United News of Bangladesh

Israel’s refusal to finalize a $35 billion natural gas agreement with Egypt has led to the cancellation of a planned visit by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said Thursday. According to a statement from Cohen’s office, Washington had been applying “significant pressure” on Israeli officials to approve the deal. However, Cohen said he would not move forward “until Israeli interests are safeguarded and a fair domestic price is ensured.” The statement noted that Wright’s planned trip to Israel was canceled following Cohen’s decision. The U.S. Energy Department did not immediately comment, and American officials in Israel declined to respond. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry also did not issue a statement. The deal, reportedly the largest gas export agreement in Israel’s history, would involve sending natural gas from Israel’s Leviathan field to Egypt. The Leviathan field, operated by U.S. energy company Chevron, lies about 130 kilometers (80 miles) off Israel’s northern coast in the Mediterranean Sea. Cohen’s decision effectively halts progress on the project and risks straining Israel’s relations with both the United States and Egypt — two key mediators of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire that has paused more than two years of hostilities. His office added that efforts are continuing to resolve “political issues between Israel and Egypt,” though it provided no further details.    

In the battered countryside of southern Idlib, families displaced for years by Syria’s civil war are returning home and sending their children back to schools stripped bare by conflict and looting. Nearly a year after former President Bashar Assad was ousted in a rebel offensive, hundreds of schools remain in ruins. Those that reopened, like the elementary school in Maar Shamarin, operate without windows, desks, or even running water. Safiya al-Jurok, who fled the town five years ago, now lives with her family in a tent beside their destroyed house. Her three children sit cross-legged on thin blankets in classrooms where sunlight pours through broken windows and bullet-scarred walls. “If it rains, it’ll rain on my children,” she said. Principal Abdullah Hallak said the building was looted of nearly everything — doors, desks, even steel supports — after residents fled. “Our kids are sitting on the floor, and winter is coming,” he said. Across Syria, 40% of schools remain destroyed, according to Deputy Education Minister Youssef Annan. In Idlib alone, only about 10% of damaged schools have been rehabilitated. Annan said rebuilding will take years and major funding, as much of the infrastructure was stripped for scrap. The new school year began in September with an emergency education plan, though millions of children remain out of school. UNICEF’s Syria representative Meritxell Relaño Arana said many lack books or teachers, while others must work to support their families. UNICEF and local authorities are rebuilding schools, offering temporary classrooms and teacher training. Relaño said education is vital not only for learning but for healing war trauma. “Children need safe schools where psychosocial support is available,” she said. At Maar Shamarin Elementary, around 450 students now attend classes — a fragile sign of recovery in a country still rebuilding from 14 years of war.

Iran does not appear to be actively enriching uranium at the moment, though inspectors have observed renewed movement around several of its nuclear facilities, the head of the UN’s atomic watchdog told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said inspectors have not had full access to the sites but found no satellite evidence that Tehran has accelerated enrichment beyond pre-war levels from before the 12-day conflict with Israel in June. “The nuclear material enriched to 60% is still in Iran,” Grossi said in an interview at the UN headquarters in New York. “We need to confirm that the material remains there and hasn’t been diverted for other uses — this is extremely important.” He added that inspectors had detected activity around storage sites but lacked access to verify the situation. Satellite images alone, Grossi noted, can only provide limited information. The IAEA estimates that Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium could be sufficient to produce up to 10 nuclear weapons if weaponized, though Grossi clarified that Tehran has not developed a bomb. Iran left isolated as Middle East rallies behind Gaza ceasefire Iran maintains its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes, while the UN agency and Western governments assert that Tehran pursued a coordinated weapons program until 2003. The Iranian mission to the UN did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Last month in Cairo, Iran and the IAEA reached a deal aimed at restoring cooperation and restarting inspections that were halted after the war with Israel, when the U.S. conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites. Following the attacks, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. However, early intelligence assessments later indicated that while Iran’s Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities suffered heavy damage, they were not completely destroyed. CIA Director John Ratcliffe told lawmakers that the U.S. military had destroyed Iran’s only metal conversion facility, setting back its nuclear program by years, and that much of Iran’s enriched uranium remained buried beneath the rubble at Isfahan and Fordo. Israel’s surprise assault on Tehran came after the IAEA board voted to censure Iran for noncooperation — the first such move in two decades. Iran later accused the IAEA of collaborating with Israel and the U.S., and some officials even called for Grossi’s arrest if he visited the country. Grossi said the Israel-Iran conflict had severely disrupted years of diplomatic progress and derailed plans to inspect a third enrichment site. He confirmed that there is currently no active operation at the Isfahan facility. Hundreds of Iranians to be deported from US, Tehran official says Since the Cairo deal, the UN has reimposed sanctions under the “snapback” mechanism over Iran’s failure to comply with international obligations and the collapse of talks with Washington. Despite strained relations, Grossi said IAEA inspectors remain in Iran and that he is in “constant contact” with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. “Are they cooperating as they should? No,” he said. “But it would also be wrong to say they are completely denying us access. The truth is somewhere in between.” Source: AP 

