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UN worker killed in Israeli attack on Gaza’s Rafah

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza war

According to local Palestinian authorities, the pair were in a United Nations vehicle displaying the UN flag and insignia when they were targeted.

Waibhav Anil Kale, 46, began working with the United Nations Department of Safety and Security in Gaza last month.

Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, confirmed that a staff member had been killed in Gaza.

“With the conflict in Gaza continuing to take a heavy toll – not only on civilians, but also on humanitarian workers – the secretary-general reiterates his urgent appeal for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and for the release of all hostages,” he said.

The government in Gaza announced: “We strongly condemn the ongoing atrocities perpetrated by the Israeli occupation against both the Palestinian population and foreign aid workers in Gaza.”

“We urge all nations to denounce these reprehensible acts,” it added.

According to Israeli daily newspaper Haaretz, Israeli officials said they were aware of an incident in which one person was killed and another wounded.

The Israeli military claimed it was investigating the killings.

Since October, at least 216 aid workers have killed in Gaza, the vast majority of whom were Palestinians killed by Israeli aerial bombardment, according to figures compiled by the Aid Worker Security Database.

In April, Israeli drone strikes killed seven aid foreign workers from the World Central Kitchen (WCK) after they brought a new shipment of food into the famine-afflicted territory.

The attack on WCK workers highlighted the flawed humanitarian notification system in Gaza.

At least 357 humanitarian-run sites and convoys in Gaza whose coordinates had been shared in advance with warring parties were hit before the WCK attack, Middle East Eye previously reported.

The majority of the hits to deconfliction humanitarian sites – 352 – were to locations run by UNRWA, the largest aid organisation operating in Gaza, including a food distribution centre and schools sheltering thousands of civilians.

Ukraine dispatches reserves to Kharkov amid Russia advances

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russia Ukraine War

On Monday, its Department of Strategic Communications (StratCom) revealed on Telegram that the move is intended to strengthen Ukrainian defenses in the area, adding that the buildup of forces would continue “depending on the development of the situation”.

The department noted that Russian forces were continuing to gain ground in the Kharkov direction and have managed to dislodge Ukrainian troops from several key areas. This was also confirmed by the army’s general staff on Monday, which admitted that Russia has had “tactical success” in its recent offensive push.

Meanwhile, other media reports have suggested that Kiev is also relocating some of its forces from other regions to the area as Russia pushes closer to the second-largest city in Ukraine.

According to Bloomberg, Kiev has started to deploy more troops to stabilize the northeastern front line, noting that Russia’s offensive has likely stretched Ukraine’s already “outgunned and out-manned forces”, and could push Kiev to also redeploy troops from the eastern front.

TASS news agency has also reported, citing a source within the Russian military, that a number of Ukrainian units from the Krasnoarmeysk area in the Donetsk People’s Republic appear to have been transferred north to Kharkov.

Similar reports were published on Sunday claiming that Kiev had been redeploying its reserves from Russia’s Konstantinovka region to the northern front line.

According to statements by Russia’s Defense Ministry and reports on the ground, its forces have secured several villages in Kharkov Region since last Friday, and have made advancements near the settlements of Volchansk, Neskuchnoye, Liptsi, and Vesyoloe.

Russian forces currently hold the upper hand in fighting near the city of Kharkov, Ukraine’s general staff announced on Monday.

Kremlin: Putin to visit China within days

By
IFP Media Wire
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Putin Xi

The Kremlin said that the state visit at the invitation of the Chinese leader is scheduled for May 16 and 17. During the summit, the two leaders “will discuss in detail the entire range of issues of comprehensive partnership and strategic interaction” between Moscow and Beijing, as well as determine key directions for the further development of Russian-Chinese ties.

Putin and Xi will also discuss the “most pressing international and regional issues”, the Kremlin added. The leaders are expected to sign a joint statement and a number of bilateral documents, the announcement said, without giving further details.

The Russian leader will also hold talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, the second-highest ranking official in the country. The meeting will focus on bilateral trade, economic and humanitarian cooperation.

In addition, Putin and Xi will attend a gala marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Beijing, as well as the opening of the Russian-Chinese Years of Culture.

