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Saba Yemen
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Hamas: Settler Rabbis' ؤalls for intensified storming of al-Aqsa Mosque require mobilization to protect It
Occupied al-Quds- Saba: Hamas has confirmed that the publication by the so-called "Temple Organizations Union" of an inciting video featuring 13 prominent Israeli religious leaders, rabbis, calling for a massive storming of al-Aqsa Mosque the day after tomorrow, Monday, comes within the framework of the occupation's ongoing religious war to Judaize the city of al-Quds. Haroun Nasser al-Din, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau and head of al-Quds Affairs Office, stressed in a press statement on Saturday that the unlimited support and protection provided by the extremist Israeli enemy government to the settlers is what motivates them to escalate their attacks on the blessed al-Aqsa Mosque, given the state of helplessness and indifference that our Arab and Islamic nation is experiencing regarding what is happening to the first of the two Qiblas and the third holiest site. He pointed out that this escalating aggression and these malicious Judaization schemes must be confronted by all means and at all levels. This is the real challenge and the religious, historical, and moral responsibility of every free Muslim in this world. He explained that the ongoing Israeli massacres and crimes in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem require popular and official action and mobilization to repel the aggression and curb the occupation's killing, abuse, and desecration of holy sites, as well as its attempts to impose a new reality at al-Aqsa Mosque. Nasser al-Din called on the Palestinian people in the West Bank and the occupied territories to continue their mobilization and presence in al-Aqsa Mosque compound. He also called on the masses of the Arab and Islamic nation to exert every effort to support our just cause. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print more of (International)
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Hamas Welcomes US-Israel Rift After Offering ‘Goodwill Gesture' to Trump
A senior Hamas official tells Newsweek that the Palestinian militant group saw "positive" potential in signs of a growing rift between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after offering the U.S. leader a political win in the form of an American hostage release ahead of his Middle East trip. "Given the unlimited support of the American administration for the entity, any disagreement between them would certainly be a positive development that would weaken Netanyahu's stubborn position and open the door to the possibility of reaching an agreement to end the war," Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson Basem Naim told Newsweek. "This is especially true since the continuation of the war does not serve Trump's strategic projects in the region," he added, "and Hamas will not accept any agreement that does not lead to an end to the war, ensure the withdrawal of hostile forces and rebuild the Gaza Strip with the participation of its residents." The remarks came a day after the release of Edan Alexander, the last known living hostage in Gaza with America citizenship. The release of Alexander, a soldier who is also an Israeli national, was the result of direct talks between senior U.S. officials and Hamas that appeared to sideline Israel at a time when the Trump administration had struggled to revive ceasefire talks. In a breakthrough widely attributed to the participation of the incoming Trump administration, Israel and Hamas signed a temporary truce in January, going into effect just a day before Trump's inauguration. Trump hailed the deal as a sign of his commitment to putting an end to the conflicts in the Middle East, only for hostilities to resume in March as the two sides failed to agree on how to proceed to the second phase of the deal. Naim argued that, from the beginning, Hamas had been prepared to release "all prisoners at once, not just prisoner Edan Alexander." Some 58 hostages taken by Hamas during the group's October 7, 2023, attack remain in Gaza. Such a move, however, would only come "in exchange for a cessation of hostilities and the complete withdrawal of enemy forces," the Hamas official argued. And that deal would have to "be preceded by the opening of crossings and the entry of humanitarian aid, as this is a guaranteed humanitarian right and not subject to negotiation," he said. He blamed Netanyahu for failing to agree to these terms, leading to the unraveling of the temporary truce the two sides reached with support of the incoming Trump administration in January. The Israeli leader, Naim argued, has only offered "a redeployment of forces, not a withdrawal" and "continues to talk about his goals, which he has failed to achieve over the past 17 months (the complete defeat of Hamas and the return of prisoners through military pressure), adding to this the issue of disarmament and the displacement of the population." While rejecting this approach, Naim said Hamas saw an opportunity to engage directly with Trump while Netanyahu was sidelined, offering to release the U.S.