Middle East Conflict

Crowd At Anti-Hegseth Town Hall In Deep Red District Reeks Of Astroturf– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser March 31, 2025 0

Crowd At Anti-Hegseth Town Hall In Deep Red District Reeks Of Astroturf– www.newsbusters.org
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Sunday’s edition of MSNBC’s The Weekend featured a clip from a town hall in Indiana’s 5th Congressional District. In November, Trump and Republican Rep. Victoria Spartz carried the district handily: by 16 and 18 points, respectively.

Yet the crowd overwhelmingly and raucously cheered the suggestion that the congresswoman should demand Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s resignation, given the Signal chat that mistakenly included a journalist.

Co-host Symone Sanders claimed the cheering people were district “constituents,” and co-host Michael Steele took it a step further, saying they were Republicans. The show provided no evidence to support either statement. Did MSNBC make any effort to confirm the residence or registration of the crowd members?

Hypocrisy-proof Steele concluded the segment by saying:

“This sets up additional narratives, I think, for voters as well as journalists to dig a little bit deeper and find out a little bit more.”

Amen, Michael!

Stephen A. Smith goes scorched Earth on media’s SignalGate obsession: “Were y’all talking about 13 lives lost in Afghanistan?”– www.louderwithcrowder.com

pgnewser March 31, 2025 0

Stephen A. Smith goes scorched Earth on media’s SignalGate obsession: “Were y’all talking about 13 lives lost in Afghanistan?”– www.louderwithcrowder.com
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Stephen A. Smith won’t change the way he votes any more than Bill Maher or Jon Stewart will. It’s still entertaining and valuable when he calls out the left and the media (but I repeat myself) to a mainstream audience that wouldn’t typically hear such things. Like with SignalGate. And how the people calling for Pete Hegseth to be fired weren’t this outraged when the People Who Controlled Joe Biden Adminstration’s incompetence led to thirteen service members being killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal.

To recap SignalGate, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, or someone working for him, “accidentally” invited anti-Trump jorunalismer Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat about the Houthis being taken out. And because of Waltz’s f*ck up… the media and the left (but I repeat myself) still butthurt they couldn’t collect Hegseth’s scalp are demanding HE resign.

To be clear: Waltz SHOULD resign. This was a colossal f*ck up.

Stephen A., who is no fan of the Defense Secretary, thinks Afghanistan was worse.

We operate in a biased and partisan industry. Sometimes we can be unfair to the left, the media, and the People Who Controlled Joe Biden administration. I get that. It’s one thing for us to blame the previous team for Afghanistan. So here are the families of the servicemembers who lost their lives during the incompetent withdrawal blaming them.

The left and the media (but I repeat myself) weren’t upset about this. They didn’t call for anyone to be held accountable. Yet because a reporter was added to a group chat by the National Security Advisor, the Defense Secretary needs to either resign or be fired.

Republicans can’t stop making pathetic excuses for war chat fiasco– www.dailykos.com

pgnewser March 31, 2025 0

Republicans can’t stop making pathetic excuses for war chat fiasco– www.dailykos.com
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As fury mounts over the Trump administration’s leaking of classified military operations in an unsecure Signal group chat that included a reporter who did not have a security clearance, GOP lawmakers have continued to downplay the seriousness of the situation.

The ridiculous defenses—ranging from lies about the contents of the messages to conspiracy theories about how the reporter got added to the conversation in the first place—are even rankling some Trump administration allies, who told Politico that President Donald Trump and his team need to own up to the error, fire those involved, and end the controversy.

But that message has clearly not been heard by congressional Republicans, who are still defending the monumental fuck-up that risked U.S. troops who were carrying out an attack on a rebel group in Yemen—even as more details emerge confirming that classified information was shared on an insecure platform.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina, said that he stands by the Trump administration officials who were involved—including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who shared in the chat the exact timing of the forthcoming attack and the weapons systems that would be used.

“President Trump and his team have admitted that having a journalist in the group text was wrong, will be reviewed and falls in the category of ‘lessons learned’ so that it doesn’t happen again. I think President Trump has handled this matter well. Further, I believe that all the participants in the chat were under the impression they were using an appropriate and secure form of communication. This will also fall into the category of ‘lessons learned,’” Graham said in a statement.

