Author: Steven Sahiounie

New Zealand is imposing travel bans on “a number” of Israeli settlers “known to have committed violent acts,” according to a statement from Prime Minster Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters. “New Zealand is seriously concerned by the significant increase in extremist violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinian populations in recent months,” said Luxon. Peters described Israeli ministers’ “plans for further settlement construction” as a “serious concern”. New Zealand’s announcement comes after Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced plans for 3,300 new Israeli settlement homes to be built in the occupied West Bank. The New Zealand statement did not specify which…

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he met with Sigrid Kaag, the United Nations’ senior coordinator for humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Gaza. Netanyahu and Kaag “discussed some of the current challenges in the region and possible policies to confront them”, the prime minister’s office said, as the death toll in Gaza nears 30,000 and as aid agencies warn of the “slow motion” mass killing of children due to food shortages and disease in the Palestinian territory. Netanyahu’s office did not provide further details. UN officials and nongovernmental organisations have strongly criticised Israeli authorities for severely restricting…

Canada’s International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen has said that the country is exploring options for delivering humanitarian aid, and “airdrops of aid into Gaza, in partnership with like-minded countries like Jordan”, were possible. Hussen, who visited Egypt and Jordan last week, said that drawn-out Israeli inspections on aid trucks at the border with Rafah mean that nowhere near enough aid is entering Gaza. Ottawa has provided 100 million Canadian dollars ($74m), including 40 million Canadian dollars ($30m) in January alone, towards aid in Gaza since Israel’s ground invasion began. “I just came back from the region, and Canadian aid is…

French President Emmanuel Macron’s statements about the possibility of sending European troops to Ukraine are dangerous, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. “As for Macron’s statements, it’s something new, which is far more dangerous,” Peskov told Channel One television. “On the one hand, our Western partners are predictable but, on the other, unfortunately, they are beginning to discuss issues, such as the direct deployment of troops to Ukraine, which could cause irreparable damage to security and stability on the continent, leading to irreversible consequences,” he added. Peskov pointed out that the very fact that politicians in the West were discussing the issue “certainly…

A German naval frigate sent to the Red Sea to defend against Houthi attacks almost shot down a US drone earlier this week, German magazine Der Spiegel reports. The report said the Hessen frigate fired two missiles at a US Reaper reconnaissance drone after efforts to identify it were unsuccessful, but missed due to a “technical defect”. Germany’s Defence Ministry confirmed on Monday that there was an incident involving the frigate and a drone from a friendly nation, but did not name the country. “The case was resolved when it turned out that it wasn’t a hostile drone, which only…

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has said that NATO is not and will not become a party to the conflict in Ukraine. “NATO is not – and will not be – a party to the war. It will continue to be this way,” Scholz said in a video posted to his X page. “We do not want Russia’s war against Ukraine to turn into a war between Russia and NATO. We agree on this with all our allies.” “This also means: no German participation in the war!” the chancellor went on to say. “And I will say clearly: as German chancellor,…

Qatari Emir Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani and French President Emanuel Macron on Wednesday condemned the situation in the Gaza Strip and expressed opposition against a looming Israeli invasion into the southern city of Rafah, where around 1.4 million Palestinians — most of them displaced from other areas — are sheltering in tent cities. “The leaders stressed the urgent need for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, in order to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza on a massive scale and to ensure protection for civilians. They stressed their opposition to an offensive on Rafah,” a joint communique read. Al-Thani and Macron also “called…

In a series of identical letters sent to heads of states, prime ministers, and heads of organizations and unions, President Mahmoud Abbas affirmed this evening the State of Palestine’s unequivocal rejection the principles declared by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for “the day after the war” on the Gaza Strip. President Abbas warned against the dangerous implications of Netanyahu’s principles which defy international stances and efforts to achieve a ceasefire, as well as the calls for a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an increase in humanitarian aid, including food, medical assistance, and essential needs. In his letters, the President…

Türkiye is ready to again host peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, the Turkish president said on Wednesday. In a video message sent to the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit, Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he maintains his view that diplomacy and dialogue should be given a chance for a “fair and lasting resolution” of the Ukraine war, which began in February 2022. “To achieve this goal, utilizing diplomatic channels at the highest level from every possible avenue is of great importance,” Erdogan said. “Türkiye’s support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity is well known to all. We are also making…

Palestinian detainee Assef Al-Rifai, 22, has died in an Israeli prison, the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission today announced, bringing the total number of prisoners and detainees who have died in Israeli prisons since October 7 to ten. Rifai, who is originally from the village of Kafr Ain, northwest of Ramallah, was detained in 2022 and was diagnosed with cancer. source: WAFA