Tag: Hamas

Iran’s supreme leader reiterates a promise to retaliate against Israel over killings of generals

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated on Wednesday a promise to retaliate against Israel over the killings of Iranian generals in Syria. Khamenei spoke at a prayer ceremony celebrating the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, saying the airstrike that demolished Iran’s consulate in Syria earlier this month was wrongdoing” against a diplomatic post that is considered Iranian territory.

When they attacked our consulate section it looked like they attacked on our territory, Khamenei said. The evil regime must be punished, and it will be punished. The strike killed 12 people: seven Iranian Revolutionary Guard members, four Syrians and a Hezbollah militia member. Israel has not acknowledged its involvement, though it has been bracing for an Iranian response to the attack that was a significant escalation in their long-running shadow war. State TV broadcast Khamenei’s remarks live. He did not elaborate on the way Iran would retaliate.

Khamenei also criticised the West, particularly the US and Britain, for supporting Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza. It was expected they (would) prevent (Israel) in this disaster. They did not. They did not fulfil their duties, the Western governments, he said.

Iran supports anti-Israeli militant groups like Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah. It does not recognise Israel.

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Israel buying 40,000 tents for Rafah evacuees, sets date for invasion of Hamas stronghold in southern Gaza: Report

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israel is buying 40,000 tents in anticipation of the evacuation of Rafah following Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s announcement of a scheduled invasion of the southern Gaza city, which has drawn global condemnation, according to a media report.

According to Israeli officials, including reports from the Jerusalem Post, these tents will provide shelter for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who are expected to be evacuated from Rafah, a USA Today report said. More than 1 million people have sought refuge in the city after fleeing the devastating attacks in northern and central Gaza, it added.

The Israeli military has stated that multiple Hamas battalions are still present in Rafah and need to be eliminated to weaken Hamas, the USA Today report said. Global leaders, including US President Joe Biden and many others, have urged Israel to refrain from invading Rafah due to concerns about a potentially high civilian death toll.

Meanwhile, Turkey announced on Tuesday that it would restrict exports of various products, including jet fuel, to Israel until there is a ceasefire. Israel said it would respond with its own curbs.

Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7, killing some 1,200 people. Since then, more than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, according to the territory’s Health Ministry.

Israel’s military has also lost around 600 soldiers since October 7, according to the government.

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Israeli officials express optimism over ceasefire talks with Hamas

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Senior Israeli officials said progress has been made in negotiations for a cease-fire in Gaza that would include the release of hostages and Palestinian prisoners, a move that drew criticism from far-right ministers who threatened to bring down the government.

Defence minister Yoav Gallant told military recruits that progress in the war has allowed Israel “to make difficult decisions to return the hostages. I think we are at an appropriate point.” A session of the security cabinet, which generally meets on Thursday evening, has been called for Tuesday, Israeli TV channels reported.

“We’ve reached a critical point,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Army Radio on Monday. “If matters work out, a large number of hostages will return home and then, in stages, everyone. But remember that we are dealing with Hamas and there is not a lot of time. I am more optimistic than I was.”

The comments are the most positive in months from top officials on the talks between Israel and Hamas, which have been mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar. Just last week, Israeli officials said large gaps remained between the two sides, with the Iran-backed militant group demanding a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza before any hostages would be freed.

For its part, Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union, said on Monday there’d been no progress in the talks. A senior Hamas official, who asked not to be identified, said Israel hasn’t agreed to the group’s demands for a total cease-fire, full withdrawal of troops and free return of the displaced to the north. No new round of talks has been scheduled, the official said.

International Pressure

International pressure has intensified on the Israelis since a missile strike killed seven aid workers delivering food to displaced Palestinians a week ago, with President Joe Biden telling Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that ongoing US support depends on improved steps to protect civilians.

The US again expressed its concerns when Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke with Gallant on Monday. The two discussed the “urgent need to dramatically increase humanitarian assistance delivery to Gaza,” and make sure incidents like the deadly strike on aid workers never happen again, the Pentagon said in a statement.

On Sunday, Netanyahu announced a withdrawal of combat troops from the city of Khan Younis after four months of fighting, the first significant scaling back of ground forces since a week-long cease-fire that ended in early December. Some have interpreted the move as a signal to Hamas a deal is on the table.

Israeli assets rallied on Monday, in part because of optimism a truce is nearer. The main stock index gained 1.5% as of 12:30 p.m. in Tel Aviv, while the shekel strengthened 2.2% against the dollar to head for its best daily performance since mid-November.

