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Netanyahu slams Biden administration for not backing ICC sanctions

By
IFP Media Wire
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ICC

“I’m surprised and disappointed, because I think it’s to the detriment, not only of Israel’s interest, I think … it’s … to the detriment of America’s interest, because Israel may be attacked first by the ICC, but you’re next. America’s really the target,” Netanyahu said in a clip of an interview on SiriusXM’s “The Morgan Ortagus Show,” which is set to air Sunday.

The White House pushed back against a sanctions proposal from Congress on Tuesday, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre saying the White House does “not believe” sanctions on the international court are “an effective or an appropriate path forward.”

“And … the terrorists who are attacking us, and the mobs who support them in America, they chant, ‘Death to Israel, death to America,’” Netanyahu continued in the interview.

“When that is backed by a rogue prosecutor in the ICC, it’s in America’s interest, for America’s security and for our common values, to sanction the ICC.”

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan made requests for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, earlier this month.

Khan has said Netanyahu and Gallant have criminal responsibility for starvation as a method of war, intentionally targeting civilians, extermination and persecution, alongside other war crimes.

Netanyahu has expressed his displeasure with the ICC prosecutor’s decision to request the warrants multiple times and compared it to charging former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and former United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II.

“I think these charges are exactly as President Biden called ‘em, they’re outrageous,” Netanyahu stated in an interview on CNN’s “The Lead” with anchor Jake Tapper.

“They’re beyond outrageous. This is a rogue prosecutor that has put false charges, and created false symmetries that are both dangerous and false.”

China’s president calls for peace conference and ‘justice’ over Gaza war as Arab leaders visit Beijing

By
IFP Media Wire
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Chinese President Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a speech at the opening ceremony of the 10th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China May 30, 2024.

“Since last October, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has escalated drastically, throwing the people into tremendous sufferings. War should not continue indefinitely. Justice should not be absent forever,” Xi said Thursday at the opening of a meeting between top diplomats from China and Arab states, also attended by several leaders from the region.

He also reiterated China’s call for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, as well as Beijing’s support for a “more broad-based, authoritative and effective international peace conference”.

The diplomatic gatherings in Beijing come as Israel’s war in Gaza remains an urgent global focus, as Israeli soldiers intensify operations in the enclave’s southern city of Rafah and a humanitarian crisis worsens by the day. Delegations from 22 Arab states met at Beijing’s Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, according to Chinese state media.

Later Thursday, Chinese and Arab-nation ministers adopted a strident joint statement condemning Israel’s “aggression against the Palestinian people” and in Rafah, according to the document as published by Chinese state media Friday.

The statement – which adopted some of China’s most pointed language to date on the conflict – decried what it described as a “deadly famine and blockade that has cut off all livelihoods” and “systematic” destruction of residential areas, hospitals, schools, mosques, churches and infrastructure in Gaza.

China, which has sought to deepen its relations across the Middle East in recent years, has positioned itself in alignment with the Arab world and the broader Global South on the nearly eight-month-long conflict, criticizing Israel and calling for a ceasefire.

Its stance has put it at odds with the United States, long a key power in the region and a primary backer of Israel. Chinese officials have used the conflict to hit out at Washington – fitting into a larger message from Beijing that frames the US as an aggressor unfairly dominating the current world order.

Xi in his remarks hailed a “common desire for a new era of China-Arab relations” and stated their relations could be a “model for maintaining world peace and stability”.

“In this turbulent world, peaceful relations come from mutual respect, and lasting security is built on fairness and justice,” added the Chinese leader, who has pushed for an alternative model for global security to the alliance-based one backed by the US.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and Tunisian President Kais Saied are in China for state visits that coincide with the ministerial meeting.

Israel declared war on Hamas in Gaza following the group’s October 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 taken hostage, according to Tel Aviv. More than 36,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israeli military operations in the besieged enclave, according to its health ministry.

Hamas says no truce talks while Israel continues attacking Gaza

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

“The Hamas movement and the Palestinian factions will not accept to be part of this policy by continuing negotiations in light of aggression, killing, siege, starvation, and genocide of our people,” Hamas said in a statement on Thursday.

“Today, we informed the mediators of our clear position that if the occupation stops its war and aggression against our people in Gaza, we are ready to reach a complete agreement that includes a comprehensive exchange deal.”

