Putin said that attempts have been made to use the dramatic situation in the Middle East and other regional conflicts against Russia, with the aim of destabilising the country…reports Asian Lite News
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said the US and its allies are behind the Middle East crisis and other regional conflicts, and benefit most from global instability.
“Those, who are behind the conflict in the Middle East and other regional crises will exploit their devastating consequences to sow hatred, and sow dissent among people worldwide,” said the Russian leader at a meeting with top security and law enforcement officials on Monday.
It is important to understand who is behind the Middle East conflict and who is responsible for organising and benefiting from “deadly chaos” in different regions, Putin said, Xinhua news agency reported.
“It is the current US ruling elites and their satellites that are the main beneficiaries of global instability,” he said.
Putin said that attempts have been made to use the dramatic situation in the Middle East and other regional conflicts against Russia, with the aim of destabilising the country and splitting its diverse and multi-religious society.
The US is becoming weaker and losing its status as the world’s sole superpower and hegemon. This world order is slowly becoming a thing of the past, said Putin.
Washington wants to maintain and extend its dominance and global leadership, he said, adding that this is more convenient in times of global instability when it is easier to restrain competitors and geopolitical opponents.
Meanwhile, the US has dismissed as “absurd” claims by Russia that an anti-Israel riot at a Dagestan airport on Sunday was organised by Ukraine and the West.
In a televised meeting on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the incident had been part of an attempt to spread “chaos” in Russia. Hundreds stormed the Makhachkala airport ahead of the arrival of a flight from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Many waved Palestinian flags and chanted antisemitic slogans. Dagestan, a constituent republic of Russia, has a majority Muslim population, and the incident is thought to have been sparked by anger over the conflict in Gaza.
Security forces eventually brought the situation under control, and more than 60 people have since been arrested, according to local authorities. “The events in Makhachkala last night were instigated through social networks, not least from Ukraine, by the hands of agents of Western special services,” Putin told a meeting of Russia’s Security Council.
“Who is organising the deadly chaos and who benefits from it today, in my opinion, has already become obvious. It is the current ruling elites of the US and their satellites who are the main beneficiaries of world instability.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “against the backdrop of TV footage showing the horrors of what is happening in the Gaza Strip – the deaths of people, children, old people – it is very easy for enemies to take advantage of and provoke the situation”.
The governor of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov, also said the riots had been incited “from the territory of Ukraine by traitors” using a Telegram channel called Morning Dagestan.
Morning Dagestan is an Islamist channel that opposes Russian control of the region and has been associated with Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian MP who defected to Ukraine in 2016 and was granted Ukrainian citizenship.
Ryder did not reveal the specific deployment location for these forces…reports Asian Lite News
Approximately 900 US troops have been deployed or are being deployed to the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder said on Thursday.
He stated that deployed or deploying units include Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery from Fort Bliss Texas, Patriot batteries from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, and Patriot and Avenger batteries from Fort Liberty, North Carolina.
Addressing a press briefing, Ryder said, “I can confirm that since our initial Force posture announcement approximately 900 troops have subsequently deployed or are in the process of deploying to the US Central Command area of responsibility these include forces that have been on prepared to deploy orders and which are deploying from the continental United States.”
Ryder did not reveal the specific deployment location for these forces. However, he noted that these forces were not heading to Israel and they were intended to support regional deterrence efforts and further bolster US force protection capabilities.
“Deployed and deploying units include a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery from Fort Bliss Texas, Patriot batteries from Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Patriot and Avenger batteries from Fort Liberty, North Carolina, and associated air defence headquarters elements from Fort Bliss and Fort Cavazos Texas while I won’t talk specific deployment locations for these forces I can confirm that they are not going to Israel and that again they are intended to support regional deterrence efforts and further bolster US force protection capabilities,” Ryder said.
The Pentagon official added that between October 17 and 26, US and coalition forces were attacked at least 12 separate times in Iraq and four separate times in Syria by a mix of one-way attack drones and rockets.
He announced that the US is planning to provide the two US iron dome systems to Israel to help further bolster its defence capabilities.
