Hezbollah --- strikes Israeli
assembly points, barracks
April 15th, 8:34pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon shells several Israeli
sites alongside the southern Lebanese borders amid
fierce confrontations.
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah - announced
Monday --- that it would continue targeting Israeli soldiers
and positions in support of the Palestinian people in the
Gaza Strip and in support of the Palestinian resistance.
In the latest operation, the resistance launched several
precision missiles that struck the Israeli Radar site in
the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms, leading to
severe casualties.
The Resistance fighters also targeted the Ruweisat al-
Alam position in the occupied Lebanese Kafr Chouba
hills using precision missiles.
Hezbollah also attacked an Israeli assembly point in the
"Hanita" forest using missiles and artillery shelling.
Moreover, the Islamic Resistance's fighters also attacked
an Israeli occupation assembly point in the vicinity of
the "Mitat" barracks, inflicting numerous casualties
on the Israeli soldiers.
Groundbreaking operation
The operations came after Hezbollah announced that its
fighters ambushed a force from the elite Israeli Golani
Brigade that crossed into Lebanese territory
from northern occupied Palestine.
In a statement, Hezbollah confirmed the ambush
resulted in the killing and wounding of troops
from the trespassing unit.
"After closely monitoring and anticipating the movements
of enemy forces, fighters from the Islamic Resistance
planted a number of explosive devices in the area of
Tal Ismail," detonating the IEDs after a unit from the
Golani Brigade crossed the border and reached
the location of the ambush.
Israeli media described the operation -- as "exceptional,"
confirming that the Golani soldiers were targeted with
explosives "on the border with Lebanon" early on
Monday, adding that the incident is being
investigated.
The operation, according to Hezbollah, was "in support
of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip
and their brave and honourable Resistance."
Operations overview
- On Monday at noon, the Islamic Resistance's fighters
detonated an IED targeting invading Israeli soldiers
in Tal Ismail, southern Lebanon.
- At 16:55, the Islamic Resistance's fighters attacked
an Israeli assembly point in the "Mitat" barracks.
- At 17:00, the Islamic Resistance's fighters attacked
an Israeli assembly point in the "Hanita" forest.
- At 17:45, the Islamic Resistance's fighters attacked
the Ruweisat al-Alam military site.
- At 18:40, the Islamic Resistance's fighters attacked the
Radar site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms.
Source: Agencies
_____________________________________
Northern Gaza exposed to
unprecedented pollution:
Government Media Office
April 15th, 8:06pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
The head of the government media office in Gaza, Salama
Marouf, stated on Monday, stating that the northern Gaza
Strip is exposed to unprecedented health problems, and
environmental pollution, threatening serious health &
ecological repercussions ---- for more than 700,000
people living in the overcrowded area.
The government media office in Gaza has warned of
serious environmental and health repercussions in
the northern Gaza Strip with the accumulation of
piles of house rubble containing decomposing
bodies of the thousands of martyrs, that
are being tampered with,
by stray animals.
The office has pointed to the need for medical
delegations and special mechanisms not
available - to deal with this issue.
The head of the government media office in Gaza, Salama
Marouf, stated on Monday, stating that the northern Gaza
Strip is exposed to unprecedented health problems and
environmental pollution, threatening serious health &
ecological repercussions.... for over 700,000 people
living in those areas, in light of the overcrowding.
Marouf reported "mountains of waste, hundreds of
temporary mass graves, and the rubble of homes
in various regions,” estimating that “the waste
spread at about 75 thousand tons, with
hundreds of thousands of tons of
rubble and the rubble of homes
destroyed by the occupation."
Marouf explained that hepatitis and skin diseases have
spread, and the environment has become a breeding
ground for flies, mosquitoes, insects, and harmful
reptiles, in addition to the harmful fumes
from fires.
According to the statement, “The piles of rubble and ruins
of houses - including the bodies of thousands of martyrs
decomposing underneath, constitute a serious health
and environmental hazard, as they emit odours and
are exposed to the tampering of stray animals and
dogs, which increases the transmission of
diseases and infections and deprives
these martyrs of human dignity -
to be buried properly.''
''In addition, there are hundreds of temporary mass graves
which citizens have been forced to use ---- due to the
inaccessibility of the Eastern Cemetery ---- and all
of them lack environmental safety conditions.''
Marouf warned in the statement - that “this situation is
getting worse in light of the inability of municipalities
to deal with these huge quantities of waste and
rubble, due to a lack of appropriate machinery
and equipment, after the occupation bombed
dozens of municipal equipment & machinery
--- as well as the lack of sufficient fuel to use
the available materials and machinery."
He warned of an imminent environmental catastrophe
and held the Israeli occupation "fully responsible"
while calling for a swift intervention to provide
the necessary needs for municipalities and
civil defense --- to tackle the situation,
particularly emphasizing the need
for "machinery, equipment,
and fuel."
Marouf stressed the necessity for UNRWA and all
international institutions and organizations, to
return to work -- in the areas of the northern
Gaza Strip, and to carry out their functional
and humanitarian duty towards the
Palestinian people.
41% of UN-coordinated aid missions to northern Gaza
between 6 and 12 April ---- were "impeded or denied
access" by "Israel" --- the United Nations Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) posted on X on April 14.
The UN office -- further urged the Israeli occupation
to "facilitate humanitarian support" by highlighting
that its obligation only ends when the aid reaches
the Palestinians.
41% of @UN-coordinated aid missions to northern
#Gaza between 6 and 12 April were impeded
or denied access.