The Russian president will also visit the city of Harbin in northeast China, which was founded by Russian settlers in the late 19th century. There, he will take part in the opening ceremony of the Russian-Chinese EXPO, which will be held from May 17 to 21. Putin will also oversee the opening of the Russian-Chinese Forum on Interregional Cooperation, and meet with students and professors of Harbin Institute of Technology.

Russia and China have maintained close ties for several decades, declaring in early February 2022 that “friendship between the two states has no limits, there are no ‘forbidden’ areas of cooperation”. Against this backdrop, Beijing has not denounced Moscow’s military campaign against Kiev, nor joined unprecedented Western sanctions over the conflict.

At the same time, China has floated a plan to settle the Ukraine conflict, calling for a ceasefire, “respecting the sovereignty of all countries” and “abandoning the Cold War mentality”. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov praised the initiative, noting that it is the most “clear” and detailed plan of its kind.

In March 2023, Chinese leader Xi Jinping paid a landmark visit to Moscow, with the two sides signing a package of documents on economic cooperation. In October of that year, Putin traveled to the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing where he held one-on-one talks with Xi, discussing a number of “sensitive issues”.

President: Over 1,000 Hamas members under treatment in Turkey

By
IFP Media Wire
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Erdogan

He said calling Hamas a “terrorist organization” would be “a cruel approach.”

“I do not see Hamas as a terrorist organization. On the contrary, Hamas is a resistance organization whose lands have been occupied since 1947 and after the occupation they have protected their lands. They are resistance organization struggling to protect those places,” Erdogan added, according to Turkey’s state news agency Anadolu.

Ankara has been one of Israel’s fiercest critics since the conflict with Hamas broke out in October.

In early May, the Trade Ministry in Ankara said in a statement the Turkish government has suspended all trade with Israel in response to the Gaza war.

The suspension of all export and import operations has been introduced in response to the Jewish state’s “aggression against Palestine in violation of international law and human rights,” the statement read.

Ankara will strictly implement the new measures until Israel allows uninterrupted and sufficient flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the document added. Israel has been accused by the UN and human rights groups of obstructing deliveries of aid into the enclave. Turkish officials will coordinate with the Palestinian Authority to ensure that Palestinians are not affected by the suspension of trade, the ministry said.

The total suspension follows last month’s restrictions imposed by Ankara on exports to Israel of 54 product categories including construction materials, machinery, and various chemical products. Türkiye had previously stopped sending Israel any goods that could be used for military purposes.

Israel declared war on Hamas in October in response to a deadly attack staged by the armed group, in which at least 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage. The retaliatory bombing and ground operation in Gaza has caused the deaths of more than 35,000 people, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Iran: Nakba Day reminder of bloody era of genocide, massacre, displacement, occupation against Palestinians

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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Iranian Foreign Ministry

The statement referred to the discovery of the mass graves in al-Nasser and al-Shafa hospitals in the Gaza Strip, adding it depicts a harrowing picture of the brutal regime’s crime against humanity.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Zionist regime for killing more than 35,000 innocent people and injuring 75,000 people and displacing hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza.

It also slammed the all-out political, military, intelligence and economic support for the Israeli regime by the US in over the past seven months.

The statement reads, “May 14, 1948 was the beginning of the miserable era of the occupation of the Palestinian lands and the flagrant violation of the rights of its oppressed people, especially their right to self-determination whose sinister repercussions have affected the region and the Muslim world for 76 years and has turned into a deep and painful sore on the body of the Islamic world”.

Pointing to the British colonialism in the creation of the Zionist regime, the statement says “Nakba Day is a reminiscent of the beginning of the bloody era of genocide, massacre, displacement, occupation and desecration of the holy land of Palestine with the green light and direct as well as indirect support of the colonial powers of the world, with the United States on top of them.”

The statement referred to the resolution approved by the UN General Assembly on May 10 regarding the full membership of Palestine in the UN, adding the Islamic Republic of Iran declares its support for Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations and believes that accepting Palestine as a full UN member is the first step and a turning point in dealing with the historical injustices against the Palestinian people.

