Author: Steven Sahiounie

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to meet with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy during his visit to “Israel” on `saturday, a decision provoked by Labour’s recent decision to renounce the United Kingdom’s objections to the Internationcal Criminal Court’s arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his Security Minister, Yoav Gallant. The UK reportedly requested several meetings with Netanyahu, all of which were rejected under claims of “scheduling conflicts”. According to Israeli Channel 13, Lammy’s visit primarly aimed at discussing the impending retaliatory attacks by Hezbollah and Iran, as “Israel” hoped to gain London’s support in countering any response. Last month, Labour premier Keir Starmer…

Former US President Donald Trump has rehired key members of his 2016 campaign staff, dug down for debate prep with ex-Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, and named his sons and significant funders to run his formal transition team, as polls show the Republican is tied with Vice President Kamala Harris. Corey Lewandowski, who led Trump’s victorious 2016 campaign, will return to assist Trump in his attempt at victory again in November, according to a statement from campaign co-managers Susie Wiles and Chris LaCivita on Thursday. Lewandowski will be joined by Taylor Budowich, Alex Pfeiffer, Alex Bruesewitz, and Tim Murtaugh, all of whom were…

Germany has stopped providing military help to Ukraine, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Saturday, citing the government’s budget. The report stated that considering that Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor, has ordered austerity measures, the military ministry would not be able to approve any fresh requests, but previously agreed aid to Ukraine will still be provided as originally planned. According to the report, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner sent a letter to Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on August 5 with a related request. As per the report, the suspension is already in place and could make things worse for Ukraine on the…

In his first high-level meeting with Dhaka on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his support for a “democratic, stable” Bangladesh. Modi made the remarks while receiving a phone call from Muhammad Yunus, the chairman of Bangladesh’s interim administration. It is the first time the two leaders have spoken since Yunus took the oath of office on August 8, three days after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s administration, India’s longstanding ally. Hasina fled to New Delhi following a month of demonstrations against her government. Modi wrote on X that he “Exchanged views on the prevailing situation” with Yunus and “Reiterated…

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his recent cabinet line-up represents all the Iranian people, describing it as a “national consensus government” during a parliamentary session on Saturday. “The government that has been introduced to the parliament today is a government of national consensus, and as I said in the inauguration ceremony, the government of national consensus considers itself as representative of all the Iranian people,” Pezeshkian said while vetting his list of ministerial nominees. “The national consensus government is obliged to ensure the citizenship rights of all Iranian people and is committed to securing national interests,” he added. The newly-inaugurated President highlighted the…

During a meeting with French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné in Cairo, El-Sisi warned that the ongoing conflict will push the region into a destructive cycle of instability. He reaffirmed the international community’s responsibility to exert pressure to reduce escalation and address the root causes of the conflict by establishing a Palestinian State and implementing the two-state solution. For his part, Séjourné commended Egypt’s vital role as a mediator, alongside Qatar and the United States, to reach a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip and facilitate the exchange of hostages. He also affirmed his country’s steadfast support for de-escalating efforts and its…

Israeli bombardment on the city of Deir al-Balah in the central war-torn Gaza Strip Saturday evening killed four Palestinians and injured others, according to local sources. They said that the Israeli occupation forces targeted a house located to the south of the city, killing four civilians and injuring others. Meanwhile, Israeli fighter jets launched an airstrike on a residential tower in the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Strip. Israel has proceeded with its genocidal offensive on the war-torn Strip in complete disregard of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered Israel in a legally binding decision to halt…

Given the severe military restrictions the Israeli occupation authorities had placed on mosque entry, tens of thousands of people performed Friday prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosquee. About 40,000 people, according to the Islamic Awqaf Department in Jerusalem, performed Friday prayers within Al-Aqsa Mosque. According to the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), the occupation forces are still enforcing harsh limitations on worshipers’ access to Al-Aqsa, particularly on Fridays. Thousands of residents of the West Bank governorates are unable to travel to Jerusalem to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque because they need special permission to pass through the military checkpoints that encircle the Holy City…

Early this morning, nine Lebanese citizens, including a mother and her two children, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Nabatieh Governorate in southern Lebanon. Additionally, five others sustained injuries in the attack. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that the casualties and injuries resulted from an air raid carried out by Israeli fighter jets on the Wadi al-Kfour village in the Nabatieh region. Simultaneously, the southern region of Lebanon experienced intense Israeli reconnaissance and drone flights, particularly over the cities and villages of Tyre, Bazourieh, and Qadmus. Source: WAFA

The Doha negotiations did not yield any developments as “Israel” is clinging to its positions, a senior Palestinian Resistance official told Al Mayadeen. Moreover, a senior Hamas source pointed out that what the movement’s leadership was informed of Friday regarding the results of the Doha ceasefire meetings does not include a commitment to what was agreed upon on July 2. This follows a statement that senior officials from the governments of the United States, Qatar, and Egypt will reconvene in Cairo before the end of next week with an aim to conclude a ceasefire agreement in Gaza and a prisoner…