Middle East

Iran’s health min. warns about humanitarian crisis in Gaza

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In a letter to Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres on Tuesday, Einollahi referred to the humanitarian crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories, said that hundreds of women, children, and elderly have been targeted in residential areas of Gaza and a large number of Muslims have been injured and martyred.

He added that according to the report of the director of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, the Gaza Strip’s medical system is on the verge of collapse for a variety of reasons, and various medical facilities in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank are being inhumanely targeted and aid for the injured people has been disrupted.

Pointing to the significance of observing human rights and preventing the spread of human catastrophe in Gaza, Einollahi highlighted that it is expected from the United Nations as an institution to support human rights, security, and world peace to actively intervene in the great humanitarian crisis in Gaza and defend the rights of the oppressed Palestinian people and ensure to open safe corridors for providing humanitarian aid and health services.

He noted that the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to cooperate with United Nations agencies in providing health services and delivering medicines, equipment, and medical supplies to the affected Palestinian people.

On October 7, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm deep into the territories occupied by the Israeli regime in reaction to the recurring desecration of the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds as well as intensified Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians of the occupied West Bank.

Israel has so far killed more than 2,800 Palestinians in Gaza.

AMK/5913875

Middle East

Hamas warns Israeli forces over brutal aggression in Gaza

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Basem Naim, the head of Hamas’ Department of Politics and Foreign Relations, made the warning in an exclusive interview with Press TV news network on Monday as the Israeli regime prepares to launch an imminent ground offensive in Gaza after forcing its millions-strong population to relocate south.

“We believe that if they try to enter Gaza, they will be not only defeated but they will be buried in the Gaza Strip. They have tried this (entering Gaza) three or four times in the last 15 years and they have failed,” Naim said.

“We believe that, at this moment, a soldier in a tank is much, much weaker than a soldier in a tank 15 years ago,” he added. “A soldier who has seen what happened on October 7 to his bosses and other soldiers around the Gaza Strip and the strength and courageous behavior of our guys and fighters, I think they know now what can happen to them.”

Asked whether the Israeli regime would be able to restore its so-called image of invincibility before the surprise attack on October 7 by the Gaza-based Palestinian resistance groups, Naim replied with a resounding “never,” and said, “Never and ever they will be able to recoup their image before October 7.”

The senior Hamas official also said the Palestinian resistance movement had warned the Israeli regime before the attack that Palestinians could not keep silent anymore on the occupying entity’s desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque, closing the holy site to Palestinian worshippers, Judaization scheme, suffocating siege of Gaza for some 17 years and the long imprisonment of Palestinians.

Naim underlined that Hamas had warned the response to the continuation of Israeli crimes against Palestinians would not be a “normal” reaction but an “explosive” one.

Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm last Saturday, penetrating deep into the territories occupied by the Israeli regime, by carrying out large-scale air, land, and sea strikes.

The group said the operation was a reaction to the recurring desecration of al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds as well as intensified Israeli atrocities against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Israel responded with intensive airstrikes on civilian targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 2,808 Palestinians in Gaza and wounding some 10,859 others, according to the territory’s health ministry.

The regime has also intensified the siege of Gaza, leaving the city, home to more than 2.3 million Palestinians, without water, electricity, fuel, and internet.

SD/PressTV

Middle East

Top Hamas official: Al-Aqsa Storm ‘favorable opportunity’ to pull plug on Israel

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A former head of the Palestinian Hamas resistance movement has praised the ongoing anti-Israeli Operation al-Aqsa Storm as a ‘favorable opportunity’ to pull the plug on Israel.

“Operation Al-Aqsa storm is our favorable opportunity to end the existence of Israel. The Zionist regime has destroyed the [so-called] two-state solution, and we have no choice but to resist,” Khaled Meshaal said on Monday evening.

He added that the belligerent policies and criminal activities of the occupying Tel Aviv regime will leave the Palestinian nation with no option other than resistance, emphasizing that Palestinians have a deep yearning for freedom, liberation, and an end to the occupation.

“Palestinians have no choice other than resistance. Currently, there are no talks about ceasefire. We will defeat occupiers in case of a ground incursion into the Gaza Strip,” Meshaal noted.

He went on to say that the Israeli military suffered an ignominious defeat in the wake of the Palestinian operation, adding that the regime is seeking to burnish its public image and eke out a bogus victory.

The Israeli army is taking revenge on civilians and ordinary people in Gaza, the senior Hamas leader said.

“The resistance front has developed various ground, naval and aerial scenarios. The Zionist regime’s army has been thrown into a state of total confusion,” Meshaal said.

