A senior EU official said on Friday that Iran was not ready to return to talks with world powers over its nuclear program and that its new negotiating team wanted it.
Source: Reuters
A senior EU official said on Friday that Iran was not ready to return to talks with world powers over its nuclear program and that it would like to discuss with its new negotiating team a meeting in Brussels in the coming weeks.
Four months after the suspension of talks between Iran and the world powers, EU official Enrique Mora, who is in charge of coordinating the talks, traveled to Tehran on Thursday to meet with members of Iran’s negotiating team.
Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi has so far refused to resume indirect talks with the United States on both sides in return for agreeing to an agreement imposed by Iran on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting its sanctions.
Prior to Mora’s arrival, diplomats from France, Britain and Germany said the visit came at a crucial time, and things could not be considered “normal” as Iran halted increasing nuclear activities and talks.
The United States said the time was up.
“They are not yet ready for conversation in Vienna,” the official told reporters, adding that Tehran was “determined to return to Vienna and conclude talks.”
“Newspaper Revealed”The Washington PostThe US newspaper published new details of what it described as “Hamas’ plans to deceive Israel” and give it “false calm” before the October 7 attack.
Officials from the terror-listed Palestinian movement “gave Israel intelligence on the Islamic Jihad movement to reinforce the impression that they are willing to cooperate,” the newspaper said, citing an unidentified Israeli security official. with Israel.
Another Israeli security official confirmed to the same newspaper that Israeli military intelligence had been collecting evidence of large-scale Hamas attack plans for “more than a year.”
In April, the military issued an internal warning about an infiltration by Hamas fighters targeting kibbutzim near the Gaza Strip, he said, citing “conclusive evidence” that the operation could involve hundreds of fighters.
A defense official said in August, weeks before the attack, that new intelligence indicated an “imminent attack”.
He added: “The Israeli army increased its readiness and thought it had stopped it (the attack)… Now they see that this is part of Hamas’ deception.”
Israel knew about the Hamas attack a year before.. What is the issue of “Jericho Wall”?
Israeli officials received Hamas’s plan for the Oct. 7 violent attack a year in advance, but according to documents, emails and interviews seen by The New York Times, Hamas found it difficult to implement.
The New York Times reported last week that Israeli officials had received Hamas’ plan for the attack a year in advance, but they considered it “difficult for Hamas to execute,” according to documents, emails and interviews seen by The Americans. Newspaper.
The newspaper reported that Israeli military and intelligence officials rejected the plan, describing it as “ambitious” because Hamas believed it would be too difficult to implement.
Israeli security officials granted permission for the “Noah” concert to be held a few kilometers from the Gaza border. 364 people were killed at the festival, and dozens more were taken hostage on October 7.
Rami Samuel, one of the organizers of the concert, said: “Believing there is information and not being told about it is more than just an oversight, it’s a betrayal.” An oversight cannot cost 1,200 lives.
For years, Hamas has said in its public statements and private diplomacy that it is more interested in building up Gaza economically than in renewing the conflict with Israel.
In September 2022, Aharon Haleva, head of Israeli Defense Forces Intelligence (Aman), said that despite Hamas’s involvement in military operations, “allowing economic stability and labor to enter (Israel) offers the opportunity to bring years of security.” Peace.”
Hamas has largely refrained from firing rockets into Israel after 2021. Hamas was sidelined in 2022 when the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement engaged in a three-day conflict with Israel.
“Urgent Intelligence Questions.” How did Hamas fighters communicate to plan the attack?
Citing an unidentified Israeli defense official and US officials, the New York Times reported that Israeli intelligence had no prior warning of a coordinated Hamas attack on land, sea and air.
The ongoing war erupted on October 7 after Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, most of them civilians, including women and children, Israeli officials said. The movement abducted about 240 hostages and transferred them to the Gaza Strip.
In response to this attack, Israel continued to bombard the Gaza Strip. Since October 27, a large-scale ground operation has been carried out, resulting in the deaths of more than 16,200 people, most of them civilians, including women and children, according to the latest count by health department officials.
“You only see the worst”
In the final months before the attacks, large demonstrations were held at the fence in Gaza “to get the IDF used to seeing large crowds at the border,” said Miri Essin, a former senior intelligence officer for the IDF.
In reports to the Washington Post, Essin opined that the Israeli security services and many of Israel’s allies are “very interested” in Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed armed group in Lebanon, which announced plans to take control of the Galilee region in 2018.
He continued: “There were serious plans with Hezbollah in the north.”
The Israeli military recently confirmed that Colonel Assaf Hamami (41), who was among the officers who warned senior leadership of a possible Hamas attack, was killed during an October 7 clash with Hamas fighters in Kibbutz Nirim, the newspaper said.
Newspaper: How did Sinwar deceive Israel?
Prior to the Hamas attacks, Israel had nearly 40 years of experience with Hamas leader Yahya Shinwar in Gaza, the Financial Times reported.
On Saturday, the Israeli military changed his status from “missing” to “killed in action” and informed his family that his body was being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
His mother, Clara, told the Washington Post that her son’s attempts to warn the military of what might be coming were “repeatedly rebuffed.”
He added: “He warned them and told them what was going to happen … but he was told, ‘You’re only seeing the worst…’ and then the worst came on that Black Saturday.”
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the Crown Prince and the President of Russia held a detailed meeting in the presence of representatives from both countries.
At the beginning of the meeting, Prince Mohammed bin Salman delivered a speech in which he welcomed the Russian president to Saudi Arabia, noting the historic and strong ties between Saudi Arabia and Russia, noting that Russia was the first country. Recognizing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after the establishment of the third Saudi government.
