KHARTOUM: A paramilitary attack killed at least 45 civilians in North Darfur’s Al-Malha area, according to an initial toll shared by activists Saturday.
The local volunteer aid group, known as a resistance committee, in the state capital El-Fasher, gave a “preliminary list of the victims of Al-Malha massacre” blamed on the Rapid Support Forces, with 15 people still unidentified.
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45 killed in Sudan paramilitary attack in North Darfur: activists
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45 killed in Sudan paramilitary attack in North Darfur: activists
- The aid group gave a “preliminary list of the victims of Al-Malha massacre” blamed on RSF
Jordan condemns Israeli violations in Gaza, pledges to continue diplomatic efforts
- Ayman Safadi accuses Israel of violating prisoner exchange agreement
AMMAN: Jordan’s minister of foreign affairs said on Monday that the kingdom remained steadfast in its efforts to halt Israeli aggression in Gaza and unlawful actions targeting the occupied West Bank, the Jordan News Agency reported.
Speaking to lawmakers, Ayman Safadi accused Israel of violating the prisoner exchange agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US.
He added that Israel had resumed hostilities in Gaza while restricting the entry of humanitarian and medical aid since the beginning of March, calling it a “clear violation of the agreement.”
According to Safadi, a joint Egyptian-Qatari operations room, established to monitor compliance, has recorded more than 900 Israeli breaches of the truce in the past 40 to 50 days. These violations include military actions that have resulted in the deaths of more than 70 Palestinians in Gaza and the continued blockade of essential supplies, including tents and caravans needed for displaced persons.
Safadi said: “Since Israel has destroyed more than 70 percent of Gaza’s infrastructure — including homes, schools, streets, and places of worship — it has also cut off electricity to Gaza, which is already suffering from a severe water shortage due to Israel’s targeting of water stations.”
He emphasized Jordan’s commitment, under the leadership of King Abdullah II, to press Israel to cease its military actions and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
“Denying the entry of aid is not only a breach of the exchange agreement but a stark violation of international law,” he said, condemning the withholding of food and medicine as a “war crime.”
Jordan has engaged in extensive diplomatic efforts, including participation in the Arab-Islamic Committee, which recently convened in Cairo.
Safadi highlighted an Egyptian initiative, backed by the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, to support the reconstruction of Gaza while preventing the displacement of its residents.
Safadi reaffirmed Jordan’s firm opposition to forced displacement, warning of its severe implications for regional security and stability.
“Forced displacement is not just about physically moving people; it is about creating conditions that make life unsustainable,” he said, adding that Jordan was coordinating efforts with the US, the EU, and other international partners within a joint Arab-Islamic framework.
He also expressed concern over escalating tensions in Lebanon, the West Bank, and the Syrian Arab Republic, blaming Israel for heightening instability, and added: “Israel’s unjustified actions in Syrian territory and its disregard for the 1974 agreement undermine efforts for peace.”
Safadi urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for its violations and to uphold the terms of the ceasefire agreement. He stressed that the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on Gaza would intensify diplomatic outreach in the coming weeks to push for an end to the hostilities.
“The priority now is to halt the aggression, and this can be achieved through the enforcement of the mediated agreements,” he said. “Israel’s continued non-compliance is escalating tensions across the region.”
He reaffirmed Jordan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s right to sovereignty, saying that a just and lasting peace could only be achieved through the establishment of a Palestinian state, adding: “Though we are in a complex and dangerous phase, Jordan remains dedicated to defending Palestinian rights and working toward a peaceful and stable region.”
Lebanese Army seizes weapons smuggled from Syria
- Traffickers arrested after the reopening of illegal border crossings
- Israeli reconnaissance planes return to Beirut’s airspace after rockets launched from southern Lebanon
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army Command announced on Monday the arrest of several Lebanese and Syrians suspected of involvement in smuggling operations and the reopening of illegal border crossings in the Masharih Al-Qaa area of eastern Lebanon.
In an official statement, the Army Command said that a patrol from the Directorate of Intelligence foiled an attempt to smuggle weapons from Syrian territory into Lebanon, seizing several handguns and other smuggled goods in the Zahle area in the Bekaa.
Investigations are ongoing to apprehend others suspected of involved in the operation.
