Author: Steven Sahiounie

Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, is holding a news conference shortly after one given by the Israeli and American defense chiefs. He played a video showing Hamas fighters targeting Israeli troops behind a tank with a rocket-propelled grenade. It also showed disabled Israeli military bulldozers being towed away through Gaza. “These are the invaders the sands of Gaza will swallow,” Hamdan told reporters in Beirut. “We are asking what experience the American secretary of defence is sharing with Israel. Are we talking about the victories in Vietnam? Or their victory in Afghanistan after 20 years? The only experience to…

Hamas says it remains open to any suggestions for a prisoner swap with Israel, but no talks will be held until it stops the bombardment. “The Palestinian resistance – especially the Qassam Brigades – is managing this battle with responsibility and capability, engaging the enemy from close range, and our missiles are reaching the depths of the Israeli state,” said senior official Osama Hamdan. He added claims that Hamas is responsible for thwarting a new truce deal is “only adopting the lies of the occupation”. “We would like to confirm that no negotiations will be held for a prisoner swap…

At least 115 world leaders, academics and intellectuals have signed a declaration to denounce the months-long “genocidal onslaught” by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. The declaration states that Israel keeps pressing ahead with its crimes and has ignored worldwide protest rallies and pleas for a permanent ceasefire over the past months. “Under these circumstances, this Declaration calls not only for the denunciation of Israel’s genocidal assault but also for taking effective action to permanently prevent its repetition,” the group said in a joint statement. “We come together due to the urgency of the moment, which obliges global intellectuals…

Austin says he plans to convene a meeting of ministers from the Middle East and beyond on Tuesday to address attacks by the Yemeni group. “We’ll have more details on this soon, but we’re going to make sure that we’re doing everything that we can to ensure freedom of navigation in the area. The straits are pretty important, as you know – a large amount of commerce flows through there … on a daily basis.” Austin said The Houthis have attacked numerous vessels in recent weeks, saying they are targeting ships in the Red Sea with links to Israel in…

Mohammad Shtayyeh, the prime minister for the Palestinian Authority, says the Palestinian leadership’s legitimacy comes from its people and is not tailored to fit the interests of third-party actors. According to various reports in Western and Israeli media, the US’s confidence in the PA security forces – and their effectiveness in preventing attacks from the occupied West Bank on Israel – has prompted a discussion of reactivating those forces to play a role in Gaza after the war. “The government that Israel and its allies want [in Gaza] is not our government,” Shtayyeh said in a statement. “Israel wants an…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted all the necessary paperwork to the Russian Central Election Commission (CEC) to run for head of state in 2024, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told TASS. “Yes, he did,” the spokesman said when asked by TASS whether the head of state indeed submitted paperwork to the CEC today. Putin is running as an independent candidate. According to presidential election law in Russia, he had to gather 500 registered voters who support his campaign. The group met on December 16, and the participants unanimously supported Putin. The set of documents submitted to the CEC includes an…

Martin Griffiths, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, stated that a special tribunal for Gaza could be necessary as the Israeli genocide unfolds further with complete impunity and no accountability. He also lamented the loss of humanitarian aid workers, saying it “has never been greater.” “The impunity that goes along with the choosing of war as your first option has never been greater. And the impunity for killing humanitarian aid workers has never been greater… Impunity we have seen rampant in this war… Maybe there is a need for a special tribunal [for Gaza],” Griffiths said as quoted…

The Major General says Yemen is ready to confront any “state or entity that stands between [Yemen] and Palestine.” The commander of the Fifth Military Region in the Sanaa government, Major General Yusuf al-Madani, affirmed Yemen’s unwavering commitment to support Gaza, regardless of any external pressure. In a statement on Monday, the Major General declared that “any escalation in Gaza is an escalation in the Red Sea.” On reports of a potential maritime military coalition being discussed between the United States, the Israeli occupation entity, and a number of countries, including Arab states, al-Madani emphasized that the Yemeni Armed Forces will confront “any…

People in Gaza have shown little enthusiasm over the visit of US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to Israel, saying multiple past visits by US officials have not made their lives any better. “This visit will not change anything in the Gaza Strip,” Huda Hijaz told Al Jazeera, adding that the amount of humanitarian aid that has entered Gaza was not up to par with expectations. “People will continue dying.” Another resident, Ashraf Shannon, said Austin’s visit brought him “more fear” that Israel would further escalate the crisis. “The US has been the strongest supporter of Israel since its establishment…

The Iranian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson called for an international investigation into the heinous destruction of hospitals in Gaza and the burial alive of people at the hands of the Zionist regime. “The true face and anti-human nature of the Israeli regime has never been more exposed than in the war against Gaza,” Nasser Kanaani said in a post on his X account on Monday. “After the killing of hundreds of Palestinians and the Zionists’ preventing the bodies from being taken out, the ​​Al-Shafa Hospital has turned into a mass grave. Also, the footage published following the retreat of the Israeli…