Latest news with #IsmailHaniyeh
Arab News
28-05-2025
- General
- Arab News
Netanyahu says Hamas Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar has been killed
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Hamas Gaza chief, Mohammad Sinwar, one of its most wanted and the younger brother of the deceased group's leader, Yahya Sinwar, had been eliminated. Mohammad Sinwar was elevated to the top ranks of the Palestinian militant group last year after Israel killed his brother Yahya in combat during the ongoing war in Gaza. Yahya Sinwar masterminded the October 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the war, and was later named the overall leader of the group after Israel killed his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Hezbollah seeks boost in Lebanon vote as disarmament calls grow
Iranians walk next to a billboard with a picture of late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, senior Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani, late Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and late Hamas leader Yahya Al-Sinwar on a street in Tehran, Iran, May 11, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/File Photo NABATIEH, Lebanon - Amid the rubble left by Israeli bombardment of south Lebanon, campaign posters urge support for Hezbollah in elections on Saturday as the group aims to show it retains political clout despite the pounding it took in last year's war. For Hezbollah, the local vote is more important than ever, coinciding with mounting calls for its disarmament and continued Israeli airstrikes, and as many of its Shi'ite Muslim constituents still suffer the repercussions of the conflict. Three rounds of voting already held this month have gone well for the Iran-backed group. In the south, many races won't be contested, handing Hezbollah and its allies early wins. "We will vote with blood," said Ali Tabaja, 21, indicating loyalty to Hezbollah. He'll be voting in the city of Nabatieh rather than his village of Adaisseh because it is destroyed. "It's a desert," he said. The south's rubble-strewn landscape reflects the devastating impact of the war, which began when Hezbollah opened fire in support of Hamas at the start in October 2023 of the Gaza conflict and culminated in a major Israeli offensive. Hezbollah emerged a shadow of its former self, with its leaders and thousands of its fighters killed, its influence over the Lebanese state greatly diminished, and its Lebanese opponents gaining sway. In a measure of how far the tables have turned, the new government has declared it aims to establish a state monopoly on arms, meaning Hezbollah should disarm - as stipulated by the U.S.-brokered ceasefire with Israel. Against this backdrop, the election results so far indicate "the war didn't achieve the objective of downgrading Hezbollah's popularity in the community", said Mohanad Hage Ali of the Carnegie Middle East Center, a think tank. "On the contrary, many Shia now feel their fate is tied to Hezbollah's fate." Hezbollah's arms have long been a source of division in Lebanon, sparking a brief civil conflict in 2008. Critics say Hezbollah has unilaterally dragged Lebanon into hostilities. Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, a Hezbollah opponent, has said that Lebanon has been told there will be no reconstruction aid from foreign donors until the state establishes a monopoly on arms. Hezbollah, in turn, has put the onus on the government over reconstruction and accuses it of failing to take steps on that front, despite promises that the government is committed to it. DISARMAMENT TERMS Hage Ali said that conditioning reconstruction aid on disarmament was intended to expedite the process, but "it's difficult to see Hezbollah accepting this". Hezbollah says its weapons are now gone from the south, but links any discussion of its remaining arsenal to Israel's withdrawal from five positions it still holds, and an end to Israeli attacks. Israel says Hezbollah still has combat infrastructure including rocket launchers in the south, calling this "blatant violations of understandings between Israel and Lebanon". A French diplomatic source said reconstruction would not materialise if Israel continues striking and the Lebanese government does not act fast enough on disarmament. Donors also want Beirut to enact economic reforms. Hashem Haidar, head of the government's Council for the South, said the state lacks the funds to rebuild, but cited progress in rubble removal. Lebanon needs $11 billion for reconstruction and recovery, the World Bank estimates. In Nabatieh, a pile of rubble marks the spot where 71-year-old Khalil Tarhini's store once stood. It was one of dozens destroyed by Israeli bombardment in Nabatieh's central market. He has received no compensation, and sees little point in voting. Expressing a sense of abandonment, he said: "The state did not stand by us." The situation was very different in 2006, after a previous Hezbollah-Israel war. Aid flowed from Iran and Gulf Arab states. Hezbollah says it has aided 400,000 people, paying for rent, furniture and renovations. But the funds at its disposal appear well short of 2006, recipients say. Hezbollah says state authorities have obstructed funds arriving from Iran, though Tehran is also more financially strapped than two decades ago due to tougher U.S. sanctions and the reimposition of a "maximum pressure" policy by Washington. As for Gulf states, their spending on Lebanon dried up as Hezbollah became embroiled in regional conflicts and they declared it a terrorist group in 2016. Saudi Arabia has echoed the Lebanese government's position of calling for a state monopoly of arms. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said it was up to the government to secure reconstruction funding and that it was failing to take "serious steps" to get the process on track. He warned that the issue risked deepening divisions in Lebanon if unaddressed. "How can one part of the nation be stable while another is in pain?" he said, referring to Shi'ites in the south and other areas, including Beirut's Hezbollah-dominated southern suburbs, hard hit by Israel. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Daily Mail
