Author: Steven Sahiounie

Israeli forces have prevented hundreds of Muslim worshippers seeking to perform Friday prayers from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque, according to the Wafa news agency. Witnesses told the news agency that troops greatly intensified their military presence in the vicinity of the Qalandiya, Zeitoun and Bethlehem checkpoints leading to the mosque, which is holy for Muslims. The Israeli forces reportedly returned hundreds of worshippers from these checkpoints, claiming they did not have the necessary permits. The agency added that hundreds of soldiers have been deployed around the mosque. Israel restricted the entry of Palestinians and Muslim Israelis to the mosque in…

Kuwait’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed Sabah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, arrived in Jeddah on Thursday to begin an official visit to the Kingdom. He was greeted at King Abdulaziz International Airport by the deputy governor of Makkah, Prince Saud bin Mishal, the Saudi ambassador to Kuwait, Prince Sultan bin Saad, and other senior officials, the Saudi Press Agency reported. Also present were the Kuwaiti ambassador to the Kingdom, Sheikh Sabah Nasser Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and the country’s consul general in Jeddah, who is also its permanent representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Mohammad Saud Al-Mutairi, the Kuwait News Agency reported. Source:…

China renewed its criticism of the repeated Israeli attacks on Syrian territory, stressing that they constitute a serious violation of Syria’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Since the outbreak of the current events in Palestine, “Israel” has launched repeated air strikes across the occupied Golan Heights on various sites in Syria, which constitute a serious violation of its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, Xinhua News Agency quoted China’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Geng Shuang, as saying at a UN Security Council session on Syria. Geng called on the international community to make collective efforts to increase humanitarian…

Iran’s ambassador to the UN warned that the unilateral sanctions imposed on Syria would only prolong the crisis in the Arab country and worsen the suffering endured by the Syrian people. Addressing a meeting of the UN Security Council on “the situation in the Middle East: (Syria)”, held in New York on Thursday, Saeed Iravani said the Syrian people have greatly suffered over the past thirteen years, with the conflict also having adverse consequences on the peace, security, and stability of the entire region. “Since the start of the conflict in 2011, certain countries have pursued their political agenda in…

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and the head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, discuss the latest developments concerning the Israeli aggression on Gaza over the phone. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and head of the Hamas Political Bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, discussed the latest developments in the situation in occupied Palestine and Gaza during a phone call today, Friday. Amir-Abdollahian confirmed that the world has become fully aware that the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, “has reached the end and is making his last moves in order to survive.” He added during the call that the Israeli…

Selling weapons to Israel that murder more Palestinian civilians is a “war on human rights” and nothing justifies continuing arms sales, according to the UN special rapporteur on human rights defenders. In an op-ed published yesterday by the British daily The Guardian, Mary Lawlor condemned the continued arms sales to Israel in the face of the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where nearly 32,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since October 7th last year. “There exist no moral arguments that can justify the continued sale of weapons to Israel by states that respect the principle of…

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel for what are expected to be fractious talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza as public differences over the conflict have intensified.It’s the final stop in Blinken’s sixth urgent diplomatic mission to the Middle East, in which he’s expected to hold meetings with Netanyahu and his war cabinet aimed at convincing them not to proceed with plans for a large-scale military offensive in the southern city of Rafah that many fear could make an already disastrous humanitarian crisis in Gaza even worse.“A major military…

French President Emmanuel Macron believes that Ukraine’s fall is imminent, says the European edition of Politico, referring to its sources. According to the paper, on Wednesday Macron held a political event at the Elysee Palace, where, among other things, the upcoming elections to the European Parliament were discussed. “Ukraine could fall very quickly,” Macron said during the event, as relayed to the newspaper by a participant at the gathering. Earlier, at a press conference with Czech President Petr Pavel, Macron said that European countries should not place limits on themselves when talking about helping Ukraine to prevent the spread of…

Jordan’s King Abdullah held talks with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the president of the UAE, on Thursday in Abu Dhabi. Their discussions included regional and international issues of mutual concern, including the war in Gaza, and ways to enhance the ties between their countries, the Emirates News Agency reported. Regarding the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Sheikh Mohammed and King Abdullah called for the safe and unimpeded delivery of aid by land, sea and air. They also stressed the urgent need for international efforts to help maintain regional stability and achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace between Israel and…

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote today on a US-drafted resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire the Gaza Strip. According to Anadolu Agency, the US resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, protecting civilians from all parties, allowing the delivery of essential humanitarian aid, alleviating humanitarian suffering, and reaching an agreement on prisoners. The resolution, which the United States has been negotiating for some time, emphasizes that Gaza is part of the territories occupied in 1967 and expresses support for a two-state solution. Supporting ongoing international diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire, the resolution calls on…