“I can confirm that in addition to the iron dome interceptors were flowing to Israel. We’re also planning to provide the two US iron dome systems currently in our inventory to Israel to help further bolster their air defence capabilities and protect citizens from rocket attacks for operation security reasons I’m not going to discuss shipment timelines or delivery dates and we’ll defer to Israel to make any announcements regarding future deployment and use of these systems,” Ryder said.
His remarks come after the Pentagon put roughly 2,000 US troops on prepare-to-deploy orders last week, which US Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh had said were focused on providing “air defence, security, logistics, medical, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and transportation” support,” according to a CNN report.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin has spoken with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and discussed the need to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza and to ensure the protection of civilians.
“Today I spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Gallant. We discussed the need to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza and to ensure the protection of civilians. I expressed the US commitment to deterring escalation, and our hope for the release of the remaining hostages,” the US Defence Secretary posted on ‘X’ on Thursday.
A readout by the US Department of Defense stated, “Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant today to receive updates on Israel’s operations to restore security following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.”
The department said Austin reiterated his appreciation for Israel’s role in facilitating humanitarian aid convoys into Gaza and repeated his calls for Israel to ensure the protection of civilians.
The two leaders acknowledged the release of two hostages on October 23 and called for the release of the remaining hostages, the statement read. (ANI)
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian.(Pic credit: https://twitter.com/IRIMFA_EN )
Iran’s FM Amir-Abdollahian cautioned Israel and the US to halt actions in Gaza, warning of regional instability if the alleged “crime against humanity” persists….reports Asian Lite News
Iran has warned Israel to stop aerial strikes on Gaza otherwise the Middle East situation could spiral with “anything is possible at any moment”.
Political analysts consider this as a veiled threat from Iran that it could intervene at any time if Israel would commence the ground invasion of Gaza.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned Israel and the US on Sunday that “if they do not immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything is possible at any moment and the region will go out of control, USA Today reported.
The Israeli military intensified its military action striking targets in Syria, the West Bank and Gaza amid growing concern the Middle East war was set to escalate further which prompted Iran to issue the warning from Tehran.
The intensified military actions came as a convoy of humanitarian aid trucks made its way into Gaza from Egypt for a second day. But the UN warned the aid is about four per cent of the daily average of imports into previous conflicts and a fraction of what is needed, media reports said.
Hezbollah’s deputy leader in Lebanon, Sheikh Naim Kassem, warned Israel of a high price to pay if it went ahead with the much touted ground offensive in Gaza.
Syria said it was forced to shut down international airports in Damascus and Aleppo because of the Israeli strike.
The Syrian Transport Ministry said landing strips at both airports were damaged by missiles and one civilian worker was killed and another wounded at Damascus International Airport. Israel has carried out several strikes in Syria since the war began, citing the need to prevent Hezbollah and other militant groups from bringing in arms from Iran, which also supports Hamas, reports said.
Israel has sustained its attack on Gaza with continuous aerial strikes in an effort to “smoke out the Hamas from their rabbit holes and free the hostages held in cellars and underground bunkers”.
More than 1,000 Israelis were killed in the lightning strike by Hamas on October 7 as they entered Israeli territory and killed hundreds of soldiers and civilians, and fled with 200-odd hostages.
Israel justified its aerial strikes saying Hamas was unscrupulous and was operating from civilian bases such as schools, colleges, hospitals and mosques and places of worship using civilians as human shields.
“Bombardments continue almost unabated as hostilities enter the 15th day in Gaza,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in its latest situation report, USA Today said.
The Rafah crossing from Egypt opened Saturday with the passage of 20 aid trucks, and saw 17 more trucks carrying food; water and medical supplies enter Gaza on Sunday. “It is imperative” to increase the number to at least 100 trucks per day,” the UN humanitarian affairs agency said.
The Israeli death toll has crossed 1,400, and they are claimed to be civilians killed in the first hours of Hamas’ bloody attack on border villages. At least 212 people were taken hostage while two Americans were released Friday in what Hamas described as a humanitarian gesture following the intervention of Qatar.
The Gaza Health Ministry estimated the Palestinian death toll at 4,385 — almost two-thirds of the casualties are children and women.
