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Police spokesman: Road accident figures during Nowruz ‘dreadful’

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Iran Roads

Days after the start of the Persian New Year on Wednesday, General Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, wrote in an advisory article, “In less than a week, many people have lost their lives and a significant number have been disabled and injured.”

“What is more tragic is that the annual death rate from traffic accidents in our country is equal to the total traffic fatalities of 27 European countries. Are the figures not dreadful?” he added.

General Montazer al-Mahdi singled out reckless driving as the main reason behind fatal incidents, stating “slowness is a virtue.”

The head of Iran’s Traffic Police General Hassam Momeni on Saturday put the latest figure of the deaths from road accidents during Nowruz holidays at 373.

General Momeni further said that over 10,500 people have been injured, 15 to 20 percent have ended up in disabilities.

Iran has one of the worst records of traffic accidents in the world, which gets even worse during holidays.

Young Americans favour Palestinians than Israelis amid Gaza war: Poll

By
IFP Media Wire
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Palestine Rally

The poll is the latest research conducted on American attitudes toward Israel’s war, which began in October. It found that 60 percent of Americans between the ages of 18-29 expressed favourable views of the Palestinian people, while 46 percent had favourable views of the Israeli people.

Pew’s findings come after a Gallup poll published earlier this month found that 38 percent of young adults between the ages of 18-34 had favourable views of Israel, a drop of 26 percent from the year prior.

Still, while attitudes appear to be shifting among younger Americans, more broadly the poll found that most Americans were unaware of the realities on the ground in Gaza.

The Pew poll found that 48 percent of Americans did not know whether the death count in the war was higher for Israelis or Palestinians.

The death toll for Israel in the 7 October attacks led by Hamas is around 1,200 people, while more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

Some journalists have blamed US media coverage for the lack of awareness of either death toll, which Palestinian Americans have criticised as being largely skewed in Israel’s favour.

The poll was conducted in February and sampled 12,693 adults in the US and has a margin of error of 1.5 percentage points.

Over the past two decades, Israel has received largely favourable sentiments in the US. However, in the last several years, polls have shown a slight shift in those views, with more Americans expressing sympathy with the Palestinians.

Several polls over the past few months have found more Americans with critical views of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians both in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

A December poll from The New York Times/Siena College found that half of young Americans believe Israel is intentionally killing civilians in Gaza. And a January poll from the Economist found that 35 percent of Americans believe Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians.

The war in Gaza has also elicited a major response within the US, with mass pro-Palestinian rallies regularly taking place across the country in major cities.

Since 7 October, there have been 6,304 pro-Palestine protests and other actions across the US, compared with 971 pro-Israel rallies and actions that took place within the country, according to the Crowd Counting Consortium, a public service project that tracks nonviolent protests.

 

Iranian president talks to Putin, sympathizes with Russians over terrorist attack

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Moscow Terror Attack

President Raisi on Saturday sympathized with the Russian nation and government, and categorically condemned the terrorist shooting attack on a concert hall near the Russian capital Moscow.

The Iranian president expressed Iran’s support for efforts by Russian officials to maintain national security of the country and called on the international community to take serious measures to punish the masterminds and perpetrators of the tragic incident.

Gunmen opened fire at the concert on Friday before a major fire spread through the theater. The assailants set the building on fire.

Several countries have condemned the deadly incident, claimed by Daesh terrorist group.

EU introduces sanctions against Russian judges, prison staff over Navalny death

By
IFP Media Wire
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Alexei Navalny

The sanctions list includes Russian Deputy Minister of Justice Vsevolod Vukolov, First Deputy Chairman of the Russian Supreme Court Pyotr Serkov, head of the Moscow Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service Sergey Moroz, and others.

All the individuals from the black list are prohibited from entering the EU territory and their assets, if any, found in the EU are subject to freezing.

As regards correctional facilities Nos. 6 and 3, European businesses are prohibited from keeping any communication with them or providing them with money in any form, whether as loans or investments.

Navalny, who had been serving a lengthy sentence due to violations of the terms of a previous fraud sentence and “extremist activities,” died at a penal colony in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region on February 16.

The prison authorities announced the 47-year-old suddenly fell ill after a walk and collapsed, with efforts to resuscitate him failing. According to the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), an NGO formerly headed by Navalny, the death certificate provided to Navalny’s mother said he had died of natural causes.

The Kremlin has denied involvement in Navalny’s death and says Western allegations that President Vladimir Putin was responsible are unacceptable.

Navalny became famous in the 2010s by posting investigations to his blog and YouTube channel, in which he accused high-ranking Russian officials and businessmen of corruption. He unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Moscow in 2013 and helped organize several anti-government protests.

He accused the Kremlin of trying to poison him with a nerve agent in 2020. The Russian authorities have denied the allegations.

Navalny was put behind bars in 2021 for violating the terms of his suspended sentence for fraud. Two years later, he was sentenced to 19 years in prison for “extremist activities”. He denied any wrongdoing and insisted that the charges against him were politically motivated.

Amnesty knocks EU response to Gaza war as ‘too little, too late’

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Gaza War

Eve Geddie, the head of Amnesty’s European Institutions Office, stressed the urgency of the matter, highlighting the staggering toll of Israel’s military campaign, which has claimed over 32,000 lives and left more than a thousand children amputees. Entire communities lie in ruins, with the healthcare system on the brink of collapse, she said, also warning of impending famine, a consequence of the prolonged conflict.

“Yesterday’s call for a ceasefire is long overdue,” Geddie said.

“What is happening in Gaza is a man-made humanitarian catastrophe, and those responsible for crimes under international law must be held accountable.”

Pointing to the need for accountability from all parties involved, Geddie criticized the European Council’s failure to attribute responsibility to Israel for its violations of international law.

She argued that this stance perpetuates a culture of impunity, exacerbating the suffering in Gaza.

Geddie further condemned certain EU member states for cutting off vital aid to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) – over allegations that a handful of the agency’s thousands of employees were involved in Hamas attacks – and in so doing worsening the humanitarian crisis. She accused these states of indirectly contributing to the violence by supplying arms and ammunition to Israel.

Calling for concrete action, Geddie urged the EU and its member states to reinstate funding for the UNRWA and cease all arms exports to Israel.

She demanded a thorough review of Israel’s compliance with human rights obligations and called for an end to “Israeli apartheid” against Palestinians and the occupation of Palestinian territories.

Israel launched its war on Gaza after an Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border incursion by Hamas. It has since killed nearly 32,000 Palestinians and pushed the territory to the brink of famine.

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

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

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in 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.

Relatives of Hamas-held hostages ask Biden to press Netanyahu for deal to free them

By
IFP Media Wire
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Israel Hostage

“We are reaching out to you because we are increasingly frustrated and worried about the lack of ongoing communication and commitment from the Israeli Prime Minister and the War Cabinet to the hostage release cause,” the relatives stated in the letter, the first time a large group of hostage families have sent a letter to Biden.

The letter, which was coordinated by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, came as Mossad chief David Barnea traveled to Doha to meet CIA director William Burns, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and Egypt’s intelligence head Abbas Kamel to discuss a potential truce and hostage release deal in Gaza.

The truce talks are centered on a proposed agreement for a six-week ceasefire, vastly more aid entering Gaza and the initial release of about 40 female, elderly and wounded hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jails.

“We encourage you to use the means available to you, to press and convince all parties, including the Israeli prime minister, to agree to the deal that you assess is reasonable,” the families wrote to the US president.

“We stand ready to work closely with your administration to mobilize the Israeli people and to articulate to the American people and their elected officials the need to support the current deal. We believe that the hostage families could play an important role in garnering public support to make the deal possible,” they added.

Israel estimates that there are more than 125 hostages in Gaza, while it holds at least 8,800 Palestinians in its prisons, according to official sources from both sides.

A cease-fire between Hamas and Israel prevailed for a week from Nov. 24 to Dec. 1, 2023, during which there was a cessation of hostilities, prisoner exchanges, and extremely limited humanitarian aid was allowed into Gaza, mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.

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

More than 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 74,000 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

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

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

Official: Sanctions made Iran nuclear industry stronger

By
IFP Editorial Staff
-
Behrouz Kamalvandi

In an interview on the occasion of the start of the  Persian New Year and the holy fasting month of Ramadan, Behrouz Kamalvandi said on Friday that Iran has beaten the sanctions by not only meeting its domestic needs but also exporting radiopharmaceuticals at the international level.

The top nuclear official said the nuclear energy has had a remarkable impact on various sectors in Iran and has promoted the country’s political status in the world.

Kamalvandi dismissed Western claims that food and medicine are not subject to sanctions, adding, “If we had not had gained domestic capabilities in this field, the country would have faced many challenges in healthcare.”

The spokesperson argued that the enemies do not want Iran to obtain an indigenous nuclear industry because it boosts the country’s sovereignty.

However, he said, the AEOI’s International Department is working to remove political and legal obstacles created by the West.

Another mission of the International Department is to take advantage of foreign resources and technologies, with Russia and China as the main countries on the radar, Kamalvandi noted.

He said, “Countries like Russia and China are our main targets and we have had negotiations with them. We have the necessary legal infrastructure and we will act according to the protocols we have already agreed with them.”

Israel announces seizure of 800 hectares in occupied West Bank

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Israeli settlement West Bank

Israel’s seizure of 800 hectares of land in the northern Jordan Valley on Friday was the single largest since the 1993 Oslo Accords. Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now announced the size of the seized area is the largest since 1993’s Oslo Accords, and that “2024 marks a peak in the extent of declarations of state land”.

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared as “state lands” the area in the northern Jordan Valley, as Blinken arrived in Israel for Gaza war talks.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

“While there are those in Israel and the world who seek to undermine our right over the Judea and Samaria area and the country in general, we are promoting settlement through hard work and in a strategic manner all over the country,” Smotrich said, using Israel’s term for the West Bank.

Settlements in the Palestinian territories are illegal under international law.

Smotrich, who heads the extreme-right Religious Zionism party, lives in a settlement.

Peace Now said the timing of the latest land grab was a “provocation”.

Despite opposition abroad, Israel has in recent decades build dozens of settlements across the West Bank.

They are now home to more than 490,000 Israelis, who live alongside around three million Palestinians in the territory.

The United Nations human rights chief has reported a drastic acceleration in illegal settlement building since Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza began months ago, and said this risks eliminating any likelihood of a viable Palestinian state.

Blinken has described settlement expansion as “counterproductive to reaching enduring peace” with the Palestinians.

Rafah invasion risks “further isolating Israel around the world”: US

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Antony Blinken

The top US diplomat’s blunt message comes after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — following a meeting with Blinken — doubled down on his vow to carry out the military campaign with or without US support.

Blinken said he had “candid conversations” with Netanyahu and the Israeli war cabinet, and told them the US “shares Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas” — but that “a major military ground operation in Rafah is not the way to do it”.

“It risks killing more civilians; it risks wreaking greater havoc with the provision of humanitarian assistance,” Blinken added.

Blinken would not give details on the ongoing negotiations to secure an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages.

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz also told Blinken that “completing” Israel’s mission in Gaza, including in Rafah, is “imperative”.

Gantz, a key political rival of Netanyahu, told Blinken that Israel will “enable humanitarian solutions to aid civilians in Gaza” while “ensuring critical aid does not fall into the hands of Hamas”.

His remarks come amid growing international concern over an Israeli operation in Rafah in southern Gaza. There are an estimated 1.4 million people in the city, many of whom have been displaced several times from other parts of Gaza.

Israel launched its war on Gaza after an Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border incursion by Hamas. It has since killed more than 32,000 Palestinians and pushed the territory to the brink of famine.

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

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

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which in 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.

Moscow concert hall attack death toll rises to 60

By
IFP Media Wire
-
Moscow Terror Attack

Unidentified gunmen stormed Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk on Friday night and opened fire at people who had come for a rock performance.

The building was set on fire during the assault. The fate of the terrorists remains unclear, as commando units and the National Guard respond to the attack.

Investigators continued to recover bodies during the night, and have warned that the number of fatalities may grow further. Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said that forensic experts are collecting physical evidence and studying surveillance videos.

According to videos posted on social media, there were at least five gunmen. They killed security guards and proceeded to indiscriminately fire at people in the lobby. A group of assailants was filmed shooting concert-goers in the music auditorium.

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