Iran executes three prisoners accused of spying for Israel
IRNA said Iran's judiciary claimed the men had been accused of bringing 'assassination equipment' into the country.
Iran has carried out several hangings during its war with Israel, sparking fears from activists that it could conduct a wave of executions after the conflict ended.
Iran identified the three men executed as Azad Shojaei, Edris Aali and Iraqi national Rasoul Ahmad Rasoul.
Amnesty International had previously raised concerns that the men could be executed.
Wednesday's executions bring the total number of hangings for espionage around the war up to six since June 16.
Activists fear more people will be executed, particularly after Iran's theocracy issued a deadline for people to turn themselves in over spying.
People in Iran, meanwhile, began trying to return to their normal lives as a shaky ceasefire with Israel, negotiated by US President Donald Trump, appeared to be holding.
State media described heavy traffic around the Caspian Sea area and other rural areas outside of the capital, Tehran, as people began returning to the city.
Tehran experienced intense Israeli airstrikes throughout the war, including those that targeted Iran's top military leadership and other sites associated with its ruling theocracy.
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Spectator
3 hours ago
- Spectator
Hamas's new hostage deal is a catch-22 for Netanyahu
The fragile negotiations between Israel and Hamas have once again entered a decisive phase, marked by the unveiling of a new ceasefire-hostage release proposal brokered by Egypt and Qatar. This proposal, which Hamas has reportedly accepted, includes notable shifts in its previous demands. Yet the core dilemma confronting the Israeli leadership remains unchanged: whether to accept a partial agreement that could save lives in the short term but risks undermining its broader strategic aims. According to multiple sources, Hamas has moderated two of its key positions that previously stalled talks. It is now seeking the release of 140 prisoners serving life sentences instead of 200, and has agreed to a slightly wider Israeli buffer zone along Gaza's border. The television channel Al-Mayadeen reports additional concessions: a 1,000-metre IDF withdrawal in most of northern and eastern Gaza (excluding Shuja'iyya and Beit Lahia), the release of ten living hostages in exchange for 140 life-term prisoners and 60 others serving long sentences, as well as the release of all female and minor prisoners. It is also demanding a change in IDF deployment maps and substantial humanitarian aid, to be delivered by the UN and Red Crescent. While these adjustments suggest a degree of flexibility, the broader picture points to a different calculus. According to Arab and Israeli sources, Hamas's sudden willingness to compromise follows intensifying military pressure and credible threats of an Israeli ground offensive into Gaza City. As Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich noted: Hamas is under great pressure due to the conquest of Gaza because it understands that this will eliminate it and end the story. Therefore, it is trying to stop it by bringing back the partial deal. This observation aligns with a pattern long evident: concessions from Hamas arise not from diplomacy but from duress. The paradox of Western recognition initiatives for a Palestinian state is that they often relieve pressure at precisely the moment it must be maintained. When Britain, Australia, Canada and others rushed to endorse Palestinian statehood in the wake of stagnated negotiations, they unintentionally signalled to Hamas that maximalist demands could be rewarded without compromise. Only when the IDF renewed its offensive posture, preparing for a move on Gaza City, did Hamas inch toward realism. Israel now faces a high-stakes decision. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following a visit to the Gaza Division, later addressed the nation, lauding the IDF's achievements and affirming the military's commitment to defeating Hamas and freeing all hostages. He spoke of the 'fighting spirit' of the troops and claimed that 'Hamas is under atomic pressure'. And yet, behind the rhetoric lies ambiguity. A senior political source maintains that Israel's official position demands the release of all hostages and the fulfilment of previously defined conditions. However, Netanyahu's own remarks do not explicitly rule out a partial agreement, and political observers note that if a deal approximating the 'Witkoff formula' emerges, it will be politically difficult to reject. Domestically, the prime minister's manoeuvring space is enhanced by the Knesset recess, which suspends immediate parliamentary scrutiny. Among the families of the hostages, there is no single voice. The Tikva Forum, known for its more hardline and pro-government stance, has denounced any partial deal as a 'disgrace', accusing Hamas of mockery and Netanyahu of fearfulness. But many other hostage families – those more prominently represented in public discourse – have expressed support for a deal that could return their loved ones alive, even at great cost. Their anguish is genuine, their moral authority undeniable. Yet the government must consider a broader matrix of responsibilities: to hostages, yes, but also to future victims should Hamas be allowed to regroup. At issue is not only the number of hostages returned, but the legitimacy of the war's strategic aims. If Israel accepts a deal that leaves Hamas's core leadership intact and its military capability partially restored, it may achieve tactical relief at the cost of long-term security. Worse, it may reward the very behaviour it seeks to deter. There is also a perceptible gap between Palestinian negotiators and their own fighters. At various times, there have been signs that commitments made by Hamas delegates in Doha or Cairo are not always clearly aligned with the actions of combat units within Gaza. The grotesque propaganda spectacles staged by Hamas during previous hostage releases underscored its disdain for international norms and the suffering of those involved. In one instance, the group returned an incorrect body; in another, it attempted to substitute agreed hostages with others not included in the talks. Such conduct reveals not only a breakdown in internal coordination, but a willingness to degrade and mock the very process to which it nominally consents. This structural ambiguity within Hamas complicates any agreement's enforceability. Israel must therefore ask not only whether Hamas is willing to make a deal, but whether it is capable of enforcing one. The current moment is shaped by a collision of imperatives. The moral imperative to save lives. The strategic imperative to dismantle a genocidal militia. The political imperative to maintain domestic unity. And the diplomatic imperative to navigate global scrutiny. A partial deal may deliver immediate humanitarian relief and limited hostage returns, but it risks preserving Hamas as a political actor and inviting future bloodshed.
