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Biden’s remarks on Gaza ceasefire ‘green light’ for Israel to continue war: Hamas

By
IFP Media Wire
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The “misleading claims… do not reflect the true position of the movement, which is keen to reach a ceasefire” agreement, the Palestinian group said in a statement.

It called Biden’s remarks – which were made on Tuesday as the US president prepared to leave Chicago after a keynote address to the Democratic National Convention – an “American green light for the Zionist extremist government to commit more crimes against defenceless civilians”.

The statement came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Egypt Tuesday for talks on a Gaza ceasefire.

Hamas stated Biden’s remarks reflect a clear “American bias” towards Israel and Washington’s complicity in the “war of extermination against defenceless civilians in the Gaza Strip”.

The group added it is committed to a ceasefire framework outlined by Biden on May 31 which he said had been proposed by Israel.

It described the latest US modifications to that plan as “a coup against” the previous framework, accusing Washington of “acquiescing” to conditions set by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Netanyahu was always the one obstructing an agreement and setting new conditions and demands,” Hamas said, calling on “the US administration to reverse its policy of blind bias towards the Zionist war criminals.”

It urged the “mediators to assume their responsibilities” and oblige Israel to accept the original proposal.

Gaza ceasefire talks in Qatar concluded on Friday by presenting “a proposal that narrows the gaps” between Israel and Hamas that is consistent with the principles set out by Biden on May 31.

Biden stated in May that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange, and the reconstruction of Gaza.

But Hamas said on Sunday that Netanyahu set new conditions in the Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap proposal that was floated during the Doha talks.

“The new proposal meets Netanyahu’s conditions and aligns with them, particularly his refusal of a permanent cease-fire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction (which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip), the Rafah crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor (in the south),” Hamas announced in a statement.

“He also set new conditions in the hostage swap file and retracted from other terms, which obstructs the completion of the deal,” it added.

For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a prisoner exchange and cease-fire and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. But mediation efforts have been stalled due to Netanyahu’s refusal to meet Hamas’s demands to stop the war.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023 despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The conflict has resulted in nearly 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and almost 92,800 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Resigned UK official: Israel perpetrating war crimes in plain sight

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

“What we can see is appalling acts of violence perpetrated on civilians, on civilian property,” Mark Smith, formerly the lead author of the central assessment governing the legality of UK arms sales in the Foreign Office’s Middle East and North Africa directorate, said in an interview with BBC Radio 4.

“It’s actually quite clear, even from what you can see in open source… that the state of Israel is perpetrating war crimes in plain sight,” he said.

“Anybody who has a basic understanding of these things can see that there are war crimes being committed not once, not twice, not a few times, but quite flagrantly and openly and regularly.”

When asked if he had raised the issue internally, Smith responded that he done so “at pretty much every level”, including with Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

“That’s my duty and that would be quite normal for public servants, we’re are very used to upholding the law,” he added.

“We would normally raise things internally that we might have a question over, particularly if we have subject matter specialism, as I do.”

But he said he received an “unsatisfactory” response, prompting his resignation.

In his leaked resignation letter, which was first reported by Hind Hassan on X on Friday evening and then confirmed by Middle East Eye, Smith said that after raising his concerns in the department, including through a whistleblowing investigation, he received nothing more than “thank you we have noted your concern”.

In his letter, Smith said this disregard “is deeply troubling. It is my duty as a public servant to raise this,” and called for other officials “to join the many colleagues who have also raised concerns over this issue”.

Smith is the first known British official to resign over Israel’s war on Gaza.

But since 7 October, disquiet has been growing among civil servants over the UK’s continued arms sales to Israel.

In May, a former civil servant working on international aid policy reported in Declassified UK that up to 300 Foreign Office staff had formally raised concerns about Britain’s complicity in Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

In July, the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), which represents British civil servants, requested a meeting with the Cabinet Office over the war in Gaza and its implication for government employees.

On his first day in office, Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he had requested a comprehensive review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law.

In July, sources told MEE that the UK was expected to introduce restrictions on arms sales to Israel, but subsequent reports in the Times and Guardian suggested the decision was delayed due to legal difficulties in defining UK-made weapons that are used by Israel in its war on Gaza, and those that are used for defence.

Bodies of six hostages held in Gaza recovered: Israel

By
IFP Media Wire
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The military said in a statement that its forces recovered the bodies in an overnight operation in southern Gaza.

It identified the hostages as Yagev Buchshtab, Alexander Dancyg, Avraham Munder, Yoram Metzger, Nadav Popplewell and Haim Perry, without saying when or how they died, the Associated Press reports.

Five of the hostages were over 50 years old when they were captured, and three had family members who were released during a weeklong cease-fire in November.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the recovery effort and stated “our hearts ache for the terrible loss.”

“The State of Israel will continue to make every effort to return all of our hostages — both alive and dead,” he added in a statement.

