NOURNEWS- The following headlines appeared in English-language newspapers in the Iranian capital on Thursday, October 19, 2023.
IRAN DAILY:
-- The Palestinian death toll continues to rise
The Zionist regime’s inhumane crimes against the defenseless people of Gaza continue on the twelfth day after the ‘Al-Aqsa Storm’ operation. A horrific and unimaginable crime occurred on Tuesday night when this regime bombed the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital, resulting in the martyrdom and injury of hundreds of patients, women, and children. They believed the hospital was a safe haven from the Zionists’ flames of hatred. The Zionist criminals, who have shown no bounds in committing their atrocities, have ignited a wave of reactions among awakened consciences and freedom-loving people worldwide.
The number of Palestinian martyrs has risen to 3,200.
According to Al-Mayadeen, the Gaza Health Ministry reported an increase in the number of martyrs and casualties among the Palestinian people due to the Israeli regime’s attacks on Gaza.
The Health Ministry of Gaza has reported an increase in the number of Palestinian martyrs during the attacks by the Israeli regime’s fighter jets on various areas of Gaza.
According to the statement of this ministry, the number of Palestinian martyrs has reached 3,200. Additionally, the Israeli regime’s army attacks on Gaza have left more than 11,000 wounded, with the majority of these martyrs and casualties being women and children.
On the other hand, Al-Mayadeen network’s correspondent reported that despite the massacres and crimes of the Zionist regime, thousands of Palestinians are still residing in their homes near the targeted areas and refuse to leave.
According to this report, a significant number of Palestinian citizens oppose leaving the Jabalia camp and relive the tragic story of the 1948 migration.
This is while Al-Jazeera network’s correspondent reported that the Israeli regime’s airstrikes on various areas of Gaza continue.
The increase in the concerns of the Zionists regarding the consequences of a ground attack on Gaza
As reported by Palestine Today, a reserve army general of the Zionist regime and a military analyst issued warnings about the implications of the Israeli army’s ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
Amos Harel, a military analyst from the Zionist newspaper Haaretz, wrote in an article: Although the Israeli army talks about the necessity of eliminating the Hamas movement, the army commanders are not sure about what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants.
He added: In past confrontations with Hamas, the Israeli army refrained from entering ground combat in the depths of the Gaza Strip, and even when ground operations did occur, they were very limited and in a small area.
Harel emphasized: The current situation has changed due to the results of Operation Hurricane Al-Aqsa to the extent that concerns about carrying out a limited ground operation in Gaza with high casualties have increased.
He continued: Breaking a mindset and belief that enjoys extensive popular support is a significant challenge. It is expected that most Palestinians will not leave their homes in Gaza City and its northern areas. If this were to happen, the Israeli army’s ability to move in the region would be further restricted.
Four Israeli soldiers were injured by an anti-tank missile
IRNA reported that the Israeli army acknowledged that four of its soldiers were injured as a result of being hit by an anti-tank missile in the occupied northern territories overnight.
Arab media outlets reported: The Zionist regime admitted that four of its soldiers were injured in recent attacks.
The political coalition within the framework of the Shiite Coordination Council in Iraq called for extensive demonstrations condemning the massacre of innocent people in Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza.
At the same time, Iraqi media reported a joint statement by the Hawza ‘Ilmiyya in Najaf, according to which all classes in the Hawza ‘Ilmiyya are closed on Thursday.
Additionally, Hezbollah announced that this tank was targeted by the group of martyrs Hussein al Taweel and Mahdi Atwi.
Hezbollah’s statement stated that this tank was targeted in the al-Rahib area, resulting in casualties among the tank’s crew.
Two days ago, Hezbollah succeeded in destroying an advanced tank of the Israeli regime’s army.
“UNIFIL” Leaving Southern Lebanon
As reported by Tasnim, United Nations forces (UNIFIL) are reportedly withdrawing from their bases on the southern border of Lebanon and northern occupied territories in response to the massacre and warnings from Hezbollah following the heinous attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza.
Extensive protests by Yemeni people condemning the horrific crimes of the Zionists in the bombing of Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent people, are currently taking place in the Liberation Square and Al-Sabeen Square in Sanaa.
Yemenis have condemned the savagery of the Zionists and their American supporters.
Egyptians have organized a public demonstration towards the US embassy in Cairo in protest of the ruthless Israeli regime’s attack on a hospital in Gaza.
There is no safe place anywhere in the Gaza Strip, as the occupiers are attacking everywhere
We call on all free consciences to stop this aggression, and we witness the unlimited and boundless support of the United States and other Western countries for this criminal regime.
All political parties present in the Turkish Parliament have jointly condemned the Israeli regime’s attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza through a statement.
The people of Malatya, Turkey, moved towards the US military base called Kürecik in protest of the ruthless Israeli regime’s attack on a hospital in Gaza.
French and Turkish negotiations regarding the issue of Israeli captives held by Palestinian resistance groups
Tasnim reports that French President Emmanuel Macron has announced progress in negotiations related to the issue of Israeli captives held by Palestinian resistance groups, but he added that it is currently not possible to provide further details.
Ankara also previously reported the continuation of negotiations on this matter.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan strongly condemned the bombing of the Gaza hospital by the occupying regime, stating that the attack on a hospital that includes women, children, and innocent civilians is the latest example of Israeli attacks that are devoid of the most basic human values.
He added: I invite all of humanity to take action to stop this unprecedented savagery in Gaza.
