India abandoning pro-Israel stance

India is a country deeply wounded by colonialism. Apart from millions of people losing their lives during Britain’s centuries-long rule over India, the repercussions of the dark days continue to reverberate in the country's societal fabric to this day.

Challenges such as unemployment, famine, inadequate access to sanitation, education, and healthcare, as well as pervasive violence across caste, religious, and gender lines serve as poignant reminders that the impacts of the British colonial era are still alive and kicking in the Indian society.

This is why individuals within India and around the globe were astonished when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerged as one of the only world leaders to join Western officials and condemn the October 07 Hamas operation against Israel, an entity that undeniably evokes parallels to the British Raj.

“Deeply shocked by the news of terrorist attacks in Israel, our thoughts and prayers are with the innocent victims and their families. We stand in solidarity with Israel at this difficult hour," Modi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, a few hours after Operation Al-Aqsa Storm took place.

India has long been recognized by many Muslims as a fervent advocate for the Palestinian cause, evident in its rich diplomatic history replete with pro-Palestine actions.

From its vote against the partition of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in 1947 to its distinction as the first non-Arab state to support the Palestinians' liberation struggles during the 1960s and 1970s, the nation has consistently voiced solidarity with those enduring experiences akin to India's own during the 19th and 20th centuries.

While it is undeniable that India's solidarity with Palestinians has waned during the nine-year tenure of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Modi's complete solidarity with Israel on October 07, and his decision to abstain from voting for a UN resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in Gaza on October 27, were still seen as unorthodox.

“After the Cold War India has generally tried to turn to the West’s orbit. That’s why after New Delhi refused to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Modi thought that it would only be right that he stood alongside Western politicians regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict,” Dr. Nozar Shafiei, professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, told the Tehran Times.

Several theories attempt to explain why Modi’s government adopted a notably stronger pro-Israel stance than customary during the latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Critics posit that the governing BJP party, accused of leveraging the backing of the Hindu majority, perceives parallels between itself and the Israeli regime. Both entities find themselves surrounded by Muslims viewed as posing a threat, and both espouse a form of nationalism rooted in religion. Additionally, it is argued that the BJP aims to capitalize on religious polarization to secure votes, making an anti-Muslim stance far more strategically advantageous.

With certain Arab states beginning to embrace normalization with Israel, Modi may have believed that by October 07, the Palestinian cause had lost significance within the Arab world. Consequently, he may have concluded that adopting a pro-Israel position would help please the West while not negatively impacting India’s relations with Arab countries.

It seems, however, that the Indian leader soon came to realize that he was kind of wrong in his calculations.

India’s response to the war in Gaza came in two stages. The first one was released a few hours after the October 07 operation by Hamas which was seen by the majority in India as hasty. People even accused him of reflecting the views of Hindu extremists.

India has a culture of peace and while it is true that some are extremely Islamophobic, the majority of people in the Indian society feel sympathetic towards the Palestinians. With growing opposition inside India and public opinion turning against Israel, the Indian government began to rectify its controversial position.

As lifeless bodies accumulated in Gaza and global demonstrations in support of the Palestinians intensified, the Indian government began to call upon Israel for restraint, dialogue, and diplomatic measures, while vehemently condemning the regime’s relentless targeting of civilians.

Once more, the two-state solution took center stage in Indian statements as the country endeavored to maintain a balanced stance, steering clear of further entrenchment within Israel’s sphere of influence.

India recalibrated its diplomatic posture as its officials recognized the broader regional and global significance of the Palestinian cause, an awareness shared by numerous nations in the region.

The events following October 07 underscored that not only do the Palestinians remain resolute against the Israeli occupation, but that normalization agreements have failed to diminish wide-ranging support for the resistance. India which aspires to emerge as a potential superpower in the future cannot possibly overlook the Palestinian issue if it aims to play a pivotal role in West Asia.

“Although it was unlikely that ties between India and Muslim-majority nations begin to fray due to New Delhi’s initial support for Israel, India's largely positive standing in West Asia may have been compromised by a continued pro-Israel posture. Such a trajectory could have posed severe challenges for India in its contest with China, which has garnered acclaim for its fair and wiser stance during the recent Israel-Gaza conflict.

Though India continues to tread cautiously to evade drawing the ire of its Western allies, the notably pro-Israeli stance that sparked controversy at the onset of the conflict has conspicuously receded.

While no one anticipates India to find a definitive solution to the Palestinian issue, it is also expected that the country refrain from expressing sympathy towards colonizers empowered with the aid of Britain.

Courtesy: The Tehran Times

Vessels still heading into Red Sea

According to Seatrade Maritime News, three container ships, one each from MSC, Maersk and CMA CGM, were identified on VesselsValue AIS heading south in the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea, despite the carrier’s saying they had re-routed vessels around the African Cape.

Houthi Group missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels have seen many vessels already diverted, but some ships continue to use the critical Red Sea waterway, which has at its northern extremity the southern entrance to the Suez Canal.

A number of other container ships from Cosco, Wan Hai, MSC, Maersk, and CMA CGM were identified either having already transited the Bab al-Mandeb Strait or heading for the mouth of the Red Sea, which leads into the Gulf of Aden and into the Indian Ocean.

In total in the Red Sea region AIS identifies around 80-90 container vessels having already transited, or about to transit the Red Sea in the near future.

Most of the top ten container carriers have made statements saying that their vessels would avoid the Red Sea/Suez waterways until the security situation was alleviated.

Houthi Group missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels have seen many vessels already diverted, but some ships continue to use the critical Red Sea waterway, which has at its northern extremity the southern entrance to the Suez Canal.

A Maersk spokesman pointed to its statement, when asked about the prudence of sailing via Suez. The statement said, “Having monitored developments closely and retrieved all available intelligence, Maersk has decided that all vessels previously paused and due to sail through the region will now be re-routed around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope for safety reasons.”

Maersk also pointed out that some of its vessels operate under the Maersk Line Limited banner which operates for the US Government and is not part of Maersk Line’s overall offering.

Other carriers contacted by Seatrade Maritime News, including CMA CGM and MSC did not respond.

Meanwhile, the international maritime task force of around 10 countries called Operation Prosperity Guardian, which includes naval forces from Italy, Spain, the UK and the US among others was today joined by Greece which has sent a frigate to bolster the naval coalition.

Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said in a statement today: "The frigate will participate in the multinational operation 'Prosperity Guardian', for the protection of merchant ships, the lives of seafarers, and the global economy,".

In addition, the International Union of Marine Insurers also made a statement on the 19 December condemning the attacks on shipping: “Provision of hull and cargo insurance has become increasingly challenging due to the heightened risk. As insurers, we are continuously assessing the situation to ensure adequate coverage and support for our clients, while also advocating for enhanced safety measures.”

 

 

Iran recruiting Israeli civilians for spying, accuses Shin Bet

Israel's Shin Bet foiled an Iranian honeypot network that aimed to recruit unsuspecting Israeli civilians to gather intelligence and commit terror attacks under the guise of criminal activities, the Israeli Security Agency announced Thursday.

The Iranian network turned to Israelis through social media and employment websites. Speaking in Hebrew, English, and Arabic, the network operatives introduced themselves as salespeople or real estate agents and, in some cases, sought out Israelis who expressed interest in online dating.

The network also attempted to reach out to families of fallen soldiers and Israelis taken hostage by Hamas on October 07.

