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US confirms 8 service members medically evacuated, 34 injured in Jordan attack

By
IFP Media Wire
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US Forces in Syria

The “personnel that received injuries required evacuation from Jordan to higher level care”, CENTCOM said in a statement.

“The number of US personnel with injuries has increased to at least 34 service members, but we expect this number to fluctuate as service members continue to seek follow-on care.”.

CENTCOM added about 350 US Army and Air Force personnel are deployed to the base — called Tower 22 — “conducting a number of key support functions, including support to the coalition for the lasting defeat of Daesh”.

US officials say three US soldiers have been killed after “Iran-backed militants” launched a drone strike on a small US outpost in Jordan.

US President Joe Biden has vowed those responsible for the deaths of three US service members will be held accountable, and cast blame on Iran-backed militant groups.

“Today, America’s heart is heavy,” Biden said in a statement Sunday, adding, “Last night, three U.S. service members were killed—and many wounded—during an unmanned aerial drone attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syria border.”

“While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” Biden continued.

Biden vowed the US “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.” He called the three fallen service members “patriots”, praising their bravery and offering his grief, calling it a “despicable and wholly unjust attack”.

Israel has jailed over 6k Palestinians since start of Gaza war: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israel Palestine

According to the Palestinian Information Center, the Sunday report was released jointly by the Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS).

Noting that the number of Palestinian children detained during the said period stands at 400, the report added that 30 of the youngsters were being held in administrative detention.

Administrative detention is an inhumane policy exercised by Israel, which allows the regime’s authorities to incarcerate Palestinians indefinitely without pressing formal charges or putting them on trial.

“The number of administrative detainees in Israeli prisons is the highest since the 1987 [Palestinian] uprising [against the Israeli occupation], surging to 3,291 administrative detainees by the end of last December,” the PPS said.

The number of administrative detainees has, accordingly, gone higher than the prisoners serving ordinary sentences or awaiting trial, the society noted.

Tensions have been high across the West Bank since Israel launched its genocidal war against Gaza following an anti-Israeli operation by the territory’s resistance movements, dubbed Operation Al-Aqsa Storm.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, as many as 373 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces throughout the occupied territory since the onset of the aggression, with over 4,300 others injured.

In the Gaza Strip, at least 26,422 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 65,000 others injured as a result of Israel’s brutal military onslaught.

The PPS, meanwhile, said there are currently 11 Palestinian women, out of 90 female prisoners held at the Damon jail in the northern part of the occupied Palestinian territories, who have been administratively detained with no indictment or trial.

It added that Israel has recently issued a four-month administrative detention order against lawyer and human rights activist Diyala Ayesh after she was kidnapped by the regime’s forces at a checkpoint in the north of the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

The society added that over 50 other women have forcibly disappeared after being kidnapped by Israeli forces from Gaza recently.

Britain’s Royal Navy admits to ‘lack of capability’ to target Yemeni positions in Red Sea: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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Britain’s Royal Navy

Yemen has been ramping up attacks in support of the Palestinians on vessels either owned by Israel or headed to the occupied territories in the strategic waterway.

On Sunday, Britain’s broadsheet newspaper Daily Telegraph quoted an unnamed UK defense source as saying that HMS Diamond, the Royal Navy destroyer stationed in the Red Sea, lacks “the capability to fire to land targets”.

HMS Diamond, the source said, was instead involved in downing “Houthi drones targeting shipping in the Red Sea”, with the only functioning weapons systems on UK destroyers being fixed artillery guns.

Britain has joined the United States in conducting operations against the Yemeni Armed Forces and Ansarullah in an attempt to halt those attacks in the Red Sea. The US Navy has had to carry out the majority of strikes on Yemen’s mainland.

“It’s clearly a scandal and completely unsatisfactory; this is what happens when the Royal Navy is forced to make crucial decisions which can affect capability,” a former senior defense chief told the paper.

“The UK is now having to fly Royal Air Force jets thousands of miles to do the job of what a surface-to-surface missile can do.”

Conservative MP Mark Francois, a former armed forces minister, also told the Daily Telegraph that the “lack of a land attack missile from the Royal Navy’s surface fleet was specifically highlighted in a defense committee report some two years ago”.

“It is disappointing that it is still not yet in operational service.”

Yemenis have declared their open support for Palestine’s struggle against Israel in the wake of the regime’s devastating war on Gaza on October 7, 2023. The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against Israel on that October day.

The Yemeni Armed Forces say they will not stop the Red Sea attacks until Israel stops the ground and aerial offensives in Gaza.

The regime has killed more than 26,400 people in Gaza since early October.

