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Israel seeking to force Palestinians to leave their motherland: Iran FM

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Gaza War

Amirabdollahian had a phone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry on Sunday evening to pursue his diplomatic talks with the officials of Islamic countries to highlight the need to stop the Zionist regime’s war crimes against the oppressed people in Gaza.

The Iranian foreign minister appreciated Egypt for hosting an international meeting on the Zionist regime’s crimes and the ongoing crisis in Gaza and praised the country’s efforts to stop the conflict and send humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza.

Amirabdollahian once again reiterated that the Red Crescent of the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to send humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza through Egypt.

The Iranian foreign minister said, “The ultimate goal of the fake and occupying Israeli regime is the forced displacement of the residents of Gaza and the West Bank to the Sinai region in Egypt and parts of Jordan.”

“Actually, Tel Aviv is seeking to create a Palestinian state outside the historical land of the Palestinians, but the resistance has been the main hurdle to the materialization of the frantic dreams of the Zionists,” he added.

The Egyptian foreign minister also clarified on the recently-held Cairo meeting and welcomed Iran’s delivery of humanitarian aid.

He stated that talks and coordination between Islamic and Arab countries, including Iran and Egypt, on the Palestinian issue should continue.

During the talks, both sides underlined the need to immediately stop the killing of the Palestinian people and send humanitarian aid. They also voiced their firm opposition to the policy of forced displacement of the Palestinian residents of the Gaza Strip.

The Egyptian foreign minister also stated, “We are against widening the scope of the war and we believe that the Palestinian people should remain on their own land.”

Top commander: Iran supports resistance, but has not supplied missiles, weapons

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Ali Fadavi

Addressing a gathering of students at Tehran University on Monday, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the IRGC Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi said resistance forces have become independent and have upgraded their equipment throughout years.

The Iranian commander, while stressing the Palestinian resistance factions’ stand-alone operation on October 7 that “left Israelis in shock”, added if it is necessary and in case the Iranian forces are “instructed”، they will even target the Israeli-occupied city of Haifa.

Meanwhile Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani termed the Israeli regime’s non-stop assault and aggression on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in the recent past as a “political suicide.”

In a phone conversation with his Syrian counterpart, Brigadier General Ashtiani said, “The Israeli regime is trying to cover up its irreparable and unprecedented operational and intelligence failure” by killing Palestinian children and civilians.”

He also praised the Syrian government’s “decisive” stance against the Israeli regime, saying it should serve as a role model for Arab and Muslim states that seek to normalize relations with the occupying regime.

Iran says receiving no water supply from Afghan side of Hirmand River

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran Water Crisis

Firouz Ghassemzadeh said the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchestan, neighboring Afghanistan, bears the brunt of the water scarcity.

The Taliban have been refusing to allow Iran’s share of water from Hirmand, known as Helmand in Afghanistan, to stream into Iran, blaming drought and technical issues for the low supply of water.

Ghassemzadeh said Iran’s water reserves in the border province have decreased by 69 percent compared to last year, adding only 3 percent of wells in the region are filled with water.

Iran’s Space Agency said images obtained from Iranian satellites show that the Taliban administration is preventing water from reaching the Iranian side of the border by building numerous dams and diverting the flow of water.

Iran says Afghanistan must adhere to the terms of the internationally-binding 1973 Hirmand River water treaty and supply Iran with its share of water from the river.

Israeli official says “no ceasefire” for Gaza amid hostage talks

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israel Hostages

The official told CNN they were “not aware” of US calls for a delay to Israel’s expected Gaza ground operation, and said both Israel and the US want all the hostages released “as quickly as possible”.

But, the official added, “humanitarian efforts cannot be allowed to impact the mission to dismantle Hamas.”

Israel agreed to a US request to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, “although that was not popular in Israel,” the official stated.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that US President Joe Biden’s administration was talking to the Israeli government on a “regular basis” about the Gaza situation.

“Both of us want to make sure that the many hostages who’ve been taken come home, and that’s why we’re working on it, as I said, virtually every minute of the day” Blinken told NBC’s Meet the Press.

Hamas estimates 200-250 people are held in Gaza but said they couldn’t provide an exact number due to “operational difficulties” caused by the incessant Israeli bombardment.

10 hospitals halt operation due to Israeli bombardment, fuel shortages: Gaza Health Ministry

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

“The number of hospitals that have stopped operating due to shelling and fuel shortages has increased to 10,” the ministry said.

The total number of medical institutions of all types that were subjected to Israeli shelling and stopped working because of this has reached 29, the ministry added.

Demands by Israel for the evacuation of Gaza hospitals amount to “a death penalty for patients”, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent.

The regional director of the World Health Organization has also told Al Jazeera at least 20 out of the 35 hospitals in the Gaza Strip are no longer functioning.

Earlier, a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health said that Israel had increased its threats to target and bomb hospitals in the besieged strip, and that the international community must stop this before “more massacres are carried out”.

The death toll in Gaza due to Israel’s ongoing bombardment has climbed to 4,700, including more than 1,800 children and over 1,000 women, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave has confirmed. The number of injured has also risen to 16,000.

