37th Intl. Islamic Unity confab to be held soon in Tehran

The purpose of the conference is to create unity and solidarity among Muslims, develop consensus among scholars and scientists to approximate their scientific and cultural viewpoints and present practical solutions in order to reach Islamic Unity and Unified Islamic Ummah in the Islamic World and solve the problems of Muslims and presenting solutions for them.

Conference guests are chosen from among the elites and educated figures, the ministers of Muslim countries, scholars and muftis, university professors, and other academic and cultural communities inside and outside the country.

The 36th International Islamic Unity Conference was held last year with the participation of 200 thinkers from 60 countries and 100 Iranian political and cultural figures, with the slogan “Islamic Unity, Peace and Avoidance of Division and Conflict in the Islamic World; Executive Solutions and Operational Measures”

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Israeli restrictions hinder Palestinians’ access to healthcare: World Bank

The World Bank says restrictions imposed by the Israeli regime and the worsening economic condition in the besieged Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank hinder the Palestinians’ access to healthcare.

In a report titled Racing Against Time, the Washington-based global lender said on Monday the restrictions on movement and trade in the West Bank, and Gaza and the divide between the two Palestinian territories were among several factors putting the Palestinian economy at high risk. “Given population growth trends, income per capita is thus expected to stagnate.”

“The fiscal constraints weigh heavily on the Palestinian health system and particularly on its ability to cope with the mounting burden of non-communicable diseases,” Stefan Emblad, the World Bank’s director for the West Bank and Gaza, said in a statement released with the report.

The restrictions, including “a lengthy, bureaucratic regime of permits,” often makes it hard to provide timely life-saving healthcare to Palestinians, he said.

Access to outside medical referrals for treatment of cancer, heart diseases, and maternal and child-birth conditions are significantly affected due to physical and administrative constraints, the statement said. “The situation is particularly critical in Gaza, which suffers from a more limited health system capacity and where patients struggle to get needed medical exit permit applications on a timely basis.”

“Research figures show that the near-blockade of Gaza has had an impact on mortality, as some patients do not outlive the length of the permit process.”

The report said restrictions on travel without permit make it hard for the Palestinians to receive life-saving treatment in time, particularly those in the Gaza Strip. After they receive approvals and financial coverage for treatment, patients are required to apply for exit permits he regime issues to be allowed to leave through Beit Hanoun, the only land crossing for the Palestinians moving between Gaza and the rest of the occupied territories.

Last week, a leading international humanitarian organization said Israeli authorities had deprived a considerable number of Palestinian children of life-saving healthcare in Gaza during the first half of 2023. A report published on Wednesday by the UK-based organization Save the Children said nearly 400 children in Gaza, at least two children per day, were denied permits to travel to the West Bank and receive critical treatment in that time span.

In the majority of cases, Israeli authorities denied or delayed permit applications for those accompanying patients during their medical journey.

Devastated by 16 years of the Israeli blockade and recurrent military attacks, Gaza’s healthcare system faces immense challenges, with the entry of vital medical supplies, equipment and medications severely restricted by the regime.

Iraq pounds ISIL hideouts with F-16 fighter jets

As a result of the airstrikes, a number of terrorists were killed, and their hideouts and ammunition were destroyed.

Meanwhile, local sources reported that two Iraqi army senior officers were injured following a bomb explosion during an anti-ISIL operation in Diyala.

ISIL, which attacked Iraq on June 7, 2014, and managed to capture about 45% of the country’s territory for a short period of time, was defeated in November 2017; However, since then, the remanent members of the terrorist group are present and operating in Iraq and Syria and carry out terrorist attacks from time to time.

Iraqi security forces keep searching, clearing, and chasing ISIL across the country to make sure that ISIL and its fugitive elements do not re-emerge.

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Saudi Arabia holds Israel responsible for extremists' storming of al-Aqsa Mosque

Saudi Arabia has condemned another act of incursion by Israeli extremists against the holy site of al-Aqsa Mosque in the occupied Palestinian city of al-Quds, holding the regime in Tel Aviv directly responsible for repercussions of such provocations.

In a statement issued on Monday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said the storming of al-Aqsa Mosque a day earlier by a group of Israeli extremists, which had taken place under the protection of the Israeli forces, constituted “a provocation to the feelings of Muslims around the world.”

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds the Israeli occupation forces fully responsible for the repercussions of these continued violations,” said the statement.

It also called on the international community to assume its responsibilities to prevent any escalation of the Israeli occupation in the Palestine territories.

The statement came a day after scores of Israeli settlers entered the compounds of al-Aqsa Mosque, as part of what experts believe is a plan to frequent the site to eventually turn parts or all of it into a Jewish temple.

Israeli occupation troops also restricted the access of Muslim worshipers to the sacred site, preventing the entry of Palestinian citizens.

Also on Sunday, Israeli forces brutally assaulted Muslim worshipers at one of the main entrances to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Citing local sources, WAFA news agency reported that the occupation soldiers beat up three worshipers, including an elderly man and an elderly woman, near Bab as-Silsila (the Chain Gate) on Sunday morning.

The violence came after the trio protested peacefully against an Israeli settler, who blew a horn at the entrance to al-Aqsa Mosque, the report added.

The presence of Zionist extremists in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which has happened regularly in recent months, contravenes beliefs of Muslims who view the site as a purely Muslim place where only Muslims can hold prayers and religious rituals.

Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the Monday storming of al-Aqsa Mosque comes amid efforts by the Israeli regime to normalize its political ties with Riyadh.

Israel has opened embassies in some Muslim countries over the past year despite boiling popular anger against the regime that exists in those countries. 

Airport in Iraqi Kurdistan region comes under drone attack

Iraqi Baghdad Al-Youm news agency reported that the airport was targeted by an unidentified drone but it provided no further details about possible casualties.

