63 killed in Gaza in 24 hours; WHO says Khan Younis damage ‘unimaginable’

Black smoke rises among the streets of the city after Israeli attacks as some of the Palestinians return to their homes in Khan Younis [Yasser Qudaih/Anadolu]

Israeli attacks on both the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank continue. In Gaza, Israeli forces bombed Nuseirat refugee camp while in the West Bank, a raid in Tubas governorate has killed at least two Palestinians.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said destruction in Khan Younis and damage to the medical sector was “disproportionate to anything one can imagine” after the Israeli army withdrawal.

Unrelenting Israeli raids pushing more West Bank youth to arms

Tubas is a quiet area, where Palestinians often work in agriculture.

But lately we’ve seen young men in Tubas, al Fara’a and surrounding areas unite together and form the fighting battalion of Tubas. It is a very new group compared to others that have been active for years in Jenin, in Balata refugee camp and other places.

Palestinians will tell you it is the Israeli raids that have led many people to choose arms as the way to confront Israel.

The raids, they say, show the control, power and brutality of the Israeli military occupation. It is leading many Palestinians to say that armed resistance is the only way to fight.

Aid entering Gaza just ‘a drop in the ocean’

Despite the Israeli military announcing it would allow 500 trucks of aid into Gaza per day, the amount actually making its way into the enclave “is less than one would imagine”, reports Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud from Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

“It is only a drop in the ocean compared to the needs of people”, Mahmoud said of the aid entering Gaza, adding that people’s living conditions were deteriorating both in Rafah, where resources are “depleting”, and in northern Gaza, where the hunger crisis is “raging”.

People are suffering “not only from the ongoing bombing campaign but by the [Israeli military’s] obstruction of aid delivery”, said Mahmoud.

Indonesia denies Israeli reports on normalizing ties

Analysis Stephen Pollard is a braggart who made a post about Indonesia's plans to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel by joining the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) organization.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, stated on Friday (12/4/2024) that the process of Indonesia entering the OECD as a member is still long. Indonesia will only adopt the membership roadmap in May 2024. Within this roadmap, there are many things that Indonesia must prepare for.

The length of time required to become a full member of the OECD varies depending on the readiness of each country. According to Iqbal, some countries need three years, but there are also those who require more than five years.

"Until now, (Indonesia) has no plans to open diplomatic relations with Israel, especially amidst the situation of Israeli atrocities in Gaza. Indonesia's position has not changed and remains firmly in support of Palestinian independence within the framework of a two-state solution. "Indonesia will always consistently be at the forefront of defending the rights of the Palestinian people," said Iqbal in a written statement.

On April 11, several Israeli media outlets reported that Indonesia will establish diplomatic relations with Israel in order to join the OECD. Ynet News reported that this has been discussed secretly for three months by representatives from Indonesia, Israel, and the OECD.

The OECD consists of 38 countries, mostly categorized as high-income countries, with an average gross national income (GNI) per capita of 44,886 US dollars in 2022.

To become a member of the OECD, Indonesia must be accepted by all member countries of the organization. Furthermore, Indonesia must establish diplomatic relations with all member countries.

If approved to become a member of the OECD, Indonesia will be the first Southeast Asian country and the third Asian country to join the organization which is often referred to as the "developed countries club". Previously, Japan joined in 1964 and South Korea in 1996 (Kompas, 11/8/2023).

There are only two members with a status of upper-middle-income countries, namely Colombia (GNI per capita of 6,630.3 US dollars) and Costa Rica (GNI per capita of 13,198 US dollars). For comparison, Indonesia's GNI per capita in 2022 is 4,580 US dollars, which puts Indonesia back as an upper-middle-income country.

Citing Ynet News, the restoration of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Israel has been driven by the United States since former President Donald Trump was in office. However, this failed to materialize due to the Israel-Hamas conflict that broke out since October 7, 2023.

