Hamas reportedly rejects US truce plan in Gaza, will present its own plan
Palestinian movement Hamas has largely rejected a plan for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip proposed by the United States and will propose its own plan this week for a permanent end to the conflict in the region, The Wall Street Journal has reported, citing mediators.
Media reported earlier that the latest ceasefire proposal for Gaza, made at talks in Cairo over the weekend, provides for the release of 40 Israeli hostages in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners as a part of a three-stage plan adopted by international mediators. Each stage of the plan was expected to stretch for 42 days, with the first involving the return of the displaced people to northern Gaza, which would be supported by the UN temporary housing efforts and 500 aid trucks delivering supplies daily.
The report cited sources as saying that Hamas' inability or unwillingness to tell Israel which hostages would be released, alive, is a major obstacle, adding that Israel has pushed for Hamas to fill out the initial release with younger male hostages, including soldiers, since the movement appears to be unable to reach 40 in the proposed categories.
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Palestinian movement Hamas has largely rejected a plan for a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip proposed by the United States and will propose its own plan this week for a permanent end to the conflict in the region, The Wall Street Journal has reported, citing mediators.
The dismissal of the plan illustrates the wide disagreement between the two parties to the conflict on the deal, the report said, adding that it also reflects Hamas' growing confidence that diplomatic and domestic pressure on Israel to end the conflict in Gaza gives the Palestinian movement the upper hand in negotiations.
Media reported earlier that the latest ceasefire proposal for Gaza, made at talks in Cairo over the weekend, provides for the release of 40 Israeli hostages in exchange for 900 Palestinian prisoners as a part of a three-stage plan adopted by international mediators. Each stage of the plan was expected to stretch for 42 days, with the first involving the return of the displaced people to northern Gaza, which would be supported by the UN temporary housing efforts and 500 aid trucks delivering supplies daily.
However, CNN reported, citing an Israeli official and a source familiar with the discussions, that Hamas had told international mediators — which include Qatar and Egypt — that it was unable to identify and track down 40 Israeli hostages needed for the first phase of a ceasefire deal.
The report cited sources as saying that Hamas' inability or unwillingness to tell Israel which hostages would be released, alive, is a major obstacle, adding that Israel has pushed for Hamas to fill out the initial release with younger male hostages, including soldiers, since the movement appears to be unable to reach 40 in the proposed categories.
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The Israeli air force carried out several strikes in the Rafah neighborhood in the southern Gaza Strip, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Israeli PM Netanyahu earlier claimed that the date for the Israeli army to enter Rafah has already been agreed upon. Many countries, oppose the Israeli operation in Rafah, including the US. The media billed the start of the operation as right after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ended on April 9.
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At the same time, Palestinian TV reports that the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on Wednesday evening in the area of the border crossing and the destroyed airport (Yasser Arafat Airport in the south of the enclave). TV later reported another strike on Rafah, without giving details.
Israeli PM Netanyahu earlier claimed that the date for the Israeli army to enter Rafah has already been agreed upon. Many countries, oppose the Israeli operation in Rafah, including the US. The media billed the start of the operation as right after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ended on April 9.
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Iran's missiles built in past 12 years not relying on GPS, other int'l systems
All missiles built in Iran in the past 12 years do not use any international positioning systems, including the Global Positioning System (GPS), Iranian news agency Fars has reported, citing a source in the aerospace forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who commented on reports of GPS jamming in Israel.
A source close to Israel's security agencies confirmed to Sputnik last week that Israeli security services are massively jamming GPS signals in various parts of the country to, among other things, disorient potential enemy aerial targets such as missiles or drones. These measures come amid Tehran's threats to respond to a recent Israeli airstrike on the consular annex of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus.
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All missiles built in Iran in the past 12 years do not use any international positioning systems, including the Global Positioning System (GPS), Iranian news agency Fars has reported, citing a source in the aerospace forces of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), who commented on reports of GPS jamming in Israel.
"Iran has premeditated a solution to this issue, and all missiles built in the past 12 years do not use GPS or any other international positioning system," the report quoted the source as saying.
