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The Ukrainian Air Force said that it shot down two Russian fighter jets in the east of the country, and the armed forces said they held off a series of Russian attacks in the southeast. Meanwhile, amid growing international concern about Ukraine’s dwindling supplies of weaponry, Sweden said it would provide a record aid package to Kyiv. And, in Russia, a US-Russian dual citizen was arrested by security services on treason charges, according to authorities. Here are the latest headlines: Ukraine downs 2 Russian jets: The Ukrainian Air Force shot down two Russian fighter jets — an Su-34 and an Su-35S — in the eastern part of the country, it reported Monday. Ukraine repels attacks: Ukraine’s armed forces said they held off Russian attacks toward the southeastern region of Zaporizhzhia during a “difficult” night, repelling 11 attacks near Malynivka and Robotyne. Sweden pledges $683 million to Ukraine: Sweden announced its largest support package to Ukraine. “As global military stocks dwindle we will focus more on donations,” Defense Minister Pål Jonson said, outlining Sweden’s commitment to “stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.” US dual citizen arrested in Russia: The FSB security service arrested a dual US-Russian citizen on charges of treason for collecting funds for Ukrainian organizations and openly supporting Kyiv. FSB said the 33-year-old Los Angeles resident was detained in the city of Yekaterinburg. Kremlin hits back at Navalny accusations: The Kremlin dismissed Yulia Navalnaya’s accusation that Russian President Vladimir Putin is behind the death of her husband Alexey Navalny. The opposition leader’s mother on Tuesday issued an appeal to Putin to release his body. US journalist to remain in Russian jail: The Moscow City Court upheld a decision to keep US journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russian detention until March 30. Gershkovich, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested in Russia in March 2023 on spying charges. “Let me finally see my son.” Mother of Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny addresses Putin in video From CNN’s Anna Chernova Lyudmila Navalnaya, left, the mother of late Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny, and lawyer Vasily Dubkov arrive at the regional department of Russia’s Investigative Committee in the town of Salekhard in the Yamal-Nenets Region, Russia, on February 17. Maxim Shemetov/Reuters Lyudmila Navalnaya, Alexey Navalny’s mother, has released a video appealing directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin to “let me finally see my son.” Navalnaya filmed the video standing outside the penal colony in Siberia where her son died. “Behind me is the IK-3 “Polar Wolf” colony, where my son, Alexey Navalny, died on February 16. I haven’t been able to see him for five days. They won’t give me his body. They don’t even tell me where he is,” she says, directly staring at the camera. “I am addressing you, Vladimir Putin. The solution to the issue depends only on you. Let me finally see my son. I demand that Alexey’s body be immediately handed over so that I can bury him humanely.” Some context: The opposition figure died while serving a sentence in a Russian penal colony. The cause of his death remains unclear, and a Navalny spokesperson said Monday that the body won’t be released to the family for at least 14 days. Russia arrests dual US-Russian citizen on charges of treason for collecting funds for Ukraine From CNN’s Sebastien Shukla, Nathan Hodge and Anna Chernova Russia’s FSB security service has arrested a dual US-Russian citizen on charges of treason for collecting funds for Ukrainian organizations and openly supporting Kyiv. FSB said Tuesday that a 33-year-old Los Angeles resident was detained in Russia’s city of Yekaterinburg for “providing financial assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of our country.” The funds raised were used to “purchase tactical medicine, equipment, weapons and ammunition by the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the FSB said. The FSB said the US citizen took part in public actions that supported what it called the “Kyiv regime.” “Operational search activities and investigative actions continue. The court chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for the accused,” the statement said. The statement did not specify her alleged actions in support of Kyiv. CNN has reached out to the US Embassy in Moscow for comment. Moscow court rejects US journalist Evan Gershkovich’s appeal against extending his detention From CNN’s Anna Chernova US journalist Evan Gershkovich, appears inside a defendants’ cage before a hearing to consider an appeal on his extended pre-trial detention, at the Moscow City Court in Moscow, Russia, on February 20. Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images The Moscow City Court has upheld a decision to keep US journalist Evan Gershkovich in Russian detention until March 30. Gershkovich, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, was arrested in Russia in March 2023 on spying charges. The FSB, Russia’s main security service, accused him of trying to obtain state secrets – a charge Gershkovich, his employer and the US government have strenuously denied. The Moscow City Court said it considered the appeal but would support the decision made earlier by the Lefortovo District Court to extend Gershkovich’s period of detention. Already, he has had his pre-trial detention extended twice since his arrest, once in May and again in August. If convicted of spying, he faces up to 20 years in prison. Kremlin says Yulia Navalnaya’s accusations that Putin killed Navalny are unfounded From CNN’s Anna Chernova and Radina Gigova Alexey Navalny, center, his wife Yulia, center right, and other demonstrators march in memory of murdered Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov in downtown Moscow, Russia, on February 29, 2020. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP/Getty Images The Kremlin has dismissed Yulia Navalnaya’s accusation that Russian President Vladimir Putin is behind the death of her husband Alexey Navalny as “absolutely unfounded” and “boorish.” Navalny, Russia’s highest-profile opposition leader, died in prison on Friday. Days later, Navalnaya released a video message in which she said “Vladimir Putin killed my husband.” CNN asked Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov to comment on her statement during a call with journalists Tuesday. “No, we leave this without comment,” he said. “Of course, these are absolutely unfounded, boorish accusations against the head of the Russian state. But given that Navalnaya became a widow just a few days earlier, I will…

The Saudia Airlines flight from Bangladesh Tuesday made an emergency landing in the port city after a passenger’s health worsened mid-flight. The Riyadh-bound flight, SV 805, departed from Bangladesh’s capital city, Dhaka, at 3:57am and was in the Indian airspace when the 44-year-old Bangladeshi passenger fell sick during the flight, according to airline sources. Abu Tahir, the Bengali passenger, was in a bad condition with high blood pressure, and continuously vomiting due to his health, airline sources said. Following the passenger’s health, the pilot diverted the aircraft towards Mumbai and sought permission from the Air Traffic Controller in Mumbai for a humanitarian landing. By the time the air traffic controller could issue permission, the plane had taken the landing approach towards Mumbai. The ATC sought the nationality and other details of the affected passenger and refused to offload the Bangladeshi Muslim passenger. The Saudi plane was refused entry into the Indian territory, citing the presence of Bengali passengers who were on board the flight. After receiving instructions from the Mumbai ATC, the pilot sought Karachi Air Traffic Controller for permission to land a flight in the port city after which the aircraft was flown towards Karachi and touched down at the Jinnah International Airport at 7:28am. The Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) medical team took emergency measures at the airport with doctors arriving to treat the patient as soon as the plane landed. The Bengali passenger on board the plane was examined by the doctor present at the spot who provided medical aid to him. Following the check-up, the plane flew to Riyadh from Karachi. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1159598-flight-from-dhaka-lands-in-karachi-after-passengers-health-worsens

Oral proceedings continue at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories. South Africa, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, Bangladesh and Belgium present early arguments. More than 50 states and at least three international organisations will address judges at the United Nations’ top court until February 26. A nonbinding legal opinion is expected after months of deliberation by the judges. On Monday, Palestinian representatives presented their arguments on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip. The occupation is illegal and must be brought to an immediate, unconditional and total end, they argued. Israel is not attending the hearings but sent a five-page written statement saying an advisory opinion would be “harmful” to attempts to resolve the conflict because questions posed by the UN General Assembly are prejudiced. Israel cannot rely on self-defence to justify its actions The representative of Bangladesh Riaz Hamidullah is stressing that the principle of self-defence does not offer legal grounds for prolonged occupation. Israel’s occupation runs counter to three basic tenants of international law: The right to self-determination; the prohibition to acquire territory by force; the prohibition of racial discrimination and apartheid. As mandated by international law, any occupation must be temporary and acquiring territory is illegal. Israel’s prolonged occupation, coupled with the acquisition of territory, violates international law. The right to self-defence does not justify the violation of international law, including the right to self-determination. Israel cannot rely on self-defence to justify its actions. There is broad consensus that Israel, through its denial of self-determination of the Palestinian people, has violated peremptory norms of international law while also hindering the prospects for a just and lasting peace. Click What Israel is saying about the UN court proceedings Israel rejects accusations of committing “apartheid” against the Palestinians and usually dismisses UN bodies and international tribunals as unfair and biased against it. Israel isn’t making an oral statement during the hearings, taking place against the backdrop of the war in Gaza that has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians. Israel sent a five-page written statement saying an ICJ advisory opinion would be “harmful” to attempts to resolve the conflict with the Palestinians. The hearings are “designed to harm Israel’s right to defend itself from existential threats”, and “dictate the results of a diplomatic settlement without any negotiations”, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said. Relatives mourn loved ones killed in Israeli attacks in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza [Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency] Click More from the Netherlands’ representative More on the remarks made by the Netherlands’ representative René J.M. Lefeber. The occupying power shall not deport or transfer part of the population in the territory it occupies, which constitutes a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Once an occupation