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Envoy condemns Israel’s admission of murdering of Hamas chief in Iran

Hamas Ismail Haniyeh

Iravani commented on Tuesday in a letter addressed to the UN secretary-general and the president of the UN Security Council.

“This brazen admission marks the first time the Israeli regime has openly confessed to its responsibility for this heinous crime,” Iravani said.

He said Israel’s confession underscores the international responsibility of the regime for its acts of terrorism and aggression.

“It also reaffirms the legitimacy and legality of Iran’s defensive response on 1 October 2024,” the Iranian diplomat said.

Iravani reiterated that the occupying and terrorist regime of Israel remains the most serious threat to regional and international peace and security.

He urged the UN Security Council to end the impunity of a regime that flagrantly defies international law and destabilizes the region.

The Iranian envoy also warned that continued silence of the Council would only embolden this terrorist regime to commit more atrocious crimes.

On Monday, Israel’s minister for military affairs Israel Katz admitted his regime was responsible for the killing, the first time an official admission had been made.

Katz also vowed that the Israeli regime would escalate its attacks against Yemen, including by staging assassinations.

Haniyeh was assassinated on July 31 after the regime carried out a targeted killing operation against the Iranian capital Tehran, to which he had travelled as an official guest to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The regime assassinated Haniyeh’s successor, Yahya Sinwar, in another attack against the Gaza Strip in October, and staged a targeted killing strike against Beirut in September that resulted in the assassination of Hezbollah chief Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Lifting WhatsApp, Google Play filtering in Iran ‘a positive step, but more needed’

Former minister of communications, Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, praised the move by the Supreme Council of Cyberspace, calling it a positive and necessary action.

He commended the president and other officials involved for understanding the importance of free communication in the digital age and the value of social capital.

However, Jahromi noted that public expectations go beyond the initial step, emphasizing the public continues to await the lifting of bans on other platforms.

Principalist journalist Mohammad Mohajeri also noted on X that while the government’s effort to lift the bans is commendable, it falls short of public demands.

He pointed out that the reliance on VPNs persists, regardless of the status of the platforms, indicating that the governance of cyberspace remains in the hands of VPN sellers.

Reza Alizadeh, chairman of the Parliament’s Industry and Mines Committee, criticized the inefficacy of filtering, stating that it only fuels the market for VPNs and increases public costs.

On Tuesday, before the removal of the ban, 136 members of the Iranian Parliament issued a letter ahead of the cyberspace council meeting, urging the continuation of filtering.

The Supreme Council of Cyberspace which oversees the internet in Iran, voted in favor of lifting the ban on WhatsApp, Google Play on Tuesday evening.

Malayer’s mini world: A tourism gem in western Iran

Recognized as the tourism hub of western Iran and Hamadan province, the site has become a major attraction for both domestic and international visitors.

Established in 2010, the complex is set to feature 138 iconic historical landmarks from Iran and around the globe upon completion.

Strategically located alongside Malayer’s expansive “Bam” tourism area and the “Health Road,” Mini World continues to draw significant attention for its unique concept and prime location.

Each year, the Mini World complex welcomes a growing number of visitors eager to explore its meticulously crafted replicas and enjoy its vibrant atmosphere, further cementing its status as a cornerstone of Iran’s tourism industry.

More in pictures:

Video: Sisi warns of ‘chaos and destruction’ in Egypt following Assad’s fall in Syria

Sisi

The video, a compilation of old speeches by Sisi, comes in the aftermath of the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

On 8 December, rebels advanced into the capital, Damascus, ending more than 50 years of authoritarian rule by the Assad dynasty.

“Pay attention, their mission in Syria is complete,” Sisi said in the video, broadcast by ON, a channel operated by United Media Services, a company owned by the Egyptian intelligence services.

“They have already destroyed Syria,” he continued, adding: “Their goal is to bring down the Egyptian state.”

Sisi became president in 2014, a year after he led a coup against his democratically-elected predecessor Mohamed Morsi, who died in custody in 2019 due to medical negligence.

Sisi’s decade of rule has been marked by what Human Rights Watch and other rights groups described as the country’s worst human rights crisis in modern history, with over 60,000 political prisoners and thousands believed to be forcibly disappeared.