-Israeli captive as the president prepared to set out for Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in the first international trip of his presidency. "The movement did not accept this position outright, but as a result of direct contacts with parties close to the American administration for some time regarding the possibility of a breakthrough in this stuck situation, the movement reaffirmed its previous position to reach a ceasefire," Naim said. "It stated that, prior to President Trump's visit to the region, the movement could initiate a goodwill gesture that would help break the deadlock and secure the release of Israeli-American prisoner Edan Alexander," he added. This is what happened." It was the latest example of Trump moving unilaterally to achieve his foreign policy goals in the Middle East. Just a week earlier, U.S. officials had negotiated a ceasefire agreement with Yemen's Ansar Allah, widely known as the Houthi movement, in exchange for Iran-aligned group agreeing to pause attacks on U.S. warships and commercial vessels accused of shipping to Israel amid the war in Gaza. The deal, announced a day after Ansar Allah struck Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport, notably did not incljde a demand to end to the group's missile and drone strikes against Israel. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has also pressed forward on nuclear diplomacy with Israel's arch-foe, Iran, with the possibility of striking a deal that would allow the Islamic Republic to retain uranium enrichment capabilities for civil purposes, as opposed to a total dismantlement, as Israeli leadership has called for. Despite the apparent dissonance, officials from both sides have downplayed any indications of a rift between the American and Israeli leaders. In a statement recently shared with Newsweek, White House National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt asserted that "Israel has had no better friend in its history than President Trump." "We continue to work closely with our ally Israel to ensure remaining hostages in Gaza are freed, Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon, and to strengthen regional security in the Middle East," Hewitt said. "As he has repeatedly stated in his first and second terms, the President is committed to ensuring Iran never obtains a nuclear weapon." Ofir Akunis, Israel's consul general in New York, echoed that, telling Newsweek "the relationship between the current American administration and the Israeli government, headed by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, is very close, and it's very good." He acknowledged that "it's not that we will not find ourselves thinking in different ways about the solutions to all the issues in the Middle East," but stated that "we're talking" through such matters. Akunis also welcomed Alexander's release as well as what the Israeli diplomat felt was Trump's strategy of putting Hamas "under pressure." He said, "That's the whole idea. If we don't put them under pressure, then it will not be good." This approach, he argued, was the basis for Israel's decision to conduct strikes new strikes against Gaza shortly after Alexander was freed. "Less than one hour after Alexander was released, we attacked the Gaza Strip," Akunis said. "Why? Because we must. We must do it." He outlined "two main issues" Israel still had to address before putting an end to the conflict, the first being to have "all the hostages released," and the second that "we must destroy" Hamas. "We don't have any other choice," he said. "We can't live in a future with Hamas on our borders. It's impossible. And 70 percent of the tunnels are still there. It's also an impossible situation." Alexander's release may bolster Trump's position on his tour through the Gulf this week, a high-stakes trip that notably skips Israel. Trump, who oversaw the historic Abraham Accords that resulted in the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco normalizing ties with Israel during his first administration, has expressed confidence he could extend the accords to include Saudi Arabia. Such a deal, in exchange for ramped U.S. security assistance, was also sought by former President Joe Biden, though Riyadh had proven unwilling to take this step unless Israel was willing to end the war and outline a path to Palestinian statehood. On Tuesday, the White House announced that Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had signed a series major strategic partnership agreement, including a $142 billion U.S. arms deal for the kingdom and $600 billion worth of Saudi investment in the U.S., without mention of Israel. In Tel Aviv, Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, and hostage envoy, Adam Boehler, met with hostage families on Tuesday. Ahead of the gathering, during which both diplomats pledged to ensure the release of all remaining hostage in Gaza, Boehler told reporters he saw momentum for further agreements following Alexander's release. "I think there's a better chance now than before, I think Hamas knows that they can pull a deal any day that they want, they need to approach Trump, they need to approach Bibi [Netanyahu], and they need to set this up the right way." As for Hamas, which had expressed cautious hope over Trump's election and inaugural commitment to peace, continues to urge the White House to exert pressure on Israel to