has occurred, the occupying power has the duty to respect and protect civilians. A serious breach of a peremptory norm should be dealt with in the context of the United Nations, but if this fails, states shall cooperate to bring the unlawful situation to an end. They shall not recognise as lawful the situation created by such breach and shall not render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation. Click The Netherlands presents its arguments The representative for the Netherlands, René J.M. Lefeber, has presented his arguments before the court. The court has jurisdiction to give advisory opinion. All people have a right to self-determination as per the UN Charter. There is a duty to abstain from actions that contravene this right. The right to self-determination is applicable to people under occupation and colonial domination, as well as people living in independent states. A prolonged occupation obstructs the principle of self-determination. The occupation of foreign territory can be legitimate in response to an armed attack provided the principles of necessity and proportionality are respected. An occupation that fails to fulfil these requirements may lose its legal basis and therefore violate the prohibition of the use of force. Click More from Algerian jurist Ahmed Laraba A violent contrast exists between theoretical appearances sketched out by Israel with a very broad brush and the reality Algeria considers. The situation created in 1948 and continuing shows up starkly in the misuse and abuse of the concept of occupation by Israel in occupied Palestinian territories. The establishment of Israeli legal rules in the West Bank and successive phases of planned military occupation is followed by the beginning of colonisation. The most striking feature of the West Bank resides in the spectacular increase in the establishment of settlements between 2012 and 2022, the numbers went from 520,000 settlers to 700,000. All historians of colonisation stress the compelling importance of the dispossession of land in establishing an accelerated colonisation. That to Algeria is a particularly striking example. Click here to share on social media First statements at ICJ very damaging for Israel Step Vaessen So far the statements made in front of the 15 judges of the ICJ have been absolutely damaging for Israel. South Africa was focusing on the apartheid regime that Israel has imposed on the Palestinian people, calling it a colonial system, and all three speakers demanded the court put an end to the occupation and have illegal settlements removed. They also called for reparations for the Palestinian people to be put in place. They also talked about the bloody assault taking place in Gaza. South Africa played a key role in an earlier case brought to the same court accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. Israel was given provisional measures to avoid such a scenario. Click here to share on social media More from Saudi Arabia’s envoy Ziad al-Atiyah Israel has committed the most egregious violations of its fundamental international obligations regarding its treatment of the Palestinians. It has ignored multiple UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions condemning its conduct. These violations include measures preventing the Palestinian people from exercising their right of self-defence through various policies and practices. These include the continuing illegal

At least nine terrorists were killed in two separate operations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), in which one soldier embraced martyrdom, the Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) said on Saturday. In a statement, the military’s media affairs wing said that an intelligence-based operation (IBO) was conducted by the security forces in Tank District. During the IBO, two terrorists, including a high-value target (HVT) Rehmat Ullah alias Badar Mansur, were killed. “In another operation conducted in South Waziristan District, after intense fire exchange, seven terrorists were sent to hell.” The ISPR further said that weapons, ammunition, and explosives were also recovered from the killed terrorists. The slain militants remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area against the security forces as well as extortion and target killing of innocent civilians, it added. However, during the operation, Sepoy Shahzeb Aslam, 29, having fought gallantly, embraced martyrdom. “Security forces of Pakistan are determined to wipe out the menace of terrorism from the country and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve,” the ISPR added. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1158686-soldier-embraces-martyrdom-as-security-forces-kill-9-terrorists-in-kp

Armed rebels have killed 15 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s troubled Ituri province, local sources said on Sunday, in the second such attack in days. The sources said the CODECO (Cooperative for the Development of the Congo) militia, which claims to defend the interests of the Lendu ethnic group, again targeted people from the rival Hema tribe. CODECO fighters ambushed users of a road near the village of Tali where they stopped 15 people, including one woman, on Saturday afternoon, said Jules Tsuba, a civil society leader in Djugu, a town in the area. The militiamen tied them up and undressed them before killing them while some victims “had their throats cut, others were shot dead”, he said. According to a humanitarian source, “the bodies of the victims bear the marks of torture”. Ruphin Mapela, the territory’s administrator, confirmed the toll of 15 dead and said the attack came after months of peace. CODECO was among several Congolese armed groups that signed a peace deal last year after negotiations in Nairobi. The United Nations has said there are as many as 120 armed groups in eastern DRC. Efforts