Author: Steven Sahiounie

Palestinian reports could be undercounting the dead, a State Department diplomat has said The number of Gaza Palestinians killed in Israel’s war on Hamas is probably higher than the 10,000 reported by the local health ministry, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf has told Congress. “In this period of conflict and conditions of war, it is very difficult for any of us to assess what the rate of casualties are,” Leaf told the House Foreign Affairs Committee during a hearing on Wednesday, according to The Hill. “We think they’re very high, frankly, and it could be that…

Israel has, however, agreed to daily “four-hour pauses” in fighting, the White House says US President Joe Biden has ruled out any hope of achieving a lasting ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. “None. No possibility,” Biden told reporters outside the White House on Thursday when asked about the chances of a firm cessation in hostilities. Speaking to reporters separately later in the day as he was boarding the Air Force One, the president revealed he had been pushing for a “pause” in fighting “for a lot more than three days.” The US, however, has not managed to secure even that long of…

Türkiye has criticized the European bloc’s enlargement strategy for lack of “fairness and inclusion” Türkiye has condemned the European Commission’s annual enlargement report as “unfair and biased,” after the bloc accused Ankara of backsliding on democratic standards, while simultaneously recommending launching membership talks with Ukraine. The Turkish Foreign Ministry responded to the European Commission’s latest country report on Thursday, calling it “unjust and biased” and also “worrisome for the future of our continent.” “We categorically reject unfounded claims and unjust criticisms,” the ministry said in a statement. “The unfair allegations against Türkiye on various fundamental rights issues… highlights the insincerity of this approach and a clear double-standard.” Published Wednesday,…

The sources said Israel had demanded that Hamas provide a full list of hostages complete with names, while Hamas “responded that it was unable to provide the list without a pause in the fighting” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is against the idea of a five-day ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of some hostages held by Hamas, The Guardian reported referring to its sources. According to the paper, Netanyahu has rejected the deal several times already – first immediately after the Hamas attack on October 7 and then after the launch of the Israeli ground offensive at the end…

In a post on X on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian declares that the only “good” thing the Israeli Prime Minister accomplished was to further undermine the foundations of the “fake Israeli regime.” As the Gaza Strip is on the verge of collapse, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has declared that time is running out for “Israel” to continue its brutal aggression on Gaza. The number of Palestinian martyrs in the Gaza Strip has surpassed 10,500, most of whom are children and women, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza. In a post on X on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian declared that the only “good”…

Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on Thursday in Abu Dhabi. During the meeting, the two leaders reviewed regional and international developments, with a particular focus on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and ways to bolster humanitarian relief, protect civilians and reduce the escalation of violence. Sheikh Tamim and Sheikh Mohamed also discussed the fraternal relations between their countries and explored ways to enhance cooperation across various fields. The Emirati president hosted a dinner banquet in honor of Sheikh Tamim and his accompanying delegation. The talks were attended…

Arab Foreign Ministers held on Thursday a preparatory meeting for the Arab Extraordinary Summit to discuss a draft resolution related to the latest developments of Israeli aggression on Gaza. The draft resolution will be raised to the Arab leaders’ summit expected to be held on Saturday. Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Fayssal Mikdad, stressed the need for coordinating a unified, active Arab stance to address the Israeli brutal aggression and genocide against the Palestinian people. Mikdad called for intensifying efforts to stop the Israeli war on Gaza and immediately deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians and reject all plots to displace them.…

A senior Iranian legal expert has called on 16 special rapporteurs of the United Nations to report on the crimes of Israel against the Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. In a letter to the UN special rapporteurs on Tuesday, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, head of the Islamic Public Law Association of Iran, said Israel’s atrocities against civilians, particularly women and children, represent flagrant violations of international law. “The Gaza Strip has been the scene of deadliest attacks by Israel since October 7. As a result of the horrific crimes, the total death toll in the besieged territory has passed the…

Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters are locked in heavy, close quarters fighting in Gaza City, with the White House announcing that Tel Aviv has agreed to daily four-hour military pauses in northern Gaza. Palestinian fighters armed with rocket-propelled grenade launchers and assault rifles were clashing on Thursday with Israeli soldiers backed by armored vehicles in the ruins of the besieged territory’s north. Israeli airstrikes kept pounding Gaza City and other areas across the Palestinian enclave, with plumes of smoke rising from newly leveled homes and other civilian infrastructure. Over a dozen Palestinians were killed after Israelis struck against the cities…

Local journalists say Israel’s war is ‘unprecedented’ but it won’t stop them from doing their work Reporters in Gaza are struggling to do their jobs with severely limited internet access, and a fuel shortage which prevents them from moving around. They are working in constant danger from airstrikes, which have claimed more than 10,000 lives so far. It’s been more than a month since Hamas militants infiltrated Israel in the deadliest attack on the Jewish state since its inception in 1948. More than 1,400 Israelis were brutally murdered on October 7, and over 7,000 were wounded. In retaliation, Israel waged war on Hamas, vowing to…