to defeat ISIS territorially, which was completed in 2017.
Barzani and Leahy also discussed the latest developments in Syria and their impact on neighboring countries.
Regime change in Syria has Iraqi factions backtracking on push for US withdrawal
(January 31, 2025)
The U.S. and Iraq announced an agreement last year to wind down the military mission in Iraq of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by September 2025, with U.S. forces departing some bases where they have stationed troops during a two-decade-long military presence in the country. (…)
But the fall of Assad in a lightning offensive led by Sunni Islamist rebels in December led some to reassess that stance, including members of the Coordination Framework, a coalition of mainly Shiite, Iran-allied political parties that brought current Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani to power in late 2022.
Arab nations reject Trump’s call to relocate Gazans to neighboring countries
The foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt issued a wide-ranging statement Saturday, saying they hoped to work with Trump on a two-state solution in the Middle East.
But they pushed back on Trump’s suggestion to relocate Palestinians from Gaza. Without specifically referencing the president’s proposal, the ministers reiterated a commitment to rebuilding the enclave while ensuring “the continued presence of Palestinians in their homeland.”
Netanyahu Arrives in Washington at Critical Juncture for Mideast
Mr. Netanyahu is expected to be the first foreign leader to meet with Mr. Trump since his inauguration last month. The Israeli leader is expected to hold formative discussions with the Trump administration about several crucial regional issues.
Exclusive: Palestinian Authority tells US it is ready to ‚clash‘ with Hamas for control of Gaza
Ziad Abu Amr, one of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s longtime advisors, would become the de facto ruler of the Gaza Strip, heading the committee. He would be appointed deputy to Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Mustafa but endowed with massive new powers.
Abu Amr was born in the Gaza Strip in 1950. He could be palatable to the Trump administration because he is also a US citizen. He obtained his PhD from Georgetown University and served as deputy Palestinian prime minister from 2013 to 2024.
Jordan faces the plan to displace Palestinians: Challenges and diplomatic moves
The challenges facing Jordan in this context are multiple, most notably the political pressures that may be exerted by the United States and some Western powers to show some flexibility towards this file. In addition, any new wave of displacement may lead to internal tensions, given the sensitivity of the demographic balance in the Kingdom.
The economic impacts cannot be ignored, as Jordan suffers from increasing financial challenges, and any increase in the number of refugees will exacerbate the pressure on resources and infrastructure. In addition, the security aspect constitutes a major concern, as the influx of large numbers of displaced persons could lead to complex security repercussions, especially in light of the tense conditions in the region.
Historic! ‚No to Displacing Palestinian People!‘ Massive Egyptian protest at Rafah on border with Gaza to reject any displacement of Palestinians – VIDEO/Live
Thousands of Egyptians, led by public figures and political delegations, are protesting in the Egyptian Rafah on the border with the Gaza Strip to reject all proposals to displace the Palestinian people from their land and any attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause.
Egyptians gather at Rafah border crossing to protest against US plans of displacing Palestinians to Egypt, Jordan
The delegations, representing various Egyptian political forces, parties, unions, and civil society groups, are united in their opposition to statements made by US President Donald Trump, which suggest forcibly relocating Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan.
Trump‘s envoy meets Netanyahu, visits Gaza
The U.S. official visited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Netanyahu has long eyed ties with Riyadh and is due to meet Trump in Washington on Feb. 4, when talks for the next phase of the three-stage Gaza ceasefire are meant to formally start.
US envoy Steve Witkoff meets Netanyahu after visiting Gaza
According to Hebrew media reports, Witkoff reportedly visited the Netzarim Corridor inside the Gaza Strip with Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
Scoop: White House envoy met senior Palestinian official in Saudi Arabia
Why it matters: This was the first meeting between a Trump administration official and a Palestinian official since November‘s election.
– The meeting between Witkoff and Hussein al-Sheikh took place amid efforts by the Trump administration to end the war in Gaza and push for a Saudi-Israeli peace deal that includes a path toward a Palestinian state.
Saudi envoy to UK: No normalisation with Israel without Palestinian state
He added that Palestine has been fought over for 6,000 years, and that “it is not an easy thing to find, whether it’s during the Crusades […] I can’t think of anywhere that’s had that much done to it.”
However, he stressed that “good things are never easy. And anyone who is objecting to what almost the whole world sees as the solution cannot be right. So, you know, again, that’s why I’m not optimistic, because we have a lot of problems along the way.”
Al Saud asserted that “there’s no other solution” other than a two-state solution.
Israeli drone drops bomb near Lebanese army and civilians in Yaroun, south Lebanon
The official National News Agency said Tuesday that an Israeli drone dropped a bomb near a gathering of Lebanese army personnel and citizens in the town of Yaroun.
Israel tells southern Lebanon civilians to await return clearance
This warning comes after South Lebanon residents, accompanied by the army, attempted to return to their villages on Monday, following Israeli fire that killed over 20 people. The ceasefire, extended until February 18, allows Israel more time to withdraw, as confirmed by the White House and Lebanon‘s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati.
The solution lies in just peace, not displacement
Jordan‘s posture on the Palestinian question has always been firm and clear: Jordan is not, and will never be, an alternative homeland for Palestinians.
This position is not merely a political statement but a historical commitment rooted in the principle of justice and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Jordan rejects any attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause or deny the rights of Palestinians under whatsoever pretext.
High-profile source negates phone call between Trump, Egyptian president
CAIRO – 28 January 2025: A high-profile Egyptian source negated Tuesday that a phone call had taken place earlier this week between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi, noting that phone calls between the chief of state and counterparts are always announced.
Trump reiterates wish to move Gazans to Egypt, Jordan
„I’ve helped him [el-Sisi] a lot and I hope he’ll help us. I think he’ll do it [take in Palestinians] and the king of Jordan will do it too,“ he added.
Israel maintains occupation in eastern sector of South Lebanon: Civilians and Lebanese Army clash with Israeli forces
In towns like Bani Haiyyan, Markaba, and the region of Borj El Mlouk heading towards Kfarkela, which remains under Israeli occupation, residents defied military checkpoints and moved towards their towns. The Israeli forces responded by opening fire on the civilians and Lebanese Army positions.
Israeli Forces Again Open Fire as Lebanese Try to Return Home, Lebanese Officials Say
(Jan. 27, 2025Updated 12:07 p.m. ET)
Israeli forces opened fire toward residents of southern Lebanon for a second consecutive day on Monday as people pressed on with attempts to return to their homes along the border, a day after at least two dozen people were killed and scores injured in Israeli attacks, Lebanese officials said.
The Israeli fire on Sunday was the deadliest bout of violence in Lebanon since the war between Israel and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia, ended with a truce in November. In the renewed violence on Monday, at least two people were killed and 17 others injured, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
White House Statement on Agreement Extension Between Lebanon and Israel
(January 26, 2025)
The arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, monitored by the United States, will continue to be in effect until February 18, 2025.
The Government of Lebanon, the Government of Israel, and the Government of the United States will also begin negotiations for the return of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023.
IDF begins withdrawing from Netzarim Corridor – report
(11 hours ago)
The IDF has begun withdrawing troops from the western part of the Netzarim Corridor that bisects the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported early Monday morning, citing Palestinian reports.
Trump Reveals Plan For The Ethnic Cleansing Of Gaza
Well that didn’t take long.
Trump wants Jordan and Egypt to accept more Palestinian refugees and floats plan to ‘clean out’ Gaza
Trump has built his political career around being unapologetically pro-Israel. On his larger vision for Gaza, Trump said he had call earlier in the day with King Abdullah II of Jordan and would speak Sunday with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt.
“I’d like Egypt to take people,” Trump said. “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know, it’s over.’”
Toll from Israeli attacks rises to 15 in South Lebanon: Health Ministry
A citizen was killed in the town of Odaisseh, while a man and a young woman lost their lives in Meiss El Jabal, and another citizen was killed in Markaba.
These latest casualties bring the total number of fatalities to 15 so far, according to the ministry‘s statement.
Israeli gunfire kills Lebanese soldier, injures another in southern Lebanon
The Lebanese Army announced that one of its soldiers was killed and another wounded in separate incidents of gunfire by Israeli forces in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, the army reported that the fatal shooting occurred on the Marwahin-Dhayra road in the Tyre District, while the injury took place in the town of Meiss El Jabal, Marjaayoun District.
Israel blocks over 600,000 Palestinians from reaching northern Gaza
A drone view shows Palestinians waiting to be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza on 26 January 2025
In photos: Palestinians gather at the Netzarim Corridor to return north
Crowds of Palestinians have gathered near the Netzarim Corridor, a crossing point created by the Israeli army that separates north and south Gaza, in hopes of eventually returning to the north.
Although they are expected to be allowed through on Sunday, the Israeli army has accused Hamas of violating the terms of the ceasefire and said it will not open the corridor.
France‘s Macron informs President Joseph Aoun of ongoing efforts to maintain ceasefire agreement
President Macron explained that he is in contact with various parties to maintain the ceasefire and ensure the full implementation of the agreement.
Israeli military sets up roadblocks in southern Lebanon and announces it won’t withdraw by deadline
While Lebanese army soldiers are dispersed across the south’s western sector, Israeli troops remained in control of most of the southeastern sector.
Members of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, known as UNIFIL, said Israeli tanks and bulldozers have unexpectedly moved and set up several roadblocks, apparently in an attempt to prevent displaced Lebanese people trying to return to their villages.
Uncertainty in Lebanon after Israel delays troop withdrawal
So, this ceasefire agreement is really a test. A test of whether the state can extend its authority across southern Lebanon.
Israel to Extend Military Presence in Lebanon With Trump Administration’s Blessing
The Israeli security cabinet authorized the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) late Thursday to remain in some areas of southern Lebanon past the 60-day withdrawal deadline set to expire on Sunday. Under the terms of the Israel-Hezbollah cease-fire agreement approved last November, both sides must fully remove all of their troops from the region by Jan. 26 to reinstate the borders laid out in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.