 

Egypt’s plan for the reconstruction of Gaza– thehill.com

pgnewser March 20, 2025 0

Egypt’s plan for the reconstruction of Gaza– thehill.com
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For over 16 months, Palestinians in Gaza have endured unspeakable humanitarian circumstances unseen since the Second World War. Almost 2 million people in Gaza have been internally displaced, with more than 150,000 people killed or injured according to the UN, 50 percent of hospitals and medical facilities destroyed, 88 percent of schools partially or fully shattered, 68 percent of agricultural areas damaged and 68 percent of roads have become dysfunctional.

As the statistics reflect, Israel’s war didn’t turn out to be just a war against Hamas, but expanded to the entire civilian population and its critical infrastructure.

To address this crisis of colossal magnitude, two critical steps need to be taken. First, we must immediately provide a comprehensive and thorough humanitarian plan that alleviates the suffering of Palestinians and restore life back to Gaza through early recovery programs and reconstruction.

Second, it is imperative that we offer a political roadmap that brings decisive closure to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict once and for all culminating in an independent Palestinian state and ensure that this latest horrific round of violence becomes the final one. Let me address both steps.

Israel says it has launched new ground operation in Gaza – Reuters

pgnewser March 20, 2025 0

Israel says it has launched new ground operation in Gaza – Reuters
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The Israeli military said on Wednesday its forces resumed ground operations in the central and southern Gaza Strip, as a second day of airstrikes killed at least 48 Palestinians, according to local health workers.

The renewed ground operations came a day after more than 400 Palestinians were killed in airstrikes in one of the deadliest episodes since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023, shattering a ceasefire that has largely held since January.

US strikes Houthi strongholds in Yemen where leaders are hiding, Yemeni sources say– www.investing.com

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

US strikes Houthi strongholds in Yemen where leaders are hiding, Yemeni sources say– www.investing.com
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The U.S. hit targets across Yemen in airstrikes overnight, including Saada province, which Yemeni sources say is a long-time hideout for Iran-aligned Houthi leaders, and the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

Houthi-run Al Masirah TV reported more than 10 strikes on various locations, including the Al-Safra district of Saada. The area houses weapons storage and training sites, and is considered one of the group’s most important and heavily fortified military strongholds, according to Yemeni sources.

The strikes, launched on Saturday over the Houthis’ attacks against Red Sea shipping, are the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January.

The Iran-aligned Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on shipping after Israel’s war with Hamas began in late 2023, saying they were acting in solidarity with Gaza’s Palestinians. The attacks have disrupted global commerce and set the U.S. military off on a costly campaign to intercept missiles.

UN Security Council discusses Israeli attack in Gaza – NHK WORLD

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

UN Security Council discusses Israeli attack in Gaza – NHK WORLD
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Members of the United Nations Security Council discussed the airstrikes that Israel carried out in Gaza on Tuesday. Many called for the ceasefire to be reestablished. However, the United States pushed back on the idea.

Health authorities in Gaza say the attacks killed at least 404 people. The Palestinian Permanent Observer to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said, “Palestinians are being killed indiscriminately, are being denied humanitarian aid indiscriminately, are being maimed and detained indiscriminately.”

Envoys from the UK, France and Russia joined Mansour in urging an immediate end to the fighting.

But the acting US Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, blamed the attacks on Hamas. She said, “It is well known that Hamas continues to use civilian infrastructure as launching pads, and the United States condemns this practice, as should others.”

Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli airstrikes in Syria, urges UN to take action – Al Arabiya English

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

Saudi Arabia condemns Israeli airstrikes in Syria, urges UN to take action – Al Arabiya English
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Saudi Arabia has strongly condemned an Israeli airstrike on Syrian territory, calling it a “flagrant violation of international law” and urging the United Nations Security Council to take action, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday.

In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kingdom denounced the attacks, saying they were part of repeated Israeli violations that threaten regional security and stability.

According to SPA, Riyadh called for an international response to prevent further escalation and ensure accountability.

