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Middle East conflict

US masterminded attack on Gaza hospital, Iranian news agency says

According to the media, the Americans allegedly developed a plan to carry out a "powerful lethal strike" against a certain facility in Gaza that was supposed to be crowded with people

DUBAI, October 18. /TASS/. The US military masterminded the attack on a civilian facility in the Gaza Strip to prevent a potential Israeli ground offensive against the enclave, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported, citing sources.

According to the agency, "there are whispers" that the October 17 attack on the al-Ahli Hospital, in which hundreds of people were killed, was allegedly carried out by Israel in accordance with a plan developed by the military of the US Central Command (CENTCOM). Agency sources said the US and Israeli leaders were shocked when militants of the Palestinian Hamas movement launched their operation on October 7. Subsequently, the US repeatedly warned Israel that a ground operation in Gaza could cost the country’s army and authorities dearly, the agency said.

According to Tasnim's sources, the Americans allegedly developed a plan to carry out a "powerful lethal strike" against a certain facility in Gaza that was supposed to be crowded with people. In this way, they allegedly wanted to help Israel sway public opinion against launching a ground offensive. The al-Ahli hospital in Gaza City was chosen as the target, Tasnim reported. The Israeli military allegedly used anti-bunker bombs with high explosive power.

According to Palestinian information, 471 people were killed and 342 injured in an attack on the al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza on October 17. The Palestinian side blamed the Israeli air force for the incident, while Israel said that the explosion at the hospital was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Islamic Jihad group. A mourning period was declared in Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. In the wake of the attack, a four-party summit in Amman, set to include Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his US counterpart Joe Biden, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and Jordan's King Abdullah II, was canceled.

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Ukrainian frontline may 'collapse' under onslaught of Russian forces — BBC

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Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell confirmed that the US administration had lifted restrictions for US-supplied missiles to be used for strikes up to 300 kilometers inside Russia

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Preliminary data shows anti-ship missile downed over Sevastopol waters — official

Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said that all emergencies services currently work in the high alert mode

Zelensky admits Ukraine can't fight its way back to 1991 borders

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US decision on strikes inside Russia stems from malice rather than strategy — journalist

According to Sumantra Maitra, Washington’s move will not improve Kiev’s situation

Putin warns West that Russia can respond to any turn of events

"There will always be an answer," the president said

Ukrainian conflict acquires global elements after strikes with Western missiles — Putin

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US Senate refuses to block arms supplies to Israel

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US admiral says Washington should be ready for talks with Russia, China

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Weapons supplied to Ukraine cannot reach Russian territory, Spanish defense minister says

The New York Times reported on November 17 that US President Joe Biden had authorized the use of US-supplied ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles for strikes inside Russia

Xi Jinping calls for unification of more voices for peace in Ukraine

"We need to bring together more voices of peace and pave the way for a political solution to the Ukrainian crisis," Chinese president said

Zelensky begs ‘for his country to be flattened’ — US journalist

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Canada neglects its sovereignty by approving transfer of land mines to Kiev — diplomat

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Soyuz rocket carrying Progress MS-29 cargo spaceship blasts off from Baikonur spaceport

Progress MS-29 will deliver 2,487 metric tons of cargo to the orbital outpost, including fuel, drinking water, compressed nitrogen, various equipment, food and clothing

Biden's decision to use ATACMS on Russia threatens to kill Americans — Tucker Carlson

The journalist also criticized US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (a Republican representing the state of Louisiana) for "not even mentioning it in public or in leadership meetings" with factions in the lower house of Congress

FACTBOX: What is known about UAV attacks on Russian regions

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Putin sends message to those seeking to 'add fuel to fire' before Trump’s return — expert

The likelihood of a direct armed conflict with NATO is increasing because some individuals in the alliance are ready to raise the stakes ahead of Trump’s inauguration, Andrey Bystritsky emphasized

Russia counts on West's responsibility in nuclear deterrence issues — Kremlin

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Ex-German chancellor never expected Russia to tolerate Ukraine’s NATO membership — memoir

Angela Merkel added that another fallacy was the belief that the status "would act as a deterrent," and that Moscow "would accept these developments without taking action"

US is now at war with Russia, Ritter says

According to former US intelligence officer Scott Ritter, the United States "is a direct party to the invasion and occupation of Russian soil," because it helped Kiev plan its incursion into the Kursk Region

Ukraine has around 50 ATACMS missiles — The Times

According to the report, the Ukrainian military has sufficient launchers that are capable of firing them

US, NATO decision on strikes continues policy of escalation — Putin

"Experts are well aware - and the Russian side has repeatedly underscored this - that it is impossible to use these weapons without direct participation of military specialists from the countries that produce these weapons," the president said

Lukashenko tells Putin situation is "starting to get tense with Wagner"

The Belarusian leader noted that they want to go to Warsaw

ATACMS missiles unlikely to keep Kiev from losing conflict — American expert

Daniel Davis also noted that "continuing to ignore reality" would only increase "the ultimate cost of losing" the conflict for Ukraine

Moscow-Washington hotline not in use now — Kremlin spokesman

Dmitry Peskov added that there have been no contacts via this new channel lately

Press review: Russian air defenses can down Western missiles as EU conducts live exercise

Top stories from the Russian press on Tuesday, November 19th

NATO enters conflict, Russia has every right to attack its targets now — expert

Col. (Ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson confirmed to TASS that the launch of ATACMS missiles would be impossible without "US/NATO satellite feeds and/or personnel"

US strategic forces ready for Biden-Trump transition — Pentagon

"The nuclear forces is ready on January 19, just like it will be ready on January, 20," Rear Admiral Thomas Buchanan said

Russian troops liberate Dalneye community in Donbass region over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 380 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed a British-made howitzer and four US-made artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day

Biden's decision on missile strikes on Russia is his 'last gasp' — Japanese lawmaker

Earlier, Muneo Suzuki emphasized on his blog that the decision that this decision by Biden on the tail-end of his presidency looked like "a last gasp"

No Western sanctions to limit Russia’s foreign trade — minister

All restrictions that Western countries impose affect themselves in the first place, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov added

Kiev suffering fiasco on entire front line — aide to DPR head

Igor Kimakovsky said that "if the West is not physically involved in this war, that is, if NATO is not involved, then Ukraine is actually losing"