A seven-story apartment building in Turkey’s northwestern city of Gebze collapsed early Wednesday, killing two and trapping three others under the rubble, officials and state media said. Gebze Governor Ilhami Aktas said earlier all 5 belonged to one family. State-run TRT news channel identified them as a woman, a man and their three children, saying 627 rescuers were deployed on site. Rescuers recovered the body of the 12-year-old Muhammed Emir Bilir, but the other body wasn’t immediately identified, according to TRT. While state-run Anadolu Agency stated the cause of the collapse was currently unknown, Mayor of Gebze Zinnur Büyükgöz, speaking to local media, suggested it might be related to nearby metro construction. Gebze also lies along the north Anatolian fault line and was one of the main centers hit during 1999’s magnitude 7.6 earthquake, which killed an estimated 18,000 people in total. Experts have long warned that Turkey’s failure to enforce modern construction codes poses significant risks in earthquake-prone areas. In January, the collapse of a four-story building in Konya led to two deaths. Shopkeepers who rented the ground floor are currently on trial to determine whether they dismantled supporting columns for more space, a common practice despite severe penalties. They could face up to 22 years in prison if convicted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that body parts returned by Hamas overnight belonged to Ofir Tzarfati, a hostage previously recovered by Israeli forces in Gaza nearly two years ago, raising tensions over the fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Netanyahu called the return a “clear violation” of the ceasefire, which requires Hamas to hand over all Israeli hostages’ remains promptly. He planned an emergency meeting with top security officials to decide Israel’s next steps, which could include halting humanitarian aid, expanding control over Gaza, or airstrikes targeting Hamas leaders. Thirteen Israeli hostages’ remains are still in Gaza, complicating the next stages of the ceasefire, including Hamas disarmament, international security deployment, and governance arrangements. Egypt has deployed teams to assist in locating the remaining bodies in Khan Younis and Nuseirat. The returned remains belong to Tzarfati, abducted during the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack at Israel’s Nova music festival, which killed nearly 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. His family said this marks the third time they have had to rebury him, calling the return an “abhorrent manipulation.” Separately, Israeli forces killed three Palestinian militants in a West Bank raid near Jenin. In exchange for returned hostages’ remains, Israel has handed back 195 Palestinian bodies to Gaza. The last 20 living hostages were returned at the start of the ceasefire, with Israel releasing roughly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Over 68,500 Palestinians have died in the two-year Gaza war, according to Gaza authorities.    

The Israeli army and the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon offered differing versions of an incident over the weekend in which UN peacekeepers shot down an Israeli drone. The episode occurred amid intensified Israeli strikes across Lebanon, growing pressure on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, and ongoing efforts to maintain a fragile ceasefire that ended last year’s Israel-Hezbollah conflict. Israel’s current tensions with Hezbollah trace back to the day after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, which sparked the Gaza war. Hezbollah, primarily based in southern Lebanon, fired rockets into Israel in solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinians. Israeli Arabic military spokesperson Avichay Adraee said Monday that the drone, while near UN peacekeeping forces in Kfar Kila along the southeastern border, was engaged in “routine information-gathering and reconnaissance” and did not target the troops. He added that after the drone was downed, Israeli forces threw a hand grenade in the area. UNIFIL, the U.N. mission in southern Lebanon, gave a contrasting account Sunday, saying the Israeli drone flew over a patrol “in an aggressive manner,” prompting peacekeepers to take defensive action to neutralize it. The statement added that shortly afterward, an Israeli drone dropped a grenade near the mission, and an Israeli tank fired toward the peacekeepers. No personnel were injured. UNIFIL was established to monitor Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon following the 1978 invasion, and its mandate expanded after the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war. Earlier this year, the U.N. Security Council approved ending UNIFIL’s mandate on Dec. 31, 2026, giving the mission a year to conclude operations and withdraw personnel. Source: AP