Entire Families Wiped Out as Israel Resumes Genocidal Assault on Gaza – Common Dreams

pgnewser March 19, 2025 0

Entire Families Wiped Out as Israel Resumes Genocidal Assault on Gaza – Common Dreams
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Once again, entire families are being wiped out by Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip after U.S. President Donald Trumpreportedly gave the green light for the key American ally to resume its assault on the Palestinian enclave.

Israel unilaterally abrogated the crumbling eight-week cease-fire early Tuesday, unleashing a wave of ferocious strikes on the already flattened Gaza Strip, killing at least 404 people—including 174 children, 89 women, and 32 elders—and wounding at least 562 others, with the death toll expected to rise, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman killed in Gaza strikes– www.yahoo.com

pgnewser March 18, 2025 0

Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman killed in Gaza strikes– www.yahoo.com
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The spokesman for the militant organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) was killed in a massive Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, the group said.

Naji Abu Saif, also known as Abu Hamsa, was killed during an “attack on his family and his brother’s family,” PIJ said.

The group is allied with Hamas, another Palestinian extremist group. Both organizations were involved in the October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel that triggered the latest Gaza war.

Both are said to be backed by Iran.

Palestinians search for their belongings among the rubble of their destroyed homes, following the Israeli airstrikes on Khan Yunis. Israel launched a series of airstrikes against the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday after efforts to extend the ceasefire failed. Abed Rahim Khatib/dpa

Hamas Says Head Of Its Government In Gaza Killed In Israeli Strike– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser March 18, 2025 0

Hamas Says Head Of Its Government In Gaza Killed In Israeli Strike– www.ndtv.com
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Gaza City: Hamas on Tuesday named the head of its government in the Gaza Strip, Essam al-Dalis, among a list of officials it said were killed in a wave of Israeli strikes on the Palestinian territory.

“These leaders, along with their families, were martyred after being directly targeted by the Zionist occupation forces’ aircraft,” said the Hamas statement, which also named interior ministry head Mahmud Abu Watfa and Bahjat Abu Sultan, director-general of the internal security service, among those killed.

Dalis, who was a member of Hamas’s political bureau in Gaza, was elected to the movement’s Gaza leadership in March 2021 and became the head of its administration in June of that year.

In November 2023, Israel claimed to have bombed a Hamas structure in which Dalis was present with other leaders who were killed.

Turkey Condemns Israel’s Strikes On Gaza– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser March 18, 2025 0

Turkey Condemns Israel’s Strikes On Gaza– www.ndtv.com
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Istanbul: Turkey on Tuesday denounced Israel’s deadly strikes in Gaza as “a new phase” in its “genocide policy”, saying the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defied humanity through its breach of international law.

“The massacre of hundreds of Palestinians in Israel’s attacks on Gaza… demonstrates that the Netanyahu government’s genocide policy has entered a new phase,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Israel launched its most intense strikes overnight since a ceasefire took effect on January 19, with the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory reporting more than 330 people killed.

Hamas has not responded to the strikes so far.

Hundreds killed as Israel launches air strikes across Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict News– www.aljazeera.com

pgnewser March 18, 2025 0

Hundreds killed as Israel launches air strikes across Gaza | Israel-Palestine conflict News– www.aljazeera.com
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Israel has launched a wave of air attacks across the Gaza Strip, shattering the agreed ceasefire, which, although shaky, had been in place since January.

The air raids in the early hours of Tuesday killed more than 320 people, including many women and children.

The surprise bombardment shattered a period of relative calm during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and raised the prospect of a full return to fighting in a 17-month war that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction across Gaza.

Rubio and Saudi Arabia’s MBS discuss Gaza reconstruction in Riyadh – The Times of Israel

pgnewser March 11, 2025 0

Rubio and Saudi Arabia’s MBS discuss Gaza reconstruction in Riyadh – The Times of Israel
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman discussed the “reconstruction of Gaza” during their meeting in Riyadh earlier today, the State Department says in its readout.

