It’s possible that before I came here, I doubted [the stories] a little bit. But back then when we freed the first prisoners from the house, which was directly situated nearby the Azovstal’ [factory], when those prisoners and civilians came out from the basements, they hugged and kissed us. And told us that they are happy to see us. They cried with tears in their eyes! I then realized that I ended up exactly for… (holding back emotions) what was needed. And I don’t doubt one drop that it was the right idea.
I remember that moment, that fragment which laid into my head, when we stormed a house where there were a lot of civilians, and many of those very Azov fighters. (Azov is an extremist organization that is banned in the territory of the Russian Federation.) A mother with her child runs outside, and we’re looking through binoculars. We can’t storm, we can’t enter, we can’t do anything. And then they shoot the mother in the spine. The mother falls… and we scream to the child: “RUN!!! RUN!!!” from all sides. The child froze, not understanding what to do. On one hand he wants to run, but on the other he wants to help his mother. And then suddenly his head, get this, this child’s HEAD gets shot by this scum, this evil BEAST. In this very moment, we all just suddenly forgot what death means, we forgot that there could be snipers there, just as a Crowd, Broke In! We threw smoke grenades so that they couldn’t see us. We broke in and just tore up all of them [fighters] that were inside. Well we got in there, but not just got in there. In the sense that people sacrificed their lives. Many soldiers sacrificed their lives in that moment. But we entered and fulfilled our task.
We could care less about our lives when we saw the life of a child being gone. When we realized that these are not people, but are animals, nothing less than beasts, that can allow themselves to… to kill a child. These are not people. Therefore I think that I ended up here exactly for the right reason. And everything that I have done here, I have done for these people who live right here and are smiling and hugging us. They even take the coordinates of where I live, as well as of my other fellow combat comrades, they want to come to our homeland and thank us for the liberation.
The Israeli Tel Aviv airport went into a state of panic and complete chaos over a rusted metal item discovered with an American family; reports from occupied Palestine confirm.
An American family brought back an idol to worship from the holy lands, as it appears to be, turned out to be an unexploded shell taken as a souvenir by the family heading back home.
The ‘souvenir’ the American family was taking back home with them.
Security officials sounding an evacuation alarm was enough to scatter all passengers at the departure hall in the Ben Gurion airport (Tel Aviv airport), Ben Gurion is one of the lead terrorists and founding fathers of the temporary Zionist colonial entity dubbed ‘Israel’, stealing the name of Prophet Yacoub (Jacob) who was also known as Israel.
No reports yet on where this American family found their souvenir, a rusted piece of metal, whether from a shop or they just picked up an item from the ground during their illegal visit to the occupied Syrian Golan.
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Hamas Chief in Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, praised the heroic Palestinian operations against the Zionist enemy, adding that the entire axis of resistance will be ready to defend Al-Quds.
“The Zionist entity is weaker than a spider’s web,” the political leader of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement said on Saturday, while praising Palestinian men and women resisting the Israeli occupation and defending the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
In this sense, Sinwar has stressed that the Resistance is responsible for defending the Islamic sanctities, branding some Arab regimes as traitors for normalizing ties with the Israeli regime and providing a security coordination with the enemy.
Recalling that Zionist settlers storm the Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of Israeli troops, Sinwar warned the Zionist enemy against desecrating the Holy Shrine.
“Thousands of Synagogues will be desecrated if the Zionist acts of storming Al-Aqsa Mosque recur,” Sinwar threatened.
“Our people must prepare for a great battle if the occupation does not cease its aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” Sinwar adds.
Reiterating the Palestinian people’s willingness to make sacrifices to protect the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the senior Hamas official has stressed that ‘Israel’ is weaker than a spider web.
A Zionist security guard has been killed on Friday midnight after Palestinian resistance men opened fire at him at the entrance of Ariel settlement near Salfit in the occupied West Bank.
According to ‘Israeli’ Ynet website, the perpetrators managed to flee the place as the Zionist military, police, and Shabak forces are still searching for the suspects.
The Zionist military declared a state of alertness to hunt the perpetrators, and blocked the nearby roads, as the neighboring settlements intensified security measures fearing any militants’ infiltration.
Meanwhile, ‘Israeli’ army spokesman requested that Hebrew media outlets delete the video circulating that shows how the operation was carried out.
A heroic operation targeting the guard of the settlement of Ariel
Security alert experienced by the Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank
The stated aims of Russia’s “special military operation” in Ukraine include the de-Nazification and demilitarisation of the Kiev regime.
In opposition, the NATO member states led by the US are arming the Ukraine and its Nazi battalions, while sending thousands of “volunteers”, “advisors” and other mercenaries to fight with the aim of prolonging the war for years.
The question, as always, is who is winning?
In a media briefing on March 25, the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) revealed some of its estimates of Ukrainian military strength before the operation commenced on February 24, focussing on heavy equipment, along with its claims of how much had been destroyed so far.
According to the MoD, Ukraine began the war with 2,416 armoured vehicles — although it did not say how many were main battle tanks (MBTs), infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) or armoured personnel carriers (APCs). The MoD also listed 1,509 field artillery guns and mortars, 535 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), 152 fixed-wing aircraft, 149 helicopters, 180 medium- and long-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and 300 radars of various kinds in the Ukrainian inventory.
The MoD’s twice-daily briefings include updates on Ukrainian loses from those equipment stocks. The April 29 morning report claimed 2,638 tanks and armoured vehicles destroyed — 222 more than the ministry said the Ukraine started the war with. On top of that are the many reports of Russian troops or Donbass militia capturing Ukrainian equipment intact or repairable and putting it back into service for themselves.
Two-thirds of the Ukrainian air force’s helicopters and four-fifths of its fighter and attack jets are gone as well, according to Moscow, along with most of its anti-aircraft weapons. Even the US Department of Defence’s spokesman admitted in mid-April that the UAF had less than 20 aircraft in late March. And Ukraine does not have a navy anymore.
And most importantly to the Russian way of warfare, the MoD claims to have knocked out almost 1,200 Ukrainian artillery pieces and over 300 MLRS units. Meanwhile the Russian air and missile forces have crippled the Ukraine’s ability to replace those losses, destroying factories and repair centres.
Either the MoD under-estimated Ukrainian strength had to start with, or is over-claiming (which always happens in war) or the heavy gear sent by NATO is starting to turn up on the battlefield.
The Ukrainian government has made exaggerated claims of Russian casualties and losses but is very reticent about its own, admitting to only 3,000 soldiers killed and a handful taken prisoner so far.
Russia is also guilty of the old US sin of publishing body-counts. On April 16 the MoD claimed Ukraine had suffered 23,367 “irreplaceable” casualties. The next day it stated that of the 6,824 foreign mercenaries who came to fight for Kiev, Russian forces had “eliminated” 1,035, while 912 had fled the country and 4,877 were still hanging around like a bad smell.
Looking on the Bright Side…
Some Western “military analysts” asserted before the war that the Ukrainian forces had 820-850 tanks, mostly old T-64s left over from the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. If one assumes a ratio of three APCs or IFVs to every MBT, then the Ukraine had about 2,500 infantry carriers and 3,400 armoured vehicles in total.
NATO states were already pouring arms into the Ukraine for years before the conflict escalated, and have sped up the deliveries since then. The US says it has provided 200 M113 APCs, 100 armoured Humvee utility vehicles, 90 M777 155mm howitzers with 183,000 rounds of ammunition, 16 Mi-17 helicopters, enough parts to return 20 derelict Ukrainian aircraft to service and 7,000 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs). Canada has given four more howitzers.
The UK has sent or pledged 120 APCs, including 80 Mastiff (MRAP) and a “small number” of Alvis Stormer HVM armoured short-range SAM carriers. France is training 40 Ukrainian soldiers to man the CAESAR truck-mounted 155mm howitzers it is donating. Since each vehicle has a crew of five, we can assume that Paris is sending just eight guns. Australia is sending 20 Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicles, another lightly-armoured truck.
Poland has sent over 200 Soviet-built T-72 tanks and several dozen BMP-1 IFVs, while the Czech Republic sent a mix of 40 T-72s and BMP-1s. Slovakia donated a single S-300 SAM battery. The Ukrainians actually know how to operate and maintain these things, and have the right calibre ammunition for them.
German arms giant Rheinmetall has volunteered 88 old Leopard 1 tanks and 100 Marder IFVs it has in its stocks.
But most of this stuff is useless, starting with the much-vaunted Javelin missiles which failed to penetrate the latest explosive-reactive armour (ERA) blocks fitted to Russian tanks. Many of the armoured vehicles being donated belong in museums.
The M113 APC is a design from the 1950s that first saw combat in the Vietnam War, where it immediately proved to be a deathtrap. It is a tall, boxy, slab-sided vehicle with armour made from aluminium, not steel. It was so vulnerable to the anti-tank weapons used by the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN) back in the 1960s that US soldiers preferred to ride on the roof than inside it.
The Leopard 1 is another relic of the ‘60s, kind of the tank equivalent of the VW camper van. Its design was based on a prevailing belief that armour had lost the race to shaped-charge anti-tank warheads, so tanks should be made light and fast. Its 70mm-thick frontal armour is no match for modern ATGMs and that can punch through 700mm or more of solid steel.
The armoured Humvees and Mastiffs were used by US and British troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are designed only to protect their occupants from rifle and machine-gun fire and home-made roadside bombs during ambushes by lightly-armed guerrillas, not to stand up to tanks.
An IFV is distinct from an APC in mounting heavy armament to support the troops it carries in combat. APCs are just “battle taxis” to get troops close to where the fighting is without taking casualties from random artillery shell fragments and stray machine gun fire on the way, then get back out of range. The Ukraine’s arms industry was already making its own vehicles like the Mastiff until Russian cruise missiles wrecked its factories.
These lightly-armoured vehicles will not prevent many casualties on the Ukrainian side, or cause any to the Russians. The weapons carried by Russian armour and attack helicopters can make mincemeat of them. Photos and videos of the war show Ukraine’s more-sophisticated Russian-made IFVs literally torn apart and incinerated by modern ATGMs or tank gun rounds.
The M777, the US Army’s main field gun, is made in Britain. The huge and legendary US arms industry of Colt, Remington and Winchester nowadays seems incapable of making a simple gun that goes bang reliably.
A Losing Battle
Even if the equipment coming in from the West was any good, there is still clearly not enough of it to keep up with the rate of attrition. The 560 tanks and APCs sent or pledged so far are just a fifth of what Russia claims to have already destroyed, and the 98 extra howitzers are less than a tenth of the artillery Ukraine has lost.