Additionally, Hezbollah in Lebanon declared in a statement: The heinous crime committed by the criminal groups in Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent victims, is a disgrace to humanity.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry also stated in a statement: What the criminals of the Israeli regime did in Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital is one of the most heinous crimes and inhuman massacres. These savage and inhumane crimes only remind us of the crimes committed by this regime, which were based on massacres and genocides.
-- A $100 B Package from Biden for Zionists and Ukraine
An American media outlet has reported that President Joe Biden intends to request $100 B in aid from the U.S. Congress, earmarked for both the Zionist regime and Ukraine. This proposed financial package aims to support these regions in various capacities.
According to informed sources, the American media outlet Bloomberg reported that Joe Biden, the President of the United States, intends to request a $100 B aid package from the U.S. Congress for the Zionist regime and Ukraine.
Bloomberg reported that several informed sources have stated that Joe Biden plans to request a comprehensive package worth approximately $100 B from the U.S. Congress. This package includes military assistance for the Zionist regime and Ukraine, alongside the budget for border security and aid to several Washington allies in the Indian Ocean-Arabian Sea region, including Taiwan.
Bloomberg described this request as ‘comprehensive’ and stated that Biden aims to use the support of the two main American parties for the Zionist regime in its conflict with Palestinian resistance forces as leverage to facilitate the approval of aid for Ukraine, which has faced opposition from Republican members of the House of Representatives.
Previously, the American publication The New York Times had also reported, citing three informed sources, that the Zionist regime had requested emergency military aid from Washington worth $10 B.
According to the publication, in response to this request, the U.S. Congress, in coordination with the White House, is preparing a bill. The New York Times noted that this bill includes a budget that the Biden administration seeks for Ukraine, Taiwan, and its border with Mexico.
Chuck Schumer, the Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, stated during a visit to the occupied territories on Monday that American lawmakers are engaged in discussions regarding the shipment of 155mm ammunition, substitute ammunition for the ‘Iron Dome’ system, precision-guided munitions, and kits for converting standard bombs into precision-guided ones to Tel Aviv.
Steve Scalise, the Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, also announced on Wednesday that Washington is preparing a military aid package for the Zionist regime.
Scalise, in remarks at a conference of American Jewish organizations, said, We are collaborating with Israel. The government is busy preparing military assistance to strengthen the Iron Dome and provide critical military items to Israel.
The U.S. Department of Defense also stated on Monday night that the United States is providing consultation and intelligence support to the Zionist regime in the Gaza conflict.
-- The world is angry, distressed about Israel’s barbaric attack on Gaza hospital
People around the world, especially in the Middle East, are angry and distressed about the Zionist regime’s barbaric attack on the Gaza hospital. They expressed their anger by taking to the streets and gathering in front of the apartheid regime’s embassies in various countries. They burned flags and displayed images of the regime’s officials. Some governments and international organizations officially condemned this action, deeming it unethical, against international laws and treaties.
Iran
Hossein AmirAbdollahian, at Jeddah Airport, Saudi Arabia, stated that the atrocity committed in the fake regime’s and Zionist child-killer’s attack on the Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza is unbearable for Muslims and any conscientious human in the world.
UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary-General, condemned the attack on Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza on Wednesday evening, saying that hospitals, medical centers, medical personnel, and United Nations facilities are protected by international laws.
Germany
The German Foreign Ministry, in response to the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza, refrained from condemning this Zionist regime’s crime but stated that Berlin was “shocked by reports of the deaths of hundreds.” Non-military facilities, especially operational hospitals with patients and medical staff, should never come under attack under any circumstances. Civilians must be protected in conflicts.
Spain
The Spanish Foreign Ministry labeled the killing of Palestinian non-combatants in the Zionist regime’s attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza as a “heinous massacre” and condemned it.
Russia
Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s Deputy National Security Council, stated that the Zionist regime’s attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza is a “war crime” and “appalling.” Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel on Thursday morning: The ultimate responsibility for this attack lies with the United States and those who ruthlessly profit from wars in various countries and continents.
Pakistan
Pakistan declared, ‘The attack on a hospital where non-combatants sought refuge and were in urgent need of medical treatment is inhuman and indefensible.’
Yemen
The Supreme Political Council of Yemen issued a warning on Wednesday night in response to the Zionist regime’s crime in the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza, stating that the Zionist aggressor has crossed all red lines, and the rules of engagement must change.
Syria
The Syrian government, in response to the Zionist regime’s attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza, declared that what the criminal Zionist forces committed in the attack on this hospital is one of the most heinous and bloodiest genocides against humanity in the modern era.
European Commission President
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, called for transparency in the case of the hospital attack in Gaza. Von der Leyen wrote on Thursday night on social media: “I was saddened by the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital and the high casualties. There is no justification for attacking a hospital full of medical personnel and non-combatants.”
Islamic Jihad
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement announced on Wednesday night that the massacre of Palestinians in Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital is part of Joe Biden’s plan to genocide and displace the people of Gaza.
United States
Joe Biden while the Wall Street Journal revealed that the bomb used in the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza was American, ordered his national security team to collect information.
Human Rights
Human Rights Watch stated that the massacre of over 500 Palestinians in Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza is an indescribable crime.
Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ahmet Davutoglu, the leader of the “Future” Party, and the Turkish Parliament stated on Wednesday night: “The bombing of a hospital where children, women, innocent individuals, and non-combatants were present is a clear example of inhumanity.”
