Author: Hilaal Akram

Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, and his Omani counterpart, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, on Wednesday discussed the raging Israeli-Palestinian conflict, observing that the situation in Gaza is deteriorating with every passing day amid increasing civilian casualties, Anadolu Agency reports. Expressing concern over the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the rising number of civilian casualties, Wang said that Referring to a recent emergency special session of the UN General Assembly that, with an overwhelming majority, called for an immediate humanitarian truce, Wang said Beijing supports the convening of a as soon as possible to push the Palestinian issue back to the track of the…

While limited aid delivery began last weekend to the blockaded Gaza Strip, there are no security guarantees for getting aid to hospitals in the northern strip, the World Health Organisation warned on Tuesday, Anadolu Agency reports. Underlining the “huge risk” for people delivering relief, Rick Brennan, WHO Regional Emergencies Director for the Eastern Mediterranean region, told a press briefing in Geneva, “WHO remains unable to distribute essential, live-saving health supplies, delivered through the Rafah crossing into Gaza on 21 and 22 October, to key referral hospitals in northern Gaza due to the ongoing hostilities and lack of security guarantees,” he said. “Awaiting…

Palestinian Foreign Minister, Riyad Al-Maliki, said on Tuesday that the failure of the UN Security Council to stop massacres in Gaza is “inexcusable”, Anadolu Agency reports. Speaking at a Security Council open debate in New York, Maliki said the Council has a duty to stop the killings perpetrated by Israel, adding that He said that over 2 million Palestinians are on a “survival mission every day, every night.” Al-Maliki said that more injustice and more killings will not make Israel safer, adding that only peace will bring security. The conflict in Gaza, which has been under Israeli bombardment and a blockade since…

Tel Aviv wants everyone to fear Israel and put on the table the possibility of murder to achieve that end, according to a Swedish writer of Jewish origin, Anadolu Agency reports. He said Israel has carried out a “creeping genocide” since 1948 and noted the “horrible” bombardments of the Gaza Strip. Shamir said Israeli generals, head of staff and ministers want war and they all want to “eat” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, apparently meaning to weaken the Premier whose approval rating is imploding. A recent poll had former Defence chief, Benny Gantz, receiving 48 per cent of the public’s support to lead…

The UK has today [2 November] launched a “Call for Input” seeking views from businesses and the wider public on UK negotiation objectives for a new, modernised free trade agreement (FTA) with Turkiye. The UK and Turkiye are two major trading economies at either end of the European continent. Trade between the two countries reached £23.5 billion in 2022, making Turkiye a top 20 trading partner for the UK. In 2021, around 7,500 UK VAT-registered businesses exported goods to Turkiye, including well-known brands like Vodafone. International Trade Minister, Nigel Huddleston, will launch the “Call for Input” on a visit to…

Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, said Tuesday he will not meet UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, after he made remarks to the UN Security Council, Anadolu Agency reports. The UN said it had not been made aware about the cancellation of a meeting between Cohen and Guterres. “We have yet been officially informed but we have seen the tweet,” the UN chief’s office told Anadolu. The UN refused to comment on “what has been said in the Council.” it said in a statement. Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, demanded that Guterres resign “immediately”, and said he is “not fit to lead the…

The Israeli army, on Thursday, accused an Iranian armed group of supporting the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, in carrying out cross-border attacks against Israel, Anadolu Agency reports. In a statement, military spokesman, Avichai Adraee, said members of the Imam Hossein Brigade group had arrived in southern Lebanon to provide assistance to Hezbollah. According to the spokesman, the group, originally formed in Syria, engaged in conflicts with the Israeli army on Lebanon’s border in recent weeks. “Hezbollah and the Imam Hossein Brigade group are forcing Lebanon to pay a heavy price for Hamas,” Adraee said. Israel estimates the number of the group members at…

Palestinians who were forced to leave their homes have continued to seek shelter from the heavy bombardment while the Israeli army attacks the Gaza Strip for 27 straight days, Anadolu Agency reports. Fahr Tac Abushqir, 70, has taken shelter at the Nasr Hospital in Khan Younis. Abushqir brought her turtle and birds she has been feeding for years. The Israeli army has expanded its air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip, which has been under relentless airstrikes since a cross-border attack by Hamas on 7 October. Nearly 10,600 people have been killed in the conflict, including 9,061 Palestinians and more than…

The White House said last night that “a ceasefire right now really only benefits Hamas.” It added during a press briefing: “I don’t have a lot of progress on either front to speak to today. Unfortunately, there — there were no more trucks that got in. And we haven’t, again, secured passage for folks out, but we’re obviously working that very, very hard, as well as the hostage piece. So, not a lot to update you on there.” On Monday, John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council, said that the US does not believe it is the appropriate…

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on Thursday refused to allow the supply of fuel into the Gaza Strip, shortly after the Army Chief said fuel could enter the blocked territory for hospitals there, Anadolu Agency reports. Earlier Thursday, Army Chief of Staff, Herzi Halevi, said Israel would allow fuel to enter Gaza via the Rafah crossing with Egypt should Tel Aviv determine that hospitals have run out of fuel. “We have not brought fuel in to this point. We check the situation in the Strip every day,” he told reporters. International organisations have warned that hospitals in Gaza are about to halt…