Israeli occupation, not just E1
settlement expansion plan,
‘must end’: UN rapporteur
August 21, 1:38pm
(PressTV)
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of
human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since
1967, Francesca Albanese, said both the illegal E1
settlement expansion plan, which would split the
occupied West Bank, and Israel’s occupation of
Palestinian territories “must come to an end.”
In a post on X on Friday, Albanese stated that the International
Court of Justice’s 2024 advisory opinion clarified that “it’s the
occupation itself — not just the E1 plans — that must end.”
She condemned the ongoing Israeli assaults, and the violence
perpetrated by illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank and
Gaza, stating that Israeli soldiers and settlers severed water
pipes in the West Bank as the siege of the town of
Qusra persisted.
“In Gaza, the pulverization continues and
so do the massacres,” Albanese said.
“Since the ceasefire, Israel has killed 1,200+ people, including 300
children,” the veteran Italian legal expert on human rights noted.
She described the situation as “59 years of predatory
occupation” & “1,049 days of genocide,” criticizing
the lack of international sanctions.
Earlier, the leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy,
the Netherlands, Norway, and Canada called Israel’s decision
to issue construction tenders for the E1 settlement project
“unacceptable” and urged Israel to immediately rescind
the plans.
Israel outsourcing coercion to settlers in
occupied West Bank: UN’s Albanese
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese says Israel bears
responsibility for settler violence in the West Bank and is
effectively outsourcing coercion to them.
Additionally, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC), Hussein Ibrahim Taha --- condemned Israel’s
announcement of a tender for the construction of 1,234 new
settler units as part of the illegal E1 settlement project.
Taha said in a statement that the move constitutes a continuation
of Israeli settlement expansion schemes, annexations, forced
displacements and the imposition of facts on the ground,
aimed at altering the legal, political and demographic
status of the occupied Palestinian territories.
He called on the international community ---- particularly the UN
Security Council, to assume its legal and moral responsibilities
and take immediate measures to compel Israel, as the
occupying power, to comply with its international
obligations and immediately halt its systematic
crimes and violations against Palestinians,
their land and holy sites.
The E1 project aims to sever connections between Palestinian
communities and greatly hinder territorial continuity. It will
create a separation between East al-Quds and certain
areas of the West Bank, compelling Palestinians to
undertake long detours when traveling between
cities and towns.
Despite the fact that the E1 construction plan dates back
to the 1990s, its execution has consistently faced
delays ...owing to global opposition.
IRGC Quds Force chief: Israel now afflicted with
‘social cancer’; its internal collapse ‘inevitable’
Chief Commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps (IRGC) says illegal Israeli settlers are suffering
from "social cancer."
On August 14, far-right Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich
announced his intention..... to move forward with the illegal
project that “buries the concept of a Palestinian state”.
More than 700,000 settlers live in over 230 settlements built since
the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds.
The international community views the settlements as illegal
under international law and the Geneva Conventions - due
to their construction on occupied territories.
The UN Security Council has condemned Israel’s
settlement activities in several resolutions.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - declared
Israel’s decades-long occupation of historical Palestine illegal.
The ICJ demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements
in the West Bank and East al-Quds. It was mere words.
__________________________________________________
Pezeshkian: Iran - will never bow to bullying,
will give ‘crushing’ response to any attack
August 21, 1:29pm
(PressTV)
President Masoud Pezeshkian says that Tehran will not bow to
pressure or aggression, warning that the country will deliver
a “crushing response” to any future attack.
Addressing a meeting of the Islamic Association of Iranian Medical
Society in Tehran on Friday, Pezeshkian described the
Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding as an
“honourable and valuable” outcome.... of
negotiations, rejecting suggestions
that Tehran had surrendered.. or
made significant concessions.
“They cannot find even a single clause in this agreement that
indicates surrender; all the commitments are related to the
other side,” he said.
He stressed that the agreement did not mean
Iran would submit.... if the US or its allies
launched another attack.
“Of course, none of this means that if they want to attack us,
we will surrender. These are two separate issues,”
Pezeshkian said.
“We will under no circumstances bow to bullying, and there is
no doubt about that. We will stand against them until our last
breath and give them a crushing response,” he added.
Pezeshkian said the agreement represented a “major achievement”
that had been approved by Iran’s Supreme National Security
Council, with those members directly involved in the
negotiations, firmly defending its terms.
“It is better to end the war today, when we are in a position of power
and dignity, when the whole world acknowledges our victory and
admits that the US has attacked our schools, hospitals, and
infrastructure, in violation of all laws,” Pezeshkian said.
