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Aid group says several killed in Israeli attack on Gaza hospital convoy

By
IFP Media Wire
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The strike killed several people employed by a transportation company that the aid group was using to bring supplies to the Emirates Red Crescent Hospital in Rafah, Sandra Rasheed, Anera’s director for the Palestinian territory, stated on Friday.

The strike happened Thursday on Salah al-Din Street in the Gaza Strip and hit the convoy’s first vehicle.

“The convoy, which was coordinated by Anera and approved by Israeli authorities, included an Anera employee who was fortunately unharmed,” Rasheed said in a statement cited by The Associated Press news agency.

“Despite this devastating incident, our understanding is that the remaining vehicles in the convoy were able to continue and successfully deliver the aid to the hospital. We are urgently seeking further details about what happened.”

In a later statement, Anera said four Palestinians were killed in the strike.

It identified the dead as “four community members with experience in previous missions and engagement in community security”.

They “stepped forward and requested to take command of the leading vehicle, citing concern that the route was unsafe and at risk of being looted”, the Anera statement read.

“The four community members were neither vetted nor coordinated in advance, and Israeli authorities allege that the lead car was carrying numerous weapons. The Israeli air strike was carried out without any prior warning or communication,” it added.

Israeli forces have repeatedly opened fire on other aid convoys in the Gaza Strip.

The World Food Programme (WFP) announced a pause in the movement of its employees in the Gaza Strip “until further notice” after one of its vehicles was hit by gunfire just metres from an Israeli-controlled checkpoint.

The incident took place on Tuesday night as the vehicle was approaching the Wadi Gaza Bridge checkpoint.

“None of the employees onboard were physically harmed,” the WFP said in a statement.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, blamed Israel for the attack, telling reporters in New York that the “clearly marked” humanitarian vehicle was “struck 10 times” by Israeli gunfire, including with bullets targeting front windows.

Five of the bullets were on the driver’s side and some on the windscreen.

The team was returning from a mission to Karem Abu Salem, known as Kerem Shalom to Israelis, with two WFP armoured vehicles after escorting a convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian cargo on the way to Gaza’s central area.

Dujarric stated the convoy’s movements had been coordinated with the Israeli military and it had clearance to approach.

“This is the latest incident to underscore that systems in place for coordination are not working,” he continued, adding that “we will continue to work with the [Israeli military] to ensure that incidents like that do not happen again”.

WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain described the attack as “unacceptable” and said it was “the latest in a series of unnecessary incidents that have endangered the lives” of her team members in Gaza.

“As last night’s events show, the current deconfliction system is failing and this cannot go on any longer,” she added.

In late July, UNICEF announced two of its vehicles were hit with live ammunition while waiting at a designated holding point. An Israeli attack in April hit three World Central Kitchen vehicles, killing seven people.

According to the UN, more than 280 aid workers have been killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip since October 7.

Israeli forces sexually harassing Palestinian women in West Bank: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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In one incident, a young Palestinian woman said an Israeli soldier exposed himself to her at a checkpoint on 17 August.

The woman stated that she was crossing the Tamar checkpoint in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood when the soldier stopped her and instructed her to open her bag. After she complied, he took down part of his trousers and asked her: “Do you want it? Come and see.”

“Out of shock, I left the checkpoint and didn’t know what was happening, I felt as if someone had given me a slap,” she told Haaretz.

The young woman reported the incident to the local community leader, Basam Abu Aisha, who then contacted a senior civil administration official, who accompanied the woman to the checkpoint, where she identified her harasser.

According to Abu Aisha, he was subsequently threatened by a civil administration officer, Shadi Shubash, who told him that the young woman’s testimony was a “lie” and warned him not to “get involved”.

“I was exhausted and depressed by it. Now it’s easier for me, but when I want to go through the checkpoint I’m afraid the same thing will happen again,” the woman told Haaretz.

The Israeli forces said that they have launched an investigation into the incident.

Following the incident, other women reported similar humiliating treatment at checkpoints in the city, testifying to a spike in sexual harassment by Israeli soldiers in recent weeks.

One young woman reported that an Israeli soldier took photos of her and her sister when they were crossing the same checkpoint.

Another reported that an Israeli soldier searched her phone while holding her hand.

“He grabbed my hand and told me to open the phone. I told him these were my private photos, why should I open them?” she stated.

Others reported experiencing regular verbal abuse as they passed checkpoints, saying that young women are now scared to cross them on their own.

Hebron residents also reported that, since metal detectors were installed following 7 October, women are sometimes required to remove their clothing. In some cases, women reported being instructed to remove their hijabs.

In June, a UN report found that Israeli authorities have systematically subjected Palestinian women and girls to sexual violence, including forced nudity, public stripping, sexualised torture and harassment.

The report concluded that these abuses form part of the “ISF [Israeli security forces’] operating procedures”.