The scaling back of ground forces — alongside the ministers’ comments — angered Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners who want the war to continue until Hamas is destroyed. They threatened to bring down the government if there’s a permanent cease-fire, or the prime minister decides against an offensive on the Gazan city of Rafah — seen as the last bastion of Hamas and its leaders.

Rafah Invasion

Gallant said the soldiers were being withdrawn from Khan Younis so they could prepare for an eventual invasion of Rafah, and Netanyahu reiterated on Monday an attack would take place to eliminate the remaining Hamas battalions and a date had been set.

Yet the latest rhetoric has still raised the idea that the long-promised assault may not happen, something which is alarming some of the far-right coalition partners Netanyahu relies on to keep his government intact.

“If the prime minister decides to end the war without an extensive attack on Rafah in order to defeat Hamas, he will not have a mandate to continue serving as Prime Minister,” National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, posted on X.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, from the Religious Zionism party, called on Netanyahu to convene an urgent meeting of the extended cabinet to discuss the developments in the war.

“I have been warning for weeks that instead of taking our foot off the gas we should increase the pressure on Hamas in Gaza, and this is the only way we can return the hostages and destroy Hamas,” he said.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan said Smotrich is sending a message to Netanyahu that his party won’t go along with a permanent cease-fire nor a hostage deal that goes too far.

US Pressure

Israeli officials say US negotiators in Cairo are pressing both Israel and Hamas hard to reach an agreement. The US wants Gaza to receive far more humanitarian aid to combat disease and hunger, alongside a long pause in fighting and the freeing of hostages. From there, the US hopes to extend the truce and start rebuilding the decimated Gaza Strip.

Netanyahu has said that unless Israel defeats Hamas entirely, it will not have won the war. But he’s also under intense domestic pressure to bring back as many as possible of the more than 100 hostages still held in Gaza.

The war started on Oct. 7 when thousands of Hamas operatives broke into Israel from Gaza, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 250. Israel attacked by air, sea and land, and has killed some 33,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Israel withdraws some troops from southern Gaza, Egyptian media says truce talks progress in Cairo

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israel said it has withdrawn some of its troops from southern Gaza, with just one Brigade left.

Meanwhile progress has been made in discussions in Cairo, Egypt and there is a agreement on the basic points between all the involved parties, Egypt’s Al-Qahera News state-affiliated TV channel said early on Monday, citing a senior Egyptian source.

On Sunday, both Israel and Hamas sent teams to Egypt for fresh talks on a potential ceasefire in the six-month conflict. (nL2N3GG053)

There was no immediate comment from Hamas and none of the parties to the Cairo talks has confirmed the Al-Qahera news report.

According to Al-Qahera, Hamas and Qatar’s delegations left Cairo and will return within two days to agree on the terms of the final agreement, while the Israeli and the U.S. delegations will leave the Egyptian capital within a few hours. It added that consultations were ongoing during the next 48 hours.

Hamas reiterated on Sunday their demands including a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, a return of the displaced, and an exchange of Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages being held in Gaza.

The war erupted after Hamas militants broke through the border and rampaged through communities in southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and abducting more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

More than 33,100 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to the health ministry in Gaza.

With inputs from Reuters

Also Read: Watch | WHO shares inside view of Gaza’s largest hospital that is now an ’empty shell’

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Israel says it will reopen border crossing with hard-hit northern Gaza

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israel on Friday said it is taking steps to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, including reopening a key border crossing into hard-hit northern Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced the plans, just hours after President Joe Biden told him that future US support for the war in Gaza depends on Israel taking more action to protect civilians and aid workers. The announcement did not elaborate on quantities or types of items to be let in.

Still, despite their differences, the Biden administration has continued to provide Israel crucial military aid and diplomatic support for Israel’s six-month war against Hamas. Israel faces growing international isolation after its forces killed seven aid workers helping deliver food in Gaza. The Palestinian death toll soared above 33,000 people on Thursday, with another 75,600 wounded, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its tally, but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.

The United Nations says much of the population in northern Gaza is on the brink of starvation. The top United Nations court has concluded there is a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza – a charge Israel strongly denies – and the UN Security Council has issued a legally binding demand for a cease-fire. The war began on Oct 7, when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking around 250 people hostage.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Israel’s military says ‘misidentification’ led to Gaza airstrikes that killed aid workers

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Israel’s military chief says a deadly Israeli strike that killed seven aid workers in the Gaza Strip was the result of a misidentification in complex conditions.