Iranian military commanders and armed forces, he said, remain
fully prepared to defend the country, while emphasizing the
importance of preserving unity at home.
________________________________________________
China --- rejects US call to sever
economic ties with Iran... says
sanctions will not resolve war
August 21, 11:08am
(PressTV)
Beijing has rejected Washington’s latest demand that countries
join a renewed campaign of economic sanctions against Iran,
reaffirming that the escalating crisis needs political dialogue.
“Sanctions and pressure tactics are not the solution,” Chinese
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told media, Thursday.
The rebuke came, one day after the Trump administration issued
an open call to allies and China alike to fall in line with what the
president billed as the “most crushing economic operation
ever taken against any country” — a boastful threat that
came after Washington failed to achieve any of its war
objectives some six months after starting the
aggression on Iran in late February.
Notably, the United States has yet to detail the full scope of its so-
called operation, with US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent
punting further specifics to a Monday press conference — a
delay....... that raises questions about the campaign’s
actual readiness.
China calls on parties ---- to act responsibly and stick
to the political and diplomatic approach, added Jian.
Iran has strongly condemned the US campaign, with the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi, describing Washington’s
economic aggression as an attempt to divert attention
from the US’s own problems.
Araghchi pointed to the US’s “unprecedented debt & surging
interest costs” as Washington seeks to impose further
economic pressure on Iran.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday the latest US
sanctions, announced on the anniversary of the 1953 coup
against Iran’s democratically elected government....
demonstrate Washington’s continued hostility
toward the Iranian people.
“The new US sanctions ------ are not only another indication of the
continuation of 73 years of hostility by US policymakers toward
the Iranian people, but also demonstrate ------ the anti-human,
lawless and hegemonic nature of the US government,”
the ministry noted.
The ministry further condemned the sanctions for targeting
the fundamental rights of Iranian citizens and violating
international norms.
“Without a doubt, the US economic sanctions against Iran,
which target the fundamental human rights of every
Iranian citizen --- constitute ‘economic terrorism’
and ‘crimes against humanity,’” it maintained.
Beijing’s rejection comes ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s
planned September 24 visit to the White House, adding
significance to China’s refusal to participate in
Washington’s economic campaign
against Tehran.
__________________________________________
Israeli forces ..expand ground incursions
in southern Syria, advancing with tanks
to Quneitra countryside
August 21, 11:04am
(PressTV)
Israeli occupation forces have expanded their incursions into
southern Syria, advancing with two tanks and three military
vehicles toward Tal al-Dariyat in the southern countryside
of Quneitra.
An Israeli patrol also moved into the Tal al-Karoum area in
the province's central countryside, according to local
Syrian sources - cited by al-Mayadeen.
The operation comes amid continued and repeated Israeli
incursions into Syrian territory ---- coinciding with the
deployment of Israeli forces in several areas of the
Quneitra countryside, the establishment of new
military posts and positions, as well as raids
and kidnappings of civilians.
On Wednesday, Israeli forces raided the town of Jabata
al-Khashab in Quneitra province with more than 100
personnel and 15 vehicles, abducting 2 residents
and searching multiple homes.
The overnight raid ......caused panic and intense fear among
residents, particularly because of the size of the military
force involved and the entry of military vehicles into
residential neighbourhoods.
The Israeli campaign of territorial incursions and attacks
across southern Syria has intensified since the fall of
Bashar al-Assad's government in December 2024.
Following the collapse of the Syrian government, Israel
exploited the resulting security vacuum to expand its
military presence inside Syrian territory.
Alongside extensive strikes on Syria's military infrastructure,
including air defense systems and warplanes, Israeli forces
pushed into areas of Quneitra and seized positions in
southern Syria, including parts of the strategically
important Mount Hermon (Jabal al-Sheikh) area.
The Israeli forces have since maintained an almost daily
presence in parts of Quneitra and Daraa, establishing
temporary checkpoints, searching civilians and
vehicles, raiding homes, and detaining and
interrogating Syrians.
Local sources have also reported the destruction and
bulldozing of agricultural land during the incursions.
Satellite imagery and investigations have documented more
than 800 Israeli incursions beyond the buffer zone, since
December 2024, with about 235 square kilometres of
southern Syrian territory currently under direct
Israeli military control.
Israel's expanding military footprint in Syria has
also been accompanied by repeated airstrikes.
On Tuesday, Israeli aircraft carried out eight strikes against
the runway of Abu al-Duhur military airbase in the eastern
countryside of Idlib ----- causing material damage to
the facility.
