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Russia Calls for International Monitoring Mission in Gaza

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov waits before a meeting of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan October 12, 2023. (Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Kremlin via Reuters)
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov waits before a meeting of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan October 12, 2023. (Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Kremlin via Reuters)
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Russia Calls for International Monitoring Mission in Gaza

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov waits before a meeting of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan October 12, 2023. (Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Kremlin via Reuters)
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov waits before a meeting of Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Kyrgyzstan's President Sadyr Japarov in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan October 12, 2023. (Sputnik/Pavel Bednyakov/Kremlin via Reuters)

Russia on Sunday called for an international monitoring mission to go to Gaza to assess the humanitarian situation, and said it was unacceptable for Israel to use Hamas' Oct. 7 attack as justification for punishing the Palestinian people.

Israel invaded Gaza in retaliation for Hamas attack that Israel says killed 1,200 people. Israel's assault on Gaza has killed at least 17,000 people, Gaza health authorities say.

The United States on Friday vetoed a proposed UN Security Council demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

"We strongly condemned the terrorist attack against Israel on Oct. 7," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Al Jazeera in an interview aired on Sunday at the Doha Forum conference.

"At the same time, we do not believe it is acceptable to use this event for the collective punishment of the millions of Palestinian people with indiscriminate shelling."

Lavrov said that for there to be "humanitarian pauses" in Gaza "some kind of monitoring on the ground" was needed.

"We addressed the Secretary General [Antonio Guterres] suggesting that he use his authority to consider some kind of monitoring - but so far to no avail," Lavrov said.

President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly accused the United States and the West of ignoring the need for an independent Palestinian state within 1967 borders. Putin on Sunday spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about Gaza.

"This happened not in a vacuum," Lavrov said, pointing to decades of blockade and unfulfilled promises about a Palestinian state.

The UN's Guterres has previously said that the Hamas attack did not happen in a vacuum. Israel said Guterres had justified the Hamas attacks with such words. Guterres rejected the Israeli accusations.

Ukraine

Asked in the Al Jazeera interview if Russia was being hypocritical with its criticism about that fate of the Palestinians while Russia fights a war in Ukraine, Lavrov said neither he nor Russia were hypocritical.

Lavrov said that the West was trying to exhaust Russia in Ukraine by supplying weapons and that if peace talks were to take place then Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy would have to annul his own presidential decree.

"It is up to the Ukrainians to recognize how deep they are in the hole where the Americans put them," Lavrov said when asked if the war was at a stalemate.

When asked by Al Jazeera what the chances were of diplomacy to bring about a ceasefire or peace in Ukraine, he said: "You'll have to call Mr. Zelenskiy because a year and half ago he signed a decree prohibiting any negotiations with Putin."

Lavrov said that a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia was almost reached in Istanbul in March and April 2022 based on the idea of Ukrainian neutrality.

"This deal was aborted - it was cancelled because the Americans and the Brits decided that if Putin is ready to sign it then let's exhaust him more. That's what they are doing now. Stalemate or no stalemate - that is the fact," Lavrov said.

Asked in the interview about the August plane crash which killed Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, Lavrov said investigators had probed the crash.

"As regards the soldiers from Wagner group... quite a number of them went to Belarus and started to serve there," Lavrov said "Others joined the regular structures of the Russian army - and they continue to serve." 

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World

India’s Modi Visits Israel as US-Iran Tensions Mount

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) greet children at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, in Jerusalem, 25 February 2026. (EPA)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) greet children at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, in Jerusalem, 25 February 2026. (EPA)
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India’s Modi Visits Israel as US-Iran Tensions Mount

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) greet children at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, in Jerusalem, 25 February 2026. (EPA)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) greet children at the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament, in Jerusalem, 25 February 2026. (EPA)

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit that both countries have cast as a chance to deepen relations, as regional concerns mount over the risk of military conflict between the United States and Iran.

In an address to the Israeli parliament, Modi told lawmakers that India stood with Israel "with full conviction" as he shared his nation's condolences over the October 2023 Hamas attack.

