Author: Steven Sahiounie

Bogota’s top diplomat says Israel’s ambassador should ‘apologize and leave’ after harsh words for the Latin American country’s president Colombian Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva said Monday that Israel’s ambassador in Bogota Gali Dagan should “apologize and leave the country” after criticizing the position taken by President of Colombia Gustavo Petro on the IOF-Hamas conflict in Gaza. The minister noted that the envoy will not be expelled, but advised Dagan to respect the host-country’s president as is mandatory in diplomatic relations. On Sunday, Dagan replied to Petro’s publication on X (formerly Twitter) in which the Colombian claimed that Palestinian militant group Hamas was…

The US leader seems to lack the wisdom that comes from experience, the Russian president said Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday addressed a suggestion that he be “put down” made by US President Joe Biden, suggesting that the octogenarian American politician still has a lot to learn. “You live, you learn. One must learn, and then there won’t be a desire to ‘put down’ anyone, since that leads to problems. One needs to learn to respect others and seek compromise,” Putin said in Beijing, where he is attending the international Belt and Road Forum. The Russian leader was responding to a reporter who…

The head of Israeli military intelligence has taken personal responsibility for failing to warn the military about the Hamas attack Israel’s military intelligence failed its “most important mission,” its head, Major General Aharon Haliva, said in a statement on Tuesday. The spy chief said that his agency failed to discover a threat posed by the Hamas militants and to warn the military in time to stop the attack more than a week ago. “The beginning of the war is an intelligence failure,” the commander of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Intelligence Division said. The general also said he bore “full responsibility for the failure” as…

Announcement comes as US President Joe Biden visits Israel amid mounting pressure over humanitarian situation in Gaza. The Israeli government has said that it will not prevent humanitarian aid from entering the blockaded Gaza Strip from Egypt, following pressure from its international allies to ease its 10-day siege on the Palestinian territory. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the decision in a statement on Wednesday as US President Joe Biden wrapped up a flying visit to the country. “In light of President Biden’s demand, Israel will not thwart humanitarian supplies from Egypt as long as it is only food, water and…

Turkiye will declare three days’ mourning over a deadly strike on a hospital in war-torn Gaza that killed hundreds, a Turkish official told AFP on Wednesday.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a fervent supporter of the Palestinian cause, has accused Israel of “striking a hospital sheltering women, children and innocent civilians” and urged the world to stop the tragedy in Gaza.Israel and Palestinian militants have accused each other of the attack.“Turkiye will declare three days national mourning,” the official who wished to remain anonymous told AFP.Ozlem Zengin of Erdogan’s ruling AKP party said that the national mourning would be declared under…

Matt Taibbi, Julian Assange, and Jordan Peterson joined more than 130 activists in demanding an end to online censorship Governments, NGOs, and social media companies are using “disinformation” as an excuse to throttle free speech in violation of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a group of over 130 academics, activists, journalists, and free speech advocates have warned in an open letter. Published on Wednesday, the ‘Westminster Declaration’ was signed by journalists Matt Taibbi, Glen Greenwald, and Julian Assange; psychologists Steven Pinker and Jordan Peterson; and actors Tim Robbins and John Cleese, among more than 100 other luminaries. “Coming from…

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN says Israel will deny again and again that it is behind the attack on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, which authorities in Gaza say killed at least 470 people. “Israel will deny its responsibility for the massacre … like it did with [Al Jazeera journalist] Shireen Abu Akleh. It will blame the Palestinians for their own death,” Riyad Mansour told the UN Security Council. His comments come shortly after the US vetoed a resolution that would have condemned violence against all civilians in the Israel-Hamas war and called for a humanitarian pause. “If anyone…

The bloc wants to cooperate with Egypt to prevent a refugee exodus amid the escalation in Gaza, Charles Michel has said The violent conflict between Palestinian militant groups and Israel spells serious danger for the EU as it could trigger a new refugee influx, European Council President Charles Michel has warned. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Michel pointed out that the example of Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza and has to deal with “millions of refugees,” demonstrates that “the situation can have… very serious consequences for this country and it can have direct consequences for us in Europe.” With…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned the UN Security Council for failing to pass a resolution for a humanitarian pause in the Gaza war. Turkish efforts to establish calm in the region have been hindered by the “collective punishment” of Palestinians through air strikes and the deployment of US aircraft carriers to the region, Erdogan said. “The United Nations Security Council, which has become even more ineffective, has once again not fulfilled its responsibility. Western countries – which leave no stone unturned when it comes to human rights and freedoms – have taken no steps other than adding fuel…

US President Joe Biden was scheduled to visit Jordan for a quadripartite meeting with the Jordanian King, the Egyptian president, and the Palestinian Authorities’ head, but it was canceled following the Al-Ahli hospital massacre. US President Joe Biden landed in “Tel Aviv” at the head of an envoy of diplomats, earlier today, declaring his support for “Israel” against the Palestinian resistance. Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that Biden’s visit would last around four hours and that he is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Israeli war cabinet. The US president will reportedly press to establish “safe zones” within Gaza. During…