to reduce violence in the DRC have seen the deployment of thousands of South African troops as part of a Southern African Development Community (SADC) mission to fight against armed rebel groups in the east. Gold-rich Ituri suffered a conflict between ethnic-based militias from 1999 to 2003 that killed thousands before the intervention of a European force. Fighting flared again in 2017, killing thousands of civilians and triggering mass displacement. Violence has been on the rise in the conflict-hit region in recent weeks, with many blaming attacks on the M23 rebel group that has been fighting Congolese soldiers in the region for years. Kinshasa says M23, one of more than 120 armed groups in the region, is receiving military support from neighbouring Rwanda. Experts from the United Nations and the European Union have said there is evidence backing this but Rwanda denies the allegations. But M23 has indicated in recent statements that it is amid an onslaught in eastern Congo, leading to fears the group is again targeting Goma, which it once seized 10 years ago. Tsuba said he wanted the government to “accelerate the peace process” through a programme of disarmament and reintegration of militia fighters into their communities. On Tuesday, a suspected CODECO attack left seven panners dead on mining sites in Djugu territory Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/19/codeco-rebel-attack-kills-15-people-in-eastern-drc

The UN’s highest court is holding historic hearings into Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories since 1967. The International Court of Justice in The Hague will hear from 52 countries and three organisations on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. The weeklong proceedings come as Israel continues its devastating war on Gaza. ‘Demographic manipulation of the highest order’ Sands now turns to the issue of demographic manipulation, noting that Palestinians have been subject to “a century of dispossession and displacement in manifest violation of their right to self-determination”. He says this is happening in two ways: “First, the forcible displacement undermines the integrity of the people,” Sands notes, saying that between 1947 and 1949, up to 900,000 people were forcibly displaced. “In 1967, a further 400,000 were forcibly displaced. Refugees are prevented from being able to return and forcible displacements continue today – entire communities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and now before our vey eyes on a daily basis across the entirety of Gaza,” Sands says. “Second, transferring another people into the territory of Palestine is contrary to international law, it undermines the exercise by Palestine of its right to self-determination. Yet, Israel declares that hundreds of thousands of unlawful settlers will somehow remain there permanently and forever. “This is a demographic manipulation of the highest order.” Click here to share on social media More from Sands The General Assembly, the Security Council and the Human Rights Council have repeatedly called for the preservation of Palestine’s territorial integrity and condemned Israel’s act as a violation of the right of Palestinian people to exercise their self-determination, Sands says. He then lists some of the ways Israel’s policies have violated this right to self-determination: Palestinians have been displaced between 1947 and 1949 and then again in 1967 with refugees not allowed to return. Israel allows thousands of unlawful settlements to remain. Israel does not allow Palestinians to exercise permanent sovereignty over natural resources, including land, freshwater, agricultural and mineral resources. Israel prevents Palestinian exploitation of hydrocarbon deposits, onshore and offshore. Israel denies the right of Palestinians to determine its own political status and direction. Israel prohibits and punishes political expressions of Palestinian identity and nationhood. Flags are outlawed and attacked. Civil society organisations and political parties are declared to be unlawful. Click ICJ ruling will have ramifications across the board: Analyst Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst, has said that the ICJ is not judging whether the occupied Palestinian territories are occupied or not in this case. They are occupied and there is no dispute about it, according to the UN Security Council resolutions on the issue, he said. “Israel can make the [opposite] claim if it wants and it does with huge lies for the last 50 years,” he said. What the court is deliberating on is whether Israel has every intention to prolong this occupation as long as possible to make it a de facto annexation, Bishara also said. “Everything about this occupation looks permanent,” he said, adding that spreading of Jewish settlements demonstrates it. The analyst said the ramifications of an ICJ ruling on the legality of the Israeli occupation would create ramifications “across the board.” Bishara, however, added that some countries would be able to withstand it better than others. He said that the US would throw away such a verdict as “meritless” and “counterproductive” as it did with the judgment on South Africa’s “genocide” case. Click here to share on social media Philippe Sands takes the floor The professor says there is no dispute as to the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people, pointing out that none of the participating countries – and not even Israel – has claimed that the Palestinian people were not entitled to self-determination under international law. “The written statements offer no discordant note to the three core propositions that the state of Palestine advances in these proceedings,” Sands continues, as he lists the three components: The Palestinians are a distinct people. As such, they enjoy the very same rights as every other people, including the right