Latest news with #Channel14
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chikli denounces Syria's Sharaa as 'barbaric terrorist murder who should be eliminated'
"We must not stand idly by in the face of the Islamo-Nazi terror regime of al-Qaeda operatives in suits," Chikli stated. Anyone who thinks Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa is a legitimate leader is "gravely mistaken," Diaspora Affairs and Combatting Antisemitism Minister Amichai Chikli wrote on X/Twitter on Tuesday. He is "a terrorist, a barbaric murderer who should be eliminated now," Chikli added. "We must not stand idly by in the face of the Islamo-Nazi terror regime of al-Qaeda operatives in suits," Chikli stated. Sharaa was formerly aligned with al-Qaeda until splitting from the terror group in July 2016. "We saw the horrific massacre of the Alawites, which European leaders remained silent about, and we now see the acts of slaughter and humiliation against the Druze," he commented as context for his statement. "The terror regime in Syria must be fought!" he concluded. Chikli also posted a video showing footage from Israel's Channel 14, in which Sharaa, while still going by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammed al-Julani, was speaking to HTS militants in an undated video, and stated: "With Allah's help, we will not only reach Damascus, Jerusalem awaits us too." "No agreement should be made with an enemy," Chikli commented in response, stating that people refuse to learn from past mistakes, and must listen to the enemy, take them seriously, and learn about the basic concepts of political Islam. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also denounced Sharaa as having carried out a "brutal massacre." "They remain violent, cruel extremist Islamists, and the West must not be deceived by their suits and ties," Smotrich added. "Israel cannot afford to retreat under any circumstances from the buffer zone and Mount Hermon's peak. Clashes between Syrian gov't., Druze in Sweida This followed a clash in which at least 18 members of Syria's security forces were killed in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, the Defence Ministry said. The clash came after they deployed to quell deadly sectarian violence that had resumed on Monday, while Israel said it struck tanks in a town in the same province on the same day. Reuters contributed to this report.
Days of Palestine
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
Israeli Energy Minister: Gaza Should Remain Destroyed for Decades
Days of Pal—Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen has declared that the Gaza Strip 'should remain destroyed for decades,' emphasizing that the Israeli government has no intention of supporting the reconstruction of the territory's infrastructure after the ongoing war ends. Cohen made the remarks during an interview with Israeli Channel 14, stating that the Israeli army has two primary objectives in Gaza: the first is to recover the soldiers held captive by Hamas, and the second is to 'subdue the movement and weaken it both militarily and politically.' Cohen's comments come amid the continuing Israeli escalation in the Gaza Strip, which since October 7 has resulted in the killing and injury of nearly 196,000 Palestinians, most of them children and women, in addition to thousands missing under the rubble and hundreds of thousands displaced. The famine crisis continues to worsen, claiming civilian lives, including dozens of children. Moreover, Channel 14 also noted that Cohen's statements coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 'historic' visit to the United States, during which he met twice with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, along with other senior American officials. The visit did not yield any official announcement regarding a ceasefire in Gaza or the signing of new normalization agreements between the Israeli occupation and Arab or Muslim countries, as had been anticipated. These Israeli statements also come amid a new round of indirect negotiations between Hamas and Israeli delegations in Doha, Qatar, under Qatari-Egyptian mediation and with U.S. participation, aimed at reaching a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement. Shortlink for this post:
Middle East Eye
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
"Gaza should semain an island of ruins for decades", says Israeli Energy Minister
'Gaza should remain an island of ruins for the next decades as it is now', said Israel's energy minister Eli Cohen on Channel 14, adding that his ministry will not help rebuild infrastructure in Gaza. Cohen outlined the army's two main objectives in Gaza: securing the release of hostages and compelling Hamas to surrender. Despite the potential for a ceasefire, Israel has said it will maintain a presence in Rafah and establish a 'collection camp' as part of efforts to deport Palestinians abroad.
