Save Lives - Ceasefire Now

The October 07 Hamas attacks and Israel's subsequent ground invasion of Gaza threaten to plunge an already volatile Middle East into a new era of never ending conflict.

This violence isn’t going to bring safety or liberation to anyone ‑ it’ll only breed more fear, hatred, and trauma. That’s why we continue to call for a ceasefire.

A ceasefire can save lives in Gaza by stopping the bombing and allowing opportunities for critically needed humanitarian relief. It can help ensure hostages can be reunited with their loved ones.

When we demand that the US government agitate for one, it is us saying that everyday people in Gaza deserve dignity ‑ and their horrific treatment has no justification or excuse.

A ceasefire can provide safety for people in Israel. Violence begets violence. Every moment this conflict continues puts people in Israel in danger.

A ceasefire can make a massive and immediate positive difference in people’s lives. And that’s why we need every member of Congress speaking out in support of this simple demand now.

This is the moment to keep pushing to both protect people across Israel and Palestine, while preventing a catastrophic regional war from breaking out.

We need more voices to join the call - and that’s where you come in. 

Support a simple demand, Save Lives, Ceasefire Now.

 

Israel paying colossal cost of attacks on Gaza

The al-Aqsa Storm Operation carried out by Hamas on October 07 have seen Israeli companies in tatters as settlers face a situation, never seen before, amid lack of government financial guidelines for them. 

More than one month war in Gaza is having devastating effects on Israeli business activity, with hundreds of companies on the verge of bankruptcy. 

The Israeli labor ministry says that around 765,000 Israelis or 18% of total workforce - are not working after being called up for reserve duty to fight the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip. 

According to the Financial Times, evidence is already mounting of the war’s destructive impact on the regime's economic activity. 

Last week, financial measures unveiled by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his finance minister Bezalel Smotrich drew condemnation from business groups.

In an attempt to ease rising economic anxiety, the Israeli war cabinet announced new provisions. Yet, a group of 300 leading Israeli economists called on Netanyahu and Smotrich to "come to your senses". 

"The grave blow that Israel was dealt requires a fundamental change in national priorities and a massive rechanneling of funds to deal with war damage, aid to victims and the rehabilitation of the economy," they said in an open letter.

The Financial Times cites Eugene Kandel, chair of Start-Up Nation Policy Institute, a think-tank, and one of the signatories of the economists’ letter, as saying that the Israeli government has still not shown it has understood the gravity of the situation.

Economic experts inside the occupied territories have expressed grave concern that Netanyahu's promised financial packages for companies at high risk of sinking into bankruptcy will not be enough should the regime's economic prospects continue to worsen.

Netanyahu’s coalition partners from ultra-Orthodox and settler parties are continuing to direct vast sums to projects that critics say have no place in a war economy, such as a scheme to encourage religious observance among students.

According to Foreign Policy magazine, Israel’s wartime economy can’t hold up forever and may be heading toward a recession very soon, with the regime’s massive military mobilization near Gaza leading to serious economic strain.

At the top of the list of sectors that will bear the brunt of a long war on the Gaza Strip include oil and gas, tourism, health care, retail and technology among others. 

The Israeli economy is estimated to have reportedly entered the war with US$200 billion in reserves and US$14 billion in military aid from the United States. Yet experts say the ongoing war on Gaza will cost the Israeli economy billions more and take much longer to recover than it has in the past.

Essentially, the war on Gaza is widely expected to take a heavy toll on the regime's economy in the short and long term, according to economists and analysts.

Global credit rating agencies such as Fitch Ratings, S&P as well as Moody’s Investors Services have warned that a further escalation of the war will result in a downgrade of the regime's sovereign debt rating. 

S&P has already lowered the Israeli credit outlook to negative, citing the risks of the war on Gaza broadening, with a more pronounced effect on the economy. The rating agency pointed out that the negative outlook reflects the risk that the … war could spread more widely or affect Israel’s credit metrics more negatively than we expect.
One economist told Foreign Policy that the cost of two previous wars - the Israeli war on Lebanon in the summer of 2006 and against the Gaza Strip in 2014 - cost up to 0.5% of the GDP and mainly impacted the tourism sector. But this time, estimations are set for a fall of up to 15% in annual terms in the last quarter of this year.

A long list of airlines has stopped flying to the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. The flight cancelations will further damage the Israeli economy, first and foremost, the tourism industry that the regime heavily relies on.

It has also proven a challenge for the hundreds of thousands of anxious Israelis seeking to leave the occupied lands amid the war and daily rocket salvoes being fired by the Palestinian resistance forces from the besieged Gaza Strip. 