Hamas’s statement comes days after Israel announced it is preparing to continue waging war on Gaza for another seven months, and seized the Philadelphi Corridor, a strategic strip of land between Gaza and Egypt.

On Tuesday Middle East Eye reported that Hamas was ending ceasefire talks with Israel unless it withdraws from Rafah and reopens the Rafah crossing.

“They (Israel) must first stop the massacres, leave the Rafah crossing, and stop the aggression – then we can talk. Until that happens, there will be no discussions,” a source close to the Palestinian organisation told Middle East Eye for the earlier article.

Ceasefire talks have been stalled since 6 May, when Hamas had agreed to a proposal put forward by Egypt and Qatar. Israel rejected the deal and that night launched its invasion of Rafah, a southern Gaza border town where about 1.5 million Palestinians are sheltering.

The fate of the talks became a point of contention after CNN reported that an Egyptian intelligence official had “quietly changed” the terms of the proposal, surprising negotiators, including the US, and leading to Israel rejecting the deal.

But Middle East Eye reported on Thursday that CIA director Bill Burns, who is leading mediation on Washington’s side, approved the proposal Hamas accepted before it was submitted to Israeli officials.

Talks on a ceasefire were due to resume this week, but Hamas told international mediators on Tuesday it was ending its participation following Sunday’s “massacre” in Rafah by Israel.

At least 45 people were killed and dozens more wounded, most of them women and children, when Israel struck a camp housing displaced Palestinians in the Tel al-Sultan neighbourhood of western Rafah. The attack came just two days after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to halt its offensive on Rafah.

A source close to Hamas told MEE previously that the group would not resume talks unless Rafah is reopened under its previous administration.

Hamas’s public position that it will not negotiate while Israel continues attacking Gaza is in keeping with what a source close to the group told MEE: “Hamas does not have to sit down for negotiations while the Israelis continue killing.”

According to sources familiar with Hamas, the group wants the US to put pressure on Israel to agree to a deal that would lead to an exchange of hostages and a ceasefire.

The group has also shown “flexibility” about the future governance of Gaza, a senior Palestinian source with knowledge of Hamas’s policies told MEE, adding that the group’s key demand was for post-war governance to be settled among Palestinian factions and not be imposed by either the United States or Israel.

Jalili, Larijani step on board as candidates for Iran presidential election

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Ali Larijani

Ali Larijani is a veteran politician with a diverse experience of ministerial, advisory, and executive posts.

After registering at the interior ministry, Larijani held a press conference on Thursday, saying if he wins the elections he would put improving the deteriorating economic conditions and removing Western-imposed sanctions through diplomacy on the agenda of his administration.

Larijani was disqualified in the 2021 presidential election by the Guardian Council.

Larijani also said beefing up national defense capabilities would be a top priority for him.

Saeed Jalili, a current member of the Expediency Council and a former top nuclear negotiator, has an unrelenting anti-West approach.

He was an unsuccessful candidate in the June 2013 presidential election, placing third.

Jalili also addressed the media after registration, praising the Iranian people for standing behind the government in hardships.

“Today, we need a government that has determination and a plan,” he said, without specifying his plans in case he wins.

Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili

The registration started on Thursday and will run for five days for the June 28 elections in order to elect a successor to President Raisi who died in a helicopter crash along with his accompanying delegation on May 19.

Yemen’s Houthi vows ‘very painful’ response to US-UK deadly strikes

By
IFP Media Wire
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US-led coalition Yemen

“Yemen will definitely respond to the American and British acts of aggression against our country and the American-British coalition will not be able to ward off our responses,” Ali al-Qahoum, a member of the political bureau of Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement, told Lebanon’s al-Mayadeen television.

“The Americans and Britons must have understood how powerful Yemeni strikes will be. Our ballistic missiles can target desired targets in the sea and in the occupied Palestinian territories,” he said.

Qahoum suggested that the US, as the top ally of Israel and supporter of the regime’s expansion of an ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip, had no interest in a de-escalation in the region.

“If the United States does not seek to expand the scope of the war, it should then end its support for the invasion of Gaza and its siege. Yemeni attacks will otherwise continue and its scope will also expand,” Qahoum pointed out.

Nasruddin Amer, another member of the political bureau of Ansarallah movement, also said Yemeni and Palestinian nations will definitely emerge triumphant and achieve victory.

“This is a divine promise and it will definitely come true. Even if the whole world attacks Sana’a, we will never abandon Gaza,” he pointed out.

