We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
Islamic State claims responsibility for Pakistan blast that killed 54
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Monday for a suicide bomb blast in Pakistan that killed at least 54 people, including 23 children, at a political party gathering ahead of elections due later this year. The blast has raised fears Pakistan could be in for a bloody election period following months of political chaos prompted by the ousting of Imran Khan as prime minister in April last year. Around 400 members of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) party -- a key government coalition partner led by a firebrand cleric -- were waiting Sunday for speeches to begin when a bomber detonated a vest packed with explosives and ball bearings near the front stage. "I was confronted with a devastating sight -- lifeless bodies scattered on the ground while people cried out for help," Fazal Aman, who was near the tent when the bomb went off, told AFP. Shaukat Abbas, a senior official with the counter-terrorism department (CTD) told AFP that 54 people had been killed, including 23 under the age of 18. On Monday the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. "A suicide attacker from the Islamic State... detonated his explosive jacket in the middle of a crowd" in Khar, the jihadist group's news arm Amaq said in a statement Monday. The attack occurred in the town of Khar in the northwestern Bajaur district, just 45 kilometers from the Afghan border, in an area where militancy has been rising since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021. Parliament is likely to be dissolved after it completes its term in the next two weeks, with national elections to be held by mid-November or earlier. The local chapter of the jihadist Islamic State group has in the past targeted JUI-F rallies and leaders. Shattered family On Monday, blood-stained shoes and prayer caps littered the site, along with ball bearings and steel bolts from the suicide vest. Pieces of human flesh could still be seen, blasted 30 meters (100 feet) from the stage where the bomber detonated his device. Thousands of mourners attended the first funeral ceremonies, including for two young cousins aged 16 and 17. "It was not easy for us to lift two coffins. This tragedy has shattered our family," said Najib Ullah, the brother of one of the boys. "Our women are profoundly shocked and devastated. When I see the mothers of the victims, I find myself losing my own courage." JUI-F's leader, cleric Fazl-ur-Rehman, started political life as a firebrand Islamist hardliner, and while his party continues to advocate for socially conservative policies, he has more recently forged alliances with secular rivals. He has operated in the past as a facilitator for talks between the government and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a rival of the jihadist Islamic State group. Last year, IS said it was behind attacks against religious scholars affiliated with JUI-F, which has a huge network of mosques and schools in the north and west of the country. The jihadist group accuses the JUI-F of hypocrisy for being a religious party while supporting secular governments and the military. JUI-F officials hit out at the government for failing to provide security in areas where militants operate. "The state has not fulfilled its responsibilities. I think the state has failed regardless of who is in power," said Shams uz Zaman, deputy general secretary of its Bajaur branch. "For God's sake take notice of the situation." While Rehman's party never musters more than a dozen or so seats in parliament, they can be crucial in any coalition and his ability to mobilize tens of thousands of religious school students allows him to punch above his weight. "It is important to consider why workers of a religious inclined political party could have been subjected to such bestial violence," Dawn newspaper said in an editorial Monday. "However ultra-conservative the JUI-F's worldview, the party has chosen to contest power and operate within the parameters set by the Constitution of Pakistan." A spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said the blast was "an attempt to weaken democracy". Rise in attacks Pakistan has seen a sharp rise in militant attacks since the Afghan Taliban surged back to power in neighboring Afghanistan in 2021. In January, a suicide bomber linked to Pakistan's Taliban blew himself up in a mosque inside a police compound in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing more than 80 officers. The militant assaults have been focused in regions abutting Afghanistan, and Islamabad alleges some are being planned on Afghan soil -- a charge Kabul denies. Analysts say militants in the former tribal areas have become emboldened since the return of the Afghan Taliban. The blast coincides with a visit to the country by a senior delegation of Chinese officials, including Vice Premier He Lifeng, who arrived in the capital Sunday evening. The post Islamic State claims responsibility for Pakistan blast that killed 54 appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Queen Bee’ tagged top smuggler
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla yesterday said officials of the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Customs have a lot of explaining to do concerning the rampant smuggling of onions and garlic into the country. “We demand an explanation from the BoC and the DA regarding these developments,” Remulla said, alluding to what he described as the apparent total control onion and garlic smugglers have over the commodities’ supply chain. In his second State of the Nation Address last Monday, Marcos vowed to stop hoarders and smugglers dead in their tracks, saying “their days are numbered.” Remulla said smugglers have been buying up the harvest of local farmers to influence supply and demand and, consequently, command higher prices for onions and garlic when they release them into the market. Smugglers, he added, have been hoarding the commodities and keeping them in cold storage to create artificial shortages. If true, the activities cited by Remulla would be a violation of Republic Act 10845, which classifies large-scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage punishable by life imprisonment. “Smugglers have essentially taken over the industry, orchestrating its operations using significant capital resources and even private storage facilities,” he said. He stressed that “it is inconceivable” that the BoC and the DA are not aware of the smugglers’ activities, including their having set up an intricate control and distribution system. “They (smugglers) possess substantial financial resources, enabling them to purchase entire harvests, and they maintain dominance over all imports. This has severely compromised the existing system,” Remulla said. From planting to harvesting to storage and distribution, smugglers have applied a stranglehold on the system to control the pricing of onions and garlic, Remulla said. He described the setup as highly sophisticated, with the smugglers demonstrating a mastery of the field. He said DA and BoC officials must also explain why agricultural products from other countries are flooding the Philippines. In May, the Philippine National Police reported that from 2019 to April 2023, onions were the third most smuggled commodity into the country, after counterfeit products and tobacco products. However, the P137.6-million worth of onions that Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said illegally entered the country during that period, was too paltry compared to the estimates cited in congressional investigations. Key players Remulla said there were over 20 key players in the onion and garlic cartel in the country, including a certain “Queen Bee,” against whom the DoJ will file charges soon. “We have successfully identified the key players. The cases will be filed at the appropriate time. Currently, we are meticulously verifying the specifics of their modus operandi,” he said. As for the “Queen Bee,” Remulla said, “That’s what they call her, the Queen Bee. But we are also looking at other individuals. When it comes to the different regions, the main person in control holds around 55 to 60 percent of the operations.” The DoJ is set to also summon officials of the Bureau of Plant Industry, an agency under the DA, to present onion importation documents covering the past decade. Remulla said the President himself ordered the DoJ to form an Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force which will have as members seasoned prosecutors. After nine hearings, the Agriculture and Food Committee of the House of Representatives concluded that a cartel has been conspiring with the Philippine Vegetable Importers, Exporters and Vendors Association or PhilVIEVA to raise onion prices. The trading, import, cold storage, and trucking companies allegedly involved in the smuggling were all linked to PhilVIEVA. According to a House subcommittee, a cartel is to blame for the price increases. Rep. Stella Quimbo said PhilVIEVA is a fully-equipped group that can control the supply of onions throughout the country, as farmers have to contend with the lack of space in cold storage facilities. During the House hearings, operators said the facilities were filled with onions. Quimbo said that if there was more than enough supply, onion prices should not have surged. Quimbo went on to accuse Lilia “Leah” Cruz, the organizer of PhilVIEVA, of being the leader of the onion cartel. “If at the first hearing Leah Cruz was the denial queen, by hearing number nine, to us she was the undisputed onion queen,” Quimbo said. “That’s why we are calling on the NBI, PCC, and the DA’s enforcement section, let’s all help each other, the ball is in your court, peel away the onion cartel,” she said. Cruz is also reportedly a major shareholder in Golden Shine International Freight Forwarders Corporation, a trucking company affiliated with PhilVIEVA. The post ‘Queen Bee’ tagged top smuggler appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Senators: Resignations of 18 high-ranking cops linked to illegal drugs not enough
Senators on Wednesday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to pursue the criminal conviction of 18 high-ranking officials of the Philippine National Police, whom he accepted resignations from. Marcos, who is currently in Malaysia, announced on Tuesday through the Presidential Communications Office that he already had accepted their resignations upon the recommendation of the National Police Commission Ad Hoc Advisory Group. In his second State of the Nation Address on Monday, the president noted that he would accept the resignations of ''unscrupulous law enforcers and others involved in the highly nefarious drug trade." For Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito, the national government should file criminal charges against erring police. “Firing erring officials [is] not enough, they should be charged accordingly for the crime they have committed,” Ejercito said in a statement, If remain unpunished, he noted that other government officials involved in other criminal activities may continue their wrongdoings. "Nobody would learn from it; nobody would fear to commit crimes, whether they are officials, police, or in government," he lamented. Echoing the same sentiments, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said the filing of cases should be pursued based on evidence. “Follow the evidence. If good enough for [a] criminal conviction, then they should file the cases,” Pimentel said in a separate statement. “Since they were dismissed, then that is already the end of an administrative case,” he added. ‘Not enough’ Likewise, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva stressed that the government should not stop with the dismissal of police involved in illegal drugs. “[It was] not enough and am sure they will do the right thing to charge these police officers,” Villanueva said. He noted that the “full force of the law” should be applied to them to warn others. “Otherwise, we will continue to hear and see this over and over again,” he pointed out. The post Senators: Resignations of 18 high-ranking cops linked to illegal drugs not enough appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Russian reporter ‘savagely’ beaten in Chechnya
An award-winning Russian investigative journalist is in hospital after being badly beaten by armed assailants during a trip to Chechnya, her newspaper and a rights group said. The attack happened early on Tuesday as well-known journalist Elena Milashina and Alexander Nemov, a lawyer, were traveling from the airport. Her newspaper, Novaya Gazeta, published a video of Milashina in hospital with her head shaven and covered in a green-colored dye -- used to target Kremlin critics -- and her hands bandaged. She said the attack, which included having a gun held to her head, was linked to her "professional activity in Chechnya." Milashina has covered rights abuses in Chechnya, the Caucasus republic ruled by former warlord Ramzan Kadyrov, for years. She came to Grozny on Tuesday to attend the sentencing of Zarema Musayeva, whose husband and sons have fallen foul of the Kadyrov regime but did not make it there. "It's a sensitive case," she said, calling Musayeva a "hostage." Musayeva later was handed 5-and-a-half years on fraud charges widely seen as political revenge against her family. Milashina recounted the attack in a video shared by Novaya Gazeta: "They came, they threw out the driver, the taxi driver from the car. They jumped in, pushed our heads down, they tied my hands, put us on our knees with a gun to the head," she said. "They did everything nervously. They didn't manage to tie my hands properly." The Memorial human rights group said the pair were "savagely" beaten. She said she was taken to neighboring Ossetia for safety and the newspaper said she will go back to Moscow once a medical team examines her. Not welcome Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters during a briefing that President Vladimir Putin had been informed. "We are talking about a very serious attack that requires vigorous measures," Peskov said. Kadyrov, who has been accused of persistent rights abuses in his restive region, said in a statement online he had instructed officials to determine who was behind the attack. "The authorities began to work immediately after the announcement of the incident," the statement read. But his rights ombudsman Mansur Soltayev said Milashina was "not welcome by a large part of the public" in Chechnya. He said this was especially true during Moscow's Ukraine offensive, during which "the Chechen nation supports the efforts of the president of Russia." The media rights group Reporters Without Borders said it was "horrified by the savage attack" on Milashina. And the rights group Amnesty International urged Russia to investigate the "vicious" beating. Milashina's paper Novaya Gazeta, Russia's top independent publication, said she and Nemov were in a hospital in the Chechen capital Grozny. Novaya Gazeta in February last year said that Milashina had to leave Russia temporarily after receiving death threats from the Chechen leadership. The paper, whose chief editor Dmitry Muratov won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, has since 2000 seen six journalists and contributors killed, including investigative reporter Anna Politkovskaya. By focusing on rights abuses in Chechnya, Milashina has followed in the footsteps of Politkovskaya, a fierce critic of the Kremlin's policies in Chechnya, who was shot dead in 2006. Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying that the incident "should be carefully investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice". The post Russian reporter ‘savagely’ beaten in Chechnya appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Iran summons Swiss envoy over call to halt executions