Rocket barrages that appear to have no end in sight.  Over the 30 days since the Hamas operation, hundreds of thousands of Israelis have been displaced or fled from settlements near the Gaza Strip and all the indications are that they will not be returning. 

According to the Israeli Ministry of Tourism, hotel rooms are almost fully occupied, not by foreign tourists, but instead by Israeli settlers seeking shelter and making plans to leave the occupied Palestinian territories. Many had already left by sea, with at least one American ship evacuating Israelis from the port of Haifa. 

More are planning to depart, with online campaigns beginning to pop up that highlight how Israelis are all intending to leave the settlements near Gaza and other areas forever.

Since Netanyahu took power in early January this year, brain drain has been common among Israelis who were already furious with their new government. 
Now, with incoming missiles on a daily basis and increasing anger at Netanyahu and his cabinet ministers, the emigration of highly trained or qualified Israelis has risen even further.  

As the regime faces one of its most difficult times, one settler told Israeli media, "We fled to Cyprus right after the first siren Saturday. We’re a family of parents and four children. My gut told me that this wasn’t just another round, and my nerves had been frayed for 10 months from this country that had gone crazy on us. We bought tickets at 10 in the morning, and by 5, we were in Paphos. Now we’re here trying to calm down."

As the war on Gaza drags on, a lot of Israelis, along with their families, from all over the occupied Palestinian territories, have either already traveled abroad or voiced their intent to do so. 

Their main concern is that they have no safety anymore as the largest war against the Gaza Strip in modern history risks spilling over and broadening. They fear for their lives.

 

Hezbollah warns of regional war if Gaza bombing goes on

The second in command of Hezbollah — the powerful Iranian backed militia in Lebanon — has said Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza risks wider war in the Middle East.

Sheikh Naim Qassem told the BBC that very serious and very dangerous developments could occur in the region, and no-one would be able to stop the repercussions.

Hezbollah’s deputy leader was speaking in an interview in Beirut, as the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza said more than 10,000 people had been killed there.

“The danger is real,” he said, “because Israel is increasing its aggression against civilians and killing more women and children. Is it possible for this to continue and increase, without bringing real danger to the region? I think not.”

He insisted any escalation would be linked to Israel’s actions. “Every possibility has a response,” he said. Hezbollah, “the Party of God” has plenty of possibilities.

The Shia group — classed as a terrorist organization by the UK, US and the Arab League — is the largest political and military force in Lebanon.

So far its response to the war in Gaza has involved amplifying its warnings, but carefully calibrating its actions.

When an Israeli strike killed a woman and three children in southern Lebanon on Sunday, Hezbollah used Grad rockets for the first time in the conflict, killing an Israeli civilian.

Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has threatened that every civilian death in Lebanon will reap another across the border. But notably, he has not threatened Israel with all-out war

While insisting that all options are on the table the militant group has confined itself to cross-border attacks, hitting mainly military targets.

More than 60 of its fighters have been killed, but it has plenty more battle-hardened supporters to replace them. One fighter buried in Beirut this week was the fifth member of his family to die for Hezbollah, going back generations.

Throughout our interview the organization’s deputy leader tried to portray Hezbollah as a defensive organization — though it is committed to Israel’s destruction and sparked a war with Israel in 2006 by abducting two of its soldiers in a cross-border raid.

Sheikh Qassem claimed Israel “initiated the aggression against Gaza in a hideous way”.

When the BBC pointed out that it was Hamas that had attacked Israel on October 07, he defended the attacks as an inevitable response to Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands.

He repeated the claim that Israeli forces, not Hamas, killed many Israeli civilians. But what of the helmet cameras — worn by the Hamas militants themselves — showing them on a killing spree?

He parried the question. “Why don’t we look at what Israel has done inside Gaza,” he said. “They kill civilians and demolish homes.”

He called the Hamas attacks a great result for the Palestinian resistance and denied they had backfired. What about the 10,000 Gazans who have been killed since then? “The massacres committed by Israel are mobilizing the Palestinians more and more to cling to their land,” he replied.

He conceded that Iran supports and finances Hezbollah but claimed it did not give the orders. But experts say it is Tehran that calls the shots and will decide whether or not to engage in all-out war.

And if Israeli forces have to wage war on a second front with Hezbollah, they will be facing an enemy with more arms than most countries. The militant group puts Hamas in the shade, with an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles.

