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Israel’s conduct of war in Gaza ‘fundamentally wrong’: UN chief

By
IFP Media Wire
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Guterres made the comments in an interview with Reuters Editor-in-Chief Alessandra Galloni at the news agency’s NEXT conference in New York.

“I think there was something fundamentally wrong in the way this operation was conducted with total neglect in relation to the deaths of civilians and to the destruction of Gaza,” Guterres said.

“The objective was to destroy Hamas. Gaza is destroyed, but Hamas is not yet destroyed. So there is something fundamentally wrong with the way this is conducted,” he added.

When asked if he believed Israeli forces may be guilty of carrying out war crimes since the conflict began more than two years ago, Guterres stated that “there are strong reasons to believe that that possibility might be a reality”.

In October 2024, then-Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, now the defence minister, declared Guterres “persona non grata”, accusing him of giving “backing to terrorists, rapists, and murderers” for failing to condemn Iran’s missile attack.

More than 70,000 people have died in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when Israeli forces launched an all-out assault in response to a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel that saw more than 1,200 people killed and 251 taken captive.

A fragile United States-brokered ceasefire – a 20-point peace plan pushed by US President Donald Trump – has been in place since October 10. But Israeli forces have repeatedly violated the truce with strikes and demolitions, claiming to be targeting Hamas infrastructure in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s authorities, Israeli troops have violated the ceasefire at least 591 times since it came into effect, killing at least 360 Palestinians and wounding 922 others.

 

Gaza militia leader accused of working with Israel killed

By
IFP Media Wire
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His militia, which calls itself the Popular Forces, said in a Facebook post on Thursday evening that Abu Shabab was shot “as he tried to resolve a dispute” among members of the Abu Suneima family.

The group added that he was not killed by Hamas.

Israel’s channel 12 had reported earlier that Abu Shabab was killed in clashes with “Gaza clans” and later pronounced dead at the Soroka Medical Center in southern Israel.

Abu Shabab became an infamous figure during Israel’s genocidal war on Palestinians in Gaza, as his group was accused of stealing the little humanitarian assistance that the Israeli authorities allowed into the coastal enclave.

The looting of aid in the Gaza Strip came as Israel imposed a blockade on the territory, fuelling a humanitarian crisis and famine in several areas.

Israeli officials later announced that they were cooperating with armed groups in Gaza, including the one led by Abu Shabab, in order to establish a local anti-Hamas force.

On Thursday, a Hamas-affiliated security force in Gaza, Radaa, posted a photo of Abu Shabab on Telegram, captioned: “As we told you, ‘Israel won’t protect you.’”

In July, a Hamas-linked court in Gaza gave Abu Shabab 10 days to turn himself in to face charges of treason, collaborating with hostile entities, forming an armed gang, and armed rebellion.

The gang leader was reported to have been previously jailed by Hamas on drug charges.

Experts have stated that the rise of Abu Shabab reflects a longstanding Israeli policy of supporting Palestinian armed groups in an effort to create internal strife and undermine political movements and resistance.

Baghdad withdraws terror designation of Hezbollah, Houthi groups

By
IFP Media Wire
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Yemen Houthi

The official gazette, Al-Waqa’I al-Iraqiya, published a decision from the Committee for Freezing Terrorists’ Funds to designate the two groups as “terrorist organizations” and freeze their assets.

But the committee later issued a statement saying that the decision was based on a request from Malaysia and on UN Security Council Resolution 1373 concerning the freezing of assets belonging to individuals and entities associated with Daesh and al-Qaeda terror groups.

It added the list “mistakenly” included several parties and groups “that have no terrorist links to either organization,” referring to Hezbollah and Houthis. It noted that the document was released before it was fully revised and that the official gazette will be corrected to remove the unrelated entities.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah or the Houthis on the Iraqi move.

UN Security Council delegation visits Damascus after 14 years of isolation, meets Syrian president

By
IFP Media Wire
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After arriving in the capital, the delegation toured the devastated Jobar neighborhood to view destruction caused by strikes carried out by the former government of Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported.

Members also visited heritage sites in Old Damascus accompanied by Syria’s permanent representative to the UN, Ibrahim Olabi.