The Israelis were then sent on paid reconnaissance missions, gathering information on certain addresses and taking photos of sites of interest to the operatives in an attempt to expand the Islamic Republic's intelligence pool on Israel.

The tasks were given to the civilians in a manner that made them appear harmless, the Shin Bet said. Some of the Israelis who received such suspicious inquiries avoided answering them, and alerted security officials about them, the security agency added.

Over 20 countries agree to join US led Red Sea coalition

A total of more than 20 countries have agreed to participate in the new US-led coalition safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

At least eight of the countries who have signed up have also declined to be publicly named, in a sign of political sensitivities of the operation as regional tensions soar over the Israel-Hamas war.

"We've had over 20 nations now sign on to participate," Major General Patrick Ryder said, noting declarations by Greece and Australia.

"We'll allow other countries, defer to them to talk about their participation."

The United States launched Operation Prosperity Guardian two days ago, saying more than a dozen countries had agreed to participate in an effort that will involve joint patrols in Red Sea waters near Yemen.

Each country will contribute what they can, Ryder said, dubbing it a "coalition of the willing."

The crisis in the Red Sea has grown out of the war between Israel and Hamas.

Israel's retaliatory bombardment and invasion of Gaza, which Israeli officials state is aimed at wiping out Hamas, has killed nearly 20,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in the densely populated, coastal enclave.

Western media reports that Houthis and Hezbollah have fired rockets at Israel since the conflict began. The Houthis, meanwhile, have stepped up their Red Sea attacks, threatening to target all ships heading to Israel and warning shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.

The attacks have disrupted a key trade route that links Europe and North America with Asia via the Suez Canal and caused container shipping costs to rise sharply as companies seek to ship their goods via alternative, often longer, routes.

The US Navy, British and French navies have responded by shooting down Houthi drones and missiles, defensive actions that some critics in Washington say don't go far enough to discourage the Houthis from continuing their attacks.

 

Houthis: A threat to maritime or US hegemony

The United States on Tuesday launched a multinational operation to safeguard commerce in the Red Sea as attacks by Yemeni militants forced major shipping companies to reroute, fuelling concern over sustained disruptions to global trade.

Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain were among nations involved in the Red Sea security operation.

The group, widely dubbed in media reports as a task force that will conduct joint patrols in the southern Red Sea and the adjacent Gulf of Aden.

According to US this is an international challenge that demands collective action and demand other countries to contribute.

This reminds the world of a hoax call of presence of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Iraq.

The matter of the fact is that Houthis have stepped up their Red Sea attacks, threatening to target all ships heading to Israel and warning shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.

As usual the ‘dishonest media’ is playing the US mantra. The reports claim that attacks have begun to take their toll on global trade, disrupting a key trade route that links Europe and North America with Asia via the Suez Canal.

The media reports say, “The crisis resulting from the war between Israel and Hamas has pit the United States and its allies against Iran and its regional Arab proxy militias”.

On Monday the US said, “Iran was behind the Houthi attacks”, but Iran denied its involvement.

The US and its allies say that the task force aims to send a strong signal to Iran and its proxies.

The Houthis say the US-led security initiative would not deter them.

Many major Arab allies of the United States have so far declined to join the task force.

Reportedly, Bahrain's defence minister met Western counterparts to discuss maritime security, but no details are available.

According to defence experts the naval ships just could not escort all the commercial vessels, at the best the ships could be positioned in areas where they offer the greatest security benefit.

According to Reuters about 12% of world shipping traffic usually transits via the Suez Canal, the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia, passing then as well into Red Sea waters off Yemen.

Normally, about 11,800 voyages are made each month through the Suez Canal - some 393 a day.

Biden pressurized to focus on deterring Iran

The spate of attacks from Iranian-backed groups across the region, which broke out nearly two months ago on October 17 amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, are not letting up and have spurred growing anger on Capitol Hill.

Republicans are pushing the Biden administration to project more strength against the Iranian-backed groups. 

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the floor Wednesday that Biden must focus on the task at hand — deterring Iran. 

These Iranian-backed groups are not deterred, they believe they can try to kill Americans with impunity, McConnell said, calling for Biden to get serious about the threats we face. 

Republican presidential candidates also called out Biden on the debate stage. Ron DeSantis, a Navy veteran said American troops are sitting ducks in the Middle East.

Nikki Haley, former UN ambassador, accused Biden of appeasing Iran.“They only respond to strength,” Haley said of Iran. “You’ve got to punch them, you’ve got to punch them hard and let them know that.” 

Since October 17, Iranian-backed groups in Iraq and Syria have attacked US bases and troops 92 times, according to the Pentagon’s latest estimate. 

The US has also engaged the Houthi rebels in Yemen several times. The Houthis, who are also backed by Iran, have shot drones at American ships and attacked merchant vessels, including the successful hijacking of one commercial boat last month.  

Those attacks are in the Red Sea, where about 10% of the world’s commerce flows through every year. 

With the attacks stacking up and stirring criticism, defense officials argue the main objective is to contain the Israel-Hamas war and prevent a wider regional conflict, with Washington taking proportional measures against Iranian-backed militias. 

The dangerous tit for tat is spurring concerns the US is playing with fire — and creating fears that a misstep could spark an even greater surge of violence. 

“We’re in a really terrible, unstable and vulnerable condition,” said Thanassis Cambanis, the director of Century International, a progressive think tank. “Even if Iran and the US don’t want a wider war, it’s easy for miscalculation to produce one.” 

The militants waging war in the Middle East against the US have been doing so for years — there were some 70 attacks on US forces between 2021 and early 2023, many by Iran-backed groups in Iraq and elsewhere.

But the breakout of the Israel-Hamas war sparked an unprecedented number of attacks in a short time frame.

Analysts say the militia groups — and Iran — want to send a message of solidarity with the Palestinian people, while they are also bristling against increased US military presence, including American aircraft carrier ships and nuclear-powered submarines in the region.

The US is struggling with two major wars in Gaza and Ukraine. With those hot conflicts stretching Washington thin, the Biden administration’s main goal is to ensure there is not a wider regional war in the Middle East. 

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters Thursday the US is succeeding in deterring Iranian-backed militia groups.  

“That’s not to say that the challenges associated with Iranian proxies attacking US forces in Iraq and Syria or the rebels firing missiles at international shipping are not something we shouldn’t take serious,” Ryder said.

“But we will address those problems in the way that we’ve been doing. And we will continue to stay very focused on not only deterring, but also protecting our force.” 

Michael Knights, an expert in Iraq and Iran at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the US has managed to keep the fighting at a proportional level, and while that doesn’t look good in a headline, in reality there is no real threat. 

Knights noted that no American service members have died in the recent attacks, and the militia groups appear to be designing the rocket and drone attacks to avoid fatalities

“They have a pretty limited chance of hitting Americans, and sometimes [the strikes] are quite aimed off, because large salvos haven’t even landed within the bases,” Knights said. “There’s been a lot of bangs, but they’ve all fallen into what we call the polite category, which means we’re largely looking at single drone attacks that the US can just eat for breakfast.” 

But Knights said the deterrence of the Houthis near Yemen has failed, and the US may deliberately be holding back from carrying out more destructive strikes.

One reason for the restraint could be to prevent the unraveling of peace talks in a years-long war between Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government, both of which are in a fragile cease-fire, he added. 

