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Washington will continue providing unfettered military aid to West Jerusalem despite concluding that abuses were committed

The US government has determined that at least five Israeli units committed gross violations of human rights prior to the latest war with Hamas, but Washington has no plans to impose sanctions or restrict military aid to West Jerusalem.

Monday’s announcement marks the first time Washington has leveled such accusations against Israeli troops. All of the allegations stem from incidents that occurred in the West Bank long before the Israel-Hamas war began in Gaza last October.

All of the accused Israeli units remain eligible for American aid, despite a law prohibiting the US from providing weapons or other assistance to groups that are found to have committed human rights violations with impunity.

The Biden administration remains in compliance with the so-called Leahy Law because Israel has taken action against most of the units accused of wrongdoing, State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters in Washington, without identifying the units by name.

“Four of these units have effectively remediated these violations, which is what we expect partners to do,” he said. As for the fifth unit, the spokesman said US officials are consulting with their Israeli counterparts on addressing the abuses. “We are engaging with them in a process, and we will make an ultimate decision when it comes to that unit when that process is complete.”

The State Department offered no information on what actions were taken by the Israeli government.

Asked why the department had waited for ten days to disclose its findings against Israel, Patel cited an “ongoing process.” He added, “If at any point remediation efforts or things like that are found to be inconsistent with the standards that we find, there of course will be a restriction on applicable US assistance. We intend to be an administration that’s going to follow the laws prescribed.” 

Media reports said the abuses included “extrajudicial killings” by Israeli border police, as well as torture and rape. Another case involved an elderly Palestinian-American man who died after being bound and gagged at a West Bank checkpoint. The battalion involved in that incident, Netzah Yehuda, was formed in 1999 to accommodate ultra-Orthodox Jews and other religious nationalists in the Israeli army. It was transferred to the Golan Heights from the West Bank in 2022.

Israeli forces have come under increased international scrutiny amid the current conflict in Gaza, which has left more than 34,000 Palestinians dead, according to the enclave’s authorities. The International Court of Justice issued a ruling in January saying it was “plausible” that Israeli forces had committed acts of genocide in Gaza.

Following reports that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was preparing to announce sanctions over rights abuses committed by Netzah Yehuda, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it would be “the height of absurdity” to punish his nation’s forces at a time when they are “fighting terrorist monsters.”

Beijing has stated that legislation recently enacted by Washington “gravely infringes” on its sovereignty

Beijing has warned that legislation signed into law last week by US President Joe Biden will lead to “forceful” retaliatory steps if Washington does not reverse course.

At issue are US plans to counter Chinese influence by spending $8 billion on Indo-Pacific security initiatives, including military aid to Taiwan, as well as a new law that would ban the video-sharing platform TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company within 12 months. Biden has called for ending US reliance on Chinese materials imports and has labeled Chinese leaders as “bad folks” who will “do bad things” when they have problems.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian claimed on Monday that the latest US actions infringe upon China’s sovereignty. “We urge the US to respect China’s core interests and major concerns, and not to implement these negative articles concerning China,” Lin told reporters in Beijing. “Otherwise, China will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests.”

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province – a position that the US has acknowledged, without endorsing, since the 1970s. Washington has also maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity,” meaning it seeks to deter a Chinese seizure of Taiwan by leaving open the possibility that it would help defend the self-governing island.

The new Taiwan aid legislation violates US-Chinese communiques on the ‘one-China principle’, Lin said. It also sends a “seriously wrong signal” to Taiwanese separatists, he warned, adding that Washington has again revealed its “hegemonic and bullying nature.”

The renewed US-China tensions come on the heels of last week’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Upon returning to Washington, the top US diplomat accused Beijing of trying to manipulate American elections. Lin denied the allegation, saying it stemmed from “paranoia and shadow-chasing.”

READ MORE: China threatens US with response to missile deployment

The Chinese spokesman also bristled at Blinken’s accusation that China is exporting dual-use goods to help Russia produce more weapons for use against Ukraine. He said that China has pushed for a negotiated peace agreement in Ukraine, in contrast to the US role as an instigator.

“China’s right to normal trade and economic exchanges with countries in the world, including Russia, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit should not be interfered with or disrupted,” Lin said. “The US keeps pouring munitions into Ukraine while blaming our normal trade with Russia. It is pretty clear who exactly is fueling the flame and aggravating the crisis.”

READ MORE: US sets clock ticking for TikTok

Beijing has stated that legislation recently enacted by Washington “gravely infringes” on its sovereignty

Beijing has warned that legislation signed into law last week by US President Joe Biden will lead to “forceful” retaliatory steps if Washington does not reverse course.

At issue are US plans to counter Chinese influence by spending $8 billion on Indo-Pacific security initiatives, including military aid to Taiwan, as well as a new law that would ban the video-sharing platform TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company within 12 months. Biden has called for ending US reliance on Chinese materials imports and has labeled Chinese leaders as “bad folks” who will “do bad things” when they have problems.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian claimed on Monday that the latest US actions infringe upon China’s sovereignty. “We urge the US to respect China’s core interests and major concerns, and not to implement these negative articles concerning China,” Lin told reporters in Beijing. “Otherwise, China will take strong and resolute measures to safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests.”

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province – a position that the US has acknowledged, without endorsing, since the 1970s. Washington has also maintained a policy of “strategic ambiguity,” meaning it seeks to deter a Chinese seizure of Taiwan by leaving open the possibility that it would help defend the self-governing island.

The new Taiwan aid legislation violates US-Chinese communiques on the ‘one-China principle’, Lin said. It also sends a “seriously wrong signal” to Taiwanese separatists, he warned, adding that Washington has again revealed its “hegemonic and bullying nature.”

The renewed US-China tensions come on the heels of last week’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Upon returning to Washington, the top US diplomat accused Beijing of trying to manipulate American elections. Lin denied the allegation, saying it stemmed from “paranoia and shadow-chasing.”

READ MORE: China threatens US with response to missile deployment

The Chinese spokesman also bristled at Blinken’s accusation that China is exporting dual-use goods to help Russia produce more weapons for use against Ukraine. He said that China has pushed for a negotiated peace agreement in Ukraine, in contrast to the US role as an instigator.

“China’s right to normal trade and economic exchanges with countries in the world, including Russia, on the basis of equality and mutual benefit should not be interfered with or disrupted,” Lin said. “The US keeps pouring munitions into Ukraine while blaming our normal trade with Russia. It is pretty clear who exactly is fueling the flame and aggravating the crisis.”

