Author: Steven Sahiounie

The Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov says his country is voicing concerns about the Israeli leadership’s stance to call into question the two-state solution. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov indicated on Tuesday that the United States is impeding all efforts to stop the ongoing war in Gaza. “Until now, our council has failed to provide an adequate answer to this truly momentous challenge. The reason is known: it is the stance of the US that is blocking all efforts and initiatives to stop bloodshed in the occupied territories,” Lavrov said at a UN Security Council meeting. The top Russian diplomat stressed that the…

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi left Tehran for Ankara on Wednesday for his first state visit to Turkey as the president of Iran. The Iranian president is going to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan and co-chair the 8th meeting of the High Council of Iran-Turkey Cooperation in Ankara. The two presidents are also scheduled to attend a joint press conference after the conclusion of several cooperation agreements between the two neighbors. Raisi will also attend a meeting with Iranian and Turkish business people and the Iranian expatriates residing in Turkey. Speaking to reporters before leaving Tehran on Wednesday…

David Cameron will raise “concerns over the high number of civilian casualties” in Gaza and call for a significant increase in the “flow of life-saving aid” into the besieged Palestinian enclave when he meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a Foreign Office statement. Cameron, who is set to arrive in Israel today, is also expected to advocate for a peace settlement that involves the release of all captives taken from Israel, an end to rocket attacks on Israel and for the Palestinian Authority to take control of Gaza. Cameron’s trip will also include visits to the occupied West…

Israel and Hamas agree in principle on the exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinian prisoners during an initial monthlong ceasefire, but differences remain in how to bring about a permanent end to the conflict, Reuters news agency reports. Egypt, Qatar and the US have led intense mediation efforts in recent weeks. Talks are said to focus on a phased release of captives in Gaza in exchange for a pause in fighting, the return of Palestinian prisoners, and increased aid to Gaza. Reuters, citing unnamed sources, reports that Hamas has “absolutely” rejected a proposal by Israel to end the conflict if…

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan slammed the international community on Tuesday for not stopping the war against the Gaza Strip and voiced concern about the spillover effect of the war to the region. “One hundred and nine days into the conflict, it is a shame that the international community is still unable to stop the bloodshed in Gaza and the West Bank. “Gaza used to be an open prison. Now, it is a battleground where the Israeli Prime Minister (Benjamin Netanyahu) runs military operations for killing civilians to extend his political life,” Fidan told a UN Security Council meeting on…

Speaking at the UNSC meeting on the situation in the Middle East, Espen Barth Eide, Norwegian FM, call for a “sustained and enduring humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza. Regarding humanitarian efforts, the Norwegian foreign minister said, “We cannot only count trucks.” “We call for a radical step-up of humanitarian efforts, not only volumes,” he said. “We also must look at the content, the efficiency, the access [of humanitarian aid] throughout the whole territory of Gaza. And we must improve coordination.” Eide also called for a “political track” towards Palestinian statehood. “Norway recognises the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to have…

Intense international mediation efforts are working toward exchanging Israel hostages for Palestinian prisoners during a proposed month-long ceasefire in Gaza, Reuters reported on Tuesday, as the White House said its envoy was having active discussions on the issue. Qatar, the US and Egypt have held shuttle diplomacy since Dec. 28 and Israel and Hamas broadly agree in principle to the framework plan, sources said. It is being held up by the two sides’ differences over how to bring a permanent end to the Gaza war, sources said.The US State Department and White House, Qatar’s foreign ministry and Egypt’s State Information…

Fighters from the Iraqi anti-terror resistance groups have launched a drone strike against targets at a strategic port in the 1948 Israeli-occupied territories in response to the Tel Aviv regime’s unrelenting ground and aerial offensives against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

A high-ranking member of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement has hailed the resistance fighters’ operation in the al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, saying Israel’s heavy losses in a single day show the regime has failed in all its goals in the war against the besieged territory.

The air is heavy with the acrid smell of smoke and the sound of explosions reverberates through the walls of the makeshift shelter, as a young woman, with her face giving out vibes of worry and fear, is enduring the excruciating pain of childbirth on the rubble-filled floor.