Author: Steven Sahiounie

President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed today the United Nations Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, at the presidential headquarters in Ramallah. During the meeting, President Abbas briefed the guest on the latest developments regarding the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip, as well as the efforts made to immediately halt the Israeli war of genocide. The President further stressed the importance of expediting the entry of essential humanitarian, relief, and medical aid into the Gaza Strip in order to enable shelters and hospitals to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians during these challenging…

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The “carnage” in Gaza has left more than 30,000 Palestinians killed must end immediately, UN rights chief Volker Türk told the Human Rights Council this evening, after almost five months of constant Israeli bombardment and mass displacement of Palestinians in the enclave. “The war in Gaza must end,” Türk said, insisting that it was “well past time” for peace, accountability and investigations into the “clear” violations of international humanitarian law and possible war crimes throughout the course of the ongoing Israeli aggression. “There appear to be no bounds to – no words to capture – the horrors that are unfolding…

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The US president held a phone call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, and the two leaders “underscored that the release of hostages would result in an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks”, the White House said in a statement. “They also discussed planning to surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza and how the ceasefire under the hostage deal would further help enable those efforts and ensure that assistance reached civilians in need throughout Gaza,” it added. Biden and Sheikh Tamim also discussed “the tragic and alarming incident earlier today in…

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The US president discussed efforts to reach a Gaza truce and captives deal in a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the White House said in a statement. “The president thanked President el-Sisi for Egypt’s leadership in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza,” it added. The assertion by the White House appears to undercut Israel’s claim that Egypt is contributing to the lack of humanitarian assistance reaching Gaza. The statement said Biden and el-Sisi discussed the killing of Palestinian civilians awaiting aid in northern Gaza when Israeli forces opened fire at them today. “Both leaders grieved the loss…

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has wished Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas success in forming a unified Palestinian government of technocrats. “We wish the Palestinians and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas success in forming a new Cabinet. We hope it will reflect the trend toward overcoming differences and include people who represent the interests of the entire Palestinian people, all its constituent parts,” the foreign minister said at an intra-Palestinian meeting in Moscow. Commenting on Abbas’s decision to change the government by starting the process of selecting new ministers – technocrats, Lavrov expressed hope that such an approach indicates a desire to…

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