The war began when Hamas-led fighters stormed across the border on 7 October, killing about 1,200 people, and abducting 250 to Gaza. More than 100 were released in a November ceasefire. About 110 are believed to be in Gaza, though Israeli authorities believe around a third are dead.

Gaza’s health ministry announced more than 40,100 Palestinians had been killed in the war. Thousands more are believed to be buried under the rubble and tens of thousands more have been injured.

The vast majority of Gaza’s population has been displaced, often multiple times, and about 85% of the territory has been put under evacuation orders by the Israeli military, according to the UN.

Mediators have spent months pursuing a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the blockaded strip and the release of Palestinians prisoners from Israeli jails.

Iran dismisses claims on interfering in US presidential elections as ‘baseless’

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The Iranian mission said in a statement, “Such allegations are unsubstantiated and devoid of any standing. As we have previously announced, the Islamic Republic of Iran harbors neither the intention nor the motive to interfere with the U.S. presidential election.”

“Should the U.S. government genuinely believe in the validity of its claims, it should furnish us with the pertinent evidence—if any—to which we will respond accordingly,” it added.

The FBI and several US intelligence agencies had jointly claimed that that Iran was involved in hacking of the campaigns of Democratic and Republican candidates for the 2024 US presidential election, Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.

The Iranian mission’s reaction in New York came a week after it rejected a similar report that some documents exist on Iran’s role in hacking the Trump campaign.

Zelensky: Ukraine controlling 92 settlements In Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russia Ukraine War

Ukrainian troops are in control of 92 settlements and more than 1,250 square kilometers of Kursk Oblast in Russia as the incursion into the region continues, Zelensky said on Monday.

Kyiv’s unprecedented operation is ongoing for two weeks, with the Ukrainian military capturing the town of Sudzha in Kursk Oblast and allegedly destroyed all three bridges over the Seim River near the border.

Speaking at a meeting in the city of Dnipro, the president stated that Ukraine continues to strengthen its positions, stabilize “certain areas” and continues to take Russian soldiers as POWs.

“This operation has become our largest investment in the process of releasing Ukrainians from Russian captivity. We have already captured the largest number of Russian prisoners in one operation,” he added, without elaborating.

Ukraine declined to provide a full number of Russian captives taken during the Kursk incursion.

Zelensky noted that “hundreds” of Russian soldiers had been captured as of Aug. 13, while an undisclosed Ukrainian colonel has claimed that the number may be as high as 2,000.

The Russian border near Ukraine’s Sumy Oblast has been “largely cleared” of the Russian soldiers, which Zelensky called one of the tactical goals of Kyiv’s incursion.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Ukraine will receive a proper response. Russia stated that Kiev has made a “conscious decision” to end the possibility of peace talks with Moscow by launching its incursion into Kursk Region.

Gazans ‘live among rubble’ amid relentless Israeli attacks: UN

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge said on Monday that the Israeli forces were massacring more Palestinian civilians in the besieged region and using repeated evacuation orders as cover to commit atrocities.

“Strikes are now relentless: the day starts with people checking if family and friends are still alive, and ends hoping they make it through the night,” she added.

UNRWA has reported that 80 percent of the Gaza Strip’s infrastructure has been destroyed since Israel launched its savage military campaign across the besieged Palestinian territory in early October last year.

The United Nations recently reported that 10 months of Israeli war in Gaza have generated approximately 42 million tons of debris. Clearing the rubble is expected to cost up to $700 million and could take several years to complete.

According to the UN, the scale of destruction in Gaza is unprecedented, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble.

The sheer volume of debris poses a significant challenge for recovery efforts, both logistically and financially.

UN estimates suggest that the cleanup operation could extend over several years, some say 15 years given the complexity and scope of the work involved.

The most recent report by the world body has also identified approximately 73 percent of industrial and business facilities as damaged across Gaza.

UN also says most of Gaza’s population has been displaced, including many who have been forced to evacuate multiple times.

New reports of death and destruction emerged on Monday as Israeli forces launched more deadly strikes on the central and southern parts of the besieged strip.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the total number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli regime’s genocide since early October has topped 40,100, mostly women and children. More than 92,000 people have also been injured.

The Palestinian Civil Defense recently said the catastrophic death toll of more than 40,000 given by health officials fails to capture the full extent of Palestinian losses during Israel’s 10-month-old genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.

This comes as tens of thousands are missing or buried under mountains of rubble, many with “disintegrated bodies”.

The Lancet, a leading general medical journal, earlier estimated that the death toll from Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip could be 186,000 or even more.

Iran president’s pick for trade ministry says ‘rise in non-oil exports’ on agenda

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Mohammad Atabak addressed the parliament on Tuesday, the fourth day the lawmakers are assessing the qualifications of the proposed cabinet.