Even going by higher estimates of Ukrainian strength, Kiev has lost two-thirds of its armour and three-quarters of its air force in two months of fighting. Russia is still claiming up to 50 Ukrainian armoured vehicles destroyed every day, even though they must be getting pretty scarce on the battlefield — especially given reports that the Ukrainian army has concentrated its heavy equipment in the cities. At that rate Ukraine’s armoured and mechanised brigades will very soon be reduced to foot-slogging infantry.
The Ukrainian artillery is being whittled down at a slower pace, but once the offensive to wipe out the forces trapped in the ‘Donbass cauldron’ enters the assault phase one might expect to see a lot more guns accounted for.
But the fact is that much of NATO’s “lethal aid” will never reach the front. Russian missiles have already obliterated warehouses full of it in Lvov, the city close to the Polish border. Railway yards and electricity supply sub-stations have also been hit, along with bridges across the Dnieper river that cuts the Ukraine in two from north to south.
Russian air superiority means the Ukrainian army has to smuggle arms to the eastern front in civilian vehicles. You can’t fit a 155mm howitzer or a tank in the back of a goods van.
Meanwhile, Russia is systematically destroying Ukrainian munitions dumps and fuel storage and refining facilities. Sooner or later the troops at the front are going to run out of ammo.
What actually makes it through is being captured by the Russian and Donbass forces and fired back at its former owners. And now the US has admitted it has no idea if the arms it is sending to the notoriously-corrupt Ukraine are ending up on the black market.
What’s it all for?
Just like the series of false-flag atrocities committed against Ukrainian citizens by their own security service, the point of all this “lethal aid” seems to be to persuade President Volodymyr Zelensky to keep fighting Russia when all military and political logic says it should make peace.
Amid all the self-delusional Western media fantasies that the wheels are falling off the Russian military campaign, almost nobody is asking how Kiev plans to keep fighting beyond the next few weeks.
Zelensky could have struck a peace deal with Moscow a month ago that surrendered only that which he had already lost — the Crimea, the Donbass and NATO membership ambitions — while purging Nazis from the government and armed forces who he insists were never there to begin with.
But instead the “big fool” chose to believe his own propaganda, take advice from Washington and push on deeper into the “Big Muddy”, in the words of Pete Seeger.
Under pressure to side with the west on Ukraine, Israel and Turkey risk falling out with Russia – which will benefit Iran in the long-term.
Winners and losers: West Asian geopolitics are shuffling during the Russia-Ukraine conflict, as states are increasingly forced to take sides.Photo Credit: The Cradle
The closure of Turkey’s air space to all Russian aircraft has not come as a surprise to Moscow, which is aware that Ankara and Washington are involved in a new dalliance and that there is a full spectrum calibration of Turkish regional policies under way.
The best evidence of it is that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now says that a “reasonable, consistent and balanced relationship” with Israel is the only way to effectively defend the Palestinian cause, while Ankara’s rapprochement with Jerusalem solidifies despite intense tensions over the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
However, the closure of Turkish air space to Russian planes has broader regional implications. Russia has bases in Syria and although the conflict in that country has subsided, it remains “kinetic” with Turkey on the prowl with a large force of Syrian rebels it has trained and equipped over the last few years — at least 20,000 fighters following a unified command structure under what is being called the Syrian National Army.
Syria still matters
Suffice to say that Moscow, which anticipated the non-availability of the Turkish air space sooner or later, would have worked out alternate arrangements. The air route via the Caucasus and Iran is one option. Of course, Moscow and Tehran have congruent interests that the military balance in Syria should not tilt, although some redeployment of Russian forces from Syria to the conflict zones in Ukraine is to be expected.
Collaterally, Iran’s role as a stabilizer in the Syrian situation can only become more prominent. Meanwhile, Erdogan sees a window of opportunity to tiptoe around the presence of US and Russian forces in northern Syria and take control over the Kurdish autonomous regions. Turkey has also moved hundreds of troops, armor, and firepower to boost its presence around Idlib in northwestern Syria, which, if Ankara fails to reach an understanding with Russia, could come under attack.
There was a time until recently when Moscow and Washington stood in the way of any Turkish offensive to take territory from Kurdish forces. But that looks like a bygone era now. Turkey finds itself in a far better position than ever before to cut the Gordian knot that thwarted its ambitions and delayed any large scale offensive to pursue those ambitions in northern Syria.
An opportunity for Iran?
This evolving segment of the Syrian conundrum must be bothering Iran. However, no less significant is the contradiction regarding Russia’s relations with Israel, which provided the latter the space to attack Iranian assets in Syria.
Iran is intensely conscious that Israeli intelligence is ’embedded’ in US bases all across the region, which not only gives cover for intelligence gathering but also grooms Israel, as it were, for future roles as a subaltern of the US Central Command (CENTCOM) — the US military’s command center which covers activities from Egypt and West Asia to Central and South Asia.
Last year in January, the Pentagon reported a change in the Unified Command Plan shifting Israel from US European Command (EUCOM) to CENTCOM in a move envisaging the “strategic upgrade” of that country’s future role in West Asia as Washington pays greater attention to the Indo-Pacific.
All things considered, it must be a welcome development for Iran that there is greater clarity now about the limits to the Russian-Israeli relationship. Israel tried hard initially to remain neutral in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and even projected an aspirational role as facilitator-cum-mediator. But the Biden Administration would have none of it and has come down on the Naftali Bennett government like a ton of bricks, demanding that it must behave like any subaltern is expected to do.
Israel-Russia relations are being tested
Israelis are realists. Which is why Foreign Minister Yair Lapid went down on his knees to explicitly accuse Russia of war crimes in Ukraine. But in the process, Lapid went somewhat overboard, as he chose a venue in Greece in the presence of his Greek and Cypriot counterparts to lambast Russia:
“A large and powerful country has invaded a smaller neighbour without any justification. Once again, the ground is soaked with the blood of innocent civilians. The images and testimony from Ukraine are horrific. Russian forces committed war crimes against a defenceless civilian population. I strongly condemn these war crimes.”
Lapid, a former general himself who is no stranger to war crimes, probably ingratiated himself personally with the Russophobic “hawks” in Washington, being Israel’s next prime minister. But he twisted the knife deep into the Russian consciousness. And Moscow’s reaction has been swift.
Not only was the Israeli ambassador summoned by the Russian Foreign Ministry but two other things happened in quick succession. First, in a not-too-subtle hint, Admiral Oleg Zhuravlev, the deputy chief of the Russian Centre for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, disclosed that a Syrian-operated, Russian-made Buk M2E air defense system had recently intercepted a guided missile fired from an Israeli F-16 fighter jet in Syrian airspace.
The disclosure of the Syrian interception was as good a warning as there could be that Russia might no longer tolerate future Israeli strikes against targets in Syria (which are mostly Iranian assets.)
Second, Putin himself appeared on the scene writing a letter to Bennett demanding that Israel should transfer control of Jerusalem’s Church of St. Alexander Nevsky to Russia, as was promised by Netanyahu as part of a deal two years ago to win the release of an Israeli-American national detained in Russia on drug charges.
This latter issue will be a bitter pill for Bennett to swallow — to transfer to Russia the custodianship of the church located in Jerusalem’s Old City. The church is of exceptional importance to the Russian Orthodox Church and is a place of pilgrimage for Orthodox Russians who are inextricably linked with the rising tide of Russian nationalism.
A Voice of America report lost no time in noting that “the issue is one of the latest flashpoint in the increasingly contentious relations between the two countries during the Russian war against Ukraine.”
Long-term planning
While Israel has a parochial and time-serving foreign policy, what distinguishes Iran’s compass is its sheer breadth of strategic vision. Iran understands perfectly well that the west is pursuing dangerous intentions in the Ukraine crisis.
Tehran sees through “the west’s strategy of turning Ukraine into a deadly quagmire for Russia to create the conditions for the west to play a more active role on the world stage, especially in the eastern hemisphere, by removing it from the list of major players on the international stage,” as an influential Iranian commentator wrote last week.
Conceivably, Iran’s best hope and interest would lie in Russia’s success in overcoming the crisis which may lead to a reset of the world order in the direction of greater multipolarity away from the prevailing western-led political and financial systems.
Evidently, the Biden administration is taking its own time to reach an agreement with Iran on the lifting of sanctions against Iran. It is baiting Tehran with patently-contrived, fantastic propositions almost on a daily basis: while Washington may remove the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from the terror list, its elite Quds Force shall remain branded as such; and so forth.
However, the heart of the matter is that the Biden administration’s foreign policies are currently Russia-centric (rather, ‘Putin-centric’) and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Washington is seeking reasonable certainty that Iran is willing to distance itself from Russia. The specter that haunts the Biden administration is the sheer possibility of two energy superpowers — with ideological affinities for a just and equitable world order and multipolar trade and currency regimes — working in tandem, which the US is hard-pressed to counter effectively.
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.
Israeli media comment on the speeches of Hezbollah Secretary-General and IRGC Commander on the occasion of International Al-Quds Day.
Israeli occupation soldiers
Israeli media underscored Friday that the upcoming weeks will pose a major challenge to the Israeli security and military establishment.
Arab affairs commentator on Israeli Channel 13, Hezi Simantov, said that Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Hossein Salami praised and encouraged Palestinian operations.
Simantov added that the two leaders called on more Palestinians to carry out operations in occupied Palestinian territories, knowing that it would be difficult to thwart them in advance.
The Israeli commentator pointed out that the Hamas movement will continue to activate one-man solo operations carried out by Palestinians in the occupied territories in the coming weeks, considering that this would be a major challenge to the Israeli occupation security and military establishment.
It is noteworthy that Sayyed Nasrallah underscored Friday in his speech on the occasion of the International Al-Quds Day that these operations exposed the fragility of the Israeli occupation’s security and the weakness of its security apparatus. He stressed that they also impacted the Israeli settlers’ trust in their government and army, which has vast tremendous repercussions.
In the same context, the Israeli newspaper “Israel” Hayom quoted an excerpt of Nasrallah’s speech, in which he said, “I found out that Iran informed normalizing countries that any aggression against Iran from these countries will be responded to, and this message has made it to [“Tel Aviv”]… Iran could strike Israel directly, and its preludes are becoming greater by the day.”
The newspaper indicated that in his statement, Nasrallah meant by the normalizing country the two Gulf states who signed the so-called “Abrahamic Accords”, namely the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The only antidote to propaganda dementia is served by sparse voices of reason, which happen to be Russian, thus silenced and/or dismissed.
By Pepe Escobar, posted with the author’s permission and widely cross-posted
Especially since the onset of GWOT (Global War on Terror) at the start of the millennium, no one ever lost money betting against the toxic combo of hubris, arrogance and ignorance serially deployed by the Empire of Chaos and Lies.