Iran on Sunday summoned Switzerland's ambassador over a tweet calling for a stop to executions linked to protests triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini, Tehran's foreign ministry said. The Swiss embassy took to Twitter on Friday to "strongly condemn" the execution earlier that day of three men convicted of killing security force members during last year's protests in the central city of Isfahan. "Switzerland urges Iran to stop these executions and to take steps to reduce the use of the death penalty," said the tweet from the embassy, which also represents US interests in Tehran. Ambassador Nadine Olivieri Lozano was summoned "following Switzerland's interventionist position in our country's internal affairs", the foreign ministry said on Sunday. The Swiss tweet featured an image from a demonstration outside Iran showing protesters raising a poster of Amini -- who died in custody on September 16 -- and waving Iran's pre-Islamic revolution flag. Tehran on Sunday condemned "the unconventional and unprofessional use of this country's embassy in Tehran in republishing an image with a fake flag". "Such an unconventional action is not compatible with the friendly relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Swiss Confederation, and should be corrected," the statement said. Iran witnessed waves of nationwide protests following the death of Amini, 22, an Iranian Kurd who had been arrested for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's strict dress rules for women. During the protests, which Tehran generally labeled as foreign-instigated "riots", thousands of Iranians were arrested and hundreds killed including dozens of security personnel. Majid Kazemi, Saleh Mirhashemi, and Saeed Yaghoubi were hanged on Friday after being found guilty of "moharebeh" -- or waging "war against God" -- for shooting dead three members of the security forces on November 16. The executions drew sharp reactions from Western countries and were censured by human rights groups based outside Iran. Iran executes more people a year than any other nation except China, according to human rights groups including Amnesty International. The pace of the executions has been frantic in 2023, with the Norway-based group Iran Human Rights (IHR) now counting at least 270 executions since the start of the year. The post Iran summons Swiss envoy over call to halt executions appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Pinoys among those evacuated as Sudan fighting enters 2nd week
Sudan's Rapid Support Forces said Sunday it had "coordinated with" American troops to evacuate Washington's embassy in the country, where fighting between the paramilitary group and the army entered a second week following a brief lull. More than 150 people from various nations had already reached the safety of Saudi Arabia in the first announced evacuation of civilians. Foreign countries have said they are preparing for the potential evacuation of thousands more of their nationals, even though Sudan's main airport remains closed. "The Rapid Support Forces Command has coordinated with the U.S Forces Mission consisting of 6 aircraft, for evacuating diplomats and their families on Sunday morning," said a tweet by the heavily armed paramilitary group. The RSF pledged "full cooperation with all diplomatic missions, and providing all necessary means of protection, and ensuring their safe return to their countries". The group previously said it was ready to "partially" open "all airports" in Sudan to evacuate foreign citizens. It was not possible to verify which airports the RSF controls. Fighting has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded, while survivors cope with shortages of electricity and food. On Saturday, Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry announced the "safe arrival" of 91 of its citizens along with nationals from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada and Burkina Faso. As the kingdom's naval forces transported the civilians, including diplomats and international officials, across the Red Sea from Port Sudan to Jeddah, fighting resumed in Sudan's capital Khartoum after a temporary truce saw gunfire momentarily die down on Friday, the first day of Eid al-Fitr. Eid is normally a major celebration for Sudanese marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. This year it is marked by fear, grief and hunger. Earlier on Saturday, Sudan's army said its chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had received calls from leaders of multiple countries to "facilitate and guarantee safety for evacuating citizens and diplomatic missions". It noted that the evacuations were expected to begin "in the coming hours", adding that the US, Britain, France and China were planning to airlift their nationals out of Khartoum using military planes. Burhan told Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV that the army was in control of "all airports, except for Khartoum airport" and one in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur. Urban warfare began on 15 April between forces loyal to Burhan and those of his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Daglo commands the RSF, which emerged from the Janjaweed fighters unleashed in Darfur by former strongman Omar al-Bashir, drawing accusations of war crimes. The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle. On Saturday morning, heavy gunfire, loud explosions and fighter jets were heard in many parts of the capital, according to witnesses. The army announced Friday agreement to a three-day ceasefire. Daglo said in a statement he had "discussed the current crisis" with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and was "focused on the humanitarian truce, safe passages, and protecting humanitarian workers". Five humanitarians, including four from UN-linked agencies, have so far been killed. Two 24-hour ceasefires announced earlier in the week were also ignored. In Khartoum, a city of five million people, the conflict has left terrified civilians sheltering inside their homes. Many have ventured out only to get urgent food supplies -- stocks of which are dwindling -- or to flee the city. While Khartoum has seen some of the fiercest battles, they have occurred across the country. Late Friday, the army accused the RSF of attacks in the capital's twin city of Omdurman where they released "a large number of inmates" from a prison, accusations the group denies. Battles have raged in Darfur, where Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in the city of El Fasher said their medics had been "overwhelmed" by the number of patients with gunshot wounds, many of them children. More plans are being made to evacuate foreigners, with South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries, and the European Union weighing a similar move. The German ministers of defence and foreign affairs held a crisis meeting Saturday on a possible evacuation, after three military transport planes had to turn back Wednesday, according to German weekly Der Spiegel. The World Health Organization (WHO) said 413 people had been killed and 3,551 wounded in the fighting across Sudan, but the actual death toll is thought to be higher. More than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states are now "out of service", and at least four hospitals in North Kordofan state were shelled, the doctors' union said. The World Food Programme said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where one-third of the population needs aid. Burhan and Daglo's dispute centred on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army, a key condition for a deal aimed at restoring Sudan's democratic transition after the military toppled Bashir in April 2019 following mass citizen protests. In October 2021, Burhan and Daglo joined forces to oust a civilian government installed after Bashir's downfall. Daglo now says the coup was a "mistake", while Burhan believes it was "necessary" to include more groups into politics. The post Pinoys among those evacuated as Sudan fighting enters 2nd week appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
6 soldiers killed, 4 others wounded in clash with Maute Group in Lanao Norte
CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 19 February) – Six Philippine Army members were killed while four others were wounded on Sunday while pursuing the militant Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group blamed for the December 3 Catholic Mass bombing inside the Mindanao State University in Marawi City (MSU-Marawi), military officials said. In a statement, General Romeo Brawner Jr., […].....»»
Philippines identifies 2 members of pro-Islamic State group as bomb suspects
Philippine police on Wednesday identified two persons of interest as suspects involved in a deadly blast that killed four people during a catholic Mass in a southern city at the weekend. Those suspected of orchestrating the attack in Marawi were members of Daulah Islamiya-Maute, a pro-Islamic State militant group that took control of the city in 2017 and held it throughout five months of ground offensives and ai.....»»
Philippines identifies 2 members of pro-Islamic State group as bomb suspects
Philippine police on Wednesday identified two persons of interest as suspects involved in a deadly blast that killed four people during a catholic Mass in a southern city at the weekend. Those suspected of orchestrating the attack in Marawi were members of Daulah Islamiya-Maute, a pro-Islamic State militant group that took control of the city in 2017 and held it throughout five months of ground offensives and ai.....»»
