Day: March 24, 2024

ANKARA: The EU on Sunday condemned the Israeli seizure of 800 hectares of land in the Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank. 'The European Union firmly condemns the announcement by Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich that over 800 hectares of land in the occupied Palestinian territory have been declared as 'state lands',' the EU said in a statement. This is the largest confiscation since the Oslo Accords was signed between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Israel in 1994, it said. 'Settlements are a grave breach of international humanitarian law. At this week's European Council, EU leaders condemned Israeli Government decisions to further expand illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, urging Israel to reverse these decisions,' it added. The statement also said the EU is determined to fight such terrorism in word and deed, by continuously condemning Hamas in the strongest possible terms and through sanctions and other measures. The Palestinian presidency condemned the Isra eli government's decision to seize the land in the Jordan Valley. Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations have pointed to a noticeable increase in settlement activity in the West Bank since the formation of Benjamin Netanyahu's government at the end of 2022. According to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission estimates, more than 720,000 Israelis reside in illegal settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The international community agrees that settlements are 'illegal' and constitute an obstacle to the implementation of the 'two-state solution,' which calls for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Germany and Spain on Sunday condemned Israel's decision to seize 800 hectares of land belonging to the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank's Jordan Valley region. "We strongly condemn the announcement to confiscate over 800 hectares of land in the Palestinian Territories as Israeli "state land". This would be the largest appropriation in over 30 years," Germany's Foreign Ministry said on X. "The settlements violate international law and fuel further tensions in this extremely fragile situation," it added. Spain's coalition government also "strongly condemned" Israel's decision to annex parts of the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley. "The government firmly condemns Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich's announcement of the confiscation of lands within the occupied Palestinian territories," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website. "This announcement, manifestly against international law, aggravates the regional conflict and makes international efforts to move towards a ceas efire more difficult. Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories constitute a breach of international law and are an obstacle to peace," it stressed. According to the news on Israel's state television channel KAN, the Israeli government reportedly seized 800 hectares of land in the Jordan Valley region of the occupied West Bank, claiming it as "state land." It was stated that the seized land could be used for the construction of illegal Jewish settlements. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Three armed people on Sunday attempted to break into a police station in Armenia's capital Yerevan, during which two of the three assailants were injured. A statement by the Armenian Interior Ministry said the armed assailants tried to break into the administrative building of the ministry's police department in Yerevan's Nor Nork district. The statement further said the assailants used a grenade, injuring two of the three assailants. 'One person is currently armed in front of the police station. Appropriate work is being done to neutralize him,' it added. The Russian state news agency TASS reported that Armenian special forces entered the police station building and detained the attacker. TASS further reported that the area surrounding the police station is currently cordoned off, adding that emergency services arrived at the scene. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Tajik President Emomali Rahmon on Sunday condemned the "terrorist attack" on the Crocus City Hall concert hall in Russia's Moscow region during a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. A statement by the Tajik presidency said Rahmon emphasized that 'terrorists have no nationality, no homeland, and no religion,' further expressing his wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured and his condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed in the attack. "In the mournful hour of national mourning in the Russian Federation, the head of our state emphasized the solidarity of all citizens of Tajikistan with the fraternal Russian people," the statement added. It also said Rahmon and Putin confirmed their intention to continue close cooperation in fighting "terrorism, extremism, and manifestations of religious radicalism, which pose a serious threat to security." "In this context, the importance of further strengthening common efforts to maintain contacts and coordination between relevant agencies and services was noted in order to effectively respond to and jointly combat these threats," it concluded. At least 133 people were killed and 152 others injured after gunmen on Friday opened fire when rock band Picnic was about to perform at the Crocus City Hall just west of Moscow. Russia's Investigative Committee said it detained 11 people, including four perpetrators, in the border region of Bryansk on their way to Ukraine. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: The Israeli army launched a new military operation in Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza Strip, the military said on Sunday. A military statement said around 40 targets were struck in the operation in Al-Amal neighborhood in the city's southern part. There were no reports yet of casualties. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said early Sunday that Israeli forces had stormed the Nasser Medical Complex and Al-Amal Hospital in the city amid heavy gunfire. The organization said Israeli forces fired smoke bombs at Al-Amal Hospital to force its medical staff, patients, and displaced Palestinians sheltering at the facility to leave. One Palestinian was reportedly injured in the attack. According to the aid group, the Israeli forces demanded those inside the hospital 'to leave it half-naked.' Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 people were killed. More than 32,200 Palestinians, mostly women and child ren, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 74,500 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: Malaysia on Sunday said it was disappointed on UN Security Council's failure to pass a cease-fire resolution on the raging Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Russia and China, the two of the five permanent Security Council members, on Friday vetoed the US-proposed resolution which linked a cease-fire in Gaza to the release of hostages by Hamas. 'The resolution proposed by the US was not agreed by Russia and China because there were some things that did not touch on the whole. The US used this opportunity to call Hamas a terrorist," Mohamad Hassan was quoted as saying by state-run Bernama news agency. 'Malaysia did not agree that Hamas be termed terrorist and the resolution also did not mention that Palestinians be allowed to return to their hometowns but instead mentions that hostages from Hamas must be returned to Israel,' he said. Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed and around 250 othe rs taken as hostages. About half of the hostages were released during a week-long truce in November. More than 32,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,500 injured besides leading to mass destruction, displacement and conditions for famine. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: US Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday rejected Russian President Vladimir Putin's insinuation that Ukraine could be involved in Friday's attack on a concert hall in the Moscow region that killed at least 133 people. In an interview with ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Rachel Scott, Harris answered "no" when questioned if Washington had evidence to back Putin's accusation. 'And first, let me start by saying what has happened is an act of terrorism and the number of people who've been killed is obviously a tragedy and we should all send our condolences to those families." "No, there is no, whatsoever, any evidence and, in fact, what we know to be the case is that ISIS-K is actually, by all accounts, responsible for what happened,' she added. At least 133 people were killed and 145 others were injured after gunmen opened fire as the rock band Picnic was about to perform at the Crocus City Hall, just west of Moscow. Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the attack , including four directly involved, according to the Federal Security Service. Putin said all four people directly involved in committing the attack were arrested on their way to Ukraine, where "a window" was prepared for their escape. He did not directly blame Ukraine but also did not refer to the assessment by American officials that a branch of the Daesh/ISIS terror group was behind it. Meanwhile, officials in Ukraine, where Russia started a "special military operation" two years ago, have denied any involvement in the attack. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Russia is observing a national day of mourning on Sunday after a deadly attack at a concert hall in Moscow region. Flags were lowered to half-mast, while people laid flowers at Crocus City Hall, the concert hall where armed men opened fire on Friday, killing at least 133 people and injuring 152 others. President Vladimir Putin has pledged to punish those behind the 'purposeful massacre,' saying four gunmen trying to flee to Ukraine had been arrested. "I express my deep, sincere condolences to all those who lost their loved ones. The whole country and our entire people are grieving with you," he said in an address to the nation on Saturday. Russian authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the attack, including four directly involved, according to the Federal Security Service. Source: Anadolu Agency

ANKARA: At least 84 more Palestinians were killed in the Gaza Strip over the last 24 hours, as Israel continues its onslaught on the besieged enclave, the territory's Health Ministry said on Sunday. 'The Israeli occupation (forces) committed eight massacres against families in the Gaza Strip, leaving 84 martyrs and 106 injured during the past 24 hours,' a ministry statement said. 'Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,' it added. The casualty count since Oct. 7, 2023 has now reached 32,226 Palestinians, mostly women and children, killed, and 74,518 others injured. Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people. Besides, the war has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement, destroyed or damaged most the enclave's infrastructure, and created conditions for a famine as aid deliveries remain woefully insufficient. Israel stands accused of genocide at t he International Court of Justice, which, in an interim ruling in January, ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza. Source: Anadolu Agency