It has up to 60,000 fighters, including special forces, regular fighters, and reserves, according to Nicholas Blanford, a Beirut-based defense and security consultant, who has studied Hezbollah for decades.

Back in 2006 the group fought Israel to a standstill, but Lebanon had a lot more dead. More than 1,000 of its people were killed, most of them civilians, and whole neighborhoods were flattened in Hezbollah strongholds. Israel lost 121 soldiers and 44 civilians.

Lebanon has careened from crisis to crisis since then — with the devastating explosion in Beirut port in 2020, the collapse of the economy, and the disintegration of the political system. Small wonder few here have an appetite for war.

Many worry that Hezbollah’s cross-border attacks could drag this country into a war it cannot afford. Sheikh Qassem is unapologetic. “It’s the right of any Lebanese to be afraid of war,” he said. “That’s normal. Nobody likes war. Tell the Israeli entity to stop the aggression, so the battles do not expand.”

There could be many shades of escalation ahead — short of all-out war between Hezbollah and Israel. But if it comes it will bring devastation all round, says Blanford.

“It’s going to make what’s happening in Gaza look like a walk in the park,” he told the BBC.

“Israel will be in lockdown for the duration of the conflict. Most of its population will have to remain in bomb shelters,” he said.

“There would be no civil aviation or maritime traffic. Hezbollah’s larger guided missiles could hit military targets across the country.”

As for Lebanon, he said Israel would reduce it to “a car park”.

For now, Hezbollah, Israel, and Iran are all holding back, old enemies assessing new realities.

That doesn’t mean all-out war won’t happen — by miscalculation if not by design.

This is a dangerous new chapter in a blood-soaked region. After October 07, the only certainties appear to be more anguish, death, and destruction.

IDF to run security of Gaza, says Benny Gantz

National Unity party leader and Minister without portfolio Benny Gantz on Wednesday said that the government has not decided who will run Gaza after the IDF topples Hamas, but that whoever it is, the IDF will need to maintain an extended security presence.

“Once the Gaza area is safe, and the northern area will be safe, and the Judea & Samaria region will calm down – we will go down and review an alternative mechanism for Gaza. I do not know what it will be. But I do know what cannot be there – An active presence of Hamas with governance and military capabilities," Gantz told a closed press conference.

The war minister stated, "They cannot be here. We can come up with any mechanism we think is appropriate, but Hamas will not be part of it. So in terms of future strategy – in the Southern Area, we need to replace the Hamas regime and ensure security superiority for us.”

Next, he said, "On the question of the operation's length - there are no limitations. One can see it as a whole month that has passed and another can see it as merely a month passing."

"The war here is for our existence and for Zionism, and so I can’t provide an estimate of the length of each stage in the war and the fighting that will ensue after. We can’t retreat from our strategic objective," he explained.

Gantz said, “The State of Israel didn’t just face a cruel brutal attack, but this was an attack on any human value one can think of, an attack on the Zionist and Democratic concepts. Israel cannot accept such an active threat on its borders. The whole idea of people living side by side in the Middle East was jeopardized by Hamas." 

In addition, he stated, "It was an attack on the democratic way of life here – Israel is the only outpost in the Middle East. We believe therefore, that we are struggling and fighting not only to defend ourselves, but also fighting for something bigger than ourselves.”

Moreover, he said, “Hamas started this war, but Israel is going to win it. Have no doubt about it. Yes, it will take some time and there will be casualties. Though we are trying as much as possible to move Gazan people south and people are dying, we are doing what we can, and we will win this war.”

Next, the National Unity party leader said, "I have always said you can conduct special operations if there’s an opportunity, but you must go to war only when necessary. This time it’s a national necessity. This is why I joined the emergency government – this is not a political partnership. It’s a partnership in destiny.”

Moving to the conflict with Hezbollah, he said, "Lebanon must bear State responsibility, and we must demand it. I believe this is part of Nasrallah’s considerations as well. Though Hezbollah is an Iranian branch, it’s a Lebanese organization. If he (Nasrallah) decides to protect Gaza at the expense of Beirut – so be it. I highly recommend him to do the right calculus.”

 

 

White House cautions Israel against reoccupying Gaza

The White House maintained Tuesday that it doesn’t believe Israeli forces should reoccupy Gaza following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's comments that the country will have the overall security responsibility in Gaza for an indefinite period after the war ends.

“The president still believes that a reoccupation of Gaza by Israeli forces is not good. It’s not good for Israel; not good for the Israeli people,” said National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby on “CNN This Morning.”