The number of people in the Gaza Strip who had to leave their homes due to the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has reached 1.5 million, which amounts to 70% of the Gazan population.

The latest escalation between Hamas and Israel began early on October 7, when the Palestinian fighters launched a surprise attack on multiple locations along the Gaza border in response to Israel’s repeated aggression against Palestinians and desecration of the al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli officials estimate that more than 1,400 people have been killed in the Hamas assault and over 5,000 have been wounded.

Israeli massive air strikes on the densely-populated Gaza Strip.

Israel confirms soldier killed during ground raid in Gaza

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israeli Army

Three other soldiers were injured in the raid on Sunday, said the statement that came as the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced on its Telegram account that it had pushed Israeli forces back into Israel.

One Israeli soldier was killed, while “one was moderately injured, and two were lightly injured as a result of an anti-tank missile”, the Israeli military announced.

The military added the purpose of the raid was to locate Hamas captives in Gaza’s Khan Younis area and to “thwart terrorist infrastructure”.

Israeli troops have been conducting raids across the border that they say are meant to clear the area and gather intelligence about captives being held by Hamas.

According to Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Khan Younis in Gaza, the raids are forcing Hamas to prepare for a long-speculated ground invasion by Israel.

“These kinds of Israeli attempts to enter the Gaza Strip [are being] confronted by the Palestinian fighters, who are trying to get ready enough in order to confront any possible, potential ground invasion inside the besieged territory,” Azzoum said.

He added that the situation on the ground is “really dramatic” and that the security conditions inside the Gaza Strip are “unpredictable”.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from occupied East Jerusalem, stated the killing of the soldier is something the Israeli army will be “taking very seriously” as the war continues.

The latest escalation between Hamas and Israel began early on Saturday, when the Palestinian fighters launched a surprise attack on multiple locations along the Gaza border in response to Israel’s repeated aggression against Palestinians and desecration of the al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli officials estimate that more than 1,400 people have been killed in the Hamas assault and over 5,000 have been wounded.

Israeli massive air strikes on the densely-populated Gaza Strip, has so far killed almost 4,700 people.

Egyptian border guards injured after Israeli army tank fired at watchtower

By
IFP Media Wire
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Rafah Crossing

The IDF apologized for the incident — which took place in the area of Kerem Shalom, near the borders of southern Gaza and northeastern Egypt — and is investigating the matter.

Some Egyptian border guards suffered minor injuries, Egypt’s military said.

“During the ongoing clashes in the Gaza Strip Sunday, one of the Egyptian border watchtowers was accidentally hit by fragments of a shell from an Israeli tank, resulting in minor injuries to some border guards,” an Egyptian military spokesperson wrote on Facebook.

Egypt also announced the Israeli side “immediately” expressed its regret over the unintentional incident, and that the circumstances around the shelling are being investigated.

According to Egyptian media, witnesses say the Israeli strike would not disrupt the passage of aid to Gaza.

The incident occurred just hours after a second convoy of aid trucks entered the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing to head towards Gaza.

A first convoy of 20 trucks had entered the besieged enclave a day earlier, but aid officials are warning that supplies of food, water and fuel are still running low.

Israel had prevented aid from entering the crossing as it continued to bomb the Gaza Strip for more than two weeks, in response to an attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7.

UN officials say at least 100 trucks a day are required in Gaza to respond to the crisis.

No hope in UNSC maintaining peace in Gaza: Iran president

By
IFP Media Wire
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Raisi South African FM

Speaking in a meeting with South African International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor in Tehran on Sunday, Raisi said the US is complicit in the crimes of Israel against the defenseless people of Gaza by sending military equipment and weapons to the regime.

He stressed that the United States has also blocked a UN Security Council draft resolution in condemnation of the Israeli atrocities.

“So, there is no longer any hope for this Council to play a role in maintaining global peace.”

He praised support of the South African government and nation for the Palestinian people in their battle against Israel.

Pointing to Israel’s crimes against civilians, especially the Palestinian women and children, the Iranian president hailed the “responsible” stance of South Africa in opposing the Tel Aviv regime being granted observer status at the African Union.

Israel began the war on Gaza on October 7, following Operation Al-Aqsa Storm launched by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas in response to the regime’s campaign of bloodshed and destruction against Palestinian people.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, Israeli strikes on Gaza have so far resulted in the death of over 4,700 Palestinians, including more than 1,800 children, at least 1,000 women, and nearly 200 elderly people. Well over 14,000 people have also been injured since the start of the Israeli aggression.

Pandor, for her part, said Iran’s membership in the BRICS group of emerging economies was the outcome of consensus among the member states.

Iran can play an effective role in developing the BRICS position and promoting collective efforts to achieve progress, the South African minister added.

She noted that South Africa is keen to enhance cooperation, particularly in the economic sector, with Iran.

Addressing the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg in August, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that the member states had agreed to admit Iran, Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia as new members from January 1, 2024.

BRICS has gained a special place in Iran’s foreign policy due to its increasing importance in the international political economy and geopolitical developments.

