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“Very high” risk of cholera spreading in Lebanon: WHO

Lebanon War

Abdinasir Abubakar, the WHO’s representative in Lebanon, said the organization has been concerned for months about the risk of cholera due to the “deteriorating water and sanitation situations” for refugees and in high-risk areas.

“If the cholera outbreak … spreads to the new displaced people, it might spread very fast,” Abubakar told reporters in an online news conference.

Lebanon suffered its first cholera outbreak in 30 years between 2022 and 2023, mainly in the north.

With the mass displacement of more than a million people caused by the Israel-Hezbollah war, Abubakar highlighted concern, in particular, for communities in southern Lebanon and the Beirut area that have not built up cholera immunity for decades.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the country’s Ministry of Public Health activated emergency protocols to strengthen surveillance and contact tracing after detecting the case.

In August, the ministry launched a cholera vaccination campaign targeting 350,000 people living in high-risk areas, but the campaign was “interrupted by the escalation in violence”, the WHO chief noted.

Cholera, which spreads primarily through contaminated water and food, causes severe diarrhea and dehydration. People who live in areas with shortages of safe drinking water or inadequate sanitation are vulnerable to the disease, which can result from consuming bacteria-contaminated food or water.

Several aid groups warn Israel is ‘erasing northern Gaza’

Gaza War

Israel has ordered the remaining 400,000 Palestinians in the north to leave and imposed a renewed siege on civilians until they comply.

On 6 October, Israel launched a major offensive on northern Gaza and ordered residents to flee south.

Israeli officers and analysts have suggested that the military is implementing a controversial plan, known as “the Generals’ Plan”, to ethnically cleanse northern Gaza or otherwise starve and kill those who remain behind.

This is despite Israel’s claims that Hamas has already been defeated in the north.

Since the start of the operation, Israeli troops have killed at least 350 Palestinians, including 65 in the past 24 hours, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

A statement signed by 38 aid groups accuses the Israeli army of carrying out forced displacement under the guise of “evacuation” orders.

Organisations, including ActionAid, Action For Humanity, Oxfam, Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map), Islamic Relief, Christian Aid and other British and international charities, warned against actions that exacerbate Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

The aid groups said Israel has largely ignored several legally binding orders from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt or prevent actions against Palestinians that may amount to genocide.

These actions include “killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part and imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group”.

“There is no evidence that Israel has adhered to these orders, and the killing of Palestinians has only intensified,” the statement read, adding: “Civilians are being starved and bombed in their homes and their tents.”

In July, the ICJ confirmed the illegality of Israel’s occupation and annexation of Palestinian lands following the 1967 conflict.

“Any attempt to alter the territorial integrity of Gaza constitutes a blatant violation of international law,” they added.

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced last week that food security in northern Gaza is at risk, as no food aid has entered the area since 1 October.

Three hospitals, already overwhelmed by the conflict, are affected by ongoing military operations in the north.

The London-based International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) announced on Monday that Israel’s operation in northern Gaza may amount to the war crime of using starvation as a weapon of war.

On Wednesday, the Palestinian health ministry reported that Israeli forces have killed at least 42,409 Palestinians since 7 October 2023.

Over 60 percent of the victims are women and children, according to the official death toll, which has been recognised by the UN and international aid groups as credible.

More than 99,153 have been wounded during the same period and at least 10,000 remain missing, likely buried under rubble.

Israeli forces fired at peacekeepers’ watchtower in Lebanon: UN

In a statement on X, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said its peacekeepers “observed an IDF (Israel Defense Forces) Merkava tank firing at their watchtower. Two cameras were destroyed, and the tower was damaged”.

“Yet again we see direct and apparently deliberate fire on a UNIFIL position,” the post read.

The incident is the latest in a series of Israeli attacks and violations against peacekeepers in Lebanon and comes as Israel expands its bombardment and ground attacks on the country, killing hundreds of people and displacing nearly a quarter of the population.

On Sunday, UNIFIL noted Israeli troops “forcibly entered” a UNIFIL position near the village of Ramyah, crossing the UN-mandated Blue Line, the de facto border between Israel and Lebanon, with two tanks. Israeli troops later fired smoke rounds near peacekeepers, leaving 15 personnel suffering from skin irritation and gastrointestinal issues. UNIFIL also reported that Israeli troops obstructed a critical logistical movement near Meiss el-Jabal on Saturday.

It came as Israel’s foreign minister claimed Tel Aviv has “no intention” of harming the United Nations’ peacekeeping forces in southern Lebanon. The Israeli government has also demanded that UNIFIL leave its positions in southern Lebanon, claiming the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah is using peacekeepers as “human shields”, but the peacekeeping force has refused to do so.

Hezbollah denies Israel’s accusation that it uses the proximity of peacekeepers to protect its fighters.

The UN has announced the Israeli military has fired on its peacekeepers multiple times, forcibly entered a base, stopped a critical logistical movement, and injured more than a dozen of its troops in southern Lebanon in recent weeks.