Glasgow Times
4 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Hamas accepts ceasefire proposal on Gaza as Palestinian death toll passes 62,000
US President Donald Trump meanwhile appeared to cast doubt on the long-running negotiations. 'We will only see the return of the remaining hostages when Hamas is confronted and destroyed!!! The sooner this takes place, the better the chances of success will be,' he posted on his Truth Social site. Smoke rises to the sky following an Israeli army airstrike in Khan Younis, in the Gaza Strip (Mariam Dagga/AP) Israel announced plans to reoccupy Gaza City and other heavy populated areas after the ceasefire talks appeared to have broken down last month, raising the possibility of a worsening of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, which experts say is sliding into famine. Plans to expand the offensive, which are in part aimed at pressuring Hamas, have sparked international outrage and infuriated many Israelis who fear for the remaining hostages taken in the October 7 attack that started the war. Hundreds of thousands took part in mass protests on Sunday calling for their return. Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty said mediators are 'exerting extensive efforts' to revive a US proposal for a 60-day ceasefire, during which some hostages would be released and the sides would negotiate a lasting ceasefire and the return of the rest. He spoke during a visit to Egypt's Rafah crossing with Gaza, which has not functioned since Israel seized the Palestinian side in May 2024. He was accompanied by Mohammad Mustafa, the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority, which has been largely sidelined since the war began. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa and Egyptian foreign minister Badr Abdelatty attend a press conference during their visit to Rafah crossing (Mayar Mokhtar/AP) Mr Abdelatty said Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani had joined the talks, which include senior Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, who arrived in Cairo last week. He said they are open to other ideas, including for a comprehensive deal that would release all the hostages at once. Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, later told The Associated Press that the militant group had accepted the proposal introduced by the mediators, without elaborating. An Egyptian official, speaking to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive talks, said the proposal includes changes to Israel's pullback of its forces and guarantees for negotiations on a lasting ceasefire during the initial truce. The official said it is almost identical to an earlier proposal accepted by Israel, which has not yet joined the latest talks. Diaa Rashwan, head of the Egypt State Information Service, told the AP that Egypt and Qatar have sent the Hamas-accepted proposal to Israel. An Israeli official said Israel's positions, including on the release of all hostages, had not changed from previous rounds of talks. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue the war until all the hostages are returned and Hamas has been disarmed, and to maintain lasting security control over Gaza. Egyptian Red Crescent members prepare humanitarian aid at their warehouse in the logistical centre supporting Gaza in Egypt (Mayar Mokhtar/AP) Hamas has said it will only release the remaining hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. – Palestinian death toll surpasses 62,000 The Gaza Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war had climbed to 62,004, with another 156,230 people wounded. It does not say how many were civilians or combatants, but says women and children make up around half the dead. The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government and staffed by medical professionals. The UN and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of wartime casualties. Israel disputes its toll but has not provided its own. The ministry said 1,965 people have been killed while seeking humanitarian aid since May, either in the chaos around UN convoys or while heading to sites operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an Israeli-backed American contractor. Witnesses, health officials and the UN human rights office say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired toward crowds of people seeking aid. Israel says it has only fired warning shots at people who approached its forces while GHF says its armed contractors have only used pepper spray or fired into the air on rare occasions to prevent deadly crowding.