READ MORE: US sets clock ticking for TikTok

Attorneys representing the US president’s son have demanded that the media outlet remove “intimate images” from its platforms

Lawyers representing Hunter Biden have accused Fox News of a “conspiracy to defame” the US president’s son, demanding that the media outlet take down nude images of their client and retract reports suggesting that the Biden family engaged in an overseas bribery operation.

Biden Jnr's attorneys have claimed that Fox unlawfully published “hacked” photos of him and knowingly reported “debunked” bribery allegations. “Fox knows that these private and confidential images were hacked, stolen, and/or manipulated digital materials,” the lawyers said in a letter to the cable news network, which was seen by CNN has obtained

CNN has obtained a copy of the letter, which indicated that President Joe Biden’s son “anticipates” suing Fox. The lawyers reportedly insisted that Fox issue corrections and on-air retractions, including statements by its top hosts admitting that “they have been sharing a debunked allegation from a source who has been federally indicted.”

Media reports about the Biden family’s alleged influence-peddling scheme stemmed from files on a laptop computer that Hunter Biden left behind at a Delaware computer repair shop. He forfeited ownership of the computer and its contents when he failed to pay his bill and pick up his laptop.

When the New York Post reported on the alleged Biden family scandal in October 2020, just weeks before the presidential election, former US intelligence officials falsely claimed that the story appeared to be “Russian disinformation.” Social media outlets censored the bombshell laptop report. Several of the same major media outlets that dismissed the story as disinformation later verified key documents on the laptop – long after Joe Biden had been elected.

Fox aired a six-part mock trial of Hunter Biden on its Fox Nation streaming platform in October 2022. The report included the bribery allegations, as well as photos showing the president’s son in the nude or engaged in sexual acts.

READ MORE: Hunter Biden sues Rudy Giuliani for ‘hacking’ his laptop

Hunter Biden’s lawyers demanded that the mock trial be removed from all streaming services. They argued that Fox also published articles based on statements from FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, who was indicted earlier this year for allegedly making false claims that the owner of Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid bribes to the Bidens.

“Then, in a brazen show of no remorse, rather than walk back the story and correct the record, Fox double-downed on the debunked bribery allegation and used Smirnov’s indictment to claim this is an intimidation tactic aimed at silencing whistleblowers, to blame the FBI for its credulity, and to suggest an even deeper conspiracy,” Hunter Biden’s lawyers said in the letter.

READ MORE: Hunter Biden threatens Trump with ‘legal trouble’

However, US House lawmakers continue to investigate alleged Biden family corruption, citing bank records and other evidence.

Two animals involved in the bloody stampede are recuperating after surgery, military officials have said

Two military horses that sustained injuries when they bolted through central London last week are receiving veterinary care and will recover, the British Army said in a statement on Monday. Shocking video footage showed the beasts careening into traffic, one of them soaked in blood.

Five horses belonging to the Household Cavalry were taking part in their morning exercises on Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall last Wednesday when they were spooked by noise from a nearby construction site. Four of the horses threw their riders and set off at full tilt through rush-hour traffic, while one bolted but was brought back under control. 

Photos and videos shared online showed one of the horses ramming into a double-decker bus and smashing its windshield; another was seen crashing into a black taxicab. A gray horse named Vida was seen galloping through the streets covered in blood.

Two horses underwent surgery, the army said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “Quaker, a Cavalry black, has shown significant improvement and progresses towards what is expected to be a full recovery,” the post read. 

Vida “continues to make progress. He remains under close and careful professional veterinary observation as his wounds heal,” a follow-up post explained.

Four people were injured in the rampage, three of them soldiers. Two of the soldiers remain in hospital undergoing treatment, the army said, adding that both “will make a full recovery.”

The Household Cavalry carries out ceremonial duties around Buckingham Palace. Its horses are regularly exercised in the city to prepare them for the gun salutes and drumbeats of military parades.

It is unclear whether Quaker and Vida will return to duty after their recovery. In a statement on Friday, the army said that the three other horses involved in Wednesday’s incident “did not undergo surgery are expected to return to duty in due course.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urged the Palestinian militant group to take Israel’s latest ceasefire offer

Israel’s latest ceasefire proposal is “extraordinarily, extraordinarily generous” and should be swiftly accepted by Hamas to spare Gazans from further bloodshed, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has argued.

“The only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas,” the top US diplomat said on Monday at a special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh. “They have to decide, and they have to decide quickly. I’m hopeful that they will make the right decision.”

Blinken claimed that the latest ceasefire offer, which was unveiled over the weekend, could lead to a “fundamental change in the dynamic” after more than six months of brutal war between Israel and Hamas. The latest conflict, which was triggered by surprise Hamas attacks against southern Israeli villages on October 7, has left more than 34,000 people dead in Gaza.

The proposal could be the last chance to bring a halt to combat operations before Israel launches a long-threatened ground offensive in Rafah, a city at the southern tip of Gaza, where about 1.4 million civilians have taken refuge. The UN has warned of a humanitarian “catastrophe” if Israel goes through with the Rafah campaign.

Like Blinken, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron described the Israeli ceasefire proposal as “generous.” The offer includes a 40-day initial pause in the fighting and the potential release of thousands of Palestinians who are jailed in Israel, he told the WEF audience.

In exchange, 33 of the approximately 130 Israeli hostages who are still believed to be held captive in Gaza would be freed in the first phase of the ceasefire. The second phase reportedly calls for a “period of sustainable calm,” which would allow for the remaining hostages to be exchanged for more Palestinian prisoners.

READ MORE: Israel gives Hamas one chance to avoid Rafah invasion

Hamas has demanded a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the besieged Palestinian enclave. Israel’s compromise offer of “sustainable calm” could largely meet that condition without calling it a permanent ceasefire.

Representatives of Hamas were scheduled to meet with Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Monday in Cairo.

READ MORE: US senator wants Biden to sweeten Saudi-Israel deal

Beijing has no interest in meddling in US internal affairs, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian has said

China’s foreign ministry has shot down allegations by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that it interferes in American elections, accusing Blinken of “paranoia and shadow-chasing.”

Upon returning from a visit to China on Friday, Blinken told CNN that the US government had seen attempts by Beijing to manipulate US elections. “We have seen, generally speaking, evidence of attempts to influence and arguably interfere. And we want to make sure that’s cut off as quickly as possible,” he told host Kylie Atwood.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian rejected these allegations at a press conference on Monday. “Non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs is a basic principle for China’s diplomacy,” Lin told reporters.

