Tag: CNN reported

Gaza US

US Vetoes UN Resolution Urging Immediate Gaza Ceasefire

By LokMarg

The United States has wielded its veto power at the United Nations to block a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, CNN reported.

This move was widely anticipated and occurs as global calls for Israel to halt its offensive against Hamas continue to intensify.

Despite signalling its intent to veto the Algerian resolution, the US has become increasingly critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza. On Monday, the US proposed its own draft resolution in the Security Council, advocating for a “temporary ceasefire” in the ongoing conflict, as reported by CNN.

While the American draft falls short of the preferences of most other Security Council members, it underscores a toughening stance from the White House on the matter.

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the UN, addressed the Security Council, expressing concerns that the Algerian-proposed resolution could negatively impact delicate negotiations in the region.

“Proceeding with a vote today was wishful and irresponsible, and so while we cannot support a resolution that would put sensitive negotiations in jeopardy, we look forward to engaging on a text that we believe will address so many of the concerns we all share,” she stated following the vote.

Although Algeria’s resolution was destined to fail, it highlighted the growing global apprehension about the nature of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)’s ground and bombing campaign in Gaza.”

Notably, Israel is planning to carry out a ground operation in Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled over the course of the conflict.

Earlier on Friday, President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House that he’s had “extensive conversations” with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu over the last several days, where he relayed his position “that there has to be a temporary ceasefire” to secure the safe release of hostages still held by Hamas.

The US draft also warns of the effects of an Israeli ground offensive into Rafah, saying it would “result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement, including potentially into neighbouring countries, which would have serious implications for regional peace and security.”

However, despite international pressure, Israel has said it plans to expand its ground operations into Rafah as part of its goal to destroy Hamas after the October 7 attacks. Many fear that military action in the refugee tent city could spark an exodus and result in the deaths of thousands of civilians.

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has grown more vocal in expressing concerns over how Israel is conducting the war. Last week, Biden told Netanyahu that the military action “should not proceed,” according to a readout of their call. (ANI)

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US and Chinese military officials

Top US, Chinese Military Officials Hold First High-Level Talks In Over A Year

By LokMarg

In a significant development, the highest-ranking US and Chinese military officials engaged in dialogue on Thursday, ending a year-long silence that had raised concerns within the Pentagon, CNN reported.

General CQ Brown, Jr, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, initiated a video conference call with his Chinese counterpart, General Liu Zhenli of the People’s Liberation Army of China.

This marked the first conversation between the two leaders since Gen Brown assumed his role as chairman, according to CNN.

During the video conference, Gen Brown emphasised the importance of collaborative efforts to responsibly manage competition, prevent miscalculations, and maintain open lines of communication, Joint Staff spokesperson Captain Jereal Dorsey said.

“Gen Brown discussed the importance of working together to responsibly manage competition, avoid miscalculations, and maintain open and direct lines of communication,” Dorsey said, adding, “Gen Brown reiterated the importance of the People’s Liberation Army engaging in substantive dialogue to reduce the likelihood of misunderstandings.”

The hiatus in communication between the US and Chinese military leadership had persisted for over a year, triggered by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in August 2022. China responded with military drills around the island, leading to heightened tensions.

The lack of dialogue became a source of concern for the Pentagon, especially in light of various incidents, including a Chinese spy balloon traversing the continental US and an increase in “coercive and risky” behaviour by Chinese pilots against US aircraft in the East and South China Seas, according to CNN.

The restoration of communication was identified as a priority in the recent talks between President Joe Biden and China’s Xi Jinping. President Biden, speaking on the matter, emphasised his commitment to managing the situation in a rational and manageable manner to avoid conflict.

“My responsibility is to make this rational and manageable, so it doesn’t result in conflict,” Biden said at the time. “That’s what I’m all about.”

US military leaders, acknowledging the significance of renewed communication, had been expressing their concerns for months. Following the meeting between Biden and Xi, the Pentagon announced active coordination with Beijing to establish communication channels.

In June, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin had a brief encounter with then-PRC Minister of National Defence Li Shangfu at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, but no substantive exchange occurred. Since then, Shangfu has been relieved of his position, and a new defence minister has yet to be appointed.