FASTFACT
Parliamentary and party statements have urged the Lebanese government to reveal the findings of the investigation aimed at identifying the party responsible for launching the rockets from southern Lebanon.
UN Resolution 1701, which Lebanon is required to implement, highlights the importance of the Lebanese government’s complete control over all Lebanese territory.
This is outlined under UN Resolutions 1559 and 1680, as well as the relevant provisions of the Taif Agreement.
It stipulates that no weapons should exist without the approval of the Lebanese government, which should be the soul executor of authority in the country.
The resolution urges the Lebanese government to strengthen security at its borders and entry points to stop the unauthorized influx of weapons and related materials into Lebanon.
Meanwhile on Monday, Israeli artillery resumed its shelling of Lebanese border areas, targeting the outskirts of Shebaa.
Throughout the day, Israeli reconnaissance aircraft flew over southern Lebanon, extending as far as Beirut’s southern suburbs.
On Sunday, the Israeli Army killed Hezbollah member Hassan Al-Zein in a drone strike that targeted his vehicle in his hometown of Aita Al-Shaab, near the border.
On Monday morning, the Lebanese Army, in coordination with UNIFIL forces, removed an earth barrier an Israeli armored unit had put up.
The Israeli Army’s spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated that the targeting of a Hezbollah member was part of ongoing military operations to address the threats posed by the group in the region.
The Israeli Army will continue to implement necessary measures to ensure the security of Israel and protect it from any potential threats arising from Lebanese territory, he said.
Intensive diplomatic communications carried out by President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Foreign Minister Youssef Raji helped to contain the situation, their respective media offices stated.
The military escalation came after unidentified individuals launched five rockets from an area north of the Litani River toward the Israeli settlement of Metula on Saturday.
This incident resulted in multiple casualties, and at the time, Israeli officials warned of a “Beirut for Metula” equation.
Aoun will travel to Paris in four days for a summit with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace.
The discussions will focus on developments in Lebanon and aim to advance three key issues: the release of Lebanese detainees held by Israel, urging Israel to withdraw from five strategic hills it currently occupies along the southern border, and addressing the disputed land border points with Israel.
At the same time in Beirut, parliamentary and party statements urged the government to reveal the findings of the investigation aimed at identifying the party responsible for launching the rockets from southern Lebanon.
Independent MP Fouad Makhzoumi inquired about the steps the government plans to take to identify those responsible for the launches and their backers.
He also inquired about measures to ensure that Lebanon is not held hostage by their actions.
He stated that it was not permissible to classify the incident as an unidentified act, considering the risk of renewed Israeli aggression against Lebanon.
In a related development, the Lebanese Forces Party issued a warning in a statement that if the ceasefire agreement was not upheld, tensions and instability along the southern border would persist, turning Lebanon into a battleground.
The party stated: “While the prime minister and foreign minister urge adherence to international commitments for Lebanon’s protection from military escalation, those advocating for the implementation of international resolutions and ceasefire agreements face accusations of treason. This is a desperate attempt to silence calls for stronger security and sovereignty in Lebanon.”
The Lady of the Mountain Gathering political group stated that the recent rocket attacks on Israel represented a perilous escalation.
It urged the Lebanese Army to identify the party responsible for launching the rockets and to assert the state’s sovereignty over all Lebanese territory under the constitution, the oath of office, and the ministerial statement.
UN to reduce staff in Gaza and blames Israel for a strike that killed its employee
- An Israeli tank strike hit the UN guesthouse in central Gaza last week, killing one staffer and wounding five others
- UN was cutting back about a third of its approximately 100 international staffers in Gaza
DEIR AL-BALAH: The United Nations said Monday it will “reduce its footprint” in the Gaza Strip after an Israeli tank strike hit one of its compounds last week, killing one staffer and wounding five others.
Israel has denied it was behind the March 19 explosion at the UN guesthouse in central Gaza. In a statement Monday, UN Secretary-General spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said that “based on the information currently available,” the strikes on the site “were caused by an Israeli tank.”
The Israeli military did not immediately comment.
Dujarric said the UN “has made taken the difficult decision to reduce the Organization’s footprint in Gaza, even as humanitarian needs soar.”