The Israeli authorities' obligation to facilitate
humanitarian support only ends when aid
reaches civilians.#AccessDenied
More: https://t.co/5jlmTLkGFl pic.twitter.com/hZtW6xZDl5
— OCHA oPt (Palestine) (@ochaopt) April 14, 2024
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported today -- that the
number of Palestinians killed in Gaza due to the Israeli
genocide since October 7 has risen to 33,797 and
those injured to 76,465.
Israeli occupation forces committed seven massacres in
the past 24 hours against families in Gaza, killing 68
Palestinians and injuring 94 others.
The ministry stressed that victims are still under the
rubble on the streets, as the IOF deliberately
prevented ambulances and civil defense
crews from reaching them.
Source: Agencies
_____________________________________
Mass graves discovered at Gaza’s
Shifa hospital and in Beit Lahiya
April 15th, 6:40pm
(PressTV)
Teams of Gaza’s Health Ministry and Civil Defense Forces
have discovered two mass graves in the north of the
Gaza Strip, after a days-long search.
The first mass grave was discovered at Shifa Hospital
in Gaza City, and the second in Beit Lahiya.
At least nine bodies were found before the health officials
stopped digging, fearing that they could get targeted by
the Israeli drones hovering in the skies above them.
The uncovered bodies had not fully decomposed,
which indicated they had been killed recently.
Some of the people who had been killed and buried
appear to have been patients at the hospital - and
had medical bandages attached to their bodies.
Doctors and staff from the hospital said they witnessed
killings and burials. Some people were killed outside
the main gate of the hospital.
Palestinian media reports say criminal investigation teams
along with the health ministry will continue the search for
more bodies.
Israeli forces have attacked and besieged the Shifa
complex several times since October 7, leaving
it largely in ruins.
In Beit Lahiya, another mass grave containing about
20 decomposed bodies was discovered. Witnesses
and residents said the bodies belong to the
Al-Assaf family.
The Palestinian resistance movement said the mass grave
includes “several decomposing bodies” Israeli forces hid
under the rubble, before withdrawing from the medical
complex earlier this month.
The latest discovery shows there are “no limits” to
what Israeli forces are willing to do, Hamas said.
The regime can keep committing crimes, since the
international community remains silent in the
face of this “genocide,” the resistance
movement said.
Hamas underscored Israel’s “clear and well-documented
war crimes” in the discovery of mass graves in Shifa,
“cases of execution, and the hundreds of bodies
that remain under the rubble.”
_______________________________________
Iran --- criticizes UK's 'astonishing'
support for Israeli crimes in Gaza
April 15th, 5:36pm
(PressTV)
Iranian Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, has
criticized Britain's extensive support for Israel --- even
as the regime continues to kill innocent Palestinians
in the Gaza Strip.
"What good is it for the British government to provide
this amount of irresponsible support [to Israel]?"
Amir-Abdollahian asked UK Foreign Secretary
David Cameron.... during a 'phone
conversation on Monday.
It is strange that Britain is concerned about Iran's
response to Israel's brutal attack on the Islamic
Republic's diplomatic premises in Damascus,
but shows no concern about the thousands
of tons of bombs dropped on Palestinian
homes by the Tel Aviv regime over the
past six months.
He emphasized -- that Iran's retaliatory strikes against
Israel, dubbed Operation True Promise, were carried
out in line with the principle of legitimate self-
defense as stipulated in Article 51 of
the United Nations Charter.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran --- does not welcome the
escalation of tension in the region, but if the Israeli
regime is after adventurism, our next response will
be immediate, stronger --- and more extensive,"
the top Iranian diplomat emphasized.
The British foreign minister, for his part, expressed
concern over the escalation of tensions in the
region after Iran's retaliatory response
to Israel.
Cameron said Iran's military operation against Israel
was very worrying and will heighten tension in
the region.
However, he added, Britain will at the same time ask
Israel not to take any action in response, because
it will deteriorate the situation.
In a 'phone call with Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander
Schallenberg on Monday, Amir-Abdollahian said Israel's
war crimes, genocide, and hybrid war, in the Gaza
Strip are the root causes of crisis in the region.
He once again reiterated that Iran has never sought to
escalate tensions in the region but the Israeli regime
had apparently misinterpreted Tehran's restraint.
The Austrian foreign minister, for his part, said the
continuation of conflicts would harm all the
countries in the region.
Schallenberg emphasized the need for an immediate
ceasefire in Gaza and added that more diplomatic
consultations and talks are necessary to solve
the crisis in the Strip.
Austria, along with the EU, has condemned Israel's
attacks on Iran's diplomatic facilities in
Damascus, he noted.
________________________________
Israeli General: In Facing Iran,
We Must Shut Up
April 15th, 3:27pm
(al Manar)
The Zionist circles continued following up the
repercussions of the Iranian drone and
missile attack.. in response to the
Zionist air raid on the consulate
in Damascus --- stressing that
what was before that event
would be different from
what would be... in
the aftermath.
The Zionist analysts affirmed that Iran has managed to
impose a new deterrence formula, according to which,
‘Israel’ would not be able to attack the Iranian people
or its interests -- without entailing a harsh response.
The reservists military general, Benny Ma’ir, said that the
Iranians changed the formula and had gained legitimacy
for their attack on ‘Israel’ ------ in accordance with
international law .
This requires that we shut up and operate secretly, when
we carry out any attack on Iran, Ma’ir said, who voiced
concerns.... about the reinforcement of the Iranian
formula - to include all the Zionist attacks.
Roi Sharon, a military analyst, said that ‘Israel’ is now
obliged to face the new formula imposed by the
Iranians regarding the attacks on Iranian
targets in Syria.
The Zionist analysts, considered that the Iranian attack
exposed the Zionist entity’s fragility in the region and
its need for US protection..... as well as the role of
some Arab regimes who support ‘Israel’.