US top diplomat believes Israel’s ‘total victory’ over Hamas not ‘likely or possible

By
IFP Media Wire
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Hamas

Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell spoke about the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas during the NATO Youth Summit in Miami just days after the Biden administration paused certain arms shipments to Israel.

“I think in some respects, we are struggling over what the theory of victory is. Sometimes when we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they talked about mostly the idea of some sort of sweeping victory on the battlefield, total victory,” Campbell said.

“I don’t think we believe that that is likely or possible,” he added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to pursue an “absolute victory” over Hamas, which attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The Israeli military has moved into Rafah in recent days, where more than 1 million Palestinians were at one point seeking refuge from the war.

Campbell explained that the U.S. believes there needs to be “more of a political solution” to the war.

“I will say what’s different from the past is that in that sense, many countries want to move towards a political solution in which the rights of Palestinians are more respected,” he stated.

“I don’t think it’s ever been more difficult than right now, but I still believe that the commitment is there. And we’re hearing that more and more from countries in the region as well.”

His comments come after President Biden said last week he’ll stop sending offensive weapons to Israel if it invades Rafah, where the Biden administration has repeatedly warned against invading.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the US has not seen any Israeli plans to protect civilians or for the future of Gaza after the war.

“We believe two things. One, you have to have a clear, credible plan to protect civilians, which we haven’t seen. Second, we also need to see a plan for what happens after this conflict in Gaza … is over,” he said on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

US army officer resigns, protesting support for Israel’s Gaza ‘ethnic cleansing’

By
IFP Media Wire
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Gaza War

Major Harrison Mann said he resigned from the Department of Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) over the “nearly unqualified support” the US has provided Israel “which has enabled and empowered the killing and starvation of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians [in Gaza]”.

In a resignation letter posted on LinkedIn on Monday, Mann, who resigned on 1 November, explained to colleagues the reason for his “abrupt departure” from the agency.

“At some point…you’re either advancing a policy that enables [the] mass starvation of children, or you’re not,” he wrote, adding, “I know that I did, in my small way, wittingly advance that policy.”

Mann served as a US Army officer for 13 years, with a posting as a security cooperation officer at the US embassy in Tunis.

Following his stint in Tunisia, he served as a Middle East intelligence analyst at DIA, and most recently as an “executive officer” at the agency’s Middle East and Africa centre, according to his LinkedIn account.

Mann’s departure is the first time a US Army officer and member of the intelligence community has publicly resigned in protest against US support for Israel’s war on Gaza.

The Department of State has seen two public resignations over the Biden administration’s Gaza policy, the most high-profile of which was the departure of Josh Paul, a former director overseeing US arms transfers.

Annelle Sheline, a foreign affairs officer on a two-year contract with the State Department, also resigned in March.

Mann acknowledged the junior role he played at DIA, noting that his work may have appeared “administrative or marginal”.

“The past months have presented us with the most horrific and heartbreaking images imaginable…and I have been unable to ignore the connection between those images and my duties here. This caused me incredible shame and guilt.”

Mann cited his European Jewish ancestry, stating he was “haunted” by what he believed was his failure to live up to the“unforgiving moral environment when it came to the topic of bearing responsibility for ethnic cleansing”.

Mann is not the first member of the US military to protest against US support for Israel.

In February, Aaron Bushnell, a 25-year-old US Air Force serviceman, self-immolated outside Israel’s embassy in Washington DC as he screamed “Free Palestine”, in protest against the Biden administration’s Gaza policy. He later died of his injuries.

However, Mann’s letter is notable because he lays out how he wrestled with the notion of military duty and respect for senior officers with his personal opposition to US support for Israel.

“I told myself, I don’t make policy and it’s not my place to question it,” he said, adding that he was sure some colleagues would “feel betrayed”.

He described an environment where few colleagues spoke out about the war in Gaza and US support for Israel. “I felt like I was living in an alternate universe.”

“I now realize the obvious – if I was afraid to voice my concerns, you were too.” He wrote.

Mann’s resignation letter comes as US and Israeli defence ties are under intense scrutiny, with President Biden threatening to withhold offensive arms from Israel over Rafah.