“The US presidential election is the US’ internal affair,” he continued. “We have never had any interest and will not interfere in any way in the election. Nevertheless, we staunchly reject anyone making an issue of China and damaging China’s interests for election purposes.”

“The US needs to stop the paranoia and shadow-chasing, stop slinging mud at China to divert attention and deflect the blame, and contribute to a stable China-US relationship and the wellbeing of our two peoples,” Lin concluded.

American politicians often accuse foreign nations of interfering in US elections, with the now-debunked claim that Russia intervened to help Donald Trump clinch the presidency in 2016 spiralling into an espionage operation against Trump’s campaign and a years-long probe by the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump and President Joe Biden have both accused China of similar meddling attempts, with Biden pressing Chinese President Xi Jinping on the issue during a meeting in San Francisco in November. According to CNN, Xi promised Biden that China would not interfere in this year’s presidential election.

US spies insist that Xi’s promise was a hollow one. In a threat assessment published in February, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence claimed that Chinese operatives aim “to sow doubts about US leadership, undermine democracy, and extend Beijing’s influence” through information operations and possible election meddling.

“Even if Beijing sets limits on these activities, individuals not under its direct supervision may attempt election influence activities they perceive are in line with Beijing’s goals,” the document stated.

READ MORE: MI5 to vet British academics for Chinese spy links – media

According to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, such accusations are rooted in American insecurity over China’s rising economic and military might. Pointing to Washington’s espionage allegations, sanctions, and trade restrictions, Wang said in March that its “methods of suppressing China are constantly being renewed.”

“The challenge for the United States comes from itself, not from China. If the United States is obsessed with suppressing China, it will eventually harm itself,” Wang told reporters in Beijing.

Beijing has no interest in meddling in US internal affairs, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian has said

China’s foreign ministry has shot down allegations by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken that it interferes in American elections, accusing Blinken of “paranoia and shadow-chasing.”

Upon returning from a visit to China on Friday, Blinken told CNN that the US government had seen attempts by Beijing to manipulate US elections. “We have seen, generally speaking, evidence of attempts to influence and arguably interfere. And we want to make sure that’s cut off as quickly as possible,” he told host Kylie Atwood.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian rejected these allegations at a press conference on Monday. “Non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs is a basic principle for China’s diplomacy,” Lin told reporters.

“The US presidential election is the US’ internal affair,” he continued. “We have never had any interest and will not interfere in any way in the election. Nevertheless, we staunchly reject anyone making an issue of China and damaging China’s interests for election purposes.”

“The US needs to stop the paranoia and shadow-chasing, stop slinging mud at China to divert attention and deflect the blame, and contribute to a stable China-US relationship and the wellbeing of our two peoples,” Lin concluded.

American politicians often accuse foreign nations of interfering in US elections, with the now-debunked claim that Russia intervened to help Donald Trump clinch the presidency in 2016 spiralling into an espionage operation against Trump’s campaign and a years-long probe by the FBI and special counsel Robert Mueller.

Trump and President Joe Biden have both accused China of similar meddling attempts, with Biden pressing Chinese President Xi Jinping on the issue during a meeting in San Francisco in November. According to CNN, Xi promised Biden that China would not interfere in this year’s presidential election.

US spies insist that Xi’s promise was a hollow one. In a threat assessment published in February, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence claimed that Chinese operatives aim “to sow doubts about US leadership, undermine democracy, and extend Beijing’s influence” through information operations and possible election meddling.

“Even if Beijing sets limits on these activities, individuals not under its direct supervision may attempt election influence activities they perceive are in line with Beijing’s goals,” the document stated.

READ MORE: MI5 to vet British academics for Chinese spy links – media

According to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, such accusations are rooted in American insecurity over China’s rising economic and military might. Pointing to Washington’s espionage allegations, sanctions, and trade restrictions, Wang said in March that its “methods of suppressing China are constantly being renewed.”

“The challenge for the United States comes from itself, not from China. If the United States is obsessed with suppressing China, it will eventually harm itself,” Wang told reporters in Beijing.

Not long ago the French leader believed the continent was almost as big as Africa. Now he’s reduced it in size by about 75%

French President Emmanuel Macron has delivered a speech on the future of our shared continent. He’s calling for reform of the Old World, as otherwise it is at risk of dying.

His general impression is that what he calls Europe is too sluggish, too clumsy, and often unable to meet many modern challenges. According to him, it is also essential to continue supporting Ukraine. At the same time, the head of the Fifth Republic formulated the thesis of a single territory of values from Lisbon to Odessa, though earlier he had spoken of a great Europe extending to Russia’s Far Eastern capital Vladivostok.

This is known to be a reference to Charles de Gaulle’s famous phrase about a multipolar European world “from the Atlantic to the Urals.” Official Russian sources have recalled that Macron said at a joint press conference with President Vladimir Putin in 2020 that he “believes in Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok.”

But now Ukraine is being helped – long-range missiles and other equipment are being transferred, albeit with delays. As for Russia, it appears that we have been somehow excluded from Europe. Geographically, a large part of our country is still there, and it is not possible to change the existing order of things. Mentally, however, in terms of today’s values, they are saying, ‘We will do without you.’

That sounds a little offensive. But there is nothing surprising about it, because not only is the Russian Federation seen as the main threat, but they are claiming that we will attack NATO countries. Some have even named the supposed dates for such attacks.

But the interesting thing is that Russian travel agencies are seeing an increase in demand for the Old World. There are queues for Schengen visas, and consulates are overwhelmed. Italy, Spain and France are still popular destinations. This is despite the fact that the cost of travel has multiplied and these countries are unfriendly, if not downright hostile. Why is that? It’s hard to say. But this strange and supposedly decaying world is still attractive.

Or perhaps we are not enemies at all? Even the West does not fully understand this. 

And here it is time to return to big politics. It is safe to say that we are now in the process of considering how to proceed: whether to separate completely – out of sight, out of mind – or to leave the door slightly ajar.

But there is a strong sense that this door is about to slam shut. And there is not much time left to stop it. So the demand for European tourist trips is justified – you should seize the opportunity while it lasts. Events are moving too fast. Macron has changed, one might say, from a dove to a hawk before our very eyes. It’s hard to imagine now that he was once scolded for his apparent loyalty to Russia.