A source close to Israel's security agencies confirmed to Sputnik last week that Israeli security services are massively jamming GPS signals in various parts of the country to, among other things, disorient potential enemy aerial targets such as missiles or drones. These measures come amid Tehran's threats to respond to a recent Israeli airstrike on the consular annex of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus.
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❗️ The second Angara launch from the Vostochny cosmodrome was cancelled due to a failure of the engine launch control system, the head of Roscosmos said. The launch will be attempted again on April 11. Subscribe to @SputnikInt
Russian state commission clears Angara-A5 for third launch attempt
Russia's state commission has authorized another attempt to carry out the first launch of the Russian-made Angara-A5 spacecraft from the Vostochny Cosmodrome on April 11 at 12:00 p.m. Moscow time (09:00 GMT) following launch cancellations on April 9 and 10, a spokesperson for Russian state space corporation Roscosmos has told reporters.
"The start of the Angara-A5 launch vehicle with the Orion upper stage carrying testing payload is scheduled for April 11 at 12:00:00 Moscow time (09:00:00 GMT) from launchpad 1A," the spokesperson added.
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Russia's state commission has authorized another attempt to carry out the first launch of the Russian-made Angara-A5 spacecraft from the Vostochny Cosmodrome on April 11 at 12:00 p.m. Moscow time (09:00 GMT) following launch cancellations on April 9 and 10, a spokesperson for Russian state space corporation Roscosmos has told reporters.
"Today at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, the first Angara-A5 space rocket has been cleared for refueling and launch by the decision of the state commission," the spokesperson told journalists.
"The start of the Angara-A5 launch vehicle with the Orion upper stage carrying testing payload is scheduled for April 11 at 12:00:00 Moscow time (09:00:00 GMT) from launchpad 1A," the spokesperson added.
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After it failed in Ukraine, the collective West better “think twice” before provoking a conflict with China, military veteran, author and international geopolitical consultant Dr. David Oualaalou told Sputnik’s The Critical Hour.
“The Western leaders, as incompetent as they are, better think twice, because China is not Ukraine,” Oualaalou warned.
The aggressive posture of the US comes not from the democratic process, but from what Oualaalou called “the hidden hand” of weapon manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. “[They] are the ones pushing for this direction [in] US foreign policy, which is not going to bode well for the average Joe, average Jane, here at home.”
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While speaking about NATO plans to open an office in Japan, Oualaalou said that it “doesn’t make any sense” to put an office for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the Pacific unless “this is where the next conflict will be.”
“The Western leaders, as incompetent as they are, better think twice, because China is not Ukraine,” Oualaalou warned.
The aggressive posture of the US comes not from the democratic process, but from what Oualaalou called “the hidden hand” of weapon manufacturers like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. “[They] are the ones pushing for this direction [in] US foreign policy, which is not going to bode well for the average Joe, average Jane, here at home.”
“Until, at some point, [people] say ‘enough is enough,’” this situation will continue, Oualaalou argued. “We’ve already crossed that point. Something has to change, period.”
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Germany's Lufthansa suspends flights to Tehran until Thursday
German flag air carrier Lufthansa has suspended flights to and from Tehran until Thursday, a spokesperson for the company has said, citing security threats as the reason.
The spokesperson did not give specific reasons for suspending flights but said the decision was due to "the current situation in the Middle East."
In recent years, Lufthansa has suspended air service with Tehran several times - in particular, following the mass protests after the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in 2022 and a drone attack on the city of Isfahan.
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German flag air carrier Lufthansa has suspended flights to and from Tehran until Thursday, a spokesperson for the company has said, citing security threats as the reason.
"[Lufthansa], after a thorough evaluation, has decided to suspend flights to and from Tehran until Thursday, April 11, 2024 ... The safety of our guests and crew members is Lufthansa's top priority," German newspaper FAZ quoted the spokesperson as saying.
The spokesperson did not give specific reasons for suspending flights but said the decision was due to "the current situation in the Middle East."