Recently, the discourse to restore diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Israel has revived thanks to the OECD. The media Jerusalem Post said that this was marked by Israel allowing Indonesian military aircraft to participate in dropping aid by air in Gaza. Israel does not allow Türkiye to do the same, even though the two countries have diplomatic relations.

On March 26th, OECD Secretary-General Mathias Cormann wrote a letter to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz. Cormann emphasized the OECD's readiness to help create relations between Israel and Indonesia. Ynet News reported that the content of the letter has been approved by Indonesia.

"With pleasure, I hereby inform you that officially the council has approved clear and explicit initial requirements that require Indonesia to establish diplomatic relations with all OECD member countries before making a decision to accept Indonesia as a member of the organization," said Cormann in the letter.

In his response letter to Cormann, Katz wrote, "I share the same hope that this process will bring change for Indonesia. I look forward to a positive change in Indonesia's policy towards Israel, especially in leaving behind policies that are hostile towards Israel, and opening the way towards full diplomatic relations with all parties."

Furthermore, Cormann explained that Indonesia still has to undergo a process for two to three years before it can join the OECD. There are 26 committees that will monitor laws, policies, and regulations in the country.

“I stress that until now, there is no plan to open diplomatic relations with Israel, especially amid the country’s atrocities in Gaza at present. Indonesia’s position has not changed, [and] we continue to support Palestinian independence within the framework of a two-state solution,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lalu Muhammad Iqbal said on Thursday.

Presidential Special Staff Coordinator Ari Dwipayana emphasized that circulated news in foreign media, stating that Indonesia had plans for official diplomatic relations with Israel, is false.

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Putin explains strikes on Ukrainian energy facilities

In this handout video grab released by the Russian Defence Ministry, a view shows a rocket strike at an oil refinery and fuel depots in Kremenchug.
©Sputnik/Russian Defense Ministry

Russia has been forced to repel attacks on its energy facilities in recent months and must retaliate, President Vladimir Putin told his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, during talks in Moscow on Thursday.

Since Kiev launched its drone campaign against Russian fuel sites, Moscow has conducted several large-scale strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which the Defense Ministry described as retaliatory.

The latest attack was confirmed on Thursday. The ministry stated that Russian forces unleashed a wave of high-precision strikes involving long-range air- and sea-based weapons and drones on energy and oil facilities across Ukraine, disrupting the work of defense-oriented enterprises and degrading military production and logistics for Kiev’s frontline units. Russia insists that the attacks never target civilians.

“First of all, we assume that this is how we affect the defense industry of Ukraine, and affect it directly,” Putin said, noting that the strikes on energy facilities in Ukraine are part of the process of “demilitarization.”

He stressed that Russia “did not conduct any strikes” during the winter for humanitarian reasons. “We did not want to leave social institutions, hospitals, and so on without power, but after a series of strikes on our energy facilities, we were forced to respond,” the president said, adding that Moscow is ready to engage in talks.

Lukashenko replied that Kiev is provoking Russia into conducting these strikes. Moscow first targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure in the autumn of 2022, after Russia’s Crimean Bridge was bombed that October.

Since January, Ukraine has launched numerous long-range attacks on Russian energy facilities, including oil depots and refineries, using kamikaze drones. The Guardian reported earlier this month, citing the country’s military intelligence, that these tactics are used due to the fact that Kiev has realized that it cannot defeat Russia on the battlefield.

Ukraine peace talks without Russia ‘nonsense’ – Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has mocked a planned Ukraine peace conference in Switzerland, saying that Moscow is ready for a diplomatic solution but that holding negotiations without it is “nonsense.” Russia has not been invited to the talks.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin attend a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia.
©Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov

During a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday, Putin reiterated that Moscow had not rejected a peaceful end to the Ukraine conflict, explaining that it is “exactly what we’re inclined to do.” But Russia would not accept any imposed agreements ignoring its interests, he stressed.

Speaking about Switzerland’s plans to host an international conference in June on peace in Ukraine, Putin noted that Moscow had not been invited.