end the conflict. "The administration promised to work diligently to end the humanitarian blockade on the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of humanitarian aid, as well as to pressure the Israeli government to reach a ceasefire and end the war," Naim said. "The relationship between President Trump and Netanyahu is their business," he added, "but what matters to us is stopping the aggression against our people and the withdrawal of hostile forces." Related Articles What Cracks in Trump-Netanyahu Ties Could Mean for US Support of IsraelCatholics Overseeing Gaza Church Send Message as New Pope Inherits WarHouthis Declare Trump Ceasefire a 'Failure' for Israel's NetanyahuHouthis Tease 'New Weapons' to Keep Planes Out of Israel's Skies 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Al Jazeera
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Voices from Gaza: Protests demand an end to war and suffering
Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza – For the third consecutive day, Hassan Saad, 38, and hundreds of others took to the streets in Beit Lahiya, demanding an end to their suffering and a halt to the war on Gaza. Saad is one of the protest coordinators, working with 14 others who he says came together spontaneously to organise the demonstrations. The main trigger, Saad explains, was a Facebook discussion after new Israeli eviction orders were issued last Monday. 'The nightmare of displacement once again was the primary reason that pushed us to do something to demand an end to the war on Gaza,' Saad told Al Jazeera by phone from Beit Lahiya on Thursday. 'The idea of taking to the streets in protests, holding signs calling for an immediate end to the war, was born.' Saad was forced to flee Beit Lahiya two months into Israel's war on Gaza. On January 27, when hundreds of thousands of displaced residents were allowed back to northern Gaza, he returned to the rubble of his home. Going back to bombings and eviction notices from the Israeli army was more than the Facebook group's members could bear, Saad added. He attributes the response to the sense of abandonment felt by Palestinians, as the world, in his words, has left them to face displacement, starvation, killing, bombardment, and arrests alone. On Tuesday, videos began to appear on social media of hundreds of people in Gaza, particularly in Beit Lahiya, chanting against the war and calling for Hamas to step down. The demand for Hamas to relinquish power was not an official goal, Saad clarified, rather, the call came spontaneously from protesters. 'It's difficult to control people's opinions during protests, especially when they are exhausted and deeply frustrated,' Saad added. 'The people's demands stem from an unbearable reality … If ending the war requires Hamas to step aside, then so be it.' However, Saad added, he rejects any political exploitation of the protests to attack Hamas and the Palestinian resistance. 'Whether we agree or disagree with Hamas, they're ultimately part of our people … They're not from another planet,' he added. Commenting on the protests, Hamas Political Bureau member Basem Naim said on Facebook: 'Everyone has the right to cry out in pain and raise their voice against the aggression against our people and the betrayal of our nation. 'Whether our people have taken to the streets or not, we are part of them and they are part of us,' he continued, denouncing any exploitation of the situation, 'whether to advance dubious political agendas or to deflect responsibility from the criminal aggressor, the occupation and its army.' As images of the demonstrations in Beit Lahiya circulated, commentators inside and outside Gaza offered differing interpretations. Some see them as a natural expression of the majority's demands – an end to Israel's war of extermination against Gaza. Others focused on the call for Hamas to relinquish control of the Strip and allow a restructuring to facilitate an end to the war. Munthir al-Hayek, Gaza spokesperson for Fatah – Hamas's political rival that dominates the Palestinian Authority (PA) – wrote on Facebook, urging Hamas to 'heed the people's voice' and step down, enabling the PA and the Palestine Liberation Organization to assume responsibility. On the Israeli side, Israeli military spokesperson Avichay Adraee expressed support for the protests, framing them as wholly anti-Hamas. In Gaza, these varying framings have sown confusion about the demonstrations' motivations, but organisers – and al-Barawi – insist that the core demand is ending the war. Hisham al-Barawi, 52, a protest participant, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday that, contrary to media claims, they were not 'led' into the streets by any external forces. 'We're here to say: 'enough oppression and death.' Every two years, we go through wars. We raise our children for years, only to lose them. 'We build our homes, only for them to be bombed in seconds. We're exhausted … we're only human!' al-Barawi shouted. 'Hamas … we do not hate them. But I call on them to step down. Their 18 years of rule were filled with wars and escalations. We want to live in peace.' Marching near al-Barawi was Mahmoud Jihad al-Haj Ahmed, 34, a doctor at Kamal Adwan Hospital. 'Our protests are independent. We want the war to stop. We refuse to have our lives gambled with any further,' he said. 