Author: Steven Sahiounie

Arab leaders have urged for a ceasefire to halt fighting between Israel and Hamas Saudi Arabia has voiced grave concerns to US officials over Israel’s impending ground assault on Gaza, saying the incursion could be “catastrophic” for the Middle East, according to the New York Times. During a meeting with US lawmakers in Riyadh last week, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman warned that an Israeli invasion of Gaza would be “extremely harmful” for the broader region, Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal told the NYT. “The Saudi leadership was hopeful that a ground operation could be avoided for reasons of stability as well as the loss of…

Washington has deployed forces across the Middle East as Israel prepares a ground assault on the Palestinian enclave A senior member of Hamas has said the Palestinian militant group was surprised by America’s reaction to recent violence in Gaza, suggesting the US could enter the fight after it sent thousands of troops and a pair of aircraft carriers to the region. In an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday, Ali Barakeh, a member of Hamas’ political leadership based in Lebanon, said the group “didn’t expect this much of a response” from the US. “An Israeli response? Yes, we expected that,” he said. “But what…

There were powerful explosions at the base A US military base near the al-Omar oil field in eastern Syria has been attacked by drones, Al Mayadeen television reported. Powerful explosions rang out at the base, the report said, giving no further details. The television channel said drones also struck an airfield in the province of al-Hasakah, which is used by US forces stationed in Syria. The Iraqi Islamic Resistance movement, which includes Shiite fighters who fought against terrorists from the Islamic State group (banned in Russia), claimed responsibility for the attacks. Source: TASS

The State of Palestine this morning welcomed the overwhelming support for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for the protection of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip from Israel’s onslaught and massacres and the unequivocal call for immediate humanitarian truce and unimpeded humanitarian assistance as well as the unambiguous rejection of any attempts at the forced transfer of the Palestinian population. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement, “As the Israeli assault against the Palestinian people reaches a new peak of brutality, including a complete communications blackout, there is a solid international…

Al Jazeera correspondents in the Gaza Strip are able to provide sporadic updates via satellite but direct communication is often hampered due to the near-total communication blackout in the bombarded enclave. From Hani Mahmoud in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Palestinians have endured what’s being described as the most difficult and bloodiest night since the beginning of this war. It all started on Friday when the Israeli military spokesperson distributed a map asserting that the al-Shifa Hospital was the headquarters of Hamas’s leadership. Hamas denied this but an hour later, Gaza experienced a complete blackout. At about 7pm local time, a…

Several officials from across the world are sharing their concerns over “Israel’s” ongoing aggression on Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire. Venezuelan President Nicola Maduro posted on X on Saturday stressing that the world is calling for an “immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, with 120 votes in favor in the UN General Assembly,” adding that the genocide in Gaza “must end”. Maduro’s remarks are part of a series of statements by officials calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In another post on X, the Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, stressed that “humanity today facing genocide,” adding that “with the complete…

The Israeli army says it has struck 150 underground targets in the north of the Gaza Strip, including tunnels used by “terrorists”. Several Hamas members were killed in the air raids overnight, a statement on X said. Source: AlJazeera

An Al Jazeera correspondent is reporting that Israeli bombing is continuing near the hospital for kidney dialysis in the northern Gaza Strip, while Israeli artillery shelling is hitting east of Rafah in the south. The communications and internet outage throughout Gaza has continued for more than 12 hours, coinciding with the intensification of air strikes and artillery and naval shelling on various areas, our correspondent reported. Source: AlJazeera

Recep Tayyip Erdogan asks Turkish nation to join pro-Palestine rally in Istanbul Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday called on Israel to stop its ongoing attacks on Gaza and get out of its “state of madness,” as it intensified its operations overnight. “The continuously increasing and intensified Israeli bombardments directed towards Gaza have once again targeted women, children, and innocent civilians, deepening the ongoing humanitarian crisis,” Erdogan said on X. The president asked the Turkish nation to join the “Great Palestine Meeting,” a rally at the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul scheduled for Saturday afternoon to show support for Palestinians.…

Israel’s military spokesperson says the country’s forces are still present in Gaza and the war is continuing, adding that so far there have been no casualties among the forces. We are progressing through the stages of the war in Gaza, he said. The spokesperson added that the army forces entered the areas of northern Gaza and expanded the scope of their operations. He said the joint forces participated in the operations, and this serves all the goals of the war. Tonight, the commanders of Hamas’ naval and air forces were eliminated in joint army and Shin Bet operations, he also…