The political analyst, Yoav Fard, said he wondered how
‘Israel’ can engage in a battle against Iran while it is
still unable to defeat Hamas and liberate the
prisoners held in Gaza.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
___________________________________
Despite ‘Profound Destruction’,
Gaza Keeps Up Resistance --
on Day 192 of Israeli War
April 15th, 2:08pm
(al Manar)
Gaza still amazes the world with its incredible resistance
despite all the forms of oppression it has been facing
since the start of the brutal Israeli aggression on
October 7.
On the day 192 of the war, both people and
resistance stand firm in the face of
the Israeli massacres --- and
deliberate starvation.
Israeli attacks on Monday, took place in several areas
across the besieged enclave, with the concentration
on the Gaza Strip’s centre.
Palestinian media reported attacks on two mosques,
a UN-run school and the Malaysian school in the
Nuseirat refugee camp.
Also in central Gaza, several residential homes
and a market were subjected to Israeli strikes.
Elsewhere in northern Gaza, the
Firas market was targeted.
Strikes were also reported in the southern city
of Rafah, according to Palestinian media.
The Health Ministry in Gaza reported that 68 people
were martyred and 94 others were injured in
7 massacres - in the past 24 hours. It put
the death toll of the Israeli aggression
on the Gaza Strip --- at 33,545.
The ministry added that the number
of injured people reached 76,094.
Destruction “Disproportionate
to Anything One Can Imagine”
Meanwhile, on Monday, the Civil Defense in Gaza said
on its Telegram channel that it has recovered 13
more decomposing bodies... in Khan Younis’
Al-Balad and Al-Amal neighbourhoods.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs described the destruction in the southern
city of Khan Younis.... as profound.
In a post on X the UN office said a team has visited Khan
Younis and witnessed destroyed homes, schools and
hospitals as well as unexploded ordinance.
For his part, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-
general of the World Health Organization (WHO), said
that the organization and its partners --- went to
Khan Younis on Sunday...... to assess the
health facilities there.
He said the team described the destruction -- as
“disproportionate to anything one can imagine”.
Gaza Resistance Surprises Military Analysts
Also on Monday, Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the
Islamic Jihad resistance group released a video showing
fighters targeting Israeli concentrations east Jabalia.
On the other hand, a security and military studies
professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate
Studies said that Hamas’s armed wing,
Al-Qassam Brigades, has surprised
many military analysts over the
past seven months.
Talking to Al-Jazeera, Omar Ashour said Al-Qassam
Brigades was completely outnumbered and
outgunned in all domains – sea, air and
land – as well as electronic
and cyberwarfare.
He added that the resistance group has created
its own environment to be able to fight ------
by constructing multi-level underground
tunnels that doubled or tripled the
size of Gaza.
“Many Hamas fighters remain, and Israel has killed only
one of its three top commanders. If... Israel wants to
achieve its aim of destroying Hamas -- the fight will
take a lot longer than the Israeli military expected,
and it may not even be possible,” Ashour said,
as quoted by Al-Jazeera.
Source: Palestinian media and Al-Jazeera
(edited by Al-Manar English Website)
________________________________
Grand Mutfi of Oman - praises Iran's
'True Promise', urges more action
April 15th, 1:56pm
(Al Mayadeen English)
The Mufti of the Sultanate of Oman, Sheikh Ahmed bin
Hamad Al-Khalili ------ praised the retaliatory military
operation by Iran against the Israeli occupation.
In a statement published on X, Sheikh Al-Khalili said that
what is being reported by the media about the "brave
Iranian response to the Israeli occupation -- is truly
pleasing," hoping that it would bear its fruit soon.
He lauded this step and emphasized "We are looking
forward to anything that breaks the power of the
Zionists and their supporters, freeing Muslims
of their evils."
Sheikh Al-Khalili praised the Iranian initiative and its likes,
stressing that such moves protect the Ummah's prestige
and presence.
He hoped this retaliation has "pained Zionism and those
who support it" and contributed to deterring the forces
of evil.
Sheikh Al-Khalili concluded his statement by calling on the
entire Ummah to take full - and not just partial - serious
action toward supporting the oppressed Palestinians
in Gaza, as this is the preparation of force that God
Almighty commanded in His saying "Prepare
against them whatever force you can."
Strategic failure for 'Israel'
Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said today that
the night of Iran's response to the targeting of the
consulate in Damascus was a "strategic farce"
for the occupation entity.
The daily spoke of a "strategic failure" suffered by "Israel,"
noting that "Israel was enslaved for two weeks, in the
midst of tension that paralyzed it, after it carried
out the assassination" of the senior IRGC
advisors in the Iranian consulate in
Syria two weeks ago.
"Why was an assassination carried out that could lead to
a confrontation much more complex than it currently is
in the North and South, while the story there, is also
far from over?" it questioned.
Taking aim at Prime Minister Netanyahu & his government,
in addition to military and security top officials, the outlet
mockingly asked, "How are leaders, who have previously
approved several times plans for invading Rafah, which
has not happened yet, supposed to threaten Tehran?"
In the face of this, the outlet found that the response for
this failure would be "another classic Israeli answer,"
which is, "wrong, we were wrong, we made
a mistake."
Likewise, it pointed out that intelligence estimates
indicated that Iran "will not change its way of
operating" if the Israeli army were to
assassinate one of its figures in
Damascus, on sovereign
Iranian soil.
_______________________________________________
Iran will exact 'devastating, unified’
revenge on enemy for any act of
aggression: Army chief
April 15th, 1:30pm
(PressTV)
The Iranian Army Chief Commander Major General
Abdolrahim Mousavi says the country will not
hesitate --- to give a “stormy and unified”
response to any act of aggression
against it.
