Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati has directed Foreign Minister Abdullah Bou Habib to summon the chargé d’affaires of the Iranian embassy in Beirut for clarification regarding remarks made by Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf, according to a statement from Mikati’s office on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday. In an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro on Thursday, Ghalibaf indicated that Tehran is open to negotiating with France on a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon, as well as on the enforcement of a UN resolution that ended the 2006 Lebanon-Hezbollah war, which led to Hezbollah’s withdrawal from parts of…
Author: Limon Ahmed
COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for coordinating the inspection and delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, has refuted claims that it is preventing medical specialists from entering the enclave. Earlier on Friday, the World Health Organization (WHO) told CNN that over 50 specialist medical personnel were blocked from entering Gaza between August and October. In response, COGAT stated, “Israel does not restrict the number of humanitarian teams allowed into Gaza, subject to security-related technical arrangements.” COGAT emphasized that “significant efforts” have been made to facilitate the entry of medical teams, including temporary modifications to the Kerem Shalom Crossing, the primary…
Israel successfully eliminated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Wednesday, marking the culmination of a year-long effort to target one of the key figures behind the October 7, 2023, attacks. While Sinwar’s death deals a significant blow to Hamas, it does not signal the end of the organization. Hamas has vowed to continue its fight, emphasizing that the loss of its leaders, including Sinwar, will not halt its movement. In a statement on Friday, Hamas’ political office confirmed Sinwar’s death, asserting: “Hamas has grown stronger and more popular after every loss, and these leaders have become icons for future generations in…
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke on Wednesday about Israel’s operations in Lebanon and the deployment of a U.S.-supplied THAAD (Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense) system to Israel. “Secretary Austin and Minister Gallant discussed the deployment of a THAAD battery as a tangible example of the United States’ unwavering support for Israel’s defense,” said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, in a statement. During the call, Austin also urged the Israeli government to continue efforts to address the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza. He acknowledged Israel’s recent steps to increase the flow of humanitarian…
The United Kingdom is considering sanctions against two far-right Israeli ministers, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Wednesday. Speaking in the House of Commons, Starmer said the government is “looking at” potential sanctions against Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. This response came after Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey cited inflammatory remarks from the two ministers. Smotrich had suggested that “starving two million people in Gaza might be justified and moral,” while Ben-Gvir reportedly referred to settlers who killed a 19-year-old in the West Bank as “heroes.” “Will the prime minister now sanction ministers Ben-Gvir…
Israel has taken measures to improve the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza following a letter from top Biden administration officials outlining specific demands for increased assistance to the enclave, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said. Miller highlighted several actions taken by Israel, including: – Reopening the route from Jordan to deliver aid to northern Gaza. – Reopening the Erez crossing in the north. – Approving new warehouses for the UN and other organizations to help “ease logistical burdens” within Gaza. – Informing the UN and other organizations that Israel will waive “customs declarations” for 12 months. However, Miller noted…
On Sunday night, a drone launched from southern Lebanon managed to bypass Israeli air defenses undetected, striking the Golani Brigade’s base approximately 40 miles from the border. The drone hit just after 7 p.m., during dinnertime, and while the military has not disclosed specific details about the impact location, photos indicate that it targeted the base’s dining hall. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that the attack killed four soldiers and injured more than 60 others. Israel’s air defense systems are highly effective, intercepting and destroying most projectiles directed at the country. However, these systems are primarily designed to counter…
Israel will continue targeting Hezbollah positions throughout Lebanon, including in the capital, Beirut, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated. “We will strike Hezbollah relentlessly everywhere in Lebanon — including Beirut,” he said in a video from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Golani Brigade Training Base, shared by the government press office. This training base was hit Sunday evening by a Hezbollah drone launched from southern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of four Israeli soldiers and injuries to more than 60 people. Netanyahu offered condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and pledged to visit those who were wounded. “Alongside the…
The death toll from an Israeli strike on the courtyard of Al Aqsa hospital in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah has risen to five, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders. MSF reported that 65 people were also injured in the strike. The organization, which supports the hospital currently sheltering displaced people, stated on X (formerly Twitter) that this is the seventh time since March 2024 that the Al Aqsa hospital compound has been bombed, with three incidents occurring in the past month alone. MSF nurse Eliza Sabatini described the devastation: “Tents caught fire while people were…
Black state lawmakers in Michigan have urged the state attorney general and a county prosecutor to investigate GOP U.S. House candidate Tom Barrett over a newspaper ad in a Black-owned publication that listed the wrong date for Election Day. The Michigan Legislative Black Caucus claims that the Barrett campaign may have violated state law by placing an ad in the Michigan Bulletin, a Black-owned newspaper serving Lansing, which instructed voters to cast their ballots on November 6, despite Election Day being November 5. Barrett is running against Democrat Curtis Hertel in a competitive race for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, currently…