Rubio thanked the Saudi leader for “hosting Arab countries,” the State Department says in an apparent reference to the summit Riyadh hosted for Arab leaders last month to prepare for another confab held in Cairo last week, where Egypt unveiled its plan for the post-war management of Gaza.

The Trump administration has called the plan a good start, while indicating that it doesn’t sufficiently address Hamas’s role, which Washington wants to be non-existent.

Rubio “reiterated [to MBS] the United States’ firm commitment that any solution to the situation in Gaza must not include any role for Hamas,” the US readout adds.

News24 | Hamas pushes for phase two of Gaza truce talks– www.news24.com

pgnewser March 11, 2025 0

News24 | Hamas pushes for phase two of Gaza truce talks– www.news24.com
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Hamas reiterated on Sunday its insistence on moving directly into negotiating a second phase of the Gaza truce, as Israel announced it would dispatch a delegation to Doha for further talks.

Representatives of the Palestinian militant group met with mediators in Cairo at the weekend, emphasising the need for humanitarian aid to re-enter the besieged territory “without restrictions or conditions”, according to a Hamas press release.

The high-level delegation also stressed the need for “moving directly to begin negotiations for the second phase” of the deal, which will aim to lay the groundwork for a permanent ceasefire.

Hamas says continued closure of Gaza crossings a ‘war crime’ requiring international intervention – Yeni Şafak English

pgnewser March 7, 2025 1

Hamas says continued closure of Gaza crossings a ‘war crime’ requiring international intervention – Yeni Şafak English
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Hamas on Friday condemned Israel’s continued closure of Gaza’s border crossings calling it an “extension of the ongoing genocide” against Palestinians in the besieged enclave and a “war crime” that necessitates international intervention.

“Tightening the siege on Gaza, closing the crossings for the sixth day in a row, and preventing the entry of humanitarian aid are forms of the genocide that has not ceased against our people,” said Hamas spokesperson Abdul Latif al-Qanou in a statement.

He added: “Israel’s policies of starvation and collective punishment are a blatant violation of international and humanitarian laws, and a war crime that the world must stop and hold its perpetrators accountable.”

Qanou renewed calls for the international community and human rights organizations to “compel the Israeli occupation to open the crossings, allow humanitarian and medical aid into Gaza, and end the suffering of Palestinians in the Strip.”

UK, France and Germany say Gaza aid freeze could breach international law | Israel-Gaza war– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser March 7, 2025 0

UK, France and Germany say Gaza aid freeze could breach international law | Israel-Gaza war– www.theguardian.com
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Britain has joined Germany and France to warn that Israel could be in breach of international law by halting the entry of aid into Gaza, which is facing a “catastrophic” humanitarian crisis.

The foreign secretary, David Lammy, signed a joint statement with his French and German counterparts to urge Israel and Hamas to engage constructively to get ceasefire talks back on track.

Israel cut off humanitarian supplies to Gaza on Sunday in an effort to push Hamas into accepting a change in the ceasefire agreement to allow the release of hostages without an Israeli troop withdrawal.

The six-week-old ceasefire is in limbo with no sign of movement towards a second phase that was scheduled to have started last weekend.

The foreign ministers said in their joint statement that they shared “deep concern” over Israel’s decision to halt all goods and supplies going into Gaza, which they said risked violating international humanitarian law.

Israel new army chief Eyal Zamir says Hamas mission ‘not accomplished’ | Gaza News– www.aljazeera.com

pgnewser March 7, 2025 0

Israel new army chief Eyal Zamir says Hamas mission ‘not accomplished’ | Gaza News– www.aljazeera.com
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Outgoing military chief Herzi Halevi calls for a wider examination of the failures on October 7, 2023.

Former tank commander Eyal Zamir has been sworn in as Israel’s new military chief amid growing uncertainty over the expired ceasefire in Gaza.

Previously director of the defence ministry, the 59-year-old replaces chief of staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi, who resigned in January admitting he had failed to fulfil his mandate.

At his swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday at military headquarters in Tel Aviv, Zamir said he was ready for the challenges ahead, noting that while “Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow … it has not yet been defeated. The mission is not yet accomplished.”

Speaking before Zamir, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel was “determined” to achieve victory in its war.