This article was first published by Kommersant, translated and edited by the RT team

Unanimity is required to admit a new member, Jens Stoltenberg reminded Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky 

Ukraine is highly unlikely to join NATO at the bloc’s key summit later this year because all members of the US-led military bloc would have to support its bid, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said.  

Speaking during an unannounced visit to Kiev on Sunday, where he met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, Stoltenberg emphasized that “Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO,” and that it would eventually join the bloc.  

“The work we are undertaking now puts you on an irreversible path towards NATO membership,” Stoltenberg assured Zelensky, without elaborating on the exact timeline.  

The NATO chief also signaled that Kiev should not expect to join the bloc at the Washington summit scheduled for July. “To have that decision, we need all allies to agree. We need a consensus, we need not a majority, but actually 32 allies to agree,” he explained, expressing hope that the event would help demonstrate that NATO is moving Ukraine closer to membership.  

Stoltenberg also once again stressed the urgency of NATO arms shipments to Ukraine, even at the expense of the bloc’s combat readiness and lamented that delays in Western assistance had allowed Russia to make gains on the battlefield. “I have been clear that if allies face a choice between meeting NATO capability targets or support to Ukraine, they should support Ukraine.”  

Ukraine officially set its sights on full NATO membership several years ago before the start of the conflict with Russia, which has for years sounded the alarm about the bloc’s expansion towards its borders.  

In September 2022, Ukraine formally applied to become part of NATO, after four former regions voted overwhelmingly to join Russia. However, no timeline has been set for the membership. Stoltenberg said last year that this would only happen “when conditions are met.”  

Earlier this month, the New York Times reported that the US and Germany – Ukraine’s key supporters in terms of military aid – are reluctant to accept Kiev into NATO, arguing that it “would draw it into the biggest land war in Europe since 1945.” Slovakia and Hungary have also publicly opposed Ukraine’s NATO membership, citing risks of a major escalation.  

Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned that Ukraine’s potential accession would have disastrous consequences for European security and pose an “absolute threat” to Moscow.

Pro-independence and pro-Palestine Humza Yousaf has quit after just over a year in power

Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf announced his resignation on Monday during a press conference in Edinburgh. He came to power just over a year ago. 

The 39-year-old stepped down following his decision to end a power-sharing deal between his pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Green Party over a dispute on climate change targets. Yousaf had hoped to lead a minority government, but opposition parties indicated they would not back him, with two parties proposing votes of no confidence. The Greens also said they would not support the first minister. 

Yousaf told the news conference it was “absolutely possible” he could have won a confidence vote by cutting a deal, however he was not willing to trade his principles simply to hold on to power. He will stay on as first minister until the SNP chooses his replacement, he added.

The Scottish Parliament now has 28 days to choose a new first minister before an election is forced. 

The resignation makes Yousaf the shortest serving SNP leader since Scotland got its own government in 1998. He was also the first Muslim head of government in modern Western Europe and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party. 

Yousaf is a supporter of Scotland’s secession from the UK and re-joining the EU as an independent country. Last year he signed a new strategy that stated that the SNP would begin immediate negotiations with the British government on Scotland quitting the UK if the party wins a majority of Scottish seats at the general election. The vote is expected to be held in the second half of this year. 

In June, he said that if Scotland secured independence from the United Kingdom, it would move to rejoin the European Union. Scots chose to remain within the UK in a 2014 referendum, but faced with the realities of post-Brexit Britain, there is renewed feeling for severing ties with London and looking towards Brussels, Yousaf claimed.

Yousaf’s wife, Nadia, is of Palestinian origin. The first minister’s in-laws were trapped in Gaza for four weeks last autumn after going there to visit relatives. 

READ MORE: Scottish nationalists pledge new independence push

In January, the SNP leader said that Israel’s actions in Gaza are “tantamount to ethnic cleansing” and said that the UK government’s refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was “shameful.” He also repeatedly called on London to end arms sales to Israel.

The tech billionaires weighed in on the idea of a ten-year aid deal articulated by Vladimir Zelensky

Two of the America’s most influential tech entrepreneurs, Elon Musk and David Sacks, have expressed concern over a security agreement currently in the works between the US and Ukraine.

Former PayPal chief David Sacks took to X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday to warn that the controversial $61 billion in aid to Kiev approved by Washington earlier this month “was just the beginning.” He was commenting on a statement made by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who said that his team and the administration of US President Joe Biden were “working on fixing specific levels of support… for the next ten years, including armed support, financial, political, and joint arms production.” 

“The next two US presidents won’t be able to switch it off,” Sacks, who’s also the founder of the corporate social network Yammer, wrote on X. In separate posts the entrepreneur went on to mention recent reports that NATO allies were working to “Trump-proof” weapons for Ukraine and claimed that the goal of the current US administration was “to turn Ukraine into a Forever War.” 

“This is insane. The forever war,” Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk wrote in response to Sacks’ posts.

The US will vote for a new president in November. Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump has spoken out against “handing out gifts of billions and billions of dollars” in aid to Kiev and said earlier this month that his team was considering “doing it in the form of a loan.” 

According to Politico, the US and other Western countries have been looking into a range of options that could help maintain the flow of arms to Kiev if Trump becomes president.

Last month, Sacks described Ukraine’s failed 2023 summer counteroffensive against Russia as “one of the biggest debacles in the history of modern warfare.” In a post on X, the venture capitalist suggested that the Washington elite should be held accountable for talking up the ill-fated operation.

Musk has also long voiced criticism about Washington’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict. Last week, he challenged the Biden administration to define what a Ukrainian “victory” would look like after a senior US official claimed that with Washingon’s help Kiev can defeat Russia.

READ MORE: Ukrainian counteroffensive ‘biggest debacle in modern military history’ – David Sacks

US lawmakers approved $61 billion in additional aid for Ukraine earlier this month, after House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) overrode opposition in his own party to pass the bill with unanimous Democrat support. The Biden administration ran out of funding for Ukraine aid earlier this year after using up $113 billion in previously approved assistance packages.

Republican lawmakers have argued that Biden is merely prolonging the bloodshed in Ukraine without offering a clear strategy for victory or a peace deal with Russia.