He described Israel as a paper regime, saying, “Is it the same entity that used to scare the entire region?! The primary goal of the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip has always been defined as the destruction of Hamas.”

“Our people in Gaza will not leave their homeland as they have deep roots in the area. Palestinians’ refusal of the Israeli army order to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip is an irreversible decision, and also in the best interest of Egypt,” Meshaal said.

The top Hamas leader also extended gratitude to fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement for launching a series of attacks on Israeli military posts on the border between the Arab country and the occupied territories.

“Hezbollah has carried out several attacks that deserve praise and acclaim. It is in our interest to fight together on the same front,” Meshaal said.

On October 7, Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm deep into the territories occupied by the Israeli regime. The operation involved large-scale air, land, and sea strikes.

The group said the operation was a reaction to the recurring desecration of the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds as well as intensified Israeli atrocities against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Israel responded with intensive air strikes on civilian targets in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 2,866 Palestinians in Gaza and wounding some 12,000 others, according to the territory’s health ministry.

The regime has also intensified the siege of Gaza, leaving the city, home to more than 2 million Palestinians, without water, electricity, fuel and internet.

Middle East

Iran FM discusses Palestine developments with counterparts

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In a phone talk with his Irish counterpart Micheál Martin on Monday night, Amir-Abdollahian condemned the crimes committed by the Israeli regime in the siege of the Gaza Strip with the aim of preventing the dispatch of humanitarian aid such as food, water, and medicine.

Iran FM discusses Palestine developments with counterparts

Saying that the possible spread of the war on other fronts is approaching the inevitable stage, the top Iranian diplomat stressed the need for establishing suitable corridors as soon as possible to send aid to the people of Gaza.

Referring to the daily killing of hundreds of civilians in the Gaza Strip by Zionist forces, Amir-Abdollahian emphasized that the Zionist regime must immediately stop its terrorist actions against Palestine.

Martin, for his part, expressed concern over the spread of tensions in the occupied territories and said that it is necessary to observe international humanitarian rights in the war.

He went on to say that Ireland calls for creating a humanitarian corridor to send humanitarian aid to the Gazan people.

The top Irish diplomat also expressed hope that the Islamic Republic of Iran, by playing its unique role in the region, can provide a useful initiative to reduce the scope of the crisis in the region.

Iran FM discusses Palestine developments with counterparts

The Iranian foreign minister and his South African counterpart Naledi Pandor, in a separate phone call, discussed the latest developments in Palestine and the bilateral relations between Iran and South Africa.

During the phone call, Pandor said that her country is in contact with the United Nations over the situation in Palestine, expressing hope that the tensions would end as soon as possible.

MP/Spox. channel

Middle East

Colombia expels Zionist ambassador over aggression in Gaza

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Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva said on Monday that Gali Dagan should “at a minimum, apologize and leave” after he criticized President Petro’s remarks.

The foreign minister took to social media to slam the “rudeness” of Israel’s response to Petro. “Shame,” he posted online.

The Israeli regime on Sunday said Colombia’s Ambassador Margarita Manjarrez had been summoned over President Petro’s statements, in which he likened Israelis to “Nazis” due to their brutality in Gaza.

“If we have to suspend foreign relations with Israel, we will suspend them. We do not support genocides,” Petro said.

“The president of Colombia will not be insulted,” he said after Israel decided to cut arms exports to Colombia over Petro’s “hostile and anti-Semitic statements.”

Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, Petro has voiced solidarity with the Palestinians in numerous comments on X.

Petro has said Israel must cease its systematic attacks on civilians and genocide, urging the European Union to abide by international law and condemn the crimes of Israel.

Petro has also vowed that Colombia will send humanitarian aid to Gaza.

On October 7, the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm deep into the territories occupied by the Israeli regime in reaction to the recurring desecration of the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied al-Quds as well as intensified Israeli atrocities against the Palestinians of the occupied West Bank.

Israel has so far killed more than 2,800 Palestinians in Gaza.

Middle East

Truth “beheaded”

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TEHRAN, Oct. 17 (MNA) – Children with burnt skin from head to toe, lifeless newborns with fractured skulls, and deceased unborn fetuses are the haunting images that remain unseen on Western media platforms.

Middle East

UN Security Council fails to adopt resolution on Gaza

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The draft resolution obtained five votes in favor and four against, with six abstentions, Xinhua reported.

Four countries joined Russia in voting for the resolution — China, the United Arab Emirates, Mozambique, and Gabon. Four countries voted against it — the United States, Britain, France and Japan. The other six countries abstained.

To be adopted, a Security Council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no veto from any of the council’s five permanent members.

Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said his delegation was deeply disappointed at the result of the vote.