What passes for “analysis” in the vast intellectual no-fly zone known as U.S. Think Tankland includes wishful thinking babble such as Beijing “believing” that Moscow would play a supporting role in the Chinese century just to see Russia, now, in the geopolitical driver’s seat.
This is a fitting example not only of outright Russophobic/Sinophobic paranoia about the emergence of peer competitors in Eurasia – the primeval Anglo-American nightmare – but also crass ignorance about the finer points of the complex Russia-China comprehensive strategic partnership.
As Operation Z methodically hits Phase 2, the Americans – with a vengeance – have also embarked on their symmetrical Phase 2, which de facto translates as an outright escalation towards Totalen Krieg, from shades of hybrid to incandescent, everything of course by proxy. Notorious Raytheon weapons peddler reconverted into Pentagon head, Lloyd Austin, gave away the game in Kiev:
“We want to see Russia weakened to the degree that it can’t do the kinds of things that it has done in invading Ukraine.”
So this is it: the Empire wants to annihilate Russia. Cue to War Inc.’s frenzy of limitless weapon cargos descending on Ukraine, the overwhelming majority on the road to be duly eviscerated by Russian precision strikes. The Americans are sharing intel 24/7 with Kiev not only on Donbass and Crimea but also Russian territory. Totalen Krieg proceeds in parallel to the engineered controlled demolition of the EU’s economy, with the European Commission merrily acting as a sort of P.R. arm of NATO.
Amidst the propaganda dementia cum acute cognitive dissonance overdrive across the whole NATOstan sphere, the only antidote is served by sparse voices of reason, which happen to be Russian, thus silenced and/or dismissed. The West ignores them at their own collective peril.
Patrushev goes Triple-X unplugged
Let’s start with President Putin’s speech to the Council of Legislators in St. Petersburg celebrating the Day of Russian Parliamentarism.
Putin demonstrated how a hardly new “geopolitical weapon” relying on “Russophobia and neo-Nazis”, coupled with efforts of “economic strangulation”, not only failed to smother Russia, but impregnated in the collective unconscious the feeling this an existential conflict: a “Second Great Patriotic War”.
With off the charts hysteria across the spectrum, a message for an Empire that still refuses to listen, and doesn’t even understand the meaning of “indivisibility of security”, had to be inevitable:
“I would like to emphasize once again that if someone intends to interfere in the events taking place from the outside and creates threats of a strategic nature unacceptable to Russia, they should know that our retaliatory strikes will be lightning fast. We have all the tools for this. Such as no one can boast of now. And we won’t brag. We will use them if necessary. And I want everyone to know about it – we have made all the decisions on this matter.”
Translation: non-stop provocations may lead Mr. Kinzhal, Mr. Zircon and Mr. Sarmat to be forced to present their business cards in select Western latitudes, even without an official invitation.
Arguably for the first time since the start of Operation Z, Putin made a distinction between military operations in Donbass and the rest of Ukraine. This directly relates to the integration in progress of Kherson, Zaporozhye and Kharkov, and implies the Russian Armed Forces will keep going and going, establishing sovereignty not only in the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics but also over Kherson, Zaporozhye, and further on down the road from the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea, all the way to establishing full control of Nikolaev and Odessa.
The formula is crystal clear: “Russia cannot allow the creation of anti-Russian territories around the country.”
Now let’s move to an extremely detailed interview by Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev to Rossiyskaya Gazeta, where Patrushev sort of went triple-X unplugged.
The key take away may be here: “The collapse of the American-centric world is a reality in which one must live and build an optimal line of behavior.” Russia’s “optimal line of behavior” – much to the wrath of the universalist and unilateralist hegemon – features “sovereignty, cultural and spiritual identity and historical memory.”
Patrushev shows how “tragic scenarios of world crises, both in past years and today, are imposed by Washington in its desire to consolidate its hegemony, resisting the collapse of the unipolar world.” The U.S. goes no holds barred “to ensure that other centers of the multipolar world do not even dare to raise their heads, and our country not only dared, but publicly declared that it would not play by the imposed rules.”
Patrushev could not but stress how War Inc. is literally making a killing in Ukraine: “The American and European military-industrial complex is jubilant, because thanks to the crisis in Ukraine, it has no respite from order. It is not surprising that, unlike Russia, which is interested in the speedy completion of a special military operation and minimizing losses on all sides, the West is determined to delay it at least to the last Ukrainian.”
And that mirrors the psyche of American elites: “You are talking about a country whose elite is not able to appreciate other people’s lives. Americans are used to walking on scorched earth. Since World War II, entire cities have been razed to the ground by bombing, including nuclear bombing. They flooded the Vietnamese jungle with poison, bombed the Serbs with radioactive munitions, burned Iraqis alive with white phosphorus, helped terrorists poison Syrians with chlorine (…) As history shows, NATO has also never been a defensive alliance, only an offensive one.”
Previously, in an interview with the delightfully named The Great Game show on Russian TV, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had once again detailed how the Americans “no longer insist on the implementation of international law, but on respect for the ‘rules-based world order’. These ‘rules’ are not deciphered in any way. They say that now there are few rules. For us, they don’t exist at all. There is international law. We respect it, as does the UN Charter. The key provision, the main principle is the sovereign equality of states. The U.S. flagrantly violates its obligations under the UN Charter when it promotes its ‘rules’”.
Lavrov had to stress, once again, that the current incandescent situation may be compared to the Cuban Missile Crisis: “In those years, there was a channel of communication that both leaders trusted. Now there is no such channel. No one is trying to create it.”
The Empire of Lies, in its current state, does not do diplomacy.
The pace of the game in the new chessboard
In a subtle reference to the work of Sergei Glazyev, as the Minister in Charge of Integration and Macroeconomics of the Eurasia Economic Union explained in our recent interview, Patrushev hit the heart of the current geoeconomic game, with Russia now actively moving towards a gold standard: “Experts are working on a project proposed by the scientific community to create a two-circuit monetary and financial system. In particular, it is proposed to determine the value of the ruble, which should be secured by both gold and a group of goods that are currency values, to put the ruble exchange rate in line with real purchasing power parity.”
That was inevitable after the outright theft of over $300 billion in Russian foreign reserves. It may have taken a few days for Moscow to be fully certified it was facing Totalen Krieg. The corollary is that the collective West has lost any power to influence Russian decisions. The pace of the game in the new chessboard is being set by Russia.
Earlier in the week, in his meeting with the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres, Putin went as far as stating that he’d be more than willing to negotiate – with only a few conditions: Ukrainian neutrality and autonomy status for Donbass. Yet now everyone knows it’s too late. For a Washington in Totalen Krieg mode negotiation is anathema – and that has been the case since the aftermath of the Russia-Ukraine meeting in Istanbul in late March.
So far, on Operation Z, the Russian Armed forces have used only 12% of its soldiers,10% of its fighter jets, 7% of its tanks, 5% of its missiles, and 4% of its artillery. The pain dial is set to go substantially up – and with the total liberation of Mariupol and the resolution one way or another of the Donbass cauldron there is nothing the hysteria/propaganda/weaponizing combo deployed by the collective West can do to alter facts on the ground.
That includes desperate gambits such as the one uncovered by SVR – Russian foreign intel, which very rarely makes mistakes. SVR found out that the Empire of Lies/War Inc. axis is pushing not only for a de facto Polish invasion to annex Western Ukraine, under the banner of “historical reunification”, but also for a joint Romanian/Ukrainian invasion of Moldova/Transnistria, with Romanian “peacekeepers” already piling up near the Moldova border.
Washington, as the SVR maintains, has been plotting the Polish gambit for over a month now. It would “lead from behind” (remember Libya?), “encouraging” a “group of countries” to occupy Western Ukraine.
So partition is already on the cards. Were that ever to materialize, it will be fascinating to bet on which locations Mr. Sarmat would be inclined to distribute his business card.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah on Friday warned the Zionist entity against targeting Al-Quds, stressing that the demise of the Palestinian capital means the demise of ‘Israel’.
In a lengthy speech on the occasion of International Al-Quds Day, Sayyed Nasrallah delivered several messages to the Israeli enemy, its backers and inferiors in the region.
His eminence stressed that the Resistance is making head against Israeli enemy despite all means of pressures adopted by the occupation and its backers.
Sayyed Nasrallah underlined that the formula that relates between Al-Quds and Gaza is still persistent, warning the Israeli enemy of the status of the Palestinian capital according to powers in the Axis of Resistance.
In this context, he urged countries and armies of the region to deliver a message to the Israeli occupation that says that the demise of Al-Quds means the demise of ‘Israel’, hinting out that any aggression on Al-Quds could lead to a regional war with Axis of Resistance.
Commenting on Israeli threats regarding the upcoming drills, Sayyed Nasrallah revealed that the Lebanese Resistance group has staged a ‘silent’ military drills in the last weeks, warning the Israeli enemy against attacking Hezbollah.
“Any folly by the Israeli enemy will be met by harsh response in a flash. This means that Israeli officials in such attack will not hear the statement: ‘Hezbollah reserves right to respond in the appropriate time and place’… We will retaliate at once.”
Al-Quds in the Conscience of the Muslim Nation
At the beginning of his speech, Sayyed Nasrallah saluted dozens of thousands of Palestinians who performed prayers at Al-Aqsa Mosque on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan.
He also saluted those who have been barricaded at the holy site in the latest weeks to defend it against Israeli attempts to desecrate it. His eminence, meanwhile, hailed the mass rallies which took place in about 90 countries across the world, especially those held in Iran and Yemen.
Talking more about the occasion, Sayyed Nasrallah said that the founder and the supreme leader of the Islamic Republic Imam Ruhollah Mousavi Khomeini wanted through designation the last Friday in Ramadan moth as International Al-Quds Day to “keep Al-Quds in the conscience of this nation.”
Israeli Schemes of Forgetting, Despair and Exhausting
He noted that the Israeli enemy and their backers adopted three paths in dealing with Palestine and the Muslim nation: forcing the Muslims to forget Palestine and Al-Quds, despairing Palestinian people and exhausting Palestinians as well as countries in the region.
In this context, Sayyed Nasrallah said that the first path has been foiled, stressing that “the Israeli occupation failed to take the Palestinian cause off the nation’s top priorities.”
He noted that normalization deals between some Arab countries, which are aimed at despairing Palestinian people has also failed.
“The aim of normalization deals was to tell the Palestinians that there is no hope and that they have to surrender. However, this path has also failed.”
“The heroic operations in occupied territories as well as firing rockets and the confrontations in Jenin… All these indicate that Palestinian people believe in victory.”
“The third path is the exhausting one. And it’s aimed against Palestinians and all people in the Axis of Resistance. This path includes all forms of pressures against our people and the Resistance groups, like sanctions, financial pressures and terror lists.”
