Al Mayadeen – August 19, 2024
Al-Qassam, al-Quds Brigades assume responsibility for Tel Aviv operation
In a joint statement, both brigades reveal that martyrdom operations will continue in response to the Israeli occupation's escalation and continuing crimes against Palestinians.
The Martyr Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas Resistance movement, and the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, claimed responsibility for the martyrdom operation in Tel Aviv on Sunday.
In a joint statement, the Resistance factions said martyrdom operations in the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories will return to the forefront so long as occupation's massacres, displacement of civilians, and assassinations are ongoing.
Such martyrdom operations had not been employed by the Palestinian Resistance for years.
The announcement comes after occupation police and the Shin Bet said the explosion in Tel Aviv was an attack carried out by the Palestinian Resistance, in which an improvised explosive device was detonated.
According to the Times of Israel, the Shin Bet was still trying to identify the Resistance fighter who carried out the operation.
In turn, the Israeli Kan newspaper claimed the operative was from Nablus, West Bank, while the Intel Times reported Israeli concerns that the fighter was not operating on his own.
Meanwhile, Yediot Ahronoth said the occupation's security apparatus "feared turning the West Bank into a war zone," adding that hamas was recruiting and funding tens of brigades to carry out stronger attacks, while using explosive devices and trying to manufacture rockets.
A powerful explosion in Tel Aviv Sunday evening claimed the life of one individual, as occupation authorities confirmed that the blast was caused by an explosive device placed on the truck.
The incident, which occurred in a busy area of the city, has prompted an extensive investigation by the police, who are exploring all potential motives behind the attack, including it being a Resistance operation.
Day 318 of Israeli genocide in Gaza: 40,139 killed, 92,743 injured
The Israeli occupation's brutal onslaught on Gaza continues to claim more lives as dozens are killed in one day, with scores of others sustaining injuries of varying intensity.
On day 318 of the genocide in Gaza, the total number of Palestinians killed since the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip started on October 7 has risen to 40,139, with 92,743 injuries, according to the daily report published by the Health Ministry in Gaza on Monday.
"Israel" committed three massacres within the past 24 hours, killing 40 Palestinians and injuring 134 others.
While some victims were transported to partially functioning hospitals, many remain trapped beneath the rubble, with rescue crews unable to reach them.
Dr. Marwan al-Hams, director of field hospitals at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, toldﾠThe Guardianﾠlast week, "This figure, 40,000, includes only those bodies that have been recovered and buried."
"New procedures are being developed to include those who are missing or trapped beneath the rubble in the official death toll, but these have not yet been implemented," he stressed.
Dr. Hams estimates that approximately 10,000 people remain trapped beneath buildings leveled by the Israeli occupation army, due to a critical shortage of heavy machinery and fuel necessary to clear the steel and concrete debris in search of them.
In the past 10 months, the Israeli aggression has led to mass displacement into overcrowded shelters and makeshift tents, hunger due to dwindling aid shipments, and dire shortages of clean water and sanitation, which have led to the spread of diseases.
Hospitals have been bombed and besieged, with their supplies of medicines, equipment, and fuel cut off, medical staff detained or killed, and wards overflowing with patients.
"People who have died as a result of the indirect impacts of the war, such as disease, starvation, and the collapse of the healthcare system, are not included in the war death toll, Dr. Hams said as quoted by The Guardian. "A committee will be formed to count these victims, and it will begin its work immediately after the war ends," he added.
Following previous Israeli aggressions on Gaza between 2009 and 2021, United Nations investigators compiled their lists of Palestinian martyrs, which closely matched those from Gaza's Health Ministry.
"Regrettably, we have considerable experience coordinating casualty figures with the Ministry of Health every few years," said Farhan Haq, a spokesperson for the UN secretary-general. "Their numbers have consistently been proven to be generally accurate."
Anadolu Agency – August 19, 2024
Over 16,400 children killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since Oct. 7
At least 115 babies among victims, Gaza’s government media office says
By Hosni Nadim |
GAZA CITY, PalestineAt least 16,480 Palestinian children have been killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip since last Oct. 7, local authorities said on Monday.
“The victims included 115 babies,” Ismail Thawabteh, who heads Gaza’s government media office, told Anadolu.
He said 35 Palestinian children have died from malnutrition and dehydration amid a tight Israeli blockade on the enclave.
“At least 3,500 children in Gaza are facing the risk of death amid a lack of food and malnutrition under Israeli restrictions on the delivery of food into Gaza,” he warned.
