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Hamas thanks Iran, Resistance Front following announcement of Gaza ceasefire

By
IFP Media Wire
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Khalil al-Hayya, deputy head of the movement’s Political Bureau, made the remarks in an address on Wednesday.

He thanked the Islamic Republic, Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement, Yemen’s Armed Forces, and the Iraqi Resistance.

The official commended Hezbollah for offering “hundreds of martyrs, leaders and fighters, on the road to [liberation of the holy occupied city of] al-Quds, headed by His Eminence the Secretary-General, Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah.”

The official was referring to thousands of retaliatory operations that were staged by the group, the Yemeni troops, and Iraqi fighters towards responding to the regime’s brutal military assault against Gaza and simultaneous escalated deadly aggression towards Lebanon.

He also thanked Palestinian resistance fighters in the occupied West Bank “especially in the heroic Jenin [refugee] camp, in al-Quds, and the occupied interior,” who likewise brought pressure to bear on the occupiers during its (the regime’s) atrocities.

Gaza ceasefire deal reached after 15 months of war

By
IFP Media Wire
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The ceasefire will go into effect on Sunday.

Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani announced the deal on Wednesday during a press conference in Doha.

The Qataris, alongside the Egyptians, helped negotiate the agreement with Israel, while the incoming US administration of President-elect Donald Trump applied pressure on the Israelis.

Trump had warned there would be “hell to pay” if a deal to release the Israeli captives was not sealed by his inauguration on 20 January. Among those captives are US citizens.

The president-elect was quick to take credit for the deal, posting on his TruthSocial platform: “This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans.”

“My National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven. We will continue promoting PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH,” Trump wrote.

Shortly after, the outgoing president Joe Biden issued his statement taking credit for the deal, insisting that Hamas caused the delay, and not the Israelis.

“I laid out the precise contours of this plan on May 31, 2024, after which it was endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council. It is the result not only of the extreme pressure that Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and weakening of Iran — but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy,” Biden said.

“My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done.”

In June, Hamas announced it had accepted Biden’s deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated he would not agree, despite assertions by Washington at the time that he did.

“We are all waiting for the return of our brothers and sisters,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said shortly after the ceasefire was announced.

He also urged Netanyahu’s security cabinet to get behind the deal.

The Israeli government is expected to vote on the agreement on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Hamas’ acting chief, Khalil al-Hayya, stressed Wednesday that Israel has failed to achieve its goals in Gaza, suggesting that the 16-month-long assault had become a war of attrition that was too politically costly for Tel Aviv.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday stated he hoped the deal would remove significant security and political obstacles that have impeded the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza. He added that the UN stands ready to scale up its relief deliveries as the deal requires.

Details of the deal highlighted a six-week initial ceasefire phase which would include the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from northern Gaza and the release of captives held by Hamas and other armed groups in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

The agreement details obtained by Middle East Eye says that 33 Israeli captives held in Gaza will be released as part of the first phase, including nine who are ill or wounded.

Israel will release 1,000 Palestinians detained from 8 October 2023 onwards.

Among the 33 captives will be several men over the age of 50, who will be released in exchange for Palestinians serving life sentences at a ratio of 1:3, and Palestinians serving other sentences at a ratio of 1:27.

Hisham al-Sayed and Avera Mengistu, who have been held in Gaza since before Israel’s war, will be released in exchange for 60 Palestinian prisoners and 47 Palestinians who were re-arrested after being freed in 2011 as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange deal.

Israel will begin to withdraw from the Gaza Strip as part of the first phase, moving eastwards from densely populated areas, including from the Netzarim Corridor and Kuwait roundabout.

The six-kilometre Netzarim Corridor, referred to as the “axis of death” by Palestinians, was established by Israel’s military during the current war. It spans from the Israeli boundary with Gaza City to the Mediterranean Sea and was used by Israeli forces to monitor and control the movement of Palestinians between northern and southern Gaza.

During the summer, Netanyahu declared that under a truce agreement, there would be no Israeli withdrawal from the area.

Israeli troops will retreat to a perimeter 700 metres from the boundary with Gaza, with the exception of five localised points where the perimeter will increase by 400 additional metres, as determined by Israel.

As for the 14km wide Philadelphi Corridor, which runs along the entire Gaza border with Egypt, Israel will reduce its forces from the buffer zone during the first phase.

Israel has killed more than 46,000 Palestinians in Gaza, with nearly half being children. A peer-reviewed study published earlier this week by the medical journal The Lancet said that not only is there no inflation in the number of deaths reported in Gaza, but that there is a 41 percent undercount of the dead given the scale of Israel’s attack, and the lack of rescue and recovery equipment and functioning hospitals.

