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Forums - Politics Discussion - Israel-Hamas war, Gaza genocide

SvennoJ 3 days ago

Politician rejects Israel’s claims that Hezbollah hides weapons among civilians

Raed Berro, a Lebanese legislator with Hezbollah’s bloc, has denied Israel’s claims that Hezbollah members and weapons are embedded among civilians in Lebanon.

“The Israeli entity is trying to spread a narrative that either there is an important figure in the resistance here in this town, or there are weapons warehouses. Our answer to this is that the important people are on the front line resisting. It is impossible for them to be among the people, in civilian life,” Berro said from Almat, where an Israeli attack killed at least 23 people on Sunday.

“Concerning weapon warehouses, everyone can see in front of cameras that what is being pulled from under the rubble are women, children and elderly people who have nothing to do with weapons or rocket warehouses,” he added.


Israeli firefighters tackle blaze near Jerusalem

Israeli firefighters say they have been battling to put out a fire west of Jerusalem that was caused by missile fragments or interceptions.

“Simultaneously with the extinguishing operations, the firefighters are carrying out additional scans in the area, in order to rule out additional fires and damage from interceptor/missile shrapnel” in Beit Shemesh, the Jerusalem region fire service said in a statement.

The report came after the Israeli military reported shooting down a projectile launched from Yemen and intercepting drones from Iraq.


Iraqi coalition claims responsibility for five drone attacks on Israel

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), a coalition of factions, has claimed responsibility for five drone attacks on military targets in Israel. IRI announced drone attacks in northern and southern Israel in a series of updates on Telegram.

It said its actions are “in support of our people in Palestine and Lebanon, and in response to the massacres committed by the usurping entity against civilians, including children, women and the elderly”.

Earlier, the Israeli military said its air force intercepted four drones “from the east” overnight.


Israel has not managed to occupy ‘a single Lebanese village’, says Hezbollah

Hezbollah says the Israeli military has been unable to occupy even a single village in Lebanon since launching its cross-border ground operation in September, our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting.

“After 45 days of bloody fighting, the enemy is still unable to occupy a single Lebanese village,” said Hezbollah spokesman Mohammad Afif. “We tell the enemies that you will not win your war with air strikes.”

Afif added that Israel’s claims about a significant decline in Hezbollah’s missile stockpile are “just lies”. “Our forces on the front lines have enough equipment for a long war,” he stated.

He said the group’s relationship with the Lebanese Army “will remain strong” and that demonstrations against Israel around the world indicate that “Israel is isolated”.

Does it matter? The country is getting turned into rubble anyway.



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SvennoJ 3 days ago

Israeli Foreign Minister says progress made on Lebanon ceasefire

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has said there has been “certain progress” on a ceasefire in Lebanon, as Israel was “working with the Americans on the issue”.

Saar told reporters in Jerusalem that Israel was ready for a settlement if Hezbollah agreed to move away from the border and retreat beyond the Litani River, as per UN resolution 1701. He added that the army was continuing to work to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure in southern Lebanon, which made the group unable to carry out its plans against Israel.

Hezbollah earlier said Israel was unsuccessful in its ground operation in Lebanon and that claims of a significant decline in Hezbollah’s missile stockpile are “just lies”.

Why are they trying to make a ceasefire with the USA...


Hezbollah says it has not received any ceasefire proposals

Hezbollah says it has not received any proposals for a ceasefire despite Israel’s Foreign Minister saying there has been some “progress” made.

“So far, according to my information, nothing official has reached Lebanon or us in this regard,” the head of Hezbollah’s media office, Mohammad Afif, said at a news conference in the southern suburbs of Beirut.

“I believe that we are still in the phase of testing the waters and presenting initial ideas and proactive discussions, but so far there is nothing actual yet,” he added.

We reported earlier that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said progress had been made in Lebanon’s ceasefire talks but that enforcement remained crucial.

Israeli media reported on Sunday that substantial progress has been made in diplomatic negotiations over a proposed Lebanon ceasefire that would require Hezbollah to withdraw north of the Litani River. The reports said Hezbollah would end its military presence near the Israeli border, while the Israeli military would return to the international border.


Israeli army says 75 projectiles fired from Lebanon into Israel

The military says 75 rockets were fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon into Israel. Earlier, we reported the military saying that 50 rockets were launched from Lebanon towards the upper and western Galilee.