"More than 17,000 children have lost their parents or at least one of them after they were brutally killed by Israeli occupation forces" since Oct. 7," Thawabteh said.
For months, international and UN agencies have warned from a negative psychological impact on Palestinian children due to Israel’s devastating offensive on Gaza.
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Hamas.
The Israeli onslaught has since killed over 40,130 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured more than 92,740, according to local health authorities.
More than 10 months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/over-16-400-children-killed-in-israeli-attacks-in-gaza-since-oct-7/3307923#:~:text=At%20least%2016%2C480%20Palestinian%20children,government%20media%20office%2C%20told%20Anadolu.
Hezbollah drones strike Israeli Yaara, St. Jean bases
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon carries out drone strikes on the Israeli Yaara barracks and the St. Jean Israeli military base in the western al-Jalil.
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, Hezbollah, announced on Monday that it launched a coordinated aerial attack on the Israeli military bases of Yaara and St. Jean. The assault, carried out by swarms of one-way drones, targeted Israeli assembly points, resulting in several casualties.
Hezbollah's statement described Yaara as the headquarters of the 300th Territorial Brigade of the Israeli occupation forces and St. Jean as a logistical base for the Northern Command of the Israeli army. The group emphasized that the attack was in retaliation for an Israeli operation in the Qadmous area near the southern city of Tyre.
In addition to the drone attack, Hezbollah launched rockets and artillery strikes on the Israeli Zarit barracks and surrounding assembly points, destroying parts of the barracks and setting them ablaze. This operation was also in response to Israeli attacks on southern Lebanese villages and residential areas, particularly in the town of Batoulieh.
Hezbollah stated that these operations were conducted in support of the resilient Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in solidarity with their resistance.
An Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that one-way drones launched by the Lebanese Resistance had also targeted newly-established Israeli military sites in Western al-Jalil. Israeli news site Hadshot Hamot reported that one soldier had died and six others were wounded in the area, one of whom critically.
Israeli media had reported that the attack on Yaara was a "severe incident" revealing that the drones and rockets had penetrated from Lebanon and struck the settlement directly.
Avi Ashkenazi, the military correspondent for the Israeli Maariv newspaper, described the rocket barrage that targeted the Nahariya area as "unusual." Israeli media reported that at least three injured individuals were transported to the Nahariya Medical Center following the drone explosions.
As Israeli media outlets reported on the sounding of sirens on Monday morning, one Israeli media outlet said, "Hezbollah woke up angry" on the bombardment of northern occupied Palestine.
'Israel' suffering extensive damages
Israeli media have revealed the significant damage inflicted on northern settlements by rockets from the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon, highlighting the widespread fear and panic gripping the settlers in those areas.
In this context, Israeli channel Makan reported on Sunday that in response to the ongoing shelling targeting Kiryat Shmona, the local authority has advised remaining settlers to stay near designated safe zones until further notice, in line with instructions from the Israeli army.
The local authority urged settlers to avoid gathering and wandering around the city unless necessary.
Following the rocket attacks in the Upper al-Jalil on Saturday and the subsequent fires in the area, the Israeli channel has confirmed damage to high-voltage lines supplying electricity to several settlements in the region.
On Saturday, several fires broke out in Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories as a result of a salvo of rockets fired by Hezbollah targeting the Israeli Ayelet HaShahar settlement near occupied Safad.
Warning sirens were sounded in several settlements and the city of Safad in northern occupied Palestine at around noon (local time), including the occupied city of Safad and the town of Biriyeh, as well as the settlements of Amuka, Mishmar HaYarden, Ayelet HaShahar, and Alma.
Israeli media outlets reported that rockets impacting the areas in the upper al-Jalil caused fires to break out over large areas. It is worth noting that Israeli settlers in these areas are yet to be evacuated by Israeli authorities.
Tens of thousands rushed to bomb shelters on Saturday noon, while the local council in the area urged Israelis in settlements yet to be evacuated to reduce their movements and stay near bunkers and designated safe areas. Israeli media outlets also pointed out that settlers in the North "are wondering how long this situation will continue, as normal life is currently paralyzed."
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/hezbollah-drones-strike-israeli-yara--st--jean-bases
Hamas says Netanyahu set new conditions hindering completion of cease-fire deal
Palestinian movement emphasizes its commitment to what it agreed upon on July 2, based on Biden-backed proposal, UN Security Council resolution
Palestinian resistance movement Hamas said on Sunday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu set new conditions in the Gaza cease-fire and hostage swap proposal that was negotiated in Doha on Thursday and Friday, preventing the completion of the deal.