Self-Governing Bodies
Mahmoud Abbas, the head of the Palestinian self-governing bodies, stated on Wednesday night: Israel’s attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital is unforgivable.
Arab Countries at the United Nations
Ambassadors and permanent representatives of Arab countries at the United Nations have requested that the UN Security Council take responsibility for putting an end to the war in the region following the bombing of Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza.
France
Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, condemned the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza and stated that this attack cannot be justified. Macron wrote on social media early Thursday: Nothing can justify an attack on a hospital. Nothing can justify targeting non-combatants.
Iran’s Representation at the UN
Iran’s permanent mission at the United Nations, in the eleventh day of the conflict between Palestinian resistance forces and the Israeli regime following the bombing of Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza, stated: There is no end in sight for the war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinians.
Hamas
Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political office, said on Wednesday night: The massacre and bombing of Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital are clear signs of a humiliating defeat that the enemy has endured in the face of the blessed Palestinian resistance and heroic resistance fighters.
Lebanon
The Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, expressed its reaction to the terrorist and savage attack by the Zionist regime on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza in a statement.
UNICEF
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) strongly condemned the criminal attack by the Zionist regime on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital in Gaza and called for the protection of all non-combatants.
EU Foreign Policy Chief
The EU’s foreign policy chief, in response to the deadly attack by the Zionist regime on Al-Muammedi Hospital in Gaza, which left at least 500 martyrs, stated that those responsible for this horrifying incident must be held accountable.
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court has initiated an investigation into the war crimes committed during the conflict in Gaza, including the bombing of Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital. This move aims to hold accountable those responsible for the violations of international law.
UK
The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, in a statement, condemned the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital and expressed concern about the ongoing violence in Gaza. The UK has called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations for a lasting peace.
Canada
Canada’s Foreign Minister expressed deep concern about the dire situation in Gaza and condemned the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital. Canada has called for the protection of civilians and for all parties to engage in efforts to de-escalate the conflict.
UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
UNRWA, which provides vital humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees, has called for urgent humanitarian access to Gaza to address the critical medical and humanitarian needs of the population, especially in light of the bombing of Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital.
Saudi Arabia
The government of Saudi Arabia has expressed its solidarity with the Palestinian people and its condemnation of the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital. Saudi Arabia has called for an immediate ceasefire and a comprehensive peace agreement.
Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
The OIC, representing 57 member states, has strongly condemned the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital and the broader conflict in Gaza. It has called for international intervention to protect Palestinian civilians and ensure a just and lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
UN Human Rights Council
The UN Human Rights Council has convened an emergency session to address the grave situation in Gaza, including the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital. The council is considering potential actions to investigate and address the human rights violations in the region.
African Union
The African Union has expressed concern about the escalation of violence in Gaza and the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital. It has called for an immediate ceasefire and a return to negotiations for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Non-Governmental Organizations
Numerous NGOs and human rights organizations worldwide have issued statements condemning the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital and the broader conflict, and they are actively providing humanitarian aid to those affected by the crisis in Gaza.
These global reactions demonstrate the widespread condemnation of the attack on Al-Ahli al-Arabi Hospital and the urgent call for an end to the violence and suffering in Gaza.
-- Termination of UNSCR 2231 Provisions
The Iranian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement on the termination of restrictions imposed by the United Nations Security Council on the country’s missile activity as it warns that any more restrictions imposed on the country’s missile program by other entities and governments would be a violation of US resolutions.
Following is the text of the statement issued on Wednesday by the Ministry on the occasion of the termination of UN restrictions on Iran’s missile program:
Statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the Termination of Certain Provisions of the UNSCR 2231, 18 October 2023
As of today, 18 October 2023, the last part of unjustly imposed restrictions by the United Nations Security Council on missile-related activities and its associated services and technology to/from the Islamic Republic of Iran, including asset freeze and financial restrictions on certain Iranian individuals and entities, terminated unconditionally. According to the provisions of 2231 UNSCR, termination of these restrictions, does not require any resolution, statement or any other action in the context of the UNSC and occurred automatically.
According to UNSCR 2231, as of 18 October 2023:
In accordance with paragraph 3 of Annex B, Iran is no longer 'called upon' by the Security Council 'not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons. It should be emphasized that Iran's ballistic missile program has never been inconsistent with the provisions of this paragraph.
Provisions of paragraph 4 of Annex B to the resolution regarding restrictions on the transfer of missile-related items, goods, services and technology to/from Iran, terminated.
Provisions of subparagraphs 6(c) and 6(d) of Annex B of the resolution regarding restrictions on activities and financial services of certain Iranian individuals and entities on the 2231 list terminated automatically. The terminated restrictions include those on providing funds, financial assets and economic resources by nationals of UN Member States or any individuals and entities within their territories to individuals and entities on the 2231 list.
It should be recalled that, according to paragraph 5 of Annex B of the UNSCR 2231, as of 18 October 2020, all restrictions on arms-related transfers to/from the Islamic Republic of Iran and its associated services, had already terminated. Additionally, according to paragraph 6 (e) of Annex B to the resolution, as of 18 October 2020, all restrictions regarding entry into or transit through the territories of UN Member States on certain Iranian nationals, had already terminated automatically. Termination of these restrictions is reflected in the Secretary General's report S/2020/1177 dated 7 December 2020.
As of today, there will be no restrictions on the transfer of missile-related items, services and technology to/from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and cooperation in all military and defense areas will be carried out, without any restriction, based on the needs and discretion of the Islamic Republic of Iran, within the framework of bilateral contracts with other countries.