The UN has announed Israel has carried out “acts of genocide,” in Gaza, an assertion also backed by a number of Israeli historians.

EU officials say Trump ‘not invested’ in Ukraine

By
IFP Media Wire
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Donald Trump

The media outlet alleged that the Republican had given his European counterparts the “impression that he wasn’t strongly invested in Ukraine’s destiny or didn’t recognize a strategic significance of the war to US interests.”

Nevertheless, the latest signals coming out of Trump’s team gave European governments grounds for cautious optimism, suggesting that the US president-elect would not push Ukraine into “premature negotiations with Russia,” the publication wrote, citing a “series of private talks” with his entourage. According to Bloomberg, Trump may continue supporting Ukraine to ensure it occupies a “position of strength before any talks take place.”

The incoming president is supposedly anxious to avoid a humiliating debacle in Ukraine like the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan overseen by President Joe Biden in 2021. The article alleged that Trump is also wary that an outright Russian victory in Ukraine could embolden China to make more aggressive moves.

Bloomberg also quoted Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who said after her recent meeting with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida that she did not expect Washington to disengage from Kiev.

Sources told the media outlet, however, that Trump’s unpredictability means that no one can reliably say what course of action he might take after assuming office on January 20.

During an interview with Newsmax on Monday, Trump insisted that Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants to meet, and I’m going to meet very quickly.”

The Kremlin has responded positively to Trump’s declared intention to engage with Russia. However, it said the Ukraine conflict needed to be resolved in a way that addresses its core causes, including NATO’s eastward expansion.

Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, incoming US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz stated: “I just don’t think it’s realistic to say we’re going to expel every Russian from every inch of Ukrainian soil.”

“President Trump has acknowledged that reality, and I think it has been a huge step forward that the entire world is acknowledging that reality,” he added, suggesting that this realization could pave the way to ending the bloodshed.

Shortly before the US election on November 5, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance similarly suggested that Kiev might have to cede some territory to Moscow in the end.

Three killed in training aircraft crash in northern Iran 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The victims include the pilot, the co-pilot and the flight engineer of the crashed plane.

The aircraft was a light training aircraft operated by the flight school of the Iranian Army.

The aircraft earlier took off from Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport and crashed in Rasht while returning to Tehran after a stop at Sardar Jangal Airport in the northern Iranian city.

Officials blame the incident on a technical glitch.

A local official in Rasht said despite rapid response efforts by rescue workers, all three crew members succumbed to their injuries at the site.

Iran’s atomic chief says 20,000 Megawatt nuclear power project underway

By
IFP Media Wire
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Mohammad Eslami

On Wednesday, Eslami spoke to reporters on the sidelines of a government meeting, stating that the interference from three European countries and the United States, which have long opposed Iran’s nuclear advancements, has not prevented Iran from achieving this goal.

Eslami highlighted that technical projects related to the 20,000 megawatt plan have already begun in Iran.

He added that the construction of nuclear power plants is currently on the agenda for most countries, especially those that already possess nuclear facilities, and that there are no legal barriers for the Islamic Republic in this regard.

Additionally, regarding the recent military exercises held around the Natanz nuclear site, Eslami emphasized that during this air defense drill, Iran’s armed forces demonstrated their capabilities and strength in protecting the country.

He also noted that two more exercises are scheduled to take place in the coming days.

President Pezeshkian says US should follow through on its promises

By
IFP Media Wire
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Masoud Pezeshkian

During a press conference on Wednesday, Pezeshkian responded to questions from journalists on the sidelines of an Iranian government meeting.

When asked whether Iran would negotiate with Trump if the US wanted to engage in talks, he stated, “First, they must prove that they will act on their words.”

In a recent interview with NBC, President Pezeshkian said that Iran is ready to engage in talks with a second Trump administration based on principles.

He also pointed out that the United States has not fulfilled its commitments in the past and has sought to overthrow the Iranian government.

ICC prosecutor pushes for rejection of appeal on arrest warrant for Israeli officials

By
IFP Media Wire
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Netanyahu Gallant

The International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor Karim Khan submitted his formal response late Monday to Israel’s appeal challenging the court’s jurisdiction.

Khan told judges that Israeli objections to the investigation into the 13-month-long campaign of death and destruction in the besieged Palestinian territory should be rejected.

Khan noted that the ICC court has jurisdiction over the most serious crimes facing the international community as a whole, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

In his combined 55-page response, Khan argues that under the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, the court has the authority to prosecute crimes committed within the territory of member states, regardless of the nationality of the perpetrators.