DCPO activates Oplan Defense for Davao City security after MSU-Marawi blast
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has activated Oplan Defense in response to the powerful explosion that occurred during a Catholic Mass at Mindanao State University-Marawi's gym on December 2, 2023. Under the directive of DCPO Director Police Colonel Alberto Lupaz, all 19 police stations are leading the Oplan Defense, which involves conducting restrictive vehicle checks and border controls. The DCPO has also collaborated with other government and security agencies, particularly the Task Force Davao (TFD), to maintain peace and order in the city. DCPO spokesperson Captain Hazel Tuazon emphasized the coordination with other agencies to ensure peace and order throughout the city, especially during the Christmas Fiesta. The city remains on high alert, with personnel deployed in major Catholic churches and mosques and a one-entrance-and-exit policy implemented in these worship places. Tuazon highlighted the strengthening of the Davao defense system through checkpoints and police visibility in churches. In a press briefing, Mark Anthony Tito, spokesperson of the 10th Infantry “Agila” Division, affirmed continuous security monitoring in their jurisdiction following the bombing at MSU-Marawi. Oplan Defense is DCPO’s campaign against criminality and terrorism, aiming to preemptively secure residents and visitors of the area. The Police Provincial Office of Lanao del Sur (PPO-Lanao del Sur) has formed a Special Investigation Task Group-MSU Marawi (SITG-MSU Marawi) to expedite the investigation process, as two persons of interest linked to the DI-Maute group, a radical Islamic terrorist connected to the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), have been identified. The blast resulted in four deaths and over 50 injuries, including students, academic professionals, and members of the Catholic ministries. The city urges the public not to believe in fake news about the Marawi bombing suspect. In summary, DCPO has activated Oplan Defense to secure Davao City in response to the MSU-Marawi blast, collaborating with other agencies to maintain peace and order while intensifying security measures and investigation efforts......»»
Israeli president tells Musk he has ‘huge role’ in anti-Semitism
Israel's president told Elon Musk on Monday that the tech mogul has "a huge role to play" to combat anti-Semitism, which his social media platform is accused of spreading. The meeting came after the world's richest person visited a kibbutz community devastated in attacks by Hamas militants on October 7, and met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence officials. Musk has been criticised over what critics say is a proliferation of hate speech on X, formerly Twitter, since his takeover of the social media site in October 2022. He has been accused by the White House of "abhorrent promotion" of anti-Semitism after endorsing a conspiracy theory seen as accusing Jews of trying to weaken white majorities. Israel's figurehead President Isaac Herzog told him: "Unfortunately, we are inundated by anti-Semitism, which is Jew hatred. "You have a huge role to play," he said. "And I think we need to fight it together because on the platforms which you lead, unfortunately, there's a harbouring of a lot of... anti-Semitism." Musk did not mention anti-Semitism in his video remarks released by Herzog's office, but said Hamas militants "have been fed propaganda since they were children". "It's remarkable what humans are capable of if they're fed falsehoods, from when they are children; they will think that the murder of innocent people is a good thing." On October 7 Hamas militants broke through Gaza's militarised border into southern Israel to kill around 1,200 people and seize about 240 hostages, according to Israeli officials, in the worst-ever attack since the nation's founding. Vowing to destroy Hamas in response, Israel has carried out a relentless bombardment of targets in Gaza, alongside a ground invasion, that the Hamas government says has killed almost 15,000. A temporary truce has been in effect since Friday. Talk of satellites Earlier Monday, Netanyahu and Musk discussed "security aspects of artificial intelligence" with senior defence officials, the Prime Minister's Office said. Musk and Netanyahu held a conversation on X following their tour of Kfar Aza, one of the communities attacked by Hamas. "We have to demilitarise Gaza after the destruction of Hamas," Netanyahu said, calling for a campaign to "deradicalise" the Palestinian territory. "Then we also have to rebuild Gaza, and I hope to have our Arab friends help in that context." Netanyahu told Musk he hoped to resume United States-mediated normalisation talks with Saudi Arabia after Hamas's defeat and "expand the circle of peace beyond anything imaginable". The war stalled progress towards a Saudi-Israel normalisation deal, and in early November Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler denounced the conduct of Israeli forces fighting Hamas in Gaza. Israel's Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said his country had reached an understanding in principle on the use of Starlink satellites, operated by Musk's company SpaceX, in Israel and the Gaza Strip "with the approval of the Israeli Ministry of Communications". Starlink is a network of satellites in low Earth orbit that can provide internet to remote locations, or areas that have had normal communications infrastructure disabled. In September, Netanyahu urged Musk "to stop not only anti-Semitism, or rolling it back as best you can, but any collective hatred" on X. Musk said at the time that while his platform could not stop all hate speech before it was posted, he was "generally against attacking any group, no matter who it is". X Corp is currently suing nonprofit Media Matters on the grounds that it has driven away advertisers by portraying the site as rife with anti-Semitic content. Musk has also threatened to file suit against the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish advocacy group, over its claims that problematic and racist speech has soared on the site since he completed his $44-billion takeover......»»
Former Maute terror group stronghold now has town hall
Officials will inaugurate on Sunday a new municipal hall in the hometown of the founders of the long decimated Maute terror group that had ranted noisily about poor governance in the area and lack of public service facets for marginalized residents......»»