His eminence stressed here that despite sufferings, this path has failed and that Palestine and Al-Quds is still one of this nation’s top priorities.
Axis of Resistance Making Head
Sayyed Nasrallah affirmed that Palestine and Al-Quds “are part of our religion, ideology and dignity which we will never abandon.”
He noted that Axis of Resistance has not relied on the political stance, but went for the military confrontation, underlining the importance of such option.
“Military confrontation proved ability to achieve victories and this path should continue. Military confrontation tops acts of resistance against Zionist entity throughout long years of Jihad. Military confrontation has proved that ‘Israel’ could be conquered and that this entity is not a destiny.”
Sayyed Nasrallah then talked about achievements secured by the Axis of Resistance in the latest months, noting that the “Int’l Al-Quds Day comes this year as the resistance against occupation is making head.”
He hailed the individual operations taking place in Palestine in the latest weeks, calling for offering all forms of support to Palestinian people.
“Individual operations carried out by Palestinians against Israeli occupation in the latest weeks are game-changing acts of resistance. They Palestinian individual operations revealed the Israeli occupation’s vulnerability.”
He said that the individual operations toppled the Israeli formula which is based on occupation and security, noting that the Zionist entity “can’t survive without security” and that this is one of the most achievements secured by this kind of operations.
The Hezbollah S.G. also pointed to the Al-Quds-Gaza formula established by Palestinian Resistance following Sword of Al-Quds Op. in 2021, stressing that such formula is still persistent.
Then, he highlighted the unwavering commitment by Axis of Resistance powers towards Al-Quds.
‘We reiterate the regional formula which stipulates the solid relation between the Axis of Resistance and Al-Quds.”
In this context, he called on some Arab countries, which have relations with the Zionist entity, to deliver a message to the Israeli occupation that reads: Demise of Al-Quds means demise of ‘Israel’.”
“The future of Axis of Resistance is hope while the fate of the enemy is defeat.”
Attack on Iran and Israeli Drills
Sayyed Nasrallah then cited when the Zionist entity attacked Iran from Erbil last month.
“Iran retaliated by firing 12 missiles on Israeli Mossad facility in Erbil. Tehran at time delivered a message to regional countries which established ties with Zionist entity that any attack on the Islamic Republic through their soils will be met by harsh response.”
His eminence then tackled the upcoming Israeli drills in the Zionist entity next May. He revealed that the Hezbollah holds ‘silent’ drills frequently, stressing that the Lebanese Resistance movement is fully ready to confront any potential Israeli aggression.
“Any Israeli folly will be met by harsh response. In such case you (Israelis) will not hear ‘we reserve right to respond in the appropriate time and place’. We will retaliate at once.”
The daughter of martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, Zeinab, sends a message to Palestinians on the occasion of Al-Quds day, affirming her solidarity with Palestine and the Palestinian struggle.
Zeinab Soleimani: Road to liberate Al-Quds passes through resistance
The daughter of martyr Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, Zeinab, said that Al-Quds day is an opportunity to keep the Palestinian cause alive and shield it from oblivion.
Soleimani said in a message, on the occasion of Al-Quds day, that “it is clear today that the new generations are seeking to achieve the goal of liberating Al-Quds Al-Sharif with greater enthusiasm, awareness, and a stronger will,” stressing that “the consequence will be the eradication of the Zionist entity”.
She also emphasized that “the frontline that Palestinian youth established against the Zionist entity, and the confrontation against the aggressors and their allies, threatened the fragile regime occupying Al-Quds from within, and endangered the entity’s security in every way.”
She went on to say that the new generation realized that the road to liberatingAl-Quds passes through the resistance, which is why they are more enthusiastic and impulsive.
“What makes the Palestinian resistance more brilliant today is the active presence of heroic Palestinian girls and brave Palestinian women on the battlefield,” Soleimani added.
Commenting on the footage of a Palestinian girl throwing stones at the occupation forces in defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque, by saying: “Sister, know that we are by your side in the fight against the occupiers of your house until the last drop of blood, and we will strengthen your firm grip against the despicable and accursed Zionist aggressors, as did my martyr father.”
a Palestinian girl throwing stones at the occupation forces in defense of Al-Aqsa Mosque. (Archive)
“I bow before your firm determination, you Palestinian youth who insist on continuing the path of the martyrs of the resistance,” Soleimani added, concluding, “I promise you that I will be the caller to your glorious historical epic until the final victory over the Zionist enemy and your proud return to the homeland.”
Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei says Al-Quds Day changed the balance of power against the Israeli occupation and underscores Iran’s support for the Palestinian resistance.
Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei
Al-Quds Day is a message to all the Muslims of the world; all the days of the year should be Al-Quds Day, for it is the core of Palestine, Iranian leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei said Friday on the occasion of Al-Quds day.
“On Al-Quds Day this year, everything foretells a new balance of power in the region,” he added, hailing the valiant people of Palestine who are “showing steadfastness every day.”
Regarding the latest developments surrounding occupied Palestine, Sayyed Khamenei highlighted how the world is seeing the biggest supporter of the Israeli occupation – the United States – suffering from successive defeats.
“The oppressive occupation is floundering in the political and military arenas […] it has grown insane due to the revolt in the Jenin Camp after killing hundreds [there] years ago,” the Iranian leader underlined.
“All Palestinians demand military confrontation with the usurping entity. That is evidence of their preparedness for battle,” Sayyed Khamenei underlined.
“Palestine as a whole has switched to the path of resistance […] no solution can be reached without the will of the Palestinian people, and this nullifies all the previous agreements reached with the occupation,” the leader underlined.
“The strength of the resistance is the sole thing capable of solving the issues of the Ummah, especially the Palestinian cause,” he explained.
Ukraine vs. Palestine
He also commented on the situation surrounding Ukraine, criticizing the West for its stance on the war. “The charlatans, the so-called champions of human rights, who are voicing their support for Ukraine, have their mouths muzzled when it comes to Palestine.”
“The Resistance is fighting against global terrorism, helping the Yemeni people in the war waged on them, and confronting the occupation in Palestine,” Khamenei stressed.
“O people of Palestine in the West Bank, the ’48 territories, and the refugee camps, you make up the majority in the confrontation,” he stressed, underlining that Iran was a supporter of and an aid to the Resistance in occupied Palestine, and “we condemn the treacherous leaning of normalization with Israel,” leader Khamenei said.
At the conclusion of his speech, the leader called on the Islamic World, especially the youth, to increase their presence in the fight against the Israeli occupation.
Several Arab and Islamic countries are commemorating Al-Quds day through several popular demonstrations in several cities in support of occupied Palestine and the Palestinian cause and resistance.
Iran | Khamenei: The resistance is capable of restoring the rights of the Palestinian people and the liberation of Jerusalem
This time around, Palestinians fear that Israel aims at more than just mere provocations. Instead, it plans to “impose a temporal and spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Starting on April 15, the Israeli occupation army and police raided Al-Aqsa Mosque in Occupied East Jerusalem on a daily basis. Under the pretense of providing protection to provocative ‘visits’ by thousands of illegal Israeli Jewish settlers and right-wing fanatics, the Israeli army has wounded hundreds of Palestinians, including journalists, and arrested hundreds more.
Palestinians understand that the current attacks on Al-Aqsa carry deeper political and strategic meanings for Israel than previous raids.
Al-Aqsa has experienced routine raids by Israeli forces under various guises in the past. However, the significance of the Mosque has acquired additional meanings in recent years, especially following the popular Palestinian rebellion, mass protests, clashes, and a war on Gaza last May, which Palestinians tellingly refer to as Saif Al Quds – Operation Sword of Jerusalem.
Historically, Haram Al-Sharif – or the Noble Sanctuary – has been at the heart of popular struggle in Palestine, as well as at the center of Israeli policies. Located in the Old City of Occupied East Jerusalem, the Sanctuary is considered one of the holiest sites for all Muslims. It has a special place in Islam, as it has been mentioned in the Holy Quran and frequently in the Hadith – the Sayings of Prophet Mohammed. The compound contains several historic mosques and 17 gates, along with other important Islamic sites. Al-Aqsa is one of these mosques.
Israeli security forces carry out a Ramadhan raid in the Old City of Jerusalem, April 17, 2022. Mahmoud Illean | AP
But for Palestinians, the significance of Al-Aqsa has gained additional meaning due to the Israeli occupation which, throughout the years, has targeted Palestinian mosques, churches, and other holy sites. For example, during the 2014 Israeli war on the besieged Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs said that 203 mosques were damaged by Israeli bombs, with 73 being completely destroyed.
Therefore, Palestinian Muslims, but also Christians, consider Al-Aqsa, the Sanctuary, and other Muslim and Christian sites in Jerusalem, a red line that must not be crossed by Israel. Generation after generation, they have mobilized to protect the sites though, at times, they could not, including in 1969 when Australian Jewish extremist, Denis Michael Rohan carried out an arson attack in Al-Aqsa.
Even the recent raids on the Mosque were not confined to the bodily harm and mass arrest of worshippers. On April 15, the second Friday of Ramadan, much destruction took place at Al-Aqsa, where the Mosque’s famous stained-glass windows were shattered and furniture inside was left broken.
The raids on the Haram Al-Sharif continue, at the time of writing this article. The Jewish extremists are feeling increasingly empowered by the protection they are receiving from the Israeli military, and the blank check provided to them by influential Israeli politicians. Many of the raids are often led by far-right Israeli Knesset member Itamar Ben-Gvir, Likud politician Yehuda Glick and former government minister Uri Ariel.
Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, is undoubtedly using the raids on Al-Aqsa as a way to keep his often rebellious far-right and religious constituency in line. The sudden resignation on April 6 of Idit Silman, a member of the Yamina right-wing party, left Bennett even more desperate in his attempt to breathe life in his fractious coalition. Once a leader of the Yesha Council, an umbrella organization of West Bank illegal settlements, Bennett rose to power on the back of religious zealots, whether in Israel or in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Losing the support of settlers could simply cost him his post.
Bennett’s behavior is consistent with those of previous Israeli leaders, who have escalated violence in Al-Aqsa as a way to distract from their own political woes, or to appeal to Israel’s powerful constituency of right-wing and religious extremists. In September 2000, then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon raided the Mosque with thousands of Israeli soldiers, police, and like-minded extremists. He did so to provoke a Palestinian response, and to topple the government of his archenemy Ehud Barak. Sharon succeeded, but at a high price, as his ‘visit’ unleashed the five-year-long Second Palestinian Intifada, also known as Al-Aqsa Intifada.
In 2017, thousands of Palestinians protested an Israeli attempt at installing ‘security cameras’ at the entrances of the holy shrine. The measure was also an attempt by former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to appease his right-wing supporters. But the mass protests in Jerusalem and the subsequent Palestinian unity at the time forced Israel to cancel its plans.
