Abbas Araghchi was in Baghdad to discuss the wars in Gaza and Lebanon with Iraqi officials
After Baghdad, Araghchi will head to Oman
Updated 13 October 2024
AFP
BAGHDAD: Iran’s top diplomat vowed Sunday there would be “no red lines” for the country in defending its people and interests, ahead of Israel’s expected retaliation for Iran’s recent missile attack.
“While we have made tremendous efforts in recent days to contain an all-out war in our region, I say it clearly that we have no red lines in defending our people and interests,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X.
Iran fired 200 missiles at Israel on October 1 in what it said was retaliation for the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders in the region and a general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has vowed Israel’s response will be “deadly, precise, and surprising.”
Araghchi was in Baghdad to discuss the wars in Gaza and Lebanon with Iraqi officials, according to the ministry.
Ali Al-Moussawi, political adviser to the Iraqi prime minister, told AFP Araghchi’s visit was part of a diplomatic effort “to silence weapons and violence... to establish security and stability in the region.”
After Baghdad, Araghchi will head to Oman, the Iranian ISNA news agency reported.
On Thursday, Araghchi was in Qatar where he met Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani over the wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
Qatar has been mediating talks aimed at a Gaza ceasefire and has called for a truce in Lebanon.
A day earlier, Araghchi met Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
In a recent interview, Araghchi said Iran does “not want war” but it was “not afraid of it.”
“We will be ready for any scenario,” he told Al Jazeera news network.
Lebanon’s PM condemns Netanyahu’s demand for UNIFIL’s withdrawal
Organization protests against ‘shocking violations’ by Israel
Relief airlift from Kingdom to ‘support Lebanese people facing critical conditions’
Updated 8 sec ago
NAJIA HOUSSARI
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Prime Minister Najib Mikati has condemned his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu for appealing to UN chief Antonio Guterres to remove peacekeepers from the Lebanese side of the border, where clashes between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israeli troops have intensified.
Lebanon “condemns Netanyahu’s position and the Israeli aggression against UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeepers,” said Mikati.
He added: “The warning that Netanyahu addressed to … Guterres demanding the removal of the UNIFIL represents a new chapter in Israel’s approach of not complying with international norms.”
Mikati’s statement came as Saudi Arabia officially launched relief air support to Lebanon, and the first plane carrying humanitarian and medical aid reached Beirut.
Rafic Hariri International Airport on Sunday witnessed the arrival of the first aircraft from the Saudi relief airlift, accompanied by the Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid Bukhari.
The Saudi aid agency KSrelief announced that the airlift was established “under the directives of the Kingdom’s leadership to provide medical and humanitarian assistance to the Lebanese people in support of their efforts to cope with critical circumstances.”
The first aircraft carried 46 containers of various aid supplies, including tents, in anticipation of the approaching winter season.
The Saudi Press Agency also reported that KSrelief had continued implementing the fourth phase of the Hope Bakery charitable project in the Akkar Governorate and Miniyeh district in northern Lebanon.
During the past week the project has distributed 175,000 bundles of bread to families in need, including Syrian and Palestinian families, and host communities in northern Lebanon, benefiting 12,000 households.
The Lebanese Caretaker Minister of Economy Amin Salam; Caretaker Minister of Environment Nasser Yassin; and the Secretary-General of the Lebanese High Relief Commission Maj. Gen. Mohammed Khair welcomed the support’s arrival at the airport.
Yassin thanked Saudi Arabia “for this assistance in these challenging times to secure urgent needs. The Kingdom has consistently supported Lebanon, and we appreciate this stance and commitment.”
Bukhari, who met Mikati, said: “The first wave of assistance has arrived, confirming Saudi Arabia’s commitment and support for the Lebanese people in facing difficult challenges.”
A Qatari aircraft transporting tonnes of medical supplies also arrived at the airport, while an Omani aircraft, loaded with 40 tonnes of medicine and humanitarian assistance, is scheduled to arrive on Monday.
Meanwhile, Israeli airstrikes continued to target the Lebanese army.
A drone targeted a Lebanese army vehicle with a missile on Sunday as it passed through the town of Burj Al-Muluk, injuring three soldiers.
An airstrike on the town of Srebbine in the district of Bint Jbeil wounded four paramedics.