“There is nothing in the (draft) resolution that can be contested because it is a purely humanitarian one. The only reason why the resolution didn’t pass was because they do not want to support anything from Russia,” he told reporters after the voting.

The Security Council has on its table another draft resolution on the same issue from Brazil. No date has been set for a vote.

AMK/PR

Middle East

Any preemptive action by Resistance possible in coming hours

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Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks on Monday night in a televised interview in which he spoke about the ongoing Israeli regime’s war in the Gaza Strip where the civilian population is subjected to relentless airstrikes amid a total blockade and a looming ground invasion by the regime.

The foreign minister referred to his meetings with Resistance leaders including the Secretary General of the Lebanese Hezbollah Resistance movement Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah over the past several days.  

“All possible options and scenarios are there for Hezbollah. Everything has been considered correctly in their calculations and Resistance leaders will not allow the Zionist regime to take any action in the region. Any preemptive measure is possible in the coming hours,” Amir-Abdollahian said.

He added that the Resistance leaders were all of the opinion that they would give a chance to a political solution if any is reached, but “any action is possible” in case the Zionist regime continues its war crimes against civilians.

He said that the Resistance Front has the capability of “long-term wars with the enemy”, and that the expansion of the ongoing conflict will change the map of occupied Palestine.   

The top diplomat also referred to his phone talks with counterparts from some Islamic countries on Monday, saying that they came to the conclusion that “if the limited opportunities that the United Nations has are not used, the possibility of the opening of new fronts against the regime is unavoidable.”

Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran does not support the expansion of the conflict, but it is possible that the country enters the war as no party can remain indifferent to the ongoing situation.

“If we do not defend Gaza today, we should defend our cities tomorrow. Mr. Nasrallah has also said that if they do not take preemptive action, they will have to fight with Zionist forces in Beirut. The issue is that what has happened to the Zionist regime was an earthquake,” he said, referring to the operation launched by Palestine’s Hamas Resistance Movement against the regime from the Gaza Strip on October 7.

“The Zionist regime collapsed on October 7”, Amir-Abdollahian said, adding that the regime’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu had taken the war to Palestinian homes because of his weakness.

Security is an integrated issue, and it is an opportunity for us that the Zionists are stopped from within, he noted.

The Iranian foreign minister also warned that time is running out, and the UN and the international community should find a political solution as soon as possible before things reach “a boiling point”.

“Time is running out. They should find a solution within an international framework and should stop Netanyahu before the crisis deepens. They should know that time is running out and should find a political solution before reaching the boiling point.”

In his interview, the top Iranian diplomat also called on the United States to stop supporting the Zionist regime in its “crimes against civilians”, saying that the US cannot invite parties to exercise restraint and at the same time stand by the “Zionist criminals.”

MP/IRN

Middle East

Former UK diplomat Craig Murray detained over support for Hamas, Hezbollah

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A former British diplomat and human rights activist has been detained under the country’s counterterrorism laws after announcing support for the people of Palestine and criticizing Israel’s atrocities against them.

Craig Murray was detained on Monday under the UK’s so-called Prevention of Terrorism Act after he returned from a trip to Iceland.

Before his arrest, he had taken part in a pro-Palestinian protest outside Iceland’s parliament building.

In another X post on Sunday, Murray had clearly indicated his support for Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement.

“But in the coming Gaza genocide, every act of armed resistance by Hamas and Hezbollah will have my support. If that is a crime, send me back to jail,” he said.

On the same day, Murray reposted an earlier X post by Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, calling on the world body to intervene for an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s ongoing bloody war against the Gaza Strip and saying, “Under int’l law, atrocity crimes must not only be punished but also prevented.”

His detention came amid an all-out war waged by the Israeli regime against the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 2,800 Palestinians and injured close to 11,000 others.

The war was waged after an operation by Gaza’s resistance groups that has so far left some 1,200 Israeli forces and illegal settlers dead and close to 200 others captive. The resistance factions launched the operation in response to the Israeli regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodshed and destruction against Palestinians.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said those supporting Hamas following the operation would be “held to account,” vowing support for the Israeli regime and pledging readiness on the part of London to provide Tel Aviv with military assistance.

Upon arresting Murray, British authorities seized his phone and other electronic devices. He was also questioned about attending a pro-Palestinian protest outside the Icelandic parliament.

A former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan, Murray was sacked by the country’s Foreign Office for criticizing the host country’s human rights record as well as vehemently opposing the United States administration’s extraordinary rendition program, which involved torturing terrorism suspects.

Following his sacking from the British diplomatic service, Murray embraced journalism and human rights activism and established his own blog to publish his views and findings.