The Herald Scotland
5 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Royal Navy should sail to Gaza to deliver aid, says MSP
Humanitarian groups, including Oxfam and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), say they are increasingly being told they are "not authorised" to deliver aid, unless they comply with the stricter Israeli regulations. Groups risk being banned if they "delegitimise" the state of Israel or do not provide detailed information about Palestinian staff, the letter says. Israel denies there are restrictions on aid and says the rules, introduced in March, ensure that aid "reaches the population directly and not Hamas". The UN this month reported that 859 Palestinians had been killed near GHF sites since May, a figure the GHF denies. Hamas's 2023 attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel, with 251 seized and taken into Gaza as hostages. Read more: Israel's offensive has since killed nearly 62,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. It said last week that 235 people including 106 children have also died due to starvation and malnutrition. "There is absolutely nothing stopping European nations from breaking the siege," Mr Greer told The Herald. "If the British navy sailed to Gaza right now, there is nothing Israel could do to stop them. "We are allowing this starvation to take place. The aid could be put onto British naval ships and sailed to Gaza which is on the coast. "We couldn't reach the West Bank without going through the territory of another country. If you wanted to get to Gaza through the Rafa crossing you would need to get Egypt to agree if you wanted to get to the West Bank you would need Jordan to agree, but there is nothing stopping us from sailing straight to Gaza to break the siege." According to the letter by the humanitarian groups, most major international non-governmental organisations (NGO) have been unable to deliver a single truck of lifesaving supplies since 2 March. Scottish Greens MSP and leadership candidate Ross Greer (Image: Colin Mearns) They say Israeli authorities "have rejected requests from dozens of non-governmental organisations to bring in lifesaving goods", citing the new rules. More than 60 requests were denied in July alone. Aid groups' inability to deliver aid has "left hospitals without basic supplies, children, people with disabilities, and older people dying from hunger and preventable illnesses", the statement said. Mr Greer has previously called on the Scottish Government to boycott trade ties with Israel. Mr Greer wrote to the First Minister earlier this month demanding that he adopt the principles of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, which aims to put pressure on the Israeli economy in the mould of the anti-apartheid boycott of South Africa. Read more: A Scottish Government spokesperson said ministers would 'consider' the proposal, which would see official guidance issued to businesses urging them to end trade with Israel, as was done with Russia in 2022. Mr Greer's letter to John Swinney welcomed the First Minister's acknowledgement that 'there is a genocide in Palestine', but the MSP said he disagreed with the assertion that he was 'trying to do everything I possibly can do to make sure that we apply the pressure' on Israel. Before setting out measures to implement the BDS campaign's demands, Mr Greer said: 'As we both know and have previously discussed, there is much more which the Scottish Government can be doing to put pressure on Israel to end its genocide in Palestine.' He called for the Scottish Government to scrap part of the Local Government Act 1988 to allow councils to bar companies from winning contracts if they participated in the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. Mr Greer suggested this could be achieved through an amendment to the Community Wealth Building Bill. As well as issuing guidance to businesses recommending that they halt trade with Israel, Mr Greer suggested the Scottish Government should stop funding arms firms which have supplied Israel during the war and 'all other companies directly complicit in the occupation'. Mr Greer told The Herald: "John Swinney rightly said that what Israel is doing to Palestine is genocide and I was glad he said it. "I took issue with the fact that he said the Scottish Government is doing all that it can. That is not the case. "The moment that Russia launched the full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 the Scottish Government issued an instruction to every business in Scotland telling them to stop all trade with Russia. They have never done that with Israel. "Israel is unequivocally committing a genocide and our government has not only failed to encourage businesses to cut ties with Israel but our government itself has not cut ties. "So what I have proposed is to take the list of companies identified by the United Nations as being directly complicit in the genocide and the illegal occupation and disqualify every one of those companies from being able to bid for public sector contracts in Scotland or being able to receive grants of public money in Scotland that we amend the local government act to allow councils to adopt their own boycott policies. "As it stands local councils are not legally allowed to essentially set boycott policies based on geography that is a legacy of Margaret Thatcher's. She wanted to make it impossible for councils in the UK to boycott South African Apartheid so she banned it. "It is still in law. So I am asking the Scottish Government, who have responsibility for this now, to remove it from the law because I think councils in Scotland should be able to boycott Russia and Israel as they are two countries committing the most horrendous war crimes at the moment. A Scottish Government spokesperson previously said: 'The Scottish Government has repeatedly called for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and an urgent increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza. The Scottish Government will continue to press the UK Government to recognise a sovereign Palestinian state, as part of a two-state solution to secure lasting peace in the region. 'Ministers will consider and reply to Mr Greer's letter.' The Ministry of Defence was approached for comment.