In a Monday message marking the National Army Day,
Mousavi said the great defensive measures of the
country’s Army and Armed Forces have resulted
in a strong deterrent power.
Iran has conveyed its message of power to the world in a
way that the world has realized that the Iranian Armed
Forces will give a “stormy and unified” response to
any aggression against the country’s national
interests, borders and security, he asserted.
The top commander noted that Iran’s firm response to an
act of aggression by the usurping Israeli enemy against
its diplomatic premises in Syria's capital of Damascus,
brought joy to oppressed nations, especially the
resilient people of Palestine and Gaza.
Mousavi emphasized that the retaliatory strikes, dubbed
Operation True Promise, revealed only a part of the
capacity and strong will of the Iranian Armed
Forces and were carried out in cooperation
among... the Islamic Revolution Guards
Corps (IRGC) the Aerospace Division,
the Army, and the Defense Ministry.
He said the Army has played a key role, in strengthening
the country’s defense power, independence and lasting
security, by implementing various measures.
It has constructed strategic drone and underground
tactical bases and made hundreds of modern
defense achievements in the land, air, sea
and space sectors ------- in addition to
advancing in the fields of science
and technology, he explained.
Now the enemies lack the courage to carry out any act of
aggression against the Islamic establishment and the
noble Iranian nation, the top commander said.
He added that Iran has staged several joint military
drills, to enhance its national security and dignity.
The Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s embassy compound in
Damascus killed two generals of Iran’s Islamic
Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Brigadier
General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and
General Mohammad Hadi Haji
Rahimi --- and five of their
accompanying officers.
In response, on Saturday night, the IRGC targeted the
Israeli-occupied territories with a barrage of drones
and missiles. The extent of the damage on Israeli
military bases across the occupied territories
is yet to be specified.
Following the reprisal, Iran warned Israel against taking
any retaliatory actions and also urged the US to try not
to involve itself in the conflict and signaled that it
viewed the matter as “concluded.”
_________________________________________________
Hezbollah --- Strikes Golani Force
with Explosives, Leaving Israeli
Soldiers Dead or Injured
April 15th, 12:20pm
(al Manar)
On Monday, Hezbollah fighters carried out a quality attack
on a Golani force near Lebanon's border with occupied
Palestine, killing or injuring a number of the
enemy soldiers.
According to a statement issued by Hezbollah military
media, the Islamic Resistance fighters carefully
monitored and anticipated the movement
of the Zionist soldiers.
Thus, the statement added... Hezbollah fighters planted a
number of explosive devices in Tal Ismail area adjacent
to the Lebanese borders with the occupied
Palestinian territories.
When Golani force crossed the borders and reached the
explosives zone, Hezbollah fighters detonated the
devices, leaving the Israeli soldiers dead or
inured, the statement concluded.
In support of the resilient Palestinian people in the Gaza
Strip and in solidarity with their brave and honourable
resistance, the Islamic Resistance carried out a
number of operations against “Israeli” army
positions and deployments along the
Lebanese-Palestinian border on
Sunday, April 14, 2024,
as follows:
– Eastern Sector:
1. At 00:35, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the air
defense and missile headquarters at the Kela barracks in
the occupied Syrian Golan Heights with tens of Katyusha
rockets, in response to “Israeli” attacks on safe villages
and towns.
2. At 04:30, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted
“Israeli” sites in Nafah, Yarden, and Kela... in the
occupied Syrian Golan Heights - with tens of
Katyusha rockets, in response to “Israeli”
night raids targeting a number of safe
villages and towns, including
Al-Khiyam, and Kfar Kila,
resulting in a number of
martyrs and injured
civilians.
Source: Al-Manar English Website
___________________________________________
Lapid --- Netanyahu Government
“an Existential Threat to Israel”
April 15th, 11:19am
(al Manar)
Israeli Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, said that Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government
“have become an existential threat to Israel,”
accusing them of destroying
Israeli deterrence.
Addressing the press ahead of his Yesh Atid party’s
weekly faction meeting in the Knesset — held this
week despite the legislative recess — Lapid
stated that both friends and enemies of
the Zionist entity “smell weakness”
from the current government.
“I was in Washington last week, in meetings with the
entire administration. They are shocked - by this
government: by the lack of responsibility, by
the lack of professionalism.. and by the
mismanagement,” he said, as
quoted by Israeli media.
“While the United States has lived up to its commitment
to Israel’s security, Netanyahu has not,” The Times of
Israel quoted Lapid as saying
“All that is left of Mr. Security” are “ruins from Be’eri
to Kiryat Shmona, violence by Jewish terrorists
who have become out of control ---- and a
complete loss of Israeli deterrence,”
he added.
Source: Israeli media
________________________________
'Ten times stronger' --- Iran warns
Israel of much harsher response
--- if evil actions continue
April 15th, 11:05am
(PressTV)
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has
warned of a “much harsher response” against any
further action by Israel in the aftermath of the
Islamic Republic’s retaliatory operation into
the occupied territories.
In a statement on Sunday, the SNSC said that Iran
carried out the retaliatory attack, dubbed
Operation True Promise, because Israel
“crossed Iran’s red lines” by attacking
its diplomatic premises in the Syrian
capital Damascus on April 1.
It said the operation was in accordance with Article 2
of the UN Charter - which urges all UN members to
refrain from the threat or use of force against the
territorial integrity or political independence
of any state.
“Should the Israeli regime plan to continue its wicked
actions against Iran, by any means or methods, or at
any levels, it will get a response ten times harsher,”
it warned.