White House Calls for Israel to Stay in Lebanon Past Truce Deadline
The White House is calling for Israeli troops to be allowed to remain in Lebanon past the expiration date of a cease-fire next week, giving Israel more time to complete its mission but heightening the risks that the truce will unravel altogether.
Trump administration unwilling to grant extension for IDF withdrawal from Lebanon, wants it done by Sunday — report
The Trump administration expects the IDF to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Sunday, per the terms of the ceasefire agreement with the Hezbollah terror group, Army Radio reports.
The position of the new administration under US President Donald Trump, Army Radio says, differs from that of the Biden administration, which was said to be considering granting Israel an additional 30 days beyond the 60-day withdrawal period stipulated in the truce agreement
US Envoy Witkoff says Saudi-Israeli normalization would bring end of regional war
Witkoff addressed the possibility of Arab nations like Saudi Arabia joining an alliance with Israel: “Normalization is an amazing opportunity for the region. It’s basically the beginning of the end of war.”
He noted that other countries like Qatar could join the Abraham Accords if the Saudis lead the way. “First, we needed the hopeful moment, and I’d like to think that we’ve achieved that, and we’ll build on that. Then on top of that, we needed to show people that we could stop the violence and that we could have conversation and dialogue.”
Trump envoy says Gaza ceasefire could pave way for Mideast normalization deal: ‚Inflection point‘
(January 22, 2025)
„I think this is an inflection point,“ Witkoff said on „America‘s Newsroom,“ Wednesday.
„I think you could get everybody on board in that region. I think there‘s a new sense of leadership over there. Qatar was enormously helpful in this. Sheikh Mohammed, plenty of his communication skills with Hamas were indispensable here, so I think the UAE is already a part of it. Egypt was very helpful to us in these endeavors.“
„I think we have the opportunity to get everybody bought in to a better future for the region – more opportunity, more hope,“ he added.
Nagel Commission warns Israel of possible war with Turkey, even as it calls for confronting Iran
The „Committee for the Evaluation of the Defense Establishment Budget and the Balance of Power“ is led by former National Security Council head Yaakov Nagel, and is often referred to in Hebrew media as the Nagel Commission or Nagel Committee.
The commission was established in 2023 before the outbreak of the war, to create recommendations for the defense ministry regarding the possible areas of conflict facing Israel in the years ahead.
Israel must prepare for war with Turkey, gov committee warns
The Nagel Committee issued a report on Monday detailing the defence budget and security strategy, where they raised concerns over Turkey’s aspirations and possible future tensions with Israel, according to Israeli media.
The committee said these tensions could escalate into conflict and highlighted the risk of Syrian factions aligning with Turkey and creating further threats to Israel‘s „security“.
Peace with Israel Tops the Agenda for Syria’s New Leaders
(January 3. 2025)
Although the majority of high-ranking officials in the HTS-led administration refrain from making categorical claims about Israel, they constantly stress that Iran and Hezbollah, not Israel, are Syria’s main enemies.
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Ayman Al-Asimi, a senior member of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC) and former spokesperson for the Syrian opposition delegations during the Astana talks, made headlines with his remarks to BBC Arabic. He stated unequivocally that Syria’s only opponent is Iran.
From ‘Terrorist’ to ‘Freedom Fighter’: How the West Rebranded Al-Qaeda’s Jolani as Syria’s ‘Woke’ New Leader
(December 12, 2024)
In 2003, he went to Iraq to fight against American forces. After three years of war, he was captured by the U.S. military and spent over five years in prison, including a stint at the notorious Abu Ghraib torture center.
While in Iraq, Jolani fought with ISIS and was even a deputy to its founder. Immediately upon release in 2011, ISIS sent him to Syria with a rumored $1 billion to found the Syrian wing of al-Qaeda and participate in the armed protest movement against Assad that arose out of the Arab Spring.
Controversy as Syria‘s de-facto ruler declines to shake hands with German FM Annalena Baerbock
Baerbock and her French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot visited Syria in a sign of support for the transitional government, where they expressed willingness to help the war-torn country after Bashar al-Assad’s regime was toppled last month, making them the first European officials to do so.
German, French foreign ministers meet with Syria‘s HTS Islamist group
Syria‘s new de facto ruler and leader of the Islamist militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) received an EU delegation led by German Foreign Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Friday.
Foreign Jihadists Appointed to Senior Positions in New Syrian Military
Syrian sources told Reuters that the foreign fighters appointed to the military include Uyghurs, a Jordanian, a Turk, and an Albanian. “This is a small token of recognition for the sacrifices Islamist jihadists gave to our struggle for freedom from Assad’s oppression,” an HTS source told the media outlet.
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HTS is still designated by the US as a foreign terrorist organization, but the Biden administration has celebrated its takeover of Syria. The US has also made clear it’s willing to work with the new government and its de facto leader, Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who has been going by his real name Ahmed al-Sharaa.
UN urges parties to re-engage on Iran nuclear deal
(December 17, 2024)
Rosemary DiCarlo briefed the Security Council on developments surrounding the 2015 accord, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), and implementation of Council resolution 2231 (2015) which endorsed it.
The JCPOA set out rigorous mechanisms for monitoring restrictions placed on Iran’s nuclear programme, while paving the way for lifting sanctions against the country.
It was signed between Iran and the Council’s five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – plus Germany and the European Union. The US withdrew in May 2018 under the Trump administration.
The Nuclear Kingdom: Assessing Saudi Arabia’s Nuclear Behavior
(December 17, 2024)
Saudi Arabia has the characteristics of a nuclear hedger: a state that lays the groundwork for the active pursuit of nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia has stated the conditions under which it would pursue nuclear weapons. It already possesses dual-capable delivery systems and seeks reactors to produce weapons-grade uranium. Its inability to enrich nuclear material alone prevents Saudi Arabia from gaining nuclear latency that it can rapidly convert into nuclear weapons. Saudi Arabia is best categorized as an insurance hedger that seeks to reduce the time needed to build a bomb. Regardless of the categorization of Saudi Arabia’s hedging, its interest in nuclear weapons has entered a new, acute stage.
Pentagon Admits It’s Been Lying About the Number of Troops in Both Iraq and Syria
The Pentagon said on Monday that the US has more troops deployed in Iraq than it has been disclosing, an admission that comes after it revealed there are significantly more US troops in Syria than the US has said.
„URBI ET ORBI“ MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS CHRISTMAS 2024
May the sound of arms be silenced in war-torn Ukraine! May there be the boldness needed to open the door to negotiation and to gestures of dialogue and encounter, in order to achieve a just and lasting peace.
May the sound of arms be silenced in the Middle East! In contemplating the Crib of Bethlehem, I think of the Christian communities in Palestine and in Israel, particularly the dear community in Gaza, where the humanitarian situation is extremely grave. May there be a ceasefire, may the hostages be released and aid be given to the people worn out by hunger and by war. I express my closeness to the Christian community in Lebanon, especially in the south, and to that of Syria, at this most delicate time. May the doors of dialogue and peace be flung open throughout the region, devastated by conflict. Here I also think of the Libyan people and encourage them to seek solutions that enable national reconciliation.
Report: US Had Foreknowledge of HTS Offensive To Topple Assad and Prepared Other Rebel Group To Join
(December 19, 2024)
“They did not tell us how it would happen,” Bashar al-Mashadani, an RCA commander, told The Telegraph. “We were just told: ‘Everything is about to change. This is your moment. Either Assad will fall, or you will fall.’ But they did not say when or where, they just told us to be ready.”
In October, the US brought several other Sunni Muslim militias under the command of the RCA, swelling the force from 800 fighters to about 3,000. All of the fighters are armed by the US, and the US pays their salaries of $400 per month.
US ‘prepared Syrian rebel group to help topple Bashar al-Assad’
(December 18, 2024)
RCA fighters who captured the Russian-controlled Syrian air base on the outskirts of the town last week said they had been told to prepare for Assad’s possible fall in early November, nearly three weeks before the offensive began.
Until one month earlier, Capt Mashadani had been second-in-command of the Abu Khatab brigade. This small unit of 150 men was created by US Special Forces and trained by their British counterparts in Jordan until 2016, to hunt down Isis fighters near Deir ez-Zor, a city in eastern Syria.
US Official Has ‘Good, Productive’ Meeting with al-Qaeda-Linked Julani in Damascus
Julani fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq against American soldiers during the Iraq War. He then founded al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, the al-Nusra Front. In recent years, he has attempted to soften his image by giving friendly interviews to Western journalists, often appearing in a suit and with a trimmed beard to obscure his jihadist ideology.
Leaf said of Julani after the meeting, who is also going by Ahmad al-Sharaa, “I heard him on his priorities, which are very much rooted in getting Syria on the road to economic recovery.”
“We’ve been hearing this for some time, some very pragmatic and moderate statements on various issues, from women’s rights to protection to equal rights for all communities,” she added. “It was a good first meeting. We will judge by deeds, not just by words.”
Gaza-Deal zwischen Saudis und Netanjahu?
„Als Gegenleistung für ihre Unterstützung und ihr Geld, so sagte mir der Israeli, würden die Vereinigten Staaten der saudischen Führung ein erweitertes Verteidigungsabkommen anbieten, das Saudi-Arabien in ihren nuklearen Schutzschirm einbeziehen würde – für den Fall, dass der Iran, Israels letzter verbliebener Feind, in den Besitz einer Atombombe gelangen sollte. “
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„Der Israeli sagte mir, dass das saudische Paket einen zusätzlichen Anreiz enthält: Die Saudis würden wegschauen, wenn die Israelis Bombenangriffe durchführen, einschließlich der Bombardierung militärischer Ziele im zerrissenen Syrien, und würden Israel Zugang zu einem Flugplatz innerhalb der saudischen Grenzen gewähren. Auf diese Weise könnten israelische Bomben, die zumeist von den Vereinigten Staaten geliefert werden, innerhalb von Minuten, nicht Stunden, auf wichtige iranische Ziele abgefeuert werden.“
Israel Found the Hamas Money Machine Years Ago. Nobody Turned It Off.