According to paragraph 2 of UNSCR 2231, the Council calls upon all Member States to support the implementation of the JCPOA as an Annex to the resolution and refrain from any action that undermines the implementation of the JCPOA. In this regard, the Islamic Republic of Iran, by recalling the provisions of the UN charter, in particular article 25 as well as provisions of UNSCR 2231, emphasizes on the commitments of all Member States to effectuate the termination of the above-mentioned restrictions at the national level. Iran expects all States to modify and revise, in the case of existence, any relevant restriction or sanction, according to their domestic legal system.
It should be underlined that any measure, at the national or regional level, aiming at imposing sanctions or restrictions on defensive engagements and cooperation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is in contradiction with the termination of restrictions of UNSCR 2231, in particular paragraphs 1 and 2 and the timetable foreseen therein, and violates the resolution substantively. The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves its right to take appropriate measures to secure its national interests.
The defense doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been on the basis of domestic capabilities and capacities, and deeply rooted in resistance and power of the Iranian Nation. Unconventional arms and weapons of mass destruction have no place in the defense doctrine of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Moreover, the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue to take necessary measures to strengthen its defense capabilities in order to protect its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity against any aggression and to counter the menace of terrorism in the region. In this context, Iranian military capabilities, including ballistic missiles, are exclusively for self¬¬-defense.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran recalls and emphasizes the provisions of S/2015/550 dated 20 July 2015, registered following the adoption of UNSCR 2231. The Islamic Republic of Iran continues to insist that all sanctions and restrictive measures introduced and applied against Iran, including those imposed under the pretext of its nuclear program, have been baseless, unjust and unlawful.
KAYHAN INTERNATIONAL:
-- Hezbollah Hits Three Israeli Sites Near Border
Hezbollah in a statement on Wednesday announced that its fighters had struck three Israeli sites with guided missiles.
The movement said that its forces struck the sites of Jal Al-Alam, Zarit Barrack, and the maritime site located across Ras al-Naqoura with guided missiles and weapons. The Israeli military confirmed that its sites were targeted by Hezbollah, saying it was responding to the attack with artillery fire.
-- FMs of Iran, Saudi Arabia Meet in Jeddah
Foreign ministers of Iran and Saudi Arabia here Wednesday met on the sidelines of an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The main agenda of the meeting between Iran’s FM Hussein Amir-Abdollahian and his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud was mutual efforts to find ways to prevent the Zionist regime’s crimes against the Palestinians and the genocide of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
-- Iran Calls on Muslim Countries to Sanction Israel
Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amir-Abdollahian here on Wednesday called for Members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to impose an oil embargo and other sanctions on the occupying regime of Israel and expel all Israeli ambassadors.
An urgent meeting of the OIC was taking place in the Saudi city of Jeddah to discuss the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The foreign minister calls for an immediate and complete embargo on Israel by Islamic countries, including oil sanctions, in addition to expelling Israeli ambassadors if relations with the Zionist regime have been established,” the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Amir-Abdollahian also called for the formation of a team of Islamic lawyers to document potential war crimes committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza.
In his meeting with OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha, the Iranian minister said the OIC agenda must include “the need to seriously pursue the immediate cessation of the Zionist regime’s criminal attacks against Gaza, the immediate sending of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and to tackle the forced displacement of the people of Gaza”.
“In today’s meeting in Jeddah, the issue of the legal pursuit of Zionist war criminals and their supporters should be given serious attention and follow-up by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” he said.
Upon arrival in Jeddah, Amir-Abdollahian said the airstrike on the Gaza hospital was “unbearable”, calling for global action to end the genocide of the Palestinians by the “child-killing” regime.
The top Iranian diplomat said he contacted his Saudi counterpart on Tuesday about the need for a strong message calling for an immediate end to Israel’s war crimes against civilians in Gaza and their forcible displacement, and the opening of corridors for sending food, medicines and fuel to the besieged enclave.
“At the end of the [OIC] meeting, the participants … should issue a strong statement in support of Palestine,” he said.
“I hope that we will see a global joint action to stop the crime against humanity, genocide and massacre that the fake and child-killing Zionist regime has initiated.”
-- Gaza Genocide Goes on With U.S. Greenlight
The health ministry in the Gaza Strip said Wednesday hundreds of victims were trapped under the rubble of the Ahli al-Arab Hospital after up to 500 people were martyred in Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday.
An Israeli airstrike targeted a mosque in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Wednesday, according to a Palestinian medical source who spoke to Anadolu Agency.
The strike has caused “widespread destruction” in the area, the source said. The medical source said that the airstrike had martyred a “number of Palestinians and caused injuries”.
U.S. President Biden arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday to signal Washington’s support. Biden, who has expressed “iron-clad” support for Israel in its war on Gaza, was welcomed on the tarmac by hardline prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
At the UN Security Council, the U.S. vetoed a draft resolution introduced by Brazil calling for a “humanitarian pause” in the war.
The U.S. president immediately voiced support for the Zionist regime’s evasion of responsibility for the airstrike, claiming that a misfired Islamic Jihad rocket had hit the Al-Ahli al-Arab Hospital.
“I was deeply saddened and outraged by the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday,” Biden said at a meeting with Netanyahu.
“And, based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” said the U.S. president, referring to Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Islamic Jihad rejected the claims as “downright lies”, saying “the Zionist enemy is trying hard to evade its responsibility for the brutal massacre through fabrication of lies and pinning the blame on the Islamic Jihad movement”.