Some of the launches were intercepted, while some falls were detected, the army added.


Six injured in bombing on Karmiel: Report

Six people have been wounded in the recent rocket attack from Lebanon on the Karmiel area in northern Israel, Israeli Channel 12 reported.



SvennoJ 3 days ago

Lebanon announces UN-backed reconstruction fund

Lebanon’s caretaker PM Najib Mikati has urged countries to continue sending aid amid an “unprecedented” crisis, he said at the Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh.

“The Israeli aggression has led to severe human losses, in addition to economic repercussions, further exacerbating the tragedy, and the World Bank has estimated the losses at $8.5bn,” said Mikati at the Saudi-hosted summit focused on the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

He called for global support for the state – and not any factions. “I also call for respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty and refraining from interfering in its internal affairs while supporting Lebanon as a state and entity,” Mikati said.

He announced that a reconstruction fund was being created to assist Lebanon’s displaced, which will be overseen by the UN.


Three killed in Srifa as Israel pummels Lebanon

At least three people have been killed in an air raid on Lebanon’s town of Srifa, in the Tyre governorate, the National News Agency reported.

In southern Lebanon, the Israeli army also hit the outskirts of the Rashidieh refugee camp, south of Tyre, the towns of al-Mansouri and al-Sama’iya, and the Batoulieh plains.

Separately, in the eastern Baalbek-Hermel governorate, an Israeli drone launched a raid on the town of Hawsh al-Sayyid Ali, on the border with Syria. There were no immediate reports of casualties.


Israeli army issues more forced evacuation orders for southern Lebanon

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee has issued forced evacuation orders for southern Lebanon, saying the population must move north of the Awali River.

The order was addressed to the towns of Sheheen, al-Jebbayn, Tayr Harfa, Abu Shash, Beit Shama, Majdal Zoun, al-Mansouri, Zebqin, Rashidieh, Barghliyeh, Qasmiyeh, al-Bayyaada, Naqoura, Bint Jbeil, Ainata, Kounine, Aitaroun, Taybeh, Rab Thalathin, Markaba, and Bani Hayyan.

Adraee added that the Israeli military would be acting “forcefully” in these areas due to Hezbollah activities.


EU ‘appalled’ by Israeli strikes in Lebanon

The European Union’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said the bloc is “appalled” by continued Israeli military strikes in Lebanon, including one on Sunday that killed at least 38 people including seven children in the town of Almat, north of Beirut.

Borrell said the town was “away from Hezbollah areas” “No one, including [the Israeli military], can be indifferent to the high number of civilian killed,” he added, before calling for a ceasefire.



SvennoJ 3 days ago

Houthi-affiliated media report air raids by US, UK forces on Yemen

Al Masirah TV is reporting that US and UK forces carried out multiple air arracks on the Amran and Saada governorates in Yemen.

The report came as Israel’s military said it had shot down a projectile fired from Yemen.

There was no immediate comment from the US or the UK.

Their forces have been attacking Houthi positions in Yemen, in response to the rebel group’s assaults on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis, who control northern Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.


Houthis target military base in Tel Aviv area, spokesperson says

Yemen’s Houthis have fired missiles targeting a military base in the Tel Aviv area, the group’s military spokesperson has said. Earlier, Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported that US and UK forces carried out multiple air attacks on the Amran and Saada governorates in Yemen.

In the past, the Houthis have claimed to launch drones and missiles towards Israel in attacks the Yemeni group says are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Israeli attack on Syria’s Homs countryside: Syrian state news agency

Syrian state news agency SANA says there are initial reports of an Israeli attack on the Shinshar area in Homs’s southern countryside in central Syria.


Homs-Damascus highway cut off following Israeli attack: Report

Syria’s main Homs-Damascus highway has been temporarily cut off after an Israeli attack hit an aid-gathering centre for displaced Lebanese south of the city of Homs, the Syrian state news agency SANA reported.

“An Israeli aggression” targeted the “surroundings of the Shinshar region south of Homs”, state news agency SANA said, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the attack hit a Hezbollah munitions warehouse.

Earlier we reported on an Israeli attack that hit Syria’s Homs countryside, a day after a deadly strike on a building in the Damascus area.



SvennoJ 3 days ago

Protests as Israel’s president visits New York

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered outside a hotel in the city of New York where Israeli President Isaac Herzog is staying, according to activists and The Times of Israel.