to self-determination, to decide for themselves how they will live and organise politically, socially, economically in accordance with and subject to international law. The Palestinians’ right to self-determination has real and practical consequences. It is not an empty slogan. That right includes, but is not limited to, the right to control their own land and natural resources, the right to be free from demographic manipulations by any third party and the right to determine their own political status, economic development, their own futures. Click here to share on social media Some of Negm’s closing remarks The state of Palestine requests the court to declare that Israel’s discriminatory practices against the Palestinian people are tantamount to apartheid. Forty-seven UN experts have declared that if the occupation is brought to an end, what would be left of the West Bank … would be islands of disconnected land completely surrounded by Israel with no territorial connection to the outside world. Jewish citizens of any country who have never been to Israel can automatically gain Israeli citizenship, yet Palestinian refugees … are barred forever from returning to their homelands. Israel’s practices against the Palestinian people are no less pervasive in their reach or pernicious in their consequences than the institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa. An immediate end to this illegal situation will bestow on the Palestinian people the fundamental rights that they are entitled to by international law, yet they have been so unjustly denied. Click here to share on social media ‘Apartheid exists in occupied Palestinian territory’ Negm says Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT) meet the legal standards to describe the situation as apartheid, pointing out that victims of apartheid South Africa and Namibia, among other countries, hold the view that apartheid exists in the OPT: First, the existence of two or more different racial groups is present. Second, the establishment of

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced countrywide “peaceful” protests against the alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections, inviting different political parties having the stance of ‘engineering’ in polls results to join. Former PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Khan, while speaking to journalists after a meeting with party founder Imran Khan at Adiala jail, invited the political parties — including Jamaat-e-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), and others, who believe that the recent elections were rigged — to join them in their protest on Saturday. The party also rebutted the reports of forming an alliance with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in the Centre and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Parliamentarians (PTI-P) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The announcement came after sources-based reports of PTI founder Imran Khan softening his stance against political rivals and consenting to hold talks with the PPP and the party’s breakaway faction led by Parvez Khattak. Party sources told Geo News that Khan, who remains incarcerated at Adiala jail, is “ready” to talk to the PPP, which has already announced supporting Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s candidate for prime minister — Shehbaz Sharif. However, PTI leader Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif denied the reports of contacting PPP for government formation. Speaking to journalists, the lawyer said that the PTI founder had “strictly” advised against holding talks with PPP and PML-N. “Reports of [PTI] forming government with PPP are misleading. The PTI founder said to sit in opposition but not to forge alliance with PPP and PML-N,” he added. Later, while talking to journalists after meeting with Khan in Rawalpindi, Barrister Gohar and Sher Afzal Marwat also ruled out a coalition with the Bilawal-led party. “We informed Khan sahib about PPP’s messages. In response, Khan sahib flatly rejected the idea of power-sharing with either the PPP or the PML-N,” Marwat told journalists. Moreover, Gohar categorically rejected media reports claiming a proposed political alliance between PTI and PTI-P in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “We will not be joining hands with the PTI-P.” ‘Enough numbers’: Omar Ayub candidate for PM’s slot In a recent development, the party also nominated its general secretary Omar Ayub as its candidate for the post of the country’s prime minister. Meanwhile, Khan also nominated Mian Aslam as the PTI’s nominee for Punjab chief minister and Salar Khan for Balochistan’s top office. Reiterating the claims of winning the most National Assembly seats in the 2024 polls, the Imran-founded party said it has secured 180 NA seats. “We have secured 180 seats,” former PTI chairman Gohar said, adding that his party would only accept the results complied in line with the Form 45s. In light of the leader’s revelation about asking the political parties to join PTI’s protests, sources said that Gohar would lead a delegation into a meeting with JUI-F supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman. ‘Imran Khan seeks US help against rigging’ PTI leader Barrister Saif, who was also present during the presser, said PTI founder wants the United States to keep an eye on election rigging and raise its voice against it. The US has patronised and supported dictators and corrupt people everywhere, Saif said, conveying Khan’s message, but Washington now has a chance to “rectify its mistakes”. He added that the US did not raise its voice on the elections in Pakistan, as it should have. Meanwhile, Barrister Saif also announced that the party will nominate Asad Qaiser’s brother Aqeebullah for the KP assembly’s speaker post. Source:https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1157944-pti-to-stage-peaceful-protests-on-feb-17-against-rigged-polls

