Author: Anadolu Agency

Rawhi Fattouh, the head of the Palestinian National Council, on Saturday denounced a call by far-right members of the Israeli Knesset to escalate military offensive in northern Gaza, describing it as a “full-fledged war crime and a direct call for the genocide of the Palestinian people.” On Thursday, Israeli media reported that the eight lawmakers urged Defense Minister Israel Katz to adopt a five-point strategy known as “The Generals’ Plan,” which includes forced evacuations, destruction of infrastructure, and targeting of civilians deemed non-compliant. Though not officially announced, the Israeli army has reportedly implemented aspects of this plan since October 2024.…

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in the Odenplan district of Stockholm to demand an immediate cease-fire, an end to Israel’s attacks on Gaza, and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region. Protesters carried banners with messages such as “Children are being killed in Gaza,” “Schools and hospitals are being bombed,” “Stop the genocide,” and “Forever Palestine.” Chanting slogans like “Freedom for Palestine,” the participants marched toward the Swedish Foreign Ministry. Aliki Harvey, a Swedish activist at the protest, told Anadolu that Israel’s ultimate aim is to establish “Greater Israel” and highlighted the group’s efforts to stop this goal. “I am…

Türkiye has taken significant strides in shaping developments in Syria and the “sun is rising” again in the neighboring country, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Saturday. Speaking at the AK Party’s 8th Ordinary Provincial Congress in the northern province of Ordu, Erdoğan highlighted the transformation in Syria as a key achievement of Türkiye’s regional policies. “We didn’t step directly into Syria, but we have addressed every dimension of its issues comprehensively and brought it to its current state. Now, the sun is rising again in Syria,” he said. The president underscored Türkiye’s proactive approach to safeguarding its southern…

Lebanese authorities reported on Saturday 12 more Israeli violations of the cease-fire agreement that was meant to end hostilities between the Israeli army and the Hezbollah group on Nov. 27. According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), the violations occurred in the districts of Marjayoun, Nabatieh, and Bint Jbeil in the Nabatieh Governorate, as well as in the Tyre district in the South Governorate. In the Marjayoun district, Israeli military personnel advanced toward the town of Burj Al-Muluk and stationed near the Farah gas station before blocking the road with barbed wire. Israeli incursions were also observed in the area…

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan stated on Friday that Türkiye’s principled stance on Gaza will be vindicated by history, much like its position on Syria. “Just as we have been proven right in the case of Syria, history will attest to our righteousness in the Gaza crisis as well,” President Erdogan said at a Türkiye Exporters Assembly event in Istanbul. He said Türkiye’s commitment to justice, peace, and compassion will be proven to be the right approach. Bashar Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath…

Malaysia on Friday “unequivocally” condemned “incessant and targeted” Israeli attacks on civilians in Gaza. In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said deliberate targeting of hospitals, including the most recent “devastating assault” on Kamal Adwan Hospital, where patients and medical staff were forcibly removed, “clearly” violates international humanitarian law and UN resolutions. “The relentless airstrikes, forced evacuations and systematic targeting of residential areas and designated safe zones are clear acts of genocide,” the statement said, adding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “obstructionist tactics have stalled meaningful progress in ceasefire negotiations” and exacerbated suffering of Palestinians. The ministry called on the international…

The French and German foreign ministers met on Friday the leader of Syria’s new administration and called for an inclusive transition of power, in their first official visit to the war-torn country since the fall of the Assad regime in December. Jean-Noel Barrot and Annalena Baerbock were received by Ahmed al-Sharaa in Damascus. During the talks, Barrot and Baerbock “reaffirmed the desire for a peaceful and demanding transition, representative of Syrian society in its diversity,” according to a statement from the French Foreign Ministry. They expressed their commitment to supporting a broad-based transition process, with both ministers highlighting the inclusion…

Türkiye’s exports hit a record high level of $262 billion during the last year, up by 2.5% on a yearly basis, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Friday. The country’s foreign trade deficit, which was at $106.3 billion in 2023, decreased to $82.2 billion, he said during an event in Istanbul. The export-import coverage ratio reached 76.1% in 2024, up 5.5 percentage points on a yearly basis, Erdoğan stressed. In December alone, the country’s exports rose by 2.2% to $23.5 billion, which is another record level, he added. The country’s imports in December rose by 11.1% to $32.3 billion, while…

Seven Palestinians sustained injuries in an assault on Friday by illegal Israeli settlers on the town of Silwad, east of Ramallah, central occupied West Bank. The Palestinians sustained injuries as the settlers beat them using batons and hurled stones, the Health Ministry said. Their condition, however, is stable. Silwad’s mayor Raed Hamed told Anadolu that 40 armed settlers raided the town’s Nasiba area, assaulted the people, and set fire to at least five cars. Over the past few years, the Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the West Bank, which have escalated with the beginning of the war on…

At least 77 more Palestinians were killed in relentless Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip, bringing the overall death toll since October 2023 to 45,658, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Friday. A ministry statement added that some 108,583 others were injured in the ongoing assault. “Israeli forces killed 77 people and injured 145 others in eight massacres of families in the last 24 hours,” the ministry said. “Many people are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added. Israel has continued a genocidal war on the Gaza…