The court’s 125 member states include Palestine, but the Tel Aviv regime is not a signatory to the Rome Statute.

Netanyahu, who called the arrest warrant a black day in the occupied entity, has vowed to contest the allegations.

Last year, the ICC, based in The Hague, issued warrants for the arrest of Netanyahu and Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. Israeli authorities are also accused of using hunger as a weapon in Gaza.

ICC judges are expected to deliver a decision on the matter in the coming months.

In January 2024, the international court of justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel must take all measures within its power to prevent genocide in Gaza. However, the regime has ignored the court’s verdict.

Cuba has now officially declared its intention to join South Africa’s case against Israel at the ICJ. Cuba is the 14th country to join the case.

In December 2023, South Africa initiated legal proceedings against Israel, accusing it of breaching the Genocide Convention in its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza.

Iran’s first intelligence-signal destroyer Zagros joins the naval fleet

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Zagros Destroyer

The ceremony, held on Wednesday in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, witnessed the presence of top military officials, including Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, and Commander-in-Chief of the Army, Major General Seyyed Abdolrahim Mousavi.

Designed and built domestically by Iranian experts, the Zagros destroyer meets the Navy’s intelligence and surveillance needs, significantly enhancing maritime security.

All equipment on the destroyer is Iranian-made, showcasing the nation’s technological prowess in electromagnetics, electronics, and cyber domains, officials say.

Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, Commander of the Army’s Navy, emphasized the destroyer’s strategic value, calling it the “watchful eye of Iran in the depths of the seas and oceans.”

Praising the achievement as “very valuable” for the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces, he noted that the ship had been made with state-of-the-art electromagnetic, electronic, and cyber technology.

He stated that the Zagros will play a critical role in maintaining stable maritime security in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans, as well as in all waterways.

Six killed in Israeli drone attack on West Bank’s refugee camp

By
IFP Media Wire
-

The Palestinian news agency Wafa said an Israeli drone fired three missiles at a group of people near a traffic roundabout in the camp on Tuesday evening, killing six people, including a 15-year-old boy, and injuring several others.

Five other victims of the attack were aged between 23 and 34, and included three brothers, Wafa Added.

Earlier this month, an Israeli drone attack on the West Bank’s Tammun town killed two Palestinian children and a 23-year-old from the same family.

The deadly drone attack also comes amid a military operation launched in the Jenin camp by the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security forces over the last several weeks, targeting Palestinian resistance fighters, which has resulted in more than a dozen people killed.

Anwar Rajab, a spokesperson for the PA’s security forces, said the attack was intended to “disrupt efforts” by the authority to achieve security and stability in Jenin.

Hassan Khraisheh, the deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, stated the drone attack demonstrated Israel’s willingness to kill Palestinians indiscriminately.

“This is a clear message from the Israeli occupation that every Palestinian is a target,” Khraisheh told Al Jazeera.

The drone strike has also sparked rage among locals as coming amid the PA’s military operation in Jenin, Khraisheh continued, adding that the PA should now withdraw from Jenin and unite with other Palestinian groups in opposing the Israeli occupation.

“Our enemy is one – whether as resistance fighters or [PA] security forces,” he noted, adding, “No one is protected against Israeli attacks.”

Earlier on Tuesday, the Jenin Battalion of Palestinian Islamic Jihad announced it agreed to a local initiative to end the Palestinian infighting and stop the bloodshed between Palestinians in the occupied territory. The group did not reveal details of the agreement, but it said it affirms the “legitimate right to resist the criminal occupation”.

Alongside its campaign to crack down on fighters in Jenin, which it brands as “outlaws”, the PA has also suspended Al Jazeera in the occupied West Bank in what is seen as further silencing of dissent and freedom of expression by the authority.

Iran faces challenges in managing undocumented migrants, says MP

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Afghan Refugee

In an interview with Shafaqna, Gholamreza Tavakkol emphasized that the return of undocumented migrants has not been successful as there is no accurate data on them.

He noted, “If four buses of migrants leave the border, the same number replaces them.”

Tavakkol suggested that closing the borders could help manage the influx of illegal migrants into the country.

The lawmaker pointed out that undocumented migrants often work in hard labor jobs in rural areas without proper oversight, leading to deviations in insurance and wages that should be regulated by the ministry of labor.

He acknowledged that the Iranian government’s plan to repatriate about 2 million undocumented Afghan migrants by mid-March has not been as successful as hoped.

According to unofficial estimates, there are over 10 million illegal Afghan migrants in Iran, an issue many officials have warned pose serious social and security threats to the country.

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