The Iran-Israel clash has served as a catalyst for renewed escalation by Western leaders, and World War III cannot be ruled out

The events of recent weeks have produced a sudden jolt in Western politics. From a lethargy that was starting to creep into US and western discourse over the Ukraine war, Iran’s attack on Israel suddenly seemed to have had the effect of awakening Ronald Reagan from his grave and leading to a surge of neo-conservativism on steroids, on both sides of the Atlantic.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson did a complete 180-degree U-turn and proclaimed himself a “Reagan Republican” passing a series of aid bills for astronomical overseas spending that he had otherwise blocked for months, as he denounced an “axis of evil.” Along with that, a proposed TikTok ban bill came out of nowhere too and was quickly signed into law.

Then the UK decided to devote its largest ever aid package to Ukraine, with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak warning of an “axis of authoritarian states” and amplifying ideologically combative rhetoric. At the same time, it was then revealed Biden had sent 300km long range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine despite having pledged not to do so for years, fearing escalation. Finally, EU President Ursula von der Leyen has suddenly dramatically increased economic warfare on China, pushing the European Commission to open probes on scores of Chinese exports. Where exactly did all this come from?

It’s almost as if the US and its allies seized upon the tensions between Iran and Israel in order to “whitewash” their slate and double down on a series of objectives they are otherwise losing public support for, including the war in Ukraine, but also Israel’s invasion of Gaza. One has to wonder if the Israeli attack on the Iranian compound in Damascus, which provoked Tehran’s response, was deliberately staged, coordinated and planned for this purpose. It served the mutually convenient goal of letting both Prime Minister Netanyahu and Western governments off the hook for whatever opposition they had otherwise faced.

It should be abundantly clear now that the current powers that be, in London and Washington, have absolutely no intent of letting up on the wars they have provoked, while also pushing for a potential third one with China, and seem indifferent to the consequences, even if for example, the Israel-Gaza war is shattering the West’s claims of moral superiority. In each case, the stakes are very high, Western foreign policy at large has taken on a very zero-sum and ideological character which bemoans the loss of hegemony, and seeks to uphold it at all costs. It is reactionary to the extent it does not have a vision for improving the world, but wants to take back the world to the way it was. It is a sense of entitlement and privilege that wants to suppress an emerging multipolarity.

Because of this, it has become impossible for Western leaders to ever consider the concept of compromise in these respective theaters, and they refuse under any circumstances to make concessions which could be deemed strategic. This has produced a position where the only outcome they are willing to accept in Ukraine is what they deem “the defeat of Putin,” and have been subtly escalating ever since, edging ever closer to the point where a “proxy war” becomes a direct one for all intents and purposes. NATO military advisors are already on the ground, and Ukrainian attacks are being guided by NATO intelligence or even coordinated by British admirals.

The media in the West, especially in Britain (there is more dissent in the US) are effectively in war mode. The BBC amplifies non-stop Ukraine propaganda, pushing any claim that will help Kiev irrespective of its empirical worth or evidence, and all voices of dissent have been shut down. It seems evident that the decision may have been made to risk a full-on war with Russia, rather than to consider any negotiation scenario. Thus, the shockwaves from the Iran-Israel saga have been used to pursue a new and sudden round of escalation on every front, which can have only been bolstered by the prospective elections looming in both the US and UK.

Because of this, it is fair to say that the world faces a more dangerous and uncertain outlook than at any point since the end of World War II. This current crop of Western leaders are not pursuing a more restrained and calculated mindset, as seen for most of the Cold War, but an aggressive and evangelistic one that does not prefer stability but affirms hegemony as an absolute right, thus more resembling a pre-1914 world. Because of this, we should draw the conclusion that Western leaders are not truly seeking to avoid war, but are prepared to embrace it if necessary. The British military establishment and the media have long been making noises about conscription. In the US, if Joe Biden wins re-election, we can assume that he will unapologetically escalate on every single front. World War III is no longer a dramatized specter of farfetched panic, but an actual possibility that should not be ruled out.

Lindsey Graham has urged the White House to help normalize relations between Riyadh and West Jerusalem

US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) has called for the administration of President Joe Biden to push through an agreement establishing diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel to help lay the groundwork for a peace deal with the Palestinians.

The long-sought normalization of relations between Riyadh and West Jerusalem hinges at least partly on Saudi Arabia’s desire for a military pact with the US, Graham said on Sunday in a CNN interview. The senator, who has made multiple visits to Saudi Arabia for meetings with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), said he has spoken about the issue with Biden and top administration officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

“Saudi Arabia wants a mutual-defense agreement with the United States,” Graham said. “We’ve been working on this for weeks. To Tony and Jake, get on with closing the deal on the treaty. Without the treaty, MBS cannot recognize Israel, and part of the deal will be coming up with a solution to the Palestinian problem.”

Biden has claimed that his progress on brokering a normalization agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel may have motivated last October’s surprise attacks against Israel by Hamas, which triggered the latest war in Gaza. The war between Iran-backed Hamas and Israel, which has reportedly killed more than 34,000 people in the Palestinian enclave, derailed West Jerusalem’s talks with Riyadh.

Graham said the crisis in Gaza cannot be resolved without first completing an Israeli-Saudi agreement. “If we can get a deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel, it ends the Arab-Israeli conflict, it isolates the Iranians, it creates some hope for the Palestinians, it provides security in a real way to Israel,” the lawmaker argued.

Oil-rich Saudi Arabia claims to have 7% of the world’s uranium reserves. Graham said plans call for the US to control enrichment of those reserves as part of the proposal for Riyadh to recognize the state of Israel. Such an agreement would build on the Abraham Accords, under which Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates established diplomatic ties with Israel. Sudan and Morocco later signed onto the accords.

“I’d like to help President Biden get this done,” Graham said. “Without this deal, there is no solution to the Palestinian problem. Without this deal, everything gets worse. So, let’s get the deal done. We’re running out of time.”

The administration of Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, brokered the Abraham Accords. Asked whether Trump might try to undermine an Israeli-Saudi deal as he runs against Biden in this year’s election, Graham said the former president “wants the killing to end.” He added, “We’re going to have an election here in November, but can we save some lives before November?”

READ MORE: Middle East redefined: Iran’s retaliatory attack on Israel signaled a major change in the region

Blinken, who is traveling to Saudi Arabia this week, told CNN on Friday that it could be possible to establish a framework for a two-state solution in Israel and normalization of relations with Riyadh.

Detention centers have reportedly been prepared to hold illegal immigrants before they are flown to Rwanda

The UK Home Office will launch a nationwide sweep to detain illegal immigrants ahead of their deportation to Rwanda, The Guardian reported on Sunday. The operation comes after parliament passed a bill allowing the scheme to go ahead.