A Ukrainian drone spots Russian soldiers hiding amid the remains of what was once someone’s home, in the middle of a lunar-like landscape of charred ground, craters and sapless trunks. Another drone carrying a small warhead moves in and detonates on impact. A second one follows. Then a third. Finally, the Russian unit is eliminated. “We are smoking the occupiers,” says the drones’ controller, a Ukrainian unit fighting to keep the key town of Avdiivka out of Moscow’s hands, which shared video footage of the attacks with CNN. For the drone operators, it is a victory, but such wins are becoming rare in this part of Ukraine, as Moscow throws everything it has at the small, battered and now largely deserted town. In an apparent nod to the importance of Avdiivka, which lies to the northwest of Donetsk city, Ukraine’s new army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi and Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov this week visited soldiers on the front lines there. “The operational situation is extremely complicated and tense,” Syrskyi acknowledged. “We are doing everything possible to prevent the enemy from advancing deeper into our territory and to hold our positions.” RELATED ARTICLERussia can sustain war effort ‘for another two or three years,’ say analysts Quelling rumors that Ukraine was considering a withdrawal from Avdiivka, Syrskyi has instead sent in reinforcements. He’s deployed one of Ukraine’s most battle-hardened units – the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade – which earned praise for its daring attacks on Russian forces around Bakhmut. “We made a number of important decisions aimed at strengthening the combat capabilities of our military units and preventing enemy actions,” Syrskyi explained during his visit to the front line. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky promised “maximum attention” for the eastern front and said the new army chief’s visit to the area would help address the issues facing units on the ground. “The existing problems are being solved – manning the units, reinforcement, command and control,” Zelensky said in his nightly address. “We will be reinforced with drones, electronic warfare, and command positions will also be strengthened.” But just a couple of days later, amid the ongoing Russian onslaught, even the reinforcements were describing “hellish” conditions. “Our brigade is carrying out combat missions in conditions that even we could hardly imagine,” Maksym Zhorin, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade’s deputy commander said in a battlefield report on Thursday. “The battles in Avdiivka are several times more hellish than the hottest battles of this phase of the war, which took place in Bakhmut.” Much as it did in Bakhmut this time last year, Russia is throwing everything it has at Avdiivka in pursuit of victory, pummeling the town with airstrikes and artillery, while launching wave after wave of ground assaults by armored vehicles and soldiers. It’s turned the town into what Ukrainian soldiers call a “meat grinder.” During the offensive Russia has suffered immense losses — so large it might make other militaries regroup and rethink — but Moscow appears to be calculating these losses are worth it, given its numerical advantage. “The enemy is huge, coming from all sides,” Zhorin added. ‘I’m not going anywhere’ Other video footage from Avdiivka shows a quite different side to the town’s plight. Scenes caught on the bodycams of two Ukrainian policemen, seen by CNN, shows the moment they approach a grey-haired elderly resident in an effort to convince him to evacuate the town. He shies away as the policeman approach, holding up a smartphone. The man’s adult daughter is on the other end, trying to convince him to leave. “I’m not going anywhere,” he tells her. “I’ll send you money and you will come to me, in Kherson,” his daughter pleads in desperation. “I’ll pay for travel and accommodation.” A resident of Avdiivka, Ukraine, near destroyed buildings on February 14. Kostiantyn Lieberov/Libkos/Getty Images But her cries fall on deaf ears. The officers who approached the man with the phone are part of a special Ukrainian police unit known as the “White Angels,” which has been tasked with helping vulnerable civilians flee the town, home to 30,000 people two years ago. Already this year they’ve evacuated more than 120 people, mostly elderly, but also some children. Many of these battle-worn citizens have been living through some level of conflict ever since Avdiivka – about 20km from the city of Donetsk – became the front line against Russian-backed fighters in 2015. Reluctant to leave, many resisted the first thrust of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, holding out until they could no longer bear it. Now, with Russian shelling intensifying since the end of last year, there’s little left to cling to. Other footage collected by Ukrainian units shows scenes of devastation, with high-rise buildings covered in holes from the constant Russian barrages. Some high-rises have been knocked over completely and most small buildings have been reduced to mounds of rubble. Pushing back The Russian assault on Avdiivka comes after an unconvincing Ukrainian counter-offensive in the summer and as Western support for Kyiv falters. European shipments of ammunition and financial aid have been delayed by Brussels’ notorious red tape — and some resistance from Hungary — but it’s the delays in Washington that are most concerning to Kyiv. The United States has been Ukraine’s largest backer since day one, but its continued military support has become a divisive issue among lawmakers. The reluctance of Trump-supporting Republicans to back the White House is giving Putin and Russia an edge, according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. “We see the impact already of the fact that the US has not been able to make a decision,” Stoltenberg said in an interview Thursday. Ukrainian servicemen of the 47th Mechanized Brigade prepare for combat in a Bradley Fighting Vehicle, near to Avdiivka, on February 11, 2024. Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images Seemingly outmanned and outgunned, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade admits the situation is “critical,” but insists it will continue to push back, and claims to have critically damaged two Russian brigades. CNN cannot independently verify the claim, though recent combat footage geolocated to the town suggests Russia continues to suffer heavy losses even while it makes territorial gains there. Still, even if the claim is true, the brigade is well aware that Russia has plenty