“The US doesn’t want to disrupt that peace process … and the Houthis are taking full advantage of that because they know right now they can do whatever they want,” Knights said. “They are the part of the deterrence puzzles where the US is doing the least well.” 

The Houthis, like Lebanon’s Hezbollah, are a prominent Iranian-backed faction and have earned their stripes in the war with Yemen’s government. That has molded them into a more formidable fighting force compared with other militia groups in Iran’s sphere. 

Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, slammed Biden for failing to stop the Houthi attacks and urged greater action against the group, including a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) designation.  

“By prioritizing politics over security, this administration emboldened the Houthis, enabling them to develop more advanced weapons, deepen ties with Iran, and further entrench their control over millions of innocent Yemenis,” McCaul said in a statement.

“It is clear that the Houthis are a threat to Yemen, our partners across the Middle East, US service members and citizens in the region, and freedom of navigation and global commerce.” 

Jason Blazakis, director of the Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, said the FTO designation would help the US and likely would not endanger Houthi-Yemen peace talks. 

“It would be a signal of US displeasure with Iranian action,” he said. “There needs to be a response to the Houthis because of their untoward activities. They’ve become increasingly belligerent. That can’t be ignored.” 

The US is also considering a maritime task force, which would be made up of attack ships from several countries, to defend ships against Houthi threats in the Red Sea.

Tensions are likely to remain high as long as Israel’s war to defeat Hamas rages in Gaza, with devastating consequences for civilians there. On Thursday, Israel’s defense minister said the war in Gaza could last months.  

Lawrence Wilkerson, a retired U.S. colonel who previously served under former Secretary of State Colin Powell, said Biden should bring the war in Gaza to a resolution if he wants to stop the Middle East conflict from ballooning out of control. 

 “Until we decide to essentially cut down our power a bit and let things settle,” he said, “they aren’t going to.” 

 

Yemen one of the key resistance in Gaza war

When Israel began its deadly attacks on Gaza, few thought that Yemen would become one of the key players in this war. The intervention of Ansar Allah of Yemen in the recent war is subject to several considerations and analyses.

One dimension of this intervention is economic. In fact, Ansar Allah has opened the third economic front against Israel.

The first front is related to Gaza. Tel Aviv has called up 360,000 reserve forces in attacking Gaza, and tens of thousands have also left southern Israel.

On the second front, Hezbollah's movements in northern Israel have also paralyzed the economy of this region.

The economic costs on these two fronts have been high for the regime. Official sources in Israel have admitted that the country's economy has shrunk by 15% in the last three months of the year.

The tourism industry has almost stopped, and retail has also declined significantly. The unemployment rate has reached about 10%, while in the month before October, this rate was less than 4%.

Ansar Allah started their economic war against the regime in the foreign trade field by opening the third front.

They began their work less than a month ago by seizing the Galaxy Leader. They recently announced that only Israeli ships will not be targeted, insisting all commercial ships that travel from Israeli ports to another country or vice versa will be seized or attacked.

In recent days, they have attacked several container ships in the Red Sea. The attacks have led to the closure of Eilat port, and commercial ships are forced to circumnavigate the whole of Africa to reach Israeli ports without any hassle, resulting in increased travel time and therefore higher transportation costs.

These attacks have not only increased insurance cost for the ships heading to Israel, but also burdened the already under-pressure Israeli economy.

The Red Sea corridor is vital for Israel's economy, and the continuation of the current situation will become increasingly difficult and expensive for it.

"National Security Council" has issued urgent instructions to Israel’s ports to remove information related to the arrival and departure of ships from their websites.

Another solution proposed by some Zionist experts is to transport goods to Port Said in Egypt and unload them there, then transfer them to smaller ships and transport them to Israeli ports. However, this solution is not practically feasible. In fact, they know that they have no practical and military options against Ansar Allah.

However, the most important hope for Israel is to try to turn their problem into everyone's problem. They are doing their best to pretend that Yemen's actions endanger international trade security in the Red Sea and thus force others to solve their problem.

Although the Americans are involved in this project with Israel, as the revolutionary authorities of Yemen have stated, no one can prevent them from supporting the oppressed people of Palestine.

They have clearly announced the solution: stop the massacre in Gaza and deliver food, medicine, and vital goods to the besieged people. 

Ansar Allah's confrontation with Israel is not limited to economic warfare, and despite the great distance from the occupied territories, they have conducted missile and drone attacks on Israel.

The courageous actions of the Yemenis have embarrassed some Islamic countries that have many pressure tools to stop Israel's killing machine but do not use them. 

All of this is happening while the Yemenis themselves have been facing war and severe siege for more than 8 years ‑ despite all these pressures, they are stronger than ever in regional equations.

Without a doubt, making the Red Sea insecure for the economy of the Israeli regime is not the Yemenis' last card in this game. Bigger surprises may be on the way that the Yemenis will reveal in due time.

Courtesy: The Tehran Times

 

Israel still far from toppling Hamas in Gaza

While Israel’s political echelon wants to portray Hamas is on the brink of collapse, experts say complex urban warfare will lengthen the war and make victory much less clear.

The clock is ticking on Israel’s military operation against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as it is unclear how much progress the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has made in eliminating the terrorist organization.

According to Israeli officials, approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed in the attack and 251 people were abducted by Hamas on October 07. To date, 114 of the hostages, some of them foreign nationals, have been released. The rest remain in Gaza, and the Israeli government has promised to secure their release.

According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, more than 18,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel’s retaliation on Gaza, with another 50,000 injured.

After over two months, there is increasing international pressure to end the war. Over the weekend, the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate cease-fire. While the Biden Administration has maintained that Israel will be the one to determine the end of the war, there have also been American insinuations that Israel’s credit is limited.

“We have seen extensive damage,” said Dr. Michael Milstein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies. “But Israel is still far from toppling Hamas. The majority of its fighters are still alive; it still possesses rockets.”

“Hamas doesn’t need this to keep up its fight,” he added. “For Hamas, resistance is much more important than governance. As long as it has weapons and fighters, it doesn’t care whether it can govern Gaza or hand out humanitarian aid.”

“There is a gap between what is being described by the political level as Hamas being on the verge of collapse, but the countdown to the end of Hamas is premature,” said Milstein.

Israel and US cannot wipe out Hamas

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Tuesday that Israel and the United States will never be able to wipe out Hamas and that Israel could only secure the release of hostages held in Gaza with a political solution to the conflict.

In a speech at the United Nations in Geneva in which he described the Islamist group as a freedom movement, Amirabdollahian said, "Israel and the United States will never be able to eliminate Hamas."

He added that Israel, which has vowed to wipe out Hamas, could only achieve the return of hostages taken by Hamas on October 07 by a political solution.

Amirabdollahian was speaking at a meeting alongside counterparts from other Middle Eastern countries.

"All the ministers agree that the strikes by the criminal Israeli regime and the genocide it is committing has to stop immediately," Amirabdollahian said following the meeting.

"The Rafah border crossing has to be open, humanitarian aid has to reach every part of Gaza and the forced displacement of the people of Gaza must stop," he added, referring to the crossing into Egypt used to bring humanitarian aid into the enclave.

Israel's assault on Gaza to root out Hamas has killed at least 18,205 Palestinians and wounded nearly 50,000 since October 07, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei appealed last month to Muslim states with political ties with Israel to at least cut them for a limited time. He had previously called for an Islamic oil and food embargo on Israel.

