US to supply more arms to Israel

Just hours after a cease-fire between the Israeli government and Lebanese group Hezbollah took effect, the Financial Times revealed, "US President Joe Biden has provisionally approved a US$680 million weapons sale to Israel," which has also spent the past nearly 14 months decimating the Hamas-governed Gaza Strip.

Citing unnamed people familiar with the matter, the British newspaper reported, "US officials recently briefed Congress on the plan to provide thousands of additional joint direct attack munition kits to Israel, known as JDAMS, as well as hundreds of small-diameter bombs."

The Biden administration's decision to advance the sale was subsequently confirmed by Reuters, which reported, "the package has been in the works for several months. It was first brought to the congressional committees in September then submitted for review in October."

Human rights advocate critical of Israel's assaults on Lebanon and Gaza—which has led to a genocide case at the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant—responded with alarm to the new reporting.

"If these reports are true, it's heartbreakingly devastating news," said Amnesty International USA. "These are the weapons that our research has shown were used to wipe out entire families, without any discernible military objective."

Amnesty highlighted a trio of resolutions from Sen. Bernie Sanders that would have halted some arms sales to Israel. Although they failed to pass the Senate last week, the group was among several that noted over the course of three votes, 17, 18, and 19 senators supported halting weapons sales, "sending a clear signal that US policy must change."

"Yet, the Biden administration seems to be ready and willing to keep piling more and more, despite Gaza descending into what President Biden just yesterday described as 'hell,'" Amnesty added Wednesday. "Sending more weapons that have been used to maim and kill with impunity doesn't just put in jeopardy Palestinian lives and the elusive cease-fire the president is seeking, but also President Biden's own legacy."

The Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project declared Wednesday, "President Biden is spending the final days of his presidency going against the will of most Americans, US law, and international law."

"The weapons included in this package have been used by Israel in numerous apparent war crimes," the organization noted. "On July 13, 2024, Israel attacked a so-called 'safe zone' in al-Mawasi, in which internally displaced Palestinians were sheltering, killing at least 90 people and injuring hundreds more. A CNN investigation found that Israel carried out this attack with at least one JDAM."

John Ramming Chappell, an adviser on legal and policy issues at the Center for Civilians in Conflict, similarly stressed, "these are the very same weapons that for months Israeli forces have used to kill Palestinian civilians and violate international humanitarian law."

"Continuing arms transfers risks making the United States and US officials complicit in war crimes," he said. "These arms sales are unlawful as a matter of both US and international law. They are immoral. The congressional committees of jurisdiction can and must place a hold on the sales."

Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now, pointed out, "aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity is itself a crime for which US officials may (and should) face prosecution at the ICC."

Neither the US nor Israel is a state party to the Rome Statute of the ICC, though Palestine is. Both the Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump's pick for national security adviser have attacked the warrants for Israeli leaders.

In a speech to Israelis on Tuesday, Netanyahu said that one of the reasons for the cease-fire in Lebanon "is to give our forces a breather and replenish stocks. And I say it openly, it is no secret that there have been big delays in weapons and munitions deliveries. These delays will be resolved soon. We will receive supplies of advanced weaponry that will keep our soldiers safe and give us more strike force to complete our mission."

The Times of Israel reported that Biden's State Department declined to confirm the advancement of the package but said that US support for Israel in the face of Iran-backed threats is "unwavering" and all weapon transfers are carried out in line with federal law.

"We have made clear that Israel must comply with international humanitarian law, has a moral obligation and strategic imperative to protect civilians, investigate allegations of any wrongdoing, and ensure accountability for any abuses or violations of international human rights law or international humanitarian law," the State Department said.

 

Arrest warrants of Israeli leadership: Challenges for Trump

The recent decision of International Criminal Court (ICC) indicting Israeli leaders for war crimes in Gaza has reignited debates among Democrats regarding Israel’s actions in its conflict with Hamas. The Democratic Party is divided: staunch allies of Israel criticize the ICC for perceived pro-Palestinian bias, while liberal members welcome the scrutiny of Israel’s military actions.

This divide has intensified since Hamas’s October 07, 2023, attacks. While there is broad Democratic support for Israel’s right to self-defense, the severe Israeli response—which has led to over 44,000 Palestinian deaths—has caused a rift, with more liberal voices alleging human rights violations. This group applauds the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Some Democrats view the ICC’s actions as necessary for accountability, while others argue it undermines Israel’s right to defend itself. These divisions were heightened when the ICC also indicted Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, which did little to mollify Israel’s defenders, who see the court’s actions as creating false moral equivalencies. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) criticized the ICC’s indictments, while President Biden and other Democratic leaders called them “outrageous.”