On Friday, the Biden administration released a report stating that there are reasonable grounds to believe Israel used American-supplied weapons “inconsistent” with international humanitarian law but stopped short of issuing a final judgement.

Hezbollah chief: 1,500 Israeli soldiers killed since start of Gaza war

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israeli Army

Nasrallah revealed the death toll of the Israeli military during a Monday speech marking the martyrdom anniversary of Mustafa Badreddine, a senior Hezbollah commander killed in an attack by Israel in Syria’s Damascus in 2016.

Nasrallah did not reveal whether the Israeli death toll includes the fatalities suffered by the regime in recent months in its cross-border trading of fire with Hezbollah.

The Israeli regime has kept secret the number of soldiers killed or wounded in the war on Gaza as well as those killed in Hezbollah’s missile and drone attacks.

The Hezbollah leader said that Israel has failed to achieve its declared objectives in Gaza where it has killed over 35,000 Palestinians.

He added even people in the Israeli-occupied Palestine doubt claims of victory in Gaza by members of the Israeli regime led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“There is unanimity in Israel over Israel’s failure… The Israelis are ridiculing Netanyahu when he speaks about victory,” he continued.

Nasrallah stated that Israel is seeking to invade the southern Gazan city of Rafah, where more than a million have sought refuge from the regime’s brutal attacks on other parts of the territory, in an attempt to cover up its defeat in Gaza.

On Hezbollah’s ongoing confrontation with Israel, Nasrallah said that the Lebanese group will continue its campaign to pressure Israel to halt the war in Gaza.

“The Lebanese front will continue to support Gaza, this is decisive and final, and the Americans and the French have acknowledged this fact,” he added.

Australian couple driving through Bean car from Europe to Australia

By
IFP Editorial Staff
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According to the Iranian Center for Tourism and Motoring, the couple have so far visited France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia after starting their journey on April 1 this year in London.

They crossed into Iran through the Bazargan crossing, bordering Turkey, on May 12.

During their 12-day stay in Iran, this tour will first take them to the northwestern cities of Makou, Tabriz, Zanjan, as well as the capital Tehran.

After a one-day stop in the Iranian capital, they will go to Kashan, Isfahan, and Yazd. Kerman, Bam and Zahedan are the other Iranian cities that the couple will visit.

Then they leave Iran after crossing into Pakistan through the Mirjaveh border crossing in Sistan and Baluchestan province.

In 1927, an Australian tourist named Francis Birtles traveled from London to Australia in a Bean car via the same route.

The Australian couple has entered Iran about a hundred years later, with the same Bean car, which is now among the most valuable vintage cars of the world.

Russia ready If West wants to fight for Ukraine: Top diplomat

By
IFP Media Wire
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Russia Ukraine War

“This is their [Western countries’] right, if they want to [settle the conflict] on the battlefield, it will be on the battlefield,” Lavrov said during consultations at the parliament’s upper house on Monday.

Moscow has repeatedly announced that it is ready for negotiations to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, but taking into account the current reality, Lavrov added.

Speaking about the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland planned for June, with Russia was not invited, Lavrov likened the situation to “giving a schoolboy a reprimand”.

“The conference… boils down to formulating an ultimatum to Russia once again.”

Switzerland will host the high-level conference on Ukrainian crisis at an alpine resort in Nidwalden canton outside of Lucerne from June 15-16. Switzerland noted that it had invited over 160 delegations from around the world to attend the event. Russia was not included on the guest list.

The remarks came as Ukraine’s military chief has admitted his forces are facing a “difficult situation” in the northeastern region of Kharkiv, where thousands more people have fled their homes as Russian forces continue to advance.

At least 4,000 civilians have fled the Kharkiv region since Friday when Moscow’s forces launched the operation, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said in a social media statement. Heavy fighting raged Sunday along the northeast front line, where Russian troops attacked 27 settlements in 24 hours, he added.

The Russian Ministry of Defence reported Sunday that its forces had captured four villages on the border in addition to five villages reported to have been seized on Saturday. These areas were likely poorly fortified due to the dynamic fighting and constant heavy shelling, easing the Russian advance.

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