Israel’s incursion into Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital has led to the deaths of at least four patients after electricity was severed and oxygen supplies cut. Prime Minister Netanyahu says Israel will “continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state” as it would be a “huge reward to unprecedented terrorism”. The US says an Israeli ground attack on Rafah with 1.4 million people would be a “disaster” without a plausible evacuation plan. Israel’s attacks on Gaza have killed at least 28,775 Palestinians and wounded 68,552 since October 7. The death toll in Israel from the October 7 Hamas-led attacks stands at 1,139. ‘Enough is enough’: Time for world leaders to impose Palestinian statehood Gideon Levy, an Israeli columnist and political commentator, says there’s a great opportunity for the international community to step in and finally end Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestinian territory. “Israel refused for decades, even before Netanyahu, to go for a real settlement for the Palestinian problem. Therefore, it is time for the international community say, ‘enough is enough’,” Levy told Al Jazeera. Israel launches wars every few years and destroys Gaza, and then the international community must fund its rehabilitation, he noted. “It puts risk over the whole world as all kinds of other tensions rise because of the conflict in Gaza. The international community should say enough leaving it to Israel. It is time for the international community to impose a solution, otherwise it will go on like this forever.” Click here to share on social media Remembering Cousin Aamer, a nurse who loved crab, and was killed by Israel Aamer Saeed al-Ramlawi, 45, was the father of five children, two daughters and three sons. He was loved by many, not least by his cousin and best friend, Hassan Youssef al-Ramlawi, 33. Aamer also loved barbecuing and cooking, especially on the beach, which fit in with his obsession with seafood, especially crab. “Before October 7, we spent most of our time together; hanging out every Thursday evening, barbequing, playing cards, and talking every other day. It was lovely,” Hassan told Al Jazeera of life before the war on Gaza broke out. Read more about Hassan’s rememberance of his cousin Aamer here. Aamer al-Ramlawi, right, with his cousin Hassan [Courtesy of Hassan al-Ramlawi] Click Two doctors arrested in Gaza during Israeli raid released: PRCS Two doctors have been released by Israeli forces this morning, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said on X. Doctors Jamal Ayad and Nafith Al-Qarm were arrested 7 days ago from Al-Amal Hospital in Gaza’s Khan Younis during an Israeli raid, PRCS said. “12 others from our teams remain under arrest”, the relief agency also said, saying 7 of these people were also arrested at Al-Amal Hospital, WATCH: Is starvation of civilians being used as a weapon of war? Palestinians in Gaza are living in famine-like conditions because of the shortage of humanitarian aid. The UN has warned that hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation. About two million Palestinians are facing acute levels of hunger after many of them lost their homes and livelihoods. Palestinian exodus into Egypt’s Sinai would mean ‘disaster’: UN A mass movement of refugees from Rafah into Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula would be a disaster for Palestinians and prospects for peace in the Middle East, the UN’s high commissioner for refugees says. Filippo Grandi, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, said Egyptian authorities have made it clear that displaced Palestinians must receive assistance. “It would be a disaster for the Palestinians, … a disaster for Egypt and a disaster for the future of peace,” Grandi said of Israeli’s planned Rafah ground invasion. Asked whether Egyptian authorities had contacted Grandi’s agency about contingency plans, he said: “The Egyptians said that people should be assisted inside Gaza, and we are working on that.” United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi [File: Brian Inganga/AP] Click here to share on social media WHO demands access to Nasser Hospital to provide ‘life-saving services’ The World Health Organization (WHO) is trying to get access to Nasser Hospital as Israeli troops continue to raid the facility, where hundreds of civilians are trapped. “There are still critically injured and sick patients that are inside the hospital,” WHO spokesperson Tarik Jasarevic said. “There is an urgent need to deliver fuel to ensure the continuation of the provision of life-saving services. … We are trying to get access because people who are still in Nasser Medical Complex need assistance.” Israel’s military has called the raid on the hospital “precise and limited” and said it has detained dozens of “terrorists”. Source:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2024/2/16/israels-war-on-gaza-live-17000-children-torn-from-parents-un-says