The horror of the hospital deaths threatened to derail Biden’s high-stakes visit, with Jordan cancelling a summit where King Abdullah II had been due to host Biden, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Thousands of civilians were seeking medical treatment and shelter in the hospital from relentless Israeli airstrikes when the attack took place.
The attack is the deadliest Israeli airstrike since 2008, the Palestinian Civil Defense said.
“The massacre at the Ahli al-Arab Hospital is unprecedented in our history. While we’ve witnessed tragedies in past wars and days, but what took place tonight is tantamount to genocide,” spokesman Mahmoud Basal said.
The media office of Hamas described the attack as a “war crime.”
“The hospital was housing hundreds
of sick and wounded, and people forcibly displaced from their homes” because of other strikes, a statement said.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) condemned the Israeli attack as genocide.
Photos from the Ahli al-Arab Hospital showed fire engulfing the hospital halls, shattered glass and body parts scattered across the area.
Biden has strongly backed top ally Israel and its military campaign after 1,400 people were killed in Occupied Palestine in a surprise operation launched by Hamas on October 7.
The visit followed head of U.S. Central Command Gen. Erik Kurilla’s arrival in Tel Aviv for meetings with Israeli military authorities a day earlier.
The occupying regime’s military campaign had already left at least 3,000 dead inside Gaza before the hospital was destroyed.
Entire Gaza neighborhoods have been razed and survivors are left with dwindling supplies of food, water and fuel, unable to flee the 40-kilometer long strip that has been blockaded since 2007 by Israel and Egypt.
The situation in the Gaza Strip is spiraling out of control, head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Wednesday.
“Every second we wait to get medical aid in, we lose lives,” he said. “We need immediate access to start delivering life-saving supplies.”
Raz Segal, a Holocaust and genocide studies expert, speaking to Democracy Now in a televised interview, said “what we are seeing now in Gaza is a case of genocide”.
UNRWA, the refugee agency, said at least six Palestinians sheltering in one of its schools located in the Al-Maghazai refugee camp were killed Tuesday by Israeli bombing.
The agency also said 14 of its staff have been killed by Israel since the start of the war.
On the ground in Gaza, the blast at the Christian-run hospital brought new chaos and suffering, as the dead were pulled from the rubble and the wounded were rushed to nearby medical centers.
Scores of bodies cloaked in blood-stained sheets and white plastic wrap soon lined the floors at the nearby the Al-Shifa hospital, where stunned and bereaved relatives tried to identify loved ones.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said hundreds died including women, children, staff and “internally displaced people seeking safe shelter”.
The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby represents the Anglican church, which runs the Ahli al-Arab Hospital.
He said the hospital was one of several medical facilities in northern Gaza subject to evacuation orders and that it had already been hit by “Israeli rocket fire” on October 14, which wounded four staff.
According to World Health Organization figures, there have been more than 100 attacks on hospitals, ambulances and other health care assets since October 7.
The Israeli Knesset’s so-called ethics committee announced that a member from the Hadash-Ta’al party will be removed from the chamber for 45 days and have part of his salary cut due to his remarks linking the Holocaust to Israel’s current war policy.
A senior Israeli police official told Palestinians in the occupied territories who identify with those in Gaza to head to the besieged enclave.
-- ‘Day of Rage’ Protests Grip Muslim Countries
Angry demonstrations hit countries around the world on Wednesday following an Israel airstrike that martyred hundreds of Palestinians at a Gaza hospital.
People in Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco, Iran, Iraq and the Israeli-occupied West Bank took to the streets to vent their anger in a “day of rage” across the region.
Turkish protesters clashed with police overnight and the occupying regime of Israel told its citizens to leave Turkey immediately amid fears of reprisal attacks.
In Iran, thousands of people protested outside the French and British embassies in the capital Tehran. Waving the flags of Palestine and its resistance groups, they chanted against the French, British, and U.S. governments for supporting Israel.
“Silence of each Muslim is a treason against the Qur’an,” the protesters chanted, with some hurling eggs at the French embassy building and burning Israeli flags.
There was also a gathering in Palestine Square in downtown Tehran, where the protesters held a vigil and lit candles to mourn Palestinian victims.
Iranian lawmakers joined the protests, chanting “Death to Israel”, “Death to the U.S.”.
President Ebrahim Raisi said the Zionist regime is only accelerating its demise by killing innocent Palestinian women and children.
“Every drop of Palestinian blood brings the Zionists closer to downfall, and the Zionist regime cannot compensate for its defeats with these atrocities,” he told a massive gathering of people in Tehran.
“Which human being accepts this heinous crime? Killing women and children, attacking hospitals—this marks the end for the Zionist regime,” he added.
President Raisi noted that in addition to a military defeat, the Zionists have recently suffered “security and intelligence setbacks” at the hands of the resistance front.
Raisi also touched on rising global resentment towards the Zionist regime and its principal supporter, the United States.
“Look at the global public’s hatred towards the Zionist regime and the Americans and how people worldwide have expressed their abhorrence for their crimes,” he said.
“Today, all conscientious individuals detest these horrific crimes, and this is a defeat for the Zionist regime and America. Today, a global consensus has been formed, and the global society condemns the occupying regime, which has committed so many crimes against women and children.”
The president touched on international condemnation of the Zionist actions, saying it is not enough and that Muslim nations are waiting for effective measures.
