Archive for Mid-East News

Hezbollah hangs threatening banner across the border: ‘We’re coming’

 

Ominous banner written in Hebrew & hoisted ahead of Al-Quds Day events, marking solidarity with Palestinians.

Nasrallah: ‘We have score of vengeance with Israelis’

By Roi Kais

Ahead of Al-Quds Day held on Friday, Hezbollah hung a large banner in front of the Israeli border reading, in Hebrew and Arabic, “We’re coming.”

Hezbollah sign

Next to the inscription, the banner was adorned with an image of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Al-Quds Day is commemorated in several Arab and Muslim countries since its introduction by the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979, and is meant to express solidarity with the Palestinian cause, oppose Zionism as well as Israel’s control of Jerusalem, Quds in Arabic. Continue Reading »

Analysis: White House Unlikely to Sanction Further Israeli Airstrike on Syrian Missiles

 

 

The NYT reports that a July 5 attack on Yakhont missiles cache wasn’t 100% successful & that possible future strikes by Israel can be expected, but the U.S. will no longer sanction them.

 

Israeli defense sources have declined to comment on The New York Times’ report on an alleged Israeli strike in Latakia, Syria; Israel didn’t comment either when the explosions took place on July 5. After three earlier air strikes attributed to Israel – one in January and two in the beginning of May – Israeli officials dropped hints but refused to admit that Israel was responsible. Continue Reading »

US Intel Report: Syrian Yakhont missiles moved prior to alleged Israeli strike

 

NYT reports US analysts believe Syrians set fire to self-propelled launchers in Latakia to create impression of successful attack, but some Yakhont missiles remain intact.

By Ynet

American officials said on Wednesday that according to intelligence analysts, a recent Israeli airstrike on a warehouse in Syria did not succeed in destroying all of the Russian-made anti-ship cruise missiles that were its target, the New York Times reported.

File:Yakhont.jpg

Yakhont missile – Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

According to the New York Times, Israel carried out an attack on July 5 near Latakia to destroy the missiles, which Russia had sold to Syria. Continue Reading »

Hamas accuses Abbas’ PA for attacks on group in Egyptian media

Fatah officials speaking for Abbas, dismiss the Hamas charges, saying the documents they presented at the press conference were forged.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH
 

 

 
Hamas leaders on Tuesday released documents that, they said, prove that Fatah and the Palestinian Authority are responsible for an Egyptian media campaign against the Islamist movement.
HAMAS GUNMEN hold a poster depicting Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza City June 2012.

HAMAS GUNMEN hold a poster depicting Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood in Gaza City June 2012. – Photo: Mohammed Salem/Reuters

Over the past few months, reports in several Egyptian media outlets have accused Hamas of meddling in Egypt’s internal affairs.

Some reports claimed that Hamas had dispatched gunmen to Sinai and other parts of Egypt to kill civilians and soldiers.

Continue Reading »

PA minister: Peace process is first step to conquer Israel later

 

Abbas has no mandate, not from the PFLP of the PLO, not Hamas, and not from many of those he rules over. But one thing is in common. Palestinians see peace process as part of long-term plan to defeat and eliminate the State of Israel.

By Ryan Jones

 

There are more than a few in the Palestinian Authority who are upset over the pending renewal of peace talks with Israel. Hamas in particular believes the move to be a detriment to the Palestinian cause.

This symbol is adorning the “Palestinian embassies” all over South America. Pay attention to the map.

Continue Reading »

Seeking Final Solution, Abbas Wants ‘Judenrein’ Palestinian State

 

Palestinian & Israeli negotiators meet for dinner in Washington on Monday, then to hold first work session on Tuesday.

PA President Abbas in Egypt: Not a single Israeli can remain on Palestinian lands.

By Shlomo Cesana, Yoni Hirsch, Israel Hayom Staff and News Agencies

 

After three years of stalemate, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process resumed in Washington on Monday and it remains to be seen whether this round of negotiations will yield a different result than past efforts.

Continue Reading »

Abbas in Cairo in sign of support for Egypt’s post-Morsi interim gov’t

 

Palestinian president meets Egypt’s acting president while Egyptian authorities investigate Hamas’ roll in 2011 prison break that freed Mohammed Morsi, left 14 inmates dead & was the catalyst for the chaos that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

 

 

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has met with Egypt‘s interim President Adly Mansour in Cairo in a show of support for the government that took over after Mohammed Morsi‘s ouster.

Egyptian interim President Adly Mansour, meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, July 29.

Egypt’s interim President Adly Mansour meets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at Cairo’s Presidential Palace. – Photo: AP

 

The visit on Monday comes as Egyptian authorities are investigating the role of Abbas’ rival Palestinian group Hamas in a 2011 prison break that freed Morsi and several other members of the Muslim Brotherhood who had been detained under the previous regime. Continue Reading »

PFLP rejects Abbas’ peace talks

 

Mere hours prior to the  beginning of the peace talks, leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine joined Hamas in rejecting negotiations, blaming US bias for past failures, opting for unilateral UN statehood bid instead.

Who exactly is Abbas representing?