More than 1,000 people have been reported missing and are feared trapped or dead under the rubble, Palestinian authorities claimed.
A growing number of Americans’ are questioning continued US funding of the war in Ukraine and many, including some Democrats, are critical of Biden’s close embrace of Israel….reports Yaswant Raj
Wearing a light blue sweater, President Joe Biden made a rare appearance in the press section of Air Force One on the way back from the Middle East earlier this week. It was to declare that his mission for the trip had been accomplished.
“I just got off the phone with President Sisi of Egypt,” he said to reporters as they scrambled to gather their notebooks and recorders. He was referring to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt, with whom he had just wrapped a 30-minute phone call. “He agreed that what he would do is open the gate on — to do two things: one, let up to 20 trucks through to begin with.”
Al-Sisi, who had cancelled a meeting with Biden, had agreed on the call to allow trucks carrying humanitarian aid cross into Gaza from Egypt. Twenty of them at first, going up to 150. Biden chalked it up a win from the trip, which, as he would point out later, was the first undertaken by a serving American President to a war zone after Abraham Lincoln.
Biden’s administration had displayed a complete embrace of Israel on its war with Hamas after the October 7 attacks. It was first underscored by Secretary of State Antony Blinken who was in the region within days, followed by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Biden followed up shortly. It was supposed to be a major visit with meetings scheduled with the leaders of all the major players in the region.
While he was on the way, a hospital in Gaza suffered a bomb hit in which hundreds of people died, changing the dynamics completely.
Hamas blamed the bombing on Israel, which has blamed it on a dysfunctional missile fire by the Islamic Jihad — and the Arab world erupted in outrage. Leaders of Egypt and Jordan — both of which are recipients of substantial US aid annually — cancelled their meetings with the American President.
We must keep pursuing a path so that the Israeli and Palestinian people can both live safely in security, in dignity, and in peace. pic.twitter.com/NriF4qLb3c
Biden’s visit suffered a shock even before it had started. “Look, I came to get something done. I got it done,” he told reporters when asked if he was disappointed by the cancellations. “Not many people thought we could get this done, and not many people want to be associated with failure.”
While Biden was able to persuade al-Sisi to allow humanitarian aid pass through Egypt, he was also able to convince the Israelis all relief material into the area, dropping their resolve to not allow any aid in till the hostages taken by Hamas terrorists were freed.
It couldn’t have been easy to persuade Israeli leaders to change their strategy, especially when emotions were still high and raw.
Israel’s Channel 12 reported that Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told a Knesset committee, regarding aid to Gaza before the release of hostages, “the Americans insisted and we are not in a place to refuse them. We rely on them for planes and military equipment. What are we supposed to do? Tell them no?”
Pressed by reporters if the Israelis had pushed back on humanitarian aid, the US President said: “I got no pushback.”
The US President has set the Israel-Hamas conflict front and center in this foreign policy, along with Ukraine, arguing they represent a threat to the national security of the United States.
A growing number of Americans’ are questioning continued US funding of the war in Ukraine and many, including some Democrats, are critical of Biden’s close embrace of Israel.
“Let me share with you why making sure Israel and Ukraine succeed is vital for America’s national security,” he said in an address to the nation on Thursday. “You know, history has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They keep going, and the cost and the threats to America and to the world keep rising.”
In the same speech Biden said he was asking Congress for extra funding for these and other national security challenges. Of the extra $105 billion he is seeking, $60 billion is meant for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel and $14 billion for securing the border with Mexico.
Israeli warplanes’ relentless bombardment has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless and sparked growing protests across the Middle East..reports Asian Lite News
Anticipated demonstrations against the Israeli blockade in Gaza are forecasted to occur in several Middle Eastern regions this Friday. Aid organizations have issued alerts about dwindling fuel supplies in Gaza’s hospitals, raising concerns that essential life-saving assistance could remain trapped in Egypt for an additional day.
With the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deteriorating each hour, Israeli leaders have been rallying troops preparing for a potential ground incursion and on Friday morning they issued a mandatory evacuation order to some 23,000 residents living near the border with Lebanon, CNN reported.
Israeli warplanes’ relentless bombardment has left hundreds of thousands of people homeless and sparked growing protests across the Middle East.
