Arab Parliament Condemns Israel’s Al-Mawasi Massacre in Gaza

Smoke rises after Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, December 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, December 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
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Arab Parliament Condemns Israel’s Al-Mawasi Massacre in Gaza

Smoke rises after Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, December 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa
Smoke rises after Israeli strikes, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, December 10, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa

The Arab Parliament strongly condemned the massacre committed by Israeli forces in Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza.
The massacre, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens, is a continuation of the policy of genocide and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people, and a clear violation of international laws and charters, particularly international humanitarian law, the Arab Parliament said.
In a statement, it stated that impunity and lack of deterrence further encourage the Israeli occupation forces to commit more crimes and massacres against innocent civilians.

It also said that the international community, the Security Council, and the US administration are fully responsible for these massacres, which are carried out on a daily basis amid shameful international silence.
The Arab Parliament urged the international community, the Security Council, and the international community to assume their responsibilities and exert pressure on the occupation forces to halt the genocide and the brutal massacres committed against Palestinian civilians.
The parliament also asked that the Palestinian civilians be granted protection and that humanitarian and medical assistance be immediately allowed into the Gaza Strip to alleviate the famine and tragic conditions there, as well as an immediate stop to the attacks on innocent civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.



Explosion Reported at US Military Facility Near Baghdad Airport 

A view of Baghdad international Airport. (Reuters)
A view of Baghdad international Airport. (Reuters)
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Explosion Reported at US Military Facility Near Baghdad Airport 

A view of Baghdad international Airport. (Reuters)
A view of Baghdad international Airport. (Reuters)

Iraqi security officials said an explosion targeted a site used by the US military next to Baghdad airport late Tuesday, one day before an expected visit by Iran's president.

The expected visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Baghdad Wednesday would be his first official trip abroad since taking office.

Iraq’s security media cell said in a statement that an explosion was heard at 11 p.m. at the airport, in an area used by advisers to the US-led international coalition.

The statement said Iraqi security forces were unable to determine the "type or causes of the explosion, and no party has claimed responsibility for it." It added that the incident was under investigation and civilian air traffic continued as normal.

There was no immediate information on damage or casualties.

US officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

An Iraqi security official at the airport, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, said that officials who were at the airport preparing for Pezeshkian’s visit heard "the sound of two strong strikes," which apparently targeted a logistics support site for the coalition.

Over the past 11 months, Iranian-backed Iraqi militias have periodically targeted bases housing US forces in Iraq and have said that the strikes were in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel in the war in Gaza.

One of those militias, Kataib Hezbollah, appeared to be trying to distance itself from Tuesday night’s strike.

Jaafar al-Husseini, the group’s spokesperson, said in a statement that the targeting of the airport was "carried out by suspicious hands, and its aim is to disrupt the Iranian president’s visit to Baghdad."