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Former MP George Galloway appears in Moscow for Putin's Victory Day celebrations days after collecting award names after Hamas fighter in Tehran
The leader of the hard-left Workers Party of Britain made an appearance in Moscow as Russia 's Vladimir Putin celebrated Victory Day with a huge military parade. George Galloway - who previously served as MP for Glasgow Hillhead, Glasgow Kelvin and then Bethnal Green and Bow - travelled to Russia this week to attend Putin's pageant through the city's Red Square on Friday. Taking to X to share snaps of himself in Moscow, Galloway called the Victory Day Celebrations 'moving, emotional, inspiring, humbling.' Pictures posted by the politician show him and his fourth wife Putri Gayatri Pertiwi - who is 30 years his junior - posing for the camera on Red Square. At the event, which was attended by more than 20 world leaders, the Russian dictator showed off his tanks, missiles and troops in an impressive display. One of the Russian leader's most high-profile guests was China 's President Xi Jingping, who sat next to Putin during the procession. Galloway's visit to Russia on Friday comes after he travelled to Tehran this week to collect an award in honour of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed last year in an Israeli strike in the Iranian capital. He was given the Martyr Ismail Haniyeh award at a media festival held in Tehran in recognition of his 'outspoken defence of Palestine.' Having previously praised the assassinated Hamas leader as a 'martyr,' Galloway said in a speech said he was 'honoured' to receive the award, and also bragged about having Haniyeh's passport in his possession. 'I actually hold in my safe the passport of the because when we arrived with one of our convoys to break the siege on Gaza [in 2009], he had promised me a Palestinian passport but they had run out of Palestinian passports. So he gave me his own personal passport and it is one of my most treasured possessions,' the British politician boasted. He went on to thank Iran for 'their steadfastness in support for the Palestinian people.' 'The truth is when Palestine is finally free, Iran will be able to take its place in the panoply of heroes who made it possible.' The timing of Galloway's visit to Iran came as tensions between the UK and Tehran heightened last week following the arrest of four Iranian nationals over an alleged plot to attack Israel's London embassy. Victory Day, which Russia marks on May 9, is the country's most important secular holiday. The parade and other festivities underline Moscow's efforts to project its global power and cement the alliances it has forged while seeking a counterbalance to the West amid the conflict in Ukraine that is grinding through a fourth year. World War II is a rare event in the nation's divisive history under Communist rule that is revered by all political groups, and the Kremlin has used that sentiment to encourage national pride and underline Russia's position as a global power. The parade featured over 11,500 troops and more than 180 military vehicles, including tanks, armored infantry vehicles and artillery used on the battlefield in Ukraine The Soviet Union lost 27 million people in what it calls the Great Patriotic War in 1941-45, an enormous sacrifice that left a deep scar in the national psyche. The timing of Galloway's visit to Russia comes as Sir Keir Starmer, along with the leaders of France, Germany and Poland, travelled to Kyiv on Saturday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a show of unity after Putin's Victory Day parade. Britain has been highly critical of Russia since it sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
George Galloway visits Moscow after picking up Hamas award
George Galloway has appeared in Moscow for Vladimir Putin's Victory Day celebrations, days after flying to Iran to collect an award named after a dead Hamas leader. The leader of the hard-Left Workers Party of Britain travelled to Tehran this week to collect an award in honour of Ismail Haniyeh, the assassinated political leader of Hamas, whom the former MP praised as a 'martyr'. He boasted during the visit that his most 'treasured' possession was Haniyeh's passport. Mr Galloway, 70, then travelled to Russia, where he witnessed Putin's military show of strength, which he said was 'moving, emotional, inspiring, humbling'. He was given the special Martyr Ismail Haniyeh award at a media festival in the Iranian capital. Haniyeh was the political leader of the terror group at the time of the October 7 attacks on Israel. The International Criminal Court (ICC) intended to apply for a warrant for his arrest for war crimes and crimes against humanity, but the proceedings were dropped following Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran, which has been blamed on Israel. Elected as the head of Hamas's political bureau in 2017, Haniyeh was accused by Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor, of being 'criminally responsible for the killing of hundreds of Israeli civilians in attacks perpetrated by Hamas, in particular its military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, and other armed groups on 7 October 2023'. At the ceremony, Mr Galloway said in his acceptance speech, captured on video and posted online: 'I am honoured to receive this award. I actually hold in my safe the passport of the martyr Ismail Haniyeh because when we arrived with one of our convoys to break the siege on Gaza [in 2009], he had promised me a Palestinian passport but they had run out of Palestinian passports. So he gave me his own personal passport and it is one of my most treasured possessions.'