The protesters carried Palestinian flags and wore the keffiyeh scarves, according to videos posted online by the protesters.



The Times of Israel said Herzog – whose role involves largely ceremonial meetings with foreign dignitaries – is in the US for the Jewish Federations of North America’s annual General Assembly

He is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden in Washington, DC, on Tuesday.


Dutch police arrest more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters in Amsterdam

As we’ve been reporting, police in Amsterdam have beaten and arrested more than 100 pro-Palestinian protesters, as activists defied a ban on demonstrations following football-related violence involving Israeli fans in the city.



New EU sanctions on violent Israeli settlers could happen soon, France says

France’s Foreign Minister says a new round of sanctions against violent Israeli settlers could happen soon.

“We were instrumental in setting up the (EU) sanctions regime that was already activated two times, and that might be activated a third time soon,” Jean-Noel Barrot told the Paris Peace Forum.

“We believe that those violent settlers and these intensive settlement activities are illegal, that it should stop in the interest of Israel and its security.”

As much of the world’s attention has focused on the war in Gaza, growing violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and land grabs in the occupied territory have raised concern among some of Israel’s Western allies.



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SvennoJ 3 days ago

Top Republican senator calls for ‘swift retaliation’ against ICC, chief prosecutor

Tom Cotton, from the US state of Arkansas, has issued a statement calling for action against the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its chief prosecutor for pursuing Israeli officials.

Cotton was a strong contender for Trump’s running mate, and the US president-elect’s team is now considering him for the cabinet role of defence secretary, according to Politico and Axios. The Senator, however, has turned down that offer, according to Axios.

In his statement, Cotton said the ICC “has no jurisdiction in Israel and its illegal pursuit of Israeli officials is built on a lie”. He added, “Any attempt by kangaroo court prosecutor Karim Khan to threaten the United States or our allies should be seen as an act of aggression and face swift retaliation.”

Khan asked for arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders in May, saying there were reasonable grounds the men had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court has yet to decide on the warrants.


Netanyahu seeks to delay hearings in corruption trial: Report

Israel’s YNet News is reporting that lawyers for the Israeli prime minister have asked the Jerusalem District Court to delay his testimony in his corruption trial by two-and-a-half months, citing Israel’s war on Gaza and attacks on Lebanon.

Netanyahu, who has been charged with fraud, bribery and breach of trust in three cases filed in 2019, had been scheduled to testify in court on December 2.

The Times of Israel, citing Hebrew-language media, said the lawyers claimed it has been “impossible” for Netanyahu to prepare his testimony “due to urgent security or diplomatic needs” amid Israel’s ongoing wars.

Netanyahu faces up to 10 years in jail and/or a fine if he is found guilty of bribery.

The Israeli prime minister has been accused of trying to circumvent his legal troubles, including through a controversial judicial overhaul plan, which sparked widespread protests.


Israelis have ‘skilfully’ diverted attention from Gaza

Sultan Barakat, a senior professor in public policy at Qatar’s Hamad Bin Khalifa University, says Israel has the upper hand against Hezbollah, but its continuous pummelling of Lebanon indicates a deeper “hidden agenda”.

“I think there is a level of coordination going on regionally and potentially nationally. [They are] only after the infrastructure of the Shia community in Lebanon,” Barakat told Al Jazeera.

“There is a contradiction between saying we won the war and then wanting to continue in this war unless the hidden agenda is really to increase the pressure on Lebanon … to a level where Lebanon becomes irrelevant in any future deal,” he added.

In Gaza, Israel has “skilfully managed to use the Iran threat to divert attention from the Gaza massacres into the need to de-escalate potential conflict in the Middle East”, Barakat said.

“So all the international effort has now shifted on how to calm the Iranians down … And they’re continuing with their original plan of displacing the Palestinians within Gaza.”

Meanwhile, Trump’s plan for the Middle East remains vague, while outgoing President Biden “may choose to take a parting shot on Netanyahu based on the cost”, like Barack Obama’s 2016 UN resolution declaring Israeli settlements as illegal.



SvennoJ 3 days ago

Israeli foreign minister says creation of Palestinian state not realistic

Here’s more on what Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, told reporters in Jerusalem:

  • The creation of a Palestinian state is not realistic, as it would be a “Hamas state”.
  • The most important question for the future of the Middle East is preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
  • US President-elect Donald Trump has made it clear he understands the dangers of Iran getting hold of nuclear weapons.
  • Israel is ready to end the war in Gaza when its objectives are achieved.
  • While Israel has responded positively to Gaza ceasefire talks, Hamas has failed to make progress.
  • Residents of northern Gaza will be able to go home at the end of the war.
  • No decision has been reached on the annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank.


