Author: Steven Sahiounie

The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza said Saturday that at least 7,703 people have been killed in the war with Israel that erupted on October 7. More than 3,500 children were among the dead, the ministry added. The ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel has caused the highest number of fatalities in Gaza since Israel unilaterally withdrew from the territory in 2005. On Friday evening Israel intensified its bombardment of the Gaza Strip, the army said, striking dozens of Hamas targets, especially underground tunnels. The blistering air and artillery assault destroyed hundreds of buildings and thousands of houses across the…

BEIRUT: Israeli drones on Saturday fired three missiles at a site in Jabal Safi in Lebanon’s Iqlim Al-Tuffah area, about 20 km from the border demarcation line. It was a second violation of Lebanese airspace by Israeli forces in the past 21 days amid growing tensions with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon against the backdrop of the Gaza war. A shell also struck the perimeter fence of the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura, causing minor damage. A Hezbollah surface-to-air missile fired at one of the drones was intercepted and destroyed by an Iron Dome missile. Activists on social media platforms shared footage…

Russia’s comments come as Hamas tries to locate 8 Russian-Israeli citizens among the hostages it took during its attack on Israel. Israel’s bombardment of Gaza runs counter to international law and risks creating a catastrophe that could last decades, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said. Lavrov made the comments, some of Moscow’s most critical of Israel yet, in an interview with the Belarusian state news agency Belta, which released them on Saturday. “While we condemn terrorism, we categorically disagree that you can respond to terrorism by violating the norms of international humanitarian law, including indiscriminately using force against targets…

Overwhelmed morgues, cemeteries and near-constant bombardment have made funerals and grieving all but impossible. Palestinians say the devastating war between Israel and Hamas is robbing them not only of their loved ones but also of the funeral rites that long have offered mourners some dignity and closure in the middle of grief. Overwhelmed hospitals and morgues and near-constant bombardment have made funerals and grieving all but impossible. Cemeteries have compelled families to dig up long-buried bodies and deepen the holes to make space for new victims. Overflowing morgues have compelled hospitals to bury people before their relatives can claim them. To…

In city of Ashkelon, in southern Israel, locals speak of the constant sound of aerial attacks on the nearby Gaza Strip. Ashkelon, Israel – The constant sound of thuds from artillery and missiles reigning down on the besieged Gaza Strip ring through the near-deserted streets of this Israeli coastal town. Overnight, Israel launched large-scale ground operations in Gaza, severed the communications networks and widened its air attacks on the enclave. Relentless overnight bombardment of Gaza Noam Negoi, a 17-year-old who grew up in the city, says he has grown used to the sound of rockets over the years, but that the current…

Foreign and Expatriates Minister Fayssal Mikdad said that Israeli occupation crimes in Gaza Strip are identical and even surpass those committed by fascism during World War II. “Those who supported Israeli occupation with Balfour Declaration or voted to recognize this entity will regret soon, and they will realize that they committed a crime against their countries and all of humanity,” Mikdad wrote on X Saturday. “Over the past two weeks, Israeli occupation killed 3,000 children, destroyed approximately half of the houses in Gaza Strip, and deprived the people there from water, medicine, electricity, communications, Internet to cover up war crimes…

Israeli ground operation to draw countries into war, Abdel Hafiz Nofal said The Palestinians will not leave the Gaza Strip for the so-called camps in Egypt, Palestinian Ambassador to Russia Abdel Hafiz Nofal told TASS. “Palestinians are not going to leave Gaza. They will not go to the border.They will never go to Egypt’s camps. They will be staying on their land,” he said. Israel’s ground operation in Gaza may bring other countries into the war, Palestinian Ambassador told. “I said long ago that once the Israelis launch a ground operation, this will be very difficult, very dangerous for civilians.…

The Palestinian Red Crescent says it is unable to communicate with its teams in Gaza, including medics and hospitals. “We are extremely concerned for the well-being of our teams,” said Nebal Farsakh, spokeswoman for the Palestinian Red Crescent in Gaza City. She added the loss of communication means more than two million people cannot reach out to ambulance services. This includes the wounded, people with chronic disease, and pregnant women. Source: AlJazeera

RAMALLAH, Saturday, October 28, 2023 (WAFA) – In a crucial meeting of the PLO Executive Committee held this evening at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah, President Mahmoud Abbas urged the international community to stop the genocide being carried out these days by Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Addressing the committee, President Abbas emphasized the gravity of the current situation, as the people of Gaza are facing genocidal massacres by Israel in full watch of the international community. “From the very beginning of this crisis,” said the President, “the Palestinian leadership has spared no effort, engaging in extensive diplomatic…

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has sharply criticized the “unprecedented escalation” of Israeli bombardments on Gaza calling for an immediate ceasefire. “Instead of the pause” he said, there has been “an unprecedented escalation of the bombardments and their devastating impacts, undermining the referred humanitarian objectives,” Guterres said on a visit to Doha. Guterres spoke as Israel announced today that the war on Gaza had “entered a new phase,” with its forces relentlessly pounding Gaza three weeks into its aggression on the territory. “This situation must be reversed,” Guterres said as he appealed for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and a delivery of…