The SNSC also said that by carrying out Operation True
Promise, Iran exercised its inherent right of self-
defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
“The operation was the least punitive action necessary
to safeguard Iran’s national interest and security,”
the statement said.
“Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israeli military and
air bases, and we refrained from attacking their civic
infrastructure and for now the operation has been
completed, and we do not intend to continue,”
it concluded.
Following the reprisal, Iran warned Israel: against taking
any retaliatory actions and also urged the US to try not
to involve itself in the conflict and signaled that it
viewed the matter as “concluded.”
“If the Zionist regime or its supporters demonstrate
reckless behaviour, they will receive a decisive
and much stronger response,” Iran’s President
Ebrahim Raeisi stated, on Sunday.
A similar warning was issued by Chief of Staff of the
Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad
Baqeri, who said -- a “much larger” response
awaits Israel “if it retaliates against Iran.”
Baqeri also warned the US: that any backing of Israeli
retaliation would result in its bases being targeted
by Iran.
Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)
Major General Hossein Salami also warned on Sunday
--- that Tehran would retaliate against any Israeli
attacks on its interests, officials or citizens.
“From now on, whenever Israel attacks Iranian interests,
assets, figures, citizens at any point, we will attack
from Iran,” he said.
Iran’s permanent mission to the United Nations also said
in a statement on Sunday that Tehran’s response to
Israeli aggression was a “legitimate defense” in
accordance with the UN charter, warning the
US to “stay away” from the matter.
“The matter can be deemed concluded. However, should
the Israeli regime make another mistake.... Iran’s
response will be considerably more severe,”
said the statement.
______________________________________________
Israel --- continues to block aid
deliveries into famine-stricken
Gaza: Rights group
April 15th, 11:05am
(PressTV)
Israel has continued to obstruct the delivery of aid into
Gaza amid its 7-month genocidal war on the besieged
territory, using food as a tool to “pressure” and
“blackmail” Palestinians, according to a
rights group.
A report ---- by the European-Mediterranean Human Rights
Monitor published on Monday, said Israel is continuously
limiting the entry and distribution of aid into Gaza,
------ especially the Gaza City and North Gaza
governorates ---- where at least 300,000
people reside.. according to
UN estimates.
Israel’s war on Gaza which began on October 7 in the
aftermath of Hamas’s Operation Al-Aqsa Storm, has
so far killed nearly 33,800 people with thousands
more presumed dead under the rubble.
The recent report warns that the chokehold on aid
threatens to exacerbate and deepen the wide-
spread famine in the area --- confirming aid
agencies’ fears that deaths by starvation
and diseases may top deaths by bombs
in Gaza.
“Israel’s restriction of humanitarian access into the Gaza
Strip, particularly the strip’s northern parts, and its
impeding of the timely delivery of life-saving food
supplies --- is drastically worsening the already
direfood insecurity faced by the Palestinian
population there,” it said.
According to the report, Israel currently allows 169 trucks
to cross daily into Gaza via the Kerem Abu Slem/Kerem
Shalom crossing and the Rafah land crossing since
early April.
“This is still far less than the 500 trucks per day that were
entering the strip prior to October 7, as well as the
operational capacity of both border crossings,”
it said.
The report warned that the restrictions on allowing aid
into the war-battered territories - are putting more
people at risk of dying from starvation.
Gaza’s Health Ministry reported that as of April 1,
32 people, including 28 children, had died of
malnutrition and dehydration at hospitals
in northern Gaza.
Euro-Med Monitor also criticized Israeli authorities for
continuing to impede the entry of humanitarian aid
into the strip via the land crossings and ensuring
that aid cannot enter in a timely, efficient, and
systematic manner.
Israeli ministers have “openly stated that starvation and
aid must be used as a tool of pressure, blackmail, and
weaponry in the current military attacks,” it said.
“Israel persists - in its crime of starving the strip’s civilian
population despite all of the legally-binding international
resolutions and the obligations placed upon it,” it said,
citing the Genocide Convention - and the UN Security
Council resolution adopted on March 25 demanding
an immediate ceasefire and “the urgent need to
expand the flow” of aid into Gaza.
Israel blocks food trucks 3 times
more than other aid in Gaza: UN
Famine has been projected to arrive in the north of
Gaza “anytime between mid-March and May 2024."
The report also warned that not allowing sufficient
amounts of aid into the besieged Gaza Strip has
already caused residents to lose unhealthy
amounts of weight.
The latest analysis from the Integrated Food Security
Phase Classification (IPC) partnership released in
March warned that the situation in Gaza is
catastrophic, with northern Gaza facing
imminent famine and the rest of the
strip at risk -- as well.
It concluded that famine may occur by the end of May
2024 if the war did not end and sustained access for
the provision of essential supplies and services to
the population did not take place.
Meanwhile, international charity group Oxfam recently
revealed that people in northern Gaza have been
forced to survive on an average of just 245
calories a day since January. Adults
typically require between 1,600–
3,000 calories per day.
According the Euro-Med Monitor report, Palestinians also
have to risk their lives by waiting for aid trucks near
Israeli checkpoints, which have become death
points, as hungry crowds of civilians ---- are
frequently targeted by the Israeli military.
On 29 February, Israeli troops fired on crowds of
Palestinians gathered to collect flour in the
southwest of Gaza City, killing at least
112 people and injuring some 760.
Israel has been claiming for weeks that there has been a
change in the amount of aid entering the Strip, but the
report said ------- no real action has been taken.
“The number of trucks permitted to enter the Strip,
particularly Gaza City and North Gaza, remain
unaltered. Moreover -- the Erez/Beit Hanoun
checkpoint in the north of Gaza remains
closed,” it said.
