It has been said repeatedly that some of the countries may react to stop this genocide, which may put the entire region inferno. Some of the militant groups have applied extreme restrain so far, but they may lose patience, if this bombardment is not stopped immediately.
Do the permanent members of United Nations realize their responsibility to stop this genocide?
The Iranian Armed Forces are prepared to strengthen their military ties with Saudi Arabia, according to General Bagheri.
In addition, he praised Riyadh for convening an extraordinary session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) recently to discuss the Gaza issue and the strengthening of amicable ties between Tehran and Riyadh.
The
Saudi minister of defense praised the efforts to strengthen military ties
between the two countries.
The two dignatories also spoke about the urgent problems facing the Muslim world.
On November 01, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi arrived in the Saudi capital for a summit of Muslim and Arab leaders on the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.
This was the first visit by an Iranian president to Saudi Arabia since the resumption of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh under a Chinese-brokered agreement last March.
Also, Raisi’s trip to Saudi Arabia was the first visit by an Iranian president to Saudi Arabia in 11 years.
President Raisi spoke to reporters before leaving Tehran for Riyadh, saying the OIC summit should have not been a platform for declaring positions but instead, it should have resulted in actions on Gaza.
Raisi called the holding of an emergency meeting of the OIC and reaching a fully operational and executive decision about Gaza the expectation of all the people of the world, especially the Islamic Ummah, according to the official website of the Iranian presidency.
“This platform is not one for mere speech and announcement of positions, but must be a platform for action to quickly stop the bombings, lift the blockade of Gaza, and open the way to help the oppressed and authoritative people of this region, as well as to achieve the rights of the Palestinians, which was basically the main philosophy of the establishment of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation,” Raisi said.
He stated that the main purpose of his trip to Saudi Arabia was to participate in the emergency meeting of the OIC on the Palestinian issue.
Referring to the efforts of the Islamic Republic of Iran to hold this meeting immediately since the beginning of the Zionist regime's invasion of Gaza, he said, “The issue of Palestine is the main issue of the Islamic Ummah and the Muslims of the world, but it is also the issue of humanity and all the people of understanding and thinking all over the world who have taken to the streets in millions these days and they shout about the oppression of the Zionist regime and the support of the Americans for this genocide.”
President Raisi stated that the crimes committed by the Zionist regime in Gaza today are a clear example of war crimes and crimes against humanity, adding, “The Americans claim in their statements and messages that they are not looking to expand the domain of the war, while this claim is not compatible with their actions at all, because the fuel of the Zionist war machine is provided by the Americans.”
He described the US efforts to obstruct a ceasefire in Gaza at various meetings including at the UN Security Council as examples of the Americans lying about recent events. “Today the world should see the main face of the Americans, to see how, as stated by the Supreme Leader of the Revolution, they are the main supporter of crimes against the oppressed nations with good appearance and velvet hands,” he continued.
Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement on March 10 to reestablish diplomatic ties and reopen embassies and missions following seven years of estrangement, following protracted discussions mediated by China.
The two reginal powerhouses have emphasized the need of respecting one another’s national sovereignty and abstaining from meddling in one another’s domestic affairs.
Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, the commander of the Iranian Navy, revealed intentions in June for several regional nations, notably Saudi Arabia and Iran, to join a new naval coalition in the northern Indian Ocean.
Later, in August, representatives from the two governments’ defense ministries came to an agreement to swap military attachés.
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.
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."
The two countries were appointed by alphabetical order at the 187th Meeting of the OPEC Conference, which was held via video conference on Thursday.
According to the OPEC Statute, the alternate president shall preside over meetings whenever the president is absent.
Following the principle of alphabetical rotation, Libya and Nigeria were also elected as the OPEC Executive Board president and alternate president for 2024.
The representatives of Iran, Iraq, and Nigeria in the board have been already appointed and their appointment must be approved according to the OPEC Statute during its ministerial conference.
Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oji on Thursday praised favorable cooperation and understanding between OPEC Plus producers.
Talking to Shana, the minister said, “We are trying to institutionalize cooperation with non-OPEC producers within the framework of OPEC Plus alliance.”
Oji, who spoke after the 187th meeting of OPEC Conference and the 36th OPEC and Non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting (ONOMM), said during the meetings the participants clearly stressed the need to preserve the oil market stability and support OPEC Plus collective decisions.
The OPEC Plus members underlined that the coalition keeps a close watch on global oil markets and the balance between supply and demand, said the minister, adding the alliance also voiced its readiness to make quick decisions and take the necessary measures to stabilize the oil market and cope with its situations.
Shifting to the postponement of OPEC and OPEC Plus ministerial meetings caused by differences between their member states, Oji said it is not something new as they have had such differences at some junctures, adding all that matters is that OPEC Plus producers reach an agreement and a consensus serving the member states’ interests.
The oil market is experiencing a challenging era, he stated and noted additional supplies by some producers outside of the OPEC Plus alliance associated with uncertainties surrounding global economy, the outlook for international markets, speculators’ activities in the oil market, and consequences of mentioned developments are sending out alarm signals.
The agreement and decisions made by OPEC Plus and during ministerial meetings have served the OPEC and non-OPEC member states’ common interests, said the minister, pointing out the successful move should continue in the future as it is vital for ensuring the market stability and serving producers’ interests.
The released reports and analyses show considerable uncertainties about global supply and demand, said Oji, adding each could have special impacts on future developments.
Short sellers’ increased activities in the market have fueled concerns and the outlook for the international oil market cannot be anticipated with certainty, the minister stated continuing, “I cannot agree to any of these speculations, either.”
