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Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Israel begins air strikes on Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza

The military operation was launched after rockets fired from Gaza had hit several buildings in Israel, including a factory in Sderot

© AP Photo/Hatem Moussa

MOSCOW, November 12. /TASS/. Israel has begun air strikes on Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said on Twitter.

"Our fighter jets have begun striking Islamic Jihad terror targets in Gaza," the tweet reads.

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Palestine’s Islamic Jihad vows to hit back at Israel for taking out its top commander

Israel’s Channel 9 informed that the country’s Air Force is targeting only military facilities belonging to Islamic Jihad. Reports about the air strikes came soon after rockets fired from Gaza had hit several buildings in Israel, including a factory in Sderot.

According to media reports, Hamas is not involved in the current round of tensions that started to escalate following Israel’s attack on Islamic Jihad commander in Gaza Baha Abu Al-Ata. He and his wife were killed in the attack and another five people, including the pair’s four children, suffered wounds. The Israeli Defense Forces said later that 50 rockets had been fired at Israel from Gaza after the attack. The Iron Dome air defense system intercepted about 20 of the rockets.

Islamic Jihad has vowed to give a tit-for-tat response to Baha Abu Al-Ata’s killing and announced a mobilization of its forces.

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Erdogan’s May 9 visit to US postponed to more convenient date — Foreign Ministry

"The high-level dialogue between Turkey and the US will continue," the spokesman Oncu Keceli said

US effectively dooms Ukraine by its new decisions, Russian envoy says

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The US businessman commented on remarks by Gad Saad, a Canadian professor of Lebanese origin, who insisted that "the path that the West is taking will result in civil war"

Iran announces establishment of Basij voluntary naval force

According to the commander, the unit has already recruited 55,000 members and has 33,000 small vessels that are equipped with 107mm missiles

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Vasily Nebenzya said that he has "good personal relations" with the secretary general

Russian defense chief points to West’s double standards on right to self-defense

In this regard, Sergey Shoigu mentioned the operation that Tehran carried out "in retaliation for a blatant attack on the Iranian consulate building in Damascus"

Terrorist attacks occur in Iran, Russia due to US support for terrorism — Iran’s top brass

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Dmitry Peskov added that the EP "has turned into a machine brimming with internal contradictions that keeps generating boorish statements"

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The deal still looks advantageous even after two years of war, Welt am Sonntag said

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Pelosi's remarks about US protesters undemocratic, Russian diplomat says

On April 25, US police said at least 127 people were arrested during large-scale protests on American university campuses against Israeli actions in the Palestinian enclave

Space station’s orbit raised by 1 km — Roscosmos

According to preliminary information, the average altitude of the orbital outpost was increased to 414.8 km above the Earth’s surface

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According to the minister Gergely Gulyas, the North Atlantic Alliance "wants to provide financial assistance, as well as supply weapons and train Ukrainian soldiers"

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Konstantin Gavrilov emphasized that the US will have to be brought to account for this decision

Kiev may use ATACMS missiles to hit Crimean Bridge — Russian defense ministry official

Russian military will do its utmost to repel such attacks, Apty Alaudinov said

Russia to hold next international security meeting in 2025 — top security official

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According to the diplomat, Russia is engaged in "fierce battles on this issue in different committees of the General Assembly"

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IAEA chief to have working contacts with Rosatom, no meeting with Putin is planned

Rafael Grossi may visit Russia in late May

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"If the UN did not exist, it should have been created," Vasily Nebenzya said

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Abu Ubaida, a spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, said the brigades had completely or partially destroyed 135 units of Israeli military equipment over the past three days

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US can send Ukraine Patriot air defense systems currently deployed in other regions

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan added that the his country had doubled artillery production in order to help Kiev

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57% of companies replaced at least one foreign service with a Russian one over the past few years, the analysts noted

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In Maxim Buyakevich words, neither the talks nor their outcome can change the existing political and territorial realities

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The Ukrainian military has suffered heavy casualties among personnel and military hardware in that community, Igor Kimakovsky said

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The strike was conducted by Israel Air Force’s aircraft in the area of Meidoun in Lebanon

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Russian troops improved their tactical position and repelled eight Ukrainian army counterattacks in the Avdeyevka area over the past day, the Defense Ministry reported

Russian national Petrov arrested in Cyprus to appeal to Supreme Court — lawyer

On April 25, the court in Nicosia ruled to extradite Artur Petrov to the United States

Russia ready to cooperate with all interested partners to ensure security — Putin

The Russian leader expressed confidence that the the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues "will bolster cooperation for the mutual benefit of our countries and peoples"

Medvedev warns that Russia’s default may entail Europe’s default

Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council added that the European Union’s financial system is not very stable and people are losing confidence

Miguel Salgado’s ‘Shame’ wins main prize at Moscow International Film Festival

The film is focused on two teenagers Pedro and Lucio, who are forced to fight each other to the death in order to survive after being abducted