Meanwhile, Sabereen News, citing Kurdish sources, reported that at least one person was killed and 6 others were injured following the attack.

A security official in the Iraqi Kurdistan region also said that the explosion left several dead and injured, but it is not clear whether the explosion was caused by an accident or was a terrorist attack.

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'New corridor' US political ploy, unlikely to succeed

Announced at the Group of 20 (G20) summit in India, US President Joe Biden, along with leaders of India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, announced the launch of a new trade route connecting India to the Middle East and Europe through railways and ports. 

Some analysts are saying it will be a direct challenge to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, a multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure project launched a decade ago by Beijing with the aim of connecting China to the rest of the world.

Biden’s plan also includes the European Union, France, Italy and Germany. It is comprised of two separate routes – an east corridor linking India to the Persian Gulf Arab states and a northern corridor connecting the Persian Gulf states to Europe.

To learn more about the issue, we reached out to Professor Hossein Askari, Economist, Emeritus Professor of Business and International Affairs at George Washington University.

Following is the text of the interview with him:

What are the US motives behind this project? To what extent it is more politically motivated than economically?

To my mind, it is largely a political ploy cooked up by the United States. To undermine China’s Belt and Road Initiative. To cement Arab-Israeli relations and to reduce Israel’s isolation. To isolate Iran further. To restore some of the lost US influence in the Persian Gulf region. Given the massive capital requirement of the proposal, it cannot be justified on economic grounds.

Can this corridor affect the significance of other ways like the Suez Waterway negatively?

No, only marginally maybe. The Canal will still be dominant. This is because of transportation costs. The Canal will still be more economical for the foreseeable future.

Considering the fact that some regional powers like Iran, Turkey and Egypt are excluded from the project, how successful can this project be?

It all depends on evolving political alliances and the willingness of Arabs to come up with the financing. Will Arabs forget the plight of their Palestinian brethren, follow US wishes, embrace Israel and put up the billions that will be needed? If Arabs are willing to do that, then yes, it could succeed. Even then you have to worry about other repercussions and the possibility of terrorist attacks on the infrastructure. My guess is that it is unlikely to succeed, more for the reasons I have alluded to than the exclusion of the three countries that you name.

Interview by Zahra Mirzafarjouyan

EU decision to keep anti-Iran sanctions has no legal value

Nasser Kan’ani made the announcement during his press conference on Monday.

The process of implementing the agreement regarding the unblocking of Iran’s assets in South Korea and the issue of prisoner exchange has progressed at an acceptable speed, Kan’ani said.

The exchange of prisoners will be done today, he said, adding that five Iranian prisoners will be released from American prisons.

Two of the citizens will enter Iran based on their request and interest, and one of them will be transferred to a third country due to the presence of his family there, he added.

Kan’ani also noted that five citizens imprisoned in Iran will also be freed. 

On Iran-Iraq security agreement

Referring to the Tehran-Baghdad security agreement on the disarmament of armed groups on the Iraqi-Iranian border in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, he said that tomorrow is the deadline for the implementation of the Iran-Iraq security agreement.

The Iraqi government has seriously announced that it adheres to the implementation of the agreement and will fulfill its obligations in this regard, he noted.

He also expressed hope that based on the commitment of the Iraqi government and the emphasis made in the bilateral meetings, the Iraqi government will complete this process on time.

On Tehran-IAEA ties

Iran and IAEA will continue their cooperation positively based on Iran’s membership in the agency and the comprehensive Safeguards Agreement, Kan’ani said.

“We do not set any limits for cooperation and constructive interaction with the agency based on the Safeguard Agreement, and we will continue this cooperation by emphasizing the neutrality of the agency,” he said.

EU decision to keep sanctions has no legal value

Reacting to E3’s decision to keep anti-Iran sanctions that are due to expire next month under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), he said, “The restrictions announced by the European Union have no legal and international value, and Iran interacts with friendly countries based on international laws within the framework of its interests.”

“After October 18, the restrictions stipulated under the JCPOA will be automatically lifted. We do not value the restrictions announced by the European Union,” the Iranian diplomat said.

“From the mentioned date, these restrictions will be removed automatically, and based on international law, Iran can cooperate and interact with any country that is interested,” he stressed.

Iran true defender of human rights

Reacting to the recent claims of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, he said, “Iran considers a special and high position for human rights.”

He added that Iran is one of the true defenders of human rights and at the same time, it never tolerates the political use of human rights.

The American government and the European governments should know that the view of the Iranian nation regarding the anti-human rights history of these countries will not change.

Tehran-Baku talks hearth-warming, positive

Referring to the telephone conversation between Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Azerbaijani counterpart and the process of reopening the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran, he said, “The process of judicial,  security, and economic negotiations between the two countries are in the hearth-warming, positive, and forward path.”

He also expressed hope to witness the resumption of the activities of the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Tehran through these talks.

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Zionist forces shoot Palestinian man near East al-Quds

According to the Zionist security forces, they shot the  Palestinian man on Monday morning, claiming that he had drawn a knife at them at the al-Mazmoria checkpoint near the occupied East al-Quds.

Palestinian media reported that the Palestinian man was seriously injured and taken to the hospital. However, a Zionist website reported the condition of the Palestinian man as moderate.

Palestinian sources also pointed out that the Zionist forces have closed the checkpoint in al-Mazmoria and strengthened the presence of their forces.

Recently with the expansion of the Zionist regime’s settlements and the Zionists’ insult to the Islamic holy places in Quds, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the martyrdom operations of Palestinians against the Zionists have increased.

The Zionist regime has increased the number of its forces in various parts of Palestine and has taken strict security measures in fear of more martyrdom operations.

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