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Rejecting US-Israeli threats 

Hamas says Israel’s threats about resuming the Gaza war if all its captives are not released by Saturday noon are part of the regime’s psychological warfare against the resistance. The movement’s spokesman, Hazem Qassem, made the comments after Hamas announced it would postpone the next captive release over Israel’s violations of the Gaza ceasefire deal. An Israeli far-right minister said on Wednesday that if Hamas does not release the captives this weekend, the regime would resume the war and carry out US President’s plan to displace Palestinians from the Strip. Qassem said releasing captives is only possible by adhering to the details of the ceasefire agreement. He added that if the US administration is interested in releasing the captives, it must stop its threats and force Israel to implement the deal. The movement has also called for worldwide solidarity marches over the weekend to protest the US-Israeli plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza.

Israel killing children 

The United Nations children’s fund has sounded the alarm over escalation of Israeli violence against Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank, amid the regime’s violent aggression. According to UNICEF, over a dozen Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the year alone. A two-and-a-half-year-old child was among the casualties, whose pregnant mother was also injured. UNICEF condemned all acts of violence against children, calling for the immediate cessation of Israel’s military operation across the West Bank. It said the rising use of explosive weapons, airstrikes and demolitions in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas has severely damaged essential infrastructure, disrupting water and electricity supplies. According to UN figures, the number of Palestinian children killed in the West Bank over the past 16 months, has increased by 200-percent compared to the same period a year ago. 

'No talks under pressure'

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has slammed the latest anti-Iran measures by US President Donald Trump’s administration. Releasing a fact sheet of Washington's hostile actions against Tehran, the ministry stressed that intimidation and threats are useless against Iran. The ministry said although Trump claims to be reinstating the so-called Maximum Pressure policy against Iran, in reality, Maximum Pressure was never halted to be revived again. It said unilateral demands, intimidation, and threats against Iran have never been effective and will not be effective in the future. The ministry stressed that Iranians will never accept negotiations under pressure and unilateral conditions. It noted that negotiations under the US threat of using force, will not serve Iran’s interests. The Ministry also warned that Iran will respond forcefully to any aggression against its national interests, while remaining committed to finding diplomatic solutions to lift sanctions. The statement said Iran has responded and will respond to Maximum Pressure with Maximum Resistance, firmly believing that no nation should be subjected to unfair pressure and illegal sanctions.

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