He said the world body was cutting back about a third of its approximately 100 international staffers in Gaza. He said the UN “is not leaving Gaza,” pointing out that it still has about 13,000 national staff in Gaza, mainly working for UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
The move comes as Israel has cut off all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies to Gaza’s around 2 million people for more than three weeks. Last week, it relaunched its military campaign in Gaza, with bombardments that have since killed hundreds of Palestinians, breaking a ceasefire in place since mid-January.
Israel says it is targeting Hamas to force it to accept new terms for the ceasefire and release more hostages.
Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for the UN’s humanitarian office, known as OCHA, said the UN and its partners have already suspended a number of activities, many in education, protection and water and sanitation services. The reason, she was, was safety concerns and the impact of Israeli evacuation orders.
“A lot things are constrained right now because of the security situation,” she told AP before Dujarric’s announcement. “The challenges are massive. We have had a lot of our activities affected by the situation and a lot of our partners have had to suspend operations because it is just not safe.”
Movement of trucks, including those distributing water, have been affected, she said. Only 29 out of 237 temporary learning spaces have resumed their activities since the ceasefire collapse, she said.
The United Nations previously didn’t say who was behind the strike on its compound. The Bulgarian staffer who was killed, Marin Valev Marinov, 51, was a member of the UN Office for Project Services, which carries out infrastructure and development projects around the world.
A strike exploded near the compound, then hit it directly in the days before the deadly strike, UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva said earlier. He said the agency had contacted the Israeli military after the first strike and confirmed that the military was aware of the facility’s location.
Oman to take part in London Design Biennale for first time
- Omani architect Haitham Al-Bousafi will showcase a work titled ‘Memory Network’ at the event in June
LONDON: Oman will participate in the London Design Biennale, one of the most prestigious events of its kind in the world, for the first time this year.
Omani architect Haitham Al-Bousafi will showcase a work titled “Memory Network” at event venue Somerset House in central London, overlooking the River Thames, the Oman News Agency reported.
The country is participating at the biennale as part of its efforts to showcase Omani culture and heritage on a global stage as part of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth initiatives, officials said.
Oman’s cultural strategy for 2021-2040 aims to foster innovation and cultural diversity through the promotion of the arts and design as pathways to sustainable development and creative communication, the news agency added.
The 5th London Design Biennale will run from June 5 to 29.
Red Cross says office in Gaza damaged in ‘attack’
- ICRC said in a statement that the incident had a direct impact on the humanitarian organization’s ability to operate
- Israel resumed intensive bombing of Gaza last week
GENEVA: The International Committee of the Red Cross said an ICRC office in the southern Gaza Strip was damaged by an explosive projectile on Monday, adding that no staff were wounded.
The ICRC said in a statement that the incident had a direct impact on the humanitarian organization’s ability to operate.
“Today, an office of the ICRC in Rafah was damaged by an explosive projectile despite being clearly marked and notified to all parties,” the statement said.
“Fortunately, no staff were injured in this incident, but this has a direct impact on the ICRC’s ability to operate. The ICRC strongly decries the attack against its premises.”
The Geneva-based ICRC said international humanitarian law afforded special protection to humanitarian relief and medical personnel, medical facilities, and objects used for humanitarian relief operations.
“They must be respected and protected in all circumstances to ensure the continuity of care. They must never be attacked,” the ICRC said.
“The parties must do their utmost to ensure their safety by providing clear and strict instructions to weapon bearers.”
The ICRC said that on Sunday contact was lost with emergency medical technicians from the Palestine Red Crescent Society and their whereabouts remain unknown.
Furthermore, humanitarian workers in Gaza were killed and injured last week, it added.
Israel’s military pressed ground operations across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, encircling part of Rafah city near the Egyptian border, almost a week into a renewed assault on the Palestinian territory.
Israel resumed intensive bombing of Gaza last week, citing deadlock in indirect negotiations on next steps in the truce with Hamas after its first stage expired this month.
“The escalation of hostilities in Gaza over the past week has had significant humanitarian impacts, with hundreds of civilians killed, some of whom remain buried under rubble while others have been left behind unable to be rescued,” the ICRC said.
“New evacuation orders and intense hostilities are causing people to flee without a clear sense of areas that are safe, and many people have nowhere else to go. Many have been forced to leave behind their tents and belongings.
“The resumption of hostilities and violence is causing a loss of hope on all sides.”
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