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Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced concern earlier today regarding Israel's continued military activities in Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. He criticised Israel's occupation of Syrian territories, stating that he believes "not only will they not withdraw, but they are likely to strengthen their presence there."
During the news conference, Putin also stated that Moscow had proposed to the new leadership in Damascus to retain Russia's air and naval bases in the country.
"We will not allow anyone to threaten the residents of the Golan Heights... and we will act decisively against any organisation."
Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, sends a direct message to the Syrian people.
The Handala hacking group has released a series of images retrieved from the phone of former Israeli PM Ehud Barak
The Iranian hackers ridiculed Ehud Barak, who it says is linked directly to Israeli cyber security industries. The Handala group have so far hacked into countless Israeli websites, servers and personal electronic devices, revealing scandals and sensitive information.
Israeli settlers establish new “Mei Marom" settlement in southern Lebanon
Following Israel's recent capture of Syrian territory nearly twice the size of Gaza, Israeli settlers have crossed into Lebanon to establish a new settlement near the southern Lebanese village of Maroun al-Ras.
The settlers are reportedly led by the Zionist Uri Tzafon Movement, which has long advocated for the establishment of settlements in southern Lebanon, an area it claims "belongs to the Jewish people."
The new settlement, called "Mei Marom" by its settlers, appeared online with images of Israelis holding banners that read, "Lebanon is ours."
British Medical Association President is targeted by Israel lobby for pro-Palestinian retweets
The President of the British Medical Association (BMA), Dr. Mary McCarthy FRCGP, is being targeted by the Israel lobby after sharing retweets on her personal X account that criticised the genocide being carried out by Israeli occupation forces.
Reports suggest that the BMA, the UK's professional and trade union body for doctors and medical students, is attempting to remove Dr. McCarthy from office because of a particularly "incendiary" retweet, which called for legal action against "complicit world leaders, corporations, and ‘non-profits’ profiting from this Holocaust."
Hezbollah Kurdistan emerges inside both Iraq and Syria
After months of rumours surrounding the possibility that a Kurdish Hezbollah could end up developing, the group finally announces itself. What this will mean for the future of the region is still unclear and their strength is yet to be seen.
Yemen fights for Palestine while Saudis watch football
During a football match, Yemeni missiles were seen flying over Saudi Arabia headed for occupied Palestine.
Sanctions, privatization, and reconstruction: Washington’s approach to post-Assad Syria offers a glimpse into the true nature of America’s foreign policy agenda.
Read Kit's full investigation via the following link: https://www.mintpressnews.com/privatizing-syria-us-plans-to-sell-off-a-nations-wealth-after-assad/288843/
The Congo files a criminal complaint over Apple Europe’s use of conflict minerals
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) filed two criminal complaints against Apple’s French and German subsidiaries, claiming that the company is using minerals from their country that are extracted under the control of militia groups accused by the UN of egregious war crimes.
Israel and Saudi Arabia reportedly revived contacts to normalise ties
A planned deal between Tel Aviv and Riyadh is again on the table as the Saudi government allegedly discarded their previous pledge to see a Palestinian State prior to normalising ties, now it only requires a roadmap according to leaked reports. This sudden shift comes amidst the significant blows dealt to Iran’s axis of resistance and the perceived weakness of Tehran, now swinging the balance of power regionally.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Dr. Munir Albursh, General Director of Gaza’s Ministry of Health, recounts the chilling scenes at Al Shifa Hospital where the bodies of civilians who were killed in the hospital yard were being eaten by stray dogs, as the wounded and overwhelmed medical staff were unable to help.
During the interview, Dr. Munir Albursh struggled to hold back tears as he recounted the horrific scenes at the hospital.
The British Foreign Office sends a delegation to meet with Al-Jolani
A delegation of British diplomats has engaged in discussions with Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of the Syrian rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).
The group has been classified as a proscribed organisation under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000 since 2018. According to reports, these meetings included Stephen Hickey, the UK Foreign Office's Director for the Middle East and North Africa, accompanied by Ann Snow, the UK’s special representative for Syria.
Following the meeting, Foreign Secretary David Lammy revealed the British government had established "diplomatic contact" with HTS.
Ceasefire agreement for Gaza could be close
Amid a death toll surpassing 45,000 civilians, a ceasefire may be on the horizon. Reports indicate that Benjamin Netanyahu is travelling to Cairo for discussions about a potential Gaza ceasefire. While some sources suggest a deal could be reached in the coming days, not everyone shares that optimism.
White House spokesperson John Kirby, in an interview with Fox News, cautioned, "We've been in this position before, where we weren't able to get it over the finish line."
Syrian villagers stand up to Israeli occupation forces without any backing from the HTS government
Residents from Abdeen village, located in the countryside of Dara’a - southern Syria - blockaded and gathered at the entrance to their village in order to prevent the entrance of Israeli occupying forces. This comes after Israel has ethnically cleansed Syrian towns of their inhabitants, cutting off their water and electrical supplies. The new Syrian government have refused to even condemn Israel’s actions and instead continue to state that their fight was against Iran and Hezbollah.
Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, the leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stated in an interview with The Times that his group does not seek "conflict with Israel or anyone else."
He went on to emphasise that no attacks on Israel would be launched from Syria.
Rabat decides to extradite a Palestinian man suspected by Israel of carrying out a bombing attack
Despite calls from human rights groups to safe guard the man, who is a suspect in a 2021 case when a bomb exploded near the Israeli Health Ministry office. The fear is that the Palestinian citizen of Israel, Nassim Khalibat, could be killed or tortured after being detained without proper due process.
From annulling elections to banning political parties, Europe is in a state of deep political malaise.
In this series, MintPress highlights six signs that democracy in Europe is beginning to crumble, citing examples from Romania, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
Meta found to have shadow-banned Palestinians and their supporters after October 7th
Numerous testimonies gathered by The Arab Centre for the Advancement of Social Media (7amleh) exposed the extensive censorship attempts by Meta, with numerous community pages, local media outlets, and influencer accounts facing closure or shadow-banning, leading to a dramatic drop in user engagement across these platforms.
Meanwhile, a separate BBC report revealed a sharp decline in audience engagement for Palestinian news outlets since October 2023. The report also reveals leaked documents showing that Meta escalated its moderation of Palestinian content.
Contrastingly, an analysis of Meta's approach to pro-Israeli content and sentiments showed a rise in engagement.
Josephine Guilbeau, a former U.S. intelligence officer, disrupted a meeting of the Veterans Affairs Committee, protesting U.S. complicity in the genocide in Gaza.
Credit: CodePink
Saudi Arabia is granted the 2034 FIFA World Cup
While there has been backlash over Riyadh’s human rights abuses, including against foreign workers, the most prominent reaction to the announcement is Western frustration over alcohol consumption being banned inside stadiums.
Luigi Mangione has been charged with a terrorism offence for the killing United Healthcare CEO
Mangione is accused of carrying out the assassination of United Healthcare’s Brian Thompson in a politicised reprisal against the company’s denial of services to ordinary Americans, which has led to loss of life and enormous economic suffering. The US’s hypocrisy in branding Mangione a terrorist, while removing Al-Qaeda affiliated HTS from its terrorist list in Syria has been widely pointed out.
The Turkish government has stood with Israel behind the scenes and continued supplying it with crucial resources
Despite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s routine posturing against Israel, he has been one of the Israeli governments most active supporters. In fact, without the help of Ankara, it would have been difficult to continue the war in Gaza at all.
Ankara has ordered its forces to mobilise along the Syrian border, hinting at invasion
The Turkish authorities have vowed to thwart the establishment of a Kurdish State led by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), stating that they won’t allow it to exist as an alleged threat to their national security along Türkiye’s southern border. There also fears that Turkish troops could end up running incursions into other areas of Syria too, threatening the nation’s sovereignty even further.
The British government denies entry permit to 4-year-old Palestinian victim of Israeli airstrike
The 4-year-old Ahmed is now receiving medical treatment in Italy, after being denied entry into the UK. The child from Gaza lost both his legs and the majority of his family members in an Israeli airstrike. Over 50 British MP’s wrote to the Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging him to allow the Palestinian child to enter the UK for treatment but are yet to receive a reply.
Keir Starmer visited British troops in Cyprus on Tuesday. The United Kingdom prime minister thanked the soldiers stationed at RAF Akrotiri, noting that, unfortunately, “We can’t necessarily tell the world what you’re doing here”.
What British forces are doing there is aiding Israel in its ongoing attack on its neighbors and its genocide in Palestine. From Akrotiri, British spy planes have made dozens of flights over Palestine, sharing information with their Israeli counterparts.
The UK sells Israel crucial weapons it uses against civilian populations in Palestine, including key parts for its F-35 fighter jets. It also provides diplomatic cover for Netanyahu at international bodies such as the United Nations.
Learn more about UK complicity in genocide here.
The Palestinian resistance in Gaza issued a statement claiming responsibility for detonating a boobytrapped house in central Jabalia while 11 Israeli occupation forces were inside. The group reported that several soldiers died and were injured in the explosion.
In the same day, the resistance group released another statement, announcing that three additional Israeli occupation forces had been neutralised at "point-blank range" in Jabalia.
Ukraine takes responsibility for the assassination of Russian General Igor Kirilov
Kiev used a pre-planted bomb, that was placed inside Moscow, in order to assassinate the head of Russia’s Nuclear Defence Forces. This move represents a new blow against Russia amidst growing tensions that pit Moscow against NATO over the war in Ukraine.
🔴 State of Play Livestream with Greg Stoker
Gaza Ceasefire Before the Holidays? Netanyahu Seeks to Gift Trump With A Win & the Next Target is Iran
📍Today, December 17th @ 5:00 pm EST on MintPress YouTube & X
Link: https://www.youtube.com/live/SIx8CF42tSs?si=BwfSwh_r0NtzWuoC
Israel seized more land in southern Syria and secured its control of water resources
When Israeli occupation forces illegally conquered villages in southern Syria, particularly around the Qunietra area, it expelled many of the residents and cut off their water and electricity supplies. The Golan Heights provides Israel with a third of its water resources, so securing control over the sea of the Galilee and Jordan river are essential to Tel Aviv’s strategic vision, also enabling it to occupy more territory.
Israel is allegedly preparing to launch a major series of airstrikes against Yemen
After invading Syria, Lebanon, committing genocide in Gaza and expanding its control over the West Bank, Israel seeks to target both Yemen and Iran. While Yemen continues to fire missiles and drones in support of Gaza, Iran is yet to launch its Operation True Promise 3.