India Today
25-04-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Here are 8 kinetic options India can choose from to avenge Pahalgam
'April 22, 2025' will be forever etched in our national memory. The Rubicon was crossed when terrorists massacred innocent tourists in cold blood in Pahalgam, Kashmir. The initial anger and shock have dissipated. And in its place is now a steely resolve to teach the perpetrators a befitting lesson. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who cut short his visit to Saudi Arabia, has vowed to avenge the thing is clear at this point: it was not a localised terrorist action, and even with the limited evidence available, Pakistan appears culpable. Diplomatic measures have already been announced against Pakistan after a Cabinet Comcmittee of Security meeting on April 23, and more are likely to at a public rally in Madhubani, Bihar, on April 24 - the first time after the massacre - the PM assured the nation: 'India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers. We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth.' Multiple options, both kinetic and non-kinetic, have been presented. Kinetic options are the active actions that mostly refer to military options. These range from small tactical team-level operations across the Line of Control to full-scale military have recommended a repeat of the Balakot air strike, which the Indian Air Force conducted to avenge the deadly Pulwama attack of February 14, 2019. But will it suffice this time? While each option appears appropriate in its own right, let us examine the range of kinetic options at India's ceasefire agreement: A ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan has been in place since 2021 and has largely been respected. In hindsight, however, it has been counterproductive for India. While it has ensured that people in Kashmir's border villages have been able to lead normal lives and the Indian Army has been able to concentrate on counterterror operations, it has allowed Pakistan to thin out forces from the LoC and divert them to the Afghanistan border and in the fight against Baloch insurgency. Revoking the ceasefire agreement will force Pakistan to reinforce the LoC, imposing costs on it terrorist camps: Indian intelligence, in every briefing, provides details of the number of terrorist camps and launch pads across the LoC. The time has now come to target them as they crop up. It will not only destabilise their strategies but also impose additional costs on them in terms of time and ease of assassinations: It is one of the oldest forms of revenge, mastered best by Israel. How Israel was able to assassinate Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, or Hezbollah chief Hasan Nasrallah, is now a well-established story. In Pakistan's case, however, key figures in the army and major terrorist groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed could be targeted and eliminated. With the advancement in surveillance technology and targeting systems, it may not even be necessary to have a physical presence of an operative, once the initial work has been strikes: Many options exist. India has a range of ballistic missiles like the surface-to-surface missiles Prithvi and Agni, which can cover the entire Pakistani territory. With India's capability to launch these missiles from mobile land platforms, the element of surprise can be maintained. In addition, India has missiles that can be launched by air and sea, deep into Pakistani territory. Having developed hypersonic missiles that travel at Mach 5, India now has a missile capability that cannot be intercepted by any anti-missile in 'No First Use' policy: The current policy is, by nature, reactive. So, Pakistan knows it does not have to fear any preemptive nuclear strike. A mere change in this policy would add a big deterrence value, especially as India has completed its Nuclear TRIAD, i.e. the capability to launch nuclear missiles by air, land and Simla Agreement: The Simla Agreement of 1972 made the LoC the de facto border between India and Pakistan. Although minor violations of the LoC have taken place over the decades, its sanctity has more or less been maintained. If the Shimla Agreement and the ceasefire across the LoC are revoked, the army could use the opportunity to recapture enclaves in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, which could offer a tactical blockade: With most of the trade going through the sea, a naval blockade across Pakistan in the Arabian Sea could be a worthwhile option. Remember, the Houthis have been able to block sea trade across the Red Sea for over two years. And, despite best efforts by the US and its allies — including the deployment of aircraft carrier ships — the Houthis have not been deterred. However, it should be noted that a naval blockade across Pakistani ports would be considered an act of full-scale military operations: This is on the extreme end of the escalatory ladder, and there are many factors to consider. Most important is the identification of clear, achievable military objectives. Remember the Gaza war! The military objectives defined by Israel in its war in Gaza are yet to be realised after almost two years of war against a defenceless enemy. Pakistan is no Gaza, and its Army is no Hamas. Plus, both Pakistan and India are nuclear weapons powers, with Pakistan having a very low threshold of using a nuclear weapon. Therefore, a full-scale military operation has to be undertaken with due consideration, if at Balakot airstrike may have demonstrated that India has shed its strategic reluctance to cross the LoC. But it is also now evident that the one-off strike had limited deterrent value for Pakistan. Therefore, any strategy India now adopts, including kinetic options, must ensure that it 'keeps the Pakistani head down' sufficiently so that it is never again able to even think of another Pahalgam.(Col Rajeev Agarwal is a Foreign Policy Expert and a Senior Research Consultant at Chintan Research Foundation, New Delhi.)(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Tune InMust Watch