“They think that we have nothing to do there, and at the same time they say that nothing can be solved without us. Since we are not going there (it has now turned into a kind of nonsense),” the Russian leader said.

“They say, we refuse to negotiate. We’re not invited, but they say that we refuse.”

“It would be funny if it were not so sad,” he concluded.

The only thing the West can agree on without having Russia at the table is how to “intensify escalation,” Lukashenko remarked.

“Without Russia, what peace process are we talking about? No peace settlement is possible without Russia,” the Belarusian leader stated.

Russia’s peace efforts led to major negotiations in Türkiye at an early stage in the conflict, Putin said. He recalled that during the talks in Istanbul in March 2022, the Ukrainian delegation had initially agreed with some of Russia’s terms. However, “under pressure from the West, the Ukrainian side opted out of these agreements.”

“We were told that Ukraine could not sign the document ‘with a gun to its head’, that we had to withdraw our troops from Kiev. So we did,” the Russian president said. “Immediately after we did that, our agreements were discarded,” he added.

Ukraine has now realized that it cannot defeat Russia on the battlefield, but by refusing to negotiate, it has driven itself into a corner, Putin said.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky signed a law in 2022 which declares peace talks impossible as long as Vladimir Putin remains in power.

Russia has repeatedly asserted that it is in principle ready to engage in peace negotiations with Ukraine. According to Moscow however, Kiev and its Western backers have set unrealistic preconditions for talks.

Watch Russian Drone Smash US Bradley IFV Operated by Ukrainians

Russian troops used cheap and deadly loitering munitions - aka kamikaze drones - to get rid of another Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) in the vicinity of the recently liberated town of Avdeyevka.

A single calculated and surgical strike transformed the US-made machine into scrap metal, claiming the lives of the unfortunate Ukrainian crewmembers press-ganged by the Kiev regime to fight against Russia.

Earlier, Sputnik reported that the special operation zone had become a mass grave of overhyped Western equipment supplied to Kiev regime by NATO countries with Bradley IFVs being obliterated in dozens. Russian officials repeatedly warned that military supplies only fuel and prolong the conflict with no chance of having an impact on the course of operations.

The footage was provided by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Watch Russian Howitzer Prevail in Artillery Duel with Ukrainians

Artillery plays a pivotal role in modern warfare, and Russia's special military operation is no exception. The country has overwhelmingly outgunned Ukrainian troops by unleashing a fiery rain on them around the clock.

Russian Giatsint-S self-propelled howitzer has suppressed Ukrainian artillery in the vicinity of the recently liberated Avdeyevka during a counter-battery tug-of-war.

Giatsint-S, despite its flowery name, is a deadly weapon capable of firing a wide range of ammunition and designed to provide long-range fire support for ground troops. The howitzer can move swiftly to new firing positions, making it hard to track down.

Watch Russian Kamikaze Drone Wipe Ukrainian Troops off the Face of Earth

Loitering munitions, also known as kamikaze drones, are cheap, smart projectiles that have revolutionized modern warfare.

The Russian armed forces tracked down Ukrainian troops in the village of Semyonovka in the Donetsk People's Republic and used loitering munitions to wipe them out.

A miniature drone and a big, loud bang. Another group of unfortunate souls doomed by the Kiev regime gets to rest in peace.

Russia's special military operation became a catalyst for innovation in the country's defense industry, with drones successfully hunting down huge US and European tanks and turning them into piles of scrap. track down.

Zelensky's New Counteroffensive Will Spell Disaster for Ukraine - Senior Russian MoD Source

A high-ranking source in the Russian Ministry of Defense has stated that the new counteroffensive will end in complete disaster for Ukraine with the ultimate defeat of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky told German newspaper Bild on Tuesday that his country already has a new plan for a counteroffensive against Russian forces but needs more advanced Western weapons.

