Author: Steven Sahiounie

The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) has indicated that an Iranian response to recent Israeli strikes is “not ruled out,” though it may not occur in the immediate future. In a press briefing, Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder stated that diplomacy remains an option to resolve tensions between Israel and Hezbollah. “Yes, there is a possibility that Iran might respond militarily to recent Israeli strikes,” Ryder noted, emphasizing the Pentagon’s close monitoring of Iranian activities and its commitment to coordinating with and defending Israel. Ryder added, “We are keeping a close watch on how Tehran might respond following recent Israeli airstrikes.”

The World Food Programme (WFP) issued an urgent call Tuesday for immediate action to prevent a potential famine in Gaza. WFP warned that the ongoing humanitarian crisis could quickly worsen due to severe restrictions on aid delivery. This month, a global monitoring organization highlighted that the entire Gaza Strip faces a high risk of famine, exacerbated by continued Israeli military actions that hinder humanitarian aid access. In its statement, WFP said, “As conditions in northern Gaza continue to deteriorate, the risk of a larger population facing famine will undoubtedly increase if conditions on the ground do not improve.” WFP noted…

On Tuesday, Norway announced its intent to seek an International Court of Justice (ICJ) opinion on Israel’s obligations to facilitate humanitarian aid to Palestinians. Norway stated that it would introduce a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly to request an ICJ advisory opinion regarding Israel’s duty to allow international aid, whether from UN agencies or other nations, to reach Palestinian territories. This move follows Israel’s Monday decision to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating within Israel. Norway highlighted the step as a response to Israel’s recent restrictions on UN agencies and…

The Lebanese Ministry of Health released a statement on Tuesday detailing the death toll from recent Israeli military actions over the past 24 hours, reporting 77 fatalities and 180 injuries. On Sunday, Lebanon’s Public Health Emergency Operations Center provided casualty figures following a series of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon. The Center confirmed that an Israeli strike on Ain Baal resulted in 7 deaths and 24 injuries, while a separate attack on Burj Al-Shamali left 5 dead and one injured. In Haret Saida, 9 fatalities and 38 injuries were recorded from the Israeli airstrike. The past month has seen an…

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump accused Democratic candidate Kamala Harris on Tuesday of violating U.S. law and following immigration policies he described as “destructive.” Speaking at a rally in Florida, Trump asserted that Harris’s policies have negatively impacted the lives of Americans. Trump stated, “Harris followed policies that hurt people in the U.S., and many can attest to the consequences.” He further claimed that “crime is low in Venezuela because they arrested criminals and sent them toward the United States.” He criticized the “open-border policies” allegedly initiated by President Joe Biden and Harris, holding them “entirely responsible for the current…

Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political commentator Many expected Hezbollah to dissolve into disarray after its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was assassinated on September 27 by Israeli airstrikes, but Hezbollah fights on in Lebanon and has increased its attacks on Israel since Nasrallah’s death.Nasrallah’s death motivated the armed fighters to avenge the death of their charismatic leader who began his leadership in 1992. Israel announced on October 27, that five of the IDF were killed in Lebanon fighting Hezbollah, bringing to 37 the death toll for soldiers fighting there since the start of ground operations in Southern Lebanon on September 30. According…

The Iranian Foreign Ministry announced today that Iran retains the right to respond to what it calls Israel’s “criminal aggression.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi conveyed this stance to the UN Secretary-General, urging an emergency Security Council meeting to condemn recent Israeli strikes. In his message, Araghchi requested an “urgent Security Council meeting to take a firm stand in condemning this aggression,” referring to the Israeli strikes, according to a ministry statement. Earlier, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated that the recent Israeli attacks on Iranian military sites should neither be “exaggerated nor underestimated,” adding that Israel has “miscalculated.”…

The Lebanese Ministry of Public Health’s Emergency Operations Center released an updated statement confirming that an Israeli airstrike on Haret Saida has resulted in eight fatalities and 25 injuries. Earlier reports had indicated five deaths and 13 injuries. Sources confirm that the target of the Haret Saida airstrike was Hussein Fenish, a security official with Hezbollah. According to local correspondents, Israel launched multiple strikes, including attacks on the Al-Maslakh neighborhood in Nabatiyeh, a house in Deir Kifa in Tyre District, and the town of Zibqine. Additionally, reports earlier today noted at least three deaths in eastern Lebanon’s Beqaa Valley, where…

Palestinian media reported that eight civilians, including children and women, were killed and several others injured after Israeli shelling targeted a school sheltering displaced families in Al-Shati Refugee Camp, west of Gaza City, on Sunday afternoon. According to the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), medical sources confirmed the deaths and multiple injuries following the strike on Asmaa School, which was housing families displaced by ongoing hostilities in Al-Shati Camp. Israeli forces had previously targeted the school twice, most recently on October 19, resulting in dozens of casualties. Additional Casualties in Nuseirat Refugee Camp In the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, two Palestinians were…

Israeli emergency services have confirmed that 50 people were injured, including 15 in critical condition, after a truck rammed into a bus stop near Glilot, north of Tel Aviv, on Sunday. Initial indications suggest the attack may have been “nationalist-motivated,” a term often used by Israeli police for incidents involving Palestinian resistance operations. Israeli police reported that the truck collided with a bus near a station next to the Glilot military base, which also houses Mossad headquarters. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he is awaiting a final clarification on the incident. Eyewitnesses confirmed to Army Radio that a large number…