Over the course of two weeks, law enforcement officers will detain migrants at immigration services meetings and bail hearings, and in surprise raids across the country, the newspaper’s sources claimed. Those apprehended will be held in specially-prepared detention centers ahead of the first flights to Rwanda later this summer, they added.

The Home Office did not confirm any details of the operation, but told the Guardian that the government’s ambitious deportation plan would inevitably “include detaining people in preparation for the first flight, which is set to take off to Rwanda in 10 to 12 weeks.”

Britain struck a five-year agreement with Rwanda in April 2022 for asylum seekers who entered the country illegally to be sent to the African nation while their claims are processed. However, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) intervened to block the first deportation flight two months later, and the UK’s Supreme Court ruled the scheme unlawful last November.

Earlier this week, parliament passed the Safety of Rwanda Act, which provides the legal framework for flights to begin.

Pro-immigration NGOs will likely file legal objections to the detentions, and activists will organize protests in some areas, they told the Guardian. Refugee Council CEO Enver Solomon said that the plan is “inhumane” and will cause “chaos and human misery” in immigrant communities. 

Britain has seen a massive influx of illegal immigrants entering the country by boat from mainland Europe in recent years. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made “stopping the boats” a key promise since taking office in 2022, but his Conservative government has thus far failed to tackle the problem. According to the latest government figures, 7,167 people arrived on so-called ‘small boats’ in the first four months of this year, an all-time high for that period and an increase of more than 1,400 since the same January to April period last year.

Since the passage of the Safety of Rwanda Act, however, illegal immigrants have already begun to leave the UK in droves, Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheal Martin claimed this week. According to Martin, the migrants are taking advantage of the UK’s open Northern Irish border to enter the Republic of Ireland and file new asylum claims there. 

With more than 80% of recently-arrived asylum seekers now entering Ireland from Northern Ireland, Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee has promised to draft “emergency legislation” next week to “effectively return people to the UK.”

Ex-mortuary worker Candace Chapman Scott was part of a nationwide scheme trading in human remains

A former mortuary worker in the US state of Arkansas has pleaded guilty to charges that she stole body parts from medical school cadavers, the local attorney’s office has announced in a press release.

According to prosecutors, 37-year-old Candace Chapman Scott committed the crimes while working at Arkansas Central Mortuary Service from October 2021 to 15 July 2022. The company handled human and fetal remains donated to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Scott’s job was to transport, embalm, and cremate the remains in question.

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), during her tenure, Scott “stole human body parts and fetal remains” and later sold them to a Pennsylvania resident she met on Facebook, Jeremy Pauley. According to a report by AP which cited court documents, she sold a total of 24 boxes of stolen body parts to Pauley for nearly $11,000.

On Thursday, Scott pleaded guilty to “transporting stolen body parts across state lines and conspiracy to commit mail fraud,” the attorney’s office for Eastern District of Arkansas said in the press release. Judge Brian S. Miller said he would sentence Scott at a later date. She faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $250,000.

Scott’s indictment is part of a nationwide investigation into trafficking of stolen human remains linked with Harvard Medical School, which made headlines across the US last year. A longtime manager of the school’s morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program, Cedric Lodge, was indicted on conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods charges for selling body parts out of the famed school in April last year. The scheme came to light in mid-2022, when the estranged wife of Jeremy Pauley, who was buying body parts from both Lodge and Scott, asked police to check her husband’s basement, saying that she suspected him of trading in cadavers on Facebook.

A total of seven people have been indicted so far. Pauley pleaded guilty to conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property back in September, and was sentenced last month to two years of supervised probation. Trials are still pending for the other defendants, including Lodge.

The desecration of the Muslim holy book has reportedly once again taken place in Sweden

A woman professing to be a Christian activist has staged a Quran-burning in the Swedish capital, the Turkish news outlet A Haber reported on X (former Twitter) on Sunday.

According to the report, the incident took place on April 26 in Stockholm. In a video posted online by the outlet, a person identified as 48-year-old Jade Sandberg is seen torching the Muslim holy book while waving a Christian cross over it and screaming “Islam out of Sweden!” The protest is believed to have been sanctioned by the local authorities, as police officers on site do not appear to have attempted to stop it.

Sandberg also posted footage and photos from the demonstration on her own X account, where she claims to be a “priest, exorcist and demonologist,” as well as an “activist and crusader against the devil’s religion of Islam.” This week’s Quran-torching is at least her second this year.

There have been a slew of such protests across Sweden since 2023, when Danish right-wing politician Rasmus Paludan, who also holds Swedish citizenship, burned the Islamic text in front of the Turkish embassy in January 2023.

İSVEÇ’TE BİR ALÇAK EYLEM DAHA

İsveç’in başkenti Stockholm’de Jade Sandberg isimli İslam karşıtı bir kadın, polis korumasında Kur’an-ı Kerim yaktı. pic.twitter.com/XoIAKwYhT5

Swedish authorities have condemned such acts, but still largely allowed them to go ahead, citing the country’s laws guaranteeing the right to freedom of expression. Under the country’s Public Order Act, a person must apply for a permit from the police to stage a protest, but can only be refused on safety grounds.

Many Muslim-majority countries have condemned the burnings as Islamophobic, and Türkiye even told Sweden that it would block its NATO accession plans as long as it allowed the desecration of the Quran. Ankara later ratified the bid however, and the Nordic state was formally admitted to the US-led military bloc last month.

READ MORE: EU country bans Quran-burning

Stockholm said last year it planned to amend the Public Order Act in order to prevent Quran-burning incidents in the future. Swedish regulators are expected to finalize their review of the draft law by early summer.

Earlier this month, Swedish television channel SVT reported that police had received another request to hold a Quran-burning demonstration on May 3, the day before the start of the Eurovision song contest, which this year takes place in the southern Swedish city of Malmö.

The seizure of Moscow’s frozen assets by the US and EU would set “a dangerous precedent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has warned 

Confiscating Russia’s frozen assets would undermine the trust of international investors in the Western financial system, which would be very difficult to restore, Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov has said.  

The US and its allies have blocked around $300 billion in Russian central bank assets as part of the sanctions imposed on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict. Most of the funds are being held in the EU. Washington has been insisting for months that international law allows for the appropriation of the funds, but Germany and France have expressed concerns that such a move could have negative consequences for the Western financial system. 

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden signed a bill permitting the seizure of some $6 billion in Russian state assets that are sitting in American banks.  