This time around, however, Palestinians fear that Israel aims at more than just mere provocations. Israel plans to “impose a temporal and spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque”, according to Adnan Ghaith, the Palestinian Authority’s top representative in East Jerusalem. This particular phrase, ‘temporal and spatial division’, is also used by many Palestinians, as they fear a repeat of the Ibrahimi Mosque scenario.
Following the killing of 29 worshippers in 1994 at the hands of an Israeli Jewish extremist, Baruch Goldstein, and the subsequent killing of many more Palestinians by the Israeli army at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron (Al-Khalil), Israel partitioned the mosque. It allocated a larger space to the Jewish settlers while restricting access to Palestinians, who are allowed to pray at certain times and barred at others. This is precisely what Palestinians mean by temporal and spatial division, which has been at the heart of Israeli strategy for many years.
Prayer mats covered in blood at the Ibrahimi mosque in the aftermath of the massacre carried out by Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein, February 25, 1994. (Photo: Al-Khalil)
Bennett, however, must tread carefully. Palestinians today are more united in their resistance and awareness of the Israeli designs than at any other time in the past. An important component of this unity is the Palestinian Arab population in historic Palestine, who are now championing a similar political discourse as that of Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. In fact, many of the defenders of Al-Aqsa come from these very communities. If Israel continues with its provocations in Al-Aqsa, it risks another Palestinian revolt as that of May, which tellingly started in East Jerusalem.
Appealing to right-wing voters by attacking, humiliating, and provoking Palestinians is no longer an easy task, as was often the case. As the ‘Sword of Jerusalem’ has taught us, Palestinians are now capable of responding in a unified fashion and, despite their limited means, even putting pressure on Israel to reverse its policies. Bennett must remember this before carrying out any more violent provocations.
Feature photo | A protester uses a slingshot against Israeli security forces in Burqa, north of Nablus, April 19, 2022. Nasser Nasser | AP
Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is “Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak out”. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect MintPress News editorial policy.
هي المرة الأولى التي يخرج فيها أحد قادة الجمهورية الإسلامية متحدثاً في يوم القدس العالمي، من فلسطين مباشرة في كلمة تنقل عبر الشاشة إلى مهرجان يحيي المناسبة، فكيف عندما يكون المتحدّث بموقعه وصفته، هو قائد حرس الثورة الذي يتولى مهمة دعم فصائل المقاومة الفلسطينية، والاختيار عندما يكون بهذا المستوى، أي مهرجان ليوم القدس وفي غزة، والمتحدّث قائد حرس الثورة، فهو اختيار شاركت فيه ووافقت عليه القيادة الإيرانية العليا، وعلى رأسها الإمام الخامنئي، في إيران في ذروة اللحظة الحرجة من المفاوضات حول الاتفاق النووي، التي تتجمّد عند نقطة تصنيف الحرس الثوري على لوائح الإرهاب الأميركية، من بوابة دعم الحرس لفصائل المقاومة، التي تشكل فلسطين محور شراكتها،.
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اختيار قائد الحرس ليكون المتكلم بلسان إيران، كانت له بدائل عديدة دبلوماسياً، لو كان خيار إيران تفادي الإحراج، من خيار عدم مشاركة أي مسؤول إيراني، إلى خيار أن تكون المشاركة عبر شخصية ذات مكانة معنوية عالية، لكن من خارج مؤسسات الدولة، الى المشاركة عبر شخصية برلمانية غير حكومية، تمثل إرادة الشعب الإيراني ولا تلزم الحكومة، إلى أن تكون المشاركة حكومياً على مستوى وزارة الخارجية أو سواها، لكن قرار أن تتم المشاركة بشخص قائد الحرس وليس سواه، فهو قرار يعرف الأميركيون معناه جيداً، وهو أن هذا هو موقف إيران وهذه هي التزاماتها، ولو كانت النتيجة انهيار المفاوضات.
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ما قاله القائد حسين سلامي مكتوب ومحسوب بدقة ليشكل جدول أعمال إيران تجاه القضية الفلسطينية وقوى المقاومة، لا تغيّر فيه التطورات السياسية الإقليمية والدولية، ويمثل عهداً إيرانياً لفلسطين، في ذروة التفاوض الذي تخوضه إيران، سواء على جبهة الاتفاق النووي، أو على جبهة التفاوض الإيراني السعودي، الذي دخل مرحلة من الجدية والإيجابية، كما تجمع التقارير الإعلامية والدبلوماسية، لذلك فإن كل كلمة قالها الجنرال سلامي ستقرأ بعناية ودقة بصفتها أدقّ ما يمكن أن يعبر عن موقف إيران مما يجري في فلسطين وحولها، ومن التزامات إيران تجاه فلسطين ومقاومتها.
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قال القائد سلامي «الكيان الصهيونيّ يقترب من زواله واضمحلاله وقد أصبح اليوم جسداً هامداً وميتاً، وفلسطين اليوم أصبحت مقتدرة وقريبة إلى النصر وشمس الحرية بدأت تبزغ من مقاومة الشعب الفلسطيني، وعلى الكيان الصهيوني الرحيل من المنطقة فهو لا يملك أية دعامة له للبقاء، أما نحن فمستمرون في دعم الشعب الفلسطيني ونقول لقادة الفصائل المقاومة إن الجهاد هو سبيل التحرير، ونقول لقادة الدول الرجعية المطبعة مع العدو إن بيت العنكبوت هذا لا يمكن أن يوفر الأمن لكم، ودعمنا لفلسطين هو من مبادئنا الإسلامية وقائد الثورة يعلن دعمه العملي للانتفاضة والقضية الفلسطينية والفلسطينيون يعيشون في قلوبنا وضمائرنا وصور قادتكم ترتفع في شوارعنا ونفتخر بهذا الأمر، وسنبقى إلى جانبكم وعلى أمل النجاحات الكبرى في المستقبل القريب إن شاء الله».
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مضمون هذه المواقف والالتزامات يشكل الخريطة الإقليمية التي تتعهّد إيران بالعمل عليها، شرق أوسط خالٍ من وجود كيان الاحتلال، وفي الطريق إليه دعم مفتوح لقوى المقاومة، وسعي علني لإسقاط مشاريع التفاوض والتطبيع، فهذه هي إيران التي تذهبون للاتفاق النووي معها، فإن لم يعجبكم ذلك فلا توقعوا العودة للاتفاق، وإن ارتضيتم ربط نزاع يمثله الاتفاق، تتحدد معه قضايا الخلاف، فمرحبا، ومثله خطاب لدول الخليج، هذا هو منظورنا للمنطقة فإن اعتبرتم مسار التطبيع خياراً استراتيجياً يحول دون السير في التفاهمات، فهذا شأنكم، وإن أدركتم أنه خيار فاشل يحتضر فذلك خير لكم، وإن فضلتم ربط النزاع حوله، فلتعلموا أننا نعمل على إسقاطه ولن نتوقف عن ذلك.
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الحرس الثوريّ هو الجهة التي تقول أميركا وكيان الاحتلال وحكومات الخليج إنه يقود العلاقة الإيرانية بحركات المقاومة، التي يصنفها هؤلاء إرهاباً، كما يصنفون الحرس، وعلى رفعه من لوائح الإرهاب الأميركية يتوقف مصير الاتفاق النووي، وعندما يعلن الحرس من غزة عبر الشاشات، بلسان قائده، دعم إيران للمقاومة فهو يتحدّث عن دعم بالصواريخ الدقيقة والطائرات المسيّرة، وهكذا قررت إيران أن تحتفل بيوم القدس، بأن ترسم معادلة الإقليم المقبلة، مشروعنا زوال «إسرائيل»، فمن رغب بالحوار معنا أن يدرك هويتنا الواضحة سلفاً، ومن يرغب بالتفاهم معنا فليعلم مع مَن يقوم بالتفاهم، ومن يقدم على التفاوض فليضع في حسابه سلفاً ما ليس قابلاً للتفاوض عندنا!
Two Palestinians were killed and another succumbed to his wounds. Also, 86 others, including 7 children, 2 paramedics and 3 journalists, were wounded by Israeli occupation forces’ (IOF) fire while tens of others suffocated and sustained bruises in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, except 2 fishermen wounded in the Gaza Strip.
On 22 April 2022, a Palestinian succumbed to his serious injury in Ibn Sinai Hospital in Jenin, noting that he was wounded by IOF’s fire during their incursion into al-Yamoun village in Jenin on 18 April 2022.
On 26 and 27 April 2022, during IOF’s incursion into Jenin and Jericho in the West Bank 2 Palestinians were killed, and 6 others were wounded, including 2 children. In addition, 4 Palestinians were arrested. More information available here.
Meanwhile, those wounded were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied suppression of peaceful protests and gatherings organized by Palestinian civilians and they were as follows:
22 April: 31 Palestinians, including 2 medics and 3 journalists, were wounded during IOF’s extensive suppression of thousands of worshippers in al-Aqsa Mosque, yards and praying halls in East Jerusalem. Following the Friday prayer, IOF resumed their attacks on the worshippers at al-Aqsa Mosque and fired tens of teargas canisters via drones in the yard of Dome of the Rock praying hall. As a result, 26 suffocated, including children and women. On the same day, a Palestinian was wounded with a bullet in his leg in clashes with IOF near the main entrance to al-Nabi Saleh village in Ramallah. Also, a Palestinian was wounded with a bullet in the foot in IOF’s shooting at workers who attempt to cross via the annexation wall in western Jenin. Six others, including 2 children, were wounded with rubber bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in Qalqilya.
23 April: two Palestinians were wounded with bullets, and 3 others were arrested after being beaten during IOF’s incursion into Qalendia refugee camp in East Jerusalem. On the same day, 3 Palestinians, including 2 children, were wounded with rubber bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in Qalqilya. Three others, including a child, were wounded with IOF’s fire as the latter were protecting settlers, who launched attacks against Palestinians in Sorif village in Hebron.
24 April: 4 Palestinians were wounded by IOF’s fire on workers who attempted to cross via the annexation wall in Tulkarm.
25 April: a Palestinian was wounded with a bullet in clashes with IOF during their incursion into al-Zababda village in Jenin. Also, 2 sibling fishermen were wounded with rubber bullets along with another one and then arrested by IOF after the latter chased and confiscated their boat off Rafah shore, southern Gaza Strip. They were later released.
26 April: a Palestinian was wounded with a bullet in clashes with IOF after their incursion into Qabatia village in Jenin.
In the same context on 21 April, 4 houses and a civilian object sustained severe damage after IOF’s warplanes targeted a military training site, western al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.