There are only three roads that Israel permits
humanitarian relief convoys to use to reach
the northern Gaza Strip - and these roads
are “in very poor condition” and do not
provide any security guarantees, the
report added.
According to a recent report by the United Nations Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
access into Gaza is characterized by “lengthy
inspection processes, fuel shortages
resulting from Israeli restrictions...
and restrictions on the movement
of trucks, convoys.. and vetted
drivers and congestion ---- at
the Kerem Shalom crossing.”
_________________________________________________
Iran’s retaliatory attack against Israel
‘necessary, appropriate’:
FM spokesman
April 15th, 10:47am
(PressTV)
Iran’s retaliatory operation against Israel was a
“necessary and proportionate” action taken in
defense of the country’s national security,
says Foreign Ministry spokesman
Nasser Kan’ani.
Kan’ani made the remarks during a press briefing on
Monday, a day after Iranian Armed Forces launched
hundreds of missiles and drones at the occupied
territories in retaliation for the Israeli regime’s
April 1 terrorist strike on the Islamic
Republic’s consulate in Syria.
“Iran’s action was necessary and proportionate ------- and
targeted military sites. Iran acted to defend its national
security and interests given the lack of action by the
UN Security Council and the ensuing irresponsible
behaviour of the US, UK and France,” he said.
Kan’ani also stressed that the Islamic Republic does not
seek an escalation of regional tensions, adding,
however --- that the country will act “more
strongly” within the framework of the
UN Charter, to deter and punish
an aggressor who crosses
its red lines.
Overnight on Saturday and early Sunday morning, more
than 300 Iranian drones and missiles rained down on
targets in the Israeli-occupied lands.
The large-scale operation came less than two weeks after
Israeli warplanes bombed the consular annex of Iran’s
embassy in the Syrian capital of Damascus, killing
seven members of the Islamic Revolution Guards
Corps (IRGC) who were on an advisory mission
to the Arab country.
The chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces says the
country has concluded its retaliatory strikes on
the occupied territories ---- warning of a
“stronger” reaction if the Israeli
regime responds.
Also in his remarks, the top diplomat said that Iran, as “a
power that creates security”, exercised its inherent
right to defend itself under Article 51 of the
UN Charter.
“Iran and its diplomatic apparatus and Armed Forces acted
professionally… and delivered a legitimate response to the
[Israeli] regime’s act of aggression. Iran acted logically
and responsibly,” he added.
“We had issued the necessary warnings before taking
action… acted powerfully and will continue to do so.”
Legitimate attack
Commenting on the Western countries‘ condemnation of
the retaliatory operation, Kan’ani said that they should
take into account that the attack was legitimate and
“appreciate Iran’s restraint concerning regional
security and peace in recent months.”
“Instead of making accusations against Iran, they (the
Western states) should ask themselves what they
have done, in the course of seven months of an
open genocide and why they have not fulfilled
their legal and moral responsibility towards
Palestine,” he noted.
Israel waged a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October
7, after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried
out a historic operation against the usurping entity in
retaliation for the regime’s intensified atrocities
against the Palestinian people.
So far, Israel has killed at least 33,797 Palestinians,
mostly women and children, and injured
76,465 others.
________________________________________________
Press TV exclusive: All hypersonic missiles
used in Iran's strikes against Israel
hit their targets
April 15th, 9:41am
(PressTV)
All the hypersonic missiles used in Iran's punitive strikes
against Israel have hit their targets after evading the
regime's air defense systems, Press TV reports.
Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) launched
extensive missile and drone strikes late Saturday night
on the occupied territories, marking the first time the
Islamic Republic employed such weapons against
real targets.
The series of retaliatory strikes, dubbed Operation True
Promise, inflicted damage on Israeli military bases
across the occupied territories.
Sources informed Press TV that the Israeli regime and its
supporters failed to intercept any of the hypersonic
missiles fired by Iran.
Iran is among few countries that posses the technology
to produce hypersonic missiles which can travel at
stunning speeds and hit their targets with
great precision.
Iran’s hypersonic missiles are highly maneuverable,
enabling them to have an unpredictable flight path
in order to confuse enemy’s missile shields.
The chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major
General Mohammad Baqeri, said on Sunday -- that
Iran hit a large intelligence base in the occupied
lands and Israel’s Nevatim Airbase, from where
an F-35 jet took off to target Iran’s diplomatic
premises in Damascus.
He added that the strikes “reached its goals” as
the regime’s so-called Iron Dome system failed
to deal with the Iranian missiles and
drones properly.
The IRGC's operation was carried out in retaliation for a
missile attack by Israel on Iran's diplomatic premises
in the Syrian capital of Damascus earlier in April.
The terrorist attack drew categorical condemnation
from senior Iranian political and military leaders,
who vowed “definitive revenge.”
During a speech in Tehran on Wednesday -- after leading
the Eid al-Fitr prayers, Leader of the Islamic Revolution,
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said the Israeli regime
“must be punished and will be punished” --- for its
deadly strike on Iranian diplomatic premises.
The Leader added, “The evil Zionist regime committed
another mistake ... and that was the attack on the
Iranian consulate in Syria. The consulate and
diplomatic missions in any country -- are
considered to be the territory of that
country. When they attack our
consulate ---- it means they
have attacked our soil."
__________________________________________________
Time for Accountability: Iranian
UN Mission Calls for Action
Against ‘Israel’
April 15th, 9:19am
(al Manar)
Iran’s representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeid
Iravani, has made a bold statement -------- calling for
accountability for “Israel” following a retaliatory
attack on military sites. Iravani emphasized
that the attack was carried out in self-
defense and in accordance with
international law.