Sisi has imposed a virtual ban on protests and dissent over the past decade, and repeatedly criticised the 2011 pro-democracy revolution as a conspiracy to dismantle the Egyptian state and divide the country.

“They know that if Egypt falls, chaos will spread around the whole world,” Sisi said in the ON TV clip.

“That’s why all efforts are being made to undermine the Egyptian economy and social peace.”

Sisi then vows to protect Egypt from such efforts.

“I say again and hope everyone understands this message, we will not hesitate to protect our nation from evil and its people,” he added.

“We are protecting our people and the national security of Egypt. Whoever threatens our security, we will confront them using the appropriate means.”

Following the fall of Assad, Sisi held a briefing with media and public figures in which he alluded to developments in Syria, saying that it is unlikely that Egypt would witness the same.

“There are two things I haven’t done: my hand has not been tainted with anyone’s blood and neither has it taken anyone’s money,” he said in a video that went viral last week.

“As long as Egyptians are united, with their army and police forces, no one will be able to do anything.”

Following the departure of Assad on 8 December, many Syrian refugees in Egypt took to the streets in spontaneous celebrations.

However, Egyptian security forces quickly dispersed the gatherings and detained around 30 Syrians, according to an Egyptian rights group.

On Monday, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) announced that three of those detained are now facing deportation to Syria.

Meanwhile, Al Arabiya reported last week that Egypt has imposed new visa restrictions on Syrians.

Syrians holding European or American visas now require an additional security permit to enter Egypt, according to the report.

Israel kills at least 8 in West Bank raids

Israel Palestine

Seven people were killed in an Israeli drone attack and shooting by troops in the Tulkarem refugee camp, and one person was killed in the nearby Nur Shams camp, the Health Ministry said, following a bloody day of Israeli military raids that began at dawn on Tuesday.

The ministry added that two Palestinian women – identified as Khawla Ali Abdullah Abdo, 53, and Bara Khalid Hussein, 30 – and an 18-year-old, Fathi Saeed Salem Obaid, were among the seven people killed in the Israeli attacks on Tulkarem.

The official Wafa news agency reported that the teenager died after being shot in the chest and abdomen and the two women were reported killed in drone strikes.

The victim in the Nur Shams camp was identified as Mahmoud Muhammad Khaled Amar, who was shot by Israeli soldiers and later found dead on the ground in the camp’s Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Mosque neighbourhood, Wafa also reports.

Several people were also injured in Nur Shams following an Israeli drone strike, according to the news agency.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it killed one Palestinian in a “counterterrorism” operation in Tulkarem, while its forces arrested 18 other people and confiscated dozens of weapons.

The Israeli military confirmed later that an Israeli aircraft had carried out a strike on the Nur Shams refugee camp.

Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced in a statement that two of its members were killed in Tulkarem.

An improvised explosive device planted by Palestinian fighters and detonated during the Israeli raid on Tulkarem hit a vehicle in which the commander of Israel’s Menashe Brigade, Colonel Ayub Kayuf, was travelling, causing him injuries and requiring medical evacuation, the Israeli military added early on Wednesday.

Israeli military raids and more shootings of Palestinians were reported across the occupied West Bank late on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning.

Raids by Israeli forces on Palestinian communities across the occupied West Bank have increased in intensity and violence since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza in October 2023 following the Hamas attack on southern Israel.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported last week that 968 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and Israeli settlers across the occupied West Bank between January 2023 and November 2024.

Of those killed, 210 were Palestinian children, OCHA reported.

Lebanon calls on cease-fire monitoring committee to stop Israeli violations

Lebanon War

Speaking during a meeting of the cease-fire monitoring committee, Mikati stressed the need to “stop the Israeli violations and to immediately withdraw Israeli forces from the border areas in southern Lebanon”.

The Lebanese government said in a statement that Mikati reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to the agreement, calling the Israeli violations of the cease-fire deal “unacceptable”.

He urged the monitoring committee to “pressure Israel to implement the terms of the cease-fire agreement, particularly withdrawing from occupied areas and halting its violations”.

The committee also includes representatives of the US, France, Israel, and the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Under the terms of the Nov. 27 cease-fire, Israel is required to withdraw its forces south of the Blue Line – a de facto border – in phases, while the Lebanese army is to deploy in southern Lebanon within 60 days.