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So far in 2022, IOF attacks killed 41 Palestinians, including 32 civilians: 8 children, 3 women, and the rest were activists; 3 of them were killed in assassinations. Also, these attacks wounded 524 others, including 63 children, 2 women, 6 paramedics and 16 journalists: all in the West Bank, except 7 fishermen in the Gaza Strip.
Settler-attacks on Palestinian civilians and their properties:
26 April: a Palestinian elderly was wounded after a group of settlers attacked him with batons and pepper-sprayed him in Kisan village, eastern Bethlehem.
27 April: two Palestinians were wounded after settlers threw stones at Palestinian houses in Kafl Haris in Salfit.
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So far this year, settlers carried out 99 attacks on Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank.
Land razing, demolitions, and notices
On 25 April, IOF razed 50 dunums in al-Walaja village, Bethlehem, and uprotted hundreds of fruitful trees.
On 26 April, IOF confiscated a truck mounted concrete pump in Rojeeb village in Nablus under the pretext of working in Area C.
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Since the beginning of 2022, IOF made 41 families homeless, a total of 248 persons, including 48 women and 115 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 51 houses and 5 residential tents. IOF also demolished 29 other civilian objects, razed 224 dunums and delivered 49 notices of demolition, cease-construction, and evacuation.
IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:
IOF carried out 228 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids and searches of civilian houses and facilities and establishment of checkpoints. During this week’s incursions, 102 Palestinians were arrested, including 4 children and a woman, and summoned at least 8 others. Also, IOF arrested 11 fishermen in the Gaza Strip and later released them. More information available here.
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So far in 2022, IOF conducted 2673 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 2027 Palestinians were arrested, including 211 children and 16 women. IOF also conducted 12 limited incursions into eastern Gaza Strip and arrested 39 Palestinians, including 25 fishermen, 11 infiltrators, and 3 travelers via Beit Hanoun “Erez” Crossing.
Closure policy and restrictions on freedom of movement:
The Israeli occupation authorities declared closure of crossings with the Gaza Strip and West Bank starting from Thursday afternoon, 21 April. The crossing will operate normally on Saturday, 23 April, according to the situation. On Saturday, 23 April, the Israeli occupation authorities announced closure of Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing, northern Gaza Strip to around 12,000 Palestinian workers and businessmen starting from Sunday, 23 April, and until further notice under the pretext of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. However, the crossing was reopened on 26 April.
Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s March monthly update on the Gaza crossings.
On 23 April 2022, IOF obstructed access of thousands of Christian worshippers intothe Church of the Resurrection in East Jerusalem to attend the Celebrations of Holy Saturday, which precede the Easter. IOF heavily deployed and established many barriers. Also, they closed some of the Old City’s gates with barricades and turned it into a military zone. They attacked the visitors by beating and pushing them at the barriers erected. IOF also denied a priest’s access to the Church and arrested two visitors, including an Egyptian journalist.
In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continues to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 108 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 109 temporary military checkpoints this week and arrested 7 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
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So far in 2022, IOF established at least 1264 checkpoints and arrested 75 Palestinians at those checkpoints.
Let’s start with the most pressing – it looks like our reporting on the Transnistria RUMINT last time were accurate, the escalations there are now getting worse. More and more info pours out from every direction that suggests an increasingly grave situation.
Poland and Ukraine both have now announced military ‘exercises’ that will conveniently move equipment towards the east of the country:
⚡️The Ministry of Defense of Poland announced that in connection with the “military exercises” from May 1 until the end of the month there will be heavy movement of columns with equipment in the north, east of the country
“Ukrainian media are reporting that a military exercise has been announced in Kotovsk (AKA Podilsk) from today to the 30th, ~20km from the Transnistrian border.”
Ukrainian media are reporting that a military exercise has been announced in Kotovsk (AKA Podilsk) from today to the 30th, ~20km from the Transnistrian border. pic.twitter.com/QimOqyctbW
And Bulgaria has warned its citizens to leave the country:
“Given the deteriorating situation in the Republic of Moldova and around it, we call on our compatriots to refrain from any trips to the country. We invite Bulgarian citizens who are on the territory of the Republic of Moldova to take measures to leave the country on currently available vehicles .”
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry asks its citizens to leave the country. The appeal is posted on the official website of the department.”
And many citizens in Transnistria were said to be fleeing already as snarled traffic was seen at border checkpoints.
A video of the likely Ukrainian terror attack on Tiraspol’s Ministry building was released, showing several masked gunmen armed with RPG’s shooting the building:
Meanwhile the MI6 claims it is Russia that is preparing a mass assault there:
“🔥 Mi-6 sent intelligence to the Office of the President of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that Russia is preparing a landing in Transnistria if an escalation begins, and is also activated on the southern front. Additional forces of the Russian army are being transferred to Crimea, and the Black Sea Fleet is preparing an operation in Bessarabia. British intelligence again recommended Zelensky to refrain from plans to attack the PMR until the Armed Forces of Ukraine are strengthened with new weapons.”
And ex-Prime Minister of Moldova issued the following statement:
“If the Russians manage to get to Tiraspol, it will be the end of Moldova,” ex-Prime Minister of Moldova Iurie Leanca.
“If Bucharest and Chisinau do not implement certain scenarios. Our only scenario is unire (the name of the movement for the unification of Romania and Moldova). When Romania takes this step together with Chisinau, we immediately fall under the security umbrella of NATO and the European Union.”
“So, our high-ranking insiders in Chisinau, who are really concerned about the security of ordinary people, report that the head of Moldova, Maia Sandu, is holding closed meetings with parliamentarians in order to convince them to publicly advocate for Moldova’s participation in hostilities against the PMR and the Russian military contingent deployed there. .
Naturally, Sandu does this not out of a personal militaristic nature, but on the orders of his immediate supervisors – German citizen Hans Martin Sieg and American political strategist Jason Smart, who act on instructions and direct instructions from NATO generals who cut up the corresponding tasks.
In the scenarios proposed by the curators, the Moldovan military themselves will allegedly participate nominally, direct participation in hostilities and their deployment, as well as further military planning, will fall on the shoulders of the Romanian Armed Forces. Thus, the NATO bloc is working out another scheme based on the “proxy” principle – the Romanians are fighting, but under the flag of Moldova. In general, according to the classics.
The reconnaissance has already been carried out, heavy weapons and manpower are being pulled together, but there is a problem – Sandu’s loyal associates, realizing the possible targeted consequences for their own persons, do not want to share with her the title of “bloody Maya” and the fate of the comedian Zelensky’s team, which, as we all understand, long ago decided.”
Large Romanian military convoys spotted heading towards the eastern border:
And now, the Russian head of SVR intelligence agency has stated:
“Washington has set up an intelligence center in Lvov where the Americans work with General Staff officers to get quick information from reconnaissance planes, UAVs and satellites that collect data around and over #Ukraine in space. The staff is about 50 people only from the USA. It is located in one of the communication buildings in Lviv.”
Washington has set up an intelligence center in Lvov where the Americans work with General Staff officers to get quick information from reconnaissance planes, UAVs and satellites that collect data around and over Ukraine in space.
But now it seems things are escalating and they may take matters into their own hands. Personally, I don’t see much problem with it, why shouldn’t they take the Western part of Ukraine? Russia certainly doesn’t want it and it could be a good ‘compromise’ if something is worked out on the back end. Russia only wants Odessa and in fact would prefer not to have to expend massive manpower and lives lost to conquer the western pale of Ukraine. Of course this is an oversimplification and we don’t know what disaster could turn out from these moves, or what Poland/NATO’s ultimate aims might actually be.
On that note Britain has announced the first official British mercenary killed in Ukraine
“London confirms the death of at least one British subject in Ukraine. Another one went missing. It is known that the killed militant’s name was Scott Sibley. According to rumors, he was a retired British military man who, either out of boredom or under a contract, decided to go on a “Russian safari”. Safari didn’t work.”
🚨UK military veteran Scott Sibley has died in Ukraine. He is believed to have volunteered to fight against Russia. Another British man is missing. pic.twitter.com/d9sXSYRS5o
Two American mercenaries were also badly wounded in Orekhovo, one seemingly blinded for life by Russian artillery. You can read the description in the video below for more details:
Now the most important thing to understand is that all of these escalations are happening for one reason only, and that is: Russia is completely annihilating the Ukrainian armed forces in the Donbass. It is going even more horrifically for the AFU than many imagined. Here are some new videos just from the past day or two alone showing not only possibly hundreds of losses in KIA but new mass surrenders as well:
These are unsustainable losses – the AFU is getting crushed and obliterated and the long awaited heavier Russian offensive has not even started yet. It’s getting so bad that even the most infamous pro-western sources are becoming extremely worried:
The War: Ukraine has experienced setback in the past few days. A senior Ukrainian official announced yesterday that Russian troops had taken part of the Kharkiv region. Yesterday, Russia announced that it has captured the entire Kherson region. No Ukrainian advances. Not good.
“The War: Ukraine has experienced setback in the past few days. A senior Ukrainian official announced yesterday that Russian troops had taken part of the Kharkiv region. Yesterday, Russia announced that it has captured the entire Kherson region. No Ukrainian advances. Not good.”
And another: “Russia is increasing the pace of offensive in Ukraine in all directions, – Speaker of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry Oleksandr Motuzyanyk. Apparently, even the Armed Forces of Ukraine are tired of the lulling lies of Arestovich.”
Not only have Russian advances been smashing Ukrainian defenses, but Russian strikes have continued their upswing on many objects of infrastructure:
“According to reliable information received in the south-west of Kharkov, the headquarters of the TRO/Azov was destroyed. There are dead and wounded.”
There are photos from the destroyed HQ, it looks like there could be a lot of dead.
More critical railway junctures west of Kiev were hit.
Ukraine of course continues its escalations into the asymmetric / terror warfare, hitting various sites on Russian territory. There’s still no certainty of how they’re doing it apart from clues like the fact that several ‘saboteurs’ were arrested in Russia by the FSB yesterday, who were working for Ukrainian SBU. One was in Crimea, had explosives and was planning on bombing a shopping mall in Simferopol.
Many in Russia understandably are feeling fed up, and some believe Russia may eventually designate Ukraine as a terrorist state, which could open pathways for eventual formal declaration of war and mobilization, if need be.
@SamRamani2
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Russia is likely to formally recognize Ukraine as a terrorist state The assassination attempts on Russian state media figures, which the FSB links to Ukraine’s SBU, and the attacks in Moldova’s breakaway Transnistria region are the pretexts for this move.
Margarita Semonyan, head of RT/Sputnik, added her voice to the mix. Western critics and some pro-Russian ‘maximalists’ believe she’s slowly softening the Russian public for the eventual acceptance of nuclear use:
“Explosions and air defense sirens in Belgorod. The Anglo-Saxons publicly offer Ukraine to transfer hostilities to the territory of Russia. And supply it with the means to implement this plan. What choice are you giving us, idiots? Complete destruction of the remaining Ukraine? Nuclear strike?”
