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Israel truce violations

The Hamas resistance movement has reiterated its full commitment to the Gaza ceasefire agreement, saying Israel continues to block the implementation of the deal. Senior Hamas official, Hossam Badran, said in a press statement that Israel continues to evade moving to the second phase of the agreement. He added that the international community is obligated to take urgent action to stop the genocide being perpetrated against the Palestinian people. Badran noted that putting a halt to Israel’s ongoing attacks against Palestinians is necessary to protect regional stability and prevent further deterioration of the situation. He also rejected any possibility for Hamas fighters in Rafah to lay down their arms. Badram said the movement's fighters in Rafah "will not accept surrender or hand over their weapons, no matter how intense the aggression becomes." 

Iran-Turkey relations

Iran’s President has called for further strengthening of relations and strategic cooperation among Islamic countries, emphasizing that it would prevent foreign powers from meddling in Muslims’ affairs. Pezeshkian was speaking in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Tehran. He said part of the regional crisis is the result of plots hatched by some interventionist parties that seek to sow discord in the region. He stressed that such parties seek to impose their wrong policies on the region and obstruct the development and progress of Islamic nations. Pezeshkian expressed hope that Islamic countries would cooperate with one another and avoid making existing issues more complicated. Before meeting with the president, Fidan held talks with several senior Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, and top security official, Ali Larijani. During his meeting with Araghchi, both counterparts described Israel as the greatest threat to the region’s security and stability.

Venezuela-US tensions

The Venezuelan president has condemned Washington's aggression against Caracas, saying the US plans to seize Venezuela's vast oil reserves through military force. Nicolas Maduro made the remarks in a letter to the Secretary General and member states of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC. In his letter, Maduro asserted that Venezuela will remain firm in the defense of its natural and energy resources, and will not succumb to any type of blackmail or threat. His letter came after US President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the Venezuelan airspace would be completely shut down. Trump also announced that the US will very soon take action against Venezuela on land, following over twenty military attacks at sea that have killed at least 83 people since September.

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