Meanwhile, UN peacekeepers in Lebanon on Sunday asked for an explanation from the Israeli army over what they said were “shocking violations” against their force, including forcing entry into one of their positions.
UNIFIL said in a statement: “We have requested an explanation from the Israeli army for these shocking violations.”
The organization also accused Israel’s military of halting a logistics convoy.
The UN peacekeepers said Israeli tanks broke through a gate to enter a Blue Helmet position in Lebanon on Sunday, after blocking their movement the previous day.
The peacekeeping mission said: “At around 4:30 a.m., while peacekeepers were in shelters, two Israeli military Merkava tanks destroyed the position’s main gate and forcibly entered the position in the Ramia area of southern Lebanon.
“They requested multiple times that the base turn out its lights. The tanks left about 45 minutes after UNIFIL protested through our liaison mechanism.”
A little over two hours later, peacekeepers reported “the firing of several rounds 100 meters north, which emitted smoke.”
They added: “Despite putting on protective masks, 15 peacekeepers suffered effects, including skin irritation and gastrointestinal reactions, after the smoke entered the camp.”
Israeli soldiers on Saturday had “stopped a critical UNIFIL logistical movement near Mais Al-Jabal, denying its passage,” the force said, referring to an area in south Lebanon.
“For the fourth time in as many days, we remind the IDF and all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of UN personnel.”
The UN force added: “Any deliberate attack on peacekeepers is a grave violation of international humanitarian law and Resolution 1701.”
It added that UNIFIL’s mandate provided freedom of movement in its area of operations.
The number of peacekeeping soldiers in UNIFIL stands at 10,500, representing over 40 countries worldwide. They are deployed in fixed and mobile sites in the border area to monitor the implementation of Resolution 1701 in coordination with the Lebanese army.
Mikati on Sunday reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to Resolution 1701.
He said that Netanyahu “is not content with the aggression he is waging on Lebanon, claiming martyrs and victims and causing indescribable destruction.”
Mikati added that Netanyahu’s “warning to Guterres represents a new chapter in the approach of non-compliance with international legitimacy and its related resolutions.”
He added: “This statement is for the international community and the UN, and it should be a new incentive to take the appropriate stance after Netanyahu turned against the French-American call, supported by foreign and Arab countries, for a ceasefire.”
The southern front on Sunday witnessed new Israeli incursion attempts, especially in Maroun Al-Ras where Hezbollah announced its targeting of a gathering of Israeli soldiers inside the town.
The group also announced it had targeted an Israeli tank south of the Lebanese town of Qouzah with a guided missile.
A violent confrontation also took place at the entrance to the town of Ramyah, and machine-gun clashes were heard in an area between Aita Al-Shaab and Ramyah.
Israel’s Maariv newspaper reported that the Israeli army had captured a Hezbollah member in southern Lebanon and found an underground tunnel within a building that led to an area where other members of the group were present. Hezbollah-affiliated activists denied Israel’s claim.
Israeli airstrike kills five children in Gaza, says official Palestinian news agency
A group of children were playing near a cafe in the Al-Shati area when they were killed by a drone strike, according to WAFA
Updated 13 October 2024
Reuters
CAIRO: An Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza killed five children on Sunday, according to official Palestinian news agency WAFA and media affiliated with Hamas.
A group of children were playing near a cafe in the Al-Shati area when they were killed by a drone strike, according to WAFA, which cited local sources.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the report.
Frankly Speaking: Can a new global coalition achieve Palestinian statehood?
Riyad Mansour tells Arab News current-affairs program the coalition will pressure Israel to comply with international laws and resolutions to end the occupation
Palestinian ambassador to the UN also underscores the responsibility of the international community to take concrete action following ICJ ruling
Updated 13 October 2024
Arab News
DUBAI: Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s permanent observer to the UN, has commended Saudi Arabia’s leadership in advancing the two-state solution, stressing that the Kingdom’s efforts, led by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, are pivotal for the future of the Palestinian people.
Appearing on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Mansour said the international coalition spearheaded by Saudi Arabia is a vital step toward realizing Palestinian statehood and enforcing international law.
The coalition, launched at a high-level meeting during the UN General Assembly, involves key global players, including the EU and Norway.
“We are very appreciative of what Saudi Arabia is doing and the personal involvement of Prince Faisal bin Farhan,” Mansour said.
