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Israel abandoning hostages to hunt Hamas leaders: Military officers

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Israel Army

Speaking on condition of anonymity, three officers, one of whom is serving in Gaza, questioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy in the ongoing war on Gaza, which has killed at least 34,900 Palestinians and failed to return captives taken by Hamas on 7 October.

One officer told MEE the government’s aims were unclear and the objective of rescuing captives and destroying Hamas had “collapsed”.

“Netanyahu’s operations in Gaza are fundamentally aimed at … hunting down Yahya Sinwar,” said the officer in Gaza, adding that the war had become “personal” for the Israeli premier.

Sinwar, Hamas’s leader in the enclave, is Israel’s number one target and has not been seen in public since the war began.

The officer told MEE that Israel’s military had become “obsessed” with Sinwar and the upper echelons of the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.

Last month, a Hamas official stated Sinwar had visited combat zones above the ground and held deliberations with the group’s leadership abroad.

Speaking to the pan-Arab news outlet Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed (or The New Arab), the Hamas official added Sinwar was not always staying in tunnels, as claimed by Israel, but also performing his duties in the field.

The military officer in Gaza said that conducting special operations targeting high-ranking individuals in a densely populated area risked making the conflict “perpetual”, and would be impossible without Israeli casualties and subsequent “retaliations” by the army.

“The army and intelligence are unable to make the right decisions in this respect,” one source added.

An officer not currently serving in Gaza stated a “new phase” of the war was being planned involving a long-term military presence through special operations.

“This plan has been partially approved by the US,” the officer told MEE, adding, “It’s all part of a plan agreed upon by the two countries for a Hamas-free Gaza.”

The US has previously announced it opposes the re-occupation of Gaza or re-establishing a permanent Israeli presence there.

Israel has repeatedly said its main war objectives remain “returning our hostages and eliminating Hamas”.

According to the source, the planned long-term presence includes a ground invasion of Rafah, which Israel launched earlier this week.

Israeli forces captured the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt on Tuesday, hours after its troops had disconnected a major road in eastern Rafah from the crossing.

The capture came after several days of deadly heavy air raids and shelling of Rafah, where around 1.5 million displaced Palestinians have been sheltering for months.

It also followed an announcement by Hamas that it accepts a US-mediated ceasefire proposal that leads to the release of all captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, the end of the war and the full withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Everything that Israeli leaders had “discussed for a while” was currently taking place, according to one of the military sources, who added that a temporary truce was likely to follow in order to quell anti-government protests in Israel.

Hamas has repeatedly stressed it will not agree to a temporary truce.

“A few hostages might be exchanged. However, hostages are no longer of concern to anyone,” the source said.

Israel estimates that 128 of around 250 captives taken to Gaza during Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel in October remain there, including 35 who the military says are dead. Hamas says at least 70 captives have been killed in Israeli air strikes.

Protests in Israel led by the families of captives have called on the government to end the war on Gaza and bring their loved ones home.

Responding to Hamas’s agreement to the US-mediated ceasefire proposal on Monday, Netanyahu’s office announced the Palestinian group’s stance was “far from meeting Israel’s core demands”.

However, he said that Israel “will dispatch a ranking delegation to Egypt in an effort to maximise the possibility of reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel”.

Another round of indirect talks reportedly began on Tuesday in Cairo, with the presence of delegations from Hamas, Israel, the US, Qatar and Egypt.

CIA director William Burns, who is leading the talks, is set to arrive in Israel and meet with Netanyahu.

Majority of US Democrats say Israel committing genocide in Gaza Strip

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

The US has repeatedly dismissed South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide as “meritless”, while US lawmakers recently threatened the International Criminal Court over issuing any arrest warrants for Israeli leaders.

But according to findings, 56 percent of Democratic voters disagree with the US administration’s stance while just 22 percent believe that Israel is not committing genocide.

Republican voters find themselves on the same page as the Biden administration, with 58 percent disagreeing with the genocide accusation and 23 percent agreeing. Nineteen percent say they do not know.

