Author: Hibbaan Baccus

Pope Francis renewed his call for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine on Sunday. “I renew my appeal not to give in to the logic of claiming war,” Francis told a gathered audience in St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican City. “I pray every day for peace in Palestine and Israel and I hope that these two peoples can soon stop suffering and let us not forget the martyred Ukraine that suffers so much because of the war,” he added. Regional tensions have increased since the start of the latest Israel-Hamas war on Oct. 7, when Hamas and Islamic…

Most dismissed retired IDF general Yitzhak Brick’s warning earlier this year of a Hamas invasion. Now Netanyahu wants his advice on how to win. Yitzhak Brick might be the only Israeli military official to see what was coming. And he’s been warning of it for some time. He also does not see a ground invasion of Gaza as the only option. And Israel must prepare for a multi-front war given the situation in the north. Brick cautioned, among other things, of problems with the competence of ground forces and made it clear that the ground invasion does not have to be…

Two cargo ships in the Red Sea have been attacked by missiles fired from territory in Yemen, the US says. One was hit with a drone and another by missiles, both launched from a part of Yemen controlled by the Houthis – a rebel movement backed by Iran. The Houthis did not confirm the drone strike, but said they did fire missiles at the second boat – and a third one. It is the latest attack on foreign ships in the area since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The Houthis – who seized power nine years ago – have…

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair viewed Northern Ireland as “similar to the Middle East” with people focusing on “the bad without taking the gains into account”. He made the comments during a meeting in January 2002 with Northern Ireland church leaders. Confidential minutes of the talks have been released by the National Archive. During the meeting Mr Blair was also told that Protestant churches “had lost touch with working class communities”. The National Archive’s documents include briefing notes prepared by officials for the prime minister and subsequent minutes of the meeting, which took place on 24 January 2002. That month…

Gaza is a “dystopian nightmare”, renowned UK doctor Ghassan Abu-Sitta told a press conference in London today organised by the International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP). After 43 days volunteering amidst the Israeli bombardment of the besieged enclave, Abu-Sitta described the horror and devastation unfolding there. The award-winning plastic and reconstructive surgeon offered chilling first-hand testimony about the dead and injured civilians across three Gaza hospitals: Al-Shifa, Al-Ahli and Al-Awda. The three hospitals are no longer in operation due to Israel’s bombardment, said Abu-Sitta, and northern Gaza has been left without a single medical facility. Recounting the first days of his…

Iraq sees a risk of regional conflict if the current truce in Gaza is not turned into a permanent ceasefire, the Iraqi Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs adviser said, as mediators sought an extension of the temporary four-day Israel-Hamas truce, Reuters reports. Israel’s devastating bombardment of Gaza in response to Hamas’s 7 October attack on Israel has drawn in Iran-aligned armed groups in the region, including Lebanese Hezbollah and several Iraqi factions, who have mounted near daily attacks on Israeli and US forces. But there have been no reports of attacks on US forces in Iraq or Syria since Israel and Hamas began a four-day truce last…

Three young men of Palestinian descent were shot in the United States over the weekend, in what is suspected to be a hate crime amid Israel’s ongoing invasion of the Gaza Strip. The three men – identified as Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid and Tahseen Ahmed – were shot by a man with a pistol on a street near the University of Vermont in Burlington on Saturday evening. The suspect then ran away, before later being identified as 48-year-old Jason J. Eaton and being arrested yesterday. Reports stated that the victims, all aged 20, remain under medical care, two with…

Dozens of olive and almond trees, along with vineyards, have been uprooted by illegal settlers in Al-Khader, located south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. Hassan Brijieh, the director of the Office of the Bethlehem Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, said the settlers used a large bulldozer in their attack on the Shushahla area, south of Al-Khader. They bulldozed 15 dunums (1.5 hectares) of land, uprooted approximately 100 olive and almond trees, destroyed vineyards, and ruined 15 beehives belonging to two members of the Salah family. Brijieh further noted that the Shushahla area has been repeatedly targeted by the occupation…

British retailer, Marks & Spencer, apologised after posting a picture from its Christmas advert showing red and green paper hats in a burning fireplace that were compared to a Palestinian flag, Reuters reports. The company, one of the best-known names in British business, apologised for “any unintentional hurt caused” after sharing the image on Instagram. Marks & Spencer, which started life in 1884 when Jewish immigrant, Michael Marks, came to the north of England, faced some criticism on social media over claims it was making a political statement. Global companies are trying to avoid getting entangled in conflict between Israel and Hamas as…

The Egyptian government is planning to issue licenses on the operation of the fifth generation (5G) mobile communication networks in December, sources familiar with the matter told Asharq Business. Two sources noted that the license could cost at least $500 million. The licenses’ issuance date could be extended from December to early 2024 in case the companies wishing to acquire the licenses asked for so to secure the needed financing, one source said. Moreover, a source said that the National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (NTRA) could approve the request submitted by telecom operators on increasing the prices of their services soon…