In recent years, Lufthansa has suspended air service with Tehran several times - in particular, following the mass protests after the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini in 2022 and a drone attack on the city of Isfahan.
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Three Ukrainian drones were shot down in Fatezhsky district of Kursk region at night, there are no casualties and destruction, tentatively, Governor Roman Starovoit said.
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US convincing world it ‘has to be marginalized’ with actions on global stage
The US is discrediting the institutions it designed and convincing the world it needs to be marginalized through its actions on the world stage, Dr. Seyed Mohammad Marandi told Sputnik’s The Critical Hour.
While discussing requests from US lawmakers to US President Joe Biden to bar top Iranian diplomats from attending the upcoming UN meeting in New York, Marandi said the “harassment” of Iranian officials is not uncommon from the US but each instance is “further discrediting the United States,” and “The city of New York as a center for international conferences and international negotiations.”
Last month, a group of 27 bipartisan US lawmakers requested that US President Joe Biden block a top Iranian government official from entering the US for the UN General Assembly meetings in September.
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The US is discrediting the institutions it designed and convincing the world it needs to be marginalized through its actions on the world stage, Dr. Seyed Mohammad Marandi told Sputnik’s The Critical Hour.
While discussing requests from US lawmakers to US President Joe Biden to bar top Iranian diplomats from attending the upcoming UN meeting in New York, Marandi said the “harassment” of Iranian officials is not uncommon from the US but each instance is “further discrediting the United States,” and “The city of New York as a center for international conferences and international negotiations.”
“As the US becomes more irrational in its diplomatic approach, [it will] create an incentive for the Global South and the international community to rely less on the UN and to focus more on building new regional or international organizations, such as BRICS, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” Marandi explained.
Last month, a group of 27 bipartisan US lawmakers requested that US President Joe Biden block a top Iranian government official from entering the US for the UN General Assembly meetings in September.
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Transnistria president says forum in Moldova without PMR, Russian participation a mistake
The president of unrecognized Transnistria, or the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Vadim Krasnoselsky, called the forum on Transnistrian settlement scheduled in Moldova for April 11, to which representatives of the PMR and Russia had not been invited, a mistake.
It said Krasnoselsky said this at a meeting with EU envoy at Transnistrian settlement talks, Dorota Dlouchy-Suliga.
A source earlier told Sputnik that Moldovan politicians, experts and diplomats from the US, EU and Ukraine plan to discuss issues of Transnistrian settlement in Moldova on April 11 without the participation of representatives of Transnistria and Russia. In turn, Moldovan Deputy PM for Reintegration Oleg Serebrian said talks with Tiraspol were deadlocked, so Chisinau moved to making independent decisions, actually leaving the negotiation format.
The talks on the Transnistrian settlement in the “5+2” format involve Chisinau and Tiraspol as parties to the conflict, Russia, Ukraine, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as mediators, and the European Union and the US as observers.
Transnistria, 60 percent of whose population are Russians and Ukrainians, sought to secede from Moldova even before the collapse of the Soviet Union, fearing that Moldova would join Romania on a wave of nationalism. In 1992, after an unsuccessful attempt by the Moldovan authorities to resolve the problem by force, Transnistria became a territory virtually outside of Chisinau's control.
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The president of unrecognized Transnistria, or the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), Vadim Krasnoselsky, called the forum on Transnistrian settlement scheduled in Moldova for April 11, to which representatives of the PMR and Russia had not been invited, a mistake.
“The PMR president considers its organization a big European mistake, which will nullify the work of the “5+2” format and support Moldova’s pressure on Transnistria,” the Transnistrian presidential press service said.
It said Krasnoselsky said this at a meeting with EU envoy at Transnistrian settlement talks, Dorota Dlouchy-Suliga.
A source earlier told Sputnik that Moldovan politicians, experts and diplomats from the US, EU and Ukraine plan to discuss issues of Transnistrian settlement in Moldova on April 11 without the participation of representatives of Transnistria and Russia. In turn, Moldovan Deputy PM for Reintegration Oleg Serebrian said talks with Tiraspol were deadlocked, so Chisinau moved to making independent decisions, actually leaving the negotiation format.