Announcing the results of a preliminary investigation early Wednesday, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi expressed remorse over the killings and called the event a grave mistake.

It was a mistake that followed a misidentification – at night during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened, he said. He gave no further details. He said an independent body would conduct a thorough investigation that would be completed in the coming days.

Also Read: Joe Biden escalates criticism of Israel after aid worker deaths

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Joe Biden escalates criticism of Israel after aid worker deaths

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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US President Joe Biden said Israel hadn’t done enough to protect civilians after the death of seven aid workers, in some of his sternest criticism yet of the country’s conduct in the months since it launched a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza.

“This conflict has been one of the worst in recent memory in terms of how many aid workers have been killed,” Biden said in a statement released on  Tuesday night. “This is a major reason why distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza has been so difficult – because Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians.”

“Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen,” Biden said.

Biden has called out Israel before but the sharply worded statement was among the most critical since Israel launched its campaign in response to Hamas’s assault on Oct 7. It also highlighted growing US frustration with Israel’s prosecution of its war and the mounting civilian death toll.

“Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen. Israel has also not done enough to protect civilians,” the president added.

Biden’s statement was among several issued by Western leaders who have condemned the air strike that killed seven workers from World Central Kitchen, a prominent disaster relief group founded by the chef José Andrés. His remarks came as the administration raises the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke with Netanyahu Tuesday and said he was “appalled” by the aid workers’ deaths. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he expressed “anger and concern” in a telephone call with Netanyahu. “This is completely unacceptable,” Albanese told reporters. The seven dead include three British citizens, one dual-citizen American and one Australian.

Biden said he was “outraged and heartbroken by the deaths” and called for a swift investigations. “Israel has pledged to conduct a thorough investigation into why the aid workers’ vehicles were hit by airstrikes. That investigation must be swift, it must bring accountability, and its findings must be made public.”

Biden said he would continue to press Israel to facilitate humanitarian aid, and that he is pushing “hard for an immediate cease-fire as part of a hostage deal.”

Biden said he had spoken with Andrés to express condolences.

Netanyahu and other Israeli officials expressed regret over the deaths. “Unfortunately, in the past day there was a tragic event in which our forces unintentionally harmed non-combatants in the Gaza Strip,” the prime minister said on the social media platform X. “This happens in war. We are conducting a thorough inquiry and are in contact with the governments. We will do everything to prevent a recurrence.”

Israeli military chief of staff Herzi Halevi, speaking in a video statement uploaded to X, said Israel will continue to protect aid workers.

“The strike was not carried out with the intention of harming WCK aid workers. It was a mistake that followed a misidentification — at night, during a war in very complex conditions. It shouldn’t have happened,” he said. “Israel is at war with Hamas, not with the people of Gaza.”

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Israeli attack on Iranian consulate in Syria increases the risk of escalation in the region: Expert

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The recent air strikes on Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria, allegedly conducted by Israel, have sparked condemnation and raised concerns about escalating tensions in the region. At least 11 people, including senior Iranian military commanders, were reportedly killed in the attack, prompting swift reactions from Iran, Syria, and international observers.

DP Srivastava, former Indian Envoy to Iran and Distinguished Fellow at the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) expressed concern over the violation of Syrian sovereignty and the potential repercussions of the attack. He questioned the motives behind Israel’s actions, highlighting the risks of escalation.

“This attack was a violation of Syrian sovereignty and it was a violation of the Vienna Convention. I’m wondering why would Israel do it? Because the attack on a government facility raises the risk of escalation. And I don’t think that is something which is either Israel’s interest or in the interest of countries of the region. So the timing of this attack, if it is carried out by Israel is very concerning,” Srivastava stated in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

Iran swiftly accused Israel of carrying out the strikes, while Syria condemned the attack without explicitly naming Israel. The Iranian Foreign Minister indicated that Iran reserves the right to retaliate and will decide on the appropriate response to the aggression.

Srivastava emphasised Iran’s demonstrated restraint despite its regional influence, echoing Iranian statements regarding the reserved right to retaliate. He warned against the expansion of conflict, stressing that a broader regional confrontation would not serve the interests of any party involved.

The militant group Hezbollah, backed by Tehran, vowed to mete out “punishment and revenge” in response to the attack. However, the United States denied any involvement or prior knowledge of Israel’s actions, while Israel’s military refrained from commenting on the reports.