The remarks came hours after Yemen’s official Saba news agency, citing a security source speaking on condition of anonymity, reported that a US-British airstrike hit the radio station building in the al-Hawak district of Yemen’s strategic western province of Hudaydah early on Friday.

The source noted that two people were killed and ten others injured as a result.

US and British forces also conducted strikes against the communications network in an area of the Hayfan district in Yemen’s southwestern province of Ta’izz, and on several buildings in the capital province of Sana’a.

Yemen’s al-Masirah television channel said 16 people were killed and tens of others were wounded in the strikes.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have staged numerous pro-Palestinian strikes since October 7, when the Israeli regime began the Gaza war.

American and British warships have been carrying out attacks against the Arab Peninsula nation to force Yemen to stop its operations against Israeli vessels or those heading towards the ports lying in the occupied Palestinian territories.

At least 36,224 Palestinians have been killed and 81,777 others wounded in the brutal Israeli military onslaught that was launched following Al-Aqsa Storm, a retaliatory operation staged by Gaza’s resistance groups.

The US has been the main supporter of Israel, providing it with munitions and political support in its brutal war on Gaza. Washington has also used its veto power to protect Israel against UN resolutions.

US allows Ukraine use its weapons against targets in Russia

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russia Ukraine War

“The President recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use US-supplied weapons for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkov region so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them or preparing to attack them,” the official said.

“Our policy with respect to prohibiting the use of ATACMS or long range strikes inside of Russia has not changed,” he added.

The Politico newspaper reported on Thursday, citing four unnamed individuals including two US officials, that Biden gave the Kiev government a secret permission to use US-supplied weaponry for attacking targets in the Russian territory. According to the report, the permission applies to Russian regions that border Ukraine’s northeastern region of Kharkov.

In an interview with the Economist, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg suggested NATO allies should reconsider whether Ukraine could use Western-supplied weapons to carry out strikes on military facilities inside Russia’s internationally recognized borders. However, Stoltenberg said at a session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly that there should be no NATO troops on the ground in Ukraine because otherwise, it would be difficult to keep the bloc out of the conflict.

In late May, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that when speaking about strikes inside Russia, representatives of NATO countries, “should be aware of what they are playing with”.

According to Putin, Russia is closely monitoring such a discussion. Once Ukraine’s military uses long-range weapons, Moscow will once again have to decide on ‘a sanitary zone’, Putin added.

UN General Assembly honors late Iran President Raisi

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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The session, attended by representatives from various countries and organizations, paid tribute to the significant contributions of the late Iranian officials.

In his opening remarks, the President of the UN General Assembly, Dennis Francis, expressed condolences to Iran, stating, “We have gathered today to extend our deepest sympathies to Iran following the passing of President Raisi.” 

He also praised the diplomatic skills of the late Iranian Foreign Minister, describing them as remarkable. 

The representative of Haiti, speaking on behalf of Latin American and Caribbean nations, noted, “The death of the President of Iran was a shock to the international community.” 

Also the Non-Aligned Movement’s representative highlighted Iran’s pivotal role in promoting cooperation among developing countries during the tenures of Raisi and Amirabdollahian. 

Addressing the session, Saeed Iravani, the Iranian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, described Raisi as a respected leader committed to fostering good neighborly relations and prioritizing global diplomatic ties during his exceptional presidency. 

Iravani also lauded late Foreign Minister Amirabdollahian as a distinguished diplomat known for his mutual respect in both international and regional arenas.

Iran acting president meets Syria’s Assad in Tehran

By
IFP Media Wire
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The two top officials met on Thursday morning as Mokhber hosted the Syrian president who visited Tehran to pay respect to the late President Ebrahim Raisi and his entourage martyred in a helicopter crash in northwest Iran on May 19.

Mokhber expressed gratitude to the Syrian president and government for their sympathy with the Iranian nation over the demise of President Raisi, Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, and their companions.

Iran’s acting president said that the strengthening of relations between Iran and countries in the region and beyond was among the achievements of president Raisi and his foreign minister Amirabdollahian, adding that Iran’s extensive interactions with its neighbors, Islamic countries as well as like-minded nations have changed the equation of power in the world.

Mokhber also referred to a key strategy pursued by Iran and Syria in supporting the resistance front, saying that enemies’ plot to harm the resistance as well as Tehran-Damascus friendly relations has already been foiled, with the climax of their failure being visible in Gaza where the Zionist regime has failed to achieve its goals despite being backed by world powers.