Peskov told the TV channel Russia 1 on Sunday that it is too early to speak about all $300 billion being confiscated by the US and EU. However, he offered the reminder that “Russia has Western money from various structures. Our country can take retaliatory steps.”  

But if Washington and European capitals do decide to seize Russian assets, “a dangerous precedent will be created; it will be a solid nail in the future coffin of the entire Western economic system of axes.”  

If this happens, foreign countries and investors who currently keep or are willing to keep their money in Western banks will start “thinking ten times” before entrusting their funds to those institutions, the spokesman warned.  

According to Peskov, the reliability of the Western financial systems will be destroyed. “Reliability can be lost overnight through one stupid, ill-considered decision, while restoring it takes decades or even longer,” he explained.  

The Russian authorities would also have ample grounds to challenge the seizure of its funds in international courts, the spokesman stressed. Moscow “will endlessly defend its interests” through legal means, he said.  

The head of the Bank of Russia, Elvira Nabiullina, said on Friday that the possible seizure of the assets by the US and the EU “will not have any impact on financial stability [in the country], as we have halted operations with them long ago, we do not use them.”  

READ MORE: US seizure of Russian assets would accelerate de-dollarization – ex-IMF official 

Moscow previously said that the confiscation of its funds would amount to theft and warned that it could downgrade diplomatic relations with Washington if it resorts to such an illegal move.

West Jerusalem will suspend the controversial operation if the militant group frees some hostages, the finance minister has said

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has warned that an invasion of the city of Rafah will go ahead unless Hamas agrees to release some of the Israeli hostages still held in Gaza. Hamas is expected to comment on an Israeli truce proposal imminently.

Israeli officials have been threatening to launch a ground operation in Rafah for several months now, despite strong opposition from the US and UN. Located in southern Gaza near the Egyptian border, Rafah is currently home to around 1.4 million displaced Palestinians from the northern reaches of the enclave, and an invasion of the city would have “terrible consequences” for the civilians living there, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned earlier this month.

“If there is a deal, we will suspend the operation,” Katz told Israel’s Channel 12 on Saturday. “The release of the hostages is a deep priority for us,” he continued, adding: “If there is an option to make a deal, we will do it.”

Hamas captured around 250 hostages during its October 7 assault on Israel, of whom 130 are believed to still be held in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has come under intense pressure from the hostages’ families to cut a deal with the militants to release their loved ones, with weekly protests taking place in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

In a proof-of-life video released by Hamas on Saturday, Israeli-American hostage Kieth Siegel urges Netanyahu to “be more flexible in negotiations to reach an exchange deal soon.”

Hamas presented Israel with ceasefire terms earlier this month, and received Israel’s counter-proposal on Friday, the group said in a statement on Saturday. Hamas said that it is studying the proposal, and Israeli officials anticipate a response by the end of the weekend, Channel 12 reported.

Israel and Hamas agreed to a week-long truce in November, during which 80 Israeli hostages were exchanged for 240 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Despite the efforts of Egyptian and Qatari mediators, subsequent efforts to broker a ceasefire have failed, with Netanyahu refusing to consider Hamas’ demands that any ceasefire deal be permanent and include an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. 

Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel led a delegation to Israel on Friday to discuss an alternate deal that would see Hamas release some hostages in exchange for Israel freeing a significant number of Palestinian prisoners and allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes in northern Gaza “with minimal restrictions,” an anonymous Egyptian official told the Associated Press.

READ MORE: Netanyahu reacts to possible ICC arrest warrant

This deal has already been rejected by hardliners within Netanyahu’s cabinet. “Agreeing to the Egyptian deal is a humiliating surrender, and it grants victory to the Nazis on the backs of the hundreds of heroic [Israel Defense Forces] soldiers who fell in battle,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on Sunday. “It imposes a death sentence on the hostages who are not included in the deal, and above all, it poses an immediate existential danger to the state of Israel.”

The departure of the spectacular “Freedom Flotilla” to Gaza carrying 5,500 tonnes of aid has been postponed (again), because the flag state of the major vessels, Guinea Bissau, has withdrawn their registration.

The key question is why the organisers were proceeding with such an unreliable flag state in the first place?

In the 2010 Freedom Flotilla, the vessel Mavi Marmara was boarded by Israeli troops and ten aid workers were executed in cold blood. Just days before sailing, the Mavi Marmara had changed its flag from Turkey to the Comoros Islands.

On a vessel at sea outside the twelve mile territorial limit of a state (as the Mavi Marmara was when boarded), the law that applies is that of the flag state. Had the vessel still been Turkish flagged, the murderers would have been within Turkish jurisdiction and subject to investigation by Turkey and prosecution in Turkish courts.

I flew to Izmir to investigate the case and I concluded that it was Turkish security services who had obliged the change of flag to the Comoros Islands, thus facilitating the Israeli murderous attack.

Plainly the Mavi Marmara incident should indicate to organisers of aid to Gaza the vital necessity of having a vessel registered to a flag state which would be able to react strongly to an attack by Israel on its ship, and indeed whose flag might deter Israel from such an attack.

So it makes no sense to me that the organisers intended to proceed under the flag of Guinea Bissau.

On 8 April I received a Whatsapp message from organisers asking me to publicise the flotilla. This was my reply.

Hi Irfan and thank you. May I ask what are the flag states of the four vessels?
This is extremely important.
The Mavi Marmara organisers made the literally fatal mistake of allowing the ship to reflag to the Comoros Islands before sailing. Outside the 12 mile territorial sea the vessels are under the law of and entitled to the protection of the flag state

After a holding reply I received

Sorry for the late reply. It is still to be confirmed sir

I reiterated

OK, I am very keen that people understand that it is crucially important.
I have always believed pro Israeli security services influenced the change of flag of the Mavi Marmara.
Any Israeli forces boarding the ships beyond the 12 mile territorial limit are subject to the law of the flag state of the vessel. I should be grateful if you confirm to me the organisers fully understand this.

The reply was simply

Thank you sir

I am therefore entirely perplexed that the organisers went with Guinea Bissau as the flag state rather than a state likely to stand up to Israel and the US. Of course it failed.

Is the problem incompetence, or is it again security service influence?

I should make plain that I absolutely support the aims and the strategy of the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. I have several friends on board, and I believe my good colleague Ann Wright is among the organisers. I am however intensely frustrated.

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The French president has previously called to show that the EU is not a “vassal” of the US

France must open a debate on building up a pan-European defense capability, to include rethinking its own nuclear potential, French President Emmanuel Macron has said.

