Author: Steven Sahiounie

President Mahmoud Abbas and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi discussed today the latest developments in the Gaza Strip. During a telephone call, the two leaders tackled efforts to end the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip and emphasized the importance of increasing humanitarian, relief and medical aid to the Strip and accelerating its entry. They categorically rejected the displacement of any Palestinian, whether in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, affirming that Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian state. The two Presidents stressed that the Israeli occupation’s plans to separate the Gaza Strip from…

Russia says Israel is deliberately obstructing investigations into crimes it has committed in the besieged Gaza Strip. In a speech delivered at the United Nations Security Council on Monday, Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN Maria Zabolotskaya said Moscow would “welcome any efforts aimed at shedding light on the crimes committed during the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.” Israel began the campaign of death and destruction in Gaza on October 7, 2023, after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people. Since then, the regime has killed…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that he hopes that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, will pay a visit to his country after municipal elections in Turkey scheduled for March 31. “We continue our dialogue with both of our Black Sea neighbors. Last Friday (on March 8 – TASS), we received Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Istanbul. And after the elections [in Turkey] we will receive Russian President Vladimir Putin,” he said at a Ramadan iftar dinner, addressing foreign ambassadors. Erdogan also said that peace plans for the settlement of the Ukrainian conflict that do not take into account Russia’s…

The spokesperson for Qatar’s Foreign Ministry maintains an optimistic outlook although a deal on a ceasefire in Gaza seems far-fetched. Qatar’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, expressed optimism despite the absence of a finalized captive and ceasefire agreement, stating that Doha remains hopeful. “We are not close to achieving a Gaza ceasefire deal, the situation is very complicated on the ground,” he added. During a press conference in Doha, he said, “We are not seeing both sides converging on language that can resolve the current disagreement over the implementation of a deal.” All sides were “continuing to work in the negotiations to…

Syria is sending a parliamentary delegation to Russia to observe the presidential election scheduled for March 15-17, a source in the Syrian parliament told Sputnik on Tuesday. The invitation for this delegation came from the Russian legislature. “Basem Sudan, chairman of the Syrian-Russian Friendship Committee, will lead the Syrian delegation,” the source said. Russia and Syria have been allies for several decades. When the war erupted in Syria and a surge in terrorist groups ravaged the country, Russia provided military assistance to Syria to help restore peace. Russia’s presidential elections are due to be held on 15–17 March 2024. The country’s incumbent…

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the resistance and steadfastness of the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip will bring the Israeli regime to its knees. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting with Quran reciters and memorizers on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in the capital Tehran on Tuesday. “Today, what is coming to pass in Gaza is the apex of crime, malice and brutality,” the Leader said as he pointed to the 158th day of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. “The [Palestinian] resistance is still standing strong…

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has congratulated Pakistani newly-elected president, Asif Ali Zardari, who assumed office on Sunday.  According to Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, during a phone conversation with Zardari on Tuesday, Erdogan said he expects relations between the two countries to develop in every field, and voiced his hope that the new term will be auspicious for Pakistan. The Turkish president also condemned terrorist attacks in Pakistan during the election period, saying Türkiye will continue to support Islamabad in combating terrorism. Zardari, 68, co-chairman of the center-left Pakistani People’s Party, was elected as the country’s 14th president for a five-year…

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in the caretaker government, Riyad Al-Malki, briefed his Canadian counterpart, Mélanie Joly, on the latest political developments during a meeting held in the city of Ramallah. Malki thanked his Canadian counterpart for her country’s positive decision to fund the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) again, reflecting Canada’s keenness on the essential presence of UNRWA and the important services it provides to Palestinian refugees, particularly in such a difficult situation. The foreign minister demanded urgent intervention to protect civilians and ensure the delivery of humanitarian needs to the Gaza Strip,…

Israel’s war in Gaza has been “a slow motion, mass murder of children, five months in the making,” Jordan’s Queen Rania said on Monday in a CNN interview with Christiane Amanpour. Speaking about the ongoing crisis in the region, the queen said: “Since the beginning of this war, Israel has cut off everything that is required to sustain a human life — food, fuel, shelter, medicine, water — and it has been going on now for four or five months, and allowed the people of Gaza to completely rely on outside assistance. “And actually it has systematically denied and delayed…

Israel’s police force said it will deploy thousands of officers across Jerusalem’s Old City for Ramadan’s first Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa mosque, with tensions high amid the Gaza war.“We are prepared for Friday prayers with more police officers. Thousands of them will be in the area of Temple Mount,” police spokeswoman Mirit ben Mayor told reporters, using the Jewish name for the Al-Aqsa mosque site.Hundreds of police officers had already been deployed in the Old City in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem since Ramadan began on Monday, she said.Ben Mayor said up to 25,000 worshippers had already visited the mosque for…