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Middle East conflict

Israel forced to enter Rafah because Hamas refuses to release hostages — Israeli minister

Yoav Galant emphasized that Israel was committed to achieving the goals of the war

TEL AVIV, May 6. /TASS/. Israel will be forced to launch a ground military operation in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah because representatives of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas turned down a deal regarding the release of hostages, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said on Monday.

"The actions to return your loved ones continue all the time, even now," The Times of Israel daily quoted Galant as saying during his meeting with families of hostages.

"We are committed to achieving the goals of the war, but the refusal of Hamas of any plan that would allow the return of the hostages forces us to start the operation in Rafah," the Israeli minister noted.

"Even after the start of the operation in Rafah, all efforts to bring home the hostages will continue," Galant added.

The Times of Israel reported earlier on Monday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has begun the evacuation of civilians from the eastern neighborhoods of Rafah close to the Israeli border ahead of a planned offensive in the area. Civilians are being urged to move to an expanded humanitarian zone in the al-Mawasi and Khan Younis areas, the paper wrote.

On May 5, Hamas supporters fired about ten rockets from an area near the southern Gazan city of Rafah towards the Kerem Shalom border crossing. The attack killed three Israeli service members and left at least 11 wounded. In response, the Israeli army carried out a series of airstrikes on the outskirts of Rafah in the early hours of May 6, particularly targeting a sniper stronghold and military infrastructure facilities.

Several hours after the shelling attack, Al-Qahira Al-Ihbariya said that participants in the recent round of the Cairo talks on a Gaza ceasefire had achieved "serious progress." The broadcaster added that a Hamas delegation would return to Cairo within the next two days "to give its final response to Egypt’s proposal."

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023 after militants of the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas launched a surprise incursion into Israeli territory, killing many Israeli kibbutz residents living near the Gaza border and abducting more than 200 Israelis, including women, children and the elderly.

Hamas described its attack as a response to the Israeli authorities’ aggressive actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Israel has declared a complete siege of the Gaza Strip and started a military operation there. Israel is also striking parts of Lebanon and Syria in retaliation for attacks originating from those countries. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.

Middle East conflict

Hezbollah reports over 100 Israeli troops eliminated in south Lebanon since October 1

According to the Lebanon-based Shiite party, 1 000 more were wounded

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Russia, China reach historic level of economic cooperation — lawmaker

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IAEA chief urges Iran to find diplomatic solution on nuclear program

Rafael Grossi acknowledged that the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear program, which the US later abandoned, had become an "empty shell"

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Ukraine admits to mismanagement of military personnel

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Trump to reverse Biden’s executive orders in first week in office — press secretary

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Defense enterprises in Ukraine hiding their employees from mobilization

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Russia for the first time displays Su-57 jet at China show

Su-57 multirole fifth-generation fighter jet was designed to destroy all air, ground, and water surface targets, monitor the airspace at major distances from deployment bases, make adversary headquarters, command posts and control systems inoperative

Russia’s Su-57 fifth-generation fighter debuts at Airshow China

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Houthis say they attacked US aircraft carrier in Arabian Sea

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Russia demonstrates Il-76MD-90A(E) airlifter to 11 foreign customers this year

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Denis Pushilin added that "it is almost impossible to find an undamaged building"

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Thailand receives invitation to become BRICS partner country — diplomatic source

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Ukraine retreating fast, delaying peace to result in lost territories — entrepreneur

"The simplest path to peace in Ukraine is to go back to the draft deal signed in Istanbul," David Sacks said

US to continue arms supplies to Israel — news portal

According to Axios, "some of Blinken's senior aides and senior White House officials thought the ultimatum was effective and pushed Israel to change course"

Freezing conflict will only allow Ukraine to rearm itself, fight Russia anew, says expert

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West attempted to prevent Russia-Africa ministerial meeting, diplomat says

African countries realized that "this pressure contradicts their own national interests", Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov said

Israel reports eliminating most of Hezbollah arms production sites near Beirut

The statement noted that "over the years, the Intelligence Directorate has developed a situational assessment of the locations of Hezbollah terror infrastructure in the area"

Over 3,800 people cross into Syria from Lebanon in past day — Russian military

As many as 3,849 people crossed Syria’s border from Lebanon

Russia supports new UNSC draft resolution on Gaza — envoy

Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya noted that Resolution 2735 was only a tool to gain time for Israel

Mi-171A3 helicopter draws interest from partners in China — Russian Helicopters

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Russia, China sign cooperation memorandum — Xinhua

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The source described the new system as "an absolutely new and unrivalled mobile system of strategic missile defense"

Russian Security Council secretary meets with senior Chinese official

The meeting involves consultations on security, justice and public order

Russian troops destroy fourth US-made Abrams tank in Ukraine operation

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Houthis attack two US destroyers — Pentagon

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According to Vyacheslav Volodin, "it is very important to objectively assess the events that took place 25 years ago"

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Trump may be set to change US course on global conflicts, Russian envoy believes