In the recent UN General Assembly session, Prince Faisal bin Farhan announced the coalition’s formation, drawing participation from a wide range of international stakeholders.
“About 90 countries participated, among them 90 foreign ministers,” Mansour said, adding that the coalition’s purpose is to take concrete steps to pressure Israel to comply with international laws and resolutions, which mandate an end to the occupation of Palestinian territories.
Delegates of member states line up to greet Riyad Mansour, top right, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, as he arrives for the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly last month. (AP/File Photo)
He praised the Saudi leadership for mobilizing this broad international support and noted that the coalition’s next steps would be shaped by an upcoming conference in Riyadh.
“There will soon be a conference in Riyadh in order to adopt the action plan for moving in the direction of taking all the steps necessary in order to either convince or force Israel to comply with this wish that this occupation has to end and it has to end soon to allow for the birth of the two-state solution,” Mansour told “Frankly Speaking” host Katie Jensen.
“Which means the independence of the State of Palestine, because one has been in existence since 1948-1949. The other one is under occupation, and it needs to be independent.
“It needs to be a full member in the UN to have parity and then to deal with all of the details that would lead to the evacuation of the settlements and the settlers and all of the manifestation of this illegal occupation to allow for seeing the two-state solution becoming a reality on the ground. I think we are in the initial stages of all these practical steps.”
He reaffirmed that the two-state solution remains the only viable path to peace in the region, emphasizing the importance of establishing the state of Palestine alongside Israel, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Mansour also stressed the need for Israel to be held accountable for its actions, particularly in Gaza, where some 42,000 Palestinians have been killed over the past year. He underscored the role of international legal mechanisms such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court in achieving this accountability.
Reflecting on the ICJ’s ruling in July on the legality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, Mansour said: “The court did its job and they gave us a historic advisory opinion.” However, he acknowledged the limitations of the court in enforcing its rulings. “The court doesn’t have an enforceability power,” he said.
“The enforceability power is in the hands of the international community — the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Human Rights Council, the Contracting Parties of Fourth Geneva Convention and it is in the hands of national states.”
Mansour underscored the responsibility of the international community to take concrete action following the ICJ’s ruling. “We translated that in the resolution adopted in the General Assembly by saying this illegal occupation has to end as rapidly as possible. It should end within 12 months,” he said.
He called on countries that supply Israel with weapons to halt their support. “Those who provide weapons, they should stop sending weapons to embolden Israel and to allow it to continue with this illegal occupation and this genocidal war against our people in Gaza, among other things,” he said.
Mansour warned that the situation in Gaza is deteriorating rapidly. He also expressed concern that the world may be turning its back on the embattled enclave, despite the severity of the crisis.
“I hope that, after one year, these atrocities against our people in the Gaza Strip do not become a forgotten subject,” he said.
Mansour reiterated the importance of a ceasefire and humanitarian assistance to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.
Protesters at a pro-Palestine demonstration in the Netherlands. Mansour called on the international community to take more decisive action to end the conflict and achieve peace. (AFP)
“We hope that that momentum will culminate in putting in place a ceasefire and the beginning of sending humanitarian assistance to the scale needed by our people in the Gaza Strip, and the process of allowing the people of Gaza to go back to the places where they were forced from and to provide them with shelter since winter is approaching,” he said.
Mansour did not shy away from criticizing the role of the US in the conflict, accusing Washington of failing to use its influence to stop the war in Gaza. He argued that the US could have exerted pressure on Israel to halt its military campaign but has allowed the violence to continue.
“The US could have stopped this war a long time ago,” Mansour said, adding that the situation has worsened due to this inaction.
“They could have mustered enough pressure on Israel more than three months ago when President Joe Biden made his announcement of the three stages of dealing with the situation in Gaza, starting with a ceasefire. And a resolution was adopted, 2735. Fourteen countries voted in favor. Nobody voted against it. And we are still not seeing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”
He added: “And they are now more or less frozen, and the administration is unable to take significant decisions to stop this war.”
Mansour also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of using the conflict to advance his political interests.
“I believe that Netanyahu took the American leadership for a ride,” he said, suggesting that Netanyahu is exploiting the conflict to bolster his position domestically and avoid corruption charges.