Amid this controversy, some Democrats rejected Netanyahu’s accusations of antisemitism against the ICC, distinguishing between criticism of Israeli policy and broader prejudice. The debate has surfaced in internal Democratic discussions as they examine recent electoral setbacks, with some arguing that the party’s failure to more vocally defend Palestinian civilians hurt their prospects.

As the next Congress approaches, with Republicans controlling both houses and President-elect Trump in the White House, Democratic divisions over Israel will likely be exploited in legislative battles. Progressive leaders like Rep. Pramila Jayapal are pushing for adherence to laws that restrict US aid to countries violating human rights and argue that if another country behaved like Israel, the US would support international legal actions. This tension underscores the broader challenges facing Democratic leadership in navigating the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

IRGC chief urges Muslim nations to sever ties with Israel

The commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps highlighted the offenses perpetrated by the Zionist regime in the region and urged Muslim nations to cut ties with Israel.

During a gathering of Basij members in Ahvaz City on Friday, Major General Hossein Salami urged Islamic nations to unite against this occupying regime and to obstruct any support until it is entirely dismantled. 

Salami warned that destruction looms over Israel, noting that the Zionist regime is experiencing a political crisis and profound isolation, which he described as a form of political death.

The IRGC chief asserted that Israel stands isolated within the international community and predicted the imminent downfall of this regime.

Salami emphasized, “The unity of Muslims will lead to the downfall of this corrupt regime, igniting the spirit of Islamic resistance and heralding further victories for the resistance coalition. Consequently, Muslim nations must sever their ties with this illegal regime.”

The IRGC official also pledged a decisive response to Israel’s October attack against Iran. “Israel's significant transgression of violating Iran's red line by launching an attack on our territory will not go unaddressed.”

Israeli warplanes fired missiles at Iranian military installations from Iraqi airspace on October 26th, martyring four Army military personnel and one civilian. 
The assault came in response to Iran’s Operation True Promise II, which struck multiple Israeli military bases inside the occupied territories on October 1 in retaliation for the regime’s assassination of several top Resistance figures.  Iran’s first direct attack against Israel happened in April. 

Iranian officials have said that the upcoming operation would be harsher than the first two. 

 

 

Pakistan: Parachi­nar killing big question mark

The death toll from Thursday’s attack on passenger vehicles in Khyber Pakhtun­khwa’s Kurram district area has surpassed 40. The district is located near Afghanistan border and has a history of sectarian violence.

The convoy of around 200 vehicles, carrying Shia passengers between Peshawar and Parachi­nar, came under heavy gunfire in the densely populated Bagan town.

The convoy was escorted by police when it came under attack. The incident has attracted condemnation and law enforcement agencies are being criticized for the negligence.

Thursday’s ambush is the latest in a series of sectarian clashes between Sunni and Shia tribes in Kurram. Previous clashes in July and September claimed dozens of lives.

The frequency of such incidents confirms the failure of the federal and provincial governments to protect the ordinary citizens.

Authorities have imposed curfew and suspended mobile service. Businesses, educational institutions and markets were closed.

ICC decision: Any difference for Palestinians?

In an unprecedented move, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a decision that has sent shockwaves through the international community. The court's announcement, delivered on November 22, has sparked widespread discussion and debate about its implications and potential consequences. Does this really mean anything to the Palestinians? The answer is yes as well as no.

On one hand, further intensified pressure on Israel to end its war crimes in Gaza can be anticipated. This could yield short-term gains for Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, including increased humanitarian aid to the Strip and even, from a very skeptical standpoint, a quicker end to the aggression than Israeli authorities have projected. In other words, in an ever-tightening world for the Israeli officials against the background of ICC’s warrant, continuing war on Gaza is a gamble with catastrophic international consequences for the government.

On the other hand, from a more realistic perspective, ICC’s arrest warrant for the two top Israeli figures is merely the beginning of a “Plan B” for Israel. This strategy, employed since the war’s outset alongside the initially stated objectives, aims to enable Israel to withstand an internal collapse.

Plan B, is not a twist in the story of Israel’s plot to expand territory and remove adversaries, but the predesigned next stage should the plan to achieve those objectives fail, the political life of an individual in exchange for the life of an entire, albeit unlawful, state.

In simple words, Netanyahu’s government was greenlighted to “do whatever it takes” to fulfill the purpose of this war since its outset and was warned that he would end up politically dead if the goals were not met. As the prospect of defeat looms, implementation of the “Hannibal Directive” has been initiated at the political level.

