Author: Anadolu Agency
A former spokesperson for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) warned that Israel’s plan to dismantle the agency could backfire and complicate its own strategy. “Israel needs to be very careful what it wishes for,” Christopher Gunness told Anadolu. Expanding on the potential consequences of UNRWA’s closure and the Palestinians under its mandate being moved to the UNHCR, UN agency responsible for global refugee protection, he said the right of return would be “the preferred solution, and the number of registered refugees is going to grow faster.” On Oct. 28, Israel’s Knesset passed legislation targeting UNRWA, which could end…
Egypt and Qatar voiced hope on Wednesday that a cease-fire deal between Lebanon and Israel will lead to de-escalation in the region. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met in Cairo with Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani during which they “affirmed aspiration to building on the cease-fire agreement to reach a comprehensive calm in the region,” according to a statement released by the Egyptian presidency. They underlined the importance of “empowering and supporting all Lebanese state institutions, mainly the army, to safeguard Lebanon’s security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.” The meeting also touched on joint efforts aimed at reaching…
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Wednesday that he believes US President-elect Donald Trump cannot broker a peace deal between Moscow and Kyiv. Speaking in an interview with Politico, Kuleba argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin will not agree to a peace deal because he believes his country can achieve its objectives as part of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which marked its 1,000th day last week. “Putin still believes he can snuff out Ukrainian statehood and crush Ukraine as an independent democracy, and he thinks he’s one step away from exposing the West as weak,” Kuleba said.…
Two journalists were injured by Israeli army fire in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, Lebanese media said. Israeli soldiers opened fire on a group of reporters covering the return of displaced civilians to the town of Khiam and Israeli withdrawal from the area, the state news agency NNA reported. The Lebanese army closed all access points to the town to ensure the safety of civilians, citing the continued presence of Israeli forces in the town. Joseph Al-Qasifi, head of the Lebanese Press Editors Syndicate, condemned the incident as a “violation” of a cease-fire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. He called the…
The British foreign secretary on Wednesday reiterated that Israel has legal obligations as an occupying power, emphasizing the need to hold Tel Aviv accountable for those obligations. In response to questions at a Foreign Affairs Committee session in parliament, David Lammy described the ongoing dire situation in the Gaza Strip as “tremendously horrendous.” Pointing out Israel’s obligations, the foreign secretary emphasized that it must remember its obligations under international law. “There are legal obligations as an occupying power, and I’m afraid that the international community is very clear about those obligations as an occupying power, and we do have to…
The associate EU advocacy director at Human Rights Watch called the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant a “rare chance at justice.” “This is a rare chance at justice for horrendous crimes in the region-crimes that have thrived on decades of impunity,” Claudio Francavilla told Anadolu. He expressed concern that EU countries have not responded with a unified voice to the court’s decision, adding: “The Court’s decision is legal, not political. What’s political is the attacks the Court has received for simply doing its job.” The arrest warrants…
Supporters of the PKK terrorist group clashed with police in London’s Harringay neighborhood on Wednesday after the Metropolitan Police arrested six people in connection with suspected terrorist activity linked to the group. The PKK, responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people in Türkiye, is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, US, UK, and EU. A group of PKK supporters gathered in Harringay, chanting slogans against Türkiye and calling for “Freedom for Ocalan,” referring to Abdullah Ocalan, the convicted ringleader of the PKK who is serving a life sentence in Türkiye. Tensions escalated when protesters resisted police efforts to…
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas issued a “constitutional declaration” Wednesday about who would serve as head of the Palestinian Authority in the event of a vacancy, according to reports. The declaration said that “if the position of President of the Palestinian Authority becomes vacant in the absence of the Legislative Council, the Chairman of the Palestinian National Council (Palestine Liberation Organization parliament) shall temporarily assume the duties of the presidency for a period not exceeding 90 days,” according to the Palestinian news agency, Wafa. The declaration indicated that during the period, “free and direct elections will be held to elect a…
Kenan Yildiz, a Turkish and Juventus winger, won the Golden Boy Web award on Wednesday. “The ‘talent’ of Juventus and the Turkish national team was able to count on the unwavering support of his home fans, always ready to go wild when it comes to voting for one of their stars,” the Italian sports newspaper, Tuttosport, said in a statement after Yildiz received the most online votes with 33.2%. “His performances at the European Championship and a sparkling start in black and white did the rest,” it added. The European Golden Boy Award, introduced in 2003 by journalist Massimo Franchi,…
Türkiye’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday said that the commitment to combat all forms of discrimination was underlined in the declaration adopted at the 10th Global Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC). “The Declaration highlights the contribution of dialogue and interaction among different cultures to a peaceful and harmonious coexistence,” a ministry statement said. The declaration affirmed the commitment to continue combating racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, religious intolerance and all forms of discrimination. “The Declaration also underlines that violent extremism cannot be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization, or ethnic group,” it further said. The ministry statement said that…