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Ukraine rejects Pope’s appeal for negotiations with Russia

Pope Francis

“The church should be among the people,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address on Sunday.

“And not two and a half thousand kilometres away, somewhere, to mediate virtually between someone who wants to live and someone who wants to destroy you.”

Zelensky added, “When Russian evil started this war” on February 24, 2022, “all Ukrainians stood up to defend themselves. Christians, Muslims, Jews – everyone.”

He thanked every Ukrainian cleric who is working with the defence forces. These clergy are on the front line, protecting life and humanity, he said, adding they support soldiers with prayers, conversations and deeds.

“That is what the church is – with the people.”

The pontiff had triggered an outcry with an appeal for peace negotiations with Russia, which has been understood in Ukraine and many of its supporters as a one-sided appeal to Kiev alone – by some even as a call for capitulation.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba has also said Pope Francis was wrong to suggest that Kiev should restart negotiations with Moscow.

“When it comes to the white flag, we know this Vatican’s strategy from the first half of the twentieth century,” Kuleba wrote on X (formerly Twitter), apparently referring to the policy of neutrality pursued by Pope Pius XII during World War II.

Kuleba urged the Vatican to “avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and to support Ukraine and its people.”

“Our flag is a yellow and blue one. This is the flag by which we live, die, and prevail. We shall never raise any other flags,” the minister added.

No deal before full cessation of Israeli offensive, withdrawal of its forces: Hamas leader

Ismail Haniyeh

Ismail Haniyeh made the remarks in a televised speech on Sunday evening on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan.

“We do not want an agreement that does not end the [Israeli] war on the Gaza Strip or [ensure] return of our displaced people to their homes, or an agreement that does not guarantee the withdrawal of the Zionist enemy from the Gaza Strip,” Haniyeh asserted.

He stressed that any agreement with the Israeli regime must also address humanitarian issues in Gaza, including provision of relief aid and shelter, as well as reconstruction of the territory, while ending the Israeli siege and guaranteeing “a dignified deal for the exchange of prisoners”.

“We absolutely do not want an agreement that does not address humanitarian issues of our people, especially in the northern Gaza Strip … where children, the elderly, and women are dying because of hunger imposed by the enemy,” he said.

The Hamas chief added that the movement has shown the highest degree of positivity and responsibility in order to achieve an agreement based on these principles.

He noted that any possible agreement should be implemented in three stages and must include international guarantees to oblige the occupying regime to abide by it.

Elsewhere in his speech, Haniyeh emphasized that the Zionist enemy bears full responsibility for not reaching any agreement during the ongoing talks, as it avoids giving any clear guarantees.

“I tell you clearly, responsibly, and impartially that the enemy has so far refrained from giving clear guarantees and commitments, especially with regard to stopping its war of aggression against the Gaza Strip.”

Haniyeh affirmed that Hamas and its leadership are open to continuation of negotiations and any formula that would end the aggression against Gaza and Israel’s crimes against Palestinians.

In his speech, he also mentioned that Hamas will not compromise “on any drop of blood of a child, woman, elder, or fighter from our people.”

He warned that the Zionist enemy “is conducting a psychological war against our people to drive wedges [among Palestinian factions and] create and spread chaos.”

Haniyeh, however, promised that all efforts made by Israel to this effect will fail, cautioning Palestinian groups against falling prey to rumors and malicious media campaigns launched by the enemy.

Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza started on October 7, 2023 after the territory’s resistance movements carried out Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

The Tel Aviv regime’s genocide has so far killed 31,045 Palestinians and injured 72,654 others, more than 70 percent of whom are women and children.

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

Netanyahu hits back at Biden over Gaza war

Netanyahu

With the death toll in IDF’s Gaza operation passing 31,000, Biden told MSNBC on Saturday that Netanyahu should “pay more attention to the innocent lives being lost” in the Palestinian enclave. Biden went on to say that Netanyahu is “hurting Israel more than he’s helping Israel”, and that a planned Israeli invasion of Rafah – a city in the south of the strip where more than a million Gazans have sought refuge – would be a “red line” for Washington.

“I don’t know exactly what the president meant,” Netanyahu told German tabloid Bild on Sunday, “but if he meant…that I’m pursuing private policies against the wish of the majority of Israelis and that this is hurting the interests of Israel, then he is wrong on both counts.”

“They are policies supported by the overwhelming majority of Israelis,” Netanyahu continued.

“[Israelis] support the action that we are taking to destroy the remaining terrorist battalions of Hamas. They say that once we destroy Hamas, the last thing we should do is put in charge of Gaza, the Palestinian Authority.”

“They also support my position that says that we should resoundingly reject the attempt to ram down our throats a Palestinian state,” he continued.

Netanyahu has promised to continue the war in Gaza until Israel wins a “total victory” over Hamas. He has also added that Israel will have “full security control” over the “entire area west of Jordan”, a statement that implies a return to Israeli occupation of Gaza and precludes the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

While Netanyahu is an unpopular figure in Israel, these policies have broad public support. According to a recent poll conducted by the Israel Hayom newspaper, 81% of respondents agreed that “military pressure should be applied to Hamas” until its leaders agree to release the roughly 100 Israeli hostages still in its captivity, while a survey by the Israel Democracy Institute last month found that 63% of Israelis oppose the creation of a Palestinian state.

Some 68% of Jewish respondents to the poll said that they oppose the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, something that Biden has repeatedly called on Netanyahu to guarantee.

In a further slight to Biden, Netanyahu told Bild that he intends to defy the US and push his forces into Rafah. With more than a million displaced Palestinians sheltering in the city, the UN has warned that an Israeli assault “could lead to a slaughter” of civilians.

“We’ll go there,” Netanyahu said, adding, “We’re not going to leave. You know, I have a red line. You know what the red line is? That October 7 doesn’t happen again. Never happens again.”

Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages back to Gaza. Netanyahu responded by declaring war on the Palestinian group and imposing a near-total siege on the enclave. In just over five months of fighting, Israeli forces have killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

Trump reelection not to hinder Iran’s oil sales: Minister

Donald Trump

Owji said Sunday despite US-led sanctions and the acts of sabotage, Iran’s oil exports have continued and the country has witnessed economic progress. Iran now exports oil to any country it wants, he stated.

“Neither sanctions nor sabotage acts halted our progress, and according to the Central Bank’s statistics, we are now witnessing economic growth”, the minister further said.

Referring to the recent blasts hitting the gas pipelines in Iran, Owji stated Iranian experts managed to immediately tackle the problems.

The oil minister added the amount of the fuel and gas reserves in the country has been on the rise, saying during the current Iranian year which will end on March 19, Iran increased its fuel and gas reserves to 1 billion and 3 billion liters respectively.

Revival of lake Urmia welcomes tourists as water levels reach new highs

Lake Urmia

As of March this year, the lake stands at an impressive 1270.2 meters, boasting a volume exceeding one billion and 400 million cubic meters.

The increased water levels signify a substantial improvement compared to previous years, with measurements indicating threefold growth in the volume of water entering the lake from main rivers when compared to last year.

The revitalization of Lake Urmia, in northwestern Iran, not only bodes well for the ecosystem but also offers a renewed and picturesque destination for tourists seeking the natural beauty of this historic region.

The Iran Front Page invites you to marvel at pictures of Lake Urmia captured by IRNA’s Ali Hamed Haghdoust:

Interpol issues red notice for Iranian iPhone sales co. owner amid fraud allegations

Interpol

Saeed Montazerul-Mahdi, the spokesperson for the Law Enforcement Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, confirmed the issuance of the red notice.

Korosh Company, known for its iPhone sales, engaged in an extensive advertising campaign through influencers and renowned artists.

The company made bold promises to consumers, pledging to sell iPhones valued between 300 to 450 million rials for a reduced price of 200 million.

This pricing strategy purportedly involved cutting out intermediaries and directly delivering the mobile devices to customers. Consequently, the company received pre-purchase payments from citizens, capitalizing on the appeal of the seemingly favorable deals.

As news of the company’s offerings spread rapidly across cyberspace and social networks, a significant number of individuals purchased iPhones from the company.

Sharifian then fled the country without delivering the iPhones, prompting a sea of lawsuits filed against him in the Iranian Judiciary.

Revved rivalry: Drag derby sets stage for Tehran’s Persepolis vs. Esteghlal showdown

50 classic, urban, and professional cars and motorcycles, each a roaring testament to the fierce loyalty of their fans, lined up for a high-octane showdown.

Two popular Iranian football teams are going to face each other on Wednesday.

More in pictures:

Gaza death toll tops 31k

Gaza War

At least 85 Palestinians were killed and 130 others injured in the last 24 hours as Israel continues its onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip, the territory’s health ministry said.

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

“The death toll from malnutrition and dehydration rose to 25,” it said, adding: “72% of victims of the Israeli aggression on Gaza are children and women.”

Flouting the provisional ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Israel continues its onslaught on the Gaza Strip where at least 31,045 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and 72,654 injured since Oct. 7, according to Palestinian health authorities.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory’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 ICJ. 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.

Hostilities have continued unabated, however, and aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient to address the humanitarian catastrophe.

US dispatches 1st ship with equipment to build temporary pier to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza

US Aircraft Carrier

On Friday, US President Joe Biden told Congress that he had ordered the Pentagon to build a temporary port to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza without the US army present on sight.

Later, a Pentagon spokesperson noted that the project involves the creation of a floating pier, where, presumably from Cyprus, cargo will be imported for subsequent delivery to the shore by small vessels.

“On March 9, 2024, US Army Vessel (USAV) General Frank S. Besson (LSV-1) … departed Joint Base Langley-Eustis en route to the Eastern Mediterranean less than 36 hours after President Biden announced the US would provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza by sea,” the command said on X.

Besson, a logistics support vessel, is carrying the first equipment to establish a temporary pier to deliver vital humanitarian supplies,” it added.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 30,960 people have been killed and 72,500 others wounded since October 7, when the IDF began its attacks on the Palestinian enclave in response to the Hamas surprise attack on Israel, in which more than 1,100 people lost their lives and 240 others were taken hostage.

Earlier this week, the Washington Post daily reported that US officials had told the Congress in a classified briefing that Washington had approved and delivered on more than 100 arms sales to Israel since October 7. The shipments included thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs and other weapons, the paper added.

Death toll from malnutrition, dehydration in Gaza reaches 25

Gaza War

“A two-month-old female baby died at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, and another aged 20 at Al-Shifa Medical Complex, due to malnutrition and dehydration,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The announced toll of malnutrition and dehydration victims reflects only those who have reached hospitals,” it added.

“The increasing number of malnutrition and dehydration victims is extremely worrying and confirms that famine in northern Gaza has reached lethal levels.”

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas, in which less than 1,200 people were killed.

At least 30,960 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and 72,524 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza, leaving its population, particularly residents in the north, on the verge of starvation.

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.