(December 16, 2023)
Israeli leaders believed that Hamas was more interested in governing than fighting. By the time the agents discovered the ledgers in 2018, the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was encouraging the government of Qatar to deliver millions of dollars to the Gaza Strip. He gambled that the money would buy stability and peace.
Mr. Levy recalled briefing Mr. Netanyahu personally in 2015 about the Hamas portfolio.
THE NEW CEASEFIRE EQUATION: Saudi Arabia’s entry into talks between Israel and Hamas may change Gaza’s future
In return for its support and money, the Israeli told me, the Saudi leadership would be offered an expanded defense treaty by the United States that would include Saudi Arabia in its nuclear umbrella—its zone of protection—in case Iran, Israel’s last standing enemy, were to acquire a nuclear bomb.
(…)
There is an added inducement in the Saudi package, the Israeli told me: the Saudis would look the other way as the Israelis conduct bombing raids, including bombing of military targets inside fractured Syria, and would give Israel access to an airfield within Saudi borders. This would bring Israeli bombs, most supplied by the United States, within minutes, and not hours, of key Iranian targets.
Israel, Saudi Arabia closer to normalisation deal: Report
(December 18, 2024)
Israel and Saudi Arabia have reached a breakthrough in talks around normalising relations, Haaretz reported on Tuesday, adding that the normalisation could be related to an elusive ceasefire deal that would bring about an end to Israel‘s war on Gaza.
Sources familiar with the negotiations told Haaretz that rather than Israel agreeing to Saudi Arabia‘s demand for the recognition of a Palestinian state, the two sides agreed that Israel would give a vague commitment on a „path towards Palestinian statehood“.
Senior U.S. Diplomats Arrive in Syria to Meet With Governing Militias
The State Department said early Friday that three senior American diplomats had arrived in Damascus, the capital of Syria, to meet with leaders of the militias that have seized control of the country, and to look for signs of the journalist Austin Tice and other missing U.S. citizens.
Pentagon says the number of US troops in Syria is much higher than previously reported
After learning of the fluctuation in number of troops, Fox News’ Pentagon correspondent Jennifer Griffin pressed Ryder about the correction to the number of troops and timing.
„This is more than double the number of troops that we’ve been told for quite some time. So, are we talking about this has been going on for months? For Years?“ Griffin asked. „Is this something that just happened this summer? We need a time frame.“
„Yeah, I think it would probably be fair to say at a minimum, months,“ Ryder said. „I’ll go back and look. But it’s…yeah, it’s been going on for a while.“
US Launches More Airstrikes in Syria, Claims 12 ISIS Fighters Killed
Since Assad’s downfall, the US, Turkey, and Israel have all been bombing Syria. On December 8, the day Assad fled, the US launched heavy airstrikes in Syria, saying it hit 75 ISIS-related targets.
US officials justify the strikes by saying they don’t want ISIS to reconstitute itself following the regime change. But on the other hand, the US has supported the HTS takeover even though the group is designated by the US as a terrorist organization and has a similar ideology to ISIS.
The US has also made clear it has no intention of withdrawing the approximately 900 troops that it has occupying eastern Syria.
Germany joins US, UK in making diplomatic contact with Syria‘s HTS
Germany plans talks with representatives of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in Damascus on Tuesday, the foreign ministry said, joining the United States and Britain in establishing contact with the group after it led the overthrow of Syria‘s Bashar al-Assad.
EU‘s Diplomatic Shift: Direct Talks with Syria
In a significant development, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the bloc‘s top diplomat for Syria will head to Damascus on Monday to initiate contact with the new Syrian government.
Lammy: UK had ‚diplomatic contact‘ with HTS
„Using all the channels that we have available, and those are diplomatic and, of course, intelligence-led channels, we seek to deal with HTS where we have to.“
On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States has had direct contact with HTS.
U.S. in Direct Contact With Rebels Who Took Over Syria
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the United States was communicating directly with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the dominant rebel faction, despite its designation as a terrorist group.
Germany, France ready to cooperate with new Syrian leadership
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed their willingness to engage with Syria‘s new leadership, following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, under certain conditions, a statement from the German government revealed after a call between the two leaders.
U.S. would recognize a Syrian government that comes from inclusive process, Blinken says
The U.S. government would “recognize and fully support” a future Syrian government that results from an inclusive and transparent transition process, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday, outlining a first set of principles regarding the Biden administration’s hopes to influence discussions over Syria’s future after the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad.
US Strikes over 70 ISIS camps in Syria
The United States army announced on Sunday that it carried out airstrikes against 75 Islamic State (ISIS) camps in Syria, to prevent the group from taking “advantage” of the recent kerfuffle in the country.
“The strikes against the ISIS leaders, operatives, and camps were conducted as part of the ongoing mission to disrupt, degrade, and defeat ISIS,” read a statement from the army’s Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees US troops in the Middle East.
President Biden on Situation in Syria: „At long last the Assad regime has fallen.“
President Biden: „After 13 years of civil war in Syria, more than half a century of brutal authoritarian rule by Bashar al-Assad and his father before him, rebel forces have forced Assad to resign his office, flee the country.“
KSA abandons US defense pact over Palestinian statehood ‚stalemate‘: Report
As a result of the Saudi and Israeli positions, “Riyadh and Washington hope a more modest defense pact could be sealed before President Joe Biden leaves the White House in January,” according to the Saudi and western sources.
Saudi Arabia abandons pursuit of US defence treaty over Israel stalemate
In a drive to get a wide-ranging mutual security treaty over the line earlier this year, Riyadh softened its position on Palestinian statehood, telling Washington that a public commitment from Israel to a two-state solution could be enough for the Gulf kingdom to normalise relations.
But with public anger in Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East at fever pitch over Israel‘s military actions in Gaza, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has again made recognition of Israel conditional on it taking concrete steps to create a Palestinian state, two Saudi and three Western sources said.
Bundestag verlängert Irak-Einsatz der Bundeswehr
Der Bundestag hat das Mandat für den Einsatz deutscher Soldaten im Irak um weitere 15 Monate verlängert. Für die Fortsetzung stimmte eine deutliche Mehrheit von 539 der anwesenden Abgeordneten (Nein: 93, Enthaltung: 2), wie das Präsidium nach namentlicher Abstimmung verkündete.
War on Gaza: Israel wants to finish the job Washington started after 9/11
In 2007, former Nato commander Wesley Clark recounted a meeting at the Pentagon shortly after the US invasion of Afghanistan. An officer told him: “We are going to attack and destroy the governments in seven countries in five years. We’re going to start with Iraq, and then we’re going to move to Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran.”
Clark added of the neoconservatives: “They wanted us to destabilise the Middle East, turn it upside down, make it under our control.”
As I documented in my 2008 book Israel and the Clash of Civilisations, Israel was supposed to carry out a central chunk of Washington’s post-Iraq plan, starting with its war on Lebanon in 2006. Israel’s attack there was supposed to drag in Syria and Iran, giving the US a pretext to expand the war.
This was what the US secretary of state of the time, Condoleezza Rice, meant when she spoke of the “birth pangs of a new Middle East”.
The plan went awry largely because Israel got bogged down in phase one, in Lebanon. It blitzed cities like Beirut with US-supplied bombs, but its soldiers struggled against Hezbollah in a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.
The West subsequently found other ways to deal with Syria and Libya.
Israel steps up its battles with the United Nations
Netanyahu has issued statements essentially calling for regime change in both Lebanon and Iran, while Israel’s boosters in the United States see in its expanding wars an opportunity to “remake” the political map of the Middle East.
The coming US-Saudi nuclear deal: Keep it honest
(January 5, 2024)
In 1988, the Central Intelligence Agency did discover that Riyadh bought SS-2 medium-range missiles from China but only after the deal was sealed. In 2003, when China exported DF-21 ballistic missiles to the Kingdom, the CIA again found out and was even allowed to verify the missiles were not nuclear-capable, but only after the missiles were delivered.
Several years later, when intelligence finally leaked out that China secretly built missile factories for the Saudis, the Trump administration was mum on whether there was an intelligence failure and allowed speculation that it had blessed the transaction. Then, in 2020, when US intelligence confirmed China was helping the Kingdom mill uranium domestically, it did so, again only after the mining and milling were well underway.
This track record of studied inadvertence, then, brings us to the next worry: MBS wants Washington to green-light the Kingdom enriching uranium…
Normalization for Proliferation? The Saudi Nuclear Strategy and the Price of Peace with Israel
(March 19, 2023)
In general, the Saudis wish to present themselves as Iran’s equals, and if Iran can enrich uranium, say the Saudis, then so can we. In addition, the Saudis want to keep all their nuclear options open, even if they are not intending to work on the development of nuclear weapons immediately.
Appendix to letter of October 2, 2024 re: American physicians observations from the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023
This appendix complements the letter sent to President Joseph R. Biden, Vice President Kamala D. Harris, and others on October 2, 2024 by 99 American healthcare workers who have served in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023.
(…)
In total it is likely that 62,413 people have died of starvation and its compilations in Gaza from October 7, 2023 to September 30, 2024. Most of these will have been young children.
As long as aid agencies and public health experts are denied entry to Gaza the true
numbers cannot be known. However, if these estimates are accurate they will approximately match the projected estimates of 85,750 total (direct and indirect) excess deaths in Gaza by August 2024 under the epidemics and military escalation scenarios published by a joint project from Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This is the population-adjusted equivalent of 13.3 million deaths and 26.6 million injuries in the United States.
The Human Toll: Indirect Deaths from War in Gaza and the West Bank, October 7, 2023 Forward
Figure 1: Direct Deaths from Violence Reported in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank
(Oct. 7, 2023 – Oct. 1, 2024)
Israeli Fatalities in Israel 1,200
Israeli Fatalities in Gaza 34
Israeli Fatalities in West Bank 339
Palestinian Fatalities in Gaza 41,615
Palestinian Fatalities in West Bank 693
Palestinians Missing/Estimated Dead Underthe Rubble 10,000
Total > 53,887
(…)
Figure 2: Estimates of Indirect Deaths in Gaza (Oct. 7, 2023 – Sept. 30, 2024)15
Estimated Deaths from Starvation 62,413
Estimated Deaths from Lack of Access to Care for Chronic Diseases 5,000
Estimated Deaths from Infectious Diseases, Maternal/Neonatal Deaths, and Others ?
