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Israeli engineer captured for offering Iran info on Dimona nuclear reactor: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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Dimona nuclear power plant
A partial view of the Dimona nuclear power plant in the southern Israeli Negev desert.

Doron Bokobza, a 29-year-old resident of Be’er Sheva city in the southern occupied territories and an engineer at Haifa Chemicals South, was charged on March 2 with contacting a foreign agent and transferring information to Iran.

Investigators assert Bokobza established contact with Iranian intelligence elements through Telegram messaging application over a number of months.

From December last year until his arrest in February, he allegedly carried out various tasks for his Iranian handler.

He also presented himself as having access to the Negev nuclear research center, and purportedly provided details about the facility.

Authorities allege Bokobza initiated the contact, fully aware that he was engaging with Iranian intelligence operatives.

The Israeli technician was arrested last month following a joint investigation by the regime’s so-called internal security service, Shin Bet, and police.

Bokobza has reportedly confessed to photographing “sensitive” facilities and transmitting information for “a fee”.

IAEA stresses pursuing constructive relations with Iran

By
IFP Media Wire
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Rafael Grossi

Grossi made the remarks at a press conference in Vienna on Monday after the IAEA Board of Governors meeting.

He said previous reports have indicated that many issues are interconnected and some can be deemed more important than others.

It is impossible to solve all issues in a single action; rather, the sides need constructive and consistent efforts in all fields, he added.

For example, the IAEA chief claimed, uranium particles discovered in certain facilities and specific places or the level of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities show that there are various issues between the two sides.

“What we need is answers and constructive relations. Enough talk, we must move forward and achieve results. We have always put ways before Iran for bilateral cooperation.”

Grossi stated his talks with Iranian authorities in Tehran in November showed that the country seeks to cooperate with the IAEA but unfortunately certain issues (anti-Iran resolutions) have prevented the sides from moving in this direction.

Referring to the IAEA’s contact with the new US administration, Grossi said the highest-level political officials in the United States are examining ways to interact with respect to Iran’s nuclear program.

The IAEA chief underscored the need for interaction between the US and Iran. Grossi added interaction, whether formal or informal, or through open and secret channels, is indispensable.

In 2015, Iran agreed to curb its peaceful nuclear work as a confidence-building measure in exchange for the removal of Western sanctions.

That deal was derailed in 2018, when the United States left and reinstated all the bans suspended under the accord.

In 2019, Iran stopped implementing part of its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in response to Washington’s withdrawal and the failure of the European parties to compensate for this pullout.

Iran later took certain more limiting measures in response to the Western-sponsored anti-Iran resolutions at the IAEA and the country’s dissatisfaction with the agency’s handling of the nuclear issue.

Those measures included deactivating some surveillance devices used to monitor its nuclear program and barring certain inspectors amid fears of Western espionage targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Hamas calls on mediators to oblige Israel to start talks for 2nd phase of Gaza ceasefire agreement

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

Hamas on Monday accused Israel of trying to derail the next phase of ceasefire talks and called Israel’s decision to cut off aid “a war crime and a blatant attack” on a truce that took a year of negotiations before taking hold in January.

On Sunday, Israel announced it would back a new proposal by the United States that calls for extending the ceasefire through Ramadan and the Jewish Passover holiday, which ends on April 20.

Under that proposal, Hamas would release half the captives on the first day and the rest when an agreement is reached on a permanent ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated.

But Hamas dismissed the proposal, stressing it would only release captives according to the original terms of the agreement, which stipulated that Israeli forces would permanently withdraw from Gaza and bring an end to the war.

In a televised speech, senior Hamas leader Osama Hamdan accused Netanyahu of sabotaging efforts to start negotiations for a second phase of the Gaza ceasefire deal.

“We call on the international community and the UN to work to compel the occupation to return to the agreement and enter (talks for) its second phase, leading to a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of all forces, relief and shelter for our people, and the reconstruction of what the occupation has destroyed,” he stated.

He also called for implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2735 “to achieve a just solution to the Palestinian cause,” including the right to self-determination, the establishment of a sovereign and independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of refugees.

Hamdan urged the international community “to pressure the occupation to open the Gaza crossings and allow the entry of life-saving humanitarian aid.”

The ceasefire deal halted Israel’s war on Gaza, which killed more than 48,380 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

2 Gazans killed, 3 injured by Israeli military despite ceasefire

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

A medical source said two people lost their lives in a drone strike in central Rafah city in the southern Gaza Strip.

Three more people were injured when a missile attack in western Khan Younis in southern Gaza, medics said.

The Israeli army escalated its attacks across Gaza since Sunday, shortly after the expiry of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Four Palestinians were killed in similar Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

The Israeli government halted the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza on Sunday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to start negotiations on the second phase of the ceasefire deal.

The agreement has halted Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 48,380 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Israel conducts air attacks near Syria’s Tartous

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israeli Air Force

An Israeli army statement on Monday said that its forces “struck a military site where weapons belonging to the previous Syrian regime were stored in the area of Qardaha”, the hometown of deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, some 60km (37 miles) north of the Tartous port.

Syrian state news agency SANA reported “air strikes carried out by Israeli occupation aircraft on the surroundings of Tartous city, without recording human losses so far”, adding that “civil defence and specialised teams are working to confirm the location of the targets”.

In the wake of the lightning opposition offensive last December that toppled Syria’s longtime leader al-Assad, Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes on Syrian military assets in what it said was a bid to prevent them from falling into hostile hands.

Last Tuesday, the Israeli army announced it carried out air strikes targeting military sites containing weapons in southern Syria, just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for demilitarising the area.