“We remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel and property and to respect the inviolability of UN premises at all times,” the UNIFIL statement read.

At least 2,367 people have been killed in Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, and 11,109 wounded, since October 8, 2023, the ministry said.

According to the Health Ministry, over 100 paramedics have been killed by Israeli airstrikes since October 8 and more than 220 have been injured. The strikes have also destroyed 128 ambulances and fire trucks and damaged at least 10 hospitals and 45 medical centers.

On Wednesday, 16 EU countries that contribute soldiers to the UN’s peacekeeping mission called for revised rules of engagement in Lebanon, saying they need to be more effective in light of recent attacks.

Iran’s nuclear official says Tehran ready for all scenarios in face of Israel’s threats

Iran nuclear program

“The attack and threats of attack on Iran’s nuclear sites are not new,” Kamalvandi stated, highlighting a history of sabotage and attacks dating back to years ago.

“[Former US president] Barack Obama explicitly stated that if he could, he would even unscrew the nuts and bolts of Iran’s nuclear industry,” he added.

“Up to now, they have done everything they could against Iran’s nuclear industry. If there is something they have not done, it is because they could not do it, not because they did not want to.”

He emphasized that Iran takes such threats seriously and has taken proactive measures to minimize potential damage.

“Accordingly, we have designed and anticipated in such a way that even in the event of their folly, damages will be minimized. Today, we are in a position to announce that in the event of the enemy’s folly, regardless of the response that Iran’s military forces will give, the Atomic Energy Organization has also adhered to principles and taken actions that even in the event of an attack, they cannot achieve anything.”

Israeli media reported that the regime is bracing to respond to Iran’s retaliatory attack on October 1, which involved the launching of almost 200 ballistic missiles at military bases in the occupied territories. Multiple Israeli politicians and Zionist analysts have suggested striking Iran’s nuclear facilities and energy sites.

Kamalvandi further emphasized the unlikelihood of a successful attack, noting that even if such an event were to occur, the damage would be minimal and quickly mitigated due to Iran’s expertise and readily available plans.

“First, it is highly unlikely that such an event will occur. Second, if such folly were to happen, it is very unlikely that they would cause serious damage to Iran. Third, even if damage occurs, the country can quickly compensate for it because knowledge resides in the minds of our specialists and scientists. We are proficient in technology; plans are available and exist on paper; they only need to be executed. Therefore, these threats are not serious or concerning to us, but we have always been vigilant and will continue to be,” the spokesperson concluded.

US announces new Ukraine military aid package

Western Weapons Russia Ukraine War

The package includes missiles for the NASAMS and Stinger air defense systems, rockets for HIMARS launchers, and artillery shells. The US will continue to work with “some 50 Allies and partners” to “meet Ukraine’s urgently needed battlefield requirements”, the White House said.

President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky by phone on Wednesday, promising to “intensify security assistance planning alongside international partners in order to ensure that Ukraine has the equipment it needs to prevail”, according to a readout of the call.

Zelensky thanked the US for its support. “The leadership of President Biden in uniting the world and the firm bipartisan support in America have been crucial and helped Ukraine to prevail and defend our independence,” he wrote on Telegram.

The Ukrainian leader unveiled a five-point “victory plan” on Wednesday, which is yet to be formally endorsed by Kiev’s Western backers. NATO countries have so far declined Zelensky’s requests to immediately invite Ukraine to join the US-led alliance, or to lift restrictions on the use of Western-supplied longer-range weapons for strikes deep inside Russia.

Ukraine has argued that these restrictions, together with delays in weapons deliveries, have contributed to its recent setbacks on the battlefield, as Russian troops have been steadily gaining ground in the Donbass.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has dismissed Zelensky’s proposals as a “set of incoherent slogans”. Moscow has repeatedly said that the conflict can only be settled on its terms.

UK says exploring sanctions against two Israeli ministers

Smotrich and Ben-Gvir

Previous foreign secretary David Cameron had planned to sanction Smotrich and Ben-Gvir before his then-governing Conservative Party lost an election in July, and Starmer told parliament he too was looking at the option.

Starmer was responding to a question about Smotrich’s comments that starving civilians in Gaza might be justified and Ben-Gvir’s remarks that perpetrators of settler violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank were heroes.

“We are looking at that because they’re obviously abhorrent comments,” the prime minister said.

In defiant statements, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir each said the threat of sanctions would not lead to a change in their positions.

“They don’t scare me and I will continue to act only according to Israel’s highest national interests,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement, while Smotrich said “no threat will prevent me from doing the right and moral thing for the citizens of Israel.”

Starmer was speaking ahead of an urgent meeting at the United Nations Security Council to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza called by Britain, France and Algeria.

Starmer’s government has taken a slightly tougher line on Israel since it was elected, although it supports Israel’s right to defend itself.

It has limited some arms export licences to Israel, saying there was a risk that certain equipment might be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law.