Pentagon chief warns of increased risk against US troops in Mideast

By
IFP Media Wire
-
US Forces

Bases housing US troops in Iraq and Syria have already been targeted in rocket and drone attacks in recent days, and the Pentagon is concerned about further escalation of the Israel crisis, Austin said on Sunday in an ABC News interview.

“In fact, what we’re seeing is the prospect of a significant escalation of attacks on our troops and our people throughout the region, and because of that, we’re going to do what’s necessary to make sure that our troops are in a good position, they’re protected, and that we have the ability to respond.”

Shortly after Hamas launched surprise attacks against Israel on October 7, the Pentagon dispatched two aircraft carriers, five guided missile destroyers and other ships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. One of the strike groups, led by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, was redirected to the Persian Gulf on Saturday, and the Pentagon announced it activated additional missile batteries in several undisclosed locations to help protect US forces in the region.

“This additional deployment sends another message to those who would seek to widen this conflict,” Austin stated.

He added, “If any group or any country is looking to widen this conflict and take advantage of this very unfortunate situation that we see, our advice is: don’t. We maintain the right to defend ourselves, and we won’t hesitate to take the appropriate action.”

The USS Carney destroyer, located in the Red Sea, shot down three missiles and several drones that were launched from the region of Yemen controlled by Houthi rebels on Thursday. The missiles were traveling north, potentially toward targets in Israel, a Pentagon spokesman claimed.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken echoed Austin’s concerns, saying Washington expects additional attacks on American troops by Iranian-backed groups.

“We are taking steps to make sure that we can effectively defend our people and respond decisively if we need to,” he stated on Sunday in an NBC News interview.

“This is not what we want, not what we’re looking for. We don’t want escalation. We don’t want to see a second or third front develop. We don’t want to see our forces or our personnel come under fire, but if that happens, we’re ready for it,” Blinken added.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has accused the US of waging a “proxy war against Palestinians” and warned that the situation will get out of hand if the bombardment of Gaza is not stopped and Israel launches the ground assault it is preparing for.

Speaking at the joint press conference with his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor in Tehran on Sunday, the Iranian top diplomat said that it was a “bitter and unfortunate reality” that US President Joe Biden made an “extraordinary wartime visit” to Tel Aviv this week to show support for the Benjamin Netanyahu government amid the bombardment of the Palestinian enclave and lack of humanitarian aid.

“It’s a great shame that the American president announced that the US would dispatch hundreds of planes, ships and trucks filled with military equipment to the occupied territories to support the mass murder that Israel is committing in Gaza but has managed to coordinate plans for only 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter the besieged enclave,” he added.

Amirabdollahian called the situation in the region a “powder keg” and warned of “heavy and bitter consequences.”

“US seeking delay of Israeli ground military operation to allow more time for hostage negotiations”

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Israel Hostages
Photographs of some of those taken hostage by Hamas during their recent attacks are seen on October 18, 2023 in Tel Aviv.

The Friday release of two Americans held by Hamas signaled the possible freeing of more of the around 200 captivates.

“The [administration] pressed Israeli leadership to delay because of progress on the hostage front”, and the need to get trucks of aid into Gaza, one person familiar with the discussions said.

When US President Joe Biden was asked Saturday if he was encouraging Israel to delay the invasion, he responded: “I’m talking to the Israelis.”

Qatar, acting as a middle man for the US and Israel, has been leading the discussions with Hamas about releasing the hostages since they were abducted by Hamas two weeks ago.

According to a diplomat briefed on the talks, the negotiations have included talks about getting much-needed aid into Gaza and the need for a temporary ceasefire to get the prisoners out. Israel has not indicated they are considering a ceasefire.

Hamas does not appear to have gotten anything concrete out of the Friday release of Judith Tai and Natalie Raanan.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said in a statement Saturday they were prepared to release two “detained individuals” whom they identified by name.

“The same procedures” used to release the Raanans would be employed for the new proposed release, the statement added.

The office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded to the claim Saturday evening, saying it would not comment on “false Hamas propaganda”, adding Israel’s government would “continue to do everything necessary to bring all the captives and missing back home”.

An official in the Israeli prime minister’s office told CNN on Friday, after news of the Americans’ release, that it may have been an attempt by Hamas to lessen the Israeli military response.

“That [military] pressure isn’t going to go because they were released,” the official stated, adding, “It won’t change the mission, which is to dismantle Hamas.”

Hamas estimates 200-250 people are held in Gaza but said they couldn’t provide an exact number due to “operational difficulties” caused by the incessant Israeli bombardment.

Last week, Senior Hamas leader Saleh Al-Arouri stated that the group had captured enough Israeli soldiers during an unprecedented attack against Israel to make Israeli authorities free all Palestinian prisoners in its jails.

“Our detainees in [Israeli] prisons, their freedom is looming large. What we have in our hands will release all our prisoners. The longer fighting continues, the higher the number of prisoners will become,” Al-Arouri continued.

He added that senior officers were among those captured, but did not provide any figures.

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