 

Yemeni Resistance declares war against Israel

Few days after the outset of Israel’s savage invasion of Gaza, Yemeni Resistance declared war against Israel after the ultimatum it had set for cessation of aggression expired and Israel Occupation Forces kept intensifying the bombardment, claiming lives of thousands of Palestinian children and women.

The Yemeni Resistance’s war declaration was initially interpreted as its intention to target Israeli facilities within the range of its known conventional mid-range armaments in south of Occupied Palestine.

Speculation to a large extent, were focused on the ability of Israel’s AD systems and those of its allies in war against Gaza, especially US, but few were ready for what Yemeni Resistance had in sleeves.

After openly announcing that Israeli military and cargo ships are now the legitimate military targets, the Resistance in Yemen started sending warning signs to the Israeli ships which soon turned into a full-scale economic war against the Regime’s previously considered safe corridors.

Amid the conflict, the Yemeni Resistance combatants successfully boarded a cargo ship belonging to one of the most renowned Israeli merchants, directing it to a port in Yemen.

This persuaded nearly all Israeli shipping companies and those associated with them to change the shipping direction and avoid passage through the Red Sea which economically serves as the most convenient maritime transportation route for the Zionist Regime; an interim remedy which has increased the shipping costs drastically.

Since then, many have articulated their contemplations about the possible future of maritime transportation for Israel, as Yemeni Resistance does not seem keen towards the idea of letting Israel’s criminal aggressions go unpunished.

For instance, an Israeli media published a report describing the soaring costs of maintaining security for Israeli shipping companies and the scenarios before them in case the Resistance in Yemen would not accept loosening the rope just for a little.

In an article titled “The Israeli shipping companies are requesting expanded military protection within the Middle East [West Asia] routes”, the outlet discloses that although attacks against Israeli cargo ships are not new, but the scale and intensity is.

Recent attacks increases the fear over the threat Iran inflicts on the Straight of Hormoz; a narrow passage which separates Iran from the Persian Gulf countries and serves as a major bottleneck for export of gas and oil in the global scale.

Although the article has undertaken the same shabby strategy all Israeli media and officials resort to whenever they see the chance (that Israel’s problem is West’s problem, and Iran is the most important problem of Israel), but there are some interesting talking points in between the lines of the piece which can be considered indicators of a mentality trending among Israeli/ US decision makers.

The article quotes McNally, a former adviser to the President of the US, saying “There is a %30 chance of substantial perturbation of energy supplies in the region”, which is not neglect able.

Although Iran and the US are not interested in a direct confrontation, McNally believes, but the two sides might find engaging in unintended conflicts inevitable, which means widespread disruption in %40 of global oil trade just in regards with what might happen in the Straight of Hormoz. To emphasize the intensity of the situation, McNally also mentions this is besides the fact that one tenth of the maritime oil trade is done through the red sea.

To make sure that all westerners are on board, even those who are not clever enough, the article makes is explicitly clear that this is not just Israel’s problem, but all Europe’s problem.

The writer quotes the CEO of an advising company in field of maritime transportation, saying “The Red Sea routes are important, especially for the Europeans as they receive all of the oil and LNG they’ve purchased from the Middle East [West Asia] through the Red Sea”.

The Yemeni Resistance has time and again insisted that its targets are the Zionist Regime’s assets, not those of any country, and has proven this point in practice as well.

Nevertheless, it’s unlikely to see the westerners, especially Europeans, realizing that only the Israeli assets are at stake here. It is only a matter of time before we see the European politicians chewing rhetoric about how the Yemeni Resistance should be confronted; which doesn’t matter anyway.  
 

 

Has Hamas committed horrendous mistake?

Countries of all stripes – whether developed or underdeveloped, democratic or authoritarian – have been known to commit strategic military miscalculations. The United States, for example, won decisive wars against developed countries such as Germany and Japan, but blundered in wars against much lesser powers like Vietnam in the 1970s and Iraq and Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks.

Strategic military miscalculation usually results in the collapse of authoritarian regimes. The decision of Argentina’s military junta to invade the Falkland Islands in 1982 led to its defeat in the war against Britain and the fall of General Leopoldo Galtieri’s regime.

Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 led to a military disaster for the Iraqi army following Operation Desert Storm, paving the way for the 2003 US invasion of the country and the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime.

Successful countries eventually accept the need to revamp their political systems, initiate democratic reforms and champion world peace.

It took Germany, whose army fought exceptionally well operationally and tactically, two world wars to metamorphose.

It took Japan’s disastrous defeat precipitated by the Pearl Harbor attack to convince Tokyo to change. Under the US direction, the two countries transformed into full-fledged democracies.

Since the turn of the 20th century, political leaders, heads of state and political movements in the Arab world have also shown a propensity for massive miscalculation.

Hamas October 07 attack is a prime example, but it was precipitated by several other cases that have shaped the region since World War I.

Hamas’ rationale for last month’s attack stemmed from its conviction that Israel, with United States backing and Arab acquiescence, intended to eliminate any possibility of Palestinian statehood.

By taking Israeli hostages, it also intended to secure the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli jails, knowing that Israel has in the past been willing to conduct prisoner swaps.

In 2011, Israel released more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners to secure the release of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier detained by Hamas for more than five years.

 However, Hamas failed to consider the likelihood that Israel’s war Cabinet would launch an unprecedented air and ground campaign following its attack, the scale of which recalled the genocidal horrors ingrained in Israel’s collective consciousness.

Hamas expected Israel to plead for negotiations to secure the freedom of some 240 Israeli captives. Images from Gaza on October 07 showed Hamas guerrillas ecstatic about the possibility of a massive prisoner swap. But Israel instead unleashed a withering military campaign.

Moreover, Hamas did not inform Iran and its regional allies in advance about its plans. It assumed Hezbollah would join the fighting from southern Lebanon and that Iraqi militias in Syria would engage Israel from the Golan Heights.

Hezbollah’s unenthusiastic involvement in the war has cost it far more casualties than Israel and did not relieve even the slightest pressure on embattled Hamas.

Hamas was left stunned by its allies’ tepid response; having previously believed its attack would transform the Middle East and pave the path toward establishing a Palestinian state.

An extraordinary summit of Arab and Islamic countries held last month in Saudi Arabia resulted only in generic statements of support for the Palestinians and demands for the immediate cessation of hostilities.

Hamas counted on the outbreak of a third intifada, but Israel’s preemptive raids against West Bank activists ruled out this possibility as well.

Arab leaders, engrossed in a distorted worldview, tend to see the world through the prism of their domestic politics, often failing to comprehend the complexity of international relations.

Arabs in high office are autocrats who do not answer to anybody else, driving them to make fateful decisions.

Many Arab leaders live in echo chambers, making decisions premised on faulty assumptions, inattentive to how their antagonists might respond. The consequences have played out time and again, including today in Gaza.

Israel intensifies Gaza strikes

Israel sharply ramped up strikes on the Gaza Strip, pounding the length of the Palestinian enclave and killing hundreds in a new, expanded phase of the war.

The Israeli military said on Friday it had struck more than 450 targets in Gaza from land, sea and air over the past 24 hours - the most since a truce collapsed last week and about double the daily figures typically reported since then.

With the vast majority of Gazans now displaced and unable to access any aid, hospitals overrun and food running out, the main UN agency there said society was on the verge of a full-blown collapse.