“One of the conversations that Secretary Antony Blinken has been having in the region is what does post-conflict Gaza look like? What does governance look like in Gaza? Because whatever it is it can’t be what it was on October 06, 2023. It can’t be Hamas,” he added.

The latest warning from the White House comes after Netanyahu told ABC News on Monday that Gaza should be governed by those who don’t want to continue the way of Hamas before adding, “I think Israel will, for an indefinite period, will have the overall security responsibility because we’ve seen what happens when we don’t have it.”

It was one of the first hints Netanyahu has given about his vision for a post-war Gaza and suggests a divergent view than that of the US, including President Joe Biden’s own statements about what the future of the strip would look like.

Mark Regev, a senior adviser to Netanyahu, told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Tuesday that Israel's post-war plan is not an ongoing occupation of Gaza.

"I think you could expect something more fluid, something more flexible where we can move in and move out as need be to deal with the security situation," he said. "We're not talking about any sort of ongoing occupation of the Gaza strip."

Asked about Netanyahu’s comments on ABC News on Monday that Israel will have the overall security responsibility in Gaza for an indefinite period after the war ends, Regev said, "We have to distinguish between a security presence and political control."

"When this is over and we have defeated Hamas, it is crucial that there won’t be a resurgent terrorist element, a resurgent Hamas. There is no point doing this and just going back to square one," Regev told CNN.

"There will have to be an Israeli security presence, but that doesn’t mean Israel is re-occupying Gaza, that doesn’t mean that Israel is there to govern the Gazans," he continued.

"On the contrary, we are interested in establishing new frameworks, where the Gazans can rule themselves, where there can be international support for the reconstruction of Gaza. Hopefully, we can bring in countries – Arab countries as well – for a reconstruction of a demilitarized, post-Hamas Gaza," he said.

Netanyahu on Tuesday said Gaza City is encircled and the Israel Defense Forces are operating in it and advancing the pressure applied on Hamas every hour and every day."

It's unclear based on comments from Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant — who said that troops are at the heart of Gaza City — exactly where the IDF is operating inside Gaza.

"So far, we’ve killed thousands of terrorists, from above and under the ground," Netanyahu said in a press conference. "Hamas is finding out that we’re getting to places it didn’t think we’d reach. And the campaign is still underway."

"On the diplomatic front, we’re operating around the clock to allow the IDF the leeway for the remaining military operation," Netanyahu added. "We will not stop until the victory."

Netanyahu also warned Hezbollah against entering the war on Israel's northern front.

"We will not comply with a reality in which Hezbollah or Hamas in Lebanon will hurt our communities and civilians. We’ll continue responding with fierce fire against any attack," Netanyahu said.

"If Hezbollah chooses to enter the war, this will be the biggest mistake in its life."

Netanyahu added that he is in constant touch with US President Joe Biden, saying, "We highly appreciate his support and of the American administration and people." 

Iran and China reach new agreements

Iranian Finance and Economic Affairs Minister Ehsan Khandouzi said the 25-year strategic partnership plan between Iran and China has entered a new phase with new agreements being reached between various ministries of the two countries, IRIB reported.

According to Khandouzi, the mentioned agreements have been reached between the two sides during the visit of Iran’s delegation to the 6th China International Import Expo (CIIE).

“Specific projects were defined between the government departments of the respective ministries of Iran and China, and agreements were reached on the details of the implementation of the mentioned projects,” Khandouzi said.

Regarding the private sectors of the two countries, some Iranian companies operating in China and some large Chinese companies operating in Iran faced obstacles, which were discussed and resolved by the relevant authorities, he explained.

“We are going to witness a significant growth in economic cooperation and investment between the two sides with the implementation of these projects,” the minister noted.

Headed by Iran’s First Vice President, Mohammad Mokhber, a senior delegation comprised of Economy Minister Ehsan Khandouzi, Industry, Mining, and Trade Minister Abbas Aliabadi, as well as the deputies of various ministries and the economic deputy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs visited China last week to attend the 6th CIIE.

Iran and China officially signed the document for 25-year comprehensive cooperation in March 2021.

The document was signed between Iran’s former Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Back in December 2022, Iran and China finalized 16 memorandums of understanding (MoU) under the framework of the two countries’ strategic 25-year agreement.

The MoUs were signed in an Iran-China comprehensive cooperation program summit which was held in Tehran on December 13 in the presence of Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Mokhber and China’s Vice Premier Hu Chunhua.

The summit was focused on four areas explored by four committees between the two countries with the aim of paving the way for the implementation of the 25-year agreement.

Iran and China also signed 20 memoranda of understanding in the presence of the presidents of the two countries in Beijing in mid-February.

