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Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank are taking advantage of curbs on movement imposed during the war on Iran to attack Palestinians, with military roadblocks preventing ambulances reaching victims quickly, rights groups and medics say.Settlers have killed at least five Palestinians in the West Bank since the US and Israel began airstrikes against Iran on February 28, according to the Palestinian health ministry. A sixth man died after inhaling teargas fired during an attack, according to Israeli rights group B’Tselem.Israel’s military blocked many West Bank roads with iron gates and mounds of earth on the first day of the war, and has largely shut crossings with Israel.The Israeli military says the curbs are pre-emptive measures while it is carrying out airstrikes on Iran and against Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has fired missiles at Israel in solidarity with Tehran.Palestinians in remote West Bank villages say the roadblocks have left them increasingly exposed to settler violence.The Israeli military has also continued to carry out the raids it frequently conducts in Palestinian cities and towns during peacetime to arrest Palestinians, often without charge, they say.The Israeli military said they do not prevent medical teams from treating wounded civilians and it enables freedom of movement for medical teams in the West Bank.A spokesperson for the Yesha Council, which represents Jewish settlements, did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the attacks.Malak Beirat’s husband, Thaer, was one of two Palestinians who residents and the Palestinian health ministry say were shot dead by settlers before dawn on Sunday in Abu Falah, north of the city of Ramallah.”Thaer loved life. I never expected he would die,” said Beirat, fighting back tears as she sat with her two children.Witnesses told Reuters that when over 100 settlers gathered on the outskirts of Abu Falah, a local WhatsApp group rallied men to protect the small village. The initial confrontation involved stone throwing, but armed settlers arrived later and began shooting, they said.Beirat’s husband was shot dead while trying to protect a house from attack, a man who helped defend the village said.Blood could still be seen on Monday in olive groves at the scene of the attack, where villagers have erected two Palestinian flags at the spots where the two men were killed — one for each victim.A third Palestinian died after the attack. B’Tselem said his death was probably caused by the effect of teargas fired by Israeli troops deployed to the village during the attack.The Israeli military says an investigation has been launched into the incident and that it condemns “violence of any kind”.Medics say the new roadblocks have led to delays in reaching injured Palestinians.”There are obstacles — and even attacks by settlers and the military on the (medical) crews,” said Ahmed Jibril, spokesman for the Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance service.There have been over 109 reports of settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the war with Iran including shootings, physical assaults, property damage, and threats, said Israeli monitoring group Yesh Din.All the reported killings of Palestinians by settlers this year were in the last week, B’Tselem said.Settlers shot dead Amir Muhammad Shanaran in a village near the city of Hebron on Saturday, and brothers Muhammad and Fahim ‘Azem were shot dead in Qaryut southeast of the city of Nablus last Monday, the Palestinian health ministry said.”Taking advantage of the war, armed settler militias, often operating with support from the army, continue to attack and harass Palestinian communities across the West Bank in an effort to force them out,” B’Tselem said.In three of the settler shootings, the settlers were wearing Israeli army uniform, Yesh Din said. The Israeli military said the incidents were under investigation.Palestinians accuse the military of protecting settlers rather than villagers. Israel’s military denies this.Israeli indictments of settler violence are rare.The UN says nearly 700 Palestinians were displaced by settler violence from the start of 2025 through early February 2026.Israel’s government has expanded settlements in a construction push that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says is aimed at burying the idea of a Palestinian state. Related Story Source link
“It is deeply troubling that despite multiple reminders, warnings and appeals, parties to the conflict continue to use increasingly powerful drones to deploy explosive weapons with…
Iran warned Wednesday it was ready for a long war of attrition that would “destroy” the world economy, after firing on two commercial ships and threatening vessels transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.As Tehran tightened its chokehold on the crucial sea passage for the global fuel trade, the International Energy Agency announced a record release of 400 mn barrels of oil reserves by its members in a bid to tame prices.Oil prices have surged since February 28, when the US and Israel attacked Iran, killed its supreme leader and plunged the Middle East into war.”This is a major action aiming to alleviate the immediate impacts of the disruption in markets,” IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol told reporters.”But to be clear, the most important thing for a return to stable flows of oil and gas is the resumption of transit through the Strait of Hormuz.”US President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House that “very quickly” there would be “great safety” for oil tankers in the strait, through which 20% of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies transit.In an interview with Axios, he said the war could end “soon” and US forces had “practically nothing left to target”.CIVILIANS PORTS THREATWith the conflict now in its 12th day, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard vowed to target “economic centres and banks” that it deems linked to US and Israeli interests, prompting more international firms to evacuate employees from Dubai.The US and Israel “must consider the possibility that they will be engaged in a long-term war of attrition that will destroy the entire American economy and the world economy”, Ali Fadavi, advisor to the Revolutionary Guards’ commander-in-chief, told state television.Iran said it had struck the Liberian-flagged container ship Express Rome and the Thai bulk carrier Mayuree Naree because they had entered the Strait of Hormuz “after ignoring the warnings of the IRGC naval forces”.Oman’s navy rescued 20 crew members, but efforts were underway to find three more. Pictures shared by the Thai navy showed black smoke pouring out of the vessel.Iran also threatened to target regional ports if its own were attacked after the US accused Iran of using civilian ports in the strait for military operations and warned that it would consider them legitimate targets.GULF AIRPORT, FUEL TANKS HITAnalysts say a prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which also carries a third of the fertiliser for world food production, would have a devastating effect on the global economy, particularly in Asia and Europe.French President Emmanuel Macron urged G7 leaders to act to restore navigation there “as soon as possible”, while the UN asked for all parties to allow humanitarian cargo to transit.Iran has amplified the economic fallout by targeting US allies in the Gulf.Wednesday, drones fell near Dubai airport, injuring four people, the city’s government said.Drones also hit fuel tanks at Oman’s Salalah port, Oman News Agency reported.FIREBALL IN BEIRUTLebanon was drawn into the war last week when Hezbollah group attacked Israel in response to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Israeli strikes Wednesday hit an apartment building in central Beirut.AFPTV’s live broadcast captured the sound of an air strike followed by a fireball erupting.An AFP correspondent saw destroyed walls in the building’s seventh and eighth floors, with damaged cars nearby and security forces present at the scene.When the strike hit, “I ran from room to room, pulled my wife and daughter out of the rooms and hid them behind a wall, then the second strike hit”, said Fawzi Asmar, owner of a bakery on the street where the strike took place.Lebanon said the death toll in 10 days of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah during the Middle East war had reached 634, while more than 800,000 people have registered as displaced.The Israeli-US attacks came weeks after Iranian authorities crushed mass protests, although the US and Israel say they are not necessarily seeking to topple the Islamic republic.Iranian authorities warned against dissent at home, with the country’s police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan saying protesters would be viewed and dealt with as “enemies”.”This is the bitter reality of the Islamic republic: Even in the midst of a crisis, it seizes the opportunity for repression,” Nobel peace prize laureate Shirin Ebadi wrote in a post on Telegram.”When the police chief says ‘hands on the trigger’ it means he is ready to kill citizens instead of protecting people’s lives,” she added.”The Islamic republic says in a thousand languages that its first enemy is its own people, followed by Israel and America.”The US and Israel launched the war with an attack that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.His son Mojtaba Khamenei has been named his successor, though he has yet to appear in public, and Wednesday officials said the new ayatollah was injured but “safe”.Iran’s health ministry said on March 8 that more than 1,200 people had been killed in US and Israeli strikes. AFP was not in a position to independently verify the figures. Related Story Source link
Al Gharafa’s Qatar Stars League title ambitions suffered a setback after a 0-2 defeat to Qatar SC, while Al Shamal climbed into joint second place with a dramatic late win over Al Wakrah as the league resumed Thursday following a short suspension due to regional tensions.In the third match of the night, Al Duhail returned to winning ways with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Al Sailiya at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.The results left Al Shamal and Al Gharafa level on 34 points, four behind leaders Al Sadd, who are in action today. Qatar SC moved up to 27 points, while Al Duhail climbed to sixth place with 24 points.At Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Shamal secured a hard-fought over Al Wakrah thanks to a stoppage-time strike from Pau Prim. The two sides battled evenly for most of the match, struggling to find a breakthrough despite creating several chances.Neither side was able to score in regulation time, though the crossbar denied both teams once during the contest. Wakrah’s task became more difficult in the closing stages when Radwan Berkane was shown a red card around 10 minutes from time.Shamal eventually found the decisive moment deep into stoppage time when Spanish midfielder Prim struck from the centre of the box following a corner kick to secure three valuable points for the visitors.At Al Thumama Stadium, Qatar SC delivered a strong performance to defeat Al Gharafa and deal a blow to the Cheetahs’ pursuit of the title. Musab Battat gave Qatar SC the lead in the 26th minute, beating goalkeeper Khalifa Ababacar with a shot that deflected slightly off a defender after a through cross.Gharafa’s hopes of mounting a comeback were dented early in the second half when Seydou Sano was sent off in the 47th minute following a VAR review. The defender had brought down a charging Faiz Selemani outside the box, leaving the referee with little choice but to show a red card.With the numerical advantage, Qatar SC maintained control and doubled their lead in