Israel has moved forces into a United Nations-monitored demilitarised zone within Syria after al-Assad’s removal, a move that violated the 1974 disengagement agreement with Syria. Israel has also taken control of areas outside of the buffer zone, including Mount Hermon, and has conducted repeated bombing raids on military sites.

Last week at Syria’s national dialogue conference participants affirmed their rejection of “provocative” statements by Netanyahu and urged the international community to pressure Israel to stop any “aggression and violations”, condemning “the Israeli incursion into Syrian territory”.

The conference also opposed Israel’s attempts to stoke sectarian tensions by indicating it was willing to protect Syria’s minority Druze community, many of whom live in the south of the country.

UNICEF warns of severe impact on Gaza children as Israel stops aid deliveries

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

“The aid restrictions announced yesterday will severely compromise lifesaving operations for civilians,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, in a statement.

Describing the Gaza ceasefire as “a critical lifeline for children,” the statement noted that the deal allows rapid flow of aid to scale of humanitarian response on the ground.

The statement further stressed that the conditions remain dire and said: “Seven newborn babies reportedly died from hypothermia over the past week because they lacked access to sufficiently warm clothes and blankets, shelter, or medical care.”

With 19 out of 35 hospitals only partially functioning, UNICEF noted that Gaza’s health system “has been stretched far beyond its limits.”

UNICEF added that it has provided warm clothing to 150,000 children, expanded medical care to 25,000 people, and increased water distribution for nearly 500,000 people daily.

“While the ceasefire has allowed us to significantly expand lifesaving aid, the level of devastation in Gaza is beyond catastrophic,” Beigbeder said in the statement, adding that “the ceasefire must hold, and more aid must be allowed in to prevent further suffering and loss of life.”

Saudi crown prince, Lebanese president hold meeting in Riyadh

By
IFP Media Wire
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The meeting took place during Aoun’s first foreign visit since assuming office in January of this year.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said on its official X account that bin Salman “received His Excellency the President of the Lebanese Republic at the Royal Court in Al-Yamama Palace, where an official reception ceremony was held.”

The ministry added that the two leaders “held an official discussion session,” without providing further details.

Aoun’s visit comes after an eight-year hiatus in official Lebanese visits to Saudi Arabia. The trip is part of efforts by Lebanese authorities to repair relations with Arab countries and boost Beirut-Riyadh ties.

Aoun, a former army chief, was elected the Lebanese president in early January, ending more than two years of a presidential vacuum in the country due to political disagreements.

Last month, Nawaf Salam formed a new government in Lebanon, the first since 2022, after securing votes from 95 members of the 128-seat parliament.

Govt. spokeswoman: Zarif’s resignation not yet accepted by Iran President

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Zarif tendered his resignation to Pezeshkian on Sunday.

Mohajerani said the president’s acceptance is necessary for the resignation to be finalized.

She further spoke about the possibility of other changes in the Pezeshkian administration, voicing hope that decision-making processes will be as such that all the country’s possibilities will be used for the good and welfare of the Iranian people.

Mohajerani in other comments referred to the Law on the Appointment of People to Sensitive Posts and said the law makes it impossible to use the capacities of elites in all sectors including membership in academic boards of universities.

The government spokesman referred to Sunday’s impeachment of the ousted minister of economy, Abdolnasser Hemmati, saying 6 months is not sufficient to test the capabilities of a cabinet member.

She acknowledged that parliament is entitled to impeach officials but said economic woes have not been created overnight.

Mohajerani stressed that Hemmati’s impeachment had a negative impact and that the stock markets plummeted due to the issue.

Iranian court convicts 44 people in massive fraud case

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran Court

Iran’s Fars News Agency said the verdicts for 44 of the 61 main defendants in the Debsh Tea case have been issued by the first branch of the Special Court for Economic Crimes in Tehran.

The primary charges against the first defendant include significant disruption of Iran’s economic and currency system, extensive disruption of the monetary system through the illegal sale of currency in the free market, and bribing government officials and bank employees.

According to this report, the first defendant has been sentenced to a total of 82 years in prison for committing multiple crimes and is also required to return to the government more than two billion euros, equaling three to ten times the value of smuggled tea, and all proceeds from the sale of currency in the free market.

The report says the first defendant’s total fines exceed 60 trillion rials. The two ministers convicted in the case are Seyyed Javad Sadatinejad, the former minister of agriculture, and Seyyed Reza Fatemi Amin,the former minister of industry, mines, and trade.

Sadatinejad was sentenced to two years of imprisonment and Fatemi Amin to one year. But these jail terms were given after the court decided to reduce their sentences per Article Six of the Law on Reducing Imprisonment Sentences and on the ground they their played an insignificant role in the crime.

Earlier, an inquiry by the General Inspection Organization of Iran showed that a company named Debsh Tea received $3.37 billion to import machinery and tea but instead sold the currency on the free market at a much higher rate.

Old man dead in stabbing attack in Israel’s Haifa

By
IFP Media Wire
-

The attack took place at a bus station on Monday, Israeli police said, adding that the suspected assailant was killed.

“Paramedics and EMTs have pronounced the death of a man around 70 years old and are providing medical treatment to and evacuating four injured individuals,” Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said.

It added a man and a woman, both aged about 30 years, as well as a 15-year-old boy, were seriously injured.

Earlier, Eli Bin, head of emergency rescue service Magen David Adom, told Israeli media that four people were wounded in the stabbing attack, one of whom later succumbed to his injuries.

It was not immediately clear who killed the attacker, whose identity was not immediately known.

The attack came as negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas over Gaza’s ceasefire stalled after the deal’s first phase ended over the weekend.

On Sunday, Israel blocked the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza after a disagreement with Hamas over extending the ceasefire agreement.

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