“And he is, in essence, helping (Donald) Trump to become the next president. And he will wait and see what the result will be after Nov. 5.”
He warned that Netanyahu’s actions could destabilize the entire region, pointing to Israel’s ongoing strikes on Hezbollah targets and its military incursion into southern Lebanon, as well as threats against Iran.
“We condemn this aggression against Lebanon, and it should be stopped immediately,” he said.
“He created an environment to expand this war even further after what with regard to Iran, because he wants to wreck the entire Middle East if he can, in order to fulfill his selfish desire of remaining as prime minister of Israel and not going to jail because he’s facing four allegations of criminal activities that each one of them is enough to put him in jail.”
Mansour also commended Saudi Arabia for its financial support to the Palestinian people, particularly in Gaza, where Saudi aid has been vital in addressing the growing humanitarian crisis.
He welcomed Saudi Arabia’s announcement of monthly financial aid to Palestine, calling it a significant step in ensuring the survival of the Palestinian people under Israeli occupation.
“This step is a very significant step in showing that it is not up to Israel to decide the fate of the State of Palestine,” Mansour said, adding that the aid will help counter Israel’s economic pressure on the Palestinian Authority.
Mansour praised Saudi Arabia’s continued commitment to supporting Palestine, noting that its aid has to date totaled more than $5.3 billion.
He said that this support is not just humanitarian but also political, sending a clear message that the international community, led by Saudi Arabia, stands with Palestine.
Mansour called on the international community to take more decisive action to end the conflict and achieve peace. He expressed optimism that the Saudi-led coalition could serve as a catalyst for real change, but stressed that more needs to be done to hold Israel accountable and bring an end to the occupation.
Appearing on the Arab News current affairs program “Frankly Speaking,” Mansour said the international coalition spearheaded by Saudi Arabia is a vital step toward realizing Palestinian statehood and enforcing international law. (AN Photo)
Mansour said that global support for Palestine is growing. He called for continued pressure on Israel to comply with international law and for the international community to support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
“As Nelson Mandela said, and it was quoted even by President Biden in his speech at the UN, it is not over until it is over, until it is done,” he said.
“It looks very complicated. It looks that Israel is so belligerent. But when we reach that tipping point where countries, as some of them in Europe, like Spain, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and others, started to see the light that, for example, admitting the state of Palestine to membership should take place at the beginning of the process, not at the end, as they used to believe.
“All these signs are giving us signals that we are getting very close to the possibility of opening the door to begin to see that this isolation and these practical tools available to all nations and the UN to be used.
“Then they will start giving results to force Israel to change its behavior and to begin the process of ending this occupation, hopefully soon in order to enjoy freedom and independence of the Palestinian people and the occupied land of the state of Palestine and to have the state of Palestine completely free, fully member of the UN, and to end this occupation in that process as well.”
He remains hopeful that the two-state solution can be realized, despite the challenges. “It is complicated, it is difficult, but we have a tremendous amount of help and support, globally speaking,” he said.
Israel reinforces ban on UN chief entering country over Iran attack comments
On Oct. 2, Katz said that he was barring Guterres from entering Israel
He posted on X on Sunday that “Guterres can continue seeking support from UN member states, but the decision will not change”
Updated 13 October 2024
Reuters
JERUSALEM: Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz reinforced on Sunday his decision to declare UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres persona non grata over what he described as a failure to condemn Iran’s missile attack and antisemitic and anti-Israel conduct.
On Oct. 2, Katz said that he was barring Guterres from entering Israel. He posted on X on Sunday that “Guterres can continue seeking support from UN member states, but the decision will not change.”
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric described the initial announcement on Oct. 2 as political and “just one more attack, so to speak, on UN staff that we’ve seen from the government of Israel.” He said the UN traditionally does not recognize the concept of persona non grata as applying to UN staff.
When asked to respond to Katz’s remarks on Sunday, a UN spokesperson referred to Dujarric’s earlier comments.
Dujarric also said last week that the UN had not received any formal communication from Israel on the matter.
On Oct. 3, the UN Security Council expressed its full support for Guterres, saying in a statement that “any decision not to engage with the UN Secretary-General or the United Nations is counterproductive, especially in the context of escalating tensions in the Middle East.”