The talks on the Transnistrian settlement in the “5+2” format involve Chisinau and Tiraspol as parties to the conflict, Russia, Ukraine, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) as mediators, and the European Union and the US as observers.
Transnistria, 60 percent of whose population are Russians and Ukrainians, sought to secede from Moldova even before the collapse of the Soviet Union, fearing that Moldova would join Romania on a wave of nationalism. In 1992, after an unsuccessful attempt by the Moldovan authorities to resolve the problem by force, Transnistria became a territory virtually outside of Chisinau's control.
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European parliament backs bill against illegal migration
The European Parliament on Wednesday approved by a majority of the votes a controversial bill called the "Pact on Migration and Asylum."
The bill is designed to help combat illegal migration and human trafficking, as well as to toughen penalties for crimes in this area within the European Union.
The pact will now be formally approved by the European Council in the coming weeks. The EU member states will then have another two years to implement it.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said on Wednesday that the approval of the pact by the EU Parliament is "the best possible compromise" after years of stalemate.
Hungary will not allow undocumented migrants to enter the country despite the approval of the new migration pact, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
Brussels does not provide Hungary with financial support to curb the flow of undocumented migrants on the EU's external border, the Hungarian ministry said, adding that the EU, on the contrary, pressures Budapest to "strive to preserve its identity and security."
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has also slammed the migration pact as "another nail in the coffin of the EU."
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The European Parliament on Wednesday approved by a majority of the votes a controversial bill called the "Pact on Migration and Asylum."
The bill is designed to help combat illegal migration and human trafficking, as well as to toughen penalties for crimes in this area within the European Union.
"We have delivered a robust legislative framework on how to deal with migration and asylum in the EU," the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said on X.
The pact will now be formally approved by the European Council in the coming weeks. The EU member states will then have another two years to implement it.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said on Wednesday that the approval of the pact by the EU Parliament is "the best possible compromise" after years of stalemate.
"After years of stalemate in migration policy, today's vote in the European Parliament has finally overcome the Dublin agreement," Piantedosi said.
Hungary will not allow undocumented migrants to enter the country despite the approval of the new migration pact, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
"This pact will give the green light for tens and hundreds of thousands of migrants to invade European countries ... We will not allow this to happen in Central Europe. We, Hungarians, no matter how much pressure is put on us, no matter how the representatives of the European Parliament vote on any migration pact, we will not refuse to physically close the borders, that is, we will protect the border," Szijjarto told a news conference.
Brussels does not provide Hungary with financial support to curb the flow of undocumented migrants on the EU's external border, the Hungarian ministry said, adding that the EU, on the contrary, pressures Budapest to "strive to preserve its identity and security."
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has also slammed the migration pact as "another nail in the coffin of the EU."
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📹💥The Russian "Giatsint-S" howitzer unit of the "Center" group of troops has destroyed Ukrainian artillery guns in the Avdeyevka area during a counter-battery battle, the Russian Defense Ministry told Sputnik.
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Mideast nations convey US message to Iran to de-escalate tensions with Israel - report
US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk has asked the foreign ministers of Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to urge Iran to "lower tensions with Israel" following a deadly Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Syria in early April, according to Reuters.
McGurk asked the officials to contact Iran's foreign minister to deliver the message, which they did, unnamed sources told the news agency. This comes after Bloomberg News quoted intelligence sources as saying that the US and its allies believe "a major missile or drone attack by Iran or its proxies on Israel is imminent in the coming days."
On April 1, Israel carried out an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, destroying the building. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said seven of its members were killed in the attack, including two commanders. Israel did not explicitly admit it was behind the attack.
Iran condemned the strike as unprecedented and vowed a response "of the same magnitude and severity.”
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US Middle East envoy Brett McGurk has asked the foreign ministers of Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to urge Iran to "lower tensions with Israel" following a deadly Israeli airstrike on the Iranian embassy in Syria in early April, according to Reuters.