US discussing withholding or delaying arms deliveries to Israel: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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Western Weapons

According to the report, Israel has asked the US to send additional aid, including powerful aerial bombs and air defenses. NBC News cited three current and one former US official as saying that the US is “considering slowing or pausing the deliveries in the hope that doing so will prod the Israelis to take action, such as opening humanitarian corridors to provide more aid to Palestinian civilians”.

The deliveries of 155 mm artillery rounds and equipment that converts ‘dumb bombs’ into precision-guided munitions is reportedly under review by the Pentagon. At the same time, officials were quoted as saying that “no decisions have been made” on the matter, and that the US “is likely to continue to provide other conversion kits that make Israeli munitions more precise”.

The officials added that the White House is “not likely to slow the delivery of air defenses,” but “could possibly withhold or delay” offensive weapons.

The US has been urging Israel to show restraint, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying this month that the civilian death toll in Gaza is “far too high”. In December, President Joe Biden warned that Israel could lose foreign support because of “indiscriminate bombing” in the Palestinian enclave.

More than 26,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the fighting broke out in October, according to local Hamas-run authorities. Israel has rejected the accusations of “genocide”, arguing that Hamas is using civilians as human shields.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly stressed that the Jewish state’s goal in Gaza is to “eradicate” the Palestinian armed group Hamas. In a speech this month, Netanyahu vowed that the government will not “surrender” to the militants.

The Israel Defense Forces launched its operation in Gaza in response to the deadly October 7 Hamas attack, which killed some 1,200 people. More than 200 Israelis were taken captive by Hamas. Dozens of hostages were later released as part of a series of prisoner exchanges in November.

Iran executes four terrorists affiliated with Mossad

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran Prison

The four, identified as Pejman Fatehi, Mohsen Mazloum, Mohammad (Hazhir) Faramarzi and Vafa Azarbar, were executed in Ghezel Hesar prison in Karaj, west of the capital Tehran.

Iran arrested the network of operatives, linked to Israel’s Mossad spy agency, who were attempting to set off explosives at a sensitive center in Isfahan in July 2022.

The four, who had crossed into Iran from the Kurdish region of Iraq, had planted devices for a terrorist operation, which was foiled a few hours before it was executed.

The saboteurs were handed death sentences in September last year on charge of “cooperating with the Israeli regime”, but the verdict was appealed.

The appeals court upheld the initial court ruling after probing the case.

Isfahan is home to Iran’s nuclear sites and missile industry facilities.

Arab bloc in Israeli Knesset seeking no-confidence vote in Netanyahu’s government

By
IFP Media Wire
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Netanyahu

In a statement, the Arab Movement for Renewal, known as Ta’al, said it will submit a proposal on Monday for a no-confidence vote in Netanyahu’s government.

According to the statement, the proposal will call for ending the Gaza war, reaching a hostage swap deal, and launching a political path for peacemaking.

“Netanyahu’s government prevents reaching any agreement to return the hostages and detainees as part of a prisoner exchange process, because the continuation of the war contributes to its survival,” the proposal says.

“There is no alternative to ending the war to initiate a new political path leading to a fair peace agreement,” it adds.

It requires 61 votes in the 120-seat Knesset for the no-confidence vote to pass.

Netanyahu’s coalition has a majority of 64 seats in the Knesset.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

Despite a provisional ruling Friday by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that ordered Tel Aviv to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, Israel continued its onslaught against the coastal enclave where at least 26,422 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 65,087 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

UN says freight via Suez Canal down 45%

By
IFP Media Wire
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Suez Canal

Jan Hoffmann, chief of trade logistics at UNCTAD, warned that shipping costs have already surged and energy and food costs are being affected, raising inflation risks.

“We are very concerned,” he told reporters, adding, “We are seeing delays, higher costs, higher greenhouse gas emissions.”

Major players in the shipping industry have temporarily stopped using the Suez Canal, a critical maritime trade route connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and a vital sea lane for energy and cargo between Asia and Europe.

Yemen-based Houthi rebels have carried out dozens of drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war in October.

According to UNCTAD, 39% fewer ships have passed through the canal since the beginning of December, causing a 45% decline in freight tonnage. This has significantly disrupted already strained maritime trading routes.

Hoffmann warned that a number of crucial global trade routes are facing issues, not only due to the attacks in the Red Sea, but also because of the Ukraine conflict and low water levels in the Panama Canal.

“Maritime transport is really the lifeline of global trade. These disruptions underline their vulnerability to geopolitics, tensions, and climate changes.”

