A top State Department lawyer says only negotiations can resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict | The US government has told the UN’s top court that Israel should not be required to end its occupation of Palestinian territory, insisting that a withdrawal could threaten the country’s “security needs.” ● During a hearing on Wednesday, State Department legal adviser Richard Visek urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) not to rule against Israel’s military occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, arguing that “unilateral actions” could not end the conflict.

■ Landmark hearings at UN top court examining Israeli occupation ongoing (Al Mayadeen)
■ Will Netanyahu Bring Down Biden? (Jeffrey D. Sachs)

"I am personally proud of the ruins in Gaza."

During a Knesset debate held on February 19, May Golan, Israel’s Minister for the Advancement of Women, made a speech expressing her pride in the ruins of Gaza. Golan added that "every baby, even 80 years from now, will tell their… pic.twitter.com/cW3VjlRlTx

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) February 22, 2024

Israeli bombing of al-Amal hospital in Khan Younis has caused fire and destruction, the Palestine Red Crescent Society says

■ Al-Aqsa restrictions risk escalating regional tensions: Jordan
■ One Israeli settler killed, eight injured in shooting in occupied West Bank
■ 'Every baby, even 80 years from now, will tell their grandchildren what the Jews did'
■ 100 children among 394 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank since 7 October: UN

■ Why isn't desperately needed aid reaching Palestinians in Gaza? (Naharnet/AFP)
■ WHO: Gaza’s health system hanging by a thread amid the ongoing Israeli genocide, military siege (Quds News)
■ UN official says Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis ‘has become a place of death’ (Quds News)
■ The terrible toll on women's mental and physical health (Middle East Eye)

Knesset discusses bill allowing closure of foreign media seen harming "Israel's national security" | Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said Wednesday that the government has prepared the “necessary procedures” to close the Qatar-funded Al Jazeera television. ● This came during a session held by the National Security Committee in the Knesset (Israel's parliament) to discuss a bill allowing Karhi “to order the closure of a media outlet if it is found as harming national security.” [...] Under the bill, the communications minister will be empowered to shut down foreign networks operating in Israel and confiscate their equipment if the defense minister identifies that their broadcast poses “an actual harm to the state's security.”

CNN has received correspondence between the UN and the Israeli occupation forces indicating that both sides reportedly agreed upon the convoy's path before the bombing. | On February 5, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire on a United Nations convoy carrying vital humanitarian aid in central Gaza, eventually blocking the trucks' progress to the northern part, where Palestinians are on the verge of famine, according to documents shared exclusively by the UN and CNN's analysis. ● CNN has received correspondence between the UN and the IOF indicating that the convoy's path was agreed upon by both sides before the bombing. According to an internal incident report created by UNRWA, the major UN assistance agency in Gaza, and obtained by CNN, the vehicle was one of ten in a convoy that was stopped at an IDF holding position when it was fired on. Most of the cargo, primarily wheat flour, which was required to produce bread, was destroyed. ● Tracing the Israeli strike reveals the tremendous problems that humanitarian organizations confront in delivering supplies to Gaza's more than 2 million residents due to Israeli siege and obstacles.

■ US intel report fails to provide proof of Israeli claims against UNRWA (Al Mayadeen)

There's a seriously insane agenda coming from the US - Specifically from the clinically unstable and blood thirsty warmongering psychopathic, under the name of Victoria Nuland.

Victoria Jane Nuland also known as Toria Nuland is an American diplomat currently serving as under… pic.twitter.com/3KyPvpCVoX

— CtrlAltDelete (@TakingoutTrash7) January 27, 2024

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a statement that Moscow remains willing to peacefully resolve the conflict in Ukraine, but the self-imposed ban imposed by Kyiv is hindering the initiation of negotiations. | Moscow is open to resolving the conflict in Ukraine peacefully, and Kyiv's self-imposed ban prevents the start of negotiations, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday. ● Speaking in an interview with the Brazilian daily O Globo, Lavrov doubted that Ukraine would engage in talks with Russia, saying: "Kiev and the West are focused on promoting (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy's formula, which contains an unacceptable ultimatum for Russia, and flat out rejects other initiatives, including Brazil's." 💬 "The goals and objectives of the special military operation were outlined by President (Vladimir) Putin and include the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine and eliminating threats to Russia's security that come from its territory," he said.

■ Kiev poses threat to Russian existence – Medvedev (RT.com)
■ West ‘only making things worse’ for Ukraine – Russian ambassador (RT.com)
■ Scott Ritter on Avdeyevka: Ukrainian Forces Failed to 'Hold Their Own on Battlefield’ (Sputnik News)
■ 1000 Ukrainian soldiers captured in fall of Avdiivka: Report (Al Mayadeen)
■ West Poured Arms Into Ukraine, Violating Minsk Deal, Ukrainian Opposition Politician Says (Sputnik News)
■ Nearly 40% of Europeans Believe EU Played Negative Role in Ukraine Conflict - Poll (Sputnik News)

The backing from the US President is expected to garner greater support from allies for Rutte's nomination. | US President Joe Biden is reportedly endorsing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as the next NATO secretary-general, according to a US official cited by Politico on Wednesday. The backing from the US President is expected to garner greater support from allies for Rutte's nomination. ● Earlier on Wednesday, Politico stated that approximately two-thirds of NATO nations are currently supporting the nomination of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte to assume leadership of NATO this year. However, it is crucial to note that the decision necessitates unanimous agreement among all NATO member states. The report also mentioned that Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins are not considered potential candidates as they have not officially submitted their candidacies, according to NATO officials.

Germany's policies implemented in the wake of the Ukrainian conflict escalation in February 2022 translated into serious losses for the German economy. | Under the leadership of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his government, Germany did its best to sever itself from cheap Russian energy and to cut all economic ties with Russia regardless of how beneficial they were to the German economy. ● The shutdown of the last three German nuclear power plants in 2023 was unsurprisingly followed by it ceasing to be a power exporter and becoming a power importer instead, even as Scholz boasted that his country is done with nuclear power generation. [...] In the meantime, it appears that Germany is importing as much gas from Russia as it was before February 2022, albeit in a much more costly way, said Dr Gunnar Beck, member of the European Parliament for the rightwing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

💬 “The difference is that Europe is now importing Russian gas via third countries to disguise the origin of the gas. So they can pretend that they've reduced gas supplies from Russia, and they are honoring the sanctions, but they just continue as they did before by importing that same gas through third countries. And it's been officially declared to be gas from other sources,” he explained.