During an emergency meeting of the Security Council,
Iran’s UN representative criticized Western countries
for challenging Iran’s right to defend itself and
accused them of protecting the crimes
committed by “Israel.”
Iravani stressed that Iran has shown restraint but now
is the time to hold “Israel” accountable for its actions.
In a similar vein, Syria’s representative to the UN, Qusay
al-Dahhak, supported Iran’s actions, labeling them as
self-defense. He called on Western countries to
reconsider their policies towards the region,
especially in light of the unchecked
aggression by “Israel.”
Both representatives emphasized the need for the Security
Council - to fulfill its duty in response to the actions of
“Israel” and to work towards peace and stability in
the region. The strong statements made by Iran
and Syria ------ signal a growing demand for
accountability and justice --- in the face
of ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Russia --- Slams UN Meeting on
Iran Retaliation as Hypocritical
Russia’s UN envoy, Vasily Nebenzya, criticized a recent
Security Council meeting on Iran’s retaliatory strikes
against the Israeli regime’s terrorist attack.
Nebenzya called the meeting - a “display
of hypocrisy and double standards,
which is almost embarrassing
to watch.”
Nebenzya pointed out that according to international law,
an attack on a diplomatic mission is a casus belli, or an
act justifying war. He argued that if Western missions
were attacked, the response would be swift and
unquestionable. He accused Western nations
of valuing the protection of their own
citizens and missions above
all else.
The Israeli attack, which took place on April 1st, resulted in
the deaths of several Iranian officials, including Brigadier
General Mohammad Reza Zahedi --- and General
Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi, both prominent
commanders in Iran’s Islamic Revolution
Guards Corps (IRGC). Five
accompanying officers
were also killed.
In response to the attack, the IRGC launched a retaliation
named Operation True Promise. Late on Saturday, a
barrage of drones and missiles were launched
against Israeli military bases within the
occupied territories. The extent of
the damage inflicted -- is yet
to be determined.
The UN meeting - which took place on Sunday - aimed to
discuss Iran’s actions and the potential repercussions.
However.... Russia criticized the gathering as
hypocritical, highlighting the apparent bias
towards Western interests in the
international community. The
denouncement sheds light
on the complex dynamics
and growing tensions in
the Middle East region.
Source: Agencies (edited and translated
by Al-Manar English Website)
________________________________________
Iran's historic operation against Israel
rooted in Palestine's freedom struggle
April 15th, 8:05am
by Iqbal Jassat
The eve of April 14, 2024, and the hours that followed into
the night will be recorded in history as truly momentous,
for it saw the Islamic Republic of Iran launch a military
operation directly from its soil on apartheid Israel’s
colonial regime.
‘Operation True Promise’, as it was called, was a natural
and legitimate response to the Tel Aviv regime’s illegal
airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus two
weeks ago, which resulted in the assassination
of seven Iranian military officials, including
a senior IRGC commander.
Settlers attest to the tense hours when Iranian long-range
drones and ballistic missiles hovered over the night skies
of the occupied territories as bewildering, shocking
and alarming.
Many said they spent the night - in bunkers and
safe rooms, frightened, anxious, and sleepless.
It was a new reality they were confronted with, to have
been on the receiving end of an attack, much different
from being cheerleaders to the slaughter of thousands
of innocent Palestinians in Gaza and the repetitive
pogroms in the occupied West Bank.
A columnist in Forward described the somber reality of the
effects of Iran's retaliatory strikes in the following words:
"Sunday, is the start of the Israeli working week, but
schools and many offices were closed for the day.
This cosmopolitan city’s typically crowded light
rail was sparse and remarkably silent, with
the few passengers glued to their smart-
phones... looking for answers nobody
could seem to find".
While the uncertainty of the result of Iran's epoch-making
attack has preoccupied military analysts keen to find
answers, they certainly cannot ignore the fact that
the regime’s deterrence capacity -- has been
severely compromised and its much-hyped
intelligence prowess has been exposed
as a myth.
Former French military mission chief to the United Nations,
General Dominique Trinquand made an important point:
"The significant development in this conflict, is that
Iran has directly hit Israel".
Though advanced US defense technology intervened
on behalf of Israel to intercept many of the drones
and missiles, the Iranian attack.... "carries
significant weight", he hastened
to add.
"One cannot underestimate the number of missiles and
drones fired at Israel from Iran, Iraq, Yemen and
Lebanon, with strikes on the Golan Heights,”
he wrote.
An equally important observation, was made by
Didier Leroy, a researcher at the Royal Military
Academy of Belgium.
According to him, "We have crossed a qualitative
threshold --- that changes the dynamics and
repositions Iran on the map as an active
military player."
From his vantage point as a former director of Israeli
military intelligence, Amos Yadlin predicted that the
Iranian attack may lead to a strategic change in
"the war in Gaza.... and even to its end."
The military decree issued by Israel’s war cabinet to block
information on the damage caused by Iran's attacks has
gagged local and international media platforms - and
denied access to independently verify claims that -
"minimal" damage had occurred.
Such repressive conduct which unfairly censors news
content has given the regime carte blanche to
disseminate propaganda couched as
"information" ...but far removed
from truth and accuracy.
A prominent Iranian analyst, Professor Sayed Mohammed
Marandi, insisted that Iran's main targets were two
Israeli regime airbases. And that 20 or more
missiles struck their targets.
“The other drones and older generation missiles were
inexpensive decoys, that depleted the Israeli air
defense capabilities of most of its very
expensive missiles,” he noted.
Skeptics who may argue that Iran's attack was a failure
either ignore or deliberately obfuscate the new reality
of deterrence injected by the Islamic Republic.
