Latest news with #pan-Arab
MTV Lebanon
17 minutes ago
- Politics
- MTV Lebanon
Iraq suspends licenses of 10 satellite channels for "fomenting sectarianism and violence"
Iraq suspended the licenses of 10 satellite television channels, including Qatar-based Al-Jazeera, for promoting violence and sectarianism, a senior official at the country's media watchdog said on Sunday. "We took a decision to suspend the license of some satellite channels that adopted language encouraging violence and sectarianism," Mujahid Abu al-Hail of the Communications and Media Commission told AFP. "It means stopping their work in Iraq and their activities, so they cannot cover events in Iraq or move around," Hail said. The suspended channels included pan-Arab network Al-Jazeera and Sharqiya, a leading channel in Iraq. The move comes after a wave of violence that began on Tuesday with clashes between security forces and Sunni Arab protesters in northern Iraq that has killed a total of more than 215 people. The violence is the deadliest so far linked to demonstrations that broke out in Sunni areas of the Shiite-majority country more than four months ago. The Sunni protesters have called for the resignation of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and railed against authorities for allegedly targeting their community, including what they say are wrongful detentions and accusations of involvement in terrorism.
Al Manar
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Manar
Conflicting Reports on Gaza Ceasefire, US Voices Optimism
Conflicting reports have been emerging in the last hours on the ceasefire in Gaza. The US is showing optimism that a new deal will be reached, as Israeli media reported that the agreement included a 60-day ceasefire, not a permanent truce. US outlet Axios reported on Thursday that the White House is optimistic a new proposal from US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff could result in a ceasefire agreement soon. 'If each side moves just a bit, we could have a deal within days,' Axios reported quoted a source involved in the negotiations as saying. Last night, Hamas said it had reached an agreement with Witkoff on a general framework for a permanent ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the unhindered entry of humanitarian aid. Following that, Witkoff made an appearance alongside Trump in the Oval Office and announced he had drafted 'a new term sheet' for the president's approval, Axios reported. 'I have some very good feelings about getting to a temporary ceasefire and a long-term resolution, a peaceful resolution of that conflict,' Witkoff said. U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East @SteveWitkoff on Gaza: 'I think that we are on the precipice of sending out a new term sheet that hopefully will be delivered later on today… I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution — temporary ceasefire.' — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 28, 2025 60-Day Ceasefire? Meanwhile, Hebrew media reported that Israeli officials are now claiming the new American proposal for a truce and deal with Hamas would include the release of 10 live Israeli captives, not nine as previously reported. Similarly, the pan-Arab channel Al Ghad reported that the outline was submitted overnight to both Hamas and 'Israel', and that it includes a 60-day ceasefire, during which 10 living captives and 18 bodies of hostages would be released — half on the first day of the truce, and the other half on the seventh day. In return, 'Israel' would release 125 Palestinian terror convicts serving life sentences, 1,111 Gazans detained since the start of the war on October 7, 2023, and 180 bodies of Palestinians currently held by the Israeli occupation, according to the reports. The agreement also reportedly includes the entry of humanitarian aid during the ceasefire period and a withdrawal of Israeli forces to agreed-upon lines. Additionally, the proposal contains an American guarantee to continue negotiations throughout the ceasefire until a permanent ceasefire is reached, Al Ghad reports, though Hebrew media emphasize that it gives Israel the option of resuming fighting if these talks fail.