Netanyahu talks of ‘peace’ in the Middle East after call with Trump

Netanyahu and Trump see “eye to eye” on the threat posed by Iran, the Israeli leader said in a video statement on Sunday.

Meron Rapoport, editor at the Local Call news outlet in Tel Aviv, said the prime minister talked about “peace” in the Middle East. “This is a word that Netanyahu has not uttered for the past year at least,” he told Al Jazeera.

Rapoport said it was too early to draw conclusions on what the shift meant but noted it may signal a change of posture.

“Israel is trying to push to end the war in Lebanon – this is quite clear,” the editor said. “There’s even talk of a unilateral ceasefire from the Israeli side hoping Hezbollah will do the same.”

In Gaza, “there may be pressure by the outgoing Biden administration and maybe also from the incoming Trump administration” towards a ceasefire deal after over a year of war.

There won't be peace while the occupation continues :/


Trump’s election an opportunity to apply Israeli sovereignty on West Bank: Smotrich

Israel’s far-right finance minister says the election of Donald Trump is an opportunity to apply Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank in 2025, Israel’s Ynet News reports.

Bezalel Smotrich, who also has a Defence Ministry supervisory role for settlers as part of his coalition deal with Netanyahu, said he hopes the incoming Trump administration in Washington will recognise an Israeli sovereignty push, according to a statement from Smotrich’s office.

Smotrich said there is a wide consensus in the governing coalition and the opposition against the establishment of a Palestinian state. “The only way to remove this danger from the agenda is to apply Israeli sovereignty over the settlements in Judea and Samaria,” he said.

“I have directed the start of professional work to prepare the necessary infrastructure to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria [the West Bank],” he said, according to the statement.


Israel’s finance minister sees ‘golden opportunity’ to annex West Bank

Bezalel Smotrich is not just the finance minister. He is a minister within the ministry of defence in Israel that is responsible for administering the occupied West Bank – and for expanding settlements. So when he talks about ‘enforcing Israeli sovereignty’, he is talking about the annexation of the occupied West Bank, which is part of the Israeli government agenda.

He’s saying Donald Trump’s presidency offers a golden opportunity for the Israeli government to finish the job. He’s told his staff to take the practical steps, the infrastructure steps, needed to ensure this annexation can happen by 2025 when Trump takes office.

So, when Smotrich talks about annexation, many observers say we have to believe him.



SvennoJ 3 days ago

Riyadh gears up to host Arab-Islamic summit on Gaza, Lebanon

A Saudi Arabia-hosted Arab Islamic Summit is set to open in Riyadh in the coming hours, with leaders expected to hold discussions on Israel’s war on Gaza as well as its attacks on Lebanon.

The Saudi state-run Al-Ekhbariya news channel broadcast footage of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati landing in Riyadh for the summit on Sunday evening. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif are among those also scheduled to attend.

The Saudi Press Agency said Israel’s “aggression” in Gaza and Lebanon “has compelled Arab and Islamic leaders to take urgent action”.

“Key priorities [for the summit] include halting the aggression, protecting civilians, providing support to the Palestinian and Lebanese people, unifying positions, and exerting pressure on the international community to take decisive steps to end the ongoing attacks and establish lasting peace and stability in the region,” it added.

The summit comes one year after a similar gathering in Riyadh of the Cairo-based Arab League and the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), during which leaders condemned Israeli actions in Gaza as “barbaric”. However, they were unable to agree on action against Israel, despite calls to sever economic and diplomatic ties with it.


Russia ready to engage in ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hezbollah: Report

A senior Russian official has told the Israeli broadcaster Kan that Russia is ready to help foster an agreement between Israel and Hezbollah amidst the ongoing war.

“Russia is ready to assist and support anything that will stop the killing of the civilian population and prevent the destruction of civilian infrastructure,” the official, who was not named, said to Kan.

Russia’s involvement in any settlement agreement will be to work with Syria to prevent the smuggling of weapons to Hezbollah and to put pressure on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to prevent Iranian weapons from passing through his territory, the broadcaster reported.


