Israeli high court rules against publishing full text of Gaza ceasefire deal
The Israeli High Court of Justice rejected a petition to publish the full text of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, ruling that the government is entitled to conduct secret diplomacy, The Times of Israel reported.
The court said publishing the details would endanger the deal's implementation and that the public's right to know was not absolute.
The Israel Democracy Guard (IDG) filed the petition, arguing that Israeli citizens have the right to know the nature of the agreement, which was only partly made public.
IDG also argued that security risks regarding the deal's publication are irrelevant since Hamas is already fully aware of the terms of the agreement it signed.

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The National
40 minutes ago
- The National
How Iran's 'hybrid attack' network could retaliate against Israel in Europe
Iran can call on networks of criminals and even its own agents smuggled into Europe as migrants to carry out retaliatory attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets, following Friday's strikes by Israel. Tehran has previously relied on regional allies Hezbollah, the Houthis and Hamas to attack Israel. However, with what Tehran called its 'ring of fire' degraded, it has other avenues further afield, particularly in Europe, to hit back against Israel. These include criminals networks, most notably two based in Sweden run by Kurdish gangsters Rawa Majid and Ismail Abdo, that have been accused of carrying out attacks on Israeli targets. Majid, who is nicknamed the Kurdish Fox, and his Foxtrot network were placed under sanctions by the US and the UK this year for orchestrating an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm. Three Iranian nationals were recently charged in the UK with a plot to attack an individual on behalf of Iran. An official report released in Germany on Tuesday warned that the potential threat from Iran is growing. The findings, which summarised trends in 2024, said Iranian intelligence services can be assumed to be ready to 'pursue the interests of the country's leadership by all means – including acts of violence and even assassinations'. 'The tense security situation in the Middle East and internal tensions within the Islamic Republic of Iran shape its intelligence activities,' the Ministry of Interior document said. 'Activities directed against Germany continue to emanate primarily from the Ministry of Intelligence or MOIS. In addition to the MOIS, the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which also operates as an intelligence agency, is also active in Germany. 'Intelligence services of the Islamic Republic of Iran also use state terrorist means to achieve their goals,' it added. 'This primarily involves the intimidation and neutralisation of opposition members, but also the punishment of 'traitors' or 'defectors'. 'Iran's activities go well beyond spying on the opposition Iranian diaspora and that pro-Jewish and pro-Israeli interests and institutions in Germany are the focus of Iranian activities.' Jason Brodsky, policy director of advocacy group United Against a Nuclear Iran, told The National that European nations need to be 'extra vigilant and step up alerts' given that Iran 'has long planned contingency plans for terror operations in the West'. 'That's a risk that everyone should be alert for, especially Israel and the Jewish community, and Iran still retains that capability through the IRGC or its intelligence ministry,' Mr Brodsky said. 'They will also hire criminal networks to foment terror and undertake operations. And there are also Iranian dissidents that the regime targets. 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'Iran's brazen use of transnational criminal organisations and narcotics traffickers underscores the regime's attempts to achieve its aims through any means, with no regard for the cost to communities across Europe,' said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Iran has sought to assassinate dissidents through other criminal networks, including that of Iranian drug trafficker Naji Ibrahim Sharifi-Zindashti, who had sanctions imposed on him by the US last January. Known as 'the Big Guy', he allegedly organised the attempted murder for hire of two residents of the state of Maryland. Tehran has also used foreign individuals, known in the spying trade as 'disposable assets', to harass opponents of the regime, including employees of Iran International, a London -based dissident television channel. In December 2023, Magomed-Husejn Dovtaev, a Chechnya-born Austrian citizen was found guilty of spying on the broadcaster. Iran International was forced to move to new high-security studios after being shut down following alleged threats from the Iranian state. Two Romanian citizens were charged in December 2024 over the stabbing of Iran International journalist Pouria Zeraati. Iran International spokesman Adam Baillie said: 'We are watching developments closely and we remain as ever on high alert for the security implications.'


Gulf Today
an hour ago
- Gulf Today
Sheikh Abdullah discusses regional developments with FMs of Qatar, Oman, France, UK and Russia
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held phone conversations on Friday with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly State of Qatar; Sayyid Badr Hamad Al Busaidi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the sisterly Sultanate of Oman; Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the friendly Republic of France; and David Lammy, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the friendly United Kingdom. The discussions focused on the latest developments in the region following the Israeli military targeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The UAE top diplomat and the esteemed ministers addressed the implications of these developments on regional security and stability, as well as on international peace and security. They also explored ways to strengthen efforts to de-escalate tensions and to adopt diplomatic solutions and dialogue to resolve crises. Earlier, Sheikh Abdullah, held a phone call with Sergey Lavrov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, to discuss developments in the region following the Israeli military targeting of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The two top diplomats discussed ways to de-escalate tensions and avoid the expansion of conflict in the region. They also emphasised the importance of supporting diplomatic solutions and dialogue to resolve crises, in a manner that contributes to preserving regional security and stability. WAM

Gulf Today
an hour ago
- Gulf Today
At least 80 killed, 329 injured in Israeli strikes, says Iranian media
Israeli strikes in Iran have killed at least 80 people and injured 329, according to Iranian media. Fars News Agency said the exact death toll will be announced later by official authorities. Iran announced that Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Baqeri, Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami, and other military and civilian figures have been killed in Israeli strikes in Tehran on Friday. In a related development, the Iranian Mehr News Agency reported this afternoon that several loud blasts were heard in the cities of Kermanshah and Hamadan, western Iran, near the Nojeh Air Base. Iranian Red Crescent Society rescuers work at the scene of an explosion after an Israeli strike in Tehran. AP Meantime, the Iranian mission at the United Nations has called for an urgent Security Council meeting after Israel conducted airstrikes on some Iranian nuclear sites and civilian areas early on Friday. According to state-run news agency (IRNA), Iran — in a letter to the UNSC — also called for an UNSC emergency meeting to condemn Israel's attack on nuclear facilities and civilian areas. Iran's mission also denounced the Israeli attack as a clear violation of the UN Charter, warning that its dangerous consequences jeopardise regional and international peace and security. The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) announced that the recent Israeli strike on the underground Natanz uranium enrichment facility caused mostly superficial damage, with no radioactive leak detected. In a statement carried by the official Iranian news agency IRNA, the organisation confirmed that various parts of the Natanz complex were affected by the strike and that investigations are underway to assess the extent of the damage. The statement added that no human casualties have been reported among the site's personnel so far. The organisation also affirmed that inspections revealed no spread of radioactive or chemical contamination beyond the facility. Meanwhile, Iran's Ministry of Communications announced temporary nationwide restrictions on internet access in the wake of the Israeli airstrikes. According to a statement published by the ISNA news agency, the ministry explained that the internet restrictions are temporary and will be lifted once the situation stabilises. WAM