Among “all likely voters”, 39 percent think Israel is committing genocide, with 38 percent disagreeing and 23 percent saying that they do not know.

The poll was conducted by Data Progress – a progressive think tank, advocacy group, and polling firm – between 26-29 April, and published on Wednesday.

Another issue that the Biden administration has been at odds with is the US public calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The US has dithered on this issue over time.

For months, the administration said that a ceasefire would only benefit Hamas, even when two-thirds of US voters supported a ceasefire as early as February. Later, the US negotiated a temporary ceasefire but avoided calling for a permanent one.

In recent days, the US has more forcefully called for an immediate ceasefire, most notably after the killing of aid workers from World Central Kitchen by an Israeli strike in April. The latest ceasefire proposal that Hamas announced it was accepting but was rejected by Israel – which was negotiated with the Qataris, Egyptians and the CIA’s William Burns – has however paved a roadmap to a permanent ceasefire.

The latest polling shows that an overwhelming 70 percent of all likely voters want a permanent ceasefire and de-escalation of violence in Gaza. A whopping 83 percent of Democrats and 56 percent of Republicans support a ceasefire, with third-party and independent voters coming in at 65 percent in support of one.

The Biden administration announced this week that it was halting a weapons shipment to Tel Aviv over concerns over Rafah, and is also considering reviewing other arms packages to Israel.

But over the last seven months of the war, the US has provided Israel with uninterrupted arms shipments. The recent shift by the administration better reflects voter sentiment across party lines, according to the new polling.

A plurality of voters, 46 percent, disapprove of Congress’ authorisation of $4bn in aid to replenish Israel’s missile systems while 37 percent think military aid to Israel should decrease.

Among Democrats, 52 percent disapprove of the authorisation and 42 percent think overall military aid to Israel should decrease. Among Republicans, 37 percent disapprove of the Congressional authorisation and 28 percent want to see aid decreased.

The war in Gaza could have an outsized impact on the US general election scheduled for November this year. Young Americans have been especially vocal about the war, earning the US president the pejorative moniker “Genocide Joe” among young progressives.

At least 90 universities across the country have experienced sustained protests against Israel’s war on Gaza.

Protests have been regularly met with violence from law enforcement agencies after university administrations have called police forces on their students to break up encampments and sit-ins. The repression of university protests has been another polarising force among the US public.

The latest poll shows 46 percent of all likely voters disapprove of “limiting students’ rights and abilities to protest Israel’s military operations”. The split among party lines once again finds greater disapproval among Democrats (55 percent), when compared to Republicans (36 percent).

Iran FM calls on US to pressure Israel into accepting ceasefire in Gaza

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Antonio Guterres and Hossein Amir Abdollahian

Amirabdollahian raised the issue in a phone conversation on Thursday with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The top Iranian diplomat praised Guterres for his efforts to stop the Israeli regime’s war and genocide in Gaza.

Amirabdollahian urged the US to put pressure on Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to accept a ceasefire deal, warning if Washington appeases the regime while it is perpetrating new crimes in Gaza’s Rafah, the repercussions on the supporters of the war will be severe.

“Now, it is the White House that has to choose between showing the determination to put pressure on the Israeli regime to stop the war, or dragging the region into a whole new and different level of crisis and tension,” he added.

Amirabdollahian noted, “The Zionist regime, in line with its policy of terror and genocide, is now seeking to cause another humanitarian disaster in the region by shutting off the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem border crossings to render international efforts to cease the war ineffective.”

The top Iranian diplomat seriously warned the Zionist regime against going ahead with its dangerous approach, and demanded piled-up pressure on the Israeli regime, especially from the UN.

For his part, the UN secretary general said, “We will continue to put pressure on Israel and actively hold talks with the US and other influential countries to establish truce and immediately end to the conflict in Gaza and the region, and especially to swiftly reopen the Rafah border crossing and other crossings that serve as the lifelines for the people in Gaza.”

Foreign investors win bid to develop seven oil fields in Iran

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran Gas

Mohsen Khojasteh Mehr said on Thursday, “As the minister of economy and finance pointed out, the oil sector has a significant track record with 4.8 billion dollars of foreign investment, and currently, seven oil fields are being developed with foreign investment.”

Undermining the Western sanctions spearheaded by the US, Khojasteh Mehr said Iran has signed oil contracts with different countries and is negotiating to sign new agreements.

Considering Iran’s potentials in investment capacities, he said the prospects for new agreements, with both domestic and foreign companies, are high.

The remarks came a day after the 28th Iran International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition, also known as the Iran Oil Show 2024, kicked off in the Iranian capital Tehran.

Over 250 firms from 12 countries, including Argentina, Austria, Belarus, China, France, India, Japan, and Russia, besides 1,500 domestic companies, have taken part in the event.

Gaza death toll nears 35,000, thousands flee Rafah

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

A ministry statement said that 78,514 other people have been injured in the onslaught.

“At least 60 people were killed and 110 others injured in Israeli attacks in the last 24 hours,” the statement read.

“Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

The Israeli army launched an offensive on Tuesday on the southern city of Rafah, where some 1.5 million displaced Palestinians have sheltered, as part of its deadly offensive on the territory following a Hamas attack that killed nearly 1,200 on Oct. 7, 2023.

Over seven months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is “plausible” that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Thursday around 80,000 Palestinians have fled Rafah since the start of an Israeli attack on the city on Monday.

“People are facing yet another forced displacement in the Gaza Strip,” UNRWA announced in a statement.

“The toll on these families is unbearable. Nowhere is safe. We need a cease-fire now,” it added.

The Israeli army has also seized control of the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt, a vital route for humanitarian aid into the besieged territory.

EU agrees to arm Ukraine using profits from Russian assets

By
IFP Media Wire
-
European Parliament

The proposal targets the proceeds from €191 billion ($205 billion) in Russian funds currently held in Belgian clearinghouse Euroclear. In total, Western states froze an estimated $300 billion of Moscow’s sovereign capital abroad after the start of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.

“EU ambassadors agreed in principle on measures concerning extraordinary revenues stemming from Russia’s immobilized assets,” the Belgian presidency announced on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

Euroclear generates €2-3 billion in profits annually from the Russian money, depending on the interest rates, according to CEO Valerie Urbain.

Under the proposal, the EU hopes to send 90% of the profits towards purchasing armaments for Ukraine, and 10% towards non-military aid, with the first tranche expected in July.

“There could be no stronger symbol and no greater use for that money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated.

Belgium will continue levying a 25% corporate tax on the revenue, while Euroclear will keep 10% before the money is sent to the EU, to provide the clearinghouse a buffer against ongoing and future litigation by Russia. Euroclear will also keep 0.3% of future profits as an incentive fee.

The move follows months of deliberation among Ukraine’s Western backers on how best to utilize Russia’s frozen funds. The US – Kiev’s biggest war sponsor – had proposed seizing the assets entirely, but has faced pushback from the EU thus far.

Euroclear’s CEO likened the confiscation of frozen Russian funds to “opening Pandora’s box”. Speaking to L’Echo on Tuesday, she warned it could cause “major international investors to turn away from Europe”, as they could no longer trust that their own assets would not be confiscated.

Russia stressed that seizing its sovereign capital or any similar action would not only amount to theft and violate international law, but undermine trust in both Western currencies and the global financial system.

If the frozen Russian assets are seized, Moscow will retaliate in kind, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov warned in February. Total foreign direct investments in the Russian economy by the EU, G7, Australia, and Switzerland were estimated to be around $288 billion at the end of 2022.

French forces to be targeted if deployed to Ukraine: Moscow

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Maria Zakharova

“If the French end up in the conflict zone, they will inevitably become a target for the Russian Armed Forces. I believe Paris understands that this will be the case,” she noted.

According to the diplomat, French President Emmanuel Macron’s bellicose rhetoric “is being rejected not only by many European Union and NATO allies”, but also – most importantly – “by the vast majority of French citizens”.

“I think they have fallen victim to Macron’s strategic uncertainty as they are at a loss as to what he is talking about. However, they realize that all this rhetoric is very dangerous and aggressive, and now, it is directly affecting French nationals,” Zakharova emphasized.

“We are not at all surprised at how Paris is manipulating this tired story about Russia being a threat to France and the entire Europe or how attempts are being made to justify multi-billion-euro spending on the West’s hybrid war against Russia in Ukraine,” the Russian spokeswoman pointed out.

In an earlier interview with The Economist, French leader Emmanuel Macron speculated that troops could be sent to Ukraine if Kiev asked for them or if Russian forces broke through the front lines.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that those remarks marked an unprecedented round of tensions.

More than 15,000 children killed in Gaza since outbreak of war

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

At least 15,002 children have died in the Gaza Strip since another round of escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out on October 7, 2023, the press service of the enclave’s authorities said on their Telegram channel.

According to the press service, at least 30 children died of malnutrition. In addition, about 17,000 minors have been orphaned or have lost one of their parents as a result of the fighting.

Israel has pounded Gaza in retaliation for Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas which killed less than 1,200 people.

More than 34,800 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, mostly women and children, and 78,100 injured, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Nearly seven months into the Israeli onslaught, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January said it is “plausible” that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and ordered Tel Aviv to stop such acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Former foreign minister: Iran to change nuclear doctrine in case of existential threat

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Kamal Kharazi

Former top Iranian diplomat Kamal Kharrazi, in an interview with ISNA, said on Thursday, “If the Zionist regime dares to damage Iran’s nuclear facilities, our level of deterrence will be different.”

“We have no decision to produce a nuclear bomb, but if the existence of Iran is threatened, we will have to change our nuclear doctrine,” Kharrazi, who is an adviser to Iran’s Leader, explained.

The comments by Kharrazi echo his remarks in 2022 that Iran is technically capable of making a nuclear bomb but had not yet decided whether to build one.

Based on a Fatwa (religious order) by the Leader of Islamic revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, producing nuclear bombs has been designated as Haram (banned).

Also discussing the regional fallout of the Israeli carnage in the Gaza Strip since October 7 last year, Kharrazi said Iran is determined to support the axis of resistance in the region, stressing that each member of this axis acts independently and makes decisions based on the conditions on the ground.

Biden says will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if it launches major invasion of Rafah

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” Biden told CNN’s Erin Burnett in an exclusive interview, referring to 2,000-pound bombs that Biden paused shipments of last week.

“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem,” Biden added.

The president’s announcement that he was prepared to condition American weaponry on Israel’s actions amounts to a turning point in the 7-month conflict between Israel and Hamas.

His acknowledgement that American bombs had been used to kill civilians in Gaza was a stark recognition of the United States’ role in the war.

The president has come under extraordinary pressure, including from members of his own party, to limit shipments of arms amid a humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave.

The US has already paused a shipment of “high-payload munitions” due to Israel’s possible operations in Rafah without a plan for the civilians there, according to the Pentagon, though it announced a final decision on that shipment hadn’t been made. The administration has stated it is reviewing the potential sale or transfer of other munitions.

Testifying before a US congressional subcommittee on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Biden administration had paused “one shipment of high payload munitions” amid concerns about the Israeli military’s push to invade Rafah.

“We’ve been very clear … from the very beginning that Israel shouldn’t launch a major attack into Rafah without accounting for and protecting the civilians that are in that battlespace,” Austin told US lawmakers.

The Biden administration has faced months of criticism over its “iron-clad” support for Israel amid the Gaza war, which has killed nearly 35,000 Palestinians and plunged the enclave into a dire humanitarian crisis.

But Washington has largely continued to provide military and diplomatic backing to Israel as the war grinds on.

Israel stepped up its bombardment of Rafah on Monday, killing dozens of people after ordering about 100,000 residents in the city’s eastern areas to evacuate.

Israeli troops also stormed the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, which serves as a major gateway for humanitarian aid.

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