The international community should take concrete and meaningful actions to hold the Zionist regime accountable for its crimes against humanity, he said.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement called for a “day of rage” in condemnation of the strike, but security forces cracked down on protesters outside the U.S. embassy in Beirut, violently dispersing them and firing tear gas at crowds.
Following the Tuesday airstrike that martyred 500 people in Gaza City, protests broke out at several locations in Lebanon, including at the French embassy in Beirut and the U.S. embassy outside the city.
The U.S. State Department issued a new warning to Americans not to travel to Lebanon, where border clashes between Hezbollah and Israel over the past week have been the deadliest since the last all-out war in 2006.
Saudi Arabia advised its nationals in Lebanon to leave the country as soon as possible, its embassy in Beirut announced on social media platform X.
In the West Bank city of Ramallah, seat of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades and live fire to disperse protesters.
Protesters marched towards local Palestinian Authority headquarters, demanding more action to confront Israel and support the Gaza Strip.
Hundreds of people also rallied after the bombing in Al-Khalil, Jenin, Tulkarm, Tubas, and other cities.
In Amman, Jordanian protesters attempted to storm the Israeli embassy but security forces dispersed them using tear gas.
Earlier on Tuesday, hundreds of people marched to Amman’s main government building, condemning Wednesday’s planned visit of U.S. President Joe Biden.
Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said later Jordan had cancelled the summit with Biden and the Egyptian and Palestinian leaders to discuss Gaza.
In Turkey, thousands joined protests in Istanbul and the capital Ankara outside Israel’s diplomatic missions to condemn the attack.
Turkish police detained five protesters for attempting to sneak
into the Israeli consulate in Istanbul, the governor’s office said.
President Tayyip Erdogan called the airstrike on the Gaza hospital “the latest example of Israeli attacks devoid of the most basic human values”.
Turkey’s presidential communications office quickly branded Israel’s claim “fake news” after Israel blamed the massacre at the hospital on a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, which denied responsibility.
Overnight, Turks marched with Palestinian flags and chanted slogans denouncing Israel in at least a dozen Turkish cities, including outside the Israeli embassy in the capital Ankara.
Police used pepper spray and water cannon to disperse thousands of protesters who tried to enter the compound of Israel’s consulate in Istanbul, Turkey’s largest city.
On Wednesday, there was a large security presence around the consulate, with hundreds of police officers and around 10 water cannon vehicles deployed behind a line of metal barriers. Police conducted identity checks on those seeking to pass through.
Political analysts said the Gaza hospital blast could have dire consequences for ties between the Zionist regime and Turkey.
-- West Dips Its Hands Deeper Into Palestinian Christian Blood
If we look up any standard book of history, theology or encyclopedia, regarding the views of Judaism and Islam concerning Jesus, whom the Christians revere as the Messiah and the ‘son’ of God, we find that the Jews completely reject him by calling him a ‘false prophet’ and accusing his followers as polytheists opposed to monotheism, while the Zionists openly slander him and his mother, the Virgin Mary.
Diametrically opposite is the view of Islam, which considers Jesus as one of the Five Greatest Prophets of God and vouches the pure and pristine chastity of his mother in whose honour the Holy Qur’an contains a Surah or chapter, titled “Marium”.
Yet despite this undeniable reality and the fact that the Vatican – the seat of Christianity’s largest sect, the Catholics – had never recognized the illegitimate birth of Israel on Palestinian soil until political pressures from the US and West European regimes forced it to reluctantly establish diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv on December 1993, Christendom openly sides with the sworn enemies of Jesus.
The Anglicans, the Lutherans, the Baptists, and sects also despise the Zionists for their deep-rooted enmity towards Christianity, but such tight are the tentacles of Israel on the necks of American and European leaders, they don’t dare to say this publicly.
Anyway, Israel and the Zionists as the incarnates of the Satan feel no inhibition in harming the interests of the Christians at every turn, and the most recent case of crimes against humanity by the racist/terroristic regime in Tel Aviv was Tuesday’s targeting of Gaza’s al-Ahli Baptist Hospital, managed by the Anglican Church, resulting in the death of over 500 patients, nurses, doctors, and other staff.
More than a thousand others have been injured, sending shockwaves all over the civilized world, accompanied by the strongest condemnations from Muslim and other countries, but the US, France, Germany, and Britain, despite their claim to be Christians have fully endorsed this latest crime of Israel against humanity by pressuring the Vatican to keep mum, and rewarding the Zionists with weapons and billions of dollars in cash to continue the genocide in Gaza.
It should be recalled that this was not the first attack on the said hospital, whose top two floors were blown by Israeli rockets on October 14, destroying the mammography and other diagnostic centres, and bringing condemnation from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.
And now the most filthiest antichrist in the West, that is, Joe Biden the US president, has shamelessly landed in Usurper Israel to personally felicitate the enemies of humanity and absolve them of the attack on the Al-Ahli Hospital of the 1,000-odd Arab Christian families still living in Gaza and already offering martyrs of their own for the defence of their occupied homeland, Palestine.
Without the least doubt, on the Day of the Final Judgement, Prophet Jesus will personally throw these treasonous self-styled Christian leaders into the fires of hell, along with Prophet Moses’ throwing of the Zionists into the same eternal inferno.
-- Zionists Opening Gates of Hell to Themselves
Iran’s parliament speaker on Wednesday said the occupying Israel regime will be finished off once Muslims’ growing anger over its endless atrocities boils over.
