🗣 Dr. Imad Salamey, associate professor of political science and international affairs at the Lebanese American University on possible Iranian intervention in the Israel-Hamas conflict:

"I mean, the risk is multiple because, once a third country intervenes in this conflict at least in direct ways, then there could be other countries intervening on the side of Israel as well. So, the United States, then if Iran intervenes, and the United States may intervene, if Hezbollah intervenes, you know then things also may go.... I mean, depends on the extent of this intervention. Things may run out of hand, and then you may end up with a regionwide confrontation that can go as far as the Arab Gulf. So, the situation of a wider regional conflict with an Iranian direct intervention, on a wide-scale level, and it means a highly unlikely scenario, but it is a probable scenario nevertheless."

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📹 Russian artillery uses surgical strikes to eliminate the strongholds and locations of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel.

Accuracy control and fire adjustments are carried out by drone operators.

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🗣 "For the first time in Gaza, we are being threatened in this way, with complete disregard for the safety of patients and the hospitals themselves, which is a serious crime," Dr Ahmed al-Kahlout, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza City, told Sputnik expressing his astonishment at Israel's threats regarding the evacuation of hospitals.

The Kamal Adwan Hospital is located in the northern areas of Gaza being the sole medical facility providing services to children, women and expectant mothers. "We treat those who need medical attention for injuries sustained during the recent Israeli aggression. The hospital serves approximately 450,000 people, which makes its evacuation extremely challenging, as there is simply no medical alternative for those who rely on the hospital's services," Al-Kahlout said.

"We have called on the World Health Organization to put pressure on the Israeli occupation [authorities] to withdraw these evacuation warnings and threats," Al-Kahlout added.

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🇮🇱🇵🇸 Latest updates on Palestinian-Israeli conflict:

▪️The number of Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip has exceeded 2,600, the Palestinian Health Ministry's office said;

▪️The death toll of Israeli residents during the escalation of the conflict has increased to 1,400, Israeli media reported;

▪️ Nine missiles were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory; Israeli air defenses intercepted five of them. The IDF has conducted strikes on the launch site in Lebanon, as stated by the army;

▪️️ Palestine urges the international community to thwart Israel's mass displacement plan for the Gaza Strip, according to a Palestinian leader's aide;

▪️ US President Joe Biden has appointed former Ambassador David Satterfield as the Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues.

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Biden claims that US can handle Ukraine and Palestinian-Israeli conflicts simultaneously

🗣 “We're the United States of America for God's sake, the most powerful nation in the history-- not in the world, in the history of the world. The history of the world. We can take care of both of these and still maintain our overall international defense.”

Biden did not elaborate on how the US planned on increasing weapons production enough to support two proxy wars at once. The American president has previously admitted that the Ukraine conflict has put a serious strain on US ammunition reserves.

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❗️Why have Communists, Palestinians, University students and regular Australian mums and dads joined forces to protest against the Albanese Government's foreign policy towards Palestine?

The reason is not what you think in this Sputnik exclusive on the ground in Sydney's CBD.

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Under what conditions can the US intervene in the Israel-Hamas conflict, and what would be the goals?

🗣 "There will be a two-front war, in the south with HAMAS and in the north with Hezbollah. What could be brewing here, is that if Lebanon and Syria get involved, then this could snowball from a local into regional war, then most likely the United States would intervene. And the US won’t stop at Syria, Lebanon or against Hezbollah. It will go further, trying to resolve number of its other geostrategic and geopolitical tasks, one of which is to overthrow the regime in Iran," Dr. Simon Tsipis, expert on national security, political science, and international relations told Sputnik.

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🇺🇸 US President Joe Biden has appointed a special envoy to lead the United States' response to the humanitarian impact of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday.

"President Biden has appointed former Ambassador David Satterfield as the Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues. Special Envoy Satterfield will lead US diplomacy to urgently address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including work to facilitate the provision of life-saving assistance to the most vulnerable people and promote the safety of civilians, in coordination with the United Nations and U.S. partners," the statement read.