American Press
22-05-2025
- Politics
- American Press
2 staff members of Israeli Embassy killed in shooting near Jewish museum in DC
(Special to the American Press) Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were shot and killed while leaving an event at a Jewish museum, and the suspect yelled, 'Free, free Palestine' after he was arrested, police said. The stunning attack on Wednesday evening prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security and lower their flags to half-staff. It came as Israel has launched another major offensive in the Gaza Strip in a war with Hamas that has heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally and as antisemitic acts are on the rise. The two people killed, identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American, were a young couple about to be engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Lischinsky told others at an event he attended before he was killed that he was looking forward to returning to Israel to celebrate an upcoming Jewish holiday, said Ted Deutch, the chief executive of the American Jewish Committee, which had put on the reception. The couple were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect, who had been seen pacing outside the museum, approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference. The gunman, identified by police as Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, then walked into the museum, was detained by event security and began chanting, 'Free, free Palestine,' Smith said. 'These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!' President Donald Trump posted on social media early Thursday. 'Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.' Israel's reaction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's office said Thursday he was shocked. 'We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,' he said in a statement. The U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, led by former judge Jeanine Pirro, will prosecute the case. Public records list Rodriguez as living in a modest 850-square-foot apartment on Chicago's north side. Chicago television station WLS captured video of heavily armed law enforcement officers outside the building Thursday morning. It was not immediately clear whether Rodriguez had an attorney who could comment on his behalf. A telephone number listed in public records rang unanswered. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino wrote in a post on social media that 'early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence.' Israel's campaign in Gaza The influential pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera aired on a loop what appeared to be mobile phone footage of the gunman, wearing a suit jacket and slacks, being pulled away after the shooting, his hands behind his back. The war, ignited by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 people and resulted in the abduction of some 250 hostages, has destroyed vast areas of Gaza and displaced most of its population. In the time since, Israel's devastating campaign in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, whose count doesn't differentiate between combatants and civilians. The fighting has displaced 90% of the territory's roughly 2 million population, sparked a hunger crisis and obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape. 'In cold blood' The shooting followed the AJC's annual Young Diplomats reception at the museum. 'Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us,' said Deutch, the AJC's chief executive. 'Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we attempt to process this immense tragedy.' He described Milgrim, from Overland Park, Kansas, as 'warm and compassionate, committed to peace building and passionate about sustainability and people-to-people relations.' He said Lischinsky was a staff member of the embassy's political department who at the event told others that he was eager to return to Israel to celebrate the holiday of Shavuot with his family. Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots, and a man came inside looking distressed. Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realizing he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh, the Palestinian headscarf, and repeatedly yelled, 'Free Palestine,'' Kalin said. 'This event was about humanitarian aid,' Kalin said. 'How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.' Last week, the Capital Jewish Museum was one of the local nonprofits in Washington awarded funding from a $500,000 grant program to increase its security. The museum's leaders were concerned because it is a Jewish organization and due to its new LGBTQ exhibit, according to NBC4 Washington. 'We recognize that there are threats associated with this as well,' Executive Director Beatrice Gurwitz told the TV station. 'And again, we want to ensure that our space is as welcoming and secure for everybody who comes here while we are exploring these stories.' In response to the shooting, the museum said in a statement it is 'deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence.' Israeli diplomats have a history of being targeted by violence, both by state-backed assailants and Palestinian militants over the decades of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict that grew out of the founding of Israel in 1948. The Palestinians seek Gaza and the West Bank for a future state, with east Jerusalem as its capital — lands Israel captured in the 1967 war. However, the peace process between the sides has been stalled for years.
North Wales Chronicle
22-05-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Israeli embassy staff members shot dead near Jewish museum in Washington DC
Officers said the suspect yelled, 'Free, free Palestine' after he was arrested following the attack on Wednesday evening. The shooting prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security and lower their flags to half-staff. It came as Israel launched another major offensive in the Gaza Strip in a war with Hamas that has heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally and as antisemitic acts are on the rise. The two people killed were a young couple about to be engaged, Israeli ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said. He added that the man had purchased a ring this week with the intent to propose next week in Jerusalem. They were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect, who had been seen pacing outside the museum, approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference. The man, identified as Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, then walked into the museum, was detained by event security and began chanting, 'Free, free Palestine,' Ms Smith added. Israeli officials identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American. Mr Lischinsky was a research assistant, and Ms Milgrim organised visits and missions to Israel. 'These horrible DC killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!' US President Donald Trump posted on social media early Thursday. 'Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.' – Israel's reaction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Thursday that he was 'shocked' by the 'horrific, antisemitic' shooting. 'We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,' he said in a statement. Israeli ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said the two people killed were a young couple about to be engaged, saying the man had purchased a ring this week with the intent to propose next week in Jerusalem. Their identities were not immediately made public. Former Israeli ambassador to the US Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio that the woman killed was an American employee of the embassy and the man was Israeli. Attorney general Pam Bondi said she was at the scene with former judge Jeanine Pirro, who serves as the US attorney in Washington and whose office would prosecute the case. The statement from Mr Netanyahu's office said he spoke to Ms Bondi, who told him Mr Trump was 'involved in managing the incident' and the US would bring the perpetrator to justice. It was not immediately clear whether Rodriguez had an lawyer who could comment on his behalf. A telephone number listed in public records rang unanswered. Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, wrote in a post on social media that 'early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence'. – Israel's new campaign in Gaza The influential pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera aired on a loop what appeared to be mobile phone footage of the alleged gunman, wearing a suit jacket and slacks, being pulled away after the shooting, his hands behind his back. The shooting comes as Israel has launched a new campaign targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip in a war that has set tensions aflame across the wider Middle East. The war began with the Palestinian militant group Hamas coming out of Gaza on October 7, 2023 to kill 1,200 people and take some 250 hostages back to the coastal enclave. In the time since, Israel's devastating campaign in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, whose count does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. 'These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!' —President Donald J. Trump — The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 22, 2025 The fighting has displaced 90% of the territory's roughly 2 million population, sparked a hunger crisis and obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape. – 'In cold blood' Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots and a man came inside looking distressed, they said. Mr Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realising he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, 'Free Palestine,'' Mr Kalin said. 'This event was about humanitarian aid,' Mr Kalin said. 'How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? 'How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.' Last week, the Capital Jewish Museum was one of the local non-profits in Washington DC awarded funding from a 500,000 dollar grant programme to increase its security. The museum's leaders were concerned because it is a Jewish organisation and due to its new LGBT exhibit, according to NBC4 Washington. 'We recognise that there are threats associated with this as well,' executive director Beatrice Gurwitz told the TV station. 'And again, we want to ensure that our space is as welcoming and secure for everybody who comes here while we are exploring these stories.' In response to the shooting, the museum said in a statement that they are 'deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence outside the Museum this evening'. The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington chief executive Gil Preuss said in a statement that he was horrified by the shooting and mourned the loss of the two people killed. 'Our hearts are with their families and loved ones, and with all of those who are impacted by this tragic act of antisemitic violence,' he said. Israeli diplomats in the past have been targeted by violence, both by state-backed assailants and Palestinian militants over the decades of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict that grew out of the founding of Israel in 1948. The Palestinians seek Gaza and the West Bank for a future state, with east Jerusalem as its capital — lands Israel captured in the 1967 war. However, the peace process between the sides has been stalled for years.