“The new proposal meets Netanyahu's conditions and aligns with them, particularly his refusal of a permanent cease-fire, a complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and his insistence on continuing the occupation of the Netzarim Junction (which separates the north and south of the Gaza Strip), the Rafah crossing, and the Philadelphi Corridor (in the south),” Hamas said in a statement."
He also set new conditions in the hostage swap file and retracted from other terms, which obstructs the completion of the deal.]
"Following the recent round of negotiations in Doha, Hamas confirmed “once again that Netanyahu is still putting obstacles in the way of reaching an agreement, setting new conditions and demands to sabotage the mediators' efforts and prolong the war
.”The movement emphasized its commitment to what it agreed upon on July 2, based on the proposal backed by US President Joe Biden and the UN Security Council resolution.
It called on the mediators “to fulfill their responsibilities and compel the occupation (Israeli) to implement what has been agreed upon.
”Cease-fire talks in Doha concluded on Friday after presenting "a proposal that narrows the gaps" between Israel and Hamas that is consistent with the principles set out by Biden on May 31.
Biden said in May that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a cease-fire, a hostage-prisoner exchange and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Israel has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack that claimed 1,200 lives and around 250 were taken as hostages. Israeli actions have triggered a humanitarian disaster and an ongoing trial over alleged genocide at the International Court of Justice.
For months, the US, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas to ensure a hostage-prisoner exchange and cease-fire, but to no avail. A week-long truce and exchange of hostages in return for Palestinian prisoners ended on Dec. 1.
https://www.yenisafak.com/en/news/hamas-says-netanyahu-set-new-conditions-hindering-completion-of-cease-fire-deal-3689415
'Israel' kills Palestinian journalist in Gaza, death toll reaches 170
The Israeli Occupation Forces targeted a group of journalists in Khan Younis with live fire and rockets.
"Israel" has killed Palestinian journalist Ibrahim Muhareb during its genocidal campaign in Gaza, the Strip's government media office reported, bringing the total death toll of journalists killed killed by the occupation since October 7 to 170.
Muhareb was covering "Israel's" latest invasion of battle tanks in Khan Younis when all communication with him was lost. 
His body was found by Palestinian paramedics near the Hamad Residential City following the occupation forces' targeting of a group of journalists with live fire and rockets.
Journalists reporting on the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip are faced with increased risks when they are on duty, including Israeli ground operations and airstrikes, disrupted communication lines, supply shortages, and power outages.
The occupation's targeting of journalists
In a recent letter addressed to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, 113 journalists stressed that targeting journalists is a war crime under international law, reminding the US of its law that prohibits aiding foreign forces involved in human rights violations, alluding to "Israel's" record killing of journalists.
In a report released by the International Federation of Journalists, reporters covering the genocide in Gaza are dying at a significantly higher rate compared to other professions.
The report further found that 12% of Gazan journalists have been killed, attributing the "unusually high" mortality rate of media professionals to deliberate Israeli targeting.
Israeli army targets Türkiye's TRT team in Khan Younis 'safe area'
The Israeli army targeted a vehicle carrying a news team from the Turkish public broadcaster TRT on Sunday in what it claimed was a "safe area" of Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza, according to the channel.
TRT Arabi reporter Sami Barhoum and his team were shot at with long-barreled weapons, with five bullets hitting their vehicle. While there were no casualties, Barhoum sustained minor injuries.
"While we were on a field mission for the TRT network, we were directly shot at by Israeli forces in the northwest of Khan Younis," Barhoum said.
"We were on a field mission, and this car is marked for the press. Wearing protective gear and helmets is the only indication that we are journalists."
Turkish Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş condemned the attack and extended his well-wishes to TRT. "Whatever Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his associates may do to cover up their crimes and evade the penalties imposed by international law, they will be held accountable for their actions sooner or later," he said.
Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz echoed these sentiments. "These attacks will not obscure the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed against the oppressed Palestinian people, which are etched into the collective memory of humanity.”
Türkiye's Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun also condemned the attack on the TRT crew, "who were directly targeted by Israeli snipers while trying to report that even the cemeteries in Gaza are full.”
Altun stated that Tel Aviv would be held accountable not only for its genocide crimes but also for its attacks and massacres against TRT and other journalists.
Several other Turkish officials also condemned the attack, including Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan, National Education Minister Yusuf Tekin, and Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy.
Türkiye tests cruise missile Kara Atmaca in longest trial yet
Türkiye's latest defense innovation, the Kara Atmaca long-range surface-to-surface cruise missile, has undergone its longest-range and longest-duration flight test yet, a senior official said on Monday.