В Белгороде взрывы и сирены ПВО.
Англосаксы публично предлагают Украине перевести боевые действия на территорию России. И снабжают ее средствами для реализации этого плана.
Вы какой нам оставляете выбор, идиоты? Полное уничтожение оставшейся Украины?
“🇬🇧🇺🇦🔥 Mi-6 have passed intelligence to the Office of the President of Ukraine and the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine that Russia is preparing strikes against decision-making centers in Ukraine. It is recommended not to use the command posts of the Ministry of Defense, the coordinates of which are known to the Russian special services.”
As of this writing, missiles have hit Kiev but so far it appears to have targeted the Artyom military factory and airfields in the vicinity, not decision centers, but we’ll see. The leadership is likely not worried anyway, there are reports that:
“Zelensky’s wife and children have already received British citizenship. Come on, he himself received it, although this should be contrary to the constitution of Ukraine. But the bloody clown’s parents refused allegiance. Well, at least someone in this family has a conscience. Also, by the decision of the British government, citizenship was granted to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and his family members, as well as Zelensky’s adviser Mikhail Podolyak and his family members. A number of employees of the General Staff of Ukraine and the SBU are in the process of receiving. The Ukrainian elites have prepared an alternate airfield for themselves, but the majority of Ukrainians will be left with a nose.”
The implication is that all the top Ukrainian elite are already receiving British citizenships and are ready to work from abroad in their new home soon.
One of the new Polish Warmate suicide drones has already been shot down by Russia
There’s photos of at least 3 separate Bayraktar TB2’s shot down since yesterday online. Two of them I believe were on or near the Russian border towards Kursk.
Now as for the offensives that are generating these massive casualties posted above. Russian troops are said to be storming Lyman on the northern front while having captured several small towns NW of there, like Kymky and Oleksandrivka. There are even some reports that advance scout units have already reached the outskirts of Slavyansk through the forest, although that likely wouldn’t mean much as they are not quite ready to start assaulting yet. However residents of Slavyansk already hear heavy bombardments and blasts in the distance as the Russian advance approaches.
On the Izyum axis Russia was said to have fully cleared Zavody and is now assaulting the actual stronghold town of Velyka Komyshuvakha, while on the southern end they are still said to be pushing on Pashkove, past Kurul’ka.
One report: “🔥 Many residents of Slavyansk confirm the information that the Armed Forces of Ukraine mined Kupechesky Bridge in the city. Ukrainian “defenders” are preparing to surrender Slavyansk according to the scenario of Mariupol.”
As can be seen it leads to the city from the eastern end and appears to anticipate falling back and abandoning the eastern entrance.
There’s progress in Popasna and elsewhere as well but will save it for next time.
For now will turn to the final and other most important sector of Mariupol as there’ve been some big updates.
Firstly, both 2nd in Command of Azov Kalina, and 36th Brigade commander Volyna have released new videos absolutely pleading for western help.
Kalina’s message
Azov's second-in-command keeps sending messages from the bunker beneath Azovstal, explains how they have been defending against Russian ships for 64 years in ever more desperate metaphors, keeps asking for "extraction" pic.twitter.com/iRgG0osNud
Last time we noted how various forces were working to pinpoint the secret Azov lairs and hideouts. Now they’ve managed to finally do it.
“We made a complete diagram of the Azovstal bunkers, and their connections to each other. Above is the number of the defensive structure, below are the exact coordinates.
Green – transitions between protective structures (laying from 18 to 45 meters) The main headquarters of Azov is located in protective structure No. 18182, a bomb shelter for the central chemical laboratory of the plant, for 300 people. The civilians are partly located in object No. 18207 and 18170.”
It was reported last time how there’s friction between Azov and Kiev leadership. They requested to be sent to a ‘third country’ of preferably Turkey, and I mentioned how in the past Kiev has even bombed the Azov regiment about a month ago.
Alexander Sladkov said 2 days ago that Azov only had 9 days of food left. In his new report it was said, “The militants used the building of the sanitary and epidemiological station. 3rd floor completed.
DEFENSE FEATURES OF “AZOVSTAL”. THEY HAVE A LOT OF WATER, INSTEAD OF STOVES THEY USE BARREL WITH ANTISEPTIC, THEY DO NOT GIVE SMOKE.
Ours, moving forward, found a huge warehouse of water at the plant. The militants did not even begin to evacuate him – they have a sea of \u200b\u200bwater. They say there is 9 days of food left.”
And according to Maxim Fomkin aka Vladlen Tatarsky, a prominent DPR soldier/blogger, the Azovstal will be taken by 4/30.
In short, they appear to be only a few buildings away from where the Azov leadership are holed up so things are set to come to a head in some manner soon.
Russia in the meantime continues to move troops out as one western report stated:
“NEW: Russia is moving “significant” numbers of troops out of Ukraine’s besieged city of Mariupol to the north and northwest: senior U.S. defense official Russia is still hitting Mariupol with airstrikes. had about a dozen battalion tactical groups in the city.”
Lastly, here’s one of the many advanced things aiding Russian forces in the final capture of Azovstal:
A Russian Fara-VR tactical battlefield radar system that detects both troops and vehicles, through walls at distance, and can relay that information to tankers and troop units for immediate focus fire destruction of the enemies. It’s a very impressive piece of kit that was used by Spetsnaz in Syria but hasn’t gotten such closeup attention until now.
Turkey’s decision to close its airspace to Russian military and civilian aircraft bound for northern Syria surprised many observers. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu’s announcement of this decision to Turkish journalists during his Latin America tour raised many questions about its future implications for Russian-Turkish relations.
It is unlikely that this decision may have been one of the outcomes of a Turkish-American deal following discreet contacts between President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his US counterpart Joe Biden to clamp down on Russia. Unlike his predecessor Donald Trump, Biden believes that it is difficult to achieve regional security without Turkey, which is an original member of NATO. And so the deal between the two countries included expanding economic cooperation and meeting Turkey’s defense needs, particularly in the advanced F-35s, Patriot and THAAD missile systems.
There are several explanations for Ankara’s decision. The first is that the US exerted pressure on Turkey after it became evident that the Russians commanded the battle of Mariupol and other southeastern Ukrainian areas from the Russian airbase of Hemeimim in northern Syria – from which strategic strikes were carried out against Ukrainian forces.
A second possible explanation is that Erdogan succeeded in improving his country’s relations with Washington, taking full advantage of the desperate US need for regional allies in NATO’s proxy war in Ukraine.
But where one loses, another gains. On the back of the surprise Turkish decision, Tehran cleverly offered to allow Russian aircraft to use Iranian airspace to reach naval and air bases in northern Syria. While these flight times may be longer, there are instant benefits for the two countries, especially Iran, which has now further enhanced its strategic relations with the Russia-China axis. Iran has not been ambiguous: since the outbreak of the Ukrainian military crisis, it has failed to condemn Moscow’s actions and has stood quietly in the Russian trench.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been generous with his Turkish counterpart. He forgave Erdogan for his 2015 mistake when Turkish air defenses shot down a Russian Sukhoi plane that allegedly penetrated Turkey’s airspace near the Syrian-Turkish border for a few seconds. It took a series of expansive Russian punishments for the Turkish president to apologize in all languages, including Russian, for the mishap.
Putin has showed understanding, and even patience, over the Turkish occupation of areas in northern Syria, contrary to the wishes of his staunch allies in Damascus. However, Ankara’s latest decision to establish a ‘Russian no-fly zone’ will not be so easy to forgive, especially if followed by further measures such as banning the passage of Russian military vessels through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to the Mediterranean, in accordance with the Montreux Agreement.
This remains an option in light of the rapid – if stealthy – improvement in Turkish-US relations. But choosing to align with Washington on Ukraine also risks racking up Russian-engineered military, political, and economic costs for Turkey, one year out from the country’s pivotal elections.
Further aligning with the US also means Erdogan will not be able to continue playing his carefully crafted role as a “neutral” mediator in this crisis, and host the upcoming summit meeting between the Turkish and Ukrainian presidents.
Turkish aspirations to expand trade cooperation with Russia to $100 billion dollars per annum will also be impacted, and the sale of further Russian S-400 missile defense systems to Turkey will be unlikely. More seriously, Russia may respond by developing or expanding relations with the separatist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and supporting its operations in Turkey.
Politically speaking, the Russian military operation in Ukraine is a matter of life and death for Putin. Therefore his response to Ankara’s belligerent moves are likely to be decisive and could possibly play out on several fronts:
The Syrian front: To keep the balance in Russian relations with Turkey, Putin strongly opposed the Syrian leadership’s desire to invade Idlib to eliminate the jihadist terror groups based there and restore territorial control back to Damascus. While Moscow’s position may not yet change, renewed, intensive Russian military operations in Idlib will lead to an increase in Syrians fleeing to Turkish territory, which already hosts over 3 million Syrian refugees.
Strengthening Russian-Iranian relations: This will have a negative impact on Erdogan’s regional ambitions – especially in West and Central Asia – taking into account that China, which forms the third and strongest arm of this budding alliance is a full-fledged member of this troika.
The Arab Front: Turkey’s desire to improve its relations with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and other Persian Gulf and Arab states may be hindered in light of the rapprochement of these countries with Russia and China, which coincides with the breakdown of their relations with their traditional American ally. There is much the Russia-Iran-China (RIC) alliance can do in West Asia to unsettle Ankara’s relations within the region. It is worth noting that Riyadh has not yet responded to Turkish diplomatic outreach, significantly on the closure of the file of the state-sanctioned murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Erdogan’s leadership in recent months has been characterized by confusion and volatility. Recent political developments include Ankara’s unpopular improvement in ties with Israel, its gradual involvement in the Ukraine crisis, and its warming relations with Washington. These come at a critical time, not only amid a nation-wide economic crisis but also a year before presidential and legislative elections that pose a serious threat to Erdogan’s reign.
President Putin may have decided initially to overlook Turkey’s sale of the Bayraktar drones that have arguably contributed in the deaths of some 2,000 Russian soldiers in Ukraine, and reluctantly accepted its role as an intermediary in the crisis. At the strategic level, though, it will be difficult for him to tolerate Turkey’s accelerated bias toward the west.
It is true that Turkey is a regional power, and militarily strong, but it is also true that the US-led camp toward which it is tilting is in decline, torn apart by divisions, and failing dramatically in its economic sanctions regime against Russia. Furthermore, this camp is facing an alliance of two super-powers, a nuclear third (India), and a fourth on the way (Iran), together comprising more than half of the world’s population.
President Erdogan’s gamble with Russia is risky and may backfire, at just the wrong time.