When asked last week if Guterres had been made persona non grata by Israel, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters: “There was a statement made ... we will evaluate the relationship. We are here at the UN, we work with the UN agencies, but we were disappointed.”
Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Oct. 1 amid an escalation in fighting between Israel and its proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah. Many were intercepted in flight but some penetrated missile defenses.
Guterres condemned the missile attack and “the broadening of the Middle East conflict, with escalation after escalation.” Earlier the same day, Israel had sent troops into southern Lebanon.
During a Security Council meeting a day later, Guterres said: “As I did in relation to the Iranian attack in April — and as should have been obvious yesterday in the context of the condemnation I expressed — I again strongly condemn yesterday’s massive missile attack by Iran on Israel.”
Iraq walks fine line with pro-Iran factions to avoid war
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of armed groups backed by Iran, has claimed several drone attacks targeting Israel in recent months
Updated 13 October 2024
AFP
BAGHDAD: The Iraqi government is struggling to rein in powerful pro-Iran factions that risk pulling Iraq into a regional war, as fighting in Gaza and Lebanon threatens to spread further.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a loose alliance of armed groups backed by Iran, has claimed several drone attacks targeting Israel in recent months, which they say are in support of their Palestinian ally Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
While most of the attacks have been intercepted, a drone strike last week that Israel said was launched from Iraq killed two Israeli soldiers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the following day said his country was “defending itself on seven fronts,” including against Shiite groups in Iraq.
After nearly a year of war in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack, Israel in September escalated its strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah and sent ground troops into the south of Lebanon.
Iran launched its second-ever direct attack on Israel on October 1 this year, firing 200 missiles toward its arch-foe, prompting a promise of retaliation.
With warnings of all-out regional war multiplying, the fact that the Iraqi government is itself led by the Iran-aligned Coordination Framework coalition may make it harder for Baghdad to stay clear of further spillover.
Still, after decades of successive wars and crises, Iraq wants to prevent the violence already wracking the region from spreading into its turf.
On Sunday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said Baghdad was against any “expansion toward the Islamic Republic of Iran and (Israel’s) exploitation of Iraqi airspace,” during a visit by his Iranian counterpart.
“The continuation of the war and its expansion toward the Islamic Republic of Iran and (Israel’s) exploitation of Iraqi airspace as a corridor is completely unacceptable and rejected,” he said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, on the first anniversary of Hamas’s attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, said that his government had worked “with great effort to spare Iraq an escalation.”
He also called for greater efforts to “save the region from the evils of a war that will leave nothing behind.”
But according to Iraqi political analyst Sajad Jiyad, Baghdad has realized that it cannot “control events” on its own turf, nor will it be able to “prevent any response from outside the country.”
A source close to Iraq’s pro-Iran groups told AFP that officials in the Coordination Framework recently met “with a number of faction leaders and stressed to them that attacks on Israel expose the country to the risk of air strikes that we can do without.”
During the meeting, the armed groups reportedly urged the government not to intervene, arguing that they alone would bear responsibility for any consequences, according to the same source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Ahmad Al-Hamidawi, secretary-general of Iraqi armed faction Kataib Hezbollah, has said the groups should be readying for an escalation.
“The Islamic Resistance is preparing for the possibility of this war expanding and to continue directing precise strikes at the heart” of Israel, he said.
Iraqi national security adviser Qasim Al-Araji told Iraqi television channel Al-Rabia last week that Baghdad is exerting “internal and external pressure to reduce the escalation.”
“The government is the one that exclusively has the authority to issue the decision of war and peace, and Iraq has no intention of entering a war that may have dire consequences,” he said.
But Jiyad, a fellow at the New York-based Century International think tank, said that ultimately, it might not be up to Iraq whether or not it gets dragged in.
In the event of an Israeli attack on Iraqi infrastructure or oil fields, he said, “the Iraqi government will have no alternative but to support any military response to Israel.”
After Iran’s missile attack on Israel, the pro-Tehran Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee vowed to target US bases and interests in Iraq and the region if Israel used Iraq’s airspace to strike Iran.
But according to Iraqi military expert Munqith Dagher, the factions know any confrontation with Israel would not be an equal fight, given its intelligence and military prowess.
The Iraqi groups are fighting, in his words, “a media battle,” because “they know the limits of their military capabilities.”