He said the United States and other big consumers’ worries about the global oil market and energy security have been caused by US policies and acts aimed at putting OPEC Plus and its producers under pressure – political pressure on some big oil and gas producers by imposing brutal and unilateral sanctions and escalating geopolitical tensions through making political intervention and supporting war in the West Asia region.
Oji is convinced that the agreement and decisions made by OPEC Plus are significant factors in eliminating fluctuations in the oil market, improving global economic conditions, encouraging investment in the oil industry, and guaranteeing energy security.
“We consider the OPEC Plus agreement and cooperation between large oil producers as the only option to provide the world with short- and long-term energy security,” he emphasized.
“As I said before, all observers and experts of the oil market acknowledge the constructive achievements of the OPEC Plus agreement for the market stability and energy security,” reiterated the minister, underlining that Iran fully supports the agreement and decisions made by OPEC Plus as the agreement reached between the alliance’s members and issued in OPEC and non-OPEC producers’ Declaration of Cooperation brings benefits for the global oil market, producers, consumers, and economy.”
The topics of the 187th Meeting of OPEC Conference, he continued, revolved around administrative, financial, and managerial issues that are discussed by member states’ oil and energy ministers biennially.
According
to the second joint Staff Working Document on the EU’s enhanced engagement with
three GSP beneficiary countries — Bangladesh, Cambodia and Myanmar — published
on November 21, the EU’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences are linked to
beneficiary countries’ respect to the international standards on human rights,
labour rights, environment and climate, and good governance.
The European Commission report on the Generalised Scheme of
Preferences covering the period 2020-2022 identified legal obstacles to the
right to establish and operate trade unions, anti-union discriminations,
shortcomings related to labour inspection, gaps in implementing occupational
health and safety, and persistence of child and forced labour as the key
concerns in the aspect of labour rights.
It also
listed deficiencies regarding freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and
association and civil society space, as well as cases of alleged torture,
ill-treatment, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances as key
concern in the aspect of human rights.
Enhanced engagement is conducted by the European Commission
services and the European External Action Service, aiming to facilitate and
incentivise beneficiary countries to make progress on critical areas with
regard to the 15 core human rights and labour rights international conventions
listed on the GSP Regulation.
Article 19 of the GSP Regulation (2) provides that the
preferences may be withdrawn from any GSP beneficiaries in case of serious and
systematic violation of the principles of the core human and labour right
conventions.
The European Commission report said that Bangladesh remained
by far the most important EBA beneficiary in terms of exports to the EU and
about 50 per cent of its exports go to the EU.
According
to the EU data, Bangladesh’s exports to the economic bloc were reported at 23.9
billion euro in 2022 which was 53.5% higher compared with 2021.
More
than 90% of Bangladesh’s exports to the EU are ready-made garments.
Over the reporting period of 2020-2022, the 27-member bloc
regularly informed Bangladesh of its concerns and conducted two monitoring
missions in October 2019, and in March 2022.
The EU report observed that most of the changes to the
Labour Act/EPZ Labour Act requested by the ILO Committee of Experts for a
number of years either have not been addressed or addressed partially only.
It said that limited progress has been recorded in the
reporting period with respect to human rights concerns expressed by the EU.
“With
regard to cases of alleged torture, ill-treatment, extrajudicial killings, and
enforced disappearances, on multiple occasions in 2021 and 2022, the UN Office
of the High Commissioner on Human Rights expressed deep concern about the
government’s failure to complete investigations and bring the perpetrators to
justice”, the EU report said.
As part of the enhanced engagement discussions on human
rights, the EU repeatedly expressed concern about some of the provisions of the
Digital Security Act and encouraged Bangladesh to fully implement the
recommendations that the Human Rights Council made, the report read.
In September 2023, the Digital Security Act was replaced by
the Cyber Security Act and the preliminary analysis showed that the Cyber
Security Act was not fully aligned with international human rights standards,
the EU said.
The report recommended that the authorities in Bangladesh
should increase the pace of implementing the commitments on labour rights
included in the NAP and ILO Road map.
With respect to the key concerns on human rights, the
authorities in Bangladesh should improve freedom of expression, freedom of
assembly and civil society space; investigate cases of alleged torture,
ill-treatment, extrajudicial killings, and enforced disappearances; fully
implement the recommendations of the Human Rights Council’s UPR, including the
abolition of the death penalty.
‘The full compliance with the GSP relevant international
conventions should also be seen in the light of the expected future graduation
of Bangladesh from LDC status, which would imply moving from the EBA
arrangement to standard GSP, the report mentioned.
An EU High-Level mission, led by Paola Pampaloni, deputy
managing director of the Asia and Pacific Department at the European External
Action Service, visited Bangladesh in November 12-16 and held several meetings
with the government, labour leaders and businesses.
In a meeting with the high officials of the government, the
EU delegation once again recommended bringing labour laws in full compliance
with international standards and to remove the minimum membership requirement
to form trade union.
They also conveyed to the government that the EU wanted to
see a free, fair, and participatory election in Bangladesh.
This collaborative decision involves coordination with select OPEC Plus nations, maintaining the Kingdom's production at around 9 million barrels per day until March 2024.
“A phased return of these additional cut volumes will be executed, contingent upon market conditions, to bolster overall market stability,” an official source at the ministry said.
The announcement emphasized that this voluntary cut is an augmentation to the earlier disclosed 500 thousand barrels per day reduction, declared in April 2023, which is slated to persist until the culmination of December 2024.
The source underscored that this supplementary voluntary cut is part of the collective precautionary measures taken by OPEC Plus countries to fortify efforts aimed at upholding the stability and equilibrium of global oil markets.