One of the key issues discussed in the conversation between Gen Brown and Gen Liu Zhenli was the opening of communication channels between the US Indo-Pacific Command and the People’s Liberation Army Eastern and Southern Theatre Commands.

Admiral John Aquilino, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, had previously stated that his standing request to speak with his Chinese counterparts had been ignored throughout his tenure.

Aquilino emphasised the ongoing efforts to engage with China but noted differing opinions on the matter. “[T]he theme here is we continue to try to engage with our partner,” Aquilino said at the time, “but there’s a different opinion there,” CNN reported. (ANI)

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Iraq Iran

Over 14,800 Killed In Gaza: Hamas Health Authorities

By LokMarg

The death toll in Gaza from the Israeli offensive since October 7 has risen to 14,854, with 5,850 children among the casualties, CNN reported, citing Hamas authorities in the Strip.

Obtaining current figures has become a challenging task due to Israel’s ongoing air and ground campaign, CNN reported, adding that the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah, on Monday, reported 12,700 casualties, drawing data from sources in the Gaza Strip.

Recent health updates indicate communication disruptions in Gaza, hindering accurate data collection, the report noted.

The chief of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, stood by the casualty figures they quoted, adding that they rely on data from Gaza.

“We don’t put these figures out without thought,” CNN reported Griffiths as saying.

Meanwhile, before the multi-day truce takes hold starting Friday, Israeli ground forces intensified shelling in northern Gaza.

The pause, set to begin at 7 am (local time), includes the release of the first group of 13 hostages held by Hamas since October 7.

As part of the four-day cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, civilian hostages are to be released on Friday afternoon in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, Qatar announced on Thursday, according to CNN.

According to Majed Al-Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar’s foreign ministry, the ceasefire will begin at 7 am (local time) while 13 women and child captives are to be released at 4 pm.

According to Al-Ansari, the list of captives scheduled to be freed has been sent to the Israeli intelligence service, Mossad.

The Qatari spokesperson stated that Mossad will provide the Qataris with a list of Palestinian inmates who are likely to be released. “Whenever we have both lists confirmed, this is when we can begin with the process of getting people out,” the official went on to say, according to CNN.

The prisoners will be transferred from two jails, Damon and Megiddo, both southeast of Haifa, to the Ofer prison, south of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, for final Red Cross examinations, according to the report.

Earlier, on Wednesday, an Israeli official told CNN that the truce would begin at 10 am local time on Thursday, followed by the release of at least 50 women and children among the more than 230 people being held prisoner in Gaza.

However, those preparations were postponed late Wednesday, just hours before the cease-fire was supposed to begin.

“Nothing is finalised until it’s actually happening. And even amid the process, changes might occur at any moment,” Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in his daily press briefing on Thursday.

According to CNN, Hagari said the Israeli army continues to fight in the Gaza Strip “at this hour,” pointing out that once the pause goes into effect, the soldiers of the Israeli Defence Forces will be stationed along the “truce lines” established inside the territory.

The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attacks by Hamas. About 2,500 terrorists breached Israel’s southern border from the Gaza Strip, killing civilians and sneaking back into their territory with hostages.

Hamas terrorists are believed to have taken 240 hostages during the assault after they surged across Gaza’s militarised border into southern Israel, leaving 1,200 people, mostly civilians, dead, The Times of Israel reported.

Among the hostages were civilians of all ages, including young children and the elderly, as well as Thai and Nepal nationals, according to reports. (ANI)

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Gaza

Israeli Govt Approves Regular Fuel Deliveries To Gaza

By LokMarg

Two fuel tankers entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing on Friday, following approval by Israel’s war cabinet to facilitate regular deliveries to the besieged enclave, CNN reported.

The tankers, carrying a total of 60,000 litres of diesel fuel, were authorised for use by international organisations, particularly the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), according to Israeli military spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari.

“This fuel entered in a limited manner for the use of international organisations, for UNRWA,” Rear Adm Hagari stated, specifying that the fuel would support desalination facilities providing water to the southern strip. The oversight of this process is led by the United States and Egypt.