“These acts were intended to humiliate and degrade the victims and the Palestinian community at large, by perpetuating gender stereotypes that create a sense of shame, subordination, emasculation and inferiority,” the report added.

Several killed, dozens wounded in Russian bombing of high-rise building in Ukraine’s Kharkiv

By
IFP Media Wire
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Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said a 14-year-old girl was among the dead.

The 12-storey apartment block caught fire as a result of the strike, Ihor Terekhov, the city’s mayor, stated.

The death toll from the attack climbed to seven when a woman’s body was recovered from the rubble, he added in a later statement.

About 20 of the injured were in severe condition, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

One end of the block was engulfed in black smoke, with many of the upper floors in flames. Several cars parked outside were gutted by fire.

Emergency services and rescue volunteers rushed to carry survivors out of the building. The body of one of the victims lay under a carpet on the ground outside, surrounded by police.

Kharkiv has been the focus of heavy Russian bombing throughout the war, although there had been a drop in intensity in recent weeks, possibly related to a shock incursion launched by Ukrainian forces into Russia’s Kursk region.

Ukrainian authorities announced that Friday’s attack involved five aerial guided bombs launched from planes in Russia’s Belgorod region, also known as “glide bombs” which are fitted with a navigation system taking them to their targets.

The weapons are hard to intercept and they have become a fearsome tool in the war in eastern Ukraine in recent months that can cause huge devastation.

Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians. Thousands have been killed and wounded during the full-scale invasion Moscow launched in Ukraine in 2022.

In the wake of the Kharkiv strike, Zelensky renewed a call on Western allies to allow Ukraine to use long-range Western weapons to attack Russian military air bases.

“A strike … would not have happened if our defence forces had the ability to destroy Russian military aircraft where they are based,” Zelensky said on Telegram, adding, “There is no rational reason to restrict Ukraine’s defences.”

Top commander warns Israel on Iran’s radar 

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Addressing the worshippers in the Friday prayers sermons in the Iranian capital Tehran, Brigadier General Alireza Sabahi Fard, commander of the Islamic Republic of Iran Air Defense Force (IRIADF) said, “Considering the threats of global arrogance, we have upgraded our defense capabilities ahead of them. Of course, we are not oblivious to other threats and we are carefully monitoring the Zionist regime.”

The senior commander said the Iranian air force acts upon instructions by the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei that “the life of a nation depends on improving the components of power,” and added “Based on this, we have based a detailed analysis of the air defense battle scene.”

Brig. Gen. Sabahi Fard argued that the enemies have stepped up their hostilities because “Iran is becoming a role model as a driving force of resistance movements and confronting oppression and achieving true independence and freedom.”

Explaining that the country’s air force manufactures its defense needs in all areas according to the aerospace threats, the commander said it is “constantly producing, repairing and optimizing the equipment.”

WHO says Israel agreed to pauses in Gaza fighting for polio vaccination

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization’s representative for the West Bank and Gaza, told a press briefing from a video link Thursday that the pause would start September 1 and will be split into three 3-day phases.

“We have a preliminary commitment for area-specific humanitarian pauses during the campaign,” he said, adding that the pauses will roll out first in “central Gaza for three days, followed by south Gaza and then followed by north Gaza”.

An Israeli official confirmed to CNN that polio vaccinations will begin in Gaza on September 1. Each phase of the vaccination campaign is expected to take around seven hours, and during those hours, the vaccines will be able to enter the area on “pause” and be distributed.

Basem Naim, a member of Hamas’ political bureau, stated the group welcomed the push for a pause in Gaza to implement the vaccination drive.

“We are ready to cooperate with international organizations to secure this campaign.”

Since the war, Gaza’s near-universal polio vaccine coverage has dropped to just over 80%.

Peeperkorn told the UN press briefing that more than 90% coverage was needed to stop the outbreak in the besieged Palestinian territory.

He warned that the three-day periods “might not be enough to achieve adequate vaccination”, adding that it “has been agreed, when needed, the campaign will be extended by one day per zone, or even more when necessary”.

He stated that it would be a two-round vaccination campaign with a four-week interval between the first and second doses.

The resurgence of the virus – eliminated in most of the developed world – highlights the struggles facing Gaza’s two million residents, who have lived under Israeli bombardment since October last year.

Many people in the enclave are deprived of food, medical supplies and clean water, with up to 90% of the population internally displaced.

The aim of the immunization campaign is to vaccinate about 640,000 children under the age of 10 with two doses each. According to Peeperkorn, 1.26 million doses of vaccines and 500 vaccine carriers have already been delivered to the blockaded territory.

Polio mostly affects children under five years old, and can cause irreversible paralysis and even death. It’s highly infectious and there is no cure; it can only be prevented by immunization, according to the WHO.

PGCC chief says members favor cooperation with Iran to deal with security challenges 

By
Fatemeh Askarieh
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During the phone call, Al-Budaiwi congratulated Araghchi on his appointment as Iran’s foreign minister.