Total > 67,413
United States Spending on Israel’s Military Operations and Related U.S. Operations in the Region, October 7, 2023 – September 30, 2024
Figure 1: U.S. Military Aid to Israel from October 7, 2023 to September 2024 (in millions of dollars)
Foreign Military Financing $6,8009
Missile Defense $4,500
Missile Defense (Iron Beam) $1,200
Enhancing Artillery Production $1,000
Replenishing Arms Delivered to Israel from U.S. Stocks $4,400
TOTAL $17.9 billion
Never Let Your Government Tell You Who Your Enemies Are
Our real enemies are in Washington and London and Tel Aviv. In Berlin and Paris and Canberra. In secretive government agencies in the state of Virginia, and in imperial propaganda institutions in New York and Hollywood.
The Middle East Is Always At War Because The West Keeps Pushing It That Way
I hate when people say “Bah the middle east has always been at war, it’s just how they are.” No you asshole, it’s been at war because of western interventionism and Israel.
Secretary-General‘s remarks to the Security Council – on the situation in the Middle East [as delivered]
Madame President, Excellencies,
The raging fires in the Middle East are fast becoming an inferno.
Exactly one week ago, I briefed the Security Council about the alarming situation in Lebanon.
Since then, things have gone from bad to much, much worse….
Barred From Israel, UN Chief Warns Middle East ‚Fast Becoming an Inferno‘
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday reiterated his urgent call for an end to violence and a diplomatic resolution in the Middle East shortly after Israel‘s foreign minister declared that the U.N. chief was barred from entering the country, a move that drew international condemnation.
„The raging fires in the Middle East are fast becoming an inferno,“ Guterres told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, denouncing Israel‘s „relentless airstrikes across Lebanon,“ devastation of the Gaza Strip, and obstruction of a cease-fire agreement that could pull the region back from the brink of all-out war.
Israel calls on residents to evacuate over 20 areas in south Lebanon
The Israeli military on Tuesday called on residents in more than 20 areas of southern Lebanon to evacuate, hours after saying it launched ground raids across the border.
U.S. downplays talk of Iraq withdrawal, says troops will stay in Syria
(September 27, 2024)
The announcement, coming two weeks after the Iraqi government said it had reached a deal with the Biden administration to remove most U.S. troops over the next two years, underscored Washington’s hesitancy to telegraph its military movements at a time of extreme volatility in the Middle East. But it also sowed confusion over the eventual end state of the Pentagon presence in the country.
109 killed in Israeli air strikes on Sunday: Lebanese health ministry
The Lebanese health ministry has reported that Israeli air strikes on Sunday killed at least 109 individuals and left 364 others wounded across the country.
Turkey excludes $2.5 bln Russian S-400 missiles from new air defense system project
(August 9, 2024)
In an earlier statement in 2020 to CNN Türk, Russian Ambassador to Turkey Alexei Yerkhov said, ‘Whether [the system] is used or not is a decision for the country that owns it. Turkey purchased the product they wanted from us. The owner of this system is Turkey. It is entirely dependent on what Turkey decides. Whether you go to the beach with it, carry potatoes or mount a machine gun on it for war, keeping it in the ‘garage’ is your right.”
Erdogan: Turkey to produce S-500s with Russia after S-400 deal
(May 19, 2019)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey and Russia would jointly produce S-500 defence systems after Ankara’s controversial purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Moscow.
Turkish president condemns Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, calls for global action
Erdogan criticized the international community for enabling Israel‘s actions, saying that as Tel Aviv continues to receive „weapons and ammunition support from its backers,“ it becomes „increasingly reckless, defying all humanity, humanitarian values, and international law.“
He stressed that Israel‘s „politics of madness,“ already seen in Gaza and Ramallah, must not be allowed to spread to Lebanon and other countries in the region.
„No person of conscience can accept, justify, or deem such a massacre legitimate,“ he said.
Russia sees military coordination with Israel on Syria continuing
(February 26, 2022)
Following the 2015 Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war, Israel set up a „deconfliction mechanism“ with the big power to prevent them clashing inadvertently during Israeli strikes against Iranian deployments and arms transfers in the neighbouring Arab state.
„Our military officials discuss the practical issues of this substantively on a daily basis. This mechanism has proven to be useful and will continue to work,“ the Russian embassy in Israel said in a statement.
Russia condemns Israeli attacks on Lebanon
(September 24, 2024)
„Indiscriminate Israeli strikes on residential areas under the pretext that Hezbollah weapons are being stored there led to massive civilian casualties and significant destruction of civilian infrastructure,“ Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
Citing the Lebanese Health Ministry, Zakharova said that at least 492 people, including around 150 women and children, were killed by Israel’s „armed aggression“ on Monday.
Lebanon’s caretaker PM calls for national unity amid threats
In a statement during an emergency cabinet session, Mikati urged the Lebanese people to demonstrate national responsibility in such a way as to preserve national unity and solidarity, explaining that Lebanon’s unity has been its strongest weapon in face of the Israeli enemy’s criminal schemes and attempts to spread division.
More than 1,000 Lebanese people killed in Israeli strikes in less than two weeks
Israeli airstrikes across large parts of Lebanon have killed at least 1,030 people – including 156 women and 87 children – in less than two weeks, according to Lebanon‘s Health Ministry. For more information, Yuka Royer interviews Ettie Higgins, Deputy Representative at UNICEF, in Beirut, Lebanon.
AP images offer a close-up look at the smoldering site of Nasrallah’s assassination
Onlookers at the site Sunday clambered over large slabs of concrete, surrounded by high piles of twisted metal and wreckage. Several craters, likely used by rescuers to penetrate under the site of the explosion were visible, some of them apparently up to 30 meters (100 feet) deep.
A few Hezbollah workers were using a bulldozer to excavate around one of the craters, some of them apparently dug by rescuers to reach the dead. State security and investigators were nowhere to be seen.
Biden Didn’t “Fail” To Get A Ceasefire; He Never Tried
(September 21, 2024)
He could have ended it with a phone call. The killing continued because he and his handlers wanted it to.
Israeli strike hit 500 metres from Beirut airport buildings, security source says
An Israeli strike hit an industrial area 500 metres from Beirut airport buildings, a security source told Reuters, saying it was the closest strike yet to the airport.
The source said the area hit was full of car repair garages.
The boss of Lebanon‘s national carrier Middle East Airlines Mohammad al-Hout said the airport was operating normally.
Israeli army hacks into Beirut Airport control tower, threatens Iranian civilian plane
The Israeli army on Saturday hacked into the control tower of Beirut‘s Rafic Hariri International Airport, issuing threats against an Iranian civilian aircraft attempting to land, according to official sources.
The Lebanese Ministry of Transport instructed airport authorities to prevent the Iranian plane from entering Lebanese airspace following Israeli threats to target the aircraft if it landed at the airport.
Over thirty in Lebanon killed in Israeli strikes on Saturday
Around one million Lebanese have also been displaced, according to Nasser Yassin, the minister coordinating Lebanon‘s crisis response.
Lebanon has a total population of around 5.5 million people.
Israeli troops on Lebanon border say they’re ready for ground invasion
Before Israel and Hezbollah’s last war, in 2006, parents came to the border to bid their sons goodbye. In October, rows of tanks formed in southern Israel before invading the Gaza Strip.
Statement from President Joe Biden on the Death of Hassan Nasrallah
Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror. His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.
The strike that killed Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas’s massacre on October 7, 2023. Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a “northern front” against Israel.
The United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and any other Iranian-supported terrorist groups. Just yesterday, I directed my Secretary of Defense to further enhance the defense posture of U.S. military forces in the Middle East region to deter aggression and reduce the risk of a broader regional war.
President Biden says Nasrallah killing is ‘justice’ for victims of Hezbollah
President Biden called the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah “a measure of justice” for his victims – and said that the US “fully supports” Israel’s move to defend itself against the Iran-backed terror group.
“Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror,” Biden, 81, said in a statement released by the White House Saturday afternoon.
At least 1,640 Lebanese killed by Israel since 8 October: Report
Among those killed by Israeli strikes are 104 children and 194 women. Additionally, 41 health and ambulance workers have been killed and 111 others have been injured since the onset of the war.
Netanyahu violating state sovereignty with complicity of US, Europe: French MP
“Appalled by the scale of the ongoing massacre in Lebanon,” Jean-Luc Melenchon, a left-wing French politician and a former Member of the European Parliament, said in a post on X.
“Netanyahu is violating the sovereignty of states throughout the region with the complicity of Europe and the USA. The genocide in Gaza is spreading without limits.”
Dramatic footage shows strike and explosions in Beirut
Video shows the moment Israeli strikes hit Choueifat, an area on the outskirts of Beirut, in the early hours of Saturday.
Published 2:41 AM GMT+2, September 28, 2024
‘Not justifiable attacking densely populated areas – but world does nothing’
Commenting on the Israeli claims of killing Nasrallah, military and security analyst Elijah Magnier has told Al Jazeera that the focus should be “on the several buildings that all disappeared under the ground, with all their inhabitants,” as a result of the Israeli air attack on Friday.
“It’s absolutely considered a war crime and a crime against humanity – and it’s not in any way considered a collateral damage,” he told Al Jazeera.
“The percentage of the people who are killed in such a populated and dense area – it’s not justifiable,” Magnier said.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah killed in Beirut strike, group confirms
The statement did not mention who would succeed Nasrallah or how the group would respond to the assassination of its long-time leader.
According to analysts, the man widely regarded as Nasrallah‘s heir, Hashem Safieddine, was still alive after Friday‘s attack.
