CENTCOM says Middle East ‘most volatile’ in past 50 years
The commander of the US army’s Central Command (CENTCOM) says its area of operations – the Middle East – is facing a situation the likes of which have not been seen for decades.
“Today, the central region faces its most volatile security situation in the past half-century. This is not the same central region as last year,” said General Michael Kurilla, testifying today before the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The convergence of crisis and competition make [the CENTCOM area of operations] the most likely region to produce threats against the US homeland, trigger a regional conflict and derail the national defence strategy.”
Kurilla said Iran has “exploited what they saw as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the Middle East” in the Gaza war, using the “axis of resistance” it backs across the region. He said the Iran-aligned network of political and armed groups in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon boasts “advanced, sophisticated weaponry”.
NEWS: General Says Centcom Area Facing 'Volatile Security Situation' https://t.co/a8HGd6WTVX
— Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) March 7, 2024
Maybe take the hint and leave the Middle East alone for a while instead of stoking the fires with more bombs and weapon shipments.
PM says Israel will press ahead with Rafah offensive
Benjamin Netanyahu says IsraeI will ignore international pressure and push on with its planned offensive on Rafah – Gaza’s southernmost town, which is full of displaced people living in crowded and unsanitary conditions.
“There is international pressure and it’s growing, but particularly when the international pressure rises, we must close ranks, we need to stand together against the attempts to stop the war,” the Israeli prime minister said.
The military would operate against Hamas all through the Gaza Strip, he said, “including Rafah, the last Hamas stronghold”. “Whoever tells us not to act in Rafah is telling us to lose the war and that will not happen.” he told a soldiers’ graduation ceremony at a military training base.
Netantahu promises assault on ‘all Hamas battalions’ including Rafah
At the same time, we will take vigorous action in the other sectors, against whoever seeks to destroy us, including on the northern front. Whoever has not yet been convinced by our strength would do well to look at what is happening to the enemy strongholds in Gaza.”
Netanyahu claimed the fight against Hamas “monsters” will help prevent the next 9/11 and that “the entire civilised world should support” the Israeli army and state.
No you motherfucker, you are creating the next 9/11, just like how you created Oct 7.
Spain plans to give UNRWA $22m for Palestinians
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares announces the donation at a joint news conference in Madrid with the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, who called for the opening of land border crossings into Gaza to allow aid in.
Albares said the 20 million euros ($22m) was being given to UNRWA so it could carry out its “crucial” work in Gaza.
UNRWA, which is the main humanitarian agency in Gaza, has been facing an unprecedented funding crisis after its main international donors, led by the United States, cut their funding over Israeli allegations that some of UNRWA’s staff took part in Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel.
Trudeau, I'll never vote for the Liberals again, pos.
Canada’s Trudeau says no decision yet on funding for UNRWA
This week, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and Associated Press news agency cited unnamed government sources as saying Canada would reverse its January 26 decision to pause funding for UNRWA.
However, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, when asked directly whether this was the case, has said Ottawa was waiting for the results of an internal UN probe into Israeli allegations that 12 UNRWA staff had been involved in Hamas’s October 7 attacks, in which 1,139 people were killed.
“We’re not making any announcements today. … We will continue to look at this situation. We will continue to watch the UN as it looks into what’s happening within this organisation,” he told reporters in Toronto.
“The ongoing humanitarian crisis and disaster in Gaza is heart-wrenching for everyone. We know how important it is to get aid into Gaza,” Trudeau said, adding that people in the enclave faced starvation.
Great plan, far too late though. It was suggested in November already and it's still going to be weeks before any results.
Biden to announce plan for temporary aid port on Gaza’s coast
President Joe Biden will announce the plan in his State of the Union address, a senior US official told Al Jazeera. The official said the operation will not require American troops to be on the ground, and that US personnel will remain on ships as they deliver aid, the first shipment of which will come from Cyprus.
The official did not provide details about how the pier would be built, but said that it would take several weeks, and that the US would coordinate with the Israeli army regarding the security situation on Gaza’s coast.
Israel welcomes US plan for ‘temporary dock’ for Gaza aid: Official
An unnamed Israeli official quoted by Reuters news service says that the country “fully supports” the creation of a “temporary dock” on the coast of Gaza in order to deliver humanitarian aid by sea. The official, who according to Reuters spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Israel will coordinate the development of the port with the US.
Earlier, a senior US official told us that President Joe Biden plans to officially announce the creation of this aid port during his State of the Union speech. Biden and other US officials have slammed Israel repeatedly in public comments for blocking the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip, but Israel has continued to do so.
Level of Israeli involvement in Gaza port setup unknown
Israeli officials speaking anonymously to Israeli media are welcoming the decision by the Biden administration to set up this port in the sea that will help with the delivery of aid. This official also said the Israelis will be involved in the planning with the United States.
Reports mentioned that there will be screenings of this aid at that port in Cyprus, where it will then go on to its final destination in Gaza. So the Israelis are going to be involved in this, but their level of involvement is still unknown. Once the president of the United States formally makes that announcement, we can expect more information.
Additionally, Israel’s war cabinet is meeting this evening. So it could be something on the agenda for them to discuss as well.
UN spokesperson says all avenues to get more aid into Gaza is ‘good’
The international community’s focus should be on increasing the large-scale distribution and entry of aid into Gaza by land, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has said. However, he added, “Any way to get more aid into Gaza, whether by sea or airdrop, is obviously good.”
Entry of aid by land, however, is cost- and volume-effective, and “We need more entry points and we need a larger volume of aid to come in by land,” Dujarric said. The statement comes shortly after US officials told several media outlets, including Al Jazeera, that President Biden will announce plans to build a temporary port on Gaza’s coast to establish a maritime aid corridor.
No wonder Arab countries are hesitant to help rebuild Gaza...
Israeli forces raid Qatar-funded Hamad neighbourhood in Gaza’s Khan Younis
The Israeli military has released footage that shows its ground forces moving through the already heavily bombed Hamad City residential complex in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis. The short clips showed soldiers raiding multistorey buildings in the neighbourhood, where the Israeli military claims there is Hamas infrastructure. The army said “many” armed Palestinians were killed during close-quarter combat, supported by sniper fire and air raids.
It also claimed two Hamas fighters surrendered to Israeli soldiers and were transferred out of the area for “further investigation”. The neighbourhood is named after the former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who personally visited Gaza in 2012 to help lay the foundation stone for the project, aimed at rebuilding parts of the enclave.
The Israeli military said the raid was conducted by its Maglan commando unit, assisted by navy soldiers.
Palestinians inspect the damage to a building after an Israeli attack on Hamad City in November