By AFP

 

A major faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization rejected new peace talks with Israel just hours before their scheduled resumption in Washington on Monday after a three-year break.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry meets PA President Mahmoud Abbas - Photo courtesy of the Palestinian Press Office

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has PA President Mahmoud Abbas agree to negotiate. But who does he represent?- Photo courtesy of the Palestinian Press Office

The leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine said that talks’ resumption was a unilateral move by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas which did not have the backing of the PLO as a whole. Continue Reading »

Egypt’s military unleashes its own ‘Desert Storm’ in the Sinai

 

The Egyptian army deployed about 3,000 of its soldiers in more than 2 armored battalions, including dozens of tanks & at least 10 attack helicopters to destroy more than 50 terrorist compounds in central  & northern Sinai.

By Daniel Siryoti

 

The Egyptian military began staging an offensive over the weekend to clean out the terrorist networks in the Sinai Peninsula.

Continue Reading »

Braver than EU, Gulf States to Sanction Hizbullah Entirely

Refusing to be intimidated,  Gulf states to impose sanctions against Hizbullah that will identify all branches of the group being labelled as a terrorist organization.

By Elad Benari

 

 

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has announced plans to impose sanctions against Hizbullah that will see all arms of the group being labelled as a terrorist organization.

Hizbullah flag

Hizbullah flag – AFP photo

The Saudi Arabian daily Al-Watan reported on Sunday that the GCC views Hizbullah as a monolithic organization and “does not differentiate between Hizbullah’s military and political wings.”

This is a direct reference to the European Union’s decision last week to place only Hizbullah’s military wing on the list of terrorist entities, leaving the political faction off the blacklist. Continue Reading »

EU ban on Hezbollah a nice start, but impact will be minimal

NEWS ANALYSIS: The new regulations are declaratory and will likely have very little effect on the ground. Hezbollah will just say, “Don’t worry, these men are from the political arm.”

 

The decision Monday by Europe’s 28 foreign ministers to put Hezbollah’s military wing on the EU list of terrorist organizations followed months of jostling by member states in the wake of last summer’s killing of five Israelis and a Bulgarian in a bus bombing near the Black Sea resort of Burgas.

Continue Reading »

Hamas objects to Egyptian authorities’ charge of Morsi’s link to Gaza movement

 

Egypt’s interim gov’t warns both, Mashaal and Haniyeh: Stay out of Egypt’s internal affairs.

By KHALED ABU TOAMEH

 

 

 

Hamas officials condemned over the weekend the Egyptian authorities’ decision to charge ousted President Mohamed Morsi with links to the Palestinian Islamist movement.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh gestures during an interview with Reuters in Gaza City May 10, 2012.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Gaza City May 10, 2012. – Photo: REUTERS

The officials said that the allegations against Morsi came in the context of Egypt’s recent punitive measures against Hamas, including the demolition of about 80% of the smuggling tunnels along the border with the Gaza Strip and the closure of the Rafah terminal.

Meanwhile, sources in the Gaza Strip said on Saturday that the Egyptian authorities have warned Hamas leaders against “meddling in Egypt’s internal affairs.”

Continue Reading »

Breaking News: Israel reportedly attacked Syrian weapons convoy to Hezbollah

Syrian rebels & Lebanese news website report Israel Air Force activity in Baalbek area, over Quneitra, in Golan Heights, claim Hezbollah-bound weapons convoy bombed.

BY Roi Kais

 

 

Another Israeli strike in Syria? Arab media outlets reported Israeli Air Force activity in the Beqaa Valley in east Lebanon and in the Golan Heights on Saturday.

Israel Air Force F-16i (Sufa) - Photo Courtesy: IDF Spokesperson's office

Israel Air Force F-16i (Sufa) – Photo Courtesy: IDF Spokesperson’s office

Meanwhile, the Military Revolutionary Council in Golan Quneitra, a rebel group, claimed that aircraft also bombed a missile convoy making its way to Lebanon from Syria. The reports could not be confirmed by any Western source. Continue Reading »

Hizbullah Wired $100K for Bulgaria Suicide Bomber

Hizbullah paid almost $100,000 to 2 men who are wanted over Burgas terrorist attack that left 5 Israeli tourists and a local dead, according to Bulgarian media.

By Elad Benari, Canada

 

Hizbullah’s armed wing wired almost $100,000 (75,000 euros) to two men wanted over a bomb attack that killed five Israeli tourists in Bulgaria last year, a local newspaper reported Friday, according to the AFP news agency.

According to the 24 Hours daily, the money was to help organize the blast at Burgas airport on the Black Sea on July 18, 2012, and to carry out reconnaissance in other countries. Continue Reading »

Turkey: Detained bird was not spying for Israel

 

Turkish daily Hurriyet reports: After interrogation & X-ray test, the detained kestrel with leg-tag reading ‘4311 Tel Avivunia Israel’ was not carrying microchips & released “to fly away”.

By Ynet

 

Turkish authorities have “cleared a renegade bird captured in the Ağın district of the eastern province of Elazığ on suspicions of working for Israel’s state-of-the-art intelligence agency,” the Hurriyet newspaper reported Friday.

After being arrested, detained, interrogated, & x-rayed, the bird was 'Free to fly away.'

After being arrested, detained, interrogated, & x-rayed, the bird was ‘Free to fly away.’

According to the report by the Turkish newspaper, residents of Altınavya village became suspicious that the little kestrel could be more than a bird that lost its way when they found it wore a metallic ring stamped with the words “24311 Tel Avivunia Israel,” and delivered it to the district governorate. Continue Reading »