From an Iranian perspective, the attack on its consulate in
Damascus was a redline which, if not retaliated against,
would erase any notion of deterrence ---- opening the
door for even more brazen Israeli military actions,
up to and including - direct attacks on Iran.
No wonder that former US Marine Corps intelligence officer
Scott Ritter described Iran's retaliatory attack as one of
the "greatest victories of this century."
''“Operation True Promise” will go down in history as one
of the most important military victories in the history
of modern Iran, keeping in mind that war is but an
extension of politics by other means.''
''The fact that Iran has established a credible deterrence
posture, without disrupting major policy goals and
objectives, is the very definition of victory,''
wrote Ritter.
This point is also emphasized by Palestinian academic
Professor Sami Al-Arian. He insists that the theory of
Israeli deterrence --- has been greatly undermined.
"The strategic situation of the Zionist regime after October
7 is not the same as it was before. Similarly, the regional
strategic situation after April 14 is not the same as well,”
he said.
No matter how Israel’s racist right-wing regime headed
by a megalomaniac war-monger Benjamin Netanyahu
attempts to spin its lockdown as a "victory", the
facts dispute this narrative.
Iran's prestige as the foremost supporter of Palestine's
freedom struggle has been enormously bolstered. It is
a position it has not shied away from nor concealed.
In fact, part of the strategic calibration that went into its
well-coordinated retaliatory attack - has been to ensure
that Gaza’s plight is neither overshadowed nor forsaken.
Unsurprisingly Gaza-based resistance movement Hamas
backed Iran and affirmed “the natural right” of countries
and peoples in West Asia to defend themselves “in the
face of Zionist aggressions”.
“The military operation.. carried out by Iran against the
Zionist entity is a natural right and a due response to
the crime of targeting the consulate in Damascus,”
it said.
The most important lesson of Iran's heroic mission is
that fighting for liberation, defending sovereignty,
and resisting occupation and oppression is a
just cause.
Iqbal Jassat is an executive member of Media
Review Network, Johannesburg, South Africa.
(The views expressed in this article ---- do
not necessarily reflect those of Press TV)
_________________________________________________
Israel ‘main source of insecurity’ in
West Asia: Iran’s foreign minister
April 15th, 7:05am
(PressTV)
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian
has denounced Israel as the root cause of
insecurity gripping West Asia.
“The main source of insecurity is the occupying Zionist
regime,” Amir-Abdollahian said during a Sunday
telephone conversation with the Qatari Prime
Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman
bin Jassim Al Thani.
The top Iranian diplomat also briefed his Qatari
counterpart on recent developments in the
region & the Islamic Republic’s legitimate
act of self-defense that involved a major
attack on the occupied territories.
Sheikh Mohammed underlined the need for security
in West Asia, saying the actions of the Israeli
regime have caused regional instability.
The two sides also discussed the developments in the
Gaza Strip and called for an end to Israeli war crimes
and the humanitarian suffering in Gaza and the
West Bank.
Additionally on Sunday, the Iranian foreign minister
had a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart,
Sameh Shoukry.
Amir-Abdollahian emphasized Tehran’s principled position
against the war in the region, saying, “Everyone should
work to stop the genocide and war crimes in Gaza.”
He further expounded Iran’s views about its
retaliatory operation against Israel based
on Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Shoukry, for his part, expressed concerns about growing
tensions in the region as the Israeli regime continues
its war on Gaza and kills Palestinian people.
Egypt, he added, will keep up its active
efforts to stop the Gaza war.
In another telephone conversation, Amir-Abdollahian
talked with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal
bin Farhan Al Saud.
The Iranian foreign ministry elaborated on Iran’s
diplomatic actions over the past two weeks
regarding Israel’s acts of aggression and
the UN Security Council’s inaction in
this regard.
Iran’s retaliatory operation against Israel was conducted
within the framework of legitimate defense under
Article 51 of the UN Charter, he asserted.
Prince Faisal, for his part, expressed gratitude for
the explanations provided by Amirabdollahian
and underscored the imperative need for
regional stability and security, as well
as enhanced bilateral cooperation.
______________________________________________
Era of strategic patience 'over';
Israel's war between wars is
defeated: Raeisi's deputy
April 15th, 7am
(PressTV)
Iran’s retaliatory strikes on the Israeli-occupied territories
signify the end of the “strategic patience” era, according
to the Iranian president’s deputy chief of staff for
political affairs.
Mohammad Jamshidi made the remark --- in a post on his X
account on Sunday after Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards
Corps (IRGC) launched extensive missile and drone
strikes on the occupied territories - in response
to Israel’s deadly offensive on the consular
section of the Iranian embassy in the
Syrian capital of Damascus -
on April 1.
The retaliatory strikes, dubbed Operation True Promise,
inflicted damage on Israeli military bases across the
occupied territories, the extent of which is yet
to be specified.
“Iran’s victorious Operation True Promise, means that
the era of strategic patience is over, and the Israeli
strategy of war between wars has been defeated,”
Jamshidi wrote.
He said the operation changed the equation.
The official warned Israel of Iran’s “direct and
punishing response” if the regime targets
Iranian personnel and assets.
The chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces says
the country has concluded its retaliatory strikes
on the occupied territories, warning of a
“stronger” reaction - if the Israeli
regime responds.
The chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major
General Mohammad Baqeri, said on Sunday --- that
Iran hit a large intelligence base in the occupied
lands and Israel’s Nevatim Airbase, from where
an F-35 jet took off to target Iran’s diplomatic
premises in Damascus.
He added that the strikes “reached its goals” as the
regime’s so-called Iron Dome system failed to deal
with the Iranian missiles and drones properly.