“The Zionists are opening the gates of hell with their own hands and are filling all Muslims with wrath. They will destroy themselves by means of such atrocities. Last night, the evil Zionists committed an appalling genocide against the oppressed Ganazs just before the eyes of the international community,” Muhammad Bagher Ghalibaf said.
“The Zionists revealed their ugly face and bloody hands to the world, and showed that human rights and international institutions have become utterly meaningless in our era,” he added.
Ghalibaf said the era of condemnatory statements and fake expressions of regret is over, emphasizing that the world is waiting for practical measures.
Muslims are ready to make sacrifices in order to confront the Israeli regime, he added.
“Muslim and Arab nations expect their governments to devote concerted practical measures aimed at stopping this war machine and censuring these crimes.”
The government also condemned the Israeli crimes, saying the regime has opted to be annihilated by Palestinian and regional Muslims.
“This crime will certainly not go unpunished. European and American statesmen are also complicit in the crimes of the regime,” it said in a statement.
The statement further called the attack a clear example of war crime, genocide, and massacre of women, children and defenseless patients.
“The Zionist regime demonstrated the depth of its brutality, ignominy and disregard for all human rules and principles, and exhibited its inhumane nature to all,” it said.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, while condemning this heinous crime in the strongest terms, calls on the international community and the United Nations to take immediate actions to stop the crimes of the child-killing and racist Zionist regime. It also reminds the responsibility of each government, the UN Security Council as well as the International Criminal Court to prosecute Israeli authorities for their heinous international crimes against the oppressed Palestinian nation living under occupation.”
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Muhammad Bagheri urged human rights organizations and international institutions to break their silence on the Israeli massacre of defenseless people and stop the occupying regime’s genocide.
Remaining silent on Israeli atrocities or issuing a merely diplomatic
statement would be tantamount to cooperation and collaboration with the bloodthirsty Zionist regime, he said.
Bagheri asked the United Nations to convene an extraordinary meeting to put an end to Israeli war crimes and put the senior officials of the “criminal” Tel Aviv regime on trial for their actions.
The high-ranking Iranian general also called on Muslim states to mobilize their forces and join hands to avert the “insane genocide” being perpetrated by Israel in Gaza, and prepare the ground for the medical treatment of thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children, who have been injured in Israeli strikes.
Meanwhile, the secretary of Iran’s High Council for Human Rights said full-fledged ethnic and racial cleansing is taking place in Gaza. “More than a thousand people were killed and wounded in cold blood in an attack by the Zionist regime on a hospital. This came on the same day that America, Britain and France vetoed a resolution to stop the war,” Kazem Gharibabadi wrote in a post published on X.
TEHRAN TIMES:
-- Arms bans on Iran, while a joke, reveals Europe’s dishonesty
Kayhan analyzed the Tuesday statement of the European Union on the issue of missile sanctions on Iran. “The Council also agreed to maintain sectoral and individual measures, existing under the EU’s sanctions regime, notably those related to Iran nuclear proliferation, as well as arms and missile embargoes,” the EU said in the statement. Keyan wrote: The European troika (Britain, France and Germany) has claimed that Iran has not adhered to its obligations under the JCPOA since 2019, and this issue has not been resolved through the JCPOA dispute resolution mechanism. In a statement that was published, it is stated that Europe will maintain the restrictive measures against Iran under the non-proliferation sanctions after the so-called “transition day” of the JCPOA (October 18). Iran’s stunning advances in the field of ultra-modern weapons such as missiles and drones have turned our country into one of the leading countries in producing weapons and eliminated the need for arms imports in many fields, and for this reason, sanctions seem ridiculous. Therefore, the issue of sanctions in itself does not have much value and credibility, and it is important only because it once again shows Europe’s dishonesty.
-- Iran: One-billion-dollar trade waiting for Iran and Belarus
In a commentary, the Iran newspaper discussed Mohammad Mokhber’s visit to Belarus and his meeting with the country’s president and prime minister. It said: The visit of the first vice president to Belarus can be considered as another step in the development of relations between the two independent countries that are under the unilateral and illegal sanctions of the United States. The purpose of this trip is to expand exchanges between the two countries, especially in the economic field. Mokhber enumerated the sectors of medical equipment, machinery and needs in the agricultural sector, the automobile and mining industry as the most important areas of investment between the two countries and said: “By increasing interactions and removing obstacles, the level of trade and economic exchanges between Iran and Belarus can be increased to one billion dollars a year.” Iran’s dependence on Western countries has completely disappeared in many fields, and today the Islamic Republic of Iran has become a commercial and industrial hub in the region and even the world with complete self-sufficiency in many sectors. Therefore, due to the decline of America in the world system and the fundamental change in international equations compared to the past, Iran and Belarus should move towards de-dollarization.