Saudi crown prince demands Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) has delivered his opening remarks at a summit in Riyadh focusing on Israel’s wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

“Ongoing Israeli crimes against innocent civilians and the continued violation of our holy site, Al-Aqsa Mosque, undermine all efforts aimed at restoring the lawful rights of the Palestinian people,” he said.

He condemned Israel’s refusal to let the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, deliver aid in Gaza and the West Bank.

“We demand an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression on Palestinian territories and Lebanon,” MBS said.


Abbas addresses Arab-Islamic summit, asks for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has addressed the Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh. Here are some of the points he raised:

  • Israel must implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735, which requires an end to its aggression on Gaza.
  • It must allow aid into the Gaza Strip and withdraw its forces in order for the State of Palestine to regain its sovereignty over Gaza.
  • It must allow the return of Palestinians to their homes and the reconstruction of what was destroyed in Gaza.
  • Israel must end its plan to separate Gaza from the West Bank and Jerusalem, its war crimes and the terrorism of Israeli settlers.


SvennoJ 3 days ago

Taiwan says it did not make pagers that exploded in Lebanon

Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau says there was no evidence that Taiwanese manufacturers were involved in the pagers which exploded in Lebanon in September in a deadly blow to Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Taiwanese company Gold Apollo has not in recent years produced the AR-924 pager model, but they were produced by a company called Frontier Group Entity outside of Taiwan, the bureau said in a statement.

Taipei prosecutors said Gold Apollo, however, had authorised the company to use the Apollo trademark.

“There is no evidence indicating that any domestic manufacturers or individuals were accomplices in the relevant explosions, violating the Counter-Terrorism Financing Act, or engaging in other illegal activities,” the prosecutors said in the statement.

“No concrete evidence of criminal activity has been discovered in this case, nor have any specific individuals been implicated in any criminal activity, following a comprehensive investigation.”


Netanyahu approved pager attacks against Hezbollah, spokesman says

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the pager attacks that dealt a deadly blow to the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah in September, said Omer Dostri, spokesperson for his office.

The Israeli military at first declined to respond to questions about the detonations.

On September 17, thousands of pagers simultaneously exploded in the southern suburbs of Beirut and areas in Lebanon, in most cases after the devices beeped, indicating an incoming message. A Hezbollah official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the incident was the “biggest security breach” for the group in nearly a year of conflict with Israel.

The pager attack, and a second on the following day that activated weaponised walkie-talkies, killed 39 people and wounded more than 3,400.



SvennoJ 3 days ago

Israel has already annexed territory in Gaza and plans to acquire more, expert says

Itay Epshtain, an expert on international humanitarian law, said in a post on X that “Israel has already annexed 56 square kilometres (21.6sq miles) of Gaza’s occupied territory, named the ‘Netzarim Territory'”.

Israel has similar plans for territories in North Gaza and Rafah “to be permanently acquired, while 2.2 million Palestinians are interned in Khan Younis and Al Bureij,” said Epshtain, who is also a special adviser to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

“The @UN Security Council #UNSC should refer #Israel‘s use of armed force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of @Palestine_UN – in breach of the prohibition of aggression, a peremptory norm of international law – to the @IntlCrimCourt,” he added.

In total, the Gaza Strip makes up only about 365sq km (141sq miles), making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth.


A satellite image shows an area the Israeli military has completely cleared, to dissect the Gaza Strip, and which it has called the ‘Netzarim Corridor’


US to judge Israel’s progress on boosting aid to Gaza this week

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, says the US will “make judgements about what kind of progress” Israel has made on improving the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip this week.

The statement on CBS’s Face the Nation came as a 30-day deadline set by the US for Israel to address what its officials called a “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in the Gaza Strip looms.

In a letter on October 13, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israel to take steps within 30 days or risk restrictions on US military aid. These include increasing the level of aid getting into Gaza to at least 350 trucks a day, instituting additional humanitarian passes and providing increased security for humanitarian sites.

Sullivan told CBS that Biden, Blinken and Austin would “make judgements about what we do in response” after its assessment.

As we’ve been reporting, a UN-backed committee has found that there is a strong likelihood that famine is imminent in areas of northern Gaza, noting that the average number of aid trucks entering the enclave has fallen to 58 per day, the lowest level since the beginning of the war.


Updated to the 11th, trending down


Trucks carry humanitarian aid at the Karem Abu Salem crossing (known as Kerem Shalom to Israelis)