Residents and the Israeli military both reported intensified fighting in both northern areas, where Israel had previously said its troops had largely completed their tasks last month, and in the south where they launched a new assault this week.

Gaza's health ministry reported 350 people killed on Thursday, bringing the death toll from Israel's two-month campaign in Gaza to more than 17,170, with thousands more missing and presumed buried under rubble. More strikes were reported on Friday morning in Khan Younis in the south, the Nusseirat camp in the centre and Gaza City in the north.

Israel launched its campaign to annihilate the Hamas that rules Gaza alleging Hamas killing 1,200 people and seizing more than 240 hostages.

Since then, the vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes, many forced to flee three or four times, with only the belongings they can carry.

With the fighting now extended across both halves of the Gaza Strip at the same time, residents say it has become almost impossible to find refuge.

Hamas reported the most intense clashes with Israeli forces were taking place in the north in Gaza City's Shejaia district, as well as in the south in Khan Younis, where Israelis reached the heart of the enclave's second-biggest city on Wednesday.

The Israeli military's Arabic-language spokesman posted to social media that troops were operating forcefully against Hamas and terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip, especially in the Khan Younis area and the northern Strip.

Reuters journalists in the southern Gaza Strip have seen dead and wounded overrunning the main Nasser hospital in Khan Younis, where there was no room on the floor on Friday for arriving patients sprawled across bloodsmeared tiles.

Reuters was unable to enter other parts of the enclave but reached residents by telephone. With the fighting now in all directions, there was no place left to flee.

Iran warns of terrible days ahead

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian warned of terrible days to come for Israel in a call with his Qatar counterpart.

The two men discussed the war in Gaza. Tehran and Doha have excellent ties; Iran’s foreign minister has traveled to Qatar to meet Hamas leaders over the last two months in the wake of the Hamas attack and massacre of more than 1,200 people in Israel on October 07.

According to Iranian media, Iran's foreign minister discussed the West Bank and Gaza with the Qataris. He also discussed the Zionist aggression that Tehran has slammed numerous times. Iran backs proxies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen and has sought to inflame the West Bank.

“Condemning the Israeli regime's crimes against women and children in Gaza and the West Bank, the foreign ministers called for an immediate stop to war crimes, genocide, and clear violations of international laws by the Israeli regime through the international community's immediate action,” the Iranian media reports said.

They also repeated calls for humanitarian aid. The foreign ministers also backed the UN secretary-general’s calls for increased action regarding Gaza. “In this telephone conversation, Amir Abdollahian said that the Islamic resistance has so far responded with strength to the aggression of the Israeli regime, and said that with this trend, the coming days will be very terrible for the Israeli regime,” Fars News said.

Iran continued to warn that the region could become more tense and there will be reactions if the war continues. The Islamic Republic has used this threat continually, and has also been responsible for the current tensions and has backed Hamas in its war against Israel.

Iran also helped release Thai hostages from Gaza through talks with Thailand and Hamas, illustrating Tehran’s influence over the Gaza-based terrorist group controlling the coastal enclave. Qatar hosts Hamas leaders and also mediated the hostage deal that led to a pause in fighting on November 24, which ended on December 01.

It is not clear if the Iranian threats regarding “terrible” things are an escalation. The Iran-backed Houthis escalated attacks this week as well as having been additional threats from Syria.

Iranian pro-regime media has highlighted threats to Israel from Syria’s Dara’a province and has also discussed new Iranian-backed attacks on US forces in Syria.

Iran’s Tasnim News also covered the recent Houthi threats against Israel and the missile attack on Wednesday in which Israel shot down a Houthi missile using the Arrow air defense system.

 

Ruthless Israeli killings in Gaza

Backed by the United States, the indiscriminate Israeli attacks against the civilian population across the entire Gaza Strip continue unabated. But the level of anxiety among the Israeli soldiers, especially in the northern part of the enclave is growing and they are shooting at anything that moves. 

The US administration claims it has pressured Israel to limit the number of civilian casualties in the next phase of the war on Gaza. 

The Israeli military, as instructed by the Israeli cabinet, has brushed the wider concerns of the international community on the rising civilian death toll. 

The regime is not taking into account any caution against the loss of civilian life amid Israeli military is attacking the densely populated southern Gaza Strip and in particular Khan Younis area where Palestinians had been forcefully displaced by the Israeli army. 

In a sign of the anxiety among Israeli ground forces operating in Gaza, they are shooting with lethal force at anything that moves, including the vehicles belonging to Doctors without Borders. 

In a post on social media, one of the passengers who survived the attack

"When we arrived at al-Wahida Street, which is close to our office and guesthouse and Gaza clinic, I saw tanks on the street and snipers on top of the buildings. I was terrified when I saw that the snipers and tanks are pointing at us.” 

The chances of committing massacres have increased as seen in the current war on Gaza, which has entered its 58th day with a civilian death toll surpassing 15,200, 70% being women and children. 

It allows airstrikes on non-military targets and the use of an AI system, which has enabled the Israeli army to carry out its deadliest war on Gaza.

"In one case discussed by the sources, the Israeli military command knowingly approved the killing of hundreds of Palestinian civilians in an attempt to assassinate a single top Hamas military commander," the probe revealed. 

As for the northern Gaza Strip, there was never any regard for civilian life in the first place.

The Palestinian higher education ministry has announced that an Israeli airstrike on Gaza has killed the prominent Palestinian scholar Sufyan Tayeh along with his entire family. 

Tayeh was president of the Islamic University of Gaza and was a leading researcher in physics and applied mathematics. 

In northern Gaza, an airstrike flattened a residential building hosting displaced families in the urban refugee camp of Jabaliya on the outskirts of Gaza City.

Also, in the north, the Palestinian health ministry said, "A violent Zionist bombing on Beit Lahia left dozens of martyrs and injured civilians."

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, many people have been injured in another indiscriminate Israeli missile attack that targeted the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of Gaza.

Numerous residential homes have been hit across Gaza, with multiple casualties reported in a strike that flattened a multi-story building near Gaza City.

Israel violated a seven-day truce on Friday morning by resuming its merciless attacks against Palestinian civilians. Hamas said there will be no further exchange of Israeli captives for Palestinians. 

Saleh al Arouri, the deputy Hamas chief, has said there will be no further exchanges until "the war on Gaza is over". 

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Arouri said the remaining hostages are Israeli soldiers and civilian men who served in the Israeli army.

He added that Israeli hostages will not be freed unless there is a ceasefire and all Palestinian prisoners are released.

 

Who will rule Gaza or speak for Palestinians?

It seems unlikely there will be any answer to the conundrum of who rules Gaza or speaks for the Palestinians for at least several years. The prospect is indeed real that Israel will maintain total security control for an indefinite period, just as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already declared.

According to David Ottaway of Wilson Center, there is uncertainty surrounding the resumption of peace talks, with elections in Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the United States potentially impacting the situation. The question of who rules Gaza and who speaks for the Palestinians may remain unanswered for several years.

Seldom has the Middle East produced such an unforeseen event as was witnessed on October 7 when Hamas launched its bloody incursion into southern Israel. It had reportedly picked the date quite deliberately in memory of another similar happening fifty years ago — Egypt’s initially successful offensive against occupying Israeli troops in the Sinai Desert that marked the start of the last general Arab-Israeli clash, the Yom Kippur War.

President Biden and his foreign policy team have been pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce his vision. The Israeli leader has so far sidestepped the issue other than to make clear his still-blurry ideas are quite different from those of Biden.