The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.
The military wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), the Al-Quds Brigades, announced on 28 April that it has successfully produced a domestically manufactured combat drone. They have named the drone Jenin, after the Palestinian city of the occupied West Bank.
The drone is based on an earlier prototype that was used to attack Israeli military vehicles near the Gaza border in 2019.
Several photos and videos were released showcasing its design and performance.
Al-Quds Brigades releases footage of the "Jenin" combat drone which was completely manufactured inside Gaza. The earlier versions of the drone were used in an attack on IOF military vehicles near Gaza borders in September 2019 https://t.co/AG8a1ITAZ1pic.twitter.com/zHCFGuCnaS
The spokesperson for Al-Quds Brigades, Abu Hamza, announced that the Jenin combat drone is currently in service and will be used in future retaliations against Israel.
Abu Hamza spoke of the strong relations between the Palestinian resistance factions and Iran, as well as with Yemen. He noted that any existential danger to occupied Jerusalem would turn into a regional war, echoing sentiments declared by Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in 2021.
“The Axis of Al-Quds possess the defensive and offensive capabilities which the enemy will suffer from,” the PIJ spokesperson said, in reference to the 27 April speech from the leader of Hezbollah on using the name Axis of Al-Quds as an alternative to Axis of Resistance.
Abu Hamza stated that the normalization of several Arab states is “humiliating,” but will not deter the power and might of resistance forces whose efforts are geared to liberating Palestine from Israeli occupation.
On 22 April, thousands of Palestinians gathered in Gaza to protest the ongoing violent Israeli crackdowns against worshippers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Palestinian resistance factions have vowed to continue launching retaliatory strikes against Israeli settlements near Gaza if Israeli forces continue to escalate violence in the Islamic holy site.
أظهر الإمام الخميني بعد نجاح الثورة الإسلامية في إيران في العام 1979 انّ هذه الثورة ليست لإيران وحدها بل إنها ثورة من اجل حقوق الأمة الإسلامية ومن أجل حقوق المظلومين والمضطهدين في العالم. وبصيغة أخرى هي ثورة من اجل نشر الحرية وتأكيد سيادة الحق في العالم. ومن هذا المنطلق أطلق في مواجهة الكيان الصهيوني جملة من المواقف تلتقي جميعها على هدف واحد هو وجوب إزالة هذا الكيان، لأنه قائم على الظلم والطغيان وسلب حقوق الآخرين.
وفي سياق المواقف الإيرانية في ظلّ الثورة، من هذا الكيان، كانت عملية إغلاق السفارة «الإسرائيلية» في طهران وتسليم مبناها للفلسطينيين ليكون مقراً لسفارة فلسطين التي يجب أن تقوم دولتها على كامل أراضيها المغتصبة من قبل الكيان منذ العام 1948 وكان أيضاً إطلاق يوم القدس العالمي الذي حدّد موعده في يوم الجمعة الأخير من رمضان من كلّ عام وتكون فيه دعوة للمسلمين وللعالم أجمع للتوقف عند مأساة اغتصاب القدس والعمل على إنهائها.
وفي تحليل للإعلان الأخير هذا نجد أنه في جوهره يتعدّى الشأن السياسي الإعلامي الاحتفالي ليصل الى المفهوم الاستراتيجي العميق للمسألة في ما يفرز رزمة من المعاني والرؤى تبدأ بوضع عنوان صارخ جامع للقضية الفلسطينية هو القدس التي تحرّك إثارتها المسلم والمسيحي على حدّ سواء نظراً لما فيها من رمزية دينية وما تحتويه من أماكن مقدسة تخصهم، رمزية ومحتوى تمكن إثارتها من التأكيد علي الظلم الواقع وعلى وجوب فرض نهاية له. فإحياء يوم القدس العالمي الذي دعا إليه الإمام الخميني يعني بكلّ بساطة رفضاً للجريمة وتذكيراً بوقوعها واستمرارها وإنكاراً لأيّ قبول او تسليم بها عملاً وتحشيداً لوضع حدّ لها وإنتاجاً لبيئة عدم استقرار عالمي مع استمرارها وأخيراً ومع موجة التطبيع التي احدثتها اتفاقات ابراهام مع العدو الصهيوني فإنّ ليوم القدس في هذا الوقت بالذات أهمية خاصة من حيث الفرز الذي يحدثه بين معسكرين، معسكر نصرة الحق الذي يحتضن فلسطين ويحمل قضيتها ومعسكر التطبيع الذي يعمل بالباطل الذي تقوم «إسرائيل» عليه.
بيد انّ هذا الإعلان الذي بدأت الاستجابة له خجولة يوم أطلق ومقتصرة على دولتين او ثلاث وبعض الأحزاب الحديثة النشأة بات اليوم يظهر في شكل مختلف وبات بالفعل يوماً عالمياً يحتفل به ويشارك في فعالياته تمهيداً او في يومه بالذات، مكونات متعددة من دول وأحزاب لا تقتصر على محور المقاومة بل وتتعداه الى دول وشعوب أخرى خارج منطقة غربي آسيا والشرق الأوسط، ثم انّ هذا الإعلان وفي هذا العام ومع ما آل اليه العالم من المستجدات والمعادلات يؤكد أهمية اعتماده قبل أربعة عقود ويثبت بأنّ فكرة إنهاء الكيان الصهيوني المؤقت ليست وهماً وطموحاً من غير أساس بل انها مبنية على ما يبرّرها ويؤكد وقوعها بشكل أكيد.
ففي العام المنصرم استطاعت المقاومة الفلسطينية القائمة في غزة ان تفرض معادلة دفاع عن القدس لم تكن تخطر ببال الصهاينة، معادلة فاجأت العدو الصهيوني بمضمونها وبمفاعليها، حيث إنها قامت على فكرة ان «القدس تحمى من داخلها ومن خارجها». وهذا هو المضمون الحقيقي لأهداف عملية سيف القدس التي ترجمت ناراً تنطلق من غزة لتحمي حي الشيخ جراح في القدس وتمنع تهويده وتثبت أهاليه فيه، وقد رضخ العدو الصهيوني للمعادلة تلك والتي أعيد التذكير بها في الأسابيع الأخيرة من شهر رمضان الحالي حيث ان مجرد التلويح بها كان كافيا ليدفع العدو الصهيوني الى وقف الاستفزاز حول الأقصى ويمنع مسيرة الأعلام التلمودية إليه وبعده في كنيسة القيامة يوم سبت النور.
وبعد سيف القدس كان بالغ الأهمية الموقف والدعوة التي وجهها السيد حسن نصرالله في ٢٥ أيار ٢٠٢١ لإرساء معادلة جديدة في مواجهة العدو مضمونها انّ «المسّ بالقدس يعني حرباً إقليمية شاملة»، ونحن نرى أنّ هذه الدعوة ـ الإعلان تشكل ترجمة استراتيجية وميدانية للهدف من إعلان يوم القدس العالمي أساساً، وفيها اعتبار مسؤولية الدفاع عن القدس لا تقع حصراً على المقدسيين او الفلسطينيين او العرب او المسلمين او المسيحيين، بل انها مسؤولية المنطقة بكاملها وان على شعوبها ان تسعى الى أمنها واستقرارها وازدهارها بإخراج العامل المنتهك لحقوقها منها وذلك باقتلاع الغدة السرطانية المسماة «إسرائيل».
انّ ما أحدثته عملية سيف القدس ٢٠٢١ من مفاعيل وما ترمي اليه الدعوة الى إرساء معادلة الحرب الإقليمية الشاملة دفاعاً عن القدس وما ترمز اليه وما تخفيه في ثنايا قضيتها من شأنه أن يجهز على استراتيجية إسرائيلية ثابتة اعتمدتها «إسرائيل» منذ اغتصابها لفلسطين، استراتيجية تقوم على التفتيت والتجزئة والاستفراد وقضم حقوق الأخيرين لقمة لقمة دون السماح لهم بالتوحد او العمل الجماعي لمشترك ضدّها.
وعملاً بهذه القاعدة الصهيونية رفضت «إسرائيل» في العام ١٩٤٨ التفاوض مع وفد عربي مشترك لتوقيع الهدنة وأصرّت على توقيع الهدنة ثنائياً مع كلّ دولة عربية بمفردها وكررت السلوك في مؤتمر مدريد في العام ١٩٩٢. اما في عقيدتها العسكرية فإنها تعتمد مبدأ «العمل على جبهة واحدة وتثبيت الجبهات الأخرى»، كل ذلك لأنها تخشى من وحدة موقف الأعداء ضدها وقد اختبرت عقيدتها اكثر من مرة ونجحت وكانت حرب الـ ١٩٧٣ الاختبار الساطع حيث إن العرب فتحوا جبهتي الشمال والجنوب معاً في الجولان وسيناء فانهزمت «إسرائيل»، ولكن عندما توقفت جبهة الجنوب عوّضت «إسرائيل» هزيمتها في الشمال.
وعملاً بهذا الشأن نجد منطقياً القول بانّ نهاية «إسرائيل» تقترب مع اعتماد اعدائها لاستراتيجية العمل الجماعي المنسق ومنطق واستراتيجية الحرب الشاملة، شمولاً في الجبهات ما يفرض العمل على جبهات متعددة في الداخل الفلسطيني وعلى الحدود مع الجوار وشمولاً في الأطراف المشاركة ما يمنع «إسرائيل» من استفراد أي طرف منها مهما كان حجمه القتالي وشمولاً بأساليب القتال بين حرب من الجيل الثالث أو الرابع أو الخامس.
وبهذا يكون في مضامين يوم القدس العالمي الدعوة للإعداد للحرب الشاملة تلك وتحشيد الطاقات للانخراط بها من اليمن في الجنوب الى لبنان وسورية في الشمال والى العراق وإيران في الشرق ويبقى العامل والمكوّن الفلسطيني هو الجوهر والمحور والأساس في المواجهة في هذه الحرب الشاملة التي اطلق الدعوة لاعتمادها وإرساء معادلتها السيد حسن نصرالله.
وأخيراً لا بد من الإشارة الي انّ إنهاء «إسرائيل» قد لا يستلزم خوض الحرب فعلياً، وقد يكتفى بالإعداد لهذه الحرب والاستعداد لخوضها بشكل جدّي وفاعل ما يحمل العدو على الانهيار الإدراكي والهروب من المواجهة حتى قبل ان تبدأ. والمهمّ أولاً وقبل كلّ شيء اعتناق عقيدة العمل الجماعي المشترك والموحد في مواجهة نظرية التجزئة والاستفراد التي تعتمدها «إسرائيل» وستكون النتائج إيجابية لمصلحة حقّ الأمة في فلسطين من غير شكّ او تردّد.
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