An increasing number of legal and human rights experts, including those commissioned by a U.N. body, say Israel’s military campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide — a charge Israel strongly denies but which has intensified its diplomatic isolation and strained relations even with close allies. The accusation, which Israel calls baseless and antisemitic, comes as global outrage mounts over the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, now in its 23rd month. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed, and widespread famine has taken hold, while a new offensive in Gaza City has drawn condemnation from several European allies. Israel argues its military actions are lawful and target Hamas, whose Oct. 7, 2023, attack killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. About 48 hostages remain in Gaza, with Israel believing roughly 20 are still alive. Israeli leaders say Hamas’ assault itself was genocidal. However, Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The ministry — part of the Hamas-run administration — says women and children make up about half the dead. What defines genocideThe 1948 U.N. Genocide Convention defines genocide as acts committed “with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group,” including killing, causing serious harm, or inflicting conditions aimed at its physical destruction. Experts and rights groups invoke the termLast week, a team of independent experts appointed by the U.N. Human Rights Council concluded that Israel’s conduct in Gaza constitutes genocide, citing patterns such as the “total siege” on the enclave, large-scale killings, and the destruction of vital infrastructure. Israel says Hamas uses civilian sites like hospitals and schools for military purposes and partially eased its blockade in May. Dozens of genocide scholars now share that view, including Omer Bartov, a Holocaust and genocide studies professor at Brown University who once defended Israel’s actions but later changed his stance after the takeover of Rafah, calling the operation “genocidal.” UN inquiry accuses Israel of genocide in Gaza, urges international action The use of the term has spread beyond academia. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently called Israel’s actions “the extermination of a defenseless people.” Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have also used the label, citing deliberate deprivation of food, water, and aid as evidence of genocidal intent. Even two Israeli human rights groups have used the term, though such views remain rare within Israel. Critics reject the accusationIsrael and its allies reject the genocide label, saying such claims distort the country’s actions and motives. The Israeli Foreign Ministry dismissed the U.N.-commissioned report as “distorted and false.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued that if Israel had intended genocide, “it could have done it in one afternoon,” implying restraint. Scholars note that genocide is defined by intent, not numbers. U.S. President Donald Trump said he had seen no evidence of genocide, and the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity called Israel’s campaign “legitimate self-defense.” Holocaust scholar Norman Goda said the accusation was part of efforts “to delegitimize Israel,” describing it as “laced with antisemitic tropes.” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and others have emphasized that it is up to international courts — not governments or academics — to determine whether genocide has occurred. The case at the top U.N. courtSouth Africa filed a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in late 2023, accusing it of genocide. About a dozen countries have joined the proceedings, though a final ruling could take years. Strikes across Gaza kill at least 31 as scholars accuse Israel of genocide To prove genocide, South Africa must establish Israel’s intent. Its lawyers have cited remarks from Israeli officials, including then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant calling Gazans “human animals,” and Deputy Knesset Speaker Nissim Vaturi’s comment about “erasing the Gaza Strip.” Israeli leaders say those remarks were taken out of context and referred to Hamas, not civilians. Even if the ICJ finds Israel guilty, it cannot enforce punishment or halt military operations. Only the U.N. Security Council can take such steps, but the U.S. has repeatedly vetoed resolutions critical of Israel. Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant — not for genocide, but for allegedly using starvation as a weapon of war, charges they reject. Mounting diplomatic and cultural backlashPressure on Israel continues to grow internationally. European protests have intensified, and calls for boycotts have expanded to cultural and sports arenas. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged partial suspension of trade ties, while Germany and the U.K. have limited or paused some arms exports. Even those who dispute the genocide claim say the term’s power is immense. “‘Genocide’ isn’t just a legal category — it’s a moral and political judgment that lasts forever,” said Goda. “A nation accused of genocide can never fully escape that shadow.” Source: AP 