President Assad, for his part, underscored that Iran-Syria relations are strategic and based on unalterable principles.

Pointing to the demise of President Raisi, he said that the Islamic Republic of Iran has become strong in the face of different crises over the past 44 years, adding that enemies’ plots or losses such as the president’s demise are not able to adversely affect the country.

Saudi textbooks remove Palestine from most maps: Report

By
IFP Media Wire
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The study, conducted by the NGO Impact-se, tracks changes in Saudi school textbooks over the past five years, as reflected in the 2023-24 academic year.

It reviews 371 textbooks published between 2019 and 2024, and highlights content removed, altered or that which remained unchanged.

A social studies textbook for grade 12 defining Zionism as a racist movement was no longer taught from 2023, while another textbook still taught has removed the chapter about the Palestinian cause, the study revealed.

According to the study, the social studies textbooks for grades five and nine consistently don’t name Palestine or Israel on maps, which is an omission from the 2022 versions which only named Palestine on the map.

“Most maps removed the names of all countries not bordering Saudi Arabia, including Palestine, and in some cases all country names were removed,” the report added.

Likewise, two maps in a geography textbook for grades 10-12, which previously named Palestine, now do not display the names of any country bordering Saudi Arabia. The same omission took place in social studies textbooks for grades six and seven.

Islamic studies and geography textbooks for grades 10-12 also removed maps that previously displayed historic Palestine instead of Israel.

A reference to Israel as “the Zionist entity” in the 2021 social studies textbook for grades 10-12 was removed in the 2022 edition, and the entire textbook that included a lesson on Arab and Saudi support for the Palestinian cause was discontinued in 2023.

The report also documented some alterations in textbooks that now refer to Israel in a less hostile tone.

For example, the 2022 version of a high school social studies textbook replaced references to Israel as “the Zionist enemy” with “the Israeli occupation army”. The same textbook edited “the Israeli enemy” to “the Israeli occupation”, and “the Zionists” to “the Israelis”, or “the Israeli occupation army”.

Saudi Arabia has not formally recognised Israel since its creation in 1948, but there has been persistent speculation that the kingdom would normalise relations with the state as its Persian Gulf neighbours Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have in recent years.

These rumours, however, were disrupted following the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli war on Gaza that has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians.

Saudi Arabia has been a strong opponent and critic of Israel’s onslaught.

The Saudi foreign ministry announced in February that no normalisation would take place without a ceasefire and progress toward Palestinian statehood.

Russia warns F-16 supplies to Ukraine would signal NATO ‘ready for anything’

By
IFP Media Wire
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F-16 jet fighter

According to Lavrov, F-16 fighter jets have long been used as part of NATO’s joint nuclear missions. Russia has warned repeatedly that it would regard the jets sent to Ukraine as a nuclear threat because of their capacity to carry atomic weapons.

The fourth-generation fighter planes have been at the forefront of Kiev’s demands for military aid from the West in an effort to challenge Russia’s airpower advantage.

In an interview with Rossiya Segodna published on Thursday, Lavrov said that NATO was trying to signal it is “literally ready for anything” in Ukraine.

“We cannot help but consider the supply of these systems to the Kiev regime as a deliberate signaling action by NATO in the nuclear sphere,” he explained.

Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway have all pledged to supply Ukraine with US-made F-16 fighters, although none have so far been delivered. However, earlier in May, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that the first planes would arrive in Ukraine “in the coming month”.

Ukrainian pilots are currently training on F-16s in Romania, where a NATO-backed flight school for this purpose was opened late last year.

Lavrov emphasized his view that furnishing Kiev with increasingly destructive weapons indicated the West’s reluctance to end the Ukraine conflict.

The foreign minister stated that F-16s would not change the situation on the battlefield, as they would be destroyed like other types of weapons supplied by NATO countries to Ukraine. In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that the jets would be targeted by Russia at airfields in NATO countries if they operate from there.

Lavrov also cautioned the West against nuclear escalation, which could result in “catastrophic consequences”, adding that he hopes Russia’s recent nuclear exercise conducted jointly with its ally Belarus will “bring some sense” to NATO.

Putin ordered a drill earlier this month to test Russia’s ability to use non-strategic nuclear weapons. The move was described as a reaction to hostile statements by the West.

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