Iraqi religious leader demands closure of American embassy
Influential religious leader Moqtada Sadr called on the Iraqi government Friday to close the United States embassy in Baghdad because of Washington’s “unconditional support” for Israel in its war with Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. “If the government and parliament do not respond, we will take a different position that we will announce later,” the Shiite cleric, who often criticizes the government, warned on X. On 22 October, Washington ordered all non-essential staff to leave its embassy in Baghdad’s high security Green Zone and its consulate in Arbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdistan region. Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has criticized the “Zionist occupation” since Israel began its bombardment of Gaza, calling it a “genocide” of the Palestinian people. On 7 October, Hamas militants stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, who were shot, mutilated, or burned to death on the first day of the raid, according to Israeli officials. Israel says around 1,500 Hamas fighters were killed in clashes before its army regained control of the areas under attack. More than 7,300 Palestinians, mainly civilians, have been killed across Gaza in relentless Israeli bombardments in response to the attacks, according to the Hamas health ministry in the territory. Iraqis stage regular protests to condemn the Israeli bombing and in support of the Palestinians. Militia attacks All Iraqi political factions support the Palestinian cause, and like its neighbor Iran, Israel’s sworn enemy, Iraq does not recognize the Israeli state. US forces and their coalition allies in Iraq have been the target of attacks mostly claimed by the group “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” on Telegram channels tied to pro-Iran factions. On Thursday, the Pentagon said there had been 16 such attacks in Iraq and Syria this month, and blamed “Iranian-supported militias.” The Baghdad government is supported by parties that have close links with Tehran, but it is working to maintain relations with the US, which has 2,500 soldiers on Iraqi territory. On Monday, Baghdad called the attacks on American soldiers “unacceptable” and promised to investigate. WITH AFP The post Iraqi religious leader demands closure of American embassy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
US says anti-Iran strikes in Syria hit ammunition depots
The United States said Friday it sought to degrade ammunition supplies of Iranian-linked militias with strikes in Syria but insisted it did not want to widen the Middle East conflict. The Pentagon on Thursday announced air strikes on two sites in eastern Syria it said were used by Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after a string of attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. "The purpose for those two sites that we targeted was to have a significant impact on future IRGC and Iran-backed militia group operations," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters Friday. "It went right at storage facilities and ammo depots that we know will be used to support the work of these militia groups, particularly in Syria." "The main goal was to disrupt that ability and also to deter -- to prevent -- future attacks," he said. The White House earlier said that President Joe Biden had relayed a direct warning to Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei against militias' strikes on US troops in Syria and Iraq, where US forces are stationed as part of efforts against the Islamic State group, which also has clashed with Shiite Iran. There have been at least 14 attacks on US and allied forces in Iraq and six in Syria since October 17, a period in which 21 American military personnel suffered minor injuries and one contractor died from a cardiac incident, according to the Pentagon. The US strikes on Thursday were the first on Iranian interests since March, breaking a stretch of calm after the Biden administration opened quiet diplomacy with the US arch-enemy that led to a prisoner swap and conversations on Iran's disputed nuclear program. The October 7 assault by Hamas and Israel's retaliatory strikes have inflamed the region. Iran's clerical leaders back Hamas, while the United States is the foremost ally of Israel. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a statement Thursday, said that the strikes were "narrowly tailored" to protect US personnel. "They are separate and distinct from the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, and do not constitute a shift in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict," Austin said. The Pentagon said Friday evening that its current assessment is the strikes did not cause casualties. 'Finger on the trigger' In new pressure, the United States -- which already considers Hamas and the Revolutionary Guards to be terrorist organizations -- said it was imposing sanctions on a Hamas official based in Iran and members of the IRGC. The Biden administration has vowed to target the finances of Hamas, which holds hundreds of millions of dollars in global assets, according to US Treasury Department estimates. Iran also has a close relationship with Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shiite militia and political movement that has repeatedly fired at Israel but has so far stopped short of opening a full second front. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Friday that he has spoken with Lebanese and Palestinian militants and they "have their finger on the trigger" if Israel expands its ground operation into Gaza. Speaking to US National Public Radio from the United Nations, Amir-Abdollahian said the militants' actions would be "much more powerful and deeper than what you’ve witnessed." "Therefore I believe that if this situation continues and women and children and civilians are still killed in Gaza and the West Bank, anything will be possible," he said. Amir-Abdollahian insisted, however, that militants would decide their own actions, saying, "We don't really want this conflict to spread out." Addressing the General Assembly on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian said that the Palestinians "as a nation under occupation" have the "legitimate right to resist the occupation using all available methods, including armed struggle." Hamas militants on October 7 stormed out of the blockaded Gaza Strip and killed 1,400 people, mostly civilians, including children, the elderly and revelers at a music festival, and took more than 220 hostages in the deadliest attack in Israel's history. Israel has struck back with a relentless bombing campaign which Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says has killed 7,326 people, mostly civilians, among them 3,038 children. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, meeting Friday with Amir-Abdollahian, urged Iran to work toward the "unconditional and immediate release of hostages held in Gaza." The post US says anti-Iran strikes in Syria hit ammunition depots appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Shame on int’l media’