The European Union and Egypt are set to hold their first-ever summit Wednesday in Brussels, with talks focusing on economic cooperation, migration management, and efforts to restore stability in Gaza. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi will meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa. The summit is expected to conclude with announcements of new European financial support for Egypt and Cairo’s inclusion in the EU’s Horizon research program — a €175 billion ($202.7 billion) fund for scientific and technological innovation. The meeting comes as the 27-member EU seeks to deepen partnerships across the Mediterranean amid global tensions driven by U.S. President Donald Trump’s confrontational trade policies and export restrictions from China. Under its broader “Pact for the Mediterranean,” the EU aims to enhance trade, security, and migration cooperation with countries from Morocco to Turkey — offering financial and technical assistance in return for stronger border control and efforts to curb irregular migration to Europe. Egypt faces mounting economic challenges, including soaring inflation, a depreciating currency, and the fallout from the ongoing Gaza conflict next door. Last week, el-Sissi described Trump’s latest Middle East peace proposal as the “last chance” for peace, reiterating his call for a two-state solution and an independent Palestinian state. The EU remains Egypt’s largest trading partner. A €7.4 billion ($8.6 billion) aid package announced last year — combining loans, investment, and migration-related support — provided crucial relief for Egypt’s cash-strapped economy. Years of austerity measures, the pandemic, the Ukraine war, and reduced Suez Canal revenues due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have all worsened Egypt’s financial crisis. Migration remains a central issue for both sides. EU leaders have praised Egypt for preventing migrant boat launches since 2016, with el-Sissi arguing that “Europe hasn’t been significantly affected by illegal immigration” thanks to Cairo’s border efforts. Human rights groups, however, have urged European leaders not to overlook Egypt’s internal repression. Amnesty International’s Eve Geddie called on von der Leyen and Costa to press el-Sissi to end “arbitrary detentions, unfair trials and harsh prison sentences of critics.” Home to about 116 million people, Egypt hosts roughly 9 million migrants, including 900,000 registered refugees and asylum-seekers, according to the U.N. refugee agency. While it serves as a departure point for some trying to reach Europe, it also remains a long-time haven for migrants fleeing violence and poverty across sub-Saharan Africa. During his Brussels visit, President el-Sissi is also scheduled to meet Belgium’s King Philippe I. The summit marks a significant step in EU-Egypt relations, as both sides look to strengthen economic cooperation while navigating the intertwined challenges of migration, regional conflict, and human rights.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel is responsible for its own security and “is not a protectorate of the United States,” as he prepared for talks with U.S. Vice President JD Vance on the fragile Gaza ceasefire. Netanyahu’s remarks appeared aimed at reassuring Israelis concerned that a proposed international security force in Gaza might restrict Israel’s freedom to act militarily. “Israel alone will determine its security,” he said before the meeting. Vice President Vance, who arrived in Israel earlier this week, acknowledged that major challenges remain in achieving lasting peace but expressed optimism. “We face a tough task — disarming Hamas, rebuilding Gaza, and ensuring security for Israel. It’s not easy, but I’m optimistic,” he told reporters. Vance is also scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog, accompanied by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and presidential adviser Jared Kushner. Uncertainty continues over who will govern Gaza and how the proposed international security force will be structured. Vance mentioned Turkey and Indonesia as likely contributors, while Britain will send officers to help monitor the truce. Meanwhile, Israel said it identified two more hostages whose remains were returned by the Red Cross — Arie Zalmanovich and Tamir Adar, both killed during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Kibbutz Nir Oz. Since the October 10 ceasefire began, 15 bodies of Israeli hostages have been returned, with 13 still unaccounted for. In Gaza, funeral prayers were held for 54 Palestinians whose bodies were returned by Israel. The deceased were among 165 bodies handed over last week. Gaza health officials said several showed “signs of torture” and urged an international investigation. Separately, the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme reported that one of its facilities in Gaza City was forcibly taken over by an unidentified armed group on October 13. The organization called the seizure a “serious crime” and appealed for urgent intervention from Palestinian and international authorities. Also Wednesday, Israelis paid tribute to Thai farmworker Sonthaya Oakkharasri, killed in the October 7 Hamas assault. His body was recently returned and is being repatriated to Thailand. The war, sparked by Hamas’ 2023 attacks that killed about 1,200 Israelis and led to 251 kidnappings, has since claimed more than 68,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Fadel Shaker, a Lebanese pop star turned Islamist militant, appeared in a Beirut court Tuesday for the first time since surrendering this month after 12 years on the run. Shaker had been hiding in the Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp following deadly clashes in Sidon in June 2013 between Sunni militants and the Lebanese army. He was previously tried in absentia and sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2020 for supporting a “terrorist group.” Under a deal that led him to surrender, Shaker’s previous sentences were dropped, and he is now being questioned ahead of trial on new charges related to crimes against the military. Tuesday’s session was a preliminary hearing. During the 2013 shootout, which left at least 18 soldiers dead, Shaker appeared in videos taunting the army. Once a celebrated pop star with a 2002 hit across the Arab world, Shaker later aligned with hard-line Sunni cleric Sheikh Ahmad al-Assir and renounced singing to focus on religion. In recent years, he returned to releasing music, including a July single with his son Mohammed that has amassed over 127 million views on YouTube.