The proposed minister also said “the development of new export blocs with an emphasis on national, provincial zones and target markets, maximum use of capacity, agreements with neighboring countries, preferably through unions, and maximum use of the capacity of various regional agreements” are among his plans.

He also stressed that the trade ministry, under his command, would continue the country’s cordial ties with BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

Atabak highlighted that he would seek to make plans according to changes, explaining “planning should always be updated depending on the conditions.”

The proposed minister for the ministry of industry, mine, and trade was the first nominee to have been assessed in Tuesday’s session.

The parliament will convene on Wednesday to vote on the cabinet lineup.

Hamas throws cold water on Blinken’s announcement regarding Gaza truce

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

Hamdan made the comments during an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday evening local time after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s meeting with Netanyahu in Israel and announcement that Netanyahu had voiced support for the US-backed bridging proposal.

Hamdan said the movement had agreed to a truce proposal that had been forwarded by the administration of US President Joe Biden last month.

“We agreed to the proposal presented by Biden, but the US administration failed to convince [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu,” he added.

“The Israelis backtracked on issues included in Biden’s proposal.”

Following Tel Aviv’s U-turn, the US, Egypt, and Qatar, which have been mediating talks aimed at conclusion of a truce agreement, announced they had come up with a new scheme.

Blinken also claimed afterwards that Netanyahu had “accepted” the plan.

Hamdan, however, asserted that Hamas would only agree to implementation of the previous proposal.

The former proposal had featured, among other things, a permanent ceasefire, the regime’s withdrawal from Gaza, and a reconstruction process.

The Hamas’ spokesman likewise underlined that any agreement “must include five specific points, including stopping the aggression, withdrawing from Gaza, and reconstruction”.

“We are still committed to our obligations and are ready to implement them immediately. The one obstructing the efforts to reach an agreement is Netanyahu,” he underscored.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.

The Israeli onslaught has since killed over 40,130 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 92,740, according to local health authorities.

More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Defense chief pick: Iran has managed to establish deterrence vis-à-vis enemies

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Nasirzadeh added that under such circumstances, the pressures of the global arrogance and their regional lackeys against the resistance front and the Islamic Republic of Iran have intensified but despite that, Iran’s influence over the world’s oppressed nations have increased.

He noted that while adversaries of Iran are trying to forge alliances against the Islamic Republic, Tehran has succeeded in creating a powerful detterence.

Nasirzadeh stressed that the main and special task of the Defense Ministry is to maximize the production of power, noting that Iran has achieved this goal because it has managed to establish deterrence vis-à-vis the enemies.

Nasirzadeh made those at a parliamentary session where he was supposed to outline his plans to boost the Defense Ministry in roder for lawmakers to approve him for the key post.

US claims Israel accepted latest Gaza ceasefire proposal, putting onus on Hamas

By
IFP Media Wire
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“In a very constructive meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu today, he confirmed to me that Israel accepts the bridging proposal, that he supports it,” Blinken said during a press conference from the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

“It’s now incumbent on Hamas to do the same.”

But Hamas has generally rejected the statements coming out of the ceasefire talks over the past few weeks. The group stressed it had agreed to a ceasefire proposal laid out on July 2, but it accused Netanyahu of putting up new conditions that made it impossible for it to accept.

Among Hamas’s demands are agreement on a permanent ceasefire and comprehensive withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from the besieged enclave.

Blinken raised doubts about Hamas’s public statements and apparent rejections of where ceasefire talks currently stand.

“We’ve seen public statements before that don’t fully reflect where Hamas is,” Blinken added.

“The critical next step is for Hamas to accept the bridging proposal that Prime Minister Netanyahu has now accepted, and then to engage with everyone else on making sure that we have clear understandings of how each party would actually implement the commitments that it’s undertaken in this agreement.”

The terms of the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas are generally laid out to begin with a six-week truce that would require Hamas to release hostages it kidnapped from Israel on Oct. 7 during its attack and for Tel Aviv to release Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails.

During this time, the US and partners are expected to dramatically scale up delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinian’s in the Gaza Strip. Throughout the six-week truce, the US, Qatar and Egypt are expected to mediate more negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a permanent end to the war.

Blinken stated there is a “real sense of urgency” in Israel and across the region for the need to get the ceasefire deal across the finish line, as fighting has escalated across multiple fronts.

Israel and Hezbollah continue to trade rocket fire over Lebanon’s southern border, as a broader Iranian attack against Israel looms — in retaliation for the assassination of top Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

The US has dispatched significant military resources to the Middle East to help defend Israel in case of an Iranian attack, with Blinken warning Monday against all parties from taking actions that would escalate conflict.

“What’s most crucial now is that everyone,” he paused and stressed again, “everyone, refrain from taking any actions that could fuel further conflict, escalate tensions and result in the spreading of violence and conflict.”

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