Burzine Waghmar, from the Centre for Iranian Studies at the University of London, contextualised the attack as part of Israel’s strategy to maintain deterrence against Iran. He suggested that Israel seeks to prevent Tehran from dictating the timing and location of potential conflict, which could escalate into a multi-front war involving Iranian proxies across Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria.

Amidst the escalating tensions, a tragic incident occurred in central Gaza, where at least seven foreign nationals working for the non-profit organization ‘World Central Kitchen’ were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

The NGO, involved in delivering food aid to civilians in Gaza, reported that its workers were operating in a ‘deconflicted’ zone when they were hit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed regret over the incident, describing it as an unintentional tragedy.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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Israel and Hamas dig in as international pressure builds for a cease-fire in Gaza

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Hamas has rejected the latest proposal put forward by international mediators for a cease-fire and hostage release, and Israel has blasted a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for both without linking them.

As the war in Gaza grinds through a sixth month, each side has publicly insisted that its own idea of victory is in reach, and late Monday they rejected the latest international efforts to stem the bloodshed.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel can achieve its aims of dismantling Hamas and returning scores of hostages if it expands its ground offensive to the southern city of Rafah, where over half of Gaza’s population has sought refuge, many in crowded tent camps.

Hamas has said it will hold onto the hostages until Israel agrees to a more permanent cease-fire, withdraws its forces from Gaza and releases hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including top militants. It said late Monday that it has rejected a recent proposal that fell short of those demands — which, if fulfilled, would allow it to claim an extremely costly victory.

There is no end in sight to the war, which has killed over 32,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The fighting has left much of the Gaza Strip in ruins, displaced most its residents and driven a third of its population of 2.3 million to the brink of famine.

An Israeli strike late Monday on a residential building in Rafah where three displaced families were sheltering killed at least 16 people, including nine children and four women, according to hospital records and relatives of the deceased. An Associated Press reporter saw the bodies arrive at a hospital.

On Monday, the Security Council finally managed to pass a resolution calling for a cease-fire as the United States abstained instead of vetoing the measure, angering Israel in a major escalation of tensions between the two close allies. The resolution calls for the release of all hostages held in Gaza but does not condition the cease-fire on it.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz told Army Radio on Tuesday that the resolution had emboldened Hamas by signaling that international pressure would end the war without it having to make any concessions.

“The message delivered to Hamas yesterday … is that you don’t have to hurry,” Katz said.

The war began on Oct. 7, when Hamas-led militants stormed across the border and attacked communities in southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting around 250 others. It is still believed to be holding about 100 hostages and the remains of 30 others, after most of the rest were freed in November in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.

Also Read: Donald Trump urges Israel to ‘finish up’ Gaza offensive, warns about global support fading

The United States, Qatar and Egypt have spent several weeks trying to negotiate another cease-fire and hostage release, but those efforts appeared to have stalled. Hamas said in a statement late Monday that it has informed the mediators it will stick to an earlier position.

Hamas said Israel has not responded to its core demands of a “comprehensive cease-fire, an (Israeli) withdrawal from the Strip, the return of displaced people and a real prisoner exchange.”

Hamas has previously proposed a phased process in which it would release all the remaining hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the opening of its borders for aid and reconstruction, and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including top militants serving life sentences.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected those demands as unrealistic. He has vowed to resume Israel’s offensive after any hostage release and keep fighting until Hamas is destroyed, saying it’s the only way to prevent a repeat of the Oct. 7 attack. But he has provided few details about what would follow any such victory and has largely rejected a postwar vision outlined by the U.S.

That approach has brought him into increasingly open conflict with President Joe Biden’s administration, which has expressed mounting concern over civilian casualties while supplying Israel with crucial military aid and backing Israel’s aim of destroying Hamas. The U.S. had vetoed previous U.N. resolutions calling for a cease-fire.

The White House has urged Israel not to undertake a major ground operation in Rafah, warning that it could cause a humanitarian catastrophe. The administration was set to brief visiting Israeli officials on an alternative approach, but Netanyahu called off their visit in response to the U.S. abstention at the U.N.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is in Washington on a separate trip, however, and is to meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday.

On Monday, Gallant vowed to continue the offensive until Israel’s aims are met.

“We will operate against Hamas everywhere — including in places where we have not yet been,” he said. “We have no moral right to stop the war while there are still hostages held in Gaza.”

Also Read: Israel cancels DC trip after US allows Gaza ceasefire resolution at UN

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow