On Thursday, Israeli Arab rights group Adalah called for an international probe into alleged war crime committed by Israel during the 50-day war with Hamas, a week after the Israeli army dismissed several such investigations. On September 10th, the Israeli army launched five criminal probes into incidents involving its soldiers during the conflict, in which over 2,140 Palestinians had died. …
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IS video of another captive British journalist promises to reveal the “truth”
Extremist group Islamic State (IS) on Thursday released a video of a British journalist John Cantlie to show that he was being held captive by the group. The video, which was posted on YouTube, shows Cantlie dressed in an orange jumpsuit speaking to the camera – he promised to reveal the “truth” about the extremist group in a series of …
Read More »Syria: Regime air strikes on rebel town kill almost 50
Britain-based monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Wednesday said that Syrian regime air strikes on a rebel-held town have killed 48 people in the past two days. “On Tuesday, 25 people, including seven women and a child, were killed in air strikes on Talbisseh, in Homs province”, the monitor said, adding that a rebel commander was among those …
Read More »Middle East Quartet calls for urgent reconstruction of Gaza
On Wednesday, the Middle East Quartet of peacemakers joined calls for an expedited start to rebuilding efforts in war-ravaged Gaza before the peace with Israel may end due to renewed violence. “The precarious situation in Gaza and southern Israel, the danger that violence could flare up again at any point, are precisely the reason to move as quickly as possible …
Read More »Canada: Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh pleads guilty in terrorism trial
Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, the ringleader of an organization accused with plotting attacks in Canada, pleaded guilty to possession of explosives with intent to cause harm as a part of a terror conspiracy, and received a 24-year prison sentence from a court in Ottawa. He pled guilty in court on Wednesday under a deal his lawyers made with the Crown. He …
Read More »Norway: Syrian immigrant to lead Labor Party’s Youth wing
Syrian-born refugee Mani Hussaini is set to become the leader of Norway’s Workers’ Youth League (AUF), three years after far-right nationalist Anders Behring Breivik killed scores of members of the AUF. The electoral committee of the Labor Party’s Youth Wing nominated 26-year-old Hussiani on Wednesday to take over from Eskil Pedersen, who will not stand for re-election. On July 22nd, …
Read More »Iraq: Washington mulls strategy as heat gets turned up on Islamic State
Elite Iraqi soldiers supported by US jets battled extremist forces near capital city Baghdad on Wednesday as Washington plans its strategy for expanded operations against the Islamic State (IS). US President Barack Obama prepared to meet with US military commanders and take crucial decisions in his strategy against the IS while trying to stay true to his promise of not …
Read More »Egypt: Top Arab spring activist Alaa Abdel Fattah granted bail
An Egyptian court on Monday ordered the release of top activist Alaa Abdel Fattah on bail at a retrial of the case in which he was handed a 15-year prison sentence. Abdel Fattah, who was one of the biggest faces of the 2011 revolt against former President Hosni Mubarak, was initially charged with assaulting a policeman at a protest. His …
Read More »Syria: Regime airplane brought down by IS extremists
Extremists from radical group Islamic State (IS) on Tuesday brought down a Syrian regime warplane in their stronghold of Raqa, monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. “IS fighters fired on a military aircraft which crashed. It is the first aircraft shot down since the regime launched air strikes against the jihadists in July following their declaration of a …
Read More »Gaza: UN brokers deal for reconstruction material
On Tuesday, the United Nations mediated a Palestinian-Israeli deal on the import of construction material to the Gaza Strip to ensure that they will not be diverted by Hamas members, a UN envoy said. UN envoy for the Middle East Robert Serry said that the agreement on oversee the supply of construction material “must get up and running without delay”. …
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