The envoy will lead a "whole-of-government campaign to mitigate the humanitarian fallout of Hamas’ terrorist attack against Israel," supporting efforts by such US agencies as USAID and the State Department's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, it added.

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Israeli ground operation in Gaza may result in genocide, the League of Arab States and the African Union said in a joint statement

The Israeli army's plan to launch a ground operation in the Gaza Strip could lead to genocide, the League of Arab States (LAS) and the African Union said on Sunday, demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and coordinated international effort to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.

"Both organizations call on the United Nations and the international community to take a firm stand before it is too late to stop the catastrophe unfolding before our eyes," the statement added.

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🇯🇵 Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet showed the lowest approval in 2 years, ending at 32.3%, a poll conducted by the Kyodo news agency showed on Sunday.

The government's rating fell by 7.5 percentage points compared to September, which is 0.8 points lower than the previous low records set in November and December of last year, the poll showed. The number of respondents unimpressed with the government's performance rose to 52.5% from 39.7% in September, the news agency reported.

The survey also found that 58.6% of the Japanese did not expect significant results from the economic reforms announced by the government. Nearly two-thirds believe that taxes should be cut to counteract price increases, which is a measure proposed by the opposition. More than 70% said that the Fukushima water discharge was reasonable, while 20.8% disagreed, the survey showed.

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🇷🇺 🇮🇷 With Russia and Iran facing the brunt of Western-imposed economic sanctions, the two nations are now expanding their military cooperation.

Economic Isolation Drawing Iran, Russia Closer

🗯 "The core factor behind their friendship is the changing geopolitical landscape in which Washington's dominance as a superpower is being challenged," Indian veteran Shashi Asthana has told Sputnik India.

🤝 Beneficial Partnership

🛩 "With Iran's clout growing in the economic and military arenas, it now wanted to modernize its air force, and hence with the induction of the Russian Su-35, the combat potential of the Iranian Air Force will increase tremendously," the veteran summed up.

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🇷🇺 Putin in an interview with China Central Television:

▪️ Russia grateful to China for thinking about how to end Russian-Ukrainian crisis

▪️ China's plan to resolve Ukraine conflict realistic, could form basis for peace talks

▪️ If Ukraine wants to start negotiations with Russia, it needs to cancel decree banning negotiations and declare readiness for dialogue

▪️ Ukraine’s non-aligned status extremely important for Russia, NATO expansion at expense of Kiev creates threats

▪️ Russia, China working on cooperation on fast neutron reactors

▪️ EAEU countries within framework of Belt and Road Initiative provide $24bln in investments, volume and number of projects growing

▪️ All BRICS countries have their own problems, but growth of potential of these states obvious, including in economy

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Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh: Israel gearing up to flatten Gaza, wants Egypt, Qatar to handle refugees

Once the civilian population of the Gaza Strip gets evicted, Israel intends to launch a full-scale bombing campaign that would result in the destruction of the city, if Hersh’s revelations are to be believed.

First, the Israeli Air Force would wipe out the “remaining structures in Gaza City.” Then, Israeli aircraft would start dropping US-made 5,000-pound bunker buster bombs in the “flattened areas” of the Gaza Strip in order to destroy the Hamas’ underground facilities hidden deep beneath the enclave.

An Israeli insider told Hersh that the “current Israeli war planners” believe such munitions – “upgraded version of JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions) with larger warheads” – would be able to penetrate up to 50 meters deep before exploding and “killing all within one-half mile.”

Meanwhile, a former European intelligence official told Hersh that Hamas’ tunnels are situated so deep underground they can withstand the attacks with JDAMs.

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🇮🇱🇵🇸 The “humanitarian ceasefire” from Israel’s side for the southern Gaza Strip is expected to begin at 6:00 GMT and last 5 hours, Israeli TV reports. The checkpoint between the Gaza Strip and Egypt is expected to open for the evacuation of people and the import of humanitarian aid.

🇺🇸 The US military has become 'extremely weak' during the Biden administration, it has become 'overstretched logistically' which means that it can't support several military operations simultaneously, Retired Brigadier General Don Bolduc told Fox News

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