The Suez Canal handles up to 15% of global trade and about 20% of container traffic. Container ship transits through the canal are down 67% compared to a year ago. The impact on liquefied natural gas has been the largest, as shipments have stopped altogether via the key trade route since January 16, according to UNCTAD.

Israeli army withdraws 2 reserve brigades from Gaza Strip

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Israeli Army

KAN said the withdrawal of the 4th and 55th Brigades came after the completion of their mission in the Palestinian enclave.

There was no comment from the Palestinian resistance group Hamas on the report.

On Saturday, the Israeli army withdrew its 7107th Combat Engineering Battalion from Gaza, two weeks after pulling out the 36th division.

No information is available about the number of Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

Despite a provisional ruling Friday by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that ordered Tel Aviv to prevent acts of genocide in Gaza, Israel continued its onslaught against the coastal enclave where at least 26,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 65,000 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

First US troops killed in West Asia since start of Gaza war, Biden blames Iran-backed militants

By
IFP Media Wire
-
US Troops

The killing of three Americans at Tower 22 in Jordan near the border with Syria is a significant escalation of an already-precarious situation in the Middle East.

Officials claim the drone was fired by “Iran-backed militants” and appeared to come from Syria.

US Central Command confirmed in a statement on Sunday that three service members were killed and 25 injured in a one-way drone attack that “impacted at a base in northeast Jordan”.

US President Joe Biden has vowed those responsible for the deaths of three US service members will be held accountable, and cast blame on “Iran-backed militant groups”.

“Today, America’s heart is heavy,” Biden said in a statement Sunday, adding, “Last night, three US service members were killed—and many wounded—during an unmanned aerial drone attack on our forces stationed in northeast Jordan near the Syria border.”

“While we are still gathering the facts of this attack, we know it was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq,” Biden continued.

He vowed the US “will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing”.

Iran has repeatedly stressed that it “neither gives orders to the resistance groups across the region, nor stops them from taking decisions in their own countries based on their own interests”.

It’s unclear why air defenses failed to intercept the drone, which appears to be the first known attack on Tower 22 since attacks on US and coalition forces began on October 17. US forces at the outpost are there as part of an advise-and-assist mission with Jordan.

As of Friday, there had been more than 158 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria, though officials have described the constant volley of drones, rockets, and missiles as unsuccessful as they have frequently not caused serious injury or damage to infrastructure.

There have been dozens of injuries since the attacks began — a senior military official told reporters last week there were roughly 70 — but the Pentagon has classified most of them as minor, aside from one US soldier who was critically injured in an attack in Iraq on Christmas Day.

9 UNRWA staff members fired over allegations: UN chief

By
IFP Media Wire
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UNRWA

“The United Nations is taking swift action following the extremely serious allegations against several UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff members,” Guterres said Sunday, adding the UN’s oversight body has already launched an investigation and an independent review is forthcoming.

“Any UN employee involved in acts of terror will be held accountable, including through criminal prosecution.”

The secretary-general urged countries, however, to continue financial assistance to the UNRWA that supports 2 million Gazans who depend on the “critical aid” for “daily survival”, warning the agency’s current funding “will not allow it to meet all requirements to support them in February”.

In the wake of the allegations against the UNRWA, nine countries have so far paused funding for the main UN agency in Gaza.

“While I understand their concerns – I was myself horrified by these accusations – I strongly appeal to the governments that have suspended their contributions to, at least, guarantee the continuity of UNRWA’s operations,” Guterres said.

“The abhorrent alleged acts of these staff members must have consequences. But the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized. The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met,” he added.

The head of the UNRWA has also said the decision to suspend aid to the UN Palestinian refugee agency by several Western countries is a “collective punishment”.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said he was shocked such decisions were taken as “famine looms” in Gaza, which has been devastated by nearly four months of relentless Israeli bombardment that has killed almost 26,500 people.

The agency, with its 13,000 employees in Gaza, is the main organisation aiding Gaza’s population amid the humanitarian disaster. More than two million of the besieged enclave’s 2.3 million people depend on the UNRWA for “sheer survival”, including food and shelter, Lazzarini added, warning this lifeline can “collapse any time now”.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, took Guterres to task over his call for nations to restore their funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.

Erdan said in a post on X the United Nations ignored evidence over UNRWA’s alleged involvement with Hamas, asserting Guterres “called to fund an organisation that is deeply contaminated with terrorism”.

The Israeli envoy called on all UNRWA donors to suspend funding as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows worse by the day for the 2.3 million people caught up in the war.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz earlier called on Lazzarini to quit saying the UN body “must be replaced with agencies dedicated to genuine peace and development”.

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