"Like you, we have a consistent and uncompromising policy of zero tolerance for terrorism, with no double standards," he said.

Both Modi and Israeli ‌Prime Minister Benjamin ‌Netanyahu, who also addressed the parliament, spoke of terrorist attacks ‌that their ⁠nations had faced.

Some opposition lawmakers briefly walked out of the special session, protesting at the speaker's decision not to invite the head of the Supreme Court, but returned for Modi's remarks.

Netanyahu's right-wing government, which the speaker belongs to, has had a confrontational relationship with the court.

Modi, a Hindu nationalist, became the first prime minister in India's history to visit Israel in 2017, during which he and Netanyahu ⁠took a barefoot stroll on a beach in the northern ‌port city of Haifa.

Both still in power nearly ‌nine years later, the two leaders, who describe one another as friends, are expected to hold talks ‌on artificial intelligence as well as defense at a time when Israel is seeking ‌to increase its military exports.

An Israeli government official said Modi's visit would "pave the way for new partnerships and collaborations across many fields." Bilateral ties were on the cusp of a significant upgrade, an Israeli foreign ministry official said.

US MILITARY BUILDUP NEAR IRAN

Modi is visiting as the United States deploys ‌a vast naval force near Iran's coast ahead of possible strikes on the countries, with the two sides at an ⁠impasse in talks ⁠over Tehran's nuclear program. The Pentagon has also deployed an aircraft carrier to the Mediterranean, bound for Israel's coast.

A US. attack on Iran could draw Iranian retaliation against Israel as well as US military facilities in the region where millions of Indians live and work and send home billions of dollars of remittances each year.

In his speech to lawmakers, Modi vaguely spoke about the challenges facing stability in the region, acknowledging that the landscape had become more challenging in recent years, but made no mention of the US military build-up, or of Iran.

He backed the US plan to end the war in Gaza, telling the parliament that it could lead to peace "for all people of the region, including by addressing the Palestinian issue."

"The road to peace is not always easy. But India joins you and the world for dialogue, peace and stability in this region," Modi said.

World

US Unveils New Iran Sanctions in ‘Maximum Pressure’ Effort

A woman walks past a wall painting in the colors of the Iranian flag in Tehran on February 25, 2026. (AFP)
A woman walks past a wall painting in the colors of the Iranian flag in Tehran on February 25, 2026. (AFP)
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US Unveils New Iran Sanctions in ‘Maximum Pressure’ Effort

A woman walks past a wall painting in the colors of the Iranian flag in Tehran on February 25, 2026. (AFP)
A woman walks past a wall painting in the colors of the Iranian flag in Tehran on February 25, 2026. (AFP)

The United States on Wednesday announced fresh sanctions targeting Iran, pressing on with what Washington calls its "maximum pressure" campaign ahead of talks between both sides in Geneva.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened strikes if Iran does not cut a deal on its nuclear program.

The US Treasury Department's latest sanctions take aim at more than 30 individuals, entities and vessels said to be enabling "illicit Iranian petroleum sales," as well as its weapons production.

In particular, vessels operating "as part of Iran's shadow fleet, which transport Iranian petroleum and petroleum products to foreign markets" were targeted as a means to strike at authorities' revenue sources, the Treasury said.

"Iran exploits financial systems to sell illicit oil, launder the proceeds, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs, and support its terrorist proxies," charged US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement.

He vowed that the Trump administration will continue to push for "maximum pressure on Iran to target the regime's weapons capabilities and support for terrorism."

In his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, Trump accused Tehran of "sinister nuclear ambitions" after he ordered a massive military deployment around the region.

But for now, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said that he had a favorable outlook for talks between both sides.

World

US and South Korean Militaries will Have Joint Drills in March as Tensions with North Korea Escalate

Col. Jang Do-young, left, public affairs director of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Army Col. Ryan Donald, public affairs director of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea, pose for a photo during a media briefing on the 2026 ROK-US Freedom Shield Military Exercise at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)
Col. Jang Do-young, left, public affairs director of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Army Col. Ryan Donald, public affairs director of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea, pose for a photo during a media briefing on the 2026 ROK-US Freedom Shield Military Exercise at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)
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US and South Korean Militaries will Have Joint Drills in March as Tensions with North Korea Escalate

Col. Jang Do-young, left, public affairs director of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Army Col. Ryan Donald, public affairs director of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea, pose for a photo during a media briefing on the 2026 ROK-US Freedom Shield Military Exercise at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)
Col. Jang Do-young, left, public affairs director of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and U.S. Army Col. Ryan Donald, public affairs director of the United Nations Command, Combined Forces Command, and United States Forces Korea, pose for a photo during a media briefing on the 2026 ROK-US Freedom Shield Military Exercise at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026. (Jung Yeon-je/Pool Photo via AP)

The US and South Korean militaries said on Wednesday they will conduct their annual springtime exercises next month to bolster their countries’ combined defense capabilities against a backdrop of a deepening diplomatic freeze with nuclear-armed North Korea.

The Freedom Shield drills is set for March 9-19, according to the announcement.

North Korea has long described the allies ’ joint exercises as invasion rehearsals and used them as a pretext to dial up its own military demonstrations and weapons testing activity. The allies say the drills are defensive in nature, The AP News reported.

The announcement came as North Korea is holding a major political conference where authoritarian leader Kim Jong Un is expected to outline his key domestic, foreign policy and military goals for the next five years. North Korean state media have not so far reported any direct comments by Kim on relations with Washington and Seoul at the ruling Workers’ Party congress, which began last week.

Based on recent public comments, experts say Kim could use the congress to further entrench his hard-line stance toward South Korea, reiterate calls for Washington to drop its demand for denuclearization as a precondition for renewed talks, and announce steps to simultaneously strengthen and integrate his nuclear and conventional forces.

Freedom Shield is one of two “command post” exercises that the allies conduct each year; the other is Ulchi Freedom Shield, held in August. The drills are largely computer-simulated and designed to test the allies’ joint operational capabilities while incorporating evolving war scenarios and security challenges.

As usual, the March drill will be accompanied by a field training program called Warrior Shield to enhance “training realism and combat readiness,” Col. Ryan Donald, public affairs director of US Forces Korea, told a news conference.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said about 18,000 South Korean troops will participate in Freedom Shield while the US military did not disclose how many American troops will be involved.

There has been speculation that the allies are seeking to tone down the drills to create conditions for dialogue with North Korea.

Liberal South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has expressed a desire for inter-Korean engagement, and some of his top officials have voiced hope that President Donald Trump’s expected visit to China in late March or April could open the door to renewed talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

Col. Jang Do-young, public affairs director of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the March exercises will not involve scenarios of a possible response to a North Korean nuclear attack but will include training aimed at “deterring nuclear threats.” He said the allies were still discussing the specifics of the field training program.

The rapid expansion in recent years of Kim’s nuclear weapons program — now featuring systems capable of threatening US allies in Asia, as well as long-range missiles that could potentially reach the American homeland — has heightened South Korea’s security concerns while its diplomacy with Pyongyang remains stalled.

South Korea is also grappling with intensifying US-China competition in the region, which has prompted Washington to press its ally to assume a greater share of the defense burden against North Korea as it focuses more on China.

North Korea has repeatedly rejected Washington and Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy aimed at winding down its nuclear program, which derailed in 2019 following the collapse of Kim’s second summit with Trump during the American president’s first term.

Kim has now made Russia the priority of his foreign policy, sending thousands of troops and large amounts of military equipment to support Moscow’s war in Ukraine, possibly in exchange for aid and military technology.

In a separate development, South Korea’s Defense Ministry said a pilot safely evacuated from a South Korean F-16 fighter jet that crashed on Wednesday evening into a mountain in the southeastern city of Yeongju during training.

The ministry said there were no immediate reports of casualties or civilian property damages and that the air force was investigating the crash.