Author: Gulf News Week

Israel and the US will not allow a neutral force anywhere near Gaza. This means a foreign deployment could only be one that aids Israeli ethnic cleansing plans.The idea of deploying a protective or peacekeeping force in Palestine is nothing new. After Israel was established through the horrendous massacres and mass ethnic cleansing of 1948, the United Nations set up its Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO) to observe the implementation of the 1949 Israel-Arab Armistice Agreements. In 1974, it sent the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) to support the ceasefire between Israel and Syria, and in 1978, the UN Interim Force…

After deadly shooting in occupied East Jerusalem, Israel orders suspects’ homes in occupied West Bank demolished and neighbours’ work permits revoked.Israeli forces have stormed towns and begun demolishing homes of Palestinian suspects in the wake of a deadly attack in occupied East Jerusalem, raising fears of further military and settler violence and collective punishment in the occupied West Bank as Israel relentlessly pounds the Gaza Strip.Israel said on Tuesday that it surveyed and ordered the demolition of the homes of two Palestinians suspected of the shooting on Monday at Ramot Junction in occupied East Jerusalem, which killed six people and…

Tunisian authorities claim they found no evidence of a hostile act and say the fire originated inside the Family Boat.The Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) says a drone has struck its main ship in the Tunisian port of Sidi Bou Said, causing a fire, but that all its passengers and crew were safe.A spokesman for the GSF blamed Israel for the incident, which occurred late on Monday, but the Tunisian National Guard said reports of a drone attack were “completely unfounded”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Syria condemns attacks by Israeli warplanes on cities of Homs and Latakialist…

Palestinian leaders can’t enter the US to attend the UN General Assembly. Can the UN function if its host blocks members?As leaders arrive in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly, key Palestinian voices are missing. The United States has refused visas for 80 Palestinian officials, including President Mahmoud Abbas. If the UN cannot guarantee open access, what does that signal about its neutrality, and about Palestine’s path to recognition?Recommended Stories list of 2 itemslist 1 of 2The Take: Inside the Haitian hospital on the front line of warlist 2 of 2The Take: After the earthquake, what lies…

Latest Israeli attacks are a continuation of Israel’s ‘aggressive escalations’, says Syrian Foreign Ministry.Syria has “strongly condemned” Israeli attacks on several sites in and around Homs city in the west of the country and around the coastal city of Latakia.The Israeli air strikes in the early hours of Tuesday represent “a blatant violation of the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic”, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Israel launches new operations in Syria after strike kills soldierslist 2 of 4UN watchdog finds uranium at alleged Syrian nuclear site from…

Gaza City residents told to ‘leave now’, while UN human rights chief condemns Israel for ‘war crime upon war crime’.Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened Palestinians in Gaza City to “leave now”, as the United Nations human rights chief condemned Israel for what he described as the “mass killing” of civilians and deliberate obstruction of lifesaving aid.Volker Turk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, accused Israel on Monday of committing “war crime upon war crime” and said the scale of devastation in Gaza was “shocking the conscience of the world”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of…

Despite strained relations, India-Pakistan matches remain a financial cornerstone for tournament organisers, who aim to maximise their revenues and viewership numbers.The Asia Cup cricket tournament starts on Tuesday, but for tournament organisers, sponsors and cricket fans from India and Pakistan, it won’t be before Sunday, when the two regional superpowers face each other, that the event will spring into action.Any India vs Pakistan match is considered a marquee event, but the recent conflict between the two countries has brought extra heat to the encounter in Dubai.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Your guide to cricket’s T20 Asia Cup…

Socialist PM Sanchez announces nine measures that need to be approved by the cabinet and later ratified by parliament.Spain has announced sweeping measures against Israel, including a total arms embargo, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez saying the move is aimed at “stopping the genocide in Gaza” and “supporting the Palestinian population”.“There is a difference between defending your country and bombing hospitals or starving innocent children,” Sanchez, one of the most vocal critics of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, said in a speech posted from his official X account.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Has Israel become a divisive…

Israel claims it has struck Hezbollah targets, although the Lebanese group has not commented.At least five people have been killed and five others wounded after Israeli warplanes struck eastern Lebanon in the latest violation of the ceasefire agreement signed last November, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.The attacks on Monday hit the Bekaa and Hermel districts, with state media saying at least eight air raids were carried out. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency, seven bombs fell on the outskirts of Hermel, while another strike targeted the nearby town of Labweh.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Security camera video…

Observers are sceptical that Donald Trump’s ceasefire proposal can bring Israel’s genocide in Gaza to an end.United States President Donald Trump is pushing for a ceasefire deal in Gaza after issuing a “last warning” to the Palestinian group Hamas.Trump provided few details, but he insinuated that the already catastrophic war on Gaza – in which Israel has already killed more than 64,500 Palestinians and a famine has been declared – could get even worse if Hamas did not submit to the terms of his new proposal.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump says a deal on Gaza could…