The two sides exchanged views on the cooperation and promotion of ties between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the council.

Al-Budaiwi underscored the Islamic Republic of Iran’s stance in promoting peace and stability in the region and pointed out that the members of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council are interested in consulting and interacting with Iran on major regional challenges.

Meanwhile, Araghchi thanked al-Budaiwi for his felicitation and expressed the Islamic Republic of Iran’s willingness to improve its friendly and fraternal relations with the council and its members.

Araghchi further stated the Islamic Republic believes that the relations between Iran and the council should enter a new phase of mutual understanding and cooperation.

Iran police clarify details on death in custody of young man in north

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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According to the statement, 36-year-old Mohammad Mirmousavi, who was taken into custody after getting into a fight and altercation with locals in the village of Naserkiadeh, in the vicinity of the tourist city of Lahijan, misbehaved and provoked the officers to deal with him harshly.

The statement also admits, “The behavior of some law enforcement agents was against the professional policy of the police and is not acceptable in any way, so the personnel were referred to the judicial authorities.”

Iran’s police chief Brigadier General Ahmadreza Radan has suspended the head of the police station and the officers involved in the case, according to the statement.

The issue has caused uproar in the media in the early days of the new administration in Iran.

The death in custody prompted Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian to order the interior minister to form a committee to investigate all aspects of the incident and report the results to the cabinet as soon as possible.

The investigative team were on the scene on Thursday and forensic pathologists have carried out follow-ups to determine the cause of death of the suspect, but the results have not been released yet.

Iran’s Para-Taekwondo Athlete, Zahra Rahimi, Wins Silver Medal at Paris Paralympic Games

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iran’s representative Ms. Rahimi participated in the under 52 kg para-taekwondo category on Thursday.

After defeating opponents from China, Brazil, and Georgia, she advanced to the final, where she faced Surenjav Ulamvayar from Mongolia.

Iran's Para-Taekwondo Athlete, Zahra Rahimi, Wins Silver Medal at Paris Paralympic Games

In the final match, the Iranian athlete was defeated with a score of 5-2, earning the silver medal.

With this achievement, Iran secured its first medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, placing the country on the medal table.

Pezeshkian says Iran seeking to expand ties with all countries

By
IFP Media Wire
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Masoud Pezeshkian

In a phone call with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on Wednesday, Pezeshkian stated that the Islamic Republic tries to spread peace and friendship. At the same time, it condemns any aggression anywhere and is ready to cooperate to stop any sort of violence and insecurity in the world.

The president went on to say that Iran was interested in expanding its interactions with Norway and that Tehran hoped that these talks would lead to strengthening and consolidating relations between the two states.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Pezeshkian criticized the US administration’s withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and complained about European countries for not adhering to their commitments under the agreement.

Appreciating Norway’s stances in support of the Palestinian people, the chief executive called on the Norwegian prime minister to work with other European countries to stop the crimes of the Israeli regime against the oppressed people of Gaza.

Støre, for his part, described the relationship between Iran and Norway as friendly and historic, saying that his country has always considered itself a friend of Iran and has always wanted more progress and prosperity for the Iranian nation.

The premier also expressed concern over the escalation of tensions in the West Asia region, adding that his government condemned the Israeli war on Gaza and its catastrophic consequences.

He stated that Norway, along with Ireland and Spain, was among the first European countries that recognized Palestine as an independent state, the premier noted, expressing hope for an end to the bitter incidents in the besieged enclave.

Iran urges UN Security Council to put aside inaction regarding Israeli atrocities against Palestinians

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-

Kanaani on Thursday strongly condemned Israel’s massive raids in the occupied West Bank which has so far claimed the lives of 18 people.

Kanaani emphasized that the attacks by the Zionist regime’s army on Palestinian cities and camps in the northern West Bank, the savage destruction of urban and service infrastructures, and even the armed and violent entry of the Israeli forces into medical centers and hospitals in the West Bank, is the continuation of the Zionist genocide campaign in the Gaza Strip, indicating the Zionist regime’s intention to expand the scope of killings and crimes against Palestinian citizens.

The spokesperson for the foreign ministry referred to the intensification of attacks by Zionist soldiers in the West Bank, along with increased provocations in the holy city of Al-Quds and the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the open revelation of inflammatory plans by members of the Zionist regime’s cabinet.

Kanaani said all these clearly reflect the Zionist regime’s malicious and racist intentions regarding the entire geography of Palestine, the Palestinian citizens, and the Islamic sanctities in this sacred land.

He praised the heroic resistance of the Palestinian people and resistance groups against the Zionist regime’s killing machine in Gaza and the West Bank.

The spokesman called on responsible international bodies, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to abandon their inaction in the face of blatant violations of international law and humanitarian law by the occupying Zionist regime.

Kanaani urged those organizations to take immediate and effective actions within their legal responsibilities and in response to the calls of the awakened human consciences to stop the genocide of the Palestinian people by the child-killing Zionist regime.

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