'We need humanitarian aid. We need border crossings to open. We need a dignified life.' Al-Haj Ahmed recounted Israel killing his parents and sister, but he did not have time to grieve as his work at the hospital consumed him until the day the Israeli army forced everyone inside to leave. 'We have so many children and youngsters who are amputees … so many wounded people who need to travel for treatment, but they're blocked from leaving,' he said. 'It's dire.' Regarding the calls for Hamas to relinquish power, al-Haj Ahmed said that if Hamas stepping down would alleviate people's suffering, he would support that without hesitation. 'This requires prioritising the greater public interest. The suffering is unbearable,' he said. 'I believe the solution is a completely independent local administration with no political affiliations to govern Gaza and lead us out of this crisis. 'I urge our brothers in Hamas to give others a chance to govern Gaza. The next leadership does not have to be against Hamas, we have many competent national figures who can manage the Strip.' Saed Falafel, 60, has also been protesting, demanding an end to Israel's war. 'We want to live. That is our main demand,' Saed said. 'If you walk through Gaza's markets, you wouldn't find a single tomato or egg. We're starving and being killed in every way possible. Within a week, we will be in the grip of a major famine. 'We have no interest in being anyone's enemies. We are civilians who just want to live in peace and have a life worth living. We want a solution to this catastrophe. 'Anyone in the world with an ounce of humanity and compassion would feel our pain. Act now to help us. 'We are human beings.'
Egypt Today
24-03-2025
- Egypt Today
Palestinian Rafah Municipality: Genocide in Tel Sultan neighborhood, thousands of civilians trapped
Women and children trapped under the rubble due to continous Israeli attacks on the strip - file CAIRO - 24 March 2025: The Palestinian municipality of Rafah said that the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood is being subjected to genocide, with thousands of civilians trapped under Israeli bombardment, according to a breaking news report on Al-Qahera News TV Channel. The Palestinian municipality of Rafah added that communications with the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood have been cut off, and families are trapped under the rubble without water, food, or medicine. On Sunday, the Israeli occupation forces targeted the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, south of the Gaza Strip, with an airstrike targeting the reception and emergency building. The airstrike set fire to large parts of the building, killing five Palestinians, including Hamas Political Bureau member Ismail Barhoum, and wounding a large number of others receiving treatment inside the complex. Last Tuesday morning, the Israeli occupation forces escalated their war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, resuming their aggression with intensive and surprise airstrikes targeting various parts of the Strip, including displacement centers, with the participation of dozens of warplanes. In Gaza, the genocide carried out by the Israeli occupation continues for more than 17 months, leaving more than 163,000 dead and wounded, most of them children and women, in addition to more than 14,000 missing.
Middle East Eye
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
In open letter, Hamas official asks Trump to meet with freed Palestinian prisoners
An open letter published by a senior Hamas official on Thursday is asking US President Donald Trump to meet with freed Palestinian prisoners from Israeli detention. Trump met with several former Israeli captives at the White House on Wednesday, and reportedly heard stories so enraging about their experience, that he then took to social media and threatened to kill all residents of Gaza if the remaining Israeli captives were not released. "Mr President: Why not consider meeting freed Palestinian prisoners as well?" Basem Naim, a member of the Hamas Political Bureau, wrote. "Over 9,500 Palestinian prisoners are languishing in Israeli occupation prisons across 23 detention centers under dire conditions, characterised by the deprivation of basic rights, denial of family visits, and ongoing psychological and physical torture," Naim said. "Among these prisoners are approximately 5,000 who are ill and denied even the most basic healthcare services, 21 women, more than 365 children, and 726 individuals who have spent over 20 years of their lives in captivity." Naim also points out that Israeli authorities are holding the remains of 665 deceased Palestinians, given Trump's insistence that Hamas is "sick and twisted" for holding onto the remains of dead Israeli captives. "This count does not include the remains of martyrs from Gaza since the beginning of the genocidal war, for which accurate information is lacking, though Hebrew sources indicate that over 1,500 bodies of Palestinian martyrs from Gaza are being held at the 'Sde Teiman' concentration camp in southern occupied Palestine," Naim wrote. "We invite President Trump to show the same level of respect to freed Palestinian political prisoners and allocate the time to meet and listen to their stories."