As the conflict between the state of Israel and the Hamas terror organization intensifies, international media coverage has thus far been described as dismal and heavily slanted against the Jewish nation. Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss cited as an example the Hamas missile attack on the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, which was hit directly a few days after the 7 October attack by a rocket fired from Gaza, resulting in Israeli deaths and injuries. In contrast, an explosion on 17 October at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City that resulted in a massive number of fatalities and injuries was splashed all over broadcast and print media and was immediately blamed on an Israeli air strike, a narrative peddled by Hamas. Investigations by Israel and the United States proved that a missile launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a Gaza-based terror group more radical than Hamas, had misfired and landed on the hospital grounds. “Nobody in the media reported that an Israeli hospital was bombed in Ashkelon, which had so many patients injured and killed. The rockets were shot at the hospital. No media picked it up and condemned nobody,” Fluss lamented during an interview with Daily Tribune editors. “So, for me, this incident is a shame on the international media. These news (outfits) and (media) people sort of still live with this image that it is the ratings that must (dictate the news coverage),” Fluss said. New York Times sorry US publication The New York Times issued on Monday an unprecedented admission that it had “relied too heavily on claims by Hamas” in its reporting of an explosion at a Gaza hospital. The newspaper issued the statement five days after running a headline on its front page, above the fold, reading: “Israeli Strike Kills Hundreds in Hospital, Palestinians Say.” “The Times’ initial accounts attributed the claim of Israeli responsibility to Palestinian officials and noted that the Israeli military said it was investigating the blast,” according to NYT’s editor’s note. “However, the early versions of the coverage — and the prominence it received in a headline, news alert, and social media channels — relied too heavily on claims by Hamas and did not make clear that those claims could not immediately be verified,” the NYT continued. NYT editors also acknowledged that “the report left readers with an incorrect impression about what was known and how credible the account was.” The note said Times reporters quickly edited the story on the website, as Israeli officials denied striking the hospital. Nonetheless, it added, “Given the sensitive nature of the news during a widening conflict and the prominent promotion it received, Times editors should have taken more care with the initial presentation and been more explicit about what information could be verified.” Islamic Jihad missile Israeli officials have vehemently denied responsibility for the explosion at the Al-Ahli Hospital and have released audio files of Hamas officials admitting that the blast was caused by a Palestinian Islamic Jihad projectile that fell onto Gaza. Also provided were images showing that the parking lot where the blast occurred did not have a crater in the ground, and there was no structural damage to nearby buildings, both of which typically would have been left by an Israeli Defense Forces strike. Recurring phenomena Media bias, as Fluss indicated, is a persistent issue. Terror groups like Hamas know this and take full advantage to sway public opinion. “As a result, coverage is often selective, stories get framed misleadingly, or certain perspectives go missing,” according to the American Jewish Committee, or AJC, which is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. “Instead of focusing on Hamas’ massacre of Israeli civilians, Israel’s efforts to thwart terrorists, destroy terrorist headquarters and weapons sites, and prevent more civilian deaths, some major media outlets characterize Israel’s targeted response as attacks on innocent and beleaguered Palestinians — feeding an unequivocally false narrative,” the AJC said. It added that Western media outlets often use the term “militant” to describe Hamas and other terrorist groups. For example, in the New York Times coverage of Hamas’ unprovoked attack on Israel on 7 October, the word “terrorists” was nowhere to be found on the front page of its website. The AJC said, “Hamas is not a militant group. It is a terrorist organization internationally designated as such by the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, and others that has fired thousands of rockets and slaughtered Israeli civilians in cold blood.” Hamas has set two long-term goals articulated in its charter: The end of the Jewish state and the creation of an Islamic state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. In the current conflict, Hamas has murdered over 300 Israelis and wounded nearly 2,000. “Using the term ‘militant’ to describe Hamas diminishes the true threat that the terror group poses. Media outlets need to call a terrorist a terrorist,” the AJC added. No occupation Some media accounts on the Gaza Strip often blame Israel’s “occupation” as the root cause of the conflict. Fluss pointed out, however, that Israel does not occupy the Gaza Strip and has had no presence in the coastal enclave for nearly two decades. From 1948 to 1967, the Gaza Strip was occupied by Egypt, which took control of the territory during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, also known as Israel’s War of Independence. After the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel took control of the Gaza Strip from Egypt. In 2005, Israel, facing huge political pushback, withdrew from the Gaza Strip, and dismantled its settlements and military forces in the name of peace and in hopes of creating a better future. However, those hopes were shattered after Hamas came to power through elections and, with it, violence and rocket attacks on Israeli civilian population centers. Since 2007, when Hamas violently ousted Fatah from the Gaza Strip, it began launching tens of thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel. Hamas terrorists also infiltrated Israel through land, sea, and air incursions from Gaza to murder and abduct Israeli civilians. Over 600 Israelis were murdered on the 7 October large-scale infiltration into Israeli territory from Gaza. The post ‘Shame on int’l media’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NDCP alumni officials call for unity amid growing tensions in WPS
Filipinos should unite behind the nation and its government as Philippine sailors continue to experience harassment from the Chinese Coast Guard while on peaceful missions in the West Philippine Sea. This was the call of alumni officials of the National Defense College of the Philippines or NDCP, stressing that the public should remain vigilant and well-informed amid growing tensions inside the country’s territorial waters. Capt. Aldrin Cuña, the Secretary General of the NDCP Alumni Association Inc. (NDCPAAI), released the group’s statement stressing that “not only is it our right but our duty to protect it when parties launch aggressive acts to challenge our sovereignty and curb our activities over what is legally ours.” “The West Philippine Sea is of great importance to our nation, future and children - their inheritance we should not lose during our watch,” the NDCPAAI statement read. The statement was released after two Chinese Coast Guard ships rammed a Philippine Coast Guard ship and a military-run supply boat within Philippine territorial waters on Sunday, 22 October. The Chinese Coast Guard claimed that it was the Philippine ships who were the “aggressors,” but Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro fired back, saying “the Chinese government is deliberately obfuscating the truth.” The NDCPAAI seconded Secretary Teodoro, saying that “not only are our ships being rammed, the truth that is on our side is being pummeled too.” “The best defense against falsehood are facts which we can learn by educating ourselves about what our country’s rights are over West Philippine Sea and the legitimacy of our actions there,” the association said. However, the NDCPAAI emphasized that “diplomacy in search for principled peaceful solution is of equal importance,” but this can only be achieved if “a united citizenry is behind the government.” “We thus call on our fellow Filipinos, regardless of political affiliations, to put aside our differences and rally around our country's cause. As we maintain a credible defense posture, we must engage in constructive dialogue and nurture cordial and conflict-free peaceful solutions, guided by international law and our commitment to upholding justice and fairness,” the association said. “By pursuing these multiple tracks, we project a stance that is strong at home and supported by the people and respected abroad and recognized by the community of nations as just and right,” it stressed......»»