Heading a high-ranking delegation, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi was on a three-day state visit to China starting February 14.

During President Raisi's visit to China, Tehran and Beijing signed a number of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of agriculture, trade, tourism, environmental protection, health, disaster relief, culture, and sports.

The documents include agreements in the field of transportation and industry worth US$12 billion and US$3.5 billion, respectively; the agreements cover various joint projects like the high-speed rail link between Tehran and Mashhad, and investment in the Imam Khomeini Airport City.

Investment in Iran's southeastern Mokran Coast and the purchase of Iranian oil were also mentioned in the documents.

Raisi's visit served as an example of the high level of mutual trust between China and Iran, as well as a milestone for bilateral ties.

Then in mid-July, the agreements signed between Iran and China during President Raisi’s trip to Beijing in mid-February were turned into specified projects during the two countries’ joint cooperation committee meeting, the Iranian finance and economic affairs minister announced.

Ehsan Khandouzi left Tehran for Beijing on July 12 to attend the Iran-China Joint Cooperation Committee meeting, which was held after four and half years.

“With the constructive atmosphere of the committee, we will soon witness good events in the fields of business and investment”, the official wrote on his Twitter account on July 16.

Khandouzi further announced that Iran and China are going to begin the execution of some joint projects agreed upon in February by the presidents of the two countries, as of the following month.

According to the minister, the necessary follow-ups regarding the mentioned projects have been made over the last five months and the final decisions for the start of their implementations were made during a joint business event on July 13.

“President Raisi had an important trip to Beijing last winter and good agreements were made with the president of China; in this regard, the necessary follow-ups were made by various ministries during the last five months, and on Thursday (July 13) the first joint committee between Iran and China was held after 4.5 years,” Khandouzi said.

“China is Iran's largest trading partner and the most important destination for the export of Iranian goods and an important part of our imports are also from China. Last year, China's share in Iran's (non-oil) trade was 24 percent,” the minister added.

Back in early April, the Chinese ambassador to Tehran said, "This year is a good year for Iran-China relations."

Chang Hua made the remarks in a meeting with the members of the Iran-China Joint Chamber of Commerce and a number of Iranian traders and businessmen, who conduct trade with China, held at the place of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (ICCIMA) in Tehran.

Referring to China's growing economy, the envoy said this year is a good year for Iran-China relations, adding that during the meeting between the leaders of the two countries, important agreements were made, including the implementation of the 25-year cooperation agreement between the two countries, and a number of bilateral cooperation documents were signed in the fields of agriculture, tourism, culture, relief, and rescue, etc.

Majid-Reza Hariri, the head of the Iran-China Joint Chamber, also emphasized the desire of Iran's private sector to develop business relations with China and said there are obstacles in this direction. Among other things, issuing visas for Iranian businessmen, especially for their presence at trade fairs in China, is associated with problems, and facilitating it will definitely help the development of relations between the two sides.

 

 

Deepening relations between Iran and Afghanistan

Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi held talks with Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Acting Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Taliban government on Monday. 

Baradar is leading a high-ranking Taliban delegation that arrived in the Iranian capital of Tehran on Saturday. He also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian on Sunday. 

According to Baradar’s office, the two sides discussed political and economic relations, effective coordination between their respective nations, water resource management, transit agreements, and enhancement of Afghanistan’s imports and exports through Iran.

The official and his protégé have traveled to Iran with the aim of meeting and negotiating with Iranian economic officials in order to enhance trade and economic cooperation, develop bilateral relations, and explore more areas of cooperation in transit, transportation, customs, and environment.

The delegation, consisting of 30 Taliban officials, will also travel to other Iranian provinces and are due to be briefed on major economic projects of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

This trip is taking place while according to the latest statistics, Iran's share of the Afghan market amounts to 35%. Afghan investors also account for a considerable portion of foreign investments in Iran.

Iran has repeatedly voiced its support for Afghanistan’s security and prosperity. The country currently hosts a population of more than 5 million Afghan refugees and attaches great significance to its ties with Afghanistan. 

Since taking office, President Ebrahim Raisi’s administration has emphasized the necessity of friendly and comprehensive relations with Iran’s neighbors. 

Afghanistan has been ruled by the Taliban since the United States. hastily withdrew its forces from the country in August 2021. It currently grapples with various security and humanitarian challenges, which are thought to be the results of more than two decades of American occupation.

Iran has repeatedly expressed willingness to work closely with the Taliban while calling for an inclusive government in the war-stricken country.