Israel

Former Pakistani Air Force official says Israel does not want US-Iran agreement to succeed

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In this photo illustration, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are seen behind the Iranian flag, with all of them displayed on screens, in Ankara, Turkiye on June 24, 2025. [Dilara İrem Sancar – Anadolu Agency]

A former deputy chief of the Pakistan Air Force, Muhammad Aryan, has said the success of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran will depend primarily on the willingness of both governments to fully implement its provisions.

Speaking in an interview on Egypt’s Cairo News Channel, Aryan said Pakistan continues to support diplomatic engagement with both Washington and Tehran but stressed that responsibility for resolving the dispute ultimately rests with the two sides.

He argued that military action cannot resolve the crisis, saying previous US strikes against Iran had failed to produce a lasting solution.

Aryan also suggested that statements by US President Donald Trump should be viewed cautiously, arguing that the president’s positions can shift rapidly in response to changing political circumstances.

READ: Vice president says US will respond if Iran attacks shipping in Strait of Hormuz

He said that even if Trump were to declare the memorandum of understanding no longer valid, such a position could change quickly and might be intended as leverage during negotiations. At the same time, he said Iran could either maintain its current demands or choose to make concessions during future talks.

Aryan emphasized that continued negotiations remain the only viable path to resolving the dispute and called for the full implementation of the memorandum of understanding through diplomacy.

He added that the crisis extends beyond the United States and Iran, arguing that other regional actors have an interest in preventing the agreement from succeeding.

According to Aryan, those actors should be closely monitored, specifically mentioning Israel as a country whose strategic interests could influence the course of the negotiations.

His remarks reflect his personal assessment of the regional situation and do not represent an official position of the Pakistani government.

OPINION: Deferring a Crisis: The Iran-US Ceasefire Cracks

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ... unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingFormer Pakistani Air Force official says Israel does not want US-Iran agreement to succeed

Israeli forces raid Syria’s Daraa countryside

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A view of military vehicles patrolling the Syrian-Israeli border in the Majdal Shams area of the Golan Heights, as the Israeli army reinforces its ground forces amid ongoing military mobilization in the region on December 15, 2024. [Saeed Qaq – Anadolu Agency]

Israeli forces raided the Wadi al-Raqad area in the western Daraa countryside in southern Syria on Wednesday, opening fire before withdrawing from the area, Syrian state media reported.

Syria’s Alikhbariah TV said Israeli forces entered the Wadi al-Raqad area, opened fire and later withdrew.

There were no reports of casualties or material damage, and Israeli authorities did not immediately comment on the raid.

The incursion came a day after Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa condemned continued Israeli violations that he said undermine regional security and called on Israel to withdraw from areas it has occupied in southern Syria.

Southern Syria has witnessed repeated Israeli raids and attacks in recent months, including search operations, arrests and the establishment of military checkpoints.

The moves escalated after the overthrow of Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024, when Israel announced the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and seized control of the Syrian buffer zone.

Syrian authorities have repeatedly urged Israel to return to the 1974 deal and withdraw fully from occupied areas.

READ: Israel to keep troops in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza indefinitely

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ... unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … unless he gets distracted or falls asleep.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up

Continue ReadingIsraeli forces raid Syria’s Daraa countryside

Why sanctions are needed on Israel

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/why-sanctions-are-needed-israel

 NAKBA 78: Protesters on the huge London rally on the anniversary of the Nakba in May

History suggests apartheid ends not through appeals to conscience alone but through sustained economic and political pressure, says HUGH LANNING

…

With every red line it crosses from the Nakba to genocide, Israel reveals its contempt for international law. It revels in the impunity the Western world grants that result partly from guilt rightly felt for the horrific crimes we inflicted on Jewish people in our countries, not just in the second world war, but over centuries of antisemitism, which is still ongoing.

But also, because Israel is a major part of the West’s colonial and now neoliberal strategy in the Middle East.

Under the protective wing of an increasingly authoritarian US and led by the ever-stronger fascist and racist tendencies within, Israel believes it has a generational opportunity to conquer Palestine completely and establish the zionist dream of  a “greater Israel” from the river to the sea.

The mentality is: “If we got away with genocide in Gaza, we can get away with anything.”

How is this avalanche of violence, death and atrocity to be stopped? Well, not by the mealy mouthed “sanctions” recently announced by Yvette Cooper. When is a sanction not a sanction? When it does nothing to the perpetrators of the crime. Under international law the official role of sanctions is to bring pressure to bear on the miscreants to achieve compliance.

The token measures announced “target individuals and entities involved in financing and enabling settler violence in the occupied West Bank.” No mention of the Israeli state.

The Israeli government is a settler government; the forcible settlement of the West Bank is its official policy. It legalises and legitimises even the outlier settlements illegal under Israeli law. The IDF either stands idly by or actively protects and supports the settlers as they go about their violent business. Not surprisingly as many of the soldiers are themselves settlers — brothers and sisters of those committing the crimes.

The government itself is riddled by members of extreme settler parties. Indeed, Israel is a settler colonial entity, all but a few of its citizens are settlers.