59 OFWs seek Lebanon exit
At least 59 Filipinos in Lebanon have expressed a desire to be repatriated amid the escalating tension between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah, the Philippine Embassy in Lebanon said Monday. Hezbollah is another Islamist militant group that controls the southern part of Lebanon. It has launched rockets into the northern part of Israel, which has fired back. “On Sunday morning, when we held our meeting with Filipino community leaders, we received 59 applications,” Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Raymond Balatbat said in a television interview. This developed as the Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, placed Lebanon under Alert Level 3, or voluntary repatriation. According to the DFA, there are an estimated 17,500 Filipinos in Lebanon, 67 of them residing on its southern border. Balatbat said only three of the 67 Filipinos on the southern border have asked to be repatriated. Since the surprise attack by the Palestinian Sunni-Islamic extremist group Hamas on Israel on 7 October, which left 1,400 Israelis dead, scores of foreigners have also been killed, including four Filipinos. Meanwhile, a total of 24 overseas Filipino workers, comprising the third batch of repatriates from Israel, arrived Monday afternoon at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. The repatriates — 21 women and three men — came from Israel via Abu Dhabi on board Etihad Airways flight EY424. Migrant Workers Officer-in-Charge Hans Leo Cacdac assured all the repatriates of support from the government to ease their displacement and facilitate their reintegration. Two Filipinos shared on Monday their traumatizing experience during the attack of Hamas in Israel. Tersita Malapo, 35, of Baao, Camarines Sur, a caregiver for eight years, said she and other Filipinos were about to go to church when they heard a siren. “On Saturday morning, we were about to go to church in Jerusalem because we go to church every day off. Suddenly, we heard a siren. After a while, there was news that rockets were being launched from Palestine. We were so shocked,” Malapo said. She said that because of the bombings a loud noise like the banging of a door made her nervous. “That feeling that you always hear something, your feeling of nervousness is increasing. When a door slams, you think something has exploded. In Israel, there is an explosion anytime of the day. It explodes even without a siren. When there’s a bombing, our house and bomb shelter vibrates,” she said. Gerald Caniban, 35, of Iloilo City, a caregiver for five years, said he was asleep when he heard the sirens. “It was an overwhelming experience. I was in Tel Aviv that morning. I was sleeping with my girlfriend when we heard the alert on my phone. It was Saturday, our day-off. After a few minutes, we heard sirens all over Tel Aviv,” Caniban said. He said he did not have peace of mind and described the situation as a terrible nightmare. The post 59 OFWs seek Lebanon exit appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Scores killed in Gaza strikes as new aid convoy arrives
Scores of Palestinians were killed in central Gaza on Sunday after Israel stepped up its strikes on the war-torn enclave and another convoy of 17 aid trucks arrived as the Hamas-run territory faces "catastrophic" shortages. With the violence raging unchecked, Iran said the region could spiral "out of control". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stark warning to Lebanon's Hezbollah, saying getting involved would be "the mistake of its life". Washington warned any actors looking to inflame the conflict that it would not hesitate to act in the event of any "escalation". Hamas militants in Gaza stormed across the border into Israel on 7 October, launching a raid that killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated, or burnt to death on the first day, according to Israeli officials. They also seized more than 200 hostages in the worst-ever attack in Israel's history. Israel has hit back with a relentless bombing campaign that has so far killed more than 4,600 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry. Officials said the central town of Deir al-Balah had been particularly badly hit overnight from Saturday to Sunday. The ministry said at least 80 people had been killed in the overnight raids on central Gaza, which destroyed more than 30 homes. At the hospital morgue, an AFP journalist saw the bodies of many children on the bloodied floor, where distraught families wept as they identified the victims. Among them was a man clutching his dead toddler and a young boy who pulled back a blanket over his little sister's body. "My cousin was sleeping in his house with his daughter in his arms. He was a man with no record, nothing to do with the resistance," said Wael Wafi, gazing at the body of his cousin, his arm still wrapped around his three-year-old daughter Misk. Also Sunday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said that 29 of its staff had been killed since the start of the war in a statement on X, formerly Twitter, saying half of them were teachers. On Saturday it had given a toll of 17. The scale of the bombing has left basic systems unable to function. The UN said dozens of unidentified bodies had been buried in a mass grave in Gaza City because cold storage had run out. Meanwhile, an Israeli soldier was killed near the Gaza border by an anti-tank missile fired by militants inside the enclave, the army said. 'Accident' as Israel hits Egypt post Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned the war with Hamas could take months. "It will take one month, two months, three months, and at the end, there will be no more Hamas," Gallant said. A second convoy of 17 trucks of aid entered Gaza from Egypt on Sunday following an initial delivery of 20 trucks on Saturday after intensive negotiations and US pressure. Separately, an AFP journalist saw six trucks leaving Rafah after filling up from dwindling fuel stocks held at the crossing as the enclave faces catastrophic shortages after Israel cut off supplies of food, water, fuel, and electricity. It later resumed water supplies to the south on 15 October. Although Egyptian media said another 40 trucks would enter Gaza on Monday, the UN says the enclave needs 100 trucks per day to meet the needs of Gaza's 2.4 million residents. And so far, there have been no deliveries of fuel, with UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warning Sunday that supplies would run out "in three days". "Without fuel, there will be no water, no functioning hospitals, and... aid will not reach many civilians in desperate need," he said. The Hamas government said 165,000 housing units -- half of those in the entire Gaza Strip -- had been destroyed in the raids. With fears growing that the conflict could spread, Israel on Sunday admitted accidentally hitting an Egyptian border post, apologizing for the incident which Cairo said had left an unspecified number of border guards with "minor injuries". Risk of regional escalation There were fresh exchanges of fire over Israel's northern border with Lebanon as fears grew that Hezbollah, a close ally of Hamas and Iran, could enter the conflict, prompting Israel's Netanyahu to warn it would be "the mistake of its life". "We will strike it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the significance for it and the state of Lebanon will be devastating," he said. Iran also warned about the conflict spreading on Sunday, with top diplomat Hossein Amir-Abdollahian cautioning that if Washington and Israel did not "immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza.. the region will go out of control". But Washington said it wouldn't hesitate to act in the event of any "escalation", just hours after the Pentagon moved to step up military readiness in the region. "If any group or any country is looking to widen this conflict and take advantage of this very unfortunate situation that we see, our advice is: don't," US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on ABC News. On Sunday, Pope Francis used his weekly Angelus prayer in Rome to plead for an end to the bloodshed. "War is always a defeat, it is a destruction of human fraternity. Brothers, stop!" he said. He later held a 20-minute conversation with US President Joe Biden about "conflict situations in the world and the need to identify paths to peace", the Vatican said. Biden later discussed with war with the leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy, the White House said. The US president also held talks with Netanyahu, said the White House, adding: "The leaders affirmed that there will now be continued flow of this critical assistance into Gaza." In Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron's office announced he would be traveling to Israel on Tuesday for talks with Netanyahu. Protesters marched in several European capitals on Sunday. At least 10,000 people rallied in support of Israel in Berlin as Chancellor Olaf Scholz vowed to stamp out a resurgence of anti-Semitic incidents linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Thousands gathered in Paris to demand an end to Israel's operation in Gaza, the first pro-Palestinian rally in the French capital that wasn't banned on security grounds. The post Scores killed in Gaza strikes as new aid convoy arrives appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
2 American hostages freed