"Due to such non-trivial approaches in military planning, there is no doubt that the implementation of Zelensky's new plan for a counteroffensive will end in a complete disaster for Ukraine with the final defeat of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the beginning of the path to peace on Russian terms," a senior Ministry of Defense source told reporters.

According to the source, "In the absence of volunteers in Ukraine willing to further Zelensky's madness with their lives and health, the Kiev regime is filling the huge personnel shortage in the Ukrainian Armed Forces with fresh cannon fodder, advancing a law on mass compulsory mobilization of citizens."

Moreover, Zelensky fully relies on the West to provide the necessary weapons for hundreds of thousands of conscripts. There's nothing left of their own in Ukraine for a long time. Besides, in the West, they're already down to stripping their troops naked.

The outcome of President Zelensky's previous counteroffensive plan in 2023, euphemistically referred to by him as "not so successful," resulted in the deaths and serious injuries of over 166,000 Ukrainian soldiers, as well as the loss of 789 tanks, 2,400 other armored vehicles, and 132 aircraft.

Bus Rosalia Kecelakaan di Semarang 7 Orang Tewas

Bus Rosalia Indah mengalami kecelakaan di ruas Tol Semarang-Batang, Jawa Tengah, Kamis, 11/04/2024. ANTARA/HO-Humas Polda Jateng/aa.

Semarang - Kecelakaan tunggal yang melibatkan bus PO Rosalia Indah terjadi di Km 370 A atau ruas Tol Batang-Semarang. Tampak bus itu terperosok ke dalam parit di samping jalan tol.

Dilansir detikJateng, bus itu membawa total 34 penumpang. Bus ini masuk parit sepanjang 200 meter.

Dalam foto, tampak bus itu terperosok dan miring ke kiri. Selain itu, tampak tulisan bus kelas eksekutif.

Kabid Humas Polda Jateng, Kombes Satake Bayu menyebut, saat kejadian, bus tengah melaju di jalur A dari arah barat ke timur. "Pengakuan pengemudi Bus PO Rosalia Indah nopol AD 7019 OA berjalan dari arah barat ke timur, di lajur kiri," kata Satake, pada hari Kamis, 11/04/2014.

Sesampai di lokasi kejadian, bus tiba-tiba keluar dari jalan. Bus kemudian masuk ke parit sepanjang 200 meter.

Kecelakaan tunggal ini terjadi di Km 370 A atau ruas Tol Batang-Semarang. Akibatnya, 7 orang dinyatakan meninggal dunia. "Tujuh meninggal dunia, 1 masih terjepit kondektur," katanya.

Salah satu penumpang selamat, Indah mengatakan, kecelakaan berlangsung sangat cepat.

Saat perjalanan, tiba-tiba saja bus menabrak pembatas jalan dan menyeberang ke ruas jalan yang berlawanan hingga masuk ke parit.

"Itu bus entah ngeblong entah sopir ngantuk, langsung glodak glodak, jempalit ke parit," ujar Indah. Warga asal Bekasi, Jawa Barat, ini menyebut ada anak kecil yang meninggal dalam kecelakaan tersebut. "Enggak ada nabrak, murni kecelakan tunggal, tapi di dalam ada yang meninggal, ada anak kecil. Kondisi saya memang melek (sadar), makanya saya tahu, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, langsung gelap," kata Indah. Kepala Bidang Hubungan Masyarakat Kepolisian Daerah Jawa Tengah Komisaris Besar Polisi Satake Bayu Setianto menjelaskan, kecelakaan bermula ketika bus melaju dari arah Jakarta menuju Semarang. Ketika sampai di Km 370, bus bernomor polisi AD 7019 OA itu keluar dari jalan dan masuk ke parit di sisi kiri jalan. Dugaan sementara, menurut Satake, sopir bus Rosalia Indah mengantuk sehingga mengakibatkan kendaraan tersebut keluar jalur.

"Bus mengangkut 34 penumpang, termasuk sopir dan kondektur," katanya.