the 66th minute through Joao Pedro. The Brazilian forward sprinted onto a long ball and calmly finished past the advancing Ababacar to seal the victory. The crucial win lifted Qatar SC to 27 points, strengthening their push for a top-four finish.Meanwhile, Al Duhail produced one of their most convincing displays of the season as they thrashed Al Sailiya. Benjamin Bourigeaud was instrumental in the victory, contributing a goal and three assists, while Krzysztof Piatek scored twice as the Red Knights ended a difficult run of results.Piatek opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a powerful header from a Bourigeaud corner before doubling the lead just three minutes later, again heading home from another precise delivery by the French midfielder.The Polish striker then turned provider in the 63rd minute, setting up Bourigeaud to make it 3-0 with a composed finish. Ibrahima Bamba completed the scoring in the 78th minute to put the result beyond doubt.The win moved Al Duhail to 24 points and temporarily into sixth place, while Al Sailiya remained 10th with 15 points as they continue to battle near the bottom of the standings.Three more matches are scheduled today, including leaders Al Sadd hosting Umm Salal at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. Al Ahli will face Al Arabi at Al Thumama Stadium, while Al Rayyan take on Al Shahania at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Related Story Source link
Israel carried out a strike in the heart of Beirut Wednesday for a second time since Lebanon was dragged into the Middle East war, as the death toll in the country climbed past 630.In New York, around 30 countries backing the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon voiced concern over the fighting in the country, which became a front in the wider conflict last week when Hezbollah attacked Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.Israel, which had kept up strikes in Lebanon even before the war despite a 2024 ceasefire with Hezbollah, has since launched air raids across the country and sent ground troops into border areas — an offensive that has killed 634 people, including 91 children, according to authorities.Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said Wednesday that Israeli forces would continue to operate in Lebanon ‘as long (as) there will be a threat against us’.Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said ‘the enemy targeted an apartment in the Aisha Bakkar area’ in central Beirut, a densely populated neighbourhood close to one of the city's biggest shopping malls.AFPTV's live broadcast captured the sound of an air strike followed by a fireball erupting in an apartment in a multi-storey residential building.An AFP correspondent saw destroyed walls on the building's seventh and eighth floors, with damaged cars nearby and security forces present at the scene.When the strike hit, ‘I ran from room to room, pulled my wife and daughter out of the rooms and hid them behind a wall, then the second strike hit’, said Fawzi Asmar, owner of a bakery on the same street.Samer Knio, a civil defence paramedic, said glass and debris fell on his team as they were evacuating casualties ‘but God protected us’.Lebanese authorities said Wednesday that about 816,000 people had been registered as displaced, with around 126,000 staying in collective shelters.Some residents fear being caught in Israeli air raids targeting people sheltering nearby.’We don't know who they're targeting. Maybe someone related to something, maybe not,’ Amal Hisham, 46, said.’Who do I blame? Who do I not blame?’The health ministry announced an initial toll of four people wounded in the apartment strike — the second in central Beirut after Israel a seafront hotel days ago, saying it was targeting Iranian foreign operations officers.Iran later said the raid killed four of its diplomats.Senior UN officials and member states called Wednesday for an end to fighting in Lebanon at a Security Council meeting in New York.Jerome Bonnafont, the French ambassador to the UN, told reporters before the meeting that ‘we troop-contributing countries to the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, joined by several other member states, express our deep alarm at the escalation of hostilities in Lebanon’.Also Wednesday, the Israeli army resumed strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah holds sway, after issuing a new evacuation warning.AFPTV live footage showed smoke rising from the area following strikes.Israeli air raids also continued in southern and eastern Lebanon, with the NNA reporting strikes in several areas.The health ministry eight people killed in a strike in the southeastern Bint Jbeil district, with NNA reporting the toll included five members of one family.The ministry said seven people were also killed in a strike on the east Lebanon town of Tamnin al-Tahta, while ‘successive raids’ overnight on the southern town of Qana in the Tyre district killed five people.In Hennawiyeh, also in the Tyre area, the ministry said an overnight Israeli strike wounded two people who were then killed in a subsequent attack along with a rescue worker who attended the scene.It also announced the death of a Red Cross paramedic from wounds sustained when ‘the Israeli enemy targeted the ambulance he was travelling in… on a rescue mission’ two days earlier in the same district.An AFP correspondent saw mourners, including some in Red Cross uniform, taking part in the paramedic's funeral procession Wednesday in Tyre city.Authorities said 15 healthcare workers are among those killed in Israeli strikes since March 2. Source link
