Colonialism, dissociation and genocide – Middle East Monitor

The fact that Oman was the country to broker a ceasefire agreement between the United States and the Houthis did not surprise Marc Sievers, the former US Ambassador to Oman, who served as ambassador from 2016 to 2019. Sievers noted that Oman has been a key channel to the Houthis since 2017, facilitating negotiations and successfully negotiating the release of American hostages. He emphasizes Oman's unique position in the Gulf, maintaining a friendly relationship with...

Lebanon's Finance Minister Yassine Jaber and Energy Minister Joe Saddi concluded a two-day visit to Baghdad aimed at revitalizing energy cooperation with Iraq, particularly the Iraq-Lebanon oil pipeline, which relies on resolving security issues in Syria. The ministers also discussed revamping a Lebanese refinery and confirmed a delivery of 320,000 tons of wheat from Iraq to Lebanon. Additionally, Lebanon sought to settle outstanding payments for prior fuel shipments while exploring expanded cooperation in banking, energy,...

Amnesty International has urged Israel to halt plans to annex the Gaza Strip and forcibly transfer Palestinians, warning that such actions would violate international law. Following Israel's Security Cabinet's approval to expand military actions in Gaza, Amnesty condemned potential displacement of Palestinians as a war crime and emphasized the dire humanitarian situation, with 2.3 million people reliant on aid amid a full siege since March 2. The organization called for international rejection of these dangerous...

Syrian authorities have arrested Bassam Yousef Salman Ali, a former military doctor, for his alleged role in torture and killings at Tishreen Military Hospital during the previous regime. The Ministry of Interior accused him of transforming the hospital into a site for medical crimes, including organ trafficking and extorting families of detainees, while reportedly participating in lethal injections that led to detainee deaths. Ongoing investigations aim to uncover further crimes committed by Ali during his...

A Hebrew report has disclosed that nearly 3,000 unexploded shells from the Israeli army in Gaza are being repurposed by Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades to create improvised explosive devices targeting Israeli military assets. The report highlights that a significant portion of munitions, with some periods showing up to 20% failure rates, remain unexploded, posing dangers as evidenced by investigations linking these ordnance to attacks on Israeli vehicles. The United Nations Mine Action Service estimates that 5-10%...

Yemen's Huthi rebels will persist in targeting Israeli ships in the Red Sea, despite a ceasefire aimed at halting their attacks on international vessels, as stated by Abdulmalik Alejri, a member of the Huthi political bureau. The ceasefire, following intense U.S. military strikes, excludes Israeli ships, with the Huthis clarifying their campaign now solely focuses on Israeli-linked vessels. The recent escalation and subsequent agreement emerged after deadly strikes on Sanaa airport and amid ongoing tensions...