Tujuh penumpang tewas dan jenazahnya telah dibawa ke RS Islam Weleri, Kabupaten Kendal.

Selain tujuh korban meninggal, terdapat pula 15 orang penumpang bus Rosalia Indah yang mengalami luka-luka.

EU leaders hypocritical about conflict in Ukraine — top Hungarian diplomat

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto
©Dmitry Feoktistov/TASS

Leaders of the majority of EU countries show "remarkable hypocrisy" with regard to the conflict in Ukraine and anti-Russian sanctions, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Economic Relations, Peter Szijjarto has said.

During meetings with voters in the run-up to the June 9 elections to the European Parliament, the top Hungarian diplomat reiterated that his country does not supply weapons to Ukraine, favors a peaceful solution to the conflict and does not support the European Union’s failed policy of sanctions. He added that although some of his partners do not say this publicly, but "express their support (to this apprach) in text messages."

"Regrettably, at this point, all European politics, particularly defense policies, are characterized by this particular sort of hypocrisy," Szijjarto said in an address, broadcast live on Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist).

The minister underscored that the same approach can be seen in the fuel sector and energy cooperation with Russia.

"Regrettably, at this point, all European politics, particularly defense policies, are characterized by this particular sort of hypocrisy," Szijjarto said in an address, broadcast live on Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist).

The minister underscored that the same approach can be seen in the fuel sector and energy cooperation with Russia.

"There is remarkable hypocrisy about the fact that they all are shaking their fists at the Russians, and then - oops! — it turns out that they have already created some sort of a business relationship with them behind our backs. And then they start shaking their fists again," he said.

He reiterated that all speculations about the possibility of sending western troops to Ukraine were a dangerous path and reaffirmed that his country will keep communication channels with Moscow functioning, including with the goal of forging a peaceful solution to the conflict.

Szijjarto believes that the conflict cannot be won on the battlefield. He is also convinced that diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the conflict will begin sooner or later.

"The question is when the hostilities will be over. Each day of the conflict only brings about more deaths and destruction, and increases the risk of hostilities spreading to other areas," Szijjarto said.

China tells US it won’t be bullied on Russia

FILE PHOTO: China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning.
©Pedro Pardo / AFP

Relations between Beijing and Moscow are their business alone, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning has said, responding to veiled threats by a senior American diplomat.

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said on Tuesday that any further Russian advances in Ukraine will “have an impact” on the US-China relationship.

“China and Russia have the right to carry out normal cooperation. Such cooperation should not come under external interference or constraint,” Mao said, when asked about Campbell’s comments at Wednesday’s press briefing. “China will not accept the accusations and pressuring.”

Speaking to the nonprofit National Committee on US-China Relations, Campbell – who recently took over from Victoria Nuland – said that recent Russian gains could “alter the balance of power in Europe in ways that are, frankly, unacceptable” to Washington, and that the State Department has told Beijing as much.

“On Ukraine, China has always taken an objective and just position and played a constructive role in actively promoting peace talks,” Mao told reporters. “If certain countries truly care about peace and want an early end to the crisis, they should reflect on the root cause of the crisis and do something that will actually help bring about peace, rather than deflect the blame to China.”

Beijing has repeatedly resisted US pressure to side with Kiev and join the Washington-led embargo against Moscow. 

Campbell’s remarks echoed the statements made by US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during her visit to China earlier this week. Mao responded by saying that China would “take resolute measures to safeguard our legitimate rights and interests.”

On Wednesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman also condemned US travel warnings as “totally unwarranted,” “wrongful” and “groundless,” noting that they have “deterred many Americans” who wanted to visit the country.

China and other members of BRICS have helped Russia mitigate the “illegal policy of unilateral sanctions” by the West, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday, after meeting his counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing.

Moscow’s trade with the rest of the world has surged over the past two years, more than offsetting the embargo by the US and its allies, imposed over the Ukraine conflict.