Al Rayyan coach Artur Jorge Al Rayyan’s Portuguese coach Artur Jorge has expressed relief on the resumption of Qatar Stars League in difficult times with ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Fourth-placed Rayyan face Al Shahania in their round 18 match at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium today.Speaking to the media on eve of the match Al Shahania, Jorge said: “We are happy the league is back after a break. We feel safe in Qatar and we thank the country for the security and safety it has been providing to all.”He added: “Our focus now is on finishing the league in a position befitting Al Rayyan’s ambition and those of the club’s fans. The team’s preparations for the Al Shahania match have been good and the upcoming game represents an important opportunity for us to continue working and achieve a positive result.”Al Rayyan goalkeeper Sami Baldi emphasised on the team’s readiness. “We are excited to return to competition after the recent break, and the players are ready. We have worked as a team during this period, and we strive to perform well in the next stage.”Among the other matches today, Al Ahli will face Al Arabi at the Al Thumama Stadium while table toppers and defending champions Al Sadd will meet Umm Salal at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium.Al Arabi’s Romanian coach Cosmin Contra also expressed his gratitude to Qatar for the well-being. “Aside from football, we would like to express our deep gratitude to Qatar. The security situation and the calmness we are experiencing reflect a high level of professionalism in dealing with such situations. We extend our sincere thanks to those responsible for protecting the country and ensuring everyone’s safety, which allows us to carry out our work in a completely secure environment.” he said.Al Sadd wary of Umm SalalAl Sadd’s assistant coach Sergio Allegri said the match against Umm Salal will be tough and intense. “The match against Umm Salal will certainly be difficult and we will need have to give our 100% to get the three points. We need to continue with our top efforts to continue winning and extend our lead at the top of the league,” he said.Al Sadd star Akram Afif added: “From now on, every remaining match in the league is crucial; we have to win every single one of them. We are ready to face Umm Salal. Our focus is on achieving the three to maintain our lead and retain the title.”Umm Salal coach Ruben Albes said his side will try to bet at their best against Sadd. “We know it’s a big match against the league leaders but we will go in aiming for a positive result. We shall try to maintain our performance from the previous matches and put on a good show that will benefit the team in its league campaign.” Related Story Source link
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Jack Draper of Great Britain is congratulated by Novak Djokovic of Serbia after winning the Indian Wells Open match. (AFP) Novak Djokovic was dumped out by Jack Draper in a slugfest Wednesday as the defending champion won 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) to reach the quarter-finals at Indian Wells.World number one Carlos Alcaraz sailed into the last eight of the Masters 1000 event for the fifth straight year and there were straight-sets wins for Daniil Medvedev and Cameron Norrie.But Britain’s Draper did it the hard way, wearing down 38-year-old Djokovic in a punishing third set to deny the Serb superstar his first return to the quarter-finals since he won his fifth Indian Wells title in 2016.”I came out here tonight and I won that match through determination and trying to problem-solve and do my best and have a great attitude,” said Draper, who kept the former world number one on the move with multiple drop shots.The margins were razor-thin over the first two sets. The tide turned on an epic point in the opening game of the third that saw both players chasing down drop shots and scrambling for lobs before Djokovic sealed it with an overhead for a 40-30 lead.He flopped on the court exhausted and was on his knees again after Draper won the next point. Djokovic would go on to hold serve, but he said it was the difference in the match for him.”One point,” he said. “It was great winning that point in that game, but I just ran completely out of gas.”Draper broke Djokovic in his next service game, but couldn’t close it out when he served for the match at 5-4.The reprieve wasn’t enough for Djokovic, who led 4-3 in the tiebreaker but couldn’t hang on.”He played a sloppy game to close it out 5-4, and, you know, I got the crowd, you know, backing me, and I felt the energy,” Djokovic said. “It was, like, maybe I’m gonna take this one. It was so, so close.”Draper, playing just his second tournament since missing the better part of six months with an arm injury, was delighted.”To come out here against Novak, for me the greatest tennis player there is, I’m just incredibly proud of myself,” he said.He won’t have long to savor the victory, with a quarter-final against two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev coming up on Thursday.Medvedev beat American Alex Michelsen 6-2, 6-4. Alcaraz shinesAlcaraz advanced with a sparkling 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) victory over Casper Ruud, extending his perfect start to 2026.Alcaraz, who lifted the trophy in the California desert in 2023 and 2024, was untouchable in the first set, conjuring winners from every angle of the court.”My first set, I think I was unplayable to be honest,” Alcaraz said. “I was really, really happy about playing at that level.”Ruud stepped it up in the second set, but even he could only smile when Alcaraz seized a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker with another leaping volley, the Spaniard closing proceedings fittingly with a backhand winner.Alcaraz, 22, became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam with his victory at the Australian Open.He followed that up with the Qatar Open title and with three wins under his belt in Indian Wells is now 15-0 on the season.He next faces 29th-ranked Briton Norrie, who beat Australian qualifier Rinki Hijikata 6-4, 6-2.Norrie, the 2021 Indian Wells champion, beat Alcaraz in the second round of the Paris Masters 1000 last year. Related Story Source link