IRGC Commander Sees 'War of Attrition' in Gaza

Iran Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salam during a march in Tehran (AFP)
Iran Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salam during a march in Tehran (AFP)
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IRGC Commander Sees 'War of Attrition' in Gaza

Iran Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salam during a march in Tehran (AFP)
Iran Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salam during a march in Tehran (AFP)

Thousands of Iranians took part in state-sponsored marches on Saturday to protest against the deaths of children and other civilians in the Gaza war.

Iran Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salam said Israel was going towards its doom in a war of attrition.

"Palestine stands on the path of a war of attrition...Israel will face a definitive defeat and end up in the dustbin of history," Salami told a rally in the capital, Tehran, which was aired live on state TV.

"The battle is not over. The Islamic world will do whatever it has to do. There are still great (unused) capacities left," Salami said, without referring to any possible moves by Iran to join the conflict, according to Reuters.

Salami stated that the al-Aqsa Flood operation demonstrated that foreign aid and governments such as the US cannot save Israel from collapse because before they arrive to the rescue, Muslims and Palestinians can end this entity, according to the official Iranian News Agency (IRNA).

State television showed some protesters carrying bundled white shrouds symbolizing the children killed in Gaza during the nationwide marches held ahead of World Children's Day on Monday.

Tensions in the region have flared since a deadly attack by Iran-backed Hamas militants who burst through the border from Gaza into Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 240 hostages, including children, according to Israeli tallies.

On Saturday, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs appealed to the international community to help stop the "killing machine and organized terrorism of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and hold Zionist criminals accountable to justice and international law."



Pakistan Military Court Sentences 60 Civilians Up to 10 Years in Prison

Pakistani security officials check people and vehicles at a checkpoint in Peshawar, Pakistan, 24 December 2024. EPA/BILAWAL ARBAB
Pakistani security officials check people and vehicles at a checkpoint in Peshawar, Pakistan, 24 December 2024. EPA/BILAWAL ARBAB
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Pakistan Military Court Sentences 60 Civilians Up to 10 Years in Prison

Pakistani security officials check people and vehicles at a checkpoint in Peshawar, Pakistan, 24 December 2024. EPA/BILAWAL ARBAB
Pakistani security officials check people and vehicles at a checkpoint in Peshawar, Pakistan, 24 December 2024. EPA/BILAWAL ARBAB

A Pakistani military court sentenced sixty civilians to jail time ranging from 2 to 10 years in connection with attacks on military facilities following the arrest of former prime minister Imran Khan in 2023, the military's media wing said on Thursday.
Those sentenced include a relative of Khan as well as two retired military officers. Days earlier, 25 others were sentenced on the same charges, Reuters reported.
Khan’s arrest in May 2023 sparked countrywide protests that saw his supporters attack and ransack military installations in an unprecedented backlash against Pakistan’s powerful army generals.
The military's media wing said, "The Nation, Government, and the Armed Forces remain steadfast in their commitment to upholding justice and ensuring that the inviolable writ of the state is maintained."
The sentences have sparked concerns among Khan's supporters that military courts will play a more significant role in cases related to the former leader, who is facing multiple charges, including inciting attacks against the armed forces.
The international community has also expressed concerns over the sentencing. The United States stated it is "deeply concerned" about the sentences, while the United Kingdom's foreign office noted that trying civilians in military courts "lacks transparency, independent scrutiny and undermines the right to a fair trial".
The European Union also criticized the sentences, saying they are "inconsistent with the obligations that Pakistan has undertaken under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights".
In a press conference on Wednesday, the information minister said the military court sentences do not infringe upon the right to a fair trial, as individuals are granted access to a lawyer, family, and still have the opportunity to appeal twice, both within the military court and civilian court, the relevant high court.
Khan's supporters have denied any wrongdoing, and Khan himself claims that the cases against him are politically motivated.
The military and government have denied any unfair treatment of Khan or his supporters.