UN Security Council approves humanitarian aid for Gaza

The United Nations Security Council on Friday approved a toned-down bid to boost humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and called for urgent steps to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities after a week of vote delays and intense negotiations to avoid a veto by the United States.

Amid global outrage over a rising Gaza death toll in 11 weeks of war between Israel and Hamas and a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, the US abstained to allow the 15-member council to adopt a resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates.

The remaining council members voted for the resolution except for Russia which also abstained.

The resolution no longer dilutes Israel's control over all aid deliveries to 2.3 million people in Gaza. Israel monitors the limited aid deliveries to Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt and the Israeli-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing.

Weakening of language on a cessation of hostilities frustrated several council members - including veto power Russia - and Arab and Organization of Islamic Cooperation states, some of which, diplomats said, view it as approval for Israel to further act against Hamas.

The adopted resolution calls for urgent steps to immediately allow safe, unhindered, and expanded humanitarian access and to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities. The initial draft had called for an urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities to allow aid access.

"By signing off on this, the council would essentially be giving the Israeli armed forces complete freedom of movement for further clearing of the Gaza Strip," Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the council before the vote.

Russia proposed the draft be amended to revert to the initial text calling for an urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities. The amendment was vetoed by the United States. It received 10 votes in favor, while four members abstained.

Earlier this month the 193-member UN General Assembly demanded a humanitarian ceasefire, with 153 states voting in favor of the move that had been vetoed by the United States in the Security Council days earlier.

The US and Israel oppose a ceasefire, believing it would only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and free hostages taken by Hamas.

Last month the United States abstained to allow the Security Council to call for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in fighting for a sufficient number of days to allow aid access. The move came after four unsuccessful attempts to take action.

Washington traditionally shields its ally Israel from UN action and has already twice vetoed Security Council action.

Israel has retaliated against Hamas by bombarding Gaza from the air, imposing a siege and launching a ground offensive. Some 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health officials in Hamas-ruled Gaza.

Most people in Gaza have been driven from their homes and UN officials have warned of a humanitarian catastrophe.

The World Food Program says half of Gaza's population is starving and only 10% of the food required has entered Gaza since October 07.

A key sticking point during negotiations on the resolution adopted on Friday had been an initial proposal for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to establish a mechanism in Gaza to monitor aid from countries not party to the war.

A toned-down compromise was reached to instead ask Guterres to appoint a senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator to establish a UN mechanism for accelerating aid to Gaza through states that are not party to the conflict.

The coordinator would also have responsibility for facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying in Gaza, as appropriate, the humanitarian nature of all the aid.

 

Iran non-oil exports to Pakistan at US$1.3 billion

Iran has exported non-oil commodities valued at US$1.3 billion to Pakistan during the first eight months of the current Iranian calendar year, the head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA) announced.

Mohammad Rezvani-Far said that Pakistan registered the highest growth in import of goods from Iran, among the other neighboring countries, in the mentioned eight-month period. 

He said that Pakistan had imported non-oil products worth US$855 million from the Islamic Republic in the first eight months of the past year.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is aiming to expand its economic and trade relations with Pakistan through establishing joint free zones and trade centers with the country, IRIB reported.

According to Ahmad Jamali, the deputy secretary of Iran’s Free Zones High council, Tehran has reached an agreement with Islamabad to establish a joint free zone on the border between the two countries.

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.

 

Raisi talks to Serdar of Turkmenistan

The president of Iran asserts that the crimes committed by the United States and the Israeli regime against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have enraged people internationally. Ebrahim Raisi made the remarks in a Tuesday phone call with his Turkmen counterpart Serdar Berdimuhamedow.

“What is being afflicted on the oppressed people of Gaza in terms of oppression and crime, by the Zionist regime and the US has deeply affected and angered all the Muslims of the world as well as all the people of the world,” the Iranian president said.

The atrocities, he stated, have deeply affected and enraged not only all the world’s Muslims, but also the entire people of the world.”

The president of Iran stressed the necessity of using all resources at hand to support the oppressed Gazan people.

The remarks were made in the midst of the war that Israel has been waging against the Gaza Strip since October 07 in retaliation for an operation that the Palestinian resistance groups had organized.

Washington has exercised its veto power over all UN Security Council resolutions that demanded the establishment of a quick cease-fire throughout the beleaguered Palestinian territories.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Raisi was pleased with the remarkable development of relations between Turkmenistan and Iran, particularly in the area of trade.

He emphasized the necessity of carrying out the significant agreements that had been made during the most recent meeting of the nations’ joint economic commission in the areas of energy, transportation, and transit.

While announcing the readiness of Iran to promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of electricity and gas, Raisi also emphasized the development of cooperation between Tehran and Ashgabat in the transport and transit sector by utilizing the capacity of Iran’s southern ports, including Bandar Abbas and Chabahar Port.

The president also referred to the historical and civilizational background of the two countries and the availability of the ground for further promotion of cultural interactions between the two nations, and announced Iran's readiness to hold a joint cultural program with Turkmenistan and honor common cultural figures and personalities.

The Turkmen official, for his part, also expressed satisfaction with the rising trend of the two nations’ relations in a number of political, economic, and cultural domains.

Berdimuhamedow stated that Ashgabat is well-prepared to carry out bilateral agreements and raise the degree of collaboration between the two nations.

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Saudi Arabia and UAE not present in US led Naval Coalition

Saudi Arabia's name was conspicuously - perhaps surprisingly - absent from a list of countries the United States announced as part of its new naval coalition protecting Red Sea shipping from Yemen's Houthi group.

Although it has a US-equipped military, has been waging war on the Houthis for nearly nine years and relies on Red Sea ports for 36% of imports, Saudi Arabia along with Gulf ally the United Arab Emirates has proclaimed no interest in the venture.

The main reason for its absence appears to be a concern that participating would detract from a long-term strategic goal ‑ extricating itself from a messy war in Yemen and a destructive feud with the Houthis' principal backer Iran.

Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have been striking at ships in the Red Sea for weeks in response to Israel's war with the Palestinian Hamas group in Gaza.

Whether their attacks are having much direct impact on Israel - shipping companies say several targeted vessels were not headed there - their campaign has hit Israel's Western allies by complicating global trade. On Wednesday their leader threatened to expand this campaign to US naval vessels.

US officials have avoided saying outright that the two countries will not take part, and spokespeople for both the Saudi and Emirati governments did not respond to Reuters requests for comment on the matter.

Both the countries want to avoid being seen as participants in a campaign that could upset their long-term regional strategy - and turn Arab anger over Gaza against them.

It appears that Saudi and Emirati absence was because they wanted to avoid escalating tensions with Iran or jeopardizing the peace push in Yemen by joining any naval action.

"Another war would mean moving from the political process into another military one that would really mess up the geopolitical map of the Middle East right now," said Eyad Alrefai of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah.

Spurred partly by worry about long-term US commitment, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have for years tried to reorient their regional policy, seeking new partners, taking a fresh look at ties with Israel and settling the rivalry with Iran.

The biggest steps in that process so far were the Chinese-mediated detente agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran in February and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the UAE in 2020.

But the Saudis also want to end their nearly 9-year-old war in Yemen, which has become a draining stalemate that has damaged their reputations and brought insecurity through Houthi drone attacks on airports and energy plants.

Peace in Yemen is important for the UAE too, even though it largely pulled out its forces in 2020. It still backs groups in Yemen and the Houthis targeted its capital Abu Dhabi with drone and missile attacks last year.