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Hezbollah says it attacked Israeli airbases near Haifa, Tel Aviv

According to the statement, Hezbollah units also delivered a missile strike on Israel’s Tel Nof airbase located 27 kilometers south of Tel Aviv

Top Russian security official hails strategic cooperation with China

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Trump’s election win inspires with hope of Ukrainian conflict settlement – US expert

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Russian emergencies chief visits Cuba

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Ukraine’s troops south of Kurakhovo caught in pincers — military sources

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Combat experience distinguishes Su-57 among fifth-generation fighters

The Russian Defense Ministry said it excellently performed in combat

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Medvedev suggests that Elon Musk launch campaign to amend US Constitution

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Hezbollah reports over 100 Israeli troops eliminated in south Lebanon since October 1

According to the Lebanon-based Shiite party, 1 000 more were wounded

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Nikolay Patrushev agreed that Trump, when he was still a candidate, "made many statements critical of the destructive foreign and domestic policies pursued by the current administration"

Ukraine aims to call up 1 mln people in eastern areas by end of 2024 — official

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Amount of Russian assets frozen in Switzerland unchanged since August — agency

"The total amount of the Russian central bank’s assets immobilized in Switzerland is CHF 7.24 billion," said a spokeswoman for the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs

Group plotting violent coup detained in Kyrgyzstan — interior ministry

According to investigators, the suspects, using a national sports match as a cover, planned "to call for violence, advance anti-constitutional demands, and destabilize the situation"

France to hand over six Mirage 2000-5 jets to Ukraine — lawmaker

Frank Giletti asked to speed up the commissioning of previously ordered Rafale planes to the armed forces

Russian senator slams candidate for German chancellorship’s remarks as irresponsible

Konstantin Kosachev also emphasized that talking to Russia in the language of ultimatums "is not only counterproductive, but also short-sighted, especially for Germany"

Lukashenko calls for support to developing nations in accessing green technologies

The Belarusian leader emphasized that global action to combat climate change requires a united international effort in practice

Israeli foreign minister says preparations underway for annexing some West Bank areas

"2025 should be the year of Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria," Bezalel Smotrich said

Some 300 Germans eager to move to Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod Region — authorities

Among those who are ready to move are technical professionals in the metalworking industry

Russia keeps building defense capacity despite conflict in Ukraine — Polish general

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Czech intelligence warns of crime surge after Ukraine conflict ends

More than 380,000 people, mostly women and children, have fled Ukraine to the Czech Republic since February 24, 2022

Countries will line up for Russian gas when US stops exporting LNG — Serbian president

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Talks between Putin, Trump before inauguration possible — Kremlin

The United States Presidential Inauguration will be held on January 20, 2025

Russian troops secure supply route to Plekhovo in Kursk Region — commander

It is reported that fighting in the settlement itself is taking place at the moment

Lavrov to lead Russia’s delegation to G20 summit in Brazil

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with heads of BRICS media outlets that he will not be attending the G20 summit in Brazil, scheduled for November 18 and 19

Russian forces steadily advance on Boguslav direction — Belousov

The Russian Defense Minister congratulated the command and the personnel of the 153rd Armored Regiment with the liberation of the settlement of Kolesnikovka

Press review: UK and French leaders discuss Ukraine as the dollar continues to climb

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Medvedev characterizes Great Britain as eternal adversary of Russia

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Russian lower house passes third reading of bill banning child-free propaganda

The legislation stipulates preventing the distribution of information promoting voluntary childlessness online, through the media, movies and advertisements

Russia says Su-35S fighter jets provide cover to bombers, attack aircraft in Kursk Region

Also, one aircraft used onboard weapons systems to detect enemy air defense sites, according to the ministry

Trump to end NATO’s obsession to get on Russian territory — White House ex-strategist

Steve Bannon noted that Trump’s MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement seeks to completely cut funding to Ukraine. According to Bannon, Europe, including Italy, will follow Trump’s lead, and, if "they [Europe and Italy] truly believe what they have been saying in recent years, they should be ready to pay"

Russian forces destroy Ukrainian Stryker armored vehicle in Kharkov Region

The strike’s accuracy and efficiency were confirmed by data-recording equipment in real time

Musk helping Trump choose top officials — media

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Dagestani deminer holds stronghold on his own for several weeks

According to the statement the enemy shelled Zakaria Aliyev almost daily but the Dagestani man’s spirit "turned out to be stronger than any weapon"

More countries understand reasons for conflict in Ukraine didn’t arise overnight — Lavrov

Russia’s top diplomat pointed to many years of efforts in Ukraine to eradicate the Russian language in education, news media and culture, and to the recent law that bans the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church

US intelligence agencies must prevent new attempts on Trump’s life — Kremlin aide

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US delivers strikes on infrastructure of pro-Iranian militants in Syria — CENTCOM

According to the statement, the "strikes were in response to a rocket attack on US personnel at Patrol Base Shaddadi"

Ukrainian losses, Sudzhