Middle East & North Africa

UK: Amnesty condemns Israeli airstrikes on Rafah as ‘war crimes’

29 May 2024; MEMO: Amnesty International UK strongly condemned on Tuesday the recent Israeli air strikes on Rafah, describing them as “horrific”. The rights organisation accused Israeli forces of escalating attacks in the occupied Gaza Strip “in defiance of international law,” Anadolu has reported.

Israel: war cabinet split on Hamas demand to stop the war

29 May 2024; MEMO: There is a split in Israel’s War Cabinet on the demand from Hamas for the occupation state to stop its war against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Authority Kan 11 has reported. According to the broadcaster, there are ministers in the cabinet who believe that this is a negotiable matter, but it noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and those close to him insist that this would be a “surrender” to the resistance movement.

Nikki Haley writes ‘finish them’ on Israel missile intended for Lebanon

29 May 2024; MEMO: Former US ambassador to the UN and Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley visited an army base in northern Israel and signed a missile intended for Lebanon with “finish them”.

The picture, which is circulating on social media, shows Haley signing the missile: “Finish them! America [loves] Israel always.”

Israel orders negotiating team to resume Gaza cease-fire talks

22 May 2024; AA: The Israeli government instructed its negotiating team to resume negotiations for a Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap deal, according to local media on Thursday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that the War Cabinet ordered the negotiating team “to continue negotiations for the return of the hostages.”

US senator backs ICC arrest warrants for Israeli leaders

22 May 2024; AA: US Senator Bernie Sanders expressed support for the requests by International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan for arrest warrants for Israeli leaders and urged the US to respect international law.

"The ICC as I see it is trying to uphold international law and minimum standards of decency. Our government should do no less," Sanders told the Senate floor Tuesday night.

Hezbollah pounds military headquarters of Israeli regime

Tehran, IRNA – The Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah targeted two military centers belonging to the Israeli regime in northern occupied Palestine on Monday evening.

Resistance-affiliated news media reported that Hezbollah fighters succeeded in hitting Al-Malikiyya and Hadb Al-Bustan military bases in the north of Israeli-occupied territories.

Meanwhile, Hadashot Bazaman Hebrew website acknowledged in an unprecedented article that Hezbollah is capable of disrupting the security situation in the north, but it pursues a war of attrition against the Israeli military.

Passing away of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi is a loss to all countries: Saudi UN envoy

Tehran, IRNA – Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations Abdulaziz Alwasil has said that the passing way of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi is a loss for all countries.

Alwasil made the comment on Wednesday as he met his Iranian counterpart Amir Saeed Iravani in New York, extending his condolences over the martyrdom of Raisi and his companions including foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian.  

The Saudi envoy hailed Raisi and Amirabdollahian for their efforts to improve stability in West Asia.

Iraqi Resistance conducts fresh drone attacks at occupied Eilat Port

Tehran, IRNA - The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has announced that its forces have conducted a fresh drone attack on the Israeli-occupied port of Eilat.

The Islamic Resistance in Iraq issued a statement on Thursday announcing that its forces have attacked a vital target in the Eilat Port in occupied Palestine.

The anti-Zionist operation was carried out in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, who are under brutal Israeli war, and in response to the crimes committed by the Tel Aviv regime.

France backs ICC after it seeks arrest warrants for Israel's Netanyahu, Hamas leaders

21 May 2024; MEMO: France backs the International Criminal Court and the “fight against impunity”, its Foreign Ministry said after the ICC Prosecutor requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.

On Monday, ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan, said he had requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his Defence chief, Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders, including its chief, Yahya Sinwar.

Lapid says attacks on Gaza aid trucks are by government-backed militias

22 May 2024; MEMO: Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said on Tuesday that those who attack the humanitarian aid trucks bound for war-torn Gaza are militias backed by the Israeli government, Anadolu has reported. Lapid made his comments on Army Radio. He described the government led by Benjamin Netanyahu as Israel’s “ruling regime”.

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