Israel targets Hezbollah command near Beirut as Lebanon death toll tops 700
(September 27, 2024)
The Israeli military struck Hezbollah‘s central command in the southern Beirut suburbs on Friday, with Israeli TV reporting that Hamas chief Hassan Nasrallah was the focus of the strikes. The latest bombardment came as the death toll from Israeli strikes inside Lebanon surpassed 700 since Monday, according to the health minister.
Israel says 85 bombs dropped in attempt to assassinate Nasrallah
Israeli Army Radio reported that military aircraft deployed approximately 85 bunker-busting bombs, each carrying one ton of explosives, in an attempt to assassinate Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
The bombs were dropped in civilian areas, resulting in numerous casualties.
„5,000-pound bunker busters“: Iran condemns US „complicity“ in Israeli strikes; top developments
Iran has condemned the United States of America for being ‚complicit‘ in the Israeli strikes conducted on Gaza and Lebanon. It has also accused Israel of using over 5,000-pound bunker buster bombs „gifted“ by the US in its fresh strikes on residential areas in Beirut. The States responded saying that it had no prior information of the strikes.
Meanwhile, IDF said that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was killed after being the target of these strikes which knocked out six buildings.
New ‘bunker buster’ bombs used in Beirut attack
(September 27, 2024)
Elijah Magnier, a military analyst, says the ordnance used by Israel in its latest attack on Beirut is a “very new type of bomb” – the GBU-72.
The weapon is “an advanced 5,000-pound [2,200kg] bunker buster that was created in 2021”, Magnier told Al Jazeera.
The bomb has not been used in the past for the “same objective”, he said, suggesting Israel wanted to “confirm the kill and wanted to make sure nobody is going to be alive”.
It was dropped with a fraction of delay, which allowed the bomb to reach the bunker under the ground and bring down entire structures, Maginer explained.
Israeli military says it killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut strike
The military says it also killed several other commanders from the Lebanese group in overnight strikes on the country.
Hezbollah has yet to confirm any casualties from Israel‘s latest attacks.
Breaking News | Lebanese TV shows aftermath of Israeli strike on Beirut
Footage broadcast by al-Manar TV showed at least one smouldering crater at the site of an Israeli strike on Beirut on Friday (September 27).
Watch live: Multiple blasts heard in Beirut
Thick clouds of smoke can be seen rising from the Lebanese capital after multiple explosions were heard, according to witnesses from Reuters news agency.
At least 25 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon today, according to the country‘s health minister.
War on Lebanon: Israeli jets pound Beirut with series of massive air strikes
Israeli fighter jets launched a series of massive air strikes on a crowded area in the Haret Hreik neighbourhood in the south of Lebanon‘s Beirut on Friday, causing widespread destruction with fears of a large death toll.
At least 10 explosions rocked the capital‘s southern suburbs, a densely-populated area colloquially known as Dahiyeh, with large clouds of black smoke rising over the city.
The attacks appeared to be the largest Israeli strikes on Beirut since the 2006 war with Lebanon.
Iraq – Prime Minister addresses General Debate, 79th Session
Speaker Name
AL-SUDANI, MOHAMMED SHIA
Speaker Role
Head of Government
Speaker Geographic
IRAQ
Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani warns of global disorder, urges greater UN action in UNGA speech
The Prime Minister reiterated Iraq’s solidarity with Lebanon, stating that both the government and people of Iraq, guided by religious authority, stand with Lebanon against what he termed “aggression aimed at plunging the region into conflicts.” Al-Sudani also condemned the targeting of international and humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza.
He expressed concern over the broader global implications of the ongoing conflicts, warning that recent actions by Israel could „ignite a large-scale regional war“ and destabilize the entire region.
Forty-eight people killed in Israeli raids on Beqaa Valley and Mount Lebanon
The Lebanese health ministry has said that 48 people have been killed and 73 others wounded in Israeli air strikes in the areas of the Beqaa Valley and Mount Lebanon.
Public Health Ministry’s Emergency Operations Center: Two martyrs, fifteen injured in initial toll from enemy airstrike on Beirut southern suburb
The Public Health Ministry’s Emergency Operations Center on Thursday released a statement announcing that “the Israeli enemy’s airstrike on the Beirut southern suburbs led, according to an initial toll, to the martyrdom of two persons and the injury of 15, including a woman in critical condition.“
Israel attacks Lebanon live: New strikes target Beirut
Israeli army says it has launched strikes on Beirut with sources saying a Hezbollah commander was the target.
The Israeli PM’s office has released a statement on Netanyahu’s X page saying the “news about a ceasefire is not true” and he vows to carry on attacks on Lebanon.
Ben Gvir threatens to quit Israeli government if ceasefire agreed in Lebanon
„If a temporary ceasefire is signed, Jewish Power will not be committed to the coalition,“ Ben-Gvir said, referring to his far-right party.
„If the temporary ceasefire becomes permanent, we will resign from the government.“
Israel rejects US-backed Lebanon ceasefire proposal
Asked about Israel‘s rejection of a U.S.-backed Lebanon ceasefire proposal, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told MSNBC: „The world is speaking clearly for virtually all of the key countries in Europe and in the region on the need for the ceasefire.“
UNHCR scales up support as people flee Lebanon for Syria
Thousands of Lebanese and Syrian people are fleeing Lebanon for Syria in desperation as Israeli airstrikes continue to devastate civilian lives. UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is scaling up its support to the growing number of displaced people.
Hundreds of vehicles are backed up in queues at the Syrian border. Many people are also arriving on foot, carrying what they can. Large crowds, including women, young children and babies are waiting in line after spending the night outdoors in falling temperatures. Some carry fresh injuries from the recent bombardments.
Over 90,000 People Displaced by Latest Military Escalation in Lebanon – IOM Scales Up Its Response
Beirut, 25 September – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has released its latest Mobility Tracking displacement update showing at least 90,350 people have become newly displaced since 19 September, following the latest military escalation in Lebanon.
According to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, nearly 600 people have been killed, including 50 children, and approximately 1,700 injured, since Monday.
IOM Director General Amy Pope, speaking from the United Nations General Assembly in New York reiterated a call for diplomacy, peace and de-escalation.
Israel army chief says strikes in Lebanon prepare possible ground assault
„You hear the jets overhead; we have been striking all day,“ General Herzi Halevi told Israeli troops on the border with Lebanon, according to a statement from the military.
„This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah.“
IDF mobilizing 2 reserve brigades to north signaling possible ground war in Lebanon
The mobilized reserve brigades are integrated armored-infantry brigades that have previously been mobilized in this war, and will return to increase the defensive operations in the Galilee Division, as well as participating in a ground invasion of Lebanon if one begins.
Earlier on Wednesday Northern Command head Maj. Gen. Ori Gordin said Israel has ‚entered a different stage of the campaign‘ and threatened a ground entry into Lebanon, after another morning with dozens of rockets launched in attacks on areas of northern Israel, and waves of Israel Air Force attacks from the air throughout Lebanon, including north and south of Beirut.
Israeli minister calls to push Lebanon‘s ‚Shia enemy population‘ away from border
(23 September 2024)
Writing on X, Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli said over the weekend that a buffer zone should be created in southern Lebanon.
He said that „even though it has a flag and even though it has political institutions“, Lebanon „does not meet the definition of a country“.
He also posted images of maps questioning the current borders of Syria and Lebanon, referencing the Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916 that carved up the Levent into British and French spheres of influence.
Der UN-Gipfel 2024 und der Krieg in Nahost
Der israelische UN-Botschafter forderte den UN-Sicherheitsrat auf, Hisbollah und die iranischen Revolutionsgarden zu „Terrororganisationen“ zu erklären. Dem libanesischen Außenminister warf er vor, einer „Terrororganisation erlaubt zu haben, einen Staat innerhalb des Libanon“ gegründet zu haben. Israel werde sich verteidigen und nicht zulassen, dass „die Hisbollah libanesisches Territorium als Abschussrampe für Gewalt“ benutzt. Die US-Vertretung stellte sich hinter Israel, das sich gegen die täglichen Angriffe verteidigen müsse. Malta forderte eine Untersuchung. Die Schweiz erinnerte an Verhandlungen. Russland regte ein internationales Gesetz gegen die Nutzung von Alltagsgegenständen als Waffen an. China forderte wie auch der Iran eine Verurteilung Israels. (Quelle: press.un.org)
Eine Entscheidung gab es nicht. Am Abend des gleichen Tages (20. September 2024, Beirut Ortszeit) bombardierte die israelische Luftwaffe ein Wohnhaus im dicht bewohnten Süden von Beirut mit vier Raketen und brachte das Haus zum Einsturz. Dutzende Menschen wurden verschüttet. 15 Angehörige der Hisbollah wurden tot geborgen, darunter zwei hochrangige Kommandeure. Die Zahl der Toten stieg im Laufe der Bergungsarbeiten auf 51, darunter waren Frauen und Kinder. Zehn Personen werden noch vermisst
Jordanian FM urges UN Security Council to curb Israel‘s aggression, protect regional security
Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi stressed today the need for the UN Security Council to act immediately to curb the Israeli aggression and protect the region from its disastrous consequences.
Pentagon to Send More U.S. Troops to Middle East as Tensions Rise
The troops will number in the dozens, one official said, and will head to the region to help protect the thousands of Americans who are stationed there.
(…)
About 40,000 American troops are stationed in the region on bases in Iraq, in Syria and in the Persian Gulf countries. The U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln is in the Gulf of Oman, and a second aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman, left Norfolk, Va., on Monday for the Mediterranean as part of a regularly scheduled deployment.
Series of enemy raids on areas in Nabatieh, Iqlim al-Tuffah & Western Bekaa
(2 hours ago)
Israeli enemy aircraft carried out a series of violent raids on areas in Nabatieh, Iqlim al-Tuffah, and the Western Bekaa thisafternoon, reaching 111 raids between 1:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.
MoPH: 37 martyrs in an update on the toll of Israeli raid on Beirut‘s suburb
The Public Health Ministry‘s Emergency Operations Center issued a new update on the outcome of the Israeli raid on the southern suburb of Beirut yesterday, in which the number of martyrs rose to thirty-seven people.
The Ministry indicated that efforts are still underway to remove the rubbles.
Public Health Ministry’s Emergency Operations Center: Toll from the enemy’s airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs rises to 12 martyrs and 66 wounded
The Public Health Ministry’s Emergency Operations Center released a statement announcing an updated toll from the Israeli enemy’s airstrike on the Beirut’s southern suburbs.
According to the new updated toll, the number of martyrs has risen to 12, and the number of wounded 66, including nine in critical condition.
The statement added that the rubble removal operations continue.
Rare Israeli airstrike in Beirut kills Hezbollah commander and more than a dozen others
The Israeli military’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the strike on Beirut’s southern Dahiya district killed Ibrahim Akil, a commander of Hezbollah’s elite Radwan Force, as well as 10 other Hezbollah operatives.
“We will continue pursuing our enemies in order to defend our citizens, even in Dahiya, in Beirut,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, describing the Israeli strike that targeted Akil as part of “a new phase of war.”
See the moment Israeli jets fly over Beirut while CNN reporter is on air
CNN Senior International Correspondent Ben Wedeman reacts to Israeli jets flying over Beirut, Lebanon, as Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah delivered an address in response to a wave of explosions across the country.
What to know about the two waves of deadly explosions that hit Lebanon and Syria
Just one day after pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded, more electronic devices detonated in Lebanon Wednesday in what appeared to be a second wave of sophisticated, deadly attacks that targeted an extraordinary number of people.
Both attacks, which are widely believed to be carried out by Israel, have hiked fears that the two sides’ simmering conflict could escalate into all-out war.
Hezbollah hand-held radios detonate across Lebanon, sources say
Hand-held radios used by Hezbollah detonated on Wednesday across Lebanon‘s south and in Beirut‘s southern suburbs, a security source and a witness said, further stoking tensions with Israel a day after similar explosions launched via the group‘s pagers.
Israel’s Pager Attack Has No Clear Strategic Goal, Analysts Say
Israel’s attack on pagers belonging to Hezbollah on Tuesday was a tactical success that had no clear strategic impact, analysts say.
While it embarrassed Hezbollah and appeared to incapacitate many of its members, the attack has not so far altered the military balance along the Israel-Lebanon border, where more than 100,000 civilians on either side have been displaced by a low-intensity battle.
Houthis say ‚new hypersonic ballistic missile‘ launched at Israel, vows more attacks
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree speaks on the ballistic missile launched at Israel, September 15, 2024
(photo credit: SCREENSHOT/X)
Netanyahu says security in Gaza is critical to stop Hamas smuggling hostages into Iran: ‚lost forever‘
According to Netanyahu, the best way to prevent these Hamas hostage smuggling efforts is through maintaining the contested Philadelphi Route – a security corridor that runs between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
Netanyahu is unequivocal about ceasefire and hostage agreement with Hamas: ‘There’s not a deal in the making’
(September 5, 2024)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday was as clear as he has ever been that he does not believe a ceasefire and hostage deal is likely in Gaza in a sharp rebuke to the Biden administration’s insistence it’s close at hand.
“There’s not a deal in the making,” Netanyahu told Fox News. “Unfortunately, it’s not close.”
Netanyahu derailed a potential Gaza hostage deal in July, Israeli newspaper reports
)September 4, 2024)
The report lends credence to charges often leveled at the prime minister – most notably by hostage families – of purposefully prolonging the war and torpedoing deals for his political benefit. Far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition have pledged to bring down the government should he end the war.
Several news outlets, including CNN, have reported on the late July demands made by Netanyahu, but this is the first time the Israeli document has been obtained in full.
CIA and MI6 say agencies are ‚working tirelessly‘ towards ceasefire
In an opinion piece for the Financial Times, CIA director Bill Burns and MI6 chief Richard Moore said…
Kamala Harris Had Her Worst Week Since Joe Biden Stepped Aside
T.J. McCormack, a Republican communications specialist, said that after a „stratospheric liftoff“ to her campaign, any „less-than-stellar few days would constitute a bad week“ for the vice president.
„For a coddled candidate the real world can be a terrible thing, especially when that world has several multi-front wars, murdered hostages and polling firms carving up swing states with scalpels,“ McCormack told Newsweek. „Kamala loved the big stage, now she‘s in the trenches.“
US and Iraq reach agreement on troops withdrawal; some to remain “in an advisory role”
“The US and Iraq are also seeking to establish a new advisory relationship that could see some US troops remain in Iraq after the drawdown,” the sources affirmed.
“An official announcement was initially scheduled for weeks ago but was postponed due to regional escalation related to Israel‘s war in Gaza and to iron out some remaining details.”
US and Iraq agree on plan to withdraw US troops: Report
The plan agreed by Iraq and the US says that all US-led coalition forces will leave Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province and significantly reduce their presence in Baghdad by September 2025.
US and coalition soldiers will stay in Erbil, in the Kurdish semi-autonomous region, for just one more year.
As U.S. readies last cease-fire push, Netanyahu digs in on border demands
As he fights for his political survival, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s insistence on keeping troops on a narrow strip of land along the Gaza-Egypt border has become the main obstacle to a cease-fire and hostage-release agreement with Hamas, according to current and former officials from mediating countries.
After many months of inconclusive talks, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris discussed with advisers on Monday how to move forward with a final “take it or leave it” proposal to present to Israel and Hamas, potentially as soon as this week.
Biden, Harris to huddle with US negotiators for Gaza deal push after hostage killings
(2 September 2024)
US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were scheduled to hold a meeting Monday with hostage negotiators, …
Biden‘s „war cabinet“: The key people advising him on the Israel-Hamas war
(Nov 4, 2023)
President Biden has been deeply involved in the U.S. response to the Israel-Hamas war — one of the thorniest challenges of his presidency so far — receiving briefings at least once per day and speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu several times a week.
The big picture: Biden is leaning on a tight circle of trusted aides and officials. Here‘s a look at who‘s in the room when major decisions are being made.
US quietly reaches agreement with Qatar to keep operating largest military base in Middle East
(January 2, 2024)
The deal, which has not been announced publicly, highlights Washington’s reliance on the tiny Gulf country that has recently played a central role in mediating the release of Americans from captivity in Gaza and Venezuela.
The Al Udeid Air Base, located in the desert southwest of Doha, is the biggest US military installation in the Middle East and can house more than 10,000 American troops.
‘Buying Quiet’: Inside the Israeli Plan That Propped Up Hamas
(December 10, 2023)
Just weeks before Hamas launched the deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, the head of Mossad arrived in Doha, Qatar, for a meeting with Qatari officials.
(…)
Allowing the payments — billions of dollars over roughly a decade — was a gamble by Mr. Netanyahu that a steady flow of money would maintain peace in Gaza, the eventual launching point of the Oct. 7 attacks, and keep Hamas focused on governing, not fighting.
The Qatari payments, while ostensibly a secret, have been widely known and discussed in the Israeli news media for years.
Israel Knew Hamas’s Attack Plan More Than a Year Ago
(November 30, 2023)
The document circulated widely among Israeli military and intelligence leaders, but experts determined that an attack of that scale and ambition was beyond Hamas’s capabilities, according to documents and officials. It is unclear whether Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or other top political leaders saw the document, as well.
(…)
Last year, shortly after the document was obtained, officials in the Israeli military’s Gaza division, which is responsible for defending the border with Gaza, said that Hamas’s intentions were unclear.
“It is not yet possible to determine whether the plan has been fully accepted and how it will be manifested,” read a military assessment reviewed by The Times.
Israel Found the Hamas Money Machine Years Ago. Nobody Turned It Off.
(December 16, 2023)
Israeli leaders believed that Hamas was more interested in governing than fighting. By the time the agents discovered the ledgers in 2018, the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was encouraging the government of Qatar to deliver millions of dollars to the Gaza Strip. He gambled that the money would buy stability and peace.
Mr. Levy recalled briefing Mr. Netanyahu personally in 2015 about the Hamas portfolio.
‘Israelis are frustrated, but do they want to stop the war? Not exactly’
But now Netanyahu’s support is starting to bounce back, right?
Yes, we’re seeing trust in the government recover pretty consistently across all surveys — starting in April [when Israel assassinated an Iranian Quds Force commander in Damascus, and Iran responded with a missile attack]. A series of polls in recent weeks have shown that Likud would win the most votes if elections were held today, and Netanyahu himself is once again coming out on top in head-to-head surveys against opposition leader Benny Gantz. He’s not in a stellar position, but he is more or less where he was before the war.
This recovery is linked to the new threats from Iran and Hezbollah following Israel’s assassinations in Beirut and Tehran.
Shin Bet chief warns prime minister in July 2023 that war is incoming
The Prime Minister‘s Office denied these allegations, saying: „Prime Minister Netanyahu did not receive a warning about the war in Gaza not on the date in question not before October 7. On the contrary, all security officials made it clear that Hamas is deterred and strives to reach an agreement. Also, a few days before October 7, the Shin Bet assessed that Gaza‘s stability is expected to be maintained for a long time.“
The Shin Bet did not comment on the Prime Minister Office‘s response.
Hat Libanon das Recht auf Selbstverteidigung gegen israelische Luftangriffe?
Frage Warweg
Sie haben jetzt noch einmal mit dem Selbstverteidigungsrecht Israels argumentiert. Israel bricht eigentlich tagtäglich in das Hoheitsgebiet des Libanons ein, gerade mit seinen Luftstreitkräften. Das wissen Sie sicherlich auch durch Ihre Vertretung in Beirut. Wäre aus Sicht der Bundesregierung ein Abschuss israelischer Flieger durch die reguläre libanesische Armee vom Völkerrecht gedeckt?
Wagner (AA)
Herr Warweg, es steht, denke ich, außer Frage, dass Hisbollah seit dem 8. Oktober zahllose Angriffe auf den Norden Israels fährt und dass es dort fast täglich zu Beschuss kommt. Hisbollah hat in den letzten Wochen auch immer wieder öffentlich angekündigt, dass sie weitere Angriffe vornehmen werde. Ich kann hier nicht über die konkrete militärische Situation und Ihre Bewertung spekulieren. Aber weil Sie es in Ihrer Frage noch einmal aufgeworfen haben: Es ist es vollkommen anerkannt, dass es ein völkerrechtliches Selbstverteidigungsrecht gibt. Dieses gilt auch für einen unmittelbar bevorstehenden Angriff, wenn er nicht anders als durch sofortige Verteidigungsmaßnahmen abgewendet werden kann.
King, in call with German chancellor, urges end to Israeli attacks in West Bank
His Majesty reaffirmed that Jordan will not allow for a regional war to unfold on its land, nor accept any actions that threaten its stability, the statement said.
The King also noted the importance of creating a political horizon to achieve just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution.
Iran: Khamenei greenlights talks with US but urges caution
(today)
In 2015, Iran signed an agreement with the P5+1 group – the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France) plus Germany – to regulate and monitor Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for lifting sanctions.
However, in 2018, under former President Donald Trump, Washington unilaterally withdrew from the agreement and began reimposing “unprecedented sanctions” on Iran. In response, Tehran gradually suspended its commitments under the deal and took several steps, including resuming high-level uranium enrichment.
A Presidential Proclamation to End the Iraq War: Unilateral Executive Action to Defang a Zombie AUMF
(August 20, 2024)
The current blockage in the House—particularly given its potential use for a war with Iran— should prompt the White House to consider alternative means to disarm the 2002 Iraq AUMF. One reported reason that repeal legislation has yet to receive an up-or-down vote in the House is that some members are concerned about losing a potential authority for war with Iran. (The House of Representatives already voted to repeal the 2002 authorization in a previous Congress.) To be clear, it does not do so (see here and here). Nevertheless, a desire to keep the 2002 Iraq AUMF on the books as authority to fight Iran was certainly expressed by a number of senators who opposed repeal.
Putin played double game with Israel over Syria, Trump‘s former national security advisor says
In one case, McMaster recalls sidelining Netanyahu about his close relationship with Putin at the Munich Security Conference in 2018, where he voiced frustration at Netanyahu over his “hedging approach” to Russia.
“Prime Minister, you know that Putin is using a bait and switch – baiting you with the promise to curtail Iran’s presence and influence in Syria while actually enabling Iran’s proxies on your borders,” McMaster said he told Netanyahu, who sat next to him to confer about a speech he would give mentioning Hezbollah.
“Netanyahu smiled and said he had better return to his seat,” McMaster wrote.
Israel said to push US to present credible military threat or attack Iran’s nuclear sites
IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi visited the Northern Command headquarters earlier today with his American counterpart, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr.
Israel strikes Hezbollah sites throughout southern Lebanon
Israeli fighter jets struck buildings and other sites belonging to Hezbollah in Mays al-Jabal, Khiam, Bint Jbeil, and other areas in southern Lebanon this evening, the IDF says.
US Chair of Joint Chiefs of Staff in Israel for Unannounced Visit
(24.08.2024)
Brown landed in Jordan on Friday, where he told reporters he would visit Egypt as well as Israel to meet with senior military officials in each country.
Report: Gaza mediators setting aside Philadelphi Corridor for now, focusing on other issues
Unnamed senior officials tell Channel 12 news that mediators in ceasefire-hostage deal talks have decided to set aside the thorny issue of Israel’s presence in two Gaza corridors under a potential agreement, and are focusing on other matters.
Egypt stresses rejection to Israeli presence in Rafah Border Crossing, Philadelphi Corridor
Egypt stressed to all concerned parties its rejection to any Israeli presence in Rafah Border Crossing or Philadelphi Corridor, a high-profile source told Egyptian media Monday.
After meeting Herzog, UK’s Cameron says it’s clear Israel will respond to Iran attack
British Foreign Minister David Cameron said Wednesday that it was clear Israel had made a decision to respond to Iran’s unprecedented weekend drone and missile attack and he hoped the retaliation would be carried out in a way that minimized escalation.
Tehran reverses course on Amir-Abdollahian‘s statements, confirms Shafaq News reports
Committee rapporteur Ali Nehmeh clarified to Shafaq News that „Iraq was taken by surprise by the timing of Iran‘s response and had no agreement with Tehran to allow Iranian drones or missiles through its airspace. The decision to halt air traffic came as a precautionary measure after the attack, with Iraq playing no role in Iran‘s actions.“
A government source familiar with the situation suggested that Tehran may have refrained from informing Baghdad of the attack‘s timing to prevent leaks, noting that Iran had notified several regional countries three days prior, as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated.
Iran-Israel conflict: Iraq caught in the crossfire
Dr. Al-Gharbawi stressed Iraq‘s pivotal role in managing the tensions by advocating for an independent position through official statements that condemn violence and extremism.
„This stance aligns with Iraq‘s historical position against normalization with Israel, highlighting a commitment to peaceful resolutions and adherence to international norms.“
Al-Gharbawi touched on Iran‘s psychological impact on Israel, noting that the Islamic Republic succeeded in creating panic and tension, prompting international reactions such as citizen evacuations.
„This psychological warfare, alongside military and diplomatic strategies, adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing regional dynamics,“ She added.https://shafaq.com/en/Report/Iran-Israel-conflict-Iraq-caught-in-the-crossfire
‘Step back from the brink,’ to avert full-scale Middle East conflict, says UN chief
The people of the Middle East are facing a real danger of a devastating full-scale conflict, António Guterres said on Sunday, urging “maximum restraint” across a region on the brink hours after Iran launched attack drones and missiles against Israel overnight Saturday.
“It is vital to avoid any action that could lead to major military confrontations on multiple fronts in the Middle East…Now is the time for maximum restraint,” the UN Secretary-General told delegates at the opening of an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
Iran signals it will limit response to Israel attack to avoid escalation
(11.04.2024)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told his German counterpart on Thursday that Iran is determined to respond to Israel‘s bombing of its consular building in Damascus last week, but will do so in an „appropriate“ and limited way, a source with direct knowledge of the call told Axios.
Bericht: Deutsche Fregatte schoss im Roten Meer irrtümlich auf US-Drohne
(28.02.2024)
Die amerikanische Drohne sei nicht im Rahmen der US-Mission „Prosperity Guardian“, die gegen Angriffe der Houthi-Rebellen im Roten Meer patrouilliert, im Einsatz gewesen. Denn die Besatzung der „Hessen“ sei nach Sichtung der unbekannten Drohne mit Mitgliedern von „Prosperity Guardian“ in Kontakt gewesen. Doch auch diese wussten nicht Bescheid vom Einsatz des Flugobjekts. Diese sei vermutlich für eine andere US-Mission in der Region unterwegs gewesen.
Scoop: Senior U.S. general to visit Israel to coordinate on Iran attack threat
Gen. Erik Kurilla, commander of the U.S. Central Command, is expected to meet Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and senior Israel Defense Forces officials.
Israeli officials say they are preparing for a possible unprecedented direct attack from Iranian soil using ballistic missiles, drones and cruise missiles against Israeli targets.
In such a scenario, Israel will retaliate with a direct attack against Iran, the officials said.
Biden promises Israel ‚ironclad‘ support against Iran reprisals
The US has been tight-lipped in its public reaction to the Apr 1 strike, saying it has not determined whether Israel struck a diplomatic facility, which would breach international agreements on the inviolability of embassies and consulates.
US Sees Imminent Missile Strike on Israel by Iran, Proxies
The US and its allies believe major missile or drone strikes by Iran or its proxies against military and government targets in Israel are imminent, in what would mark a significant widening of the six-month-old conflict, according to people familiar with the intelligence.
Netanyahu Must Go
(09.04.2024)
Israel must destroy Hamas as a military and political force in the territory while minimizing harm to civilians. It must do what it can to rescue its hostages without jeopardizing the overriding goal of destroying Hamas. It must, by diplomacy or force, push Hezbollah back from Lebanon’s southern border, so that 60,000 Israelis can return safely to their homes in the north. It must take the battle directly, as it did last week in Damascus, to Hamas’s and Hezbollah’s patrons, whether in Syria, Qatar or Iran.
And for all of that to happen effectively, Benjamin Netanyahu must go.
Israeli military says it has increased its readiness for war in north
(April 7, 2024)
In a statement titled „Readiness for the Transition from Defense to Offense,“ the military said the phase completed centred on logistics „for a broad mobilization of IDF (Israel Defence Forces) troops“.
„The commanders of the regular and reserve units are prepared to summon and equip all the required soldiers in just a few hours and transport them to the front line for defensive and offensive missions,“ the military said.
Readiness advances for ‚war‘ on Lebanon border: Israel
(April 7, 2024)
The Israeli army on Sunday said it had reached „another phase“ of preparation for war on its northern border with Lebanon, where it has spent months exchanging fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Inside President Biden’s pointed phone call with Benjamin Netanyahu
(April 7, 2024)
The prime minister’s office declined to comment on the exchange. The White House declined to comment for this story.
Biden Administration Presses Congress on $18 Billion Sale of F-15 Jets to Israel
(02.04.2024)
While Israel has used the F-15s it already owns to strike Gaza, its request for the planes appears to reflect longer-term concern about regional threats, including from Lebanon-based Hezbollah, Iran-backed militias in Syria, and Iran itself. The Israel Defense Forces would probably employ F-15s in any potential attack on Iran’s nuclear program.
Bundesregierung: Wir wissen nicht, wer iranisches Botschaftsgelände in Syrien angegriffen hat
(05.04.2024)
Bei der Regierungspressekonferenz am 3. April war auch der israelische Angriff gegen das iranische Botschaftsgelände in Damaskus, bei dem mindestens 13 Personen starben, darunter mehrere Diplomaten sowie der Brigadegeneral Mohammad Reza Zahedi und dessen Stellvertreter, ein Thema. Die Bundesregierung vertrat in der BPK die Linie, dass man nicht wisse, wer für die Tat verantwortlich sei, daher könnte man auch keine Wertung vornehmen. Dies, obwohl bereits einen Tag zuvor das US-Verteidigungsministerium offiziell eingeräumt hatte, dass es sich bei dem Militärschlag um eine israelische Operation gehandelt habe. Wohl einer der seltenen Fälle, in denen die Bundesregierung nicht der Einschätzung der USA folgt.
Israel and U.S. Are on Alert for Iran to Strike Back at Israel
U.S. officials in Washington and the Middle East said on Friday that they were bracing for possible Iranian retaliation for the Israeli airstrike on Monday in Damascus, Syria. U.S. military forces in the region have been placed on heightened alert.
Israeli strike on Iran’s consulate in Syria killed 2 generals and 5 other officers, Iran says
(02.04.2024)
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — An Israeli airstrike that demolished Iran’s consulate in Syria on Monday killed two Iranian generals and five officers, according to Iranian officials. The strike appeared to signify an escalation of Israel’s targeting of military officials from Iran, which supports militant groups fighting Israel in Gaza, and along its border with Lebanon.
Russia sees military coordination with Israel on Syria continuing
(February 26, 2022)
Following the 2015 Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war, Israel set up a „deconfliction mechanism“ with the big power to prevent them clashing inadvertently during Israeli strikes against Iranian deployments and arms transfers in the neighbouring Arab state.
„Our military officials discuss the practical issues of this substantively on a daily basis. This mechanism has proven to be useful and will continue to work,“ the Russian embassy in Israel said in a statement.
Biden Says Arab States Ready to Recognize Israel in Future Deal
Biden’s comments came during a discussion with his fellow presidents at a star-studded fundraiser at Radio City Music Hall in New York intended to display Democratic party unity ahead of a general-election rematch with Republican Donald Trump. The presidents, though, were interrupted at least four times by pro-Palestinian protesters, highlighting the tensions within the party over Biden’s handling of Israel’s war with Hamas and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Russia sees military coordination with Israel on Syria continuing
(February 26, 2022)
Following the 2015 Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war, Israel set up a „deconfliction mechanism“ with the big power to prevent them clashing inadvertently during Israeli strikes against Iranian deployments and arms transfers in the neighbouring Arab state.
„Our military officials discuss the practical issues of this substantively on a daily basis. This mechanism has proven to be useful and will continue to work,“ the Russian embassy in Israel said in a statement.
Israeli airstrikes on Syria’s Aleppo result in civilian and military casualties, Syrian state media reports
Israel has previously launched attacks on Aleppo and the Syrian capital Damascus, including before the October 7 war, saying it feared that Iran would turn Syria into “a base for aggression” against the Jewish state.
Palestinians, and some Israelis, see Marwan Barghouti as key to peace. They need him out of prison first
(26.03.2024)
„If any Israeli leader really wants an end for this and peace for the region on the long term, they would see that my father is someone that would bring that, who still believes in the tiny chance left for the two-state solution.“
That would be a hard ask for Israelis who see Barghouti as a terrorist with blood on his hands. He was convicted by an Israeli court for his role in the second intifada violence and sentenced to five life terms in 2004.
Barghouti refused to present a defence to a court whose authority he doesn‘t recognize but has denied the allegations.
Time to Free Palestine’s Nelson Mandela
(20.10.2023)
After Hamas’s brutal massacre of over a thousand Israel civilians and Israel’s massive military response, peace may appear inconceivable. Certainly, few would blame those unwilling to forgive the shocking violence of days past. Yet peace does not demand forgiveness of the unforgivable—and shattering events have a way of producing unanticipated consequences.
A prisoner exchange—which historical patterns suggest is likely—could, despite it all, reopen a path to peace.
Readout of President Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel
The President affirmed the need to defeat Hamas in Gaza while also protecting the civilian population and facilitating the safe and unhindered delivery of assistance throughout Gaza. The President and Prime Minster agreed to have their teams meet soon in Washington to exchange views and discuss alternative approaches that would target key elements of Hamas and secure the Egypt-Gaza border without a major ground operation in Rafah.
Scoop: Biden privately told Bibi he‘s not trying to push him out
White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said in a briefing with reporters on Monday that Netanyahu „did raise his concerns about a variety of things that have come out in the American press.“
Sullivan added that from Biden‘s perspective „this is not a question of politics. It‘s not a question of public statements. It‘s a question of policy and strategy.“
One source said the fact that Netanyahu aired his grievances with Biden helped to somewhat clear the atmosphere.
Schumer said out loud what many of Israel’s friends are thinking
“I spent two months thinking about this and wrestling with it,” Schumer told me in an interview Friday. Far from being an attack on Israel, Schumer said, it was an attempt to shore up support for the Jewish state, particularly among young Americans who have known Israel only under Netanyahu’s leadership.
Biden Embraces Schumer’s Speech Castigating Netanyahu
(15.03.2024)
But sometimes in Washington, the most telling indicator is not a public statement but the absence of one. Mr. Biden could have asked Mr. Schumer to hold back, so that he did not endanger the president’s future ability to deal with Mr. Netanyahu, with whom he now barely speaks. He could have said the United States should not express an opinion on the inner workings of Israel’s democratic processes. He did none of that.
Lawmakers and aides who have spoken with Mr. Biden in recent weeks say his anger at Mr. Netanyahu is now eating away at his reluctance to go public with his critiques.
Biden backs Schumer‘s criticism of Bibi
What they are saying: „I‘m not going to elaborate on his speech,“ Biden said in response to a question at the top of his meeting with the prime minister of Ireland at the White House.
„He made a good speech, and I think he expressed serious concern shared not only by him, but by many Americans,“ Biden added.
Schumer‘s anti-Netanyahu speech stuns Israel
(14.03.2024)
Behind the scenes: Schumer told senior White House officials on Wednesday that he was going to give a speech about Israel, but he didn‘t give them a copy of the speech or ask for their permission, U.S. officials told Axios.
(…)
„I don‘t know if people in Israel really understand how big of a step it is for him to do this,“ one U.S. official said.
Full speech: Sen. Schumer calls for new elections in Israel
(14.03.2024)
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., delivered an address on the Senate floor to call for a two-state solution amid the conflict in Gaza and new elections in Israel.
US-Senator Schumer fordert Neuwahl in Israel
Netanyahu sei „vom Weg abgekommen, indem er sein politisches Überleben über die besten Interessen Israels gestellt hat“. Die vom israelischen Regierungschef eingegangene Koalition mit weit rechts stehenden Extremisten habe zur Folge, dass Netanyahu „zu sehr bereit“ sei, „die zivilen Opfer im Gazastreifen zu tolerieren“. Dieses Handeln lasse die weltweite Unterstützung für Israel auf einen Tiefstand sinken. Das Land könne aber nicht überleben, wenn es zu einem „Paria“ – einem Ausgestoßenen – werde, warnte Schumer.
A speech that sent shockwaves from Washington to Jerusalem
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s warning that Israel risked becoming a “pariah” and his call for new elections marked a momentous moment in modern US-Israel relations.
Schumer calls for new elections in Israel, warns Netanyahu has ‚lost his way‘
(14.03.2024)
„As a lifelong supporter of Israel, it has become clear to me: The Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7. The world has changed — radically — since then, and the Israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past,“ he said.
„At this critical juncture, I believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of Israel, at a time when so many Israelis have lost their confidence in the vision and direction of their government,“ he said.
(…)
He also called for a two-state solution.
(…)
Schumer also called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to step aside.
‘Very senior’ Israeli official accuses US government of seeking to oust Netanyahu
Opening its main nightly news broadcast, Channel 12 said that the statement came from “the most senior Israeli political source you can imagine,” indicating this was Netanyahu himself, and added that the US report had left the prime minister “fuming.”
Netanyahu’s Leadership In Jeopardy Warns US Intel Report
CNN quoting a US intelligence report, says Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s viability as a leader is “in jeopardy”.
“Distrust of Netanyahu’s ability to rule has deepened and broadened across the public from its already high levels before the war, and we expect large protests demanding his resignation and new elections,” the report said. “A different, more moderate government is a possibility.”
Australia‘s foreign minister says Netanyahu hurting Israel with conduct of war
“I think the world is horrified with the current situation,” she said, adding that “unless Israel changes its course it will continue to lose support.”
„Palestinians have experienced October 7th 156 times,“ says Jordanian queen
Appearing on CNN for another interview with Christiane Amanpour, the monarch said that „Israel experienced October 7, and the Palestinians have experienced in 156 times.“
Speaking from the King Abdullah II Air Base, where the Royal Jordanian Air Force has been preparing airdrops of humanitarian aid in Gaza, the Queen said this year the Muslim world is welcoming the holy month of Ramadan with „heavy hearts.“
Biden officials deliver a tough message on Gaza to Netanyahu’s chief political foe
Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Gantz, a member of the Israeli war cabinet, as the US seeks to ratchet up pressure on the Netanyahu government to allow more aid into Gaza. Those calls have gone largely unheeded as the humanitarian crisis deepens and ceasefire talks have yet to reach a breakthrough.
US rift with Netanyahu grows as top officials meet with his rival: Updates
The Biden administration‘s rift with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became even more acute Sunday, when Vice President Kamala Harris called for a cease-fire in Gaza the day before a controversial meeting with a top Israeli official and longtime Netanyahu rival.
Israeli Cabinet minister Benny Gantz traveled to Washington without the endorsement of Netanyahu, who instructed the Israeli Embassy in the U.S. to withhold assistance in arranging his meetings, Israel Hayom reported.
U.S. visit by Netanyahu’s rival Gantz signals wider cracks in Israel’s wartime leadership
An official from Netanyahu’s far-right Likud party said Gantz’s trip was planned without authorization from the Israeli leader. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Netanyahu had a “tough talk” with Gantz and told him the country has “just one prime minister.”