Author: Steven Sahiounie

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and King Hamad of Bahrain have pledged joint action to address the escalating crisis in Gaza and its effects on the region. El-Sisi received King Hamad in Cairo on Wednesday, where the leaders expressed hope that peace efforts would lead to a new path for the region, offering a future in which they work together toward prosperity. King Hamad told a joint press conference that the president and he also discussed the agenda for the 33rd Arab Summit, which Bahrain will host next month. The leaders emphasized the need for clear policies to promote peace,…

Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has told a senior UN official that he fears the conflict in Gaza could spiral out control and threaten regional security. In a meeting in Cairo with Maj. Gen. Patrick Gauchat, head of mission and chief of staff of the UN Truce Supervision Organization, Aboul Gheit highlighted the need to implement the UN Security Council’s ceasefire resolution, and provide urgent humanitarian aid to the famine-stricken population in Gaza. Gamal Roshdy, a spokesperson for the Arab League chief, said that the meeting discussed the regional situation, with Aboul Gheit saying that Israel’s war on Gaza violated international law…

The United Nations Security Council convened today to discuss the situation in the Middle East, with a focus on the Palestinian issue. Addressing the UNSC, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the international community must work together to prevent any actions that could push the entire Middle East into turmoil, with catastrophic consequences for civilians. He emphasized that the optimal way to achieve this is through comprehensive diplomatic steps to de-escalate tensions in the region, starting with Gaza. Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, noting that the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip for the past…

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing supports Palestine becoming a full membership of the United Nations. Wang declared support for Palestine’s UN membership at a news conference with his Indonesian counterpart in Jakarta, China’s state-backed digital news outlet The Paper reports. Wang also said Israel’s war on Gaza had created a humanitarian disaster and an “unconditional ceasefire” should be implemented immediately, the news outlet said. The UN Security Council is expected to vote on Friday on a Palestinian request for full UN membership, a move that the US – Israel’s staunchest ally – is expected to block. Source: Aljazeera

An IRGC official has warned that if Israel takes action against Iran’s nuclear facilities, it will definitely face “tit-for-tat” retaliation against the regime’s nuclear centers with advanced weapons. “If the Zionist regime decides to take action against our nuclear facilities and centers, it will definitely face our reaction,” head of the Nuclear Protection and Security Corps Gen. Ahmad Haqtalab said on Thursday, adding “for a tit-for-tat retaliation, the regime’s nuclear facilities will be attacked with advanced weapons”. Haqtalab issued the stern warning after Israeli officials’ suggestions of a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities following the Islamic Republic’s Operation True Promise to “punish”…

The Chinese and Indonesian foreign ministers have called for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza after a meeting in Jakarta. China’s Wang Yi renewed calls for a UNSC ceasefire resolution to be implemented, criticising the US for suggesting the resolution was nonbinding. “In the eyes of the United States, international law seems to be a tool that can be used whenever it finds useful and discarded if it does not want to use it,” Wang said. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said she hoped China “would use its influence to prevent escalation”. Source: AlJazeera

US President Joe Biden told an interviewer that he’d warned the Israeli government against attacking itself, in what appears to be the aging leader’s latest gaffe, and one that has again raised concerns over his mental state. Speaking with Nexstar Media’s Reshad Hudson in an interview published on Wednesday, the 81-year-old president detailed his plans to win back pro-Palestinian voters amid his ongoing support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas. Biden claimed that, aside from meeting with pro-Palestinian activists, he had also “made it clear to the Israelis: don’t move on Haifa,” which actually is a port city in northern Israel. …

Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian landed in New York City and will later address the UN Security Council as tit-for-tat attacks with Israel raise fears of a wider war in the Middle East. He said the UNSC meeting will “focus on the Palestinian issue”, adding Israel’s war on Gaza has reached a boiling point. “The spillover of this situation is clearly visible in the region,” he told reporters. “It is an opportunity to explain Iran’s views in line with the necessity of establishing lasting peace and security in the region.” Source: AlJazeera

The head of the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) accused the international community of “containing” rather than resolving the more than 75-year-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Philippe Lazzarini said when a Palestinian state that can deliver education, healthcare and social support is established, UNRWA’s role will be finished. His comments came amid a concerted effort by Israel to disband UNRWA. “The agency exists because a political solution does not,” said Lazzarini. Israel got no support for getting rid of UNRWA at a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday. All 15 council members – including the United States, Israel’s closest ally – voiced…

The Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ Quds Force Qaani said that the Hamas leader’s children and grandchildren have risen as martyrs on the path to al-Quds. The Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps’ Quds Force Ismail Qaani sent his condolences to the head of Hamas’ Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, after “Israel” murdered his three sons and grandchildren in Gaza. Addressing Haniyeh, Qaani referenced the moment when Haniyeh received the news and highlighted the way Haniyeh received it firmly and affirmed that all martyrs in Gaza are his family and children are part of his faith. He added that his…