Egypt’s state-aligned political parties and institutions have called for nationwide protests in Egypt on Friday in support of Palestinians, a rare moment during a decade of strict anti-protest laws, CNN reported.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that the risk of regional spillover from the Israel-Hamas war is “real”.
“We have seen the Arab streets fill with rage, all across the region… This is exactly what Hamas was hoping to achieve. And this can derail the recent and historic rapprochement between Israel and its Arab neighbours,” von der Leyen said during a speech at the Hudson Institute in Washington.
With anti-Israel protests rising across the Middle East there are fears other fronts could open up, particularly on Israel’s northern border with Lebanon where Hezbollah dominates and has increasingly clashed with Israel’s military over the last week.
Evaluating the Impact of the Israel-Hamas Conflict on China’s Economic, Political, and Strategic Interests in the Region – A Special Commentary by Dr. Sakariya Kareem”
Israel’s war against Hamas is going on full throttle with the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) claiming to kill hundreds of terrorists by bombing their hideouts in Gaza. There is a fear that ongoing war against the outfit may escalate into a full-blown conflagration with its impact across the length and breadth of the Middle East region.
Iran is raring to confront Israel, while in the wake of attacks from Lebanon and Syria on Israel, Israel’s fight against Hamas has already turned into a multi-front war. Indications suggest that the Israel-Hamas war will become consequential and ruthless in days to come. But China seems to be extra cautious in its approach towards Israel’s counter-action against Hamas. Historically, China has been sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and as such, it has reservations in condemning Hamas attacks on Israel.
However, by openly supporting Israel, Beijing also does not want to offend Islamic countries in the Middle East. In fact, the region serves as a great source of China’s trade and investments. Given this, China seems to be highly worried about the unfolding situation in the region. If the ongoing Israel-Hamas war is not stopped immediately, Beijing will suffer hugely on economic, political, and strategic fronts, feel analysts.
According to Xinhua, the value of overall trade between China and the Middle East countries reached $431.4 billion in 2022, up from $330 billion in 2021. The Middle East is the largest supplier of oil and gas to China.
Atlantic Council, an American think tank, said in 2022, more than 41% of all crude imports to China came from the Gulf Cooperation Council, comprising Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Import of crude oil by China from the region rose from 145 million tons in 2006 to over 508 million tons in 2022, the American think tank said.
Beyond the rubric of oil and gas, China is involved in the development of infrastructure in the region. From 2005 to 2021, China invested $36.16 billion in the UAE. In 2019, it signed a $10 billion deal with the UAE to set up a new industrial city in the Gulf country, China Briefing, a consultancy firm operating from multiple places across the world.
Earlier, China built the $10 billion Yanbu refinery in Saudi Arabia. Operational since 2014, the Yanbu refinery has a capacity to refine 400,000 barrels per day of oil. China’s petrochemical company Sinopec has a 37.5% stake in the Yanbu refinery, while Saudi Arabia’s Aramco has a 62.5% stake in it. In August this year, on the sidelines of the Saudi-Chinese Business Forum in Beijing, Riyadh and Beijing signed a $1.33 billion deal for the development of several housing and infrastructure projects. China and Saudi Arabia inked 35 investment agreements worth around $30 billion during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Riyadh in December 2022, according to Arab News.
Across Gulf countries, Saudi Arabia is a major destination for Chinese investment. Between 2005 and 2021, as per China Briefing, Beijing invested $43.47 billion in various projects in Saudi Arabia, including its rail and road projects. China is also involved in the $500 billion mega-city project, NEOM. Recently, Riyadh and Beijing set up a $20 billion investment fund to link Saudi Vision 2030 with China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Oman, the third most influential country in the GCC after Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has strong bilateral economic ties with China. Beijing has invested heavily in Oman’s infrastructure. It is busy in constructing Duqm port and industrial zone in the strategically located area near the Strait of Hormuz. For this project, China and Oman signed a $10.7 billion agreement in May 2016. The project is a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Between 2005 and 2021, China invested $1.42 billion in Bahrain’s infrastructure projects, China Briefing said. But it does not include multi-billion worth of projects underway in Bahrain under BRI. In accordance with Bahrain’s economic vision for 2030, Chinese companies are involved in the Bahrain Metro Railway Project, East Sitra Housing Project and Al Dur Power Station Project.
As per Bahrain’s The Daily Tribune, the East Sitra Housing Project being developed by China Machinery Engineering Corporation will be the largest social housing project in the Gulf country. It is being developed by reclaiming 720,000 square metres of land, The Daily Tribune said.
Kuwait has also attracted a large number of investments from China under BRI. The first phase of the $130 billion Sheikh Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah Causeway—connecting Kuwait’s capital with its northern shores has been completed. Work is on connecting Kuwait’s capital with five nearby islands. Kuwait Times said that more than 40 Chinese firms are currently operating in Kuwait as part of China’s contributions towards national development projects, related to smart cities, energy, ports, road, and rail.
Last month, during the visit of Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to Hangzhou to participate in the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games, the two countries signed seven agreements for construction of projects related to Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port, renewable energy, creation of a low-carbon recycling green system, water treatment station, economic free zones In Qatar, China has enhanced its footprint both in energy and infrastructure sectors. In April this year, Chinese petroleum firm Sinopec agreed to take 5% take in a train with a processing capacity of 8 million tons a year. It is part of the North Field East LNG export project that is under construction and is expected to begin shipping gas in 2026, Bloomberg said.
Qatar has aligned its national vision for 2030 with China’s BRI with a special focus on the energy sector. Following a deal with Beijing in June 2023, Qatar agreed to supply four million tons of gas annually to China, The Jordan Times said. In 2021, as per Xinhua, bilateral trade between China and Qatar reached a high point of $17 billion, up 57% compared to 2020. In the first three months of 2022, the two-way trade rose by $19.5 billion, China’s state-backed news agency said.
On the infrastructure front, Lusail Stadium which was the host to the 22nd FIFA World Cup last year, is considered as a signature construction work of China Railway Construction Corporation. It had won a $764 million contract to build the stadium. China was also involved in building Qatar’s other stadiums like Education City Stadium and Stadium 974. From sea ports to strategic reservoirs, energy, and communication projects—there are multiple projects in which more than 200 Chinese companies are currently involved in Qatar, Global Times said.
China’s engagements with non-GCC countries on trade and investments have been equally strong and forward-looking. In Iran, China has agreed to invest $400 billion over 25 years in exchange for a steady supply of oil to feed the engine of its growth. The New York Times said promised $400 billion Chinese investments will be made in dozens of fields, including banking, telecommunications, ports, railways, health care and information technology. China’s investments in Iraq and Syria have grown significantly in recent years.
However, along with economically oriented moves across the Middle East, China has been seen taking a well-calculated step to increase its political influence in the region. Its reflection can be seen in its mediation in the normalisation of ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran. “By successfully bringing two of the Middle East’s bitterest rivals to the negotiating table, China aims to build credibility as a capable partner in the region,” Carnegie Endowment For International Peace said in a recent article.
To enhance its influence among the countries of the region, Beijing helped push the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iran to become BRICS members at the group’s summit in Johannesburg in August this year. In the China-dominated Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Iran has already become a member, while dialogue partner status has been granted to Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Kuwait. But there is a fear that once Israel targets Iran for its support to Hamas or Tehran attacks Israel in its support to the Palestinian cause, there will be no stopping from turning the current Israel-Hamas fight into a full-blown war, taking the Middle Eastern countries in its avoidable infernos. If that happens, China will be a great loser, experts say.
Cleverly visited Israel last week following attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas. He did not set out details of the itinerary of his latest trip…reports Asian Lite News
Foreign minister James Cleverly told parliament he would travel to the Middle East on Wednesday, outlining a diplomatic push which a British source said would include a visit to Egypt and possibly Qatar and Turkiye.
Britain has called for “cool heads” following a blast at a hospital in Gaza that killed huge numbers of Palestinians and repeatedly said the Israel-Hamas conflict must not escalate to the wider region.
“I have traveled to Israel, I’ve engaged with G7 allies, regional partners, and will be visiting the region again later on today, because we recognize that this will require intensive efforts,” he told parliament.
Cleverly visited Israel last week following attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas. He did not set out details of the itinerary of his latest trip.
In Egypt, he is expected to discuss the opening of a border crossing between Gaza and Egypt to allow humanitarian aid in and citizens to leave, the source said.
Earlier, condemning the attack on Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza which claimed the lives of hundreds of people Cleverly suggested that the international community should wait for the facts to come out before jumping to conclusions as it can put even more lives to risk.
He further said that getting the wrong information would put even more lives at risk.
Taking on his social media ‘X’, Cleverly stated, “Last night, too many jumped to conclusions around the tragic loss of life at Al Ahli hospital. Getting this wrong would put even more lives at risk. Wait for the facts, and report them clearly and accurately. Cool heads must prevail.”
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Tal Heinrich, a spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, told CNN that the IDF “does not target hospitals. We only target Hamas strongholds, arms depots, and terror targets.”
Heinrich made the remarks after Palestinian sources claimed that initial estimates suggest that the attack on the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza City resulted in 200 to 300 fatalities.
However, a Gaza civil defence chief claimed on Al-Jazeera television that over 300 people were killed in the explosion at the Gaza hospital.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defence Force spokesperson of Israel Defence Forces (IDF), RAdm. Daniel Hagari released an audio that claimed to be a conversation between two terrorists who admitted that the rocket fired on the Hospital belonged to their group. (ANI)
Hundreds demonstrated outside the British and French embassies in Tehran, US and Israeli embassies in Amman, while several thousand gathered in Palestine Square in the centre of the city….reports Asian Lite News
The bombardment of the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital has triggered a wave of anger and protests across the Middle East with protesters taking to the streets in at least eight countries to condemn the deadly attack, media reports said.
Hundreds demonstrated outside the British and French embassies in Tehran, while several thousand gathered in Palestine Square in the centre of the city.
“Death to France and England,” protesters shouted, throwing eggs at the walls of the French embassy compound in the Iranian capital, Al Jazeera reported.
Thousands also gathered at the US and Israeli embassies in Amman with tens of thousands of others taking to the streets across the country.
Israel has reportedly evacuated the embassy several days ago. Demonstrators had already attempted to break into the embassy last night and were dispersed by the Jordanian police, Times of Israel reported.
Protests also erupted in Lebanon, where Hezbollah has traded fire with Israeli forces at the border.
“The Arab street has a voice. That voice may have been ignored in the past by governments in the region and the West … but they cannot do this anymore,” Bader al-Saif, a university lecturer, said. “People are on fire”, Al Jazeera reported.
Angry protesters gathered outside the French embassy in Tunis, also denouncing the US.
The hospital massacre triggered protests in the occupied West Bank, with hundreds of Palestinians taking to the streets in Ramallah. There were confrontations with security forces. One Palestinian protester has reportedly been killed by Israeli forces in a village near Ramallah.
Protests were also held in Libya, Yemen, and Morocco to denounce the attack on the hospital, Al Jazeera reported.
Mass rallies took place in the West Bank, Jordan and Lebanon last night in the wake of a hospital blast in Gaza that Hamas claims resulted from an Israeli airstrike.
Israel has maintained that a misfired Gazan rocket caused the blast.
Death Toll Skyrockets
The death toll in the ongoing Hamas-Israel conflict is nearing 5,000, with thousands of others injured and displaced as a result of the violence which continued for the 13th day on Thursday.
In its latest situation update, the UN Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA) said the death toll in Israel as of Thursday morning stood at 1,400, which included foreign nationals, as Palestinian armed groups’ continued indiscriminate rocket firing towards Israeli population centres.
The number of injured increased to 4,562.
According to the OCHA, Israel’s death toll is over threefold the cumulative number of Israelis killed since the Office began recording casualties in 2005 (nearly 400).
Meanwhile, at least 199 people are currently being held captive in Gaza, it added.
Citing the Palestinian Health Ministry based in Gaza, the OCHA said that the death toll in Gaza has increased to 3,478, including 853 children, with about 12,500 others injured.
The UN agency said the deadly bombing at Al Ahli Arab Baptist hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday left at least 471 people dead, including children, healthcare staff and Internally Displaced People (IDPs).
The overall death toll in Gaza in the last 12 days of hostilities has significantly surpassed the total number of fatalities during the 2014 escalation, which lasted for over 50 days, resulting in 2,251 Palestinian deaths, the OCHA said.
Meanwhile in the West Bank, 64 people have died since the conflict erupted on October 7, including 18 children. The number of injured persons stood at 1,284.
The cumulative number of IDPs in Gaza is estimated at about one million, including over 513,907 people staying in UN Relief Works Agency-designated emergency shelters , of whom 353,539 are in central and southern Gaza alone.
Since October 11, Gaza has been under a full electricity blackout, following Israel’s halt of its electricity and fuel supply, which in turn triggered the shutdown of the besieged enclave’s sole power plant.
The Office also said that the complete siege of Gaza continues, with the Rafah, Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings remaining closed.
Wennesland stressed the importance of a long-term solution to the Palestinian question…reports Asian Lite News
UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, has warned of the danger of an expansion of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“I fear that we are at the brink of a deep and dangerous abyss that could change the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if not of the Middle East as a whole,” he told an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Wednesday.
“After more than a century of conflict and over half a century of occupation, we, the international community, have failed collectively to bring the parties to a just, sustainable political resolution. The long-standing fissures run deep and extend well beyond the confines of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory,” he said.
“The risk of an expansion of this conflict is real, very very real, and extremely dangerous.”
Today’s situation is one of the most difficult moments facing the Israeli and Palestinian people in the past 75 years, and poses a devastating and clearly difficult challenge for the region and for the international community. It comes at a moment when the global institutions that are needed to respond to such a crisis are already overstretched, he added via a video link from Doha, Qatar.
Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland.(photo:Tor Wennesland Twitter)
Wennesland stressed the importance of a long-term solution to the Palestinian question, Xinhua news agency reported.
“We must not let the dynamic of the current conflict take our eyes off what I would call the day after — the day after we need to start working on now.”
First, there should be the time and space to achieve two urgent objectives: Hamas’ immediate, unconditional release of all hostages; and rapid, unrestricted access of humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. The third step must be collective efforts to end the hostilities and prevent any further expansion of the conflict in the region, he said.
There should be no miscalculation, no provocation and no retrogress in the West Bank and Lebanon, he added.
The step beyond must be down the path toward a political horizon. Ultimately, the only way to bring an end to the bloodletting and prevent any recurrence is to pave a way toward a long-term political solution, in line with UN resolutions, international law and previous agreements, Wennesland said.
“A patchwork of ad-hoc and temporary fixes, and perpetual management of conflict without addressing underlying issues is not sustainable. That has been proven in the last 11 days. What we are seeing on the ground now, all too tragically proves this to be true. What we must do now is work together as one to achieve these objectives,” he added.
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed stressed the significance of collective multilateral action during the GCC Ministerial Council’s Extraordinary Session to address the ongoing Middle East crisis….reports Asian Lite News
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in the GCC Ministerial Council’s Extraordinary Session, which convened in Muscat yesterday to discuss the latest developments in the Gaza Strip.
H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed affirmed that the GCC Ministerial Council’s Extraordinary Session underscores the importance of collective multilateral action in addressing the current and unprecedented crisis taking place in the Middle East region. The urgent priority now is to protect civilians from the repercussions of this crisis, and to work urgently to provide safe humanitarian corridors to deliver humanitarian relief and medical aid to them, as well as enable relief organisations to perform their tasks and duties towards civilians, H.H. added.
H.H. indicated that the current crisis has confirmed beyond any doubt that extremism, violence and hatred have been and will remain the greatest threat to the security and stability of the region and the peace of its people, and this “scourge” must be confronted with all determination and work to calm the situation and end the escalating tension and violence in order to restore the security and stability of the region and revive hopes and aspirations of its people for a secure, stable and prosperous future.
Sheikh Abdullah reiterated the UAE’s longstanding and firm position in supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The GCC Ministerial Council’s Extraordinary Session, which was called for at the request of Oman, the current Chairman of GCC, and after consultation and coordination with member states, aims to conduct discussions and consultations on the latest developments in the region.
