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SvennoJ on 03 January 2024
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Further risk of escalation, yet who is behind these bombings. Iran has already made up its mind regardless :/

Iranian president warns Israel will "pay a heavy price" after deadly explosions at memorial ceremony in Iran

Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi blamed Israel for twin explosions that killed more than 100 people during a memorial ceremony in southeastern Iran on Wednesday. "I warn the Zionist regime: Do not doubt that you will pay a heavy price for this crime and the crimes you have committed," Raisi said in a televised speech. Raisi, who is the head of the Iranian government, warned that Israel's punishment will be "regrettable and severe."

The Israeli military told CNN it had "no comment" on the explosions in Iran. No group has claimed responsibility for the blasts which Iran has called a "terror attack."

US State Department spokesperson Matt Miller told reporters Wednesday that the US does not "have any independent information" about the explosions, and that the State Department has “no reason to believe that Israel was involved.”

Some background: The blasts, at least one of which was caused by a bomb, according to Iranian state TV, came on the fourth anniversary of the death of military commander Qasem Soleimani.

The first explosion was 2,300 feet (700 meters) from Soleimani’s grave, and the second was 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) away as pilgrims visited the site, Iranian media said.

Soleimani was killed by a US airstrike ordered by former President Donald Trump at Baghdad International Airport four years ago Wednesday.

 

US national security adviser spoke with Israeli minister about efforts to release hostages, White House says

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan spoke with Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer on Tuesday to discuss Israeli military operations and efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.

The call comes ahead of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s scheduled trip to the Middle East later this week for discussions with Israeli officials on the next phase of the war.  “They discussed ongoing Israeli military operations and ongoing efforts to see if we can secure the release of the remaining hostages," Kirby said.

He added that the "United States remains focused on working with a range of partners to help Israel defend itself to surge humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, and of course, to defend our national security interests in the region. That most certainly includes protecting the free flow of international commerce in the Red Sea."


Of course, nothing about the ongoing raids in the West Bank or a (temporary) ceasefire. Just there to "defend our national security interests in the region"


UN Security Council members call for an end to Houthi raids

Members of the United Nations Security Council have called on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group to cease their attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. US envoy Chris Lu said that the situation threatens freedom of navigation and has reached an “inflection point” that requires a “global response”, during remarks today.

Freedom of navigation > Freedom of people. So far it's the US that has escalated it to sinking Houthi boats and killing 10. To get the world to act, endanger 'free' trade. A ceasefire in Gaza would also stop these attacks, but it's easier to form a Red Sea Coalition fleet to kill Houthis.

https://maritime-executive.com/article/new-red-sea-security-coalition-includes-10-secret-members



People killed after intense artillery strikes near Khan Younis hospital, humanitarian group says

A number of people are dead after artillery strikes near a hospital in southern Gaza, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), which runs the medical facility. It did not provide the specific number of people killed.

"Intense artillery targeting is increasing in the vicinity of Al-Amal Hospital in Khan Younis, less than 100 meters away from the hospital building, leading to a number of martyrs and wounded," the PRCS said in a post on social media.

On Tuesday, the PRCS reported that five people were killed and three others were injured in strikes near the same hospital in Khan Younis.

CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for comment twice but has yet to receive a response. 


Does CNN ever get a response? They never mention in their updates...



Lebanon trying to avert escalation

Lebanese government working to convince Hezbollah not to wage war against Israel, foreign minister says

The Lebanese government is working to convince the Hezbollah group not to wage war against Israel, the country's foreign minister said on Wednesday.

Abdallah Bou Habib said Lebanon does "not want any war" and told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that his country wants "peace in our southern borders." His comments come in the wake of the deadly attack that killed senior Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri on Tuesday in southern Beirut.

Lebanon believes Israel to be responsible for both Tuesday's attack in Beirut and the deadly explosion that took place during a memorial ceremony in Iran on Wednesday, Bou Habib said, expressing his fear that the Middle East is now "really approaching a regional war." "We don't want what's happening in the south to be spread to over Lebanon. We don't like a regional war because it's dangerous to everybody. Dangerous to Lebanon, dangerous to Israel and to the countries surrounding Israel," he said.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for either of the attacks in Beirut or Iran, though a US official later told CNN that Israel carried out the strike in Lebanon. But, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller also said the US has "no reason to believe" Israel was involved in the blasts in Iran.



A glimmer of hope

Water has been restored to some parts of central Gaza, municipality says



Water has been restored to parts of central Gaza, according to the municipality of Deir al Balah.

It said that in conjunction with the Palestinian Water Authority and other municipalities, it had been able to repair the Makrut water line. The line, which is a critical source of clean water for many neighborhoods in central Gaza, had been out of service for several days. The lack of water pumping had resulted “in the overflow of sewage in the streets,” the municipality said.

The Makrut line is one of several that have been used to supply Gaza with water from Israel. UN agencies and NGOs have warned that the lack of clean water in many areas of Gaza risks spreading skin diseases and other illnesses such as diarrhea.




Water alone is not enough though

‘Time is running out’ to save children in Gaza from malnutrition, says UNICEF head

Many children already face severe acute malnutrition in Gaza. As the threat of famine intensifies, hundreds of thousands more young children could soon be severely malnourished, with some at risk of death. We cannot allow that to happen.