Since the start of the recent war on Gaza, which later expanded to Lebanon, this strategy has been the elephant in the room no one was willing to discuss publicly.

Many prominent political and public figures worldwide have relentlessly tried to reduce this war to include only “certain Israeli individuals” rather than the “Israel Project”, in part manifested in an illegitimate occupational state.

They keep accusing Benjamin Netanyahu, along with a handful of other political figures – mostly the Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir as well as Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich – of fanning the flames of the war, committing genocide and other atrocities in Gaza and elsewhere, and other acts of political and military violence “that endanger the lives of Israelis” as if they were elected by non-Israelis.

That said, through employing the political Hannibal Directive, the continuation of the “Project Israel” is ensured, by assuring the global public opinion that the individuals responsible for the century’s most horrific crime against humanity have been removed from power.

Therefore, there are two versions – the day after the war with Netanyahu’s government, and the one without it. And the difference lies in the scope of the achievements. Therefore, it is safe to say that ICC’s recent move does not serve the interests of the Palestinians in the long run.

In fact, it makes next to no difference for Palestinians who are in the driver's seat of the Israeli government. Palestinians have endured life under the dominance of all Israeli political factions and classes with little to no practical distinction.

The only way to stop the aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing in Palestine, is to stop the occupation of the country. Political views may differ from one Israeli party to another, but their weapons are the same.

Courtesy: Tehran Times

 

 

Iran-China railway link via Afghanistan

The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI), in a meeting with the head of Afghanistan Railway, said the country is eyeing to connect its railway network to China via Afghanistan.

“Due to the proximity of Iran, Afghanistan, and China, this route (Iran-Afghanistan-China) is the only route that can shorten the transit route and reduce the costs, therefore completing the Herat rail route based on the schedule is very important,” Jabar-Ali Zakeri said in the meeting with Mohammad Ishaq Sahibzadeh.

In this meeting, Zakari stated that Iran is determined to support the development of Afghanistan's railways, noting that the existence of a railway line in the northwest of Afghanistan and the proximity to the common border with Iran is a great opportunity for transit between the two countries.

Referring to the training courses held for Afghan railway employees in the past years, the RAI head emphasized, “According to Afghanistan's request, soon the third training course for Afghan railway employees will be held.”

According to Zakeri, many of the problems faced by the Iran-Afghanistan Railway Consortium have been resolved and, currently, three trains a week are running on the designated route between the two countries.

Further in this meeting, Sahibzadeh also pointed to the growing cooperation between the railways of Iran and Afghanistan, while appreciating the training programs for 96 employees of Afghanistan Railways by Iran Railways.

“Due to the successful holding of the first and second courses, we are now waiting for the third course,” he said.

Sahibzadeh stated that the Khaf-Herat railway project depicts the friendship between the two countries, adding, “We hope that with cooperation, we will see an increase in transit, and as a result, the growth and promotion of trade between the two countries.”

 

Arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant

After months of deliberation, the International Criminal Court on Thursday formally issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri.

The ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I, a panel of judges, said in a statement that it unanimously rejected Israel's challenges to arrest warrant applications submitted in May by Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the ICC.

"The Chamber issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least October 08, 2023 until at least May 20, 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest," the panel said, specifically alleging "the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare" and "the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts."

The announcement came as the official death toll from Israel's war on the Gaza Strip surpassed 44,000.

The ICC judges said they "found reasonable grounds to believe" that Netanyahu and Gallant "intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity."

The panel also said it "found reasonable grounds to believe that no clear military need or other justification under international humanitarian law could be identified for the restrictions placed on access for humanitarian relief operations."

"Finally, the Chamber assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza," the judges added.

The panel issued a separate statement announcing an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, saying it found "reasonable grounds to believe" he is "responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder; extermination; torture; and rape and other form of sexual violence; as well as the war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, torture; taking hostages; outrages upon personal dignity; and rape and other forms of sexual violence."

Neither the US nor Israel recognize the ICC's jurisdiction, and the decision is expected to spark backlash from both countries.

Over the summer, in response to Khan's May application for arrest warrants, the Republican-led US House of Representatives passed legislation that would impose sanctions on the ICC. More than 40 House Democrats supported the measure, which has not received a vote in the narrowly Democratic Senate.

British Member of Parliament Jeremy Corbyn, the former leader of the Labour Party, called the ICC arrest warrants "long overdue" and urged the government of Keir Starmer to "immediately endorse this decision."

"That is the bare minimum," Corbyn wrote on social media. "Will the UK government now, finally, honor its international obligations to prevent genocide and end all arms sales to Israel?"