The Security Council delegation later arrived at Qasr al-Shaab and held talks with President Ahmad al-Sharaa.

Thursday’s visit comes as Syrians mark the first anniversary of the fall of the Assad government.

The Foreign Ministry’s media office said Wednesday the visit reflects international support for “new Syria” and for its efforts to rebuild and strengthen sovereignty and stabilize the country after the ouster of the former government.

It added that the Security Council’s engagement represents a rare moment of consensus on the Syrian issue among all member states, the first such unanimity in 14 years.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia last December. A new transitional administration led by Sharaa was formed in January.

 

 

Advisor to Ayatollah Khamenei warns Persian Gulf bloc not to play with Iran’s ‘red lines’

By
IFP Media Wire
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Iran leader advisor Shamkhani in stable medical condition

Shamkhani issued the warning in a post on his X account on Thursday in reaction to the final communiqué of the 46th GCC Summit, held in Bahrain on Wednesday.

In its communiqué, the council reiterated its long-standing position on the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, and Abu Musa islands in the Persian Gulf, renewing its full support for the UAE’s claim of sovereignty over the three islands. The council emphasized that these islands are an integral part of the UAE’s territory.

The communiqué also claimed that the entire ownership of the Arash gas field lies within Kuwait’s territorial waters, and that all its natural resources fall solely within the Kuwaiti-Saudi Divided Submerged Zone.

In his post, Shamkhani described the issues as Iran’s red lines.

“The role of neighbors is to create security, not to play with the red lines of the Iranian nation,” he added.

He warned that the GCC’s “unconstructive” claims regarding the Iranian islands and the Arash field were raised again amid the malicious acts of the United States and the Israeli regime.

The Leader’s representative emphasized that Iran exercised restraint during the 12 days of Israeli-American war in mid-June despite some states supporting the aggression, warning “Iran’s power in the Persian Gulf should not be misinterpreted.”

The Persian Gulf islands of Abu Musa and the Greater and Lesser Tunbs have historically belonged to Iran, a fact corroborated by numerous historical, legal, and geographical records both in Iran and internationally. However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid claim to the islands.

The islands fell under British control in 1921, but on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, Iran’s sovereignty over the islands was restored.

The dispute over the Arash gas field, which Kuwaitis call al-Durra, dates back to the 1960s when Iran and Kuwait were awarded overlapping offshore concessions for the field following its discovery.

The field is estimated to hold 20 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves, with production capacity of one billion cubic feet per day. Nearly 40% of the Arash gas field is located in Iranian waters.

 

 

Tasnim: Reports suggest rise in cancer cases among MEK women in Albania camp amid restrictions on medical access

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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MKO

The information, attributed to a former MEK member who fled the camp, was shared with Tasnim News Agency.

According to the account, restrictions by Albanian authorities and internal limitations imposed by the group’s leadership have made it difficult for affected members to leave the facility for treatment.

The source described growing dissatisfaction and despair within the camp, known as Ashraf-3.

Unconfirmed reports also suggest that Zahra Bani Jamali, a senior MEK member, may have died in recent days due to cancer, though no independent confirmation has been issued.

The report further notes that while Western governments and Israel continue to offer political and financial support to the MEK, they have increasingly shifted their backing toward other opposition groups, aware of the long-standing public hostility in Iran toward the terrorist organization.

According to the source, the perceived decline in external attention has deepened frustration among camp residents and spurred more attempts to leave the group.

The MEK terror group is responsible for the killing of thousands of Iranian officials and ordinary citizens. During the Iran–Iraq war in the 1980s, the MEK allied itself with Iraqi forces.

China raises Iran oil import: Bloomberg

By
IFP Media Wire
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Iran Oil

The Wednesday report by Bloomberg showed that Chinese intake of Iranian crude rose after a fresh round of import quotas was allocated late last month. The new allowances, earmarked for the so-called teapot refiners, are estimated at 7–8 million metric tons in total for nearly 20 plants.

The report said the quotas enabled two supertankers that had been idling near ports in southeastern Shandong province to finally unload their cargo this week, including a Panama-flagged vessel carrying 2 million barrels of Iranian oil that discharged at the port of Rizhao.