President Biden put forth in a Washington Post opinion piece on November 18 what he called his basic principles for any future Israeli-Palestinian peace talks based on a two-state solution, which, Biden proclaimed is the only way to ensure the long-term security of both the Israeli and Palestinian people.

He also rejected Israeli reoccupation of Gaza or expulsion of Palestinians from there. He called for a revitalized Palestinian Authority (PA) to rule over both Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu, on the other hand, has declared Israel will remain in control of Gaza for an indefinite period and said any role for the PA is not possible. He has never supported a two-state solution, and pushed instead for the expansion of Israeli settlements on the West Bank. 

Neither leader has put forth a plan for how peace talks might be relaunched. There’s a good reason. There are far too many unknowns, both known and unknown, in the famous geopolitical lexicon of former US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Most analysts feel safe in predicting Israel will eventually prevail over Hamas militarily if outside pressure does not force it to halt its invasion beforehand.

One major unknown is whether military defeat for Hamas will translate into a political one, as both Israeli and the Biden administration dearly hope. Both have labeled Hamas a terrorist organization, in the US case, as far back as 1997.

However, Hamas’ standing on the Arab street, if not with Arab governments is certain to reach new heights as a result of the first even partial Arab victory over the Israeli military since 1973. 

Israeli and the US efforts to exclude Hamas from the political landscape of Gaza and the West Bank thus risk keeping Palestinians as sharply divided as ever, a divide that has helped sabotage all past Israeli-Palestinian negotiations because of Hamas’ dedication to aborting the peace process and destroying the Israeli state. 

Three critical elections

The fate of Netanyahu is as much a known unknown as that of Hamas. He and his right-wing government are being widely blamed at home for the massive security failure that allowed Hamas to penetrate southern Israel unopposed, massacre 1,200 Israeli civilians and soldiers, and take 240 hostages back to Gaza.

Israeli parties have agreed to postpone the debate over who was responsible until after the war. But another round of Israeli elections seems to be in the offing, making it the sixth since 2019 in a closely divided electorate between secularist and religiously ultra-conservative parties.  

New elections will almost certainly have to be held as well to revitalize the equally discredited PA leadership that has governed the West Bank in partnership with Israeli security forces since shortly after the 1993 Oslo Accords. Its president, Mahmoud Abbas, 88, was first elected for a four-year term in 2005, but he is still in office 18 years later, though widely unpopular among Palestinians.

Hamas won a majority of seats, if not votes, in the Palestinian Legislative Council elections the following year, the results of which neither Israel nor the US were willing to accept. So Abbas’ Fatah Party has ruled over the West Bank ever since, although Hamas seized control of Gaza by force in 2007. 

Yet another set of elections are certain to be held next November in the United States. The results are yet another of Rumsfeld’s known unknowns. Should the likely Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, emerge victorious, he is unlikely to press whoever leads Israel to push for a two-state solution or object to Israeli indefinite control of Gaza. He was the first US president to recognize hotly contested Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

Thus, there are three elections whose outcomes must be known before a political solution to Gaza’s fate, or that of the Palestinians, is likely to be seriously addressed. 

How peace negotiations might be revived after fifteen years in limbo is anyone’s guess. One proposal is to hold a second international conference similar to the one in 1991 in Madrid, Spain that opened the way for the Oslo Accords that led to the establishment of the Palestinian Authority. It was co-sponsored by the US and the Soviet Union, which is obviously unlikely this time after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Could the US host yet another Camp David summit on its own? The Biden administration, which has backed Israel’s war to crush Hamas to the hilt, will likely be viewed as too biased to serve as a host by the international community. In addition, Biden will have his hands full with an uphill re-election campaign.

This leaves the United Nations as one possibility. Another is a neutral Scandinavian country such as Norway, which hosted secret Israeli-Palestinian talks that produced the Oslo Accords.

The question of Hamas’ participation looms as a major stumbling block, if indeed; it shows any interest in joining a revived peace process. At the 1991 Madrid conference before the PA existed, the thorny question of Palestinian representation was resolved by including officials from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the Jordanian delegation. 

It is doubtful that either Israel or the US would agree to a similar formula to allow Hamas even an indirect presence at the peace table, at least not until it recognized the existence of Israel and renounced terrorism. This is what PLO Chairman Yaser Arafat was obliged to do before US and Israeli leaders would allow him into the peace process.

Biden is proposing that the PA replace Hamas in Gaza and thus become the voice for all Palestinians. But PA President Abbas bluntly told US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at their meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah on November 5 that this would only be possible within the framework of a comprehensive political solution. 

 

Israel resumes Gaza bombing

Israel said on Friday its fighter jets had bombed the Gaza Strip, in the clearest sign yet the war has resumed with full force after a week-long truce. The announcement came shortly after the ceasefire expired. Minutes after the truce expired, an AFP journalist on the scene said Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire hit Gaza City.

Six Palestinians were killed in an Israeli air raid on Rafah, in southern Gaza, according to Gaza's health ministry. Two children were killed in air raids on Gaza City, a doctor at Ahli Arab hospital told AFP.

The Palestinian group nevertheless said it was ready to extend the truce in Gaza, after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the pause to continue.

Based on internal documents, the New York Times claimed on Friday Israeli officials had obtained Hamas' plan more than a year in advance to carry out an unprecedented attack against Israel, but judged this scenario unrealistic.
The Hamas-controlled Government Media Office has blamed the United States and the international community for the resumption of fighting in Gaza after a week-long truce between Israel and Hamas broke down Friday.

The ministry said that America and the international community bears responsibility for the crimes of the Israeli occupation and the continuation of the brutal war against civilians, children and women in the Gaza Strip.

The statement added that Palestinians had a right to defend themselves by all means and to establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

The Israeli military resumed fighting in Gaza after the militant group broke the outline of the truce, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement released from his office Friday.

Hamas didn’t respect its obligation to release today all the abducted women and launched rockets toward the citizens of Israel, Netanyahu said.

With the return of the combat mission, the government of Israel is obliged to accomplish the targets of the fighting, according to the prime minister.

He said those targets are to release the hostages, to liquidate Hamas and to ensure the citizens of Israel are never again threatened by an attack from Gaza.

"What Israel did not achieve during the fifty days before the truce, it will not achieve by continuing its aggression after the truce," Ezzat El Rashq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said on the group's web site.

Palestinian media and Gaza's interior ministry reported Israeli air and artillery strikes across the enclave after the truce expired, including in Rafah, near the border with Egypt.

In Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, a Reuters witness said he could hear heavy shelling and see smoke rising in the east of the town. People were fleeing the area to camps in the west of Khan Younis for cover, he added.

Qatar and Egypt had been making intensive efforts to extend the truce following the exchange on Thursday of the latest batch of eight hostages and 30 Palestinian prisoners.Thursday's releases brought the totals freed during the truce to 105 hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners.

One of Qatar's lead negotiators, career diplomat Abdullah Al Sulaiti, who helped broker the truce through marathon shuttle negotiations, acknowledged in a recent Reuters interview the uncertain odds of keeping the guns silent.

"At the beginning I thought achieving an agreement would be the most difficult step," he said in an article that detailed the behind-the-scenes efforts for the first time. "I've discovered that sustaining the agreement itself is equally challenging."