Middle East Eye
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Secret Trump letter would let Israel resume war despite ceasefire: Report
Israel is reportedly seeking written assurances from US President Donald Trump that it will be allowed to resume military operations in Gaza if its demands are not met, even as talks over a 60-day ceasefire continue. Citing a "member of the political echelon" - a phrase often used to signal deliberate leaks by the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - Israel's Channel 14 reported on Wednesday that the current proposal includes a side letter from Trump. The document would give Israel the green light to "renew the fire if our demands with regards to the disarmament of Hamas and the exile of its leaders are not met". Israel would be able to interpret, define and make a judgment call on these terms. In March of this year, Israel broke the ceasefire agreement and resumed military operations. However, many analysts at the time noted that Tel Aviv did not want the negotiations to continue. The latest developments come despite claims of public optimism from both Israeli officials and Trump. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters On Tuesday, the US president said Israel had accepted the necessary terms for a 60-day ceasefire and that during this pause, the parties would "work on ending the war". "The Qataris and Egyptians, who have worked very hard to help bring peace, will deliver this final proposal," Trump said. But Israeli media reports suggest the talks remain fraught. Serious challenges persist behind the scenes, especially over what will happen after the truce. 'New Middle East' Israeli military reservist, Amit Yagur, formerly deputy head of Palestinian affairs in Israel's military, told the pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 that Trump's broader push for a 'new Middle East' was increasing pressure on regional actors - particularly Qatar, where many senior Hamas officials are based. Israel using starvation and aid to inflict genocide in Gaza: Amnesty Read More » "The focus must be on the new Middle East," Yagur said. "The new regional architecture being discussed creates pressure among all the players. Its power lies in shaping a new reality on the ground, including the deal and how far Hamas will agree." During a cabinet meeting on Tuesday evening, Netanyahu vowed that any deal would guarantee the destruction of Palestinian resistance. "[We] have to kill anyone who is holding a weapon," he said. Military analyst Amos Harel wrote in the Israeli daily Haaretz that Netanyahu may be staging the appearance of compromise for Washington, while signalling to Hamas that his core demands remain unchanged. "For Hamas, the most critical demand is ending the war," Harel wrote, adding the group wants US guarantees to prevent Israel from sabotaging any future phase of the deal. Netanyahu, he said, remains caught between striking a truce and maintaining support from his far-right coalition allies.
Al-Ahram Weekly
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
From Gaza to Tehran, why journalists are frontline targets in the Middle East - Region
As missiles rain down and cameras go dark, a new front in modern warfare has emerged: the systematic targeting of journalists. From Tehran to Gaza, media workers are being bombed, shot, and silenced—not for what they've done, but for what they dare to show. On 16 June, broadcaster Sahar Emami was halfway through her evening bulletin when the building shook. The missile struck like thunder. The lights blew out. Smoke filled the room. Somewhere down the corridor, someone screamed. An Israeli airstrike had just hit the compound of Iran's state broadcaster, IRIB, in Tehran. Emami paused only briefly, running for cover as the shockwaves intensified. She returned to her chair moments later—composed, defiant—and resumed the live broadcast. File Photo: A snapshot of Broadcaster Sahar Emami after an Israeli strike hit the building. The attack killed producer Masoumeh Azimi and news editor Nima Rajabpour. Many others were wounded. "This was part of a plan to destroy 'the regime's symbols,'" American-Iranian journalist, formerly based in Beirut, Séamus Malekafzali told Ahram Online. "If they can stop IRIB from broadcasting and kill its reporters, they can prevent the state from informing people about what is happening in their own country." "It has a chilling effect on going back to work and on associating oneself with its reporters," he added. The strike on IRIB was part of a growing Israeli strategy of targeting "hostile" media infrastructure. Iran responded with missiles aimed at Israel's Channel 14 and Channel 12. The strike caused structural damage but no casualties. Iran's government labelled Channel 14 a "terror network" tied to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition. Israel condemned the attack as a strike against civilian media. But in Tehran, the questions had already shifted. "We heard the bombs around us, our windows shook, and we kept working," wrote Iranian journalist Ruhollah Nakhaee to Ahram Online. "Some of us had to move our families out of Tehran and return to work alone." "They [the West] brushed off IRIB being hit because it's state TV," he said. "The BBC is state TV. The VOA is state TV. Would anyone react the same if they were targeted? I'm very aware that if any of our offices are hit, no one will ask why. And even if they do, it won't matter." The language of international law offers no protection, he adds. "After all Israel has done with blanket support from the West, terms like 'international law' mean nothing here. They never did." Cross-border attacks and the information war File Photo: Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah. Photo courtesy of social media. The strike on IRIB reflects a growing pattern of Israeli attacks on journalists in the region. On 13 October 2023, the Israeli army opened tank fire on seven reporters clearly marked as press while filming on a hillside near Alma Al-Shaab, southern Lebanon. Reuters video journalist Issam Abdallah was killed. AFP photojournalist Christina Assi lost her leg. Five others were injured. Investigations by AFP, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the United Nations all concluded the strike was deliberate. "Despite extensive evidence of a war crime … Israel has faced zero accountability," said Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) President