Powered by the domestically developed KTJ3700 engine, the missile successfully hit a floating target after being fired from a mobile launcher, according to a video shared by its developer, Roketsan, on Sunday.
The manufacturer did not disclose the location, although similar tests are typically conducted at a facility in Sinop, Türkiye's northernmost province.
"During its most recent test, Kara Atmaca, powered by the KTJ3700 engine, successfully hit its target with pinpoint accuracy and completed its longest flight to date," said Haluk Görgün, the head of the Presidency of Defense Industries (SSB).
Görgün stated that the system is designed for use against strategic land targets requiring high precision and will further bolster the strength of Türkiye's military.
"With its distinctive features, Kara Atmaca will be a step ahead of its global competitors," he wrote on the social media platform X.
The jamming-resistant missile system can be launched from tactical-wheeled vehicles and is expected to target strategic land-based assets, air defense batteries, and both fixed and mobile land-based missile systems.
The KTJ3700 turbojet missile engine has been developed by Kale Arge.
The development contract for Kara Atmaca was signed in mid-August 2021 to meet the Turkish Land Forces Command's operational needs for precision strikes at extended ranges.
Weighing approximately 250 kilograms (551.16 pounds), the missile is equipped with an advanced imaging infrared (IIR) seeker head, enabling it to execute aggressive maneuvers and strike targets with centimeter-level precision.
Kara Atmaca boasts a range of more than 280 kilometers (173.98 miles), longer than its namesake anti-ship missile.
Atmaca is touted as a high-precision, long-range, surface-to-surface, precision strike missile that can be integrated with patrol boats, frigates and corvettes.
The Turkish Naval Forces Command's inventory has long included the U.S.-made Harpoon anti-ship missiles, which are now being replaced by the Atmaca missiles.
Kara Atmaca is expected to enter service by 2026.
Arshad Nadeem Is A Legend Overnight
By Syed Rifaquat Ali
Paris Olympics 2024, which concluded on August 11, brought cheers to millions of Pakistanis as Mian Channu village boy Arshad Nadeem hurled the javelin to a distance of 92.97 metres to clinch gold medal and create a new Olympic record in the process. 
He relegated India's Neeraj Chopra, who had won the gold medal In Tokyo Olympics four years back, to set a new Olympic record in the event.
Before the Paris Olympics, Nadeem was unknown in and outside Pakistan.
Today he is a household name in a country known only for cricket and hockey, and to agreat extent squash which Jahangir Khan dominated the world for about a decade.
When Arshad Nadeem landed at the Lahore International Airport two days back, thousands of people thronged the Airport to have a glimpse of Pakistan's new sporting Legend.
From Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to the most common man, all were agog to receive the unassuming hero from the rural area: Mian Channu village, a hamlet in Multan, about 250 km. From Lahore.
Ever since Nadeem arrived in Lahore, money has been raining in his house. Punjab chief minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced Rs.100 million award to Nadeem.
Others followed suit and till the filing of this story, Nadeem may possibly have collected Rs.200 million, apart from gifts in various forms.
Athletics is not a favorite sport in Pakistan, with no financial backing from either the government or private agencies/institutions.
It is his perseveranceand determination that has brought glory to him in the eyes of the world. And his Olympic record is likely to stay for a very, very long time. His feat is a rare accomplishment as no Pakistani has won individual gold medal in Olympics for more than four-decade.
Nadeem had won a silver medal in 2023 World Athletics Championship throwing the javelin to a distance of 90.18 metres. Coached by Salman Iqbal Butt in Pakistan, and later by Terseus Liebenberg from South Africa, Nadeem had full faith and determination to win a gold medal in the Olympics.
It is a dream come true to a man who never lost faith and self-belief. He trained with meager resources and never gave up even during odds. Nadeem's gold medal feat in the Olympics is bound to move the Federal Government of Pakistan to set up a national Academy for sports in order to unearth talent in Pakistan for proper grooming.
It is a sad state of affairs and the Prime Minister must step in to stem the rot. USA asserted by winning 40 gold, 44 silver and bronze medals.
But China was not far behind, bagging 40 gold, 27 silver and 24 bronze medals. Japan with 20 gold, 12 silver and 13 bronze, and Australia with 18 gold, 19 silver and 16 bronze medals were the other top countries to excel.
The enormity of the Olympics could be gauged from the fact that in 1900 Paris Olympics 975 men and 24 women were in competition, while in 2024 Paris Olympics 10,000 sportspersons were competing for medals at stake. The next Olympics will be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
Syed Rifaquat Ali is JoA correspondent in Sydney
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