 

Hamas invites Elon Musk to visit Gaza

A Hamas senior official invited US billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday to visit the Palestinian Gaza strip to see the extent of destruction caused by the Israeli bombardment.

"We invite him to visit Gaza to see the extent of the massacres and destruction committed against the people of Gaza, in compliance with the standards of objectivity and credibility," Hamas' senior official Osama Hamdan said in a press conference in Beirut.

On Monday, Elon Musk, the social media mogul assailed for his endorsement of an anti-Jewish post, toured the site of the Hamas assault on Israel and declared his commitment to do whatever was necessary to stop the spread of hatred.

Musk owns the X social media platform.

Hamdan's comments come one day after a temporary truce between Israel and Hamas was extended for an additional 48 hours.

"Within 50 days, Israel dropped more than 40,000 tonnes of explosives on the homes of defenseless Gazans," he said, "I call on US President Biden to review the US relationship with Israel and to stop supplying them with weapons."

Speaking on the destruction of Gaza incurred by Israel since the conflict began on October 07, Hamdan called on the international community to quickly send specialized civil defense teams to help retrieve bodies still trapped under the rubble. According to the Palestinian foreign ministry, thousands are still trapped.

The truce agreed last week was the first halt in fighting in the seven weeks since Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages back into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

In response to that attack, Israel has bombarded the enclave and mounted a ground offensive in the north. At least 16,000 Palestinians have been killed, Palestinian health officials say, and hundreds of thousands displaced.

BRICS an evidence of failure of Modi Doctrine

According to, Alan Paul Varghese, an independent foreign affairs and geopolitical analyst based in New Delhi, it became clear that India continues its alignment with the West and Israel.

At the BRICS Plus extraordinary meeting hosted by South Africa on the conflicts in West Asia, it became clear that India continues its alignment with the West and Israel. While most of the members reiterated how Israel’s settler colonialism is the root cause of the conflict, Indian external affairs minister S. Jaishankar stood firm on blaming Hamas. He also stated that there can be no compromise to terrorism.

The Modi doctrine of diplomacy for the past nine years has stagnated India’s internal reputation and aspirations. Narendra Modi had skipped the online meeting due to the election campaigns in poll-bound states.

Though the officials stated that Modi was preoccupied with the campaign schedules, it is obvious that the outcome of the extraordinary meeting was anticipated.

In a close examination of recent diplomatic events by India, one can categorically see how the Modi doctrine is failing to capture its promised achievements.

While the economy is trailing and seldom benefitted through trade agreements, the only resort of Narendra Modi and Jaishankar was their self-projection as the leader of the Global South.

It is noteworthy that the extraordinary meeting succeeded the Voice of Global South Summit which had references to ongoing genocide in Palestine.

BRICS Plus comprising of mostly countries from the global south has proved that India is isolated for its stand on the Israel-Palestine issue. This isolation has a serious impact on the future geo-political prospects of India.

In evaluating the BRICS extraordinary meeting Iran urged the members to cease economic and military interactions with Israel. Vladimir Putin who attended the meeting criticized the US monopolization of mediation efforts. He urged the international community to unite in an effort to achieve a speedy de-escalation and a ceasefire in Gaza, as well as a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and added that the BRICS nations and regional actors could play a leading role in this process.

This can be a possible indication of Argentina’s disassociation from BRICS as Milie, a far-right economist is a proactive supporter of dollarizing the economy. 

Xi Jinping in his address said “The root cause of the Palestinian-Israeli situation is the fact that the right of the Palestinian people to statehood, their right to existence, and their right of return have long been ignored. It has been often reiterated that the only viable way to break the cycle of Palestinian-Israeli conflict lies in the two-state solution, in the restoration of the legitimate national rights of Palestine, and in the establishment of an independent State of Palestine. There can be no sustainable peace and security in the Middle East without a just solution to the question of Palestine. China calls for early convening of an international peace conference that is more authoritative to build international consensus for peace and work toward an early solution to the question of Palestine that is comprehensive, just, and sustainable.”

Saudi Arabia called for the cessation of arms and ammunition supplies to Israel.

Argentina’s newly elected President Javier Milie condemned Hamas and demanded that Israel must adhere to international humanitarian law.

India had three diplomatic events before this extraordinary meeting. The ICC World Cup, Voice of Global South Summit, and ministerial dialogue between India and Australia.

During the World Cup Modi tried for cricket diplomacy by inviting his counterparts of the UK and Australia. Though Rishi Sunak expressed his readiness, due to some reasons he didn’t make his presence.

A sideline discussion with Anthony Albanese prior to the 2+2 ministerial dialogue was expected to boost talks in favour of India. But Albanese prioritized the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit over his QUAD partner.

The core weakness of Modi doctrine – neglecting the neighbours was visible in the failed innings of cricket diplomacy. In the interview given to The Hindu, Australian finance minister Penny Wong in reply to a question on whether India’s urge to take action against the Khalistan group was fulfilled, she said “ ….In relation to that I’d say is we respect your sovereignty. And we also are very clear about the line between peaceful protests, freedom of expression, and violence and vandalism.”

She has already clarified that the cooperation with India is for the balancing of power to counter China. The failed cricket diplomacy, Australia’s stand on the India-Canada standoff, and the statements by Wong proved how India has turned into a vassal of the Western countries under the Modi doctrine.

The current stand of the union government has isolated India in the Global South. Meanwhile, China is on the verge of emerging as the new dominant player in West Asian geopolitics. In the background of the Saudi-Iran peace deal that was brokered by China, Arab countries held direct talks with Beijing.

The officials holding meetings with China were from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Indonesia, Palestinian authorities, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, among others. Succeeding this South Africa, one of the strongest allies of China in the African continent hosted the virtual meeting of BRICS. Joining the dots, China is set to emerge in the role of mediator. Arab countries met Chinese diplomats to give a strong message to the USA too.

With the BRICS extraordinary meeting, China was able to successfully entrap the United States between the Zionist pressure for continuous aggression and the Middle East pressure for a ceasefire. One will not be mistaken to assume that China is working to diminish the outreach of US in West Asia.

Though, a joint declaration was not issued from the statements of various leaders except Jaishankar all others demanded a ceasefire and held Israel’s settler colonialism as the reason for the conflict. They endorsed the initiatives of Arab countries for establishing peace. South African parliament has voted for the closure of the Israel Embassy in Pretoria.

Undoubtedly India has trailed from its glorious legacy of being the voice of global south. China emphasized on the strategy that India forgot during the Modi era. In the past, India’s diplomacy focused on creating a New Economic World Order based on the liberation of Asian, African, and Latin American countries from neo-colonialism. The Non-Aligned Movement led by India comprised countries that gained independence from colonial regimes.

These were not powerful countries but had the potential of multiple dimensions. It was never the service or submission to power that helped India and NAM to develop their influences. China has built deep economic cooperation with African and Asian post-colonial countries than with the Western countries.

Bharath Karnad assessed Modi’s foreign policy as “bowing to the powerful and bullying the weak.” Such policies only result in the rupture of the country’s power.

In an article written by Rahul Nath Choudhary in East Asia Forum, he noted that the majority of free trade agreements signed by India failed to cater better results. In the period between 2017 and 2022, India’s exports to its FTA partners increased by 31%, while its imports increased by 82%. India’s FTA utilization remains very low at around 25%, while utilization for developed countries typically is 70% to 80%. 