Jodie Ginsberg in a 2024 report. "All over Palestine and in southern Lebanon, the primary aim of assassinating all these journalists has been to prevent the dissemination of what is happening on these fronts to the rest of the world," Malekafzali said. "They attack reporters no matter what network they're from … as long as they are focused on exposing Israeli atrocities." Reporting from the front lines in Gaza and the West Bank File Photo: A Palestinian woman holds the body of her son, killed in an Israeli strike. Photo courtesy of Salma Al-Qaddoumi's Instagram. By the second month of the ongoing genocide, Gaza had already become the world's most dangerous environment for journalists. On a blistering August morning, journalists Ibrahim Muhareb, Salma Al-Qaddoumi, Ezzedine Muasher, Rasha Ahmed, and Saeed Al-Lulu were documenting displacement in Gaza's Hamad City when an Israeli tank opened fire. Muhareb was shot in the leg. Al-Qaddoumi and her friend Mahmoud rushed to carry him to safety. "But snipers opened fire on us. Ibrahim [Muhareb] was killed. Mahmoud was wounded. I was shot in the back—the bullet exited near my heart. I was clearly marked as press. I wore my vest. And yet, they aimed at us deliberately," Al-Qaddoumi told Ahram Online. Since October 2023, at least 226 journalists have been killed, 430 injured, 48 detained, and 119 media offices or institutions destroyed in Palestine—mostly in Gaza—according to the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS). The PJS also reported that the number of journalists killed represents nearly 20 percent of all Palestinian journalists. "For over twenty months, we've tried to deliver Gaza's image to the world," says Al-Qaddoumi. "But we are exhausted—physically, emotionally, spiritually. We are weary of capturing massacres, of photographing shredded bodies." "Gaza needed its story told. The displacement was relentless, the bombing spared no neighbourhood, and there simply weren't enough journalists to document every massacre," she explained. Al-Qaddoumi was nearly killed doing just that. File Photo: A woman holding her children's hands, with several Israeli Army vehicles behind her in Jenin, the occupied West Bank. Photo courtesy of Obada Tahayna's Instagram . In the northern West Bank, Obada Tahayna, Jenin-based correspondent for Al Jazeera and Free Palestine TV, faces the same threat. "In Jenin, being a journalist is extremely hazardous. Every day could be my last," Tahayna told Ahram Online. Since 21 January, Israel has carried out its most expansive military operation in the West Bank since 2002. "The vest no longer offers protection," Tahayna says. "It's a target. The occupation forces recognise it. That makes you a target for attack, pursuit, and detention." He has been beaten, detained, and had his phone confiscated—but persists. "If we fall silent, it would be as if nothing ever occurred." Media coverage of the West Bank was severely curtailed after Israel closed the Al Jazeera media office in Ramallah last September. When did journalists become targets of war? The deliberate targeting of media workers has become increasingly systematic. In 2001, the United States bombed Al Jazeera's Kabul office during its invasion of Afghanistan. In 2003, it struck the network's Baghdad bureau, killing Palestinian correspondent Tareq Ayyoub. Both incidents were never meaningfully investigated. In 2007, leaked US military footage—later published by WikiLeaks as "Collateral Murder"—showed a helicopter crew killing civilians, including two Reuters journalists in Iraq, laughing as they opened fire. In asymmetric conflicts, especially in the digital age, narrative warfare is as decisive as territory. "The Israeli narrative spreads rapidly and is presented as the sole truth," Tahayna says. The journalist thus becomes not just an observer but a counter-narrator. "The Palestinian journalist does not merely transmit news. He is part of the event itself—threatened, under pressure, yet resolute. Perhaps the world doesn't realise how much we risk so people may see—not for personal gain." Today, journalists are increasingly seen as affiliates, particularly those working for national broadcasters, local agencies, or partisan outlets. Their presence challenges the monopoly of official narratives, and their footage often outpaces state messaging. The limits of international protection Despite protections under international humanitarian law, its application remains inconsistent. The 2002 killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl sparked global outrage and immediate diplomatic pressure. The US government launched high-level investigations, resulting in arrests and convictions. File Photo: Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. AFP By contrast, the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh in 2022—filmed, verified, and acknowledged even by Western allies—has led only to prolonged inquiries, tepid statements, and no justice. Journalists from the Global South are often seen not as independent professionals but as extensions of their geographic or political contexts. Groups such as Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and CPJ continue to track deaths, demand inquiries, and issue press freedom alerts. However, much of their work yields only expressions of solidarity, rather than justice. Malekafzali summed it up: "Reporters can be maimed, killed, obliterated … but they will always be fundamentally untrustworthy to the West unless they've been granted access to its vaulted institutions." "The Israeli victims are foregrounded," he stressed. "We know many of their names by now, even if we don't live there. But we rarely know about the Palestinians, Lebanese, and now Iranians killed by the Israeli army—except as numbers in the death toll." "We will not be silenced" Despite the risks, journalists continue working—not because they are safe, but because the world needs their voices. "If I could capture just one photo that carries my voice to the world," Al-Qaddoumi says, "I would want it to show Gaza's beauty—the children, the youth, the women. Gaza is full of talent, creativity, brilliance. And yet many of those vibrant young people are now amputees—or martyrs. Why? For what crime?" "To me, photography is an act of resistance. It is documentation. It is a message of steadfastness. We are here, on the ground. And we will not be silenced," she concludes. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
