Israel’s prime minister, defense minister trade barbs over Gaza war aims

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel. (File/Reuters)
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel. (File/Reuters)
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Updated 12 August 2024
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Israel’s prime minister, defense minister trade barbs over Gaza war aims

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference.
  • Following Israeli media reports quoting Gallant dismissing Netanyahu’s war aim of total victory against Hamas as “nonsense,” Gallant was rebuked

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traded barbs with his defense minister on Monday, underscoring the deep internal splits that continue to plague the government as the war in Gaza risks spilling out into a wider regional conflict.
Following Israeli media reports quoting Defense Minister Yoav Gallant dismissing Netanyahu’s war aim of total victory against the Islamist movement Hamas in Gaza as “nonsense,” Netanyahu’s office put out a statement rebuking Gallant.
“When Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he harms the chances of reaching a hostage deal,” the statement said.
It said Israel’s war aim remained “total victory,” with the elimination of Hamas and the release of the remaining hostages seized by Hamas-led gunmen on Oct. 7 last year.
“This is the clear directive of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Security Cabinet, and it obligates everyone – including Gallant,” it said.
The exchange came as Israel has been bracing for a possible attack by Iran and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon, after a sharp escalation in tensions following a missile strike killed 12 youngsters in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on July 27.
In the wake of that attack, Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. A day later, the political leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, drawing vows of retaliation from Iran.
The public reprimand of Gallant, who has repeatedly clashed with Netanyahu and the nationalist-religious parties in his coalition, was the latest episode of internal strife that has persisted since the government took office in 2022.
Last year, Netanyahu tried to sack Gallant over his opposition to plans to curb the power of the Supreme Court, only to have to reverse course in the face of mass protests by hundreds of thousands of Israelis.
The latest exchange comes ahead of a last ditch attempt to revive Egyptian and Qatari-brokered talks to halt the fighting in Gaza and bring back 115 Israeli and foreign hostages still held in the battered enclave.
Hamas has said it will not send a delegation to the meeting, accusing Netanyahu of wanting to waste time rather than make an honest attempt to reach a deal.


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12 Tunisians dead as boat capsizes off Djerba: judiciary

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Three policemen killed in attacks in southeastern Iran

Three policemen killed in attacks in southeastern Iran
Updated 2 min 40 sec ago
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Three policemen killed in attacks in southeastern Iran

Three policemen killed in attacks in southeastern Iran
TEHRAN: At least three policemen were killed in separate attacks by militants and gunmen in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, state media reported Monday.
One of Iran’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan on the border with Pakistan has long been plagued by unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, rebels from the Baluchi minority and Sunni extremists.
“A border guard was killed a few hours ago in a clash with gunmen in Hirmand in Sistan-Baluchistan province,” the official IRNA news agency reported.
A separate attack on law enforcement in the same region Monday left another border guard killed and two others wounded, IRNA said.
The news agency also reported that a member of the police special force was killed in the town of Khash, also in Sistan-Baluchistan.
The Pakistan-based Sunni jihadist group Jaish Al-Adl (Army of Justice in Arabic) claimed responsibility for the last two attacks in a message on Telegram.
The group has claimed responsibility for several attacks in recent months, including a Sunday raid that killed a policeman in the same region.

Three cops killed in separate attacks in Iranian province bordering Pakistan

Three cops killed in separate attacks in Iranian province bordering Pakistan
Updated 3 min 5 sec ago
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Three cops killed in separate attacks in Iranian province bordering Pakistan

Three cops killed in separate attacks in Iranian province bordering Pakistan
  • One of Iran’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan has been plagued by unrest due to drug-smuggling gangs, rebels
  • Pakistan-based militant group Jaish Al-Adl has claimed responsibility for several attacks in area in recent months 

TEHRAN: At least three policemen were killed in separate attacks by gunmen in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, state media reported Monday.

One of Iran’s poorest regions, Sistan-Baluchistan on the border with Pakistan has long been plagued by unrest involving drug-smuggling gangs, rebels from the Balochi minority and religiously motivated militants. 

“A border guard was killed a few hours ago in a clash with gunmen in Hirmand in Sistan-Baluchistan province,” the official IRNA news agency reported.

A separate attack on law enforcement in the same region Monday left another border guard killed and two others wounded, IRNA said.

The news agency also reported that a member of the police special force was killed in the town of Khash, also in Sistan-Baluchistan.

The Pakistan-based militant group Jaish Al-Adl (Army of Justice) claimed responsibility for the last two attacks in a message on Telegram.

The group has claimed responsibility for several attacks in recent months, including a Sunday raid that killed a policeman in the same region.


Hezbollah’s deputy chief speak in first address after Nasrallah’s killing

Hezbollah’s deputy chief speak in first address after Nasrallah’s killing
Updated 3 min 46 sec ago
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Hezbollah’s deputy chief speak in first address after Nasrallah’s killing

Hezbollah’s deputy chief speak in first address after Nasrallah’s killing

RIYADH: Lebanon's Hezbollah deputy chief Naim Qasim appeared in a televised speech on Monday, tells Lebanese to be “reassured, victory is our ally, we need a bit of patience”

In his speech Qassem vowed to fight on, says group prepared for long war in his first speech since leader was killed, and that group will choose a new secretary-general based on the mechanism within Hezbollah.

Qassem’s speech on Monday comes days after Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli strike on Friday. Qassem added that despite the killing of Hezbollah’s top military commanders over the past months, Hezbollah now is relying on new commanders.
"Israel was not able to affect our (military) capabilities,” Qassem said. “There are deputy commanders and there are replacements in case a commander is wounded in any post.”

Israel has in recent days escalated its attacks on Lebanon and the intensifying Israeli bombardment over two weeks has killed a string of top Hezbollah officials.

Hezbollah's deputy leader vowed to continue fighting Israel and said the militant group was prepared for a long war after much of its top command was wiped out, including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
In his speech Qassem said that if Israel decides to launch a ground offensive, Hezbollah fighters are ready to fight and defend Lebanon.

 

 

 


Sound of explosions heard on outskirts of Damascus, say witnesses

Sound of explosions heard on outskirts of Damascus, say witnesses
Updated 24 min 17 sec ago
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Sound of explosions heard on outskirts of Damascus, say witnesses

Sound of explosions heard on outskirts of Damascus, say witnesses

DUBAI: Sounds of explosions were heard on the outskirts of the Syrian capital Damascus on Monday, witnesses told Reuters.