The alternative for this – bilateral agreements and multilateral forums can be achieved if India could revamp another NAM based on multipolarity and de-dollarization. If the escalation continues in West Asia the future of India’s Middle East Corridor will be forever at a crossroad. Even a peace treaty based on the intervention of China and BRIC countries will bring the same fate.

 

Bolton terms hostage swap a very bad deal

Former US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton has slammed the Hamas hostage and cease-fire agreement reached as a very bad deal for Israel.

“The deal itself, at least as I understand the terms as they’ve been announced, is a very bad deal for Israel,” Bolton said. “It’s another swap of hostages — innocent victims — for criminals that are in Israeli jails at a ratio of 3:1 in favor of the Hamas terrorists.”

Bolton made the comments Wednesday on the Cats & Cosby radio show with host John Catsimatidis.

The deal was announced late Tuesday after hours of difficult negotiations within the Israeli cabinet. It frees about 50 of the approximately 240 hostages held by Hamas over the course of four days, beginning no sooner than Friday. An undisclosed number of Palestinian prisoners will also be released.

Fighting in the ongoing war between the two sides will cease during the exchanges, a halt which will be extended by one day for every 10 hostages released.

The agreement was the culmination of weeks of negotiations between the United States, Qatar, Israel and Hamas, and is expected to result in a window for increased humanitarian aid for the enclave.

Bolton said Israel folded, accepting the deal due to pressure from the Biden administration, which he claims is no longer backing Israel as strongly as it has previously.

“I don’t see how this, on net, benefits Israel strategically,” he said. “I’m sure the Israeli Defense forces get some benefit from a pause…but fundamentally, time is on Hamas’ side here.”

“I do understand humanitarian concerns, but there are 220 hostages and 9 million other Israeli citizens who are threatened, not just by Hamas but by Hezbollah and fundamentally by Iran,” he continued.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced extreme domestic pressure to focus efforts on rescuing the hostages taken by Hamas militants at the beginning of the conflict early last month.

Over 1,200 Israelis died at the start of the war, in the attack which resulted in the hostage-taking. Israel’s air and ground campaign since has killed over 12,000 Palestinians, including over 4,600 children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

 

West Bank the next target of Israel

Having nothing to claim a victory six weeks on, the Israelis are now being forced to move towards the south, in particular, the city of Khan Younis to try their luck there.

The regime has already forced Gazans to move from the north to the south. The Israeli military is now trying to squeeze them, if it can, into an even tighter area, closer to the Mediterranean coast.

This will create all types of problems in particular on a humanitarian scale, which is already at an extremely dire level. 

It will be a much more complicated battle for the Israeli ground forces if they try and go into the now even more densely populated areas of Khan Younis.

The regime is already paving the way for this ground offensive in the south by pounding the area from the air at the expense of innocent lives to make space for the ground forces to move in. 

The Israeli war on Gaza was primarily motivated by anger at a huge intelligence and military failure following the retaliatory al-Aqsa Storm operation by Hamas on October 07. 

There was indeed an immediate political imperative by the regime to do something and get on with it, rather than developing clear military objectives. 

After weeks of indiscriminate bombing campaigns against Palestinian civilians, the Israeli ground forces tried to invade the northern Gaza Strip. 

But the ground offensives in the north of Gaza have made no success, with Israeli commentators admitting so in talks with the regime’s media. 

After the ground offensives began in the north, the Israeli military's stated aims were to seize Gaza City, destroy Hamas, and free the hostages. 

The armed wings of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad have prevented the Israeli military from achieving any of its stated objectives. 

In terms of trying to achieve the goals the occupation allegedly set out, which is to eliminate the Palestinian resistance group, but also free the hostages held in the captivity of Hamas, the Israeli military has failed miserably to do either of those two things after six weeks of unprecedented air raids and ground invasion. 

In particular, the notion that Hamas can be destroyed and the war cabinet of the Israeli prime minister has put that objective as the primary goal of its war on Gaza has proven to be wishful thinking.

The Palestinian resistance is as strong as it was on the first day of the war on Gaza some six weeks ago. 

The effectiveness of the Palestinian resistance in blowing up Israeli tanks, targeting the mobilization of its troops, luring Israeli forces into booby-trapped explosive buildings and firing missiles at Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

After six weeks of the war on Gaza it is evident that Hamas and other resistance factions remain powerfully strong. 

It has been a total failure for the Israeli occupation, which will go down in the history books for the stubbornness of Prime Minister Netanyahu as a war criminal. 

The only achievement thus far for the Israeli military has been the storming of the Al-Shifa hospital complex. A desperate attempt to find a Hamas military base that both Israeli political and military leaders alleged the group had been using as a command center. 

Yet it proved to be another huge intelligence failure, despite days of thoroughly inspecting every part of the hospital. 

As of Saturday, Israeli ground forces were still operating in the medical center with Palestinian health officials in Gaza saying that many patients, medical staff, and displaced people have now left the site. This is while medical centers must be protected under the rules of war. 

News outlets indicate that the Israeli military has ordered a mass evacuation of the entire hospital despite thousands of disabled and very sick patients unable to do so without dying. 

The hospital’s director, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, told AFP that Israeli troops had instructed him to ensure the evacuation of patients, wounded, the displaced and medical staff, and that they should move on foot towards the seafront".

It is another instance of war crime that the West has once again failed to hold the Zionist regime responsible for. 

The only achievement by the Israeli military is killing Palestinian civilians on a mass scale as well as killing its own hostages due to its indiscriminate bombing campaign that has leveled large parts of the Gaza Strip. 

This is nothing to be proud of and yet governments in the West, with the United States and the United Kingdom in particular, are not only complicit in the Israeli war crimes but continue to support the regime. This support for the Zionist regime is continuing despite the mass weekly demonstrations in the Western world protesting brutality against the Palestinians.

The Gaza Strip is a very tiny coastal sliver and is the most densely populated region in the world. It has been described by international rights organizations as the world's largest open-air prison. 

Six Palestinians were killed on Saturday after an Israeli airstrike on a house in Deir al Balah in the southern Gaza Strip, health officials said.

About 26 Palestinians, mostly children, were also killed in Israeli strikes on Khan Younis in southern Gaza early Saturday morning, the Palestinian news agency WAFA said. 

In what has been labeled as the "second phase" of the Israeli war on Gaza, experts believe it is difficult to imagine that the Israeli ground forces backed by the United States’ air power will be able to crush the resistance without killing thousands of more women and children. 

It is quite clear that Palestinian civilians are about to face another fresh bombardment after leaving the northern Gaza Strip to escape the indiscriminate Israeli bombing campaign. 

What is also clear is that children are already bearing the brunt of this increased bombing campaign in the southern Gaza Strip. 

Yet an Israeli military spokesperson has ordered Palestinians to continue going to southern Gaza. He said those in the areas of Jabayla, al-Daraj al-Tuffah and al-Shuja'iya should leave immediately along the Salah ad-Deen Highway - which runs the length of the fully blockaded Gaza Strip.

This is despite the increased bombardment in southern Gaza, where the Israeli ground forces are about to invade on top of the attacks in the north.

It is pure cowardice by the Israeli regime.

Its military is not taking on members of the Palestinian resistance man to man. Rather, the Israeli military has taken its anger out on Palestinian civilians. 

But where should traumatized Palestinian families in southern Gaza head to now? 

Their only viable option is the sea.

This is exactly what academics would describe as an Israeli genocide in Gaza.