The report added Iran has also widened the discounts it offers to ensure continued supply to Chinese buyers.

China does not list Iranian crude volumes in its official customs data because of US sanctions. However, the country has been the largest buyer of Iranian oil since 2019, when Washington intensified restrictions on countries and companies importing crude from Iran.

Energy analytics firms estimate that China’s imports of Iranian oil have surged to historic highs of nearly 2 million barrels per day in recent months.

The flow of Iranian crude to China has remained stable despite the United Nations reimposing a series of nuclear-related sanctions on Iran in September.

Iran’s speaker at Asian Parliamentary Assembly: “Era of dominance by one or two powers is over”

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf

Ghalibaf said Asia has moved “from being a victim to becoming a decisive actor” and described the region’s emergence as an era defined by cooperation, justice and mutual respect.

He called on Asian legislatures to help shape a world where sanctions are not used as foreign-policy tools and where “the killing of women and children in Gaza is neither met with silence nor justification.”

The speaker stated that the future of regional and global stability “will not be decided in Washington or Tel Aviv,” but within Asia itself, among its “civilization-building nations.”

He emphasized that Asian states share deep historical and cultural bonds, framing them as both a legacy and a strategic responsibility.

Addressing the war in Gaza, Ghalibaf slammed Israel for “systematic genocide,” stressing that nearly 70,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023.

He reiterated Iran’s support for any initiative that ends occupation and alleviates Palestinian suffering but rejected attempts to impose an “unjust peace,” saying agreements that fail to secure Palestinian rights are “illegitimate” and destined to fail.

Iran’s Hormozgan Province reports first death from H3N2 influenza as transmission wave intensifies

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Covid Iran

Pezhman Shahrokhi, president of the university, said the circulation pattern of respiratory viruses over the past three days has moved into a “concerning phase,” marked by rising transmission rates, increasing case numbers and more severe clinical outcomes.

According to data from two designated laboratories between November 29 and December 1, 155 tests were conducted, of which 80 were positive, a positivity rate of 51.6 percent.

Shahrokhi noted that the simultaneous rise in test volume and positivity rate over consecutive days indicates “secondary intensification” of an already established transmission chain. The main warning sign, he said, is the shift toward severe cases.

The confirmed death involved a 26-year-old man admitted last week with approximately 70 percent bilateral lung involvement.

He died the following day from acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). His influenza test was positive, while COVID-19 was ruled out.

Shahrokhi cautioned that the rapid decline of a young patient highlights the virus’s aggressive behavior even outside high-risk groups.

He urged immediate measures including reduced gatherings, improved ventilation, strict infection control in medical centers, and prompt care for vulnerable individuals.

Trump says path to peace in Ukraine unclear

By
IFP Media Wire
-

After their hours-long meeting at the Kremlin on Tuesday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, were set to meet top Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov in Florida on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump said Putin would like to make a deal, but “what comes out of that meeting I can’t tell you because it does take two to tango.” The president added that the US had “something pretty well worked out [with Ukraine].”

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that Putin accepted some US proposals aimed at ending the war in Ukraine and was prepared to keep working to find a compromise, but that “compromises have not yet been found”.

Both sides agreed not to disclose the substance of their discussion at the Kremlin, but at least one major hurdle to a settlement remains; the fate of four Ukrainian regions Russia partially occupies.

A Russian official told reporters that “so far, a compromise hasn’t been found” on the issue of territory, without which the Kremlin sees “no resolution to the crisis”.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has ruled out giving up territory that Russia has captured and on Wednesday said his team was preparing for meetings in the United States, adding that dialogue with Trump’s representatives will continue.

“Only by taking Ukraine’s interests into account is a dignified peace possible,” he said.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, took a stronger line, urging Putin to “stop wasting the world’s time.”

The negotiations have intensified at a difficult juncture for Kyiv, which has been losing ground to Russia on its eastern front while facing its biggest corruption scandal of the war.

Zelensky’s chief of staff, who had led the Ukrainian delegation at peace talks, resigned on Friday after anti-corruption investigators searched his home. Meanwhile Russia’s advance in eastern Ukraine has gathered pace and Putin has said that Moscow is ready to fight on to seize the rest of the land it claims if Kyiv does not surrender it.

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