On Tuesday, it also announced new sanctions on Israeli settler organisations it said had sponsored violence against Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

IRGC chief warns Iran will strike Israel ‘painfully’

He issued the warning while addressing a crowd in the central Iranian city of Isfahan during the funeral procession of the IRGC commander Major General Abbas Nilforoushan, who was assassinated in an Israeli strike along with Hezbollah chief Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut last month.

Major General Hossein Salami said, “We carried out Operation True Promise 2 to make you recalibrate your calculations.”

“If you make a mistake and attack our targets, whether in the region or in Iran, we will strike you again painfully,” General Salami warned.

The remarks came following the escalating tensions in the region after Israel vowed to respond to Iran’s attack on October 1 involving around 200 ballistic missiles, which General Salami warned will beget further Iranian retaliation.

The top commander stated that Israel made a miscalculation by the assassination of leaders of Hamas, Hezbollah and advised the Israeli regime not to “repeat the same mistake.”

“To each point you attack, there will be painful retaliation to the same point on your side; decide carefully,” he stressed.

He also lauded General Nilforoushan as a “great commander and thinker” who was involved in designing strategies against Israel.

Spokesperson stresses Iran’s commitment to peaceful nuclear activities

Iran nuclear programe

Baghaei has strongly slammed the repeated unfounded claims about three Iranian islands in the final statement of the EU-Persian Gulf Cooperation Council joint summit.

He stated such claims are clear indications of the member countries’ disregard for the principles and objectives of the UN Charter, particularly the principle of respecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The spokesperson emphasized, “The three islands of Abu Musa, the Greater Tunb, and the Lesser Tunb are an inseparable part of Iranian territory and will remain so.”

“Using misleading concepts or repeating false and deceptive claims about this significant part of Iran’s territory changes nothing about the reality,” he added.

He reiterated that the Islamic Republic of Iran considers the islands an integral part of its territory and exercises its national sovereignty over them, while respecting the principles of the UN Charter and good neighborliness.

Baghaei expressed regret that some regional countries focus on false territorial claims against a neighboring country instead of addressing the most urgent issue of the Islamic world, region, and the world, namely the continued genocide of the oppressed people of Palestine and the Zionist regime’s aggression in Lebanon.

He noted, “It was expected that the regional countries would use the opportunity of the joint summit with EU leaders, some of whom are major suppliers of weapons and political support to the apartheid regime of Israel, to hold them accountable and stop Israel’s genocide and aggressions, urging the occupying regime’s supporters to refrain from collaborating with it.”

Baghaei also highlighted the importance of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s defense capabilities as essential for exercising its inherent right to self-defense and deterring threats and ambitions of rogue and warmongering parties, and safegaurding regional security and stability.

He stated, “The Islamic Republic of Iran has always used its military capabilities responsibly only for legitimate defense, adhering to the principles and rules of international law and the UN Charter.”

The spokesperson reaffirmed the peaceful nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear activities, slamming the doubts cast on Iran’s nuclear program as biased, baseless, and unacceptable.

Baghaei reminded European countries that they are also to blame for the failure to implement the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear deal due to their inaction and submission to U.S. exploitative demands during then president Donald Trump’s administration.

Highlighting the critical regional conditions and the serious threats to peace and security due to the Israeli genocide and ongoing aggression on Gaza and Lebanon, Baghaei called on regional countries to prioritize putting an end to the killing of innocent people in Palestine and Lebanon and destroying their infrastructure and to cooperate for a coordinated action to stop the Zionist regime’s warmongering.

Baghaei attributed the change in the European countries’ tone regarding the trio Iranian islands to their policy of appeasement and submission to the Zionist regime.

He advised the European Union to avoid falling into old habits, such as the tendency for divisive interference in the West Asia region, and urged them to allow the countries of the region to resolve any misunderstandings or concerns directly and in a positive atmosphere through respectful dialogue.

US says Houthi weapon storage facilities targeted in B-2 attacks

“This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified,” Austin stated.

“The employment of US Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrate US global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere.”

Austin added he authorized the strikes at the direction of President Joe Biden in order to “further degrade” the Houthis’ ability after more than a year of attacks by the Houthis on US and international vessels in the region. The facilities were holding “various weapons components” of weapons used to target vessels in the Middle East.

“We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks,” he continued.

Since the onset of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the Yemeni group has been conducting numerous strikes against the occupied territories. It has also carried out dozens of attacks on ships with links to the regime in a show of solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s military onslaught against the besieged enclave.

Houthis have stressed that they will not stop their attacks until unrelenting Israeli ground and aerial offensives in Gaza end.

Tehran denies ports of Afghans killed while sneaking into Iran 

Hossein Kazemi Qomi said on X that direct follow-ups through credible sources show that the report was false.

He however noted that Iran has a right to deal with foreign nationals trying to enter Iran illegally.

Kazemi Qomi also said Iran is determined to return all illegal refugees to their country but it will do so in line with international law and in a responsible manner based on its policy of neighborliness and Islamic compassion.

Iran says it will expell two million illegal Afghan refugees by the next 5 months.

Reports say Iran is hosting 10 million Afghan refugees.