World
Palestinians: Israeli Troops Kill 10 In West Bank Violence
JENIN REFUGEE CAMP, WEST — According to Palestinian officials, Israeli forces killed at least nine Palestinians and injured several others in a large-scale raid Thursday in the occupied West Bank. After the deadliest single operation in the territory in 20 years, Palestinian leaders broke security ties with Israel, which could lead to more violence.
In a separate incident, the Israeli military fatally shot a 22-year-old Palestinian.
The raid in the Jenin refugee camp raises the prospect of a major flare-up in Israeli-Palestinian fighting, puts Israel’s new hardline government to the test, and casts doubt on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s planned trip to the region next week.
In an effort to stop Islamic militants, both Israel and the Palestinian Authority said they would cut security ties. This raised the stakes. Previous such efforts have failed, partly due to the benefits the authority derives from the relationship but also due to US and Israeli pressure to keep it going.
The move makes people worry that Islamist militant groups won’t be stopped from attacking and that the Israeli army will have to do more raids on its own.
Hamas, the Islamist militant group that rules Gaza, has threatened retaliation for the raid. In the past, when violence got worse in the West Bank, rockets were fired back from the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Troops On High Alert
Israeli troops were on high alert in the West Bank and along the border with Gaza. Protesters poured into the territory’s streets, chanting in solidarity with Jenin. Palestinians in the refugee camp dug a mass grave for the deceased, and Abbas declared three days of mourning, with flags flying at half-staff.
According to Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for the Palestinian Authority, Abbas decided to reduce security coordination “in light of repeated aggression against our people and the undermining of signed agreements,” referring to commitments made during the Oslo peace process in the 1990s. He also said that the Palestinians planned to complain to the Security Council of the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and other international groups.
The last time the PA cut security cooperation with Israel was in 2020. This was in response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans to annex the occupied West Bank, which would make it impossible to have a Palestinian state in the future. Six months later, however, the PA resumed cooperation, indicating the importance of the relationship and Palestinian relief at the election of President Joe Biden.
According to Barbara Leaf, the top US diplomat for the Middle East, the administration is deeply concerned about the situation, and civilian casualties reported in Jenin are “quite regrettable.” However, she said the Palestinian announcement to halt security cooperation with Israel was a mistake.
“We do not believe this is the appropriate step to take at this time,” she told reporters.
International Criminal Court Is Problematic
International Criminal Court Is ProblematicAccording to Leaf, the Palestinian pledge to take the matter to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court is also problematic.
“We want to see them go in the opposite direction,” she added, “and they have to engage with each other.”
The Israeli military launched a rare daytime operation in the refugee camp on Thursday, claiming it was to prevent an imminent attack on Israelis. The camp, where the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group has a significant presence, has been the target of near-daily Israeli arrest raids.
Palestinians identified at least one of the dead as a militant, but it was unclear how many others were associated with armed groups.
Later in the day, Israeli forces fatally shot a 22-year-old Palestinian, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, as Palestinians protested Thursday’s raid north of Jerusalem.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have risen since Israel increased raids in the West Bank last spring in response to a wave of Palestinian attacks.
Israelis Who Murder Palestinians Will Get Immunity
Israel’s new national security minister, far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, who wants to give Israeli soldiers who shoot Palestinians legal immunity, posted a video of himself triumphantly beaming. He praised security forces, saying the government “backs our fighters in the war against terrorists.”
The raid left a trail of destruction in Jenin. The apparent target of the operation, a two-story building, was a charred wreck. The military claimed it entered the building to detonate the alleged explosives of the suspects.
During the fighting, Palestinian Health Minister May Al-Kaila said paramedics struggled to reach the wounded, while Jenin Governor Akram Rajoub said the military prevented emergency workers from evacuating them.
Both accused the military of firing tear gas into a hospital’s pediatric ward, causing children to choke. A hospital video showed women carrying children into a corridor.
According to the military, forces closed roads to facilitate their operation, which may have complicated rescue efforts, and tear gas was likely blown into the hospital from nearby clashes.
Officials Investigating Deaths
Magda Obaid, 61, was identified as the victim by the Palestinian Health Ministry, and the Israeli military said it was investigating her death. Health officials identified eight other men who died as men aged 18 to 40. One of the dead, Izz al-Din Salahat, was identified as a fighter by the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, an armed militia affiliated with Fatah, the secular political party that controls the Palestinian Authority. According to the ministry, at least 20 people were injured.
According to the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem, May 14, 2021, will be the deadliest day in the West Bank since 2002. Thirteen Palestinians were killed in various clashes that day. However, Thursday marked the single bloodiest incursion since 2002, during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, which left scars visible in Jenin.
“We request that the international community assist Palestinians in their fight against this extremist right-wing government and protect our citizens,” Jenin governor Rajoub said.
The violence has “deeply alarmed and saddened” United Nations Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland, who has urged calm. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Turkey, which recently reestablished full diplomatic ties with Israel, condemned the attack, as did neighboring Jordan.
Tensions over violence in the West Bank have previously spilled over into Gaza.
“The resistance’s response to what happened today in the Jenin camp will not be delayed,” warned top Hamas official Saleh Arouri.
Dozens Of People Killed
The coastal enclave’s Islamic Jihad branch has repeatedly fought Israel, most recently in a three-day clash last summer that killed dozens of Palestinians and disrupted the lives of hundreds of thousands of Israelis.
According to B’Tselem, nearly 150 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem last year, making 2022 the deadliest year in those areas since 2004. 30 Palestinians have been killed this year.
According to Israel, the majority of those killed were militants. However, youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in the clashes have also been killed. One-third of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops or civilians this year, not including Thursday, had ties to armed groups.
Last year, 30 Palestinians were killed in attacks on Israelis.
Israel claims its raids are intended to dismantle militant networks and prevent attacks. According to the Palestinians, the agreement cements Israel’s 55-year-long occupation of the West Bank, which Israel captured along with east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians want those areas for their future state.
Israel has built dozens of settlements in the West Bank, which now house 500,000 people. Even though peace talks have been stalled for more than a decade, the Palestinians and much of the international community see settlements as illegal and an impediment to peace.
SOURCE – (AP)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Argentina formally sought on Thursday to join NATO as a worldwide partner, paving the stage for further political and security cooperation at a time when President Javier Milei’s right-wing government seeks to strengthen ties with Western powers and attract investment.
The request came as NATO Deputy General Secretary Mircea Geoana met with visiting Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri in Brussels to discuss regional security problems.
Union – VOR News Image
Argentina Asks To Join NATO As President Milei Seeks A More Prominent Role For His Nation
Geoana said he supported Argentina’s bid to become an accredited partner in the alliance, which is a valuable role short of “ally” for nations outside NATO’s geographical territory and not compelled to participate in joint military actions. NATO membership is currently confined to European countries, Turkey, Canada, and the United States.
The classification may provide Argentina with access to modern technology, security systems, and training that it did not previously have, according to the Argentine presidency.
“Argentina plays an important role in Latin America,” Geoana stated at NATO headquarters. “Closer political and practical cooperation could benefit us both.”
Milei has been promoting a radical libertarian agenda aimed at undoing years of protectionist trade policies, overspending, and debilitating international debt that have thrown the country’s economy into disarray.
AP – VOR News Image
Argentina Asks To Join NATO As President Milei Seeks A More Prominent Role For His Nation
Over the last four months as president, he has reshaped Argentina’s foreign policy to one of almost unconditional support for the United States, as part of an effort to restore Argentina’s global economic prominence after previous administrations allowed relations with Washington and European allies to deteriorate.
Milei’s government is likewise looking for security gains from improved ties with Western countries. On Thursday, the US government revealed that it would provide Argentina with $40 million in foreign military financing for the first time in more than two decades, allowing critical US allies such as Israel to purchase American weapons.
The money, meant to assist Argentina equip and modernize its military, will help cover the cost of 24 American F-16 fighter aircraft purchased from Denmark earlier this week. Defense Minister Petri described the acquisition of the upgraded jets as “the most important military purchase since Argentina’s return to democracy” in 1983. Milei’s political opponents have criticized the $300 million price tag, which comes as he lowers government expenditure.
Formal partnership with NATO requires the agreement of all 32 NATO countries. Argentina’s relations with crucial NATO partner Britain have been strained since 1982, when the two went to war over the disputed Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic.
The Alliance’s other global partners include Afghanistan, Australia, Iraq, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, and Pakistan. Colombia is now NATO’s lone partner in Latin America.
Giving a country the title of “global partner” does not guarantee that NATO allies will defend it in the case of an attack. That pledge, outlined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s founding treaty, is limited to full members of the alliance.
Express – VOR News Image
Argentina Asks To Join NATO As President Milei Seeks A More Prominent Role For His Nation
NATO’s conversation with Argentina began in the early 1990s. Former President Bill Clinton labeled Argentina a “major non-NATO ally” in 1998, partly as a symbolic gesture to reward the pro-American government at the time for contributing soldiers on peacekeeping operations in Bosnia.
SOURCE – (AP)
WARSAW, Poland – A Polish man has been arrested on suspicion of preparing to spy for Russia’s military intelligence in an alleged plot to assassinate Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Polish prosecutors said Thursday.
According to a statement released by Poland’s National Prosecutor’s Office, the individual, known only as Pawel K. under Polish privacy regulations, was accused of preparing to transmit airport security information to Russian agents and was arrested in Poland on Wednesday.
AP News Image
Poland Arrests Man Suspected Of Spying For Russia To Aid Zelenskyy Assassination Plot
The man was looking for contact with Russians directly involved in the war in Ukraine and was expected to provide detailed information about the Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in south-east Poland, near the Ukrainian border, which serves as the gateway for international military and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine. It also caters to leaders and politicians traveling in and out of Ukraine. The airport is controlled by US soldiers.
If convicted, the guy faces up to eight years in prison, according to the statement.
AP News – VOR News
Poland Arrests Man Suspected Of Spying For Russia To Aid Zelenskyy Assassination Plot
The prosecutors claimed that close cooperation with Ukrainian prosecutors and security agencies, who tipped them off and provided crucial evidence, made the arrest possible. They stated the case is progressing.
On Thursday, prosecutors in Germany announced the arrest of two German-Russian individuals on suspicion of espionage, with one accused of agreeing to carry out assaults on potential targets, including US military bases, in the hopes of damaging supplies to Ukraine.
Dieter S. and Alexander J. were arrested Wednesday in Bayreuth, Bavaria, according to German federal authorities.
Since Moscow initiated its campaign on Ukraine in February 2022, several persons have been arrested in Poland on suspicion of spying for Russia, including a dual Russian-Spanish citizen.
CNN – Vor News Image
Poland Arrests Man Suspected Of Spying For Russia To Aid Zelenskyy Assassination Plot
Poland, a European Union member, has been a loyal backer of neighboring Ukraine and Zelenskyy in their fight against Russia’s aggression for more than two years.
SOURCE – (AP)
World
US Navy Flies Aircraft Through The Taiwan Strait A Day After US – China Defense Chiefs Hold Rare Talks
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The U.S. 7th Fleet reported that a Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, a day after U.S. and Chinese defense leaders conducted their first discussions since November 2022 to ease regional tensions.
The patrol and reconnaissance jet “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” according to a 7th Fleet news release.
AP – VOR News Image
US Navy Flies Aircraft Through The Taiwan Strait A Day After US – China Defense Chiefs Hold Rare Talks
The statement stated, “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.”
The vital strait, 160 kilometers (100 miles) wide, separates China from the self-governing island democracy. Although it is on the international seas, China regards the passage of foreign military aircraft and ships through it as a threat to its sovereignty.
China claims Taiwan and has threatened to protect it with force if necessary, despite U.S. military support for the island.
According to a report on the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command’s official Weibo social media site, China dispatched fighter jets to “monitor the U.S. plane’s passage” and operated “in accordance with laws and regulations.”
“Theater troops are on high alert at all times to resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security as well as regional peace and stability,” Li said in a statement.
Taiwan News – VOR News Image
US Navy Flies Aircraft Through The Taiwan Strait A Day After US – China Defense Chiefs Hold Rare Talks
China often issues severe protests and deploys fortifications in reaction to the passage of ships and military planes across the Straight, particularly those from the United States.
China also regularly deploys navy ships and airplanes into the strait and other locations around the island to wear down Taiwan’s defenses and scare its 23 million people, who staunchly support their de facto independence.
“By operating in the Taiwan Strait in conformity with international law, the United States protects all nations’ navigational rights and freedoms. The aircraft’s passage through the Taiwan Strait underlines the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. According to the 7th Fleet statement, the United States military flies, sails, and operates wherever international law allows.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Chinese counterpart, Adm. Dong Jun, on Tuesday in the latest move to strengthen relations with the Chinese military and lessen the likelihood of a regional conflict.
It was Austin’s first time speaking with Dong and his first time speaking in depth with any Chinese counterpart since November 2022. The call lasted slightly more than an hour, as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit China this month for discussions.
ABC – VOR News Image
US Navy Flies Aircraft Through The Taiwan Strait A Day After US – China Defense Chiefs Hold Rare Talks
Military-to-military contact ended in August 2022 when Beijing terminated all communication following a visit by then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Asia. China replied by firing missiles over the country and increasing military exercises, including what seemed to be a rehearsal for a naval and aerial blockade of the island.
SOURCE – (AP)
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