-- U.S. complicit in Israeli crimes, Raisi says
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has held the United States responsible for the latest Israeli crimes against the Palestinian population in Gaza. Raisi made the remarks on Wednesday afternoon during a gathering that took place in condemnation of the Israeli regime’s atrocities, especially its savage bombardment of a hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday night which shocked the world as it resulted in the killing of at least 500 civilians. He urged the international community and all freedom-seeking people around the world to sever ties with Israel, expel its ambassadors and shut down the regime’s embassies. “Today is a day of public mourning for the great nation of Iran, the Islamic Ummah, and humanity,” noted the president, adding that “the end of the Zionist regime has now begun” and that “every drop of Palestinian blood spilled on the ground will bring the regime one step closer to its collapse” Raisi also highlighted the fact that Israel was dealt a heavy blow during Hamas’ attack on October 7, despite possessing a large spy apparatus. “This is a serious defeat for the Zionist regime, which has seven intelligence services to ensure its security. Apart from the Iron Dome and in addition to the Mossad, six other intelligence bodies are active for the security of this regime, but the Al-Aqsa Storm and the will of the Palestinian fighters caused them an intelligence, security and military failure. The Zionist regime, which has not and will not be an opponent of the resistance forces, started attacking women and children. Much to its chagrin, the regime thought it could compensate for its defeat by attacking residential houses and oppressed people. But [Israelis] remain unaware that their humiliating defeat will not be compensated by war crimes and crimes against humanity,” Raisi added. The president averred, “I am telling the Americans that today, in front of the people of the region, you are importing missiles from the countries of the region into occupied Palestine and arming the Zionist regime, and the bombs that this regime is dropping on the people of Gaza are yours. The people of the world regard you complicit in the crimes of the Zionists.” Raisi also said that “the people of the world loathe the Zionist regime and the Americans. Not only the Islamic Ummah, but the awakened consciences of the world hate these horrible crimes, this is another defeat for the Zionist regime and the Americans.”
-- Mass demonstrations sparked by Gaza hospital tragedy
Following the Israeli bombardment of the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza protests full of rage have erupted in nations all around the world. Following demands for a “day of rage” throughout the region, people in Lebanon, Jordan, Libya, Yemen, Tunisia, Turkey, Morocco, Iran, Iraq, and the occupied West Bank flocked to the streets to express their revulsion with the regime’s crimes. In Iran, thousands of people protested outside the French and British embassies in the capital Tehran. Waving the flags of Palestine and Palestinian resistance groups, demonstrators chanted slogans against the French, British, and U.S. governments, slamming them for their support for Israel. “Silence of each Muslim is a treason against the Quran,” the protesters chanted, with some hurling eggs at the French embassy building and burning Israeli flags. Additionally, demonstrators gathered in Tehran’s Palestine Square, holding a vigil and lighting candles in memory of Palestinian deaths. “Death to Israel”, “Death to the U.S.,” and “Palestine is victorious,” “Israel is in decline” were also chanted by Iranian MPs as they participated in the demonstrations.
-- Top general urges UN to try Israeli officials for ‘insane genocide’
Major General Mohammad Baqeri, Iran’s armed forces chief on Wednesday called on international organizations and human rights groups to speak out against the Israeli slaughter of innocent civilians and to put an end to the genocide being carried out by the occupation regime. In the midst of its ceaseless assault on the beleaguered Gaza Strip, on Tuesday night Israel bombarded the al-Ahli al-Arab Hospital in central Gaza killing at least 500 people, most of whom were women and children. Condemning the assault on the hospital, the senior commander pointed out that staying silent on Israeli atrocities or making a purely diplomatic comment would be the same as cooperating with the murderous Zionist regime. Baqeri asked the United Nations to convene an extraordinary meeting to put an end to Israeli war crimes and put the senior officials of the “criminal” Tel Aviv regime on trial for their actions. The high-ranking general also urged Muslim states to mobilize their forces and work together to stop Israel’s “insane genocide” in Gaza and to prepare the ground for the medical treatment of thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children, injured in Israeli strikes. In a statement on Wednesday, the army of the Islamic Republic also decried the genocide and inhumane crime of the Zionist regime. It expressed solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine, saying that the regime should be held accountable for all heinous crimes.
-- “Savage war crime”
Speaking on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani denounced the massacre as a “savage war crime” and an instance of “genocide.” “By perpetrating this bestial and appalling crime, the Zionist regime once again showed its ferocious and vicious nature to the entire people of the world,” Kanaani said. “The regime proved that it does not show the least commitment to the principles and rules of the international law that govern the wartime,” the spokesman stressed. Kanaani expressed the deepest sympathies of the Iranian government and people to the Palestinian people and their resistance, stating that the tragedy will further motivate the oppressed Palestinians to “stand up for the liberation of their land from occupation.” He called on the international community — in particular, the Security Council and the UN — to fulfill their obligation to investigate this war crime’s details as soon as possible and to bring the Israeli criminals to justice.
-- Bomb targeting Gaza hospital only possessed by Israel
Iran’s foreign minister also held separate talks with several member states of the OIC on the sidelines of the emergency meeting. During a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Amir Abdollahian emphasized the need to put an end to Israeli crimes against Palestinians by sending a “strong message” to the regime. “Instead of confronting the resistance forces, the Zionist regime has targeted Palestinian citizens,” he stated, adding that “the bomb used to target Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza is solely in the possession of Israel”. At least 500 people were killed in an Israeli air attack on the Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip on Tuesday night. Palestinian authorities say the death toll is expected to rise as hundreds of people are trapped under the rubble, and are unlikely to be saved. The top Iranian diplomat also said that the Israeli regime has decided to commit “genocide” against Palestinians by bombing every building in Gaza and depriving people there of water, food, and electricity. “It is necessary to establish a specialized committee of Islamic jurists at the secretariat to be able to take serious action to prosecute Israeli war criminals. This includes not only political and military officials of the Zionist regime but also pilots involved in bombing the people of Gaza,” Amir Abdollahian stated. He also said an archive center must be established at the IOC to be able to showcase decades of Israeli crimes against innocent Palestinian people. Retno Marsudi, for her part, condemned Israel’s attack on the Palestinian hospital, emphasizing the importance of providing humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza.
NOURNEWS