More than 4,000 people were killed and over 16,500 injured in Israeli attacks in Lebanon, in addition to over 1 million displaced since October 2023, according to Lebanese health authorities.

Iran lifts Ban on WhatsApp, Google Play in a landmark decision

This marks the first step in the government’s promise to ease internet restrictions, a decision hailed as a major policy shift.

Minister of Communications Setareh Hashemi on Tuesday expressed optimism on social media, emphasizing that this step reflects unity and commitment to improving internet access.

Similarly, Elyas Hazrati, head of the Government Information Council, celebrated the decision as the fulfillment of a key presidential promise.

Nima Ghazi, head of the Tehran E-Commerce Association, noted that lifting these restrictions signals a new perspective in governance, moving away from the longstanding policy of censorship.

Ali Sharifi Zarchi, a professor at Sharif University of Technology, wrlcomed the decision and highlighted the economic burden of VPN usage, which has fueled a lucrative market for sellers at the expense of ordinary citizens.

However, critics cautioned about the potential challenges. Issa Zarepour a former communications minister urged accountability, stressing that those responsible for such decisions must ensure effective regulation and mitigate “risks associated with increased digital access”.

Many say this decision, while seen as a hopeful sign, underscores the complexities of balancing open internet access with regulatory oversight in Iran.

One child gets killed every hour in Gaza: UN

Gaza War

In a post on X, UNRWA, which has been banned from operating within Israel and occupied East Jerusalem by the Israeli parliament, wrote: “One child gets killed every hour. These are not numbers. These are lives cut short. Killing children cannot be justified. Those who survive are scarred physically and emotionally.”

“Deprived of learning, boys & girls in Gaza sift through the rubble. The clock is ticking for these children. They are losing their lives, their futures & mostly their hope.”

Israel has continued a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip since a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 last year despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

More than 45,300 people, mostly women and children, have been killed and over 107,700 injured, according to local health authorities.

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

Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.

Several killed in blast at explosives factory in Turkey

The explosion at a facility in the Karesi district of Balikesir province occurred around 8:25am local time on Tuesday, CNN Turk reported.

One of the buildings of the factory complex partially collapsed as result of the blast, Ustaoglu told the broadcaster. The other buildings remained unaffected, he added.

“I would like to stress that there was no sabotage. We assume that there was a technical malfunction, but, of course, it will all become clear after a detailed investigation,” the governor said.

Turkey’s Center for Combating Disinformation issued a statement urging the public to only use official sources for information about the blast, and not to “give credence to unfounded allegations”.

The head of a nearby settlement told CNN Turk that the explosion was so powerful that tremors were felt in the village.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc announced that an investigation was launched, which will be carried out by four public prosecutors under the coordination of a deputy chief prosecutor.

The affected facility specializes in producing munitions for light weapons for domestic and international markets. It has been operating since 2014, according to Turkish media.

Zelensky claims over 3k North Korean soldiers killed, wounded in Russia

North Korean Soldiers

Russia has reportedly deployed about 12,000 North Korean troops to help oust Ukrainian troops fighting in Kursk Oblast since early August.

Zelensky warned of the global risks posed by deepening military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, including the transfer of modern warfare experience and advanced military technology.

“There are risks of North Korea sending additional soldiers and military equipment to the Russian army, and we will have tangible responses to this,” Zelensky stated.

He added that increased collaboration between Russia and North Korea threatens to destabilize the Korean Peninsula and nearby regions.

Zelensky’s estimation, that he said comes from Ukraine’s intelligence, is a significant increase from other recent reports about the North Korean casualties.

South Korean MP Lee Sung-kwon told reporters on Dec. 19 that at least 100 North Korean troops have been killed and 1,000 injured, with casualties linked to their lack of experience with terrain and modern drone warfare.

Reports of North Korean troops fighting in Kursk Oblast emerged earlier in November, but Russia reportedly started using them in ground assaults in December. Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder confirmed on Dec. 16 that North Korean soldiers had sustained their first casualties during combat in the region.

Ukrainian officials note that while North Korean forces are particularly vulnerable to drones, their presence has enabled Russian troops to make limited territorial gains in the oblast, retaking some of the land held by Ukrainian troops.

The deployment of North Korean forces follows Ukraine’s surprise cross-border incursion into Kursk Oblast in August, marking an escalation of the war into Russian territory.