China, US free to have their own friends, partners — President Xi

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Erdogan’s May 9 visit to US postponed to more convenient date — Foreign Ministry

"The high-level dialogue between Turkey and the US will continue," the spokesman Oncu Keceli said

Poland practices transfer of mechanized brigade to Lithuania's Suwalki Corridor area

The exercise under the classified Orsha plan involves 1,500 military personnel from Lithuania's Zemaitija Motorized Infantry Brigade, Poland's 15th Mechanized Brigade, allied US and Portuguese units, as well as about 200 pieces of military equipment

About 20% of weapons sent to Kiev end up on black market – Russia’s UN mission

Dmitry Polyansky said that some of the weapons supplied to Kiev are "in the darknet, which means that it is available to anyone"

Europe should be prepared to build relations with Russia post-Ukraine conflict — Macron

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French neo-Nazi ringleader liquidated near Avdeyevka — sources

There is confirmed evidence of his connections with French secret services

Abrams tanks easy targets for drones — Russian expert

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Moscow reports 1,773 daily coronavirus hospitalizations

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EU remains unreliable partner for Russia for now — Lavrov

Moscow hopes that Brussels will pay attention to its vital interests in the end, Russia's top diplomat said

Venezuela interested in Russia's participation in gold mining — official

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Russian defense minister dismisses his deputy Ivanov

Timur Ivanov was removed from the office of deputy defense minister of the Russian Federation of the federal government’s civil service

Better situation for peace in Ukraine, threats to Belarus: new statements by Lukashenko

The head of state accused Washington of preparing a "Belarusian liberation army" and reiterated Minsk's readiness to "defend its country"

Armenian police arrests people protesting against demarcation with Azerbaijan

Earlier, demonstrators in several regions of Armenia tried to block highways, including international ones

West bends sanctions rules when it suits them — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov noted that, "according to some parameters, companies in Europe and other regions can hardly maintain their competitiveness if they completely abandon our products"

Russian aerospace forces hit two terrorists base in Syria’s Homs governorate

Yury Popov, deputy chief of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Opposing Parties in Syria, also said that one shelling attack on the positions of government forces was reported in the Idlid de-escalation zone from positions of the Jabhat al-Nusra

Charles III to return to public duties soon — Buckingham Palace

The king, 75, and queen will host their majesties the emperor and empress of Japan for a state visit in June, according to the palace

West reluctant to punish those responsible for Nord Stream blasts — Russian diplomat

According to Vasily Nebenzya, the situation is as though a year-long probe into a murder yielded a conclusion that "the victim was murdered"

Erdogan moves back from May 9 his trip to US — report

The report hasn’t been officially confirmed

US nukes in Poland to become target for Russia should confrontation with NATO occur — MFA

"The impression is that Warsaw is maniacally seeking to attract even more attention from military planners in the Russian General Staff," Maria Zakharova added

TotalEnergies to announce force majeure for Yamal LNG in case of EU sanctions

The company has two contracts for LNG supplies to Europe from the Yamal LNG project and one for Asia that requires closer consideration, CEO of the French energy company Patrick Pouyanne said

Cooperation of Serbia, Russia in military-technical sphere at highest level — president

Earlier, Aleksandar Vucic expressed his admiration for Russian technology several times

Russia warns US, NATO against harming its security — diplomat

Maria Zakharova stressed that "the level of nuclear risks have risen dramatically as a result of the West’s destructive policy, which is fraught with a direct military confrontation between nuclear powers"

SCO expects Belarus to join the organization very soon — Shoigu

The Russian defense chief is certain that "this is an important moment in strengthening security in the SCO space"

Insurers refuse to pay compensation for Nord Stream — Russian envoy to UN

Vasily Nebenzya stressed that insurers conclude on their own that the "explosion at the gas pipelines was made using an explosive devices, willfully and due to political motives," thereby confirming its terroristic nature

Russia vetoes US-backed UNSC resolution on banning nuclear weapons in outer space

The resolution gained 13 votes

Gagauzia against Chisinau’s policy of severing ties with Russia

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US stops hiding true purpose of sanctions on Moscow, Russian envoy says

"It’s not about any mythical aspirations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, but about banal opportunistic and predatory ambitions," Anatoly Antonov said

Over 3,100 foreign mercenaries fight for Ukraine, most of them from US

The Russian Investigative Committee added that measures are underway to locate their whereabouts and bring them to criminal liability

Press review: Belarus' new national security strategy and Russia, US butt heads at UN

Top stories from the Russian press on Friday, April 26th

Israel ready to accept release of fewer than 40 hostages in deal’s first phase — newspaper

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Shoigu talks about ties with NATO, attacks on Zaporozhye NPP as he attends SCO meeting

TASS has put together the highlights of Shoigu's speech

US-oriented structures try to reformat security system in Asia-Pacific region

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu underlined that this is being done by strengthening "military-political structures such as QUAD, AUKUS and the US-Japan-Philippines triad"