South Wales Guardian
22-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Israeli embassy staff members shot dead near Jewish museum in Washington DC
Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. They were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday evening when the suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference. The suspect is understood to have yelled 'Free, free Palestine' after he was arrested. The attack has sent shockwaves around the world and prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security. The suspect, identified as Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting and he then walked into the museum where he was detained by security, Ms Smith said. When he was taken into custody, the suspect began chanting, 'Free, free Palestine,' Ms Smith added. She said law enforcement did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the community. 'These horrible DC killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!' US President Donald Trump posted on social media early on Thursday. 'Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.' – Israel's reaction Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Thursday that he was 'shocked' by the 'horrific, antisemitic' shooting. 'We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,' he said in a statement. Israeli ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said the two people killed were a young couple about to be engaged, saying the man had purchased a ring this week with the intent to propose next week in Jerusalem. Their identities were not immediately made public. Former Israeli ambassador to the US Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio that the woman killed was an American employee of the embassy and the man was Israeli. Attorney general Pam Bondi said she was at the scene with former judge Jeanine Pirro, who serves as the US attorney in Washington and whose office would prosecute the case. The statement from Mr Netanyahu's office said he spoke to Ms Bondi, who told him Mr Trump was 'involved in managing the incident' and the US would bring the perpetrator to justice. It was not immediately clear whether Rodriguez had an lawyer who could comment on his behalf. A telephone number listed in public records rang unanswered. Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, wrote in a post on social media that 'early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence'. – Israel's new campaign in Gaza The influential pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera aired on a loop what appeared to be mobile phone footage of the alleged gunman, wearing a suit jacket and slacks, being pulled away after the shooting, his hands behind his back. The shooting comes as Israel has launched a new campaign targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip in a war that has set tensions aflame across the wider Middle East. The war began with the Palestinian militant group Hamas coming out of Gaza on October 7, 2023 to kill 1,200 people and take some 250 hostages back to the coastal enclave. In the time since, Israel's devastating campaign in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, according to local health authorities, whose count does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. 'These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!' —President Donald J. Trump — The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 22, 2025 The fighting has displaced 90% of the territory's roughly 2 million population, sparked a hunger crisis and obliterated vast swaths of Gaza's urban landscape. – 'In cold blood' Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots and a man came inside looking distressed, they said. Mr Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realising he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, 'Free Palestine,'' Mr Kalin said. 'This event was about humanitarian aid,' Mr Kalin said. 'How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? 'How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.' Last week, the Capital Jewish Museum was one of the local non-profits in Washington DC awarded funding from a 500,000 dollar grant programme to increase its security. The museum's leaders were concerned because it is a Jewish organisation and due to its new LGBT exhibit, according to NBC4 Washington. 'We recognise that there are threats associated with this as well,' executive director Beatrice Gurwitz told the TV station. 'And again, we want to ensure that our space is as welcoming and secure for everybody who comes here while we are exploring these stories.' In response to the shooting, the museum said in a statement that they are 'deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence outside the Museum this evening'. The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington chief executive Gil Preuss said in a statement that he was horrified by the shooting and mourned the loss of the two people killed. 'Our hearts are with their families and loved ones, and with all of those who are impacted by this tragic act of antisemitic violence,' he said. Israeli diplomats in the past have been targeted by violence, both by state-backed assailants and Palestinian militants over the decades of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict that grew out of the founding of Israel in 1948. The Palestinians seek Gaza and the West Bank for a future state, with east Jerusalem as its capital — lands Israel captured in the 1967 war. However, the peace process between the sides has been stalled for years.