“There are desalination facilities that should provide water to the southern strip, so the fuel is used just for these two needs. We monitor this issue to ensure it’s used for these two needs only. This (process) is led by the US and Egypt,” Hagari added.

The decision allows two fuel tankers a day to enter Gaza, providing essential support to the water and sewage systems on the verge of collapse due to a lack of electricity. Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel’s national security adviser, emphasised the critical state of these systems in a Friday briefing.

Israel’s war cabinet approved a measure on Friday allowing two fuel tankers a day to enter Gaza for water and sewage system support, CNN reported, citing Israel’s national security adviser.

Those systems are “on the verge of collapsing, considering the lack of electricity and ability to operate the sewage and water systems,” the official, Tzachi Hanegbi, said in a Friday briefing.

Under the approved measure, 1,40,000 litres of fuel will enter Gaza every 48 hours, with the majority allocated for water and sewage uses, a US State Department official told CNN.

Additional usage includes UN relief agency trucks, waste disposal, bakeries, and hospitals in southern Gaza. A smaller portion, around 20,000 litres every 48 hours, will power Paltel generators for cell phones and internet services.

The decision was made in consultation with the Israel Defence Forces and Israel’s International Security Academy, ensuring it aligns with operational objectives and does not support Hamas, as clarified by Hanegbi.

The rationale behind the decision was framed within the context of avoiding the spread of pandemics, acknowledging the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Hanegbi said, “We don’t need pandemics that might hit civilians there, our combat troops, and if there will be pandemics, the fighting will cease. We will not be able to continue fighting under the conditions of a humanitarian crisis and a global outcry.”

Notably, the decision has faced criticism within the Israeli government, with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich expressing concerns and urging a reversal of the policy.

Smotrich even wrote a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which he later released on X, asking for the policy to be reversed, as reported by CNN.

“That decision is extremely odd. This decision is a spit in the face of IDF soldiers, bereaved families, the hostages and their families,” Smotrich said, adding, “This is not how you win a war, that’s not how you destroy Hamas and that’s not how we’ll return the hostages.”

Fuel shortages in Gaza have exacerbated water and sewage issues, with approximately 70 per cent of the population now relying on “salinized and contaminated” water, as reported by the UNRWA.

The fuel situation has been a key focus of recent discussions, including those with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Tel Aviv earlier this month. The move to allow fuel deliveries comes after weeks of pressure from the US, CNN reported. (ANI)

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Ukraine

Ukraine: 16 Dead, 31 Missing In Flooding From Nova Kakhovka Dam Collapse

By LokMarg

At least 16 people are dead and 31 are missing in flooding from the Nova Kakhovka dam collapse, Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Saturday, CNN reported.

The dam in southern Ukraine, collapsed on June 6, destroying villages, flooding farmland and cutting power and clean water supplies to tens of thousands of people.
It is unclear if the dam was deliberately targeted or whether structural failure was behind its collapse.

According to Kyiv, Russia blew up the dam “in panic” ahead of a planned Ukraine counter-offensive, while Russia accuses Ukraine of launching “mass artillery attacks” on the structure to deprive Crimea of water and provide a distraction from the battlefield.

Ukraine’s interior ministry on Saturday said 3,614 people had been evacuated from the flooded areas “including 474 children and 80 people with reduced mobility.”

It added that 1,300 houses remained flooded in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

In a Telegram post the same day, Andrey Alekseenko, the Russian-backed head of the government of the Kherson region, gave a higher death toll, CNN reported.

“Unfortunately, the death toll has risen to 29 people. Twelve people in Oleshky, 13 people in Hola Prystan and 4 people in Nova Kakhovka. We will provide the necessary assistance to each family who has lost relatives,” Alekseenko wrote.

The area surrounding the dam has been one of the most heavily contested regions since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The city of Kherson, which sits on the west bank of the Dnipro River, was liberated by the Ukrainian military in November after eight months of Russian occupation, as per CNN.

But much of the east bank of the river south of the Nova Kakhovka dam remains under Russian control.

The reservoir supplies water to large swaths of southern Ukraine, including the Crimean Peninsula which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. (ANI)

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