Athens, Greece – Saeed* cannot understand why he is in the Avlona prison, a detention centre northeast of the Greek capital Athens. end of list “Whoever asks me why you are in prison, I answer that I don’t know,” said the 21-year-old Egyptian. “We’re children, we’re terrified. We are told that we will be sentenced to 400 or 1,000 years in prison. Every time they say that, we die.” He is among nine Egyptians in pre-trial detention and charged with criminal responsibility for a shipwreck off the town of Pylos last year, which led to the deaths of hundreds of people trying to reach Europe. The group is being charged under Greek law with forming a criminal organisation, facilitating illegal entry and causing a shipwreck. They are the only people being held over the shipwreck. However, Al Jazeera, in partnership with Omnia TV and the Efimerida ton Syntakton newspaper, can reveal that all nine accused claim they were not among the smugglers who organised or profited from the journey. They say they were simply passengers who survived and allege that the Greek Coast Guard caused the overpacked boat to capsize. Speaking via telephone from detention, they told Al Jazeera and its partners that the Greek prosecution did not accurately take their testimonies and that they pressured them to sign documents they did not understand with violence or under threats of violence. Two separate survivors also said the nine accused were not guilty and pinned blame on the national Hellenic Coast Guard. Fearing reprisals for speaking out against the Greek state, all 11 sources asked Al Jazeera to conceal their identities and use pseudonyms for this article. The nine accused, who include fathers, workers and students, said they paid between 140,000 to 150,000 Egyptian pounds ($4,500 to $4,900) to a smuggler or an associate to board the doomed boat. “I am telling you, I am someone who paid 140,000 Egyptian pounds,” said Magdy*, another of the accused. “If I am the guy who put these people on the boat, I’ll have like seven, eight, or nine thousand euros. Twenty thousand euros. Why on earth would I board a boat like this?” In 2022, a smuggler told The Guardian that he charges Egyptians about 120,000 Egyptian pounds ($3,900). Recent reporting has found that those travelling from Syria often pay about 6,000 euros (about $6,500) for such a journey. The two other survivors, both Syrians, said they paid money to people but not the accused Egyptians. The nine being held were not involved in smuggling, they said. “No. They weren’t to blame for anything,” said Ahmed*. People cover practically every free stretch of the deck on the battered fishing boat that later capsized. Image provided June 13, 2023 [Hellenic Coast Guard via AP] On that fateful day last year, June 14, the Adriana, overloaded with an estimated 700-750 people, including Egyptians, Syrians, Pakistanis, Afghans and Palestinians – among them children – capsized. The derelict blue fishing trawler had departed from Libya five days earlier. Only 84 bodies were recovered and 104 on board were rescued, meaning hundreds died in one of the worst-recorded refugee boat disasters on the Mediterranean. Rights groups, activists and some survivors allege that Greek Coast Guard officials failed in their duties to save lives at sea. Ahmed said he saw the nine accused during the chaos as the ship looked ready to capsize, and passengers began to panic and run about. “They were just directing people when our ship started to tilt. They were shouting for people to steady the ship,” he said. Seven of the accused maintain that they saw a Coast Guard patrol boat tie a rope to the fishing trawler. The Greek officials pulled once, then twice, causing the boat to flip over into the Mediterranean, they say. “I saw the Greek boat had tethered a thick blue rope, one rope, to the middle of the boat,” said Fathy*, another of the accused men. “They pulled, the boat leaned sideways, they saw it was leaning, they kept going, so the boat was turned upside down.” “Greece – a Greek boat, towed us and capsized us – and killed our brothers and friends and now I look at myself and I’m in prison.” Two of the accused stated they were in the hold and did not understand what had happened until after disaster struck, when they were on board the Greek Coast Guard boat. The two Syrian survivors told Al Jazeera they witnessed the Greek Coast Guard tug the fishing trawler. “They had nothing to do with the boat sinking. That’s obvious,” said Mohammad*, of the Egyptians being held. “You have to be logical. It was a big boat and wouldn’t have sunk if no one had intervened. The engine was broken but it could have stayed afloat. The Greek Coast Guard is truly responsible for the sinking.” The Hellenic Coast Guard denied the allegations, saying it has “absolute respect for human life and human rights”. “However, in cooperation with the legal authorities and other relevant bodies, appropriate control mechanisms shall be put in place where necessary,” its statement to Al Jazeera read. Initially, the coast guard did not refer to any rope-related incident in its official statements and its spokesman Nikos Alexiou denied the rope reports. However, Alexiou later said that the two boats were “tied with ropes to prevent them from drifting” in a statement that came amid growing accounts from survivors. An ongoing inquiry in the naval court of Kalamata aims to determine whether the Hellenic Coast Guard performed search and rescue properly. A recent Frontex incident report of the Pylos shipwreck found that “it appears that the Greek authorities failed to timely declare a search and rescue and to deploy a sufficient number of appropriate assets in time to rescue the migrants”. The start date of the trial for the nine accused men has not been set, although according to Greek law, it should begin within 18 months from when they were first detained. If the men are found guilty, they could face decades