…

Apart from an arms embargo on the two-way trade with Israel, the new Burnham government ought to institute an audit of all government, local and national, expenditure, contracts and co-operation to identify and stop any support for companies engaged in supporting the settlements and the occupation — Oracle and Palantir being obvious examples.

As the US has done with Russia and supporters of Palestine — follow the money. The war, the occupation, the settlements are all funded with much investment and finance coming from abroad and being channelled through British financial institutions. This should be stopped.

The EU has a positive trade agreement with Israel treating it an as associate member which Britain is trying to replicate following Brexit. These trade agreements should be ended.

The government and its representatives ought to support, not block, moves in international bodies to ban and boycott Israel — be it Fifa or Eurovision — Israel should be treated as the apartheid state it is.

So complicit has the British state been for decades, the list of what could be done is almost endless.

…

Hugh Lanning will be among the speakers at a Labour and Palestine online event on Tuesday July 7 looking at ending Britain’s role in crimes against the Palestinian people. Find out more and register for the meeting at bit.ly/endukcomplicity.

Join the National March for Palestine July 18 in central London at noon. Visit palestinecampaign.org for more details.

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/why-sanctions-are-needed-israel

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Genocide denying former UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspending 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government's support for Israel's Gaza genocide and the UK government and military's active participation in genocide.
Genocide denying UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy says that UK is suspending 30 of 350 arms licences to Israel. He also confirms the UK government’s support for Israel’s Gaza genocide and the UK government and military’s active participation in genocide.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Continue ReadingWhy sanctions are needed on Israel

Lebanon says direct damage from Israeli war estimated at $3-4 billion

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A view of the destruction as Lebanese residents return to their homes following the agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran in Nabatieh, Lebanon on June 15, 2026. [Houssam Shbaro – Anadolu Agency]

Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos said Monday direct material damage from Israel’s war on Lebanon is estimated at between $3-4 billion, Anadolu reports.

Speaking following a ministerial meeting, Morcos said the figures are preliminary and do not include economic losses or indirect damage, according to the state news agency NNA.

The estimates come as the Israeli army continues daily violations of a US-mediated framework agreement signed with Beirut.

On Monday, Israeli forces blew up homes and carried out explosions in two towns in southern Lebanon, and detonated explosives overnight in the town of Houla in Marjayoun district.

Morcos said Monday’s ministerial meeting discussed the results of field visits by ministers to southern villages and towns, including ways to support the return of residents to their areas and provide proper shelter.

The ministers also discussed supporting the needs of municipalities and local economic sectors to help residents return, ahead of the launch of reconstruction efforts, he said.

READ: Netanyahu denies Trump restricted Israeli strikes in Lebanon

On May 26, Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement under US mediation, which provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.

The agreement, however, does not set a timetable for a full withdrawal and links further pullbacks to the Lebanese army assuming security responsibilities and the disarmament of non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah.

Lebanese officials said the agreement represented a “first step” toward restoring state sovereignty over all its territory and allowing displaced people to return to their towns.

Hezbollah, however, called the agreement “null and void,” saying that linking Israeli withdrawal to its disarmament crossed “all red lines.”

Since March 2, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 4,300 people and injured over 12,000 others, according to official figures.

Israeli forces also continue to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war, while advancing more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory during the latest offensive.

READ: Lebanon says 400,000 displaced people have returned south as government prepares reconstruction plan

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Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel's criminal war for Israel's genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said "I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is participating defensively in Trump and Israel’s criminal war for Israel’s genocidal expansion in Iran and states that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says disinhibition and swearing are typical and common symptoms
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says disinhibition and swearing are typical and common symptoms

Continue ReadingLebanon says direct damage from Israeli war estimated at $3-4 billion

Gaza hospital director’s health deteriorates in Israeli detention, shows signs of torture, rights activists say

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The head of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya. [dr.hussam73/Instagram]

Rights activists and a lawyer said on Sunday that Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in the Gaza Strip, is facing a serious risk to his health while in Israeli detention.

Abu Safiya was arrested around 18 months ago during the Gaza war. Israel has accused him of having links to the Palestinian group Hamas.

Following a visit to Abu Safiya last Thursday, his lawyer, Nasser Odeh, said his client’s health had deteriorated severely. The visit took place at the Rakefet underground interrogation facility inside Nitzan Prison.

Physicians for Human Rights Israel  

The Israeli rights group Physicians for Human Rights Israel and lawyer Odeh called for Abu Safiya to be transferred immediately from the facility and for an urgent judicial visit to assess his medical condition.

According to the rights group, Odeh said in a written statement that Abu Safiya was brought to the meeting with his hands and feet shackled and had severe recent injuries to his head, around his eyes, ears and neck, “to the extent that his lawyer initially struggled to recognise him.”

The organisation added that Abu Safiya was experiencing difficulty breathing and speaking continuously, and appeared to be in an extremely weak physical condition.

READ: Israeli army confirms authenticity of image showing Palestinian detainee abused in Gaza

This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel's genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism "without qualification". Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza's hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel.
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says Sundown Syndrome is a dead givaway and he wishes someone would Lock Him Up


Continue ReadingGaza hospital director’s health deteriorates in Israeli detention, shows signs of torture, rights activists say