Author: Steven Sahiounie

The President of the State of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, stressed the need to completely stop the ongoing aggression against Palestinian people, open all crossings, double the entry of humanitarian aid, and reject and prevent the forced displacement of the Palestinian people. In a television interview with Egyptian media personality Lamis Al-Hadidi, the President appreciated the Egyptian and Jordanian position supporting the steadfastness of Palestinian people and rejecting the plan to displace them, indicating the readiness of the Palestinian Authority to assume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip as it had previously assumed, as well as in the West Bank, including…

For scholars who face pressure for defending human dignity in Gaza, doors of Turkish universities are open to them, says Recep Tayyip Erdogan There is “no difference” between what Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu is doing in the months-long attacks on Gaza and what Nazi leader Adolf Hitler did decades ago, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. At a science awards ceremony in the capital Ankara, Erdogan said: “How do you (Netanyahu) differ from Hitler? These (actions) will make us look for Hitler as well. Is there anything Netanyahu does that is less than Hitler? No.” Just like 80…

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel condemned Israel as a “terrorist state” engaged in genocidal war in Gaza, amid the ongoing military offensive initiated by Israel on Gaza since October 7, resulting in around 21,000 deaths in the besieged enclave. Diaz-Canel, voicing his strong criticism on social media, condemned Israel’s military operation in Gaza, citing the devastating impact on the region and the deaths of thousands of Palestinian civilians. He said it was “a humiliation for humanity” and decried the lack of the Israeli regime’s accountability. “Cuba, which will never be among the indifferent, raises its voice for Palestine again and again,” Diaz-Canel…

Tuesday saw a spate of attacks in the Red Sea, with the US military saying it shot down 12 one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles and two land attack cruise missiles fired by the Yemen-based Houthis in a 10-hour period. Before that, the Mediterranean Shipping Co reported that its container ship came under attack. No injuries were reported. The Houthis have promised to attack commercial ships going to and from Israel in the arterial Red Sea waterway. The US has launched a 20-member coalition in response to protect ships in the region. Source: AlJazeera

Lloyd Doggett, a Democratic representative in the US House of Representatives, has questioned US support for Israel in a post on social media. “US policy of begging Netanyahu to safeguard civilians while sending him weapons and abstaining on even the most modest UN resolution has failed,” said Doggett. Doggett made the comments in response to reports that Israel has been using “non-precision 2,000 [pound] bombs dropped in densely populated areas”. Source: AlJazeera

As we reported earlier, the UN has appointed Sigrid Kaag as the senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, a new role created by a UNSC resolution adopted on Friday. Kaag – a former deputy prime minister of the Netherlands – is expected to begin on January 8 2024, the UN said. It’s worth noting that UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Lynn Hastings left the country last week after Israel revoked her residence visa. Hastings had criticised Israeli restrictions on much-needed aid deliveries. “The conditions required to deliver aid to the people of Gaza do not exist,”…

Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani received a phone call on Tuesday from US President Joe Biden to discuss the latest developments in Gaza and current joint mediation efforts for calming the situation in the besieged enclave to reach a permanent cease-fire, according to a report from the Qatari State News Agency.Qatar and Egypt were mediators between Israel and Hamas in the late November truce during which Hamas released 110 women, children and foreigners it was holding in exchange for 240 Palestinian women and teenagers freed from Israeli jails Source: Arab News

Jordanian King Abdullah II is on his way to Egypt to meet President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Royal Hashemite Court announced on X. The pair are also expected to discuss the situation in Gaza and the path towards a ceasefire. On Monday, Egypt announced what is described as a plan to end the war in Gaza, which would see Israel entirely withdraw from the enclave, all captives held by Hamas released, many Palestinian prisoners freed, and a united technocratic Palestinian government installed. Source: AlJazeera

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has given a speech. Here are some of his main talking points: source: AlJazeera

The appointment was required by the UN Security Council resolution passed last week, which said the international organisation must appoint a coordinator to oversee humanitarian relief shipments into Gaza. Kaag, who resigned from her post as deputy prime minister of the Netherlands after the announcement, will have the title of senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator. The role begins on January 8, the UN said in a statement. “In this role she will facilitate, coordinate, monitor and verify humanitarian relief consignments for Gaza,” the UN said. She will also establish a “mechanism” to accelerate aid into Gaza through countries not involved…