McGurk asked the officials to contact Iran's foreign minister to deliver the message, which they did, unnamed sources told the news agency. This comes after Bloomberg News quoted intelligence sources as saying that the US and its allies believe "a major missile or drone attack by Iran or its proxies on Israel is imminent in the coming days."
On April 1, Israel carried out an airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, destroying the building. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said seven of its members were killed in the attack, including two commanders. Israel did not explicitly admit it was behind the attack.
Iran condemned the strike as unprecedented and vowed a response "of the same magnitude and severity.”
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❗️ Russian troops struck Ukrainian strongholds near Odessa, some Romanian mercenaries are believed to be among the dead, Sergei Lebedev, the coordinator of the Nikolayev underground, told Sputnik.
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❗️ Russian troops struck Ukrainian strongholds near Odessa, some Romanian mercenaries are believed to be among the dead, Sergei Lebedev, the coordinator of the Nikolayev underground, told Sputnik. Subscribe to @SputnikInt
Key statements by Sergei Lebedev, the coordinator of the Nikolayev underground:
▪️ A powerful explosion occurred in the Kherson area, controlled by Ukrainian troops, near the railway station, everything is cordoned off.
▪️ Strikes were recorded in the Kiev-controlled part of the Zaporozhye region, where Ukrainian troops are stationed.
▪️ A barracks on the outskirts of Lvov has been hit and many ambulances have gone there.
▪️ The village of Eskhar in Kharkov, where energy facilities are located, was hit by 8 missiles, the thermal power plant and the condensation power plant are not working.
▪️ In the Lvov region of Ukraine, the town of Stryi was hit by five rockets, one of which hit the local thermal power station.
▪️Strikes were recorded in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine.
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▪️ A powerful explosion occurred in the Kherson area, controlled by Ukrainian troops, near the railway station, everything is cordoned off.
▪️ Strikes were recorded in the Kiev-controlled part of the Zaporozhye region, where Ukrainian troops are stationed.
▪️ A barracks on the outskirts of Lvov has been hit and many ambulances have gone there.
▪️ The village of Eskhar in Kharkov, where energy facilities are located, was hit by 8 missiles, the thermal power plant and the condensation power plant are not working.
▪️ In the Lvov region of Ukraine, the town of Stryi was hit by five rockets, one of which hit the local thermal power station.
▪️Strikes were recorded in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine.
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📹 Russian troops used a kamikaze drone to destroy Ukrainian troops in the village of Semyonovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
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Tripolskaya power plant near Kiev on fire after strike last night
The Tripolskaya thermal power plant is the largest in the Kiev region, it supplies energy to Kiev, Cherkasskaya and Zhytomyr regions.
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The Tripolskaya thermal power plant is the largest in the Kiev region, it supplies energy to Kiev, Cherkasskaya and Zhytomyr regions.
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Russian Army grew 15% since the start of Ukraine conflict - US General
The US general added that regardless of the outcome of the Ukraine conflict, "Russia will be larger, more lethal and angrier with the West."
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"In sum, Russia is on track to command the largest military on the continent," US Army General Christopher Cavoli, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told the House Armed Services Committee.
The US general added that regardless of the outcome of the Ukraine conflict, "Russia will be larger, more lethal and angrier with the West."
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🚨 WATCH LIVE: Lavrov holds meeting with BRICS lawmakers
👉 Watch live here or on Sputnik's website
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Lavrov Holds Meeting With BRICS Lawmakers
BRICS is a major economic alliance Global South nations, founded by Russia, China, India, and Brazil, with South Africa joining later. Recently, BRICS has undergone a major expansion with the addition of several new members.
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Sputnik International
Tripolskaya power plant near Kiev on fire after strike last night The Tripolskaya thermal power plant is the largest in the Kiev region, it supplies energy to Kiev, Cherkasskaya and Zhytomyr regions. Subscribe to @SputnikInt
❗️Ukrainian company Centrenergo reports complete destruction of Tripolskaya power plant near Kiev
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