The attack came........ just a day after a Turkish military
delegation visited the airbase to inspect rehabilitation
work underway, leaving hours before the unprovoked
Israeli attack.
Israel's war minister threatens Turkey
....as Apache squadron moves north
Israel has issued a veiled threat against Turkey following
its strikes on a Syrian airbase near the Turkish border.
The current de facto Syrian president --- Abu Muhammad al-
Jolani, whose extremist group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS)
toppled President Assad in December 2024, has presided
over a regime.... that has done little in the face of the
Israeli invasion, occupation, and incessant
harassment of Syrians.
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani's response to the
airbase bombing on Thursday was remarkably
....muted.
He merely expressed "concern" and said the attack "had no
justification," while also signaling Damascus's continued
openness to negotiations with Israel.
Al-Shaibani said Syria remained open to resuming negotiations
with Israel if there is "real political will" in Tel Aviv.
"We tried to reach a security agreement with Israel, but it
retreated from its commitments," al-Shaibani stated,
adding: that Syria had made significant progress
toward a security agreement during a year of
US-mediated talks, but Israel later backed
away from all commitments.
Despite this ---- al-Shaibani said: "We are still interested in
reaching an agreement with Israel to reduce escalation,"
adding that talks could resume..... if Israel showed
"real political will".
Netanyahu called the HTS capture of Damascus in 2024 an
"historic day" ...and took credit for starting the chain of
events that led to regime change.
After Assad fell, Israel used the opportunity ------- to launch a
wide-ranging bombing campaign to destroy Syria's military
and defense infrastructure, including its air defenses.
Israel has occupied large swathes of Syrian territory since
1967 and occupied additional territory immediately after
Assad was toppled.
Israeli leaders have increasingly signaled that their
military occupation in Syria is not temporary
and could expand further.
Israeli war minister Israel Katz has said Israel plans to keep
troops in Syria. Israeli troops carry out regular raids and
are erecting military infrastructure in water-rich
southern Syria, while facing no resistance
from Syria's new authorities.
__________________________________________
Resistance Axis - stronger than
ever before: Ghalibaf from Iraq
August 21, 10:51am
(Al Mayadeen English)
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stresses
the need to confront sanctions, affirming that Iran will not allow
its dignity and honour to be violated.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on
Friday that the Axis of Resistance, is stronger than ever in
confronting global arrogance, while calling for plans to
counter sanctions.
Speaking during his visit to Iraq, Ghalibaf said, "The Axis
of Resistance today is stronger than ever in confronting
global arrogance".
He added, "We are not advocates of war - and do not seek it,
but we believe in an Islamic principle, which is that we will
not allow people to come, trample on our dignity and
honour, and then leave".
Ghalibaf arrived in Iraq’s Najaf province on Friday morning,
where he began his visit.... by heading to the grave of
martyr Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, according to the
Iraqi News Agency (INA).
He also thanked the Iraqi people for the funeral ceremonies
held in Najaf and Karbala for the late Leader of the Islamic
Revolution ...and the Islamic Republic martyr Sayyed Ali
Khamenei. Ghalibaf also highlighted - Iraq’s hosting of
millions of Iranian pilgrims over the years during the
Arbaeen pilgrimage.
Ghalibaf calls for planning
----- to counter sanctions
During a meeting with Iranian and Iraqi economists in Baghdad,
Ghalibaf stressed the need to prepare for sanctions and
overcome their effects. He said he was prepared to
"sacrifice money ...and position" and stand firm
in defense of dignity.
"Our enemies come to plunder the resources of Muslim countries,"
Ghalibaf said, calling for planning --- to confront and overcome
sanctions under the current circumstances.
His remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump
announced the “most destructive economic operation
ever undertaken against any country” targeting Iran.
Trump characterized the measures, as an “economic war
and unprecedented isolation,” following what he called
"Tehran’s failure to seize the opportunity given to it
to reach an agreement".
Ghalibaf arrived in Baghdad two days ago at
the head of a parliamentary delegation.
During his visit, he met senior Iraqi officials and prominent
figures, including Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, Prime
Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi, and Parliament
Speaker Haybat al-Halbousi.
Ghalibaf’s Baghdad meetings - focused on bilateral ties
Ghalibaf’s remarks in Najaf and his meeting with Iranian
and Iraqi economists followed several meetings with
senior Iraqi officials during his visit to Baghdad,
where he discussed bilateral relations,
regional developments, and Iraq’s
sources of strength.
Source: News websites