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Palestine says Netanyahu planning to ‘destroy’ Gaza

Netanyahu

“Netanyahu’s insistence on a military solution in Gaza as an alternative to political solutions reveals his true intentions of destroying the strip and emptying it of its population,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Netanyahu “is seeking to gain more time to commit more mass massacres, deepen the genocide, destroy the entire Gaza Strip, and push its residents out of the territory,” it added.

The ministry called on the UN Security Council to “address Netanyahu’s goals more seriously by adopting a binding UN resolution” to enforce a political formula agreed by all parties.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Palestinian territory since a cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.

More than 32,200 Palestinians have since been killed and over 74,500 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

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

Nowruz road accidents have so far claimed 469 lives in Iran

Iran Road

General Mohammad Bagher Salimi told Iran’s IRINN news network that over 283 million trips have been registered as the country is halfway through the 13-day holidays.

General Salimi noted that about 44 percent of the accidents were caused by inadequate attention to driving requirements on roads due to using cell phones while driving.

He further added that in 30 percent of the incidents the vehicles flipped over due to drowsy driving and exhaustion.

He also called on the holidaymakers to avoid traveling to western and southern areas of the country where flashfloods are expected due to heavy rainfalls, and asked them to call off their trips until the weather conditions are stable.

Iran has one of the worst records of traffic accidents in the world, which gets even worse during holidays. The grim record is mainly attributed to reckless driving and poor infrastructure.

Iran urges intl. investigation into “Israel’s crimes” at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza

Nasser Kanaani

The Spokesman has roundly slammed the Zionist troops’ “inhumane and horrible” crimes against the medical staff, patients, injured and displaced Palestinians in al-Shifa Hospital.

“Al-Shifa Hospital and its premises, as well as the Palestinian patients, medical staff and displaced people, especially women and children who have taken refuge there, have been under heavy and inhuman siege by the Zionist regime’s terrorist army for a week.”

“The mentioned regime has committed horrific crimes in the hospital. Another disgraceful page has been added to the history of the ominous existence and the black list of its crimes,” he added.

Kanaani noted: “Unfortunately, as a result of the savage crimes by the occupying regime, 180 Palestinian patients, medical staff, and displaced people who were under siege in al-Shifa Hospital, lost their lives in the past few days due to blind attacks and barring the delivery of essential food and medical supplies and the surviving individuals are also exposed to gradual death.”

“Amid all this, shocking and horrible reports of torturing, raping and killing Palestinian women locked up in the hospital are also heard, which requires urgent and decisive measure by the international community, including the formation of an international investigative team to shed light on the extent of the Zionist war crimes in al-Shifa Hospital,” he continued.

Kanaani reiterated that Iran strongly condemns the Zionist regime for blatantly violating the international laws and regulations, human rights and international humanitarian rights.

Meanwhile, he reminded the international community and Islamic states of their responsibility to back the oppressed Palestinian nation, especially the residents in the Gaza Strip and the war-stricken people in the besieged territory.

The spokesperson called on legal and international institutions to take an effective, decisive and immediate measure to stop the crimes and file a lawsuit to sue the masterminds, perpetrators and supporters of such humanitarian tragedies and put them on trial.

The Iranian diplomat also stated, “Such savage crimes have proven more than ever that the Palestinian nation has the right to resort to resistance as their legitimate right against the occupation, and will definitely boost the Palestinian nation’s determination and willpower and its steadfastness and heroic resistance to restore its rights, especially the right to decide for its future.”

His remarks came as Israel has been carrying out airstrikes and artillery shelling in and around the medical facility.

Since the start of its genocide in Gaza, Israel has killed more than 32,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 74,500 others.

The regime has also imposed a “complete siege” on the territory, cutting off fuel, electricity, food, medicine and water to more than two million Palestinians living there.

Israel says no more UNRWA food convoys to north Gaza: Chief

Gaza War

“This is outrageous [and] makes it intentional to obstruct lifesaving assistance during a man made famine. These restrictions must be lifted”, Philippe Lazzarini wrote in an X post.

He warned that the move will speed up the coming of famine in the north of the Gaza Strip, and added that “many more will die of hunger, dehydration”.

Famine is likely to occur by May in northern Gaza and could spread across the enclave by July, the world’s hunger watchdog, known as the Integrated Food-Security Phase Classification (IPC), said last week.

The IPC announced 70 percent of people in parts of northern Gaza were suffering the most severe level of food shortage, more than triple the 20 percent threshold to be considered famine. In all, 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza, about half the population, were experiencing “catastrophic” shortages of food.

Martin Griffiths, the undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator at the UN, also stated he repeatedly urged Israel to lift all its restrictions on aid to Gaza, but it has now done the exact opposite.

“UNRWA is the beating heart of the humanitarian response in Gaza,” he said about the UN organisation for Palestinian refugees, which has now been told by Israel that its food convoys to northern Gaza will be blocked entirely despite the humanitarian disaster there.

“The decision to block its food convoys to the north only pushes thousands closer to famine. It must be revoked,” he added.

Israel ready to free hundreds of Palestinians: Report

Israel Hostages

According to Channel 12 and news website Walla, the group of prisoners Israel is willing to release includes 100 inmates convicted of murder. An unnamed Israeli official, who spoke to the Times of Israel, was more cautious, stating, “Right now, we’re feeling 50/50 about the chances for a deal.”

Israel is also reportedly ready to discuss permitting Palestinian refugees to return to the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously rejected a proposal by Hamas for a truce and prisoner swap, insisting that the Israel Defense Forces are still determined to completely eradicate the group’s presence in Gaza.

An Israeli delegation reportedly met with CIA Director William Burns in Qatar on Saturday as the US has been attempting to persuade the IDF to halt its offensive on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city that is overcrowded with refugees.

An unnamed Israeli official told Reuters after the meeting that there were still “significant gaps” in negotiations, particularly regarding the proposed ratio of the Israelis and Palestinians involved in the potential swap.

Hamas is yet to respond to the proposal, which, according to the Israeli media, could take a few days.

Israel declared war on Hamas on October 7, after the fighters attacked the occupied territories, killing some 1,100 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Dozens of captives were subsequently freed as part of a series of swaps during the weeklong truce in November. Around 130 hostages are still held in Gaza, according to Israeli officials.

More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed during Israel’s operation in Gaza since October 7, according to local authorities.

Death toll in Moscow concert hall attack climbs to 137

Moscow Terror Attack

A group of gunmen stormed Crocus City Hall on the evening of March 22, just before a concert by the rock band Picnic. The venue, which has an estimated capacity of 7,500, was almost full. The terrorists killed the guards, opened fire on visitors, and then started a blaze, which quickly spread through the building.

According to investigators, three children are among the fatalities, and a total of 62 bodies have been identified so far. Also, health officials have reported that at least 180 other people were injured in the atrocity.

“Four sets of combat ammunition, with more than 500 bullets and 28 magazines, and two Kalashnikov assault rifles, which the attackers were armed with, were confiscated from the scene of the tragedy,” the Investigative Committee said in a statement released on Sunday.

Officials added that a Makarov pistol and a magazine from a Kalashnikov assault rifle were found in a car, which the attackers used to escape.

Four men believed to be directly involved in the terrorist attack were detained on Saturday in Bryansk Region, not far from the border with Ukraine. In total, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has reported the capture of 11 suspects so far.

EU deplores Israeli seizure of 800 hectares of land in West Bank

European Parliament

“The European Union firmly condemns the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that over 800 hectares of land in the occupied Palestinian territory have been declared as ‘state lands’,” the EU said in a statement.

This is the largest confiscation since the Oslo Accords was signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in 1994, it added.

“Settlements are a grave breach of international humanitarian law. At this week’s European Council, EU leaders condemned Israeli Government decisions to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, urging Israel to reverse these decisions,” it noted.

The Palestinian presidency condemned the Israeli government’s decision to seize the land in the Jordan Valley.

Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations have pointed to a noticeable increase in settlement activity in the West Bank since the formation of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government at the end of 2022.

According to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission estimates, more than 720,000 Israelis reside in illegal settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The international community agrees that settlements are “illegal” and constitute an obstacle to the implementation of the “two-state solution”, which calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel.

Any US effort to justify Ukraine until Crocus attack probe ends will be evidence: Russia

Moscow Terror Attack

“Over the decades, the political elites of the United States have learnt how skillfully divert attention from high-profile crimes and all sorts of staging. Therefore, until the investigation into the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall is completed, any phrase from Washington justifying Kiev should be considered as evidence,” the diplomat wrote in her Telegram channel.

She noted that the financing of “the terrorist activities of the Kiev organized crime group by American liberal democrats and participation in the corruption schemes of the Biden family have been going on for many years.”

Zakharova added that the United States hastened to declare Ukraine’s non-involvement in the terrorist attack.

“White House National Security Council Spokesperson Adrienne Watson says: Ukraine is not involved in the terrorist attack in Krasnogorsk, the banned the Islamic State (designated as a terrorist organization, outlawed in Russia) is to blame. I wish they could have done it so quickly with the assassination of their own president [John] Kennedy. But no – for more than 60 years they have not been able to find out who killed him after all. Or was it IS as well?” Zakharova wrote.

The diplomat also touched upon the investigation into the Nord Stream explosions.

“According to the United States (and The New York Times cited comments from officials), Ukrainians were involved there. But then the American authorities have gone to ground. And they are still rummaging around there for something, either for Kiev or IS divers. Not a single word was uttered from Washington calling on Denmark and Sweden not to stop searching for the culprits, while Russia’s proposal for an investigation under the auspices of the UN was blocked by the Anglo-Saxons in the Security Council,” she added.

Iran border guards thwart infiltration attempt: chief police cmdr.

Ahmad Reza Radan

General Radan praised the courage and vigilance displayed, ensuring the failure of the incursion into Iran.

He added that the infiltrators were arrested and seriously dealt with.

Addressing forthcoming priorities, General Radan emphasized decisive actions against criminals and the apprehension of illegal immigrants.

Regrettably, he lamented 417 lives lost due to traffic violations during the Persian New Year vacation, casting a somber shadow over the joyous occasions of Nowruz and the fasting month of Ramadan.

He stressed the preventable nature of many casualties, urging strict adherence to regulations to avert future tragedies.

As the country navigates new challenges, the Chief Police Commander reaffirmed the commitment to safeguarding borders, combating crime, and prioritizing public safety.

Russian missile enters Polish airspace during massive attack on Ukraine, Moscow envoy summoned: Report

Russian Embassy

The Armed Forces Operational Command of Poland said a cruise missile crossed into its airspace at about 4:40 a.m. on Sunday near the village of Oserdów, on the Ukrainian border. The Polish military added it was over the country’s airspace for about 39 seconds before entering Ukraine.

Poland’s Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz later stated that the Russian missile would have been shot down had there been any indication that it was heading towards a target in Poland.

The missile attack is the third in four days against Ukraine as Russia ramps up strikes across the country.

“As last night’s rocket attack on Ukraine was one of the most intense since the beginning of the Russian aggression, all the strategic procedures were launched on time and the object was monitored until it left the Polish air space,” Kosiniak-Kamysz added.

Warsaw also summoned the Russian ambassador on Sunday over the incident.

The Polish Foreign Ministry announced in a statement that it would “demand explanations from the Russian Federation in connection with another violation of the country’s airspace”.

“Above all, we call on the Russian Federation to stop the terrorist air attacks on the inhabitants and territory of Ukraine, end the war, and address the country’s internal problems,” the ministry added.

Russian missiles have violated Polish airspace numerous times since the onset of the war in early 2022. Two Poles were killed in 2022 when a Ukrainian air defense missile went off-target and landed in the country, sparking criticism against Russia for making Ukraine act in self-defense.

The war has ground to a standstill over much of the front, with Ukrainian leaders continuing pushes for additional financial and military aid from Western allies, including Congress.