He said: “Today we share many interests and many files that work together for the benefit of Russia, Saudi Arabia, the Middle East and the world,” “referring to the greatest achievements achieved in the past. Seven years between the two countries as an energy sector, agriculture sector or exchange.
He praised the coordination and political work between the two countries, which has helped to remove many tensions in the Middle East, and contributed to improving security and future coordination in political and security aspects, which will increase the country’s security. The security of the Middle East and the entire world, noting the present and future opportunities, calling them “great opportunities”, we must work together in the interests of our people, the region and the world.
The Crown Prince renewed his welcome to the President, describing him as a special guest and very dear to the government and people of Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, in a speech delivered by the Russian President, he noted the depth of friendship and cooperation between the two countries and thanked the Crown Prince for the invitation to visit the Kingdom.
Expressing his desire to meet the Crown Prince in Moscow, he praised the achievements and achievements and successes achieved between the Kingdom and Russia during the seven-year period.
President Putin pointed out that the Soviet Union was the first country to recognize the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, noting the great development and qualitative leap in the quality of relations and their capabilities, and this was achieved due to the leadership of the two protectors. Holy Mosques and Crown Prince.
The Russian President noted the close cooperation between the two countries at many levels and sectors, such as politics and economy. He reiterated his gratitude to the Crown Prince for his invitation.
During the extended meeting, aspects of bilateral relations between the two countries, opportunities for joint cooperation and its development in various fields, recent developments in regional and international situations and efforts to do so were discussed. .
The Crown Prince and the Russian President also held a bilateral meeting during which they explored a number of common interests.
Today (Wednesday), the Israeli army has besieged the large city of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, where heavy clashes have been taking place on the ground since the start of the war two months ago, between it and the Hamas movement.
Thousands of civilians were seen fleeing the area on foot, on motorcycles and in vehicles loaded with their belongings. They are now trapped near the border with Egypt in an area that is shrinking by the day and face a catastrophic humanitarian situation, according to Agence France-Presse.
Palestinians leaving Khan Younis arrived in Rafah in the south, near Gaza’s border with Egypt (AFP).
The Israeli ground offensive began on October 27 against Hamas in the northern Gaza Strip, but the Israeli military expanded the scope of its operations to cover the entire area two months after the start of the war. Hamas movement into Israel on October 7.
Israeli army chief Herzey Halevi said in a statement carried by Agence France-Presse: “Our forces have besieged Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. We have tightened security in many of Hamas’ strongholds in the northern Gaza Strip and are now carrying out operations against its strongholds in the south.
Israeli bombardment of southern Gaza continues as war enters its second month (AFP)
He added: “Our forces have found weapons in almost all buildings and houses and terrorists in many houses and are confronting them.”
Sources from the Palestinian Hamas and Islamic Jihad movements told Agence France-Presse that they are facing violent clashes with Israeli forces to prevent access to Khan Younis and areas east of the city, as well as nearby refugee camps.
Hamas state media reported that “violent artillery attacks on civilian homes in the cities of Qusa, Abasan, al-Qarara and Bani Suhaila, east of Khan Yunis, left dozens of martyrs and wounded.”
Bombs were also dropped in other parts of the Gaza Strip.
A Palestinian woman in the city of Khan Younis under Israeli bombardment (Reuters)
The Ministry of Health in the government of Hamas announced that “6 martyrs and 14 others were injured in an Israeli airstrike on two houses in the Nusirat camp in the central Gaza Strip, in addition to killing the director of Gusa. His son was also killed in an Israeli attack on his home, Ramez al-Najjar, a government hospital.”
“We have no shelter.”
The Israeli military confirmed in a statement that it had killed “most senior leaders” in the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. , specifically referring to the five leaders, said it had been “disbanded”.
Since fighting resumed on December 1 after a seven-day ceasefire, hundreds of thousands of people who had taken refuge in the south of the Gaza Strip have been forced to flee again to escape the bombing and the fighting that is spreading south. .
As Khan left Yunis en route to Rafah on the Egyptian border, Umm Mahmoud told Agence France-Presse: “Here we are wandering in God’s vast lands seeking refuge. “Looks like we have nowhere to shelter.”
Martin Griffiths, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator, said in a statement: “There is no safe place in Gaza. Not hospitals, shelters, refugee camps, children, medical staff or humanitarian workers. “This blatant mockery of the foundations of humanity must stop.”
Palestinian children in the city of Khan Younis under Israeli bombardment (Reuters)
The World Food Program stressed that the delivery of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip is “almost impossible” and that a resumption of fighting would “intensify the catastrophic humanitarian crisis that threatens the civilian population.”
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that Rafah has become the only area in the Gaza Strip where humanitarian aid is distributed in the least amount. Northern areas are not possible.
The Israeli army drops leaflets on Khan Younis daily, warning of imminent bombings and urging residents to evacuate their neighborhoods. However, the United Nations, which estimates that 28 percent of the Gaza Strip is covered by these orders, deems it “impossible” to establish safe zones for civilians, as defined by Israel.
On Tuesday, scenes of chaos were repeated at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, the largest hospital in the southern Gaza Strip, where patients are being treated on the ground. Video clips from Agence France-Presse showed the injured in ambulances, others in vehicles or being carried by their relatives.
The fighting in the Gaza Strip has displaced 1.9 million people, or 85 percent of the population, and more than half of their homes have been destroyed or damaged, according to the United Nations.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that 16,248 people have been killed since the war began on October 7, and more than 70 percent of them were women and children. In Israel, Hamas attacks killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and Israeli officials.
Israel said 138 hostages taken to the Gaza Strip on the day of the attack were still being held after 105 hostages were released during the ceasefire, including 80 released in exchange for the release of 240 Palestinian prisoners by the Hebrew government.