Speaking to a group of young people at the European School in Strasbourg on Friday, Macron stressed that while France is already protected by NATO, it “must now go further” to ensure its security and “build a credible European defense.”

He noted that guaranteeing that security “may mean deploying anti-missile shields” to be able to deter the use of nuclear weapons. “Being credible also means having long-range missiles that would deter the Russians,” he added.

Numerous Western leaders have insisted on boosting defense capabilities amid the Ukraine conflict, citing fears that Russia could attack NATO within a few years.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, has dismissed such speculation as “nonsense,” pointing to the fact that the US, NATO’s largest contributor, spends ten times more on defense than Moscow. He has also stated that current geopolitical tensions are largely due to NATO’s decision to ignore Russian security interests.

Explaining his stance on nuclear weapons, Macron went on to say that while France would use its arsenal only if its vital interests were threatened, those interests also have a wider dimension. This means that French nuclear doctrine should contribute to the credibility of the EU’s defense, he said.

“I am in favor of opening this debate, which must therefore include anti-missile defense, long-range weapon firing, nuclear weapons for those who have them or who have American nuclear weapons on their soil,” the president stated.

For several years, Macron has also advocated creating a “true, European army” to be able to independently strengthen continental security. This month, he also warned that “our Europe today is mortal and it can die” while calling for a “strategic autonomy” for the EU, particularly in terms of military production. The bloc “must show that it is never a vassal of the United States,” he said.

The idea of creating a joint EU army, however, has met strong pushback both in Brussels and in EU capitals. EU top diplomat Josep Borrell suggested last month that while the bloc should aspire to boost the military capabilities of its individual members, that does not mean it should create a common army.

Several EU states, including Denmark and Poland, have similarly signaled that they want their security guaranteed within the existing NATO framework.

British forces would reportedly be tasked with driving aid trucks to the Palestinian enclave

The UK Defense Ministry is considering deploying forces to Gaza to assist the US in delivering humanitarian aid via a new sea route, state broadcaster BBC reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Earlier this week, US President Joe Biden announced that the US military had begun construction of a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave from Cyprus. The aid would be delivered on large ships before being transferred into trucks and other vehicles to be driven along a floating causeway onto the beach. The system is expected to be completed in early May and would enable up to 150 truckloads of international aid to enter the embattled region. 

At the time of the announcement, Biden stated that “no US boots will be on the ground of Gaza as part of the operation,” with a senior US military official saying the trucks would be driven by a “significant partner.” He also confirmed that the operation would be carried out by another nation, rather than a private military company. 

British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said on Friday that the UK will continue to take “a leading role in the delivery of support in coordination with the US and other international allies.”

According to the BBC, British troops would be tasked with driving trucks off landing craft onto the temporary causeway and delivering aid to a secure distribution area ashore. The BBC’s sources at Whitehall said the plan is in the preliminary stages, with no final decision being made at the moment. 

Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war last October, 1.4 million people have been displaced in Gaza and live in dire conditions, with little or no access to basic supplies, according to UNICEF. The organization states that the delivery of aid is a matter of life and death for children living in the enclave. 

Earlier this month, Israel attacked a convoy of the World Central Kitchen humanitarian organization, which caused an uproar in the international community. While the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the strikes, which killed seven aid workers, as a tragic mistake, more than 30 US Congress members signed a letter urging Biden to halt weapons transfers to Israel. 

Over 1,000 demonstrators took part in an event organized by a member of an “established extremist group,” police say

A large rally against Islamophobia was held in the northern German city of Hamburg on Saturday. According to the authorities, the event was organized by a person linked to an “established extremist group.” 

Around 1,100 demonstrators took part, according to police data published by the city authorities. Photos and videos shared on social media show a large crowd occupying a significant area along Steindamm Street in the city center. 

Participants were seen holding placards and posters reading: “Germany = dictatorship of values,” “Caliphate is the solution,” and “Palestine has won the information war.” The demonstrators chanted “Allahu Akbar” throughout the event.  

BREAKING:

Hundreds of Islamists are demonstrating in Hamburg, Germany.

They are demanding that a caliphate is established in the country.

The organization behind the protest is called Muslim Interaktiv, and is monitored by the authorities but not banned pic.twitter.com/RISFYJEKAY

According to the organizers, as cited by German media, the rally was organized to protest what they called Islamophobic policies and a media disinformation campaign against Muslims in Germany. Speakers accused politicians and journalists of “cheap lies” and “cowardly reporting” amid the conflict between Israel and Gaza-based militant group Hamas. 

People on social media also claimed that the speakers called for an Islamic caliphate to be established in Germany. Videos show one of the speakers calling a caliphate a “system that… provides security” but is “hated” and “demonized” in Germany. The crowd responds with chants of “Allahu Akbar.” 

The organizer of the rally was identified by the Hamburger Morgenpost as Joe Adade Boateng, 25, a German citizen and self-styled imam who spreads what the paper described as “Islamist propaganda” on social media, including TikTok. 

According to media reports, the man is also a member of Muslim Interaktiv – an organization officially designated by the domestic security service (BfV) as an “established extremist group.” 

Islamisten-Demo mitten in Hamburg. „Muslim Interaktiv“, vom Verfassungsschutz beobachtet, hat zur Demo aufgerufen - auf der offen ein Kalifat gefordert wird. Solche Fanatiker haben in Deutschland nichts verloren! #Islamismus pic.twitter.com/R9jdqIPl4u

This status does not lead to an automatic ban in Germany, but allows security officials to target members with all available intelligence tools, including covert surveillance, confidential informants, and phone tapping. 

German police say they deployed large forces to the event, which ended “peacefully” without any incidents. No major police presence is seen in the videos shared on social media, however. 

The group also held an unannounced rally in October last year which ended in clashes with police. Demonstrators pelted officers with bottles and stones at the time, injuring three of them. Criminal proceedings were initiated against 20 rioters. 

In February 2023, Muslim Interaktiv also held a protest against Koran burning in Sweden, which was attended by 3,500 people, according to the media.

The development sparked concerns among some politicians. Kazim Abaci, a migration policy spokesman for the Social Democratic faction in the Hamburg parliament, called it “unbearable” that Islamists were allowed to freely march through the streets. According to the Hamburger Morgenpost, Herbert Reul, the interior minister of the neighboring German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, has called for a ban on Muslim Interaktiv “for a long time.”