Gaza’s Hamas rulers freed two Americans among the 200 hostages they kidnapped in the deadly 7 October attacks in Israel. More hostages may be released, the group hinted. According to the Israeli government, Judith Tai Raanan and her daughter, Natalie Shoshana Raanan, were returned to Israel late Friday. There was no word on their condition, but US President Joe Biden was “overjoyed” by the news. Biden called the two women after they were released. Hamas also announced it was working with Qatar and Egypt to free its “civilian” hostages, implying that more could be released. An Israeli emissary met the couple at the Gaza border and took them to a military base in central Israel “where their families are waiting to meet them.” The Ranaan family, like many of the captives, had begun a worldwide campaign to pressure Hamas to release them. Hamas said the “al-Qassam Brigades released two American citizens for humanitarian reasons” after being approached by Qatar and Egypt. The Islamist rulers of Gaza said they were “working with all mediators to implement the movement’s decision to close the civilian (hostage) file if appropriate security conditions permit.” It provided no specifics about its demands. Israel claims that Hamas militants took 203 people during the bloodiest attacks in Israel’s 75-year history, including Israelis, dual nationals and foreigners. According to the authorities, at least 1,400 individuals were killed, mostly civilians. Relentless bombing Israel has retaliated with a continuous bombing campaign against Gaza, killing at least 4,137 people, mostly civilians. The hostages have become a massive problem in Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office stating that the government will use “any means available to locate all those missing and bring all those kidnapped home.” The International Committee of the Red Cross said it helped transport the freed Americans to Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for more releases “immediately and unconditionally.” “Every single one of them should be released,” said Blinken, adding that a team from the US Embassy would visit the two freed women. Qatar is a major aid donor to Gaza, and two Hamas leaders are based in the Gulf state. A Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson said the country had mediated between Hamas and the United States and that the release followed “many days of continuous communication between all the parties involved.” The Israeli military said earlier Friday that most of those abducted to Gaza were still alive even though some dead bodies have been found on incursions into Gaza. The military said more than 20 hostages were minors, while between 10 and 20 were over the age of 60. Saudi factor Biden said Friday he believed Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel two weeks ago aimed to disrupt the warming ties between the country and Saudi Arabia. “One of the reasons they acted like they did... why Hamas moved on Israel... (was) because they knew I was about to sit down with the Saudis,” Biden told guests at a campaign fundraiser. “The Saudis want to recognize Israel... unite the Middle East,” he said. The momentum toward a landmark US-brokered deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia — the guardian of Islam’s two holiest sites — was shattered by the 7 October attack by Hamas militants on Israel. A bombing campaign launched in response by Israel has leveled entire city blocks in Gaza, so far killing 4,137 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Saudi officials announced on 14 October during a visit to Riyadh by US Secretary Blinken that the country had suspended talks with Israel on the normalization of relations. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had spoken of progress with Israel but also insisted on movement on the Palestinian cause. The Gulf kingdom has never recognized Israel and did not join the 2020 Abraham Accords, brokered by the United States, which led neighboring Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Morocco, to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. With AFP The post 2 American hostages freed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Israel says at ‘war’ after rocket barrages, militant infiltration
Palestinian militants have begun a "war" against Israel, the country's defense minister said Saturday after a barrage of rockets were fired and fighters from the Palestinian enclave infiltrated Israel, a major escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Violence between Israel and the Palestinians has been surging for almost two years, with fatalities in the occupied West Bank hitting a scale not seen in years. At least two people were killed in Israel, officials said. Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Palestinian militant group Hamas has "launched a war against the State of Israel." "Troops are fighting against the enemy at every location," he said in a statement. AFP journalists said Israel's military began air strikes on Gaza, following the rocket barrage from inside the territory which is sealed off from Israel by a militarized border barrier. "Dozens of IDF fighter jets are currently striking a number of targets belonging to the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip," the military said. Rockets had earlier streamed across the sky repeatedly after the first launches from multiple locations across the Palestinian territory from 6:30 am (0330 GMT), AFP journalists in Gaza City reported. The armed wing of Hamas, which controls Gaza, said it was behind the aerial assault, saying its militants had launched thousands of rockets and its fighters seized an Israeli tank. Israel's army did not immediately comment on the tank claim when contacted by AFP. Israeli security chiefs convened over the violence, which occurred on Shabbat and during a Jewish holiday. Air raid sirens wailed across southern and central Israel, and the army urged people to stay near bomb shelters. AFP journalists in Jerusalem heard multiple rockets being intercepted by Israeli air defense systems. Sirens blared across the city on more occasions than in any Gaza conflict in the past three years. "We decided to put an end to all the crimes of the occupation (Israel). Their time for rampaging without being held accountable is over," the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said. "We announce Operation Al-Aqsa Flood and we fired, in the first strike of 20 minutes, more than 5,000 rockets." Hundreds of Gazans flee Hundreds of residents fled their homes in eastern Gaza to move away from the border with Israel, an AFP correspondent said. Men, women and children carrying blankets and food left their homes, mostly in the northeastern part of the territory, the reporter said. Israel's military said Hamas launched "massive shooting of rockets", while at the same time "terrorists infiltrated into Israeli territory in a number of different locations". Hamas "will face the consequences and responsibility for these events", it said in a statement. In Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem, some Palestinian residents cheered and blew their car horns as sirens blared. A regional council for Israeli communities northeast of Gaza said its president was killed in an exchange of fire with attackers from Gaza. Separately, a woman in her 60s was killed "due to a direct hit" in Israel, the Magen David Adom emergency services said. Fifteen others were wounded, two of them seriously, medics said. An AFP photographer in the coastal city of Tel Aviv saw a gaping hole in a building, with residents gathered outside. Hamas calls to 'join battle' Hamas called on "the resistance fighters in the West Bank" as well as "our Arab and Islamic nations" to join the battle, in a statement posted on Telegram. The United States condemned the Hamas fire and urged "all sides to refrain from violence and retaliatory attacks." "Terror and violence solve nothing," the US Office of Palestinian Affairs wrote on X, formerly Twitter. Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on Gaza since 2007 after Hamas took power. Palestinian militants and Israel have fought several devastating wars since. The latest violence follows heightened tensions in September, when Israel closed the border to Gazan workers for two weeks. The shutdown of the crossing came as Palestinian demonstrators along the border burned tires and threw rocks and petrol bombs at Israeli troops, who responded with tear gas and live bullets. Resuming workers' passage on 28 September had raised hopes of calming the situation in impoverished Gaza, home to 2.3 million people. In May, an exchange of Israeli air strikes and Gaza rocket fire killed 34 Palestinians and one Israeli. So far this year at least 247 Palestinians, 32 Israelis and two foreigners have been killed in the conflict, including combatants and civilians on both sides, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials. The vast majority of fatalities have occurred in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. There has been a rise in army raids, Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis and Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and their property. The rising violence this year came against the backdrop of divisive judicial reforms introduced by the hard-right government of President Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption charges he denies. Several far-right ministers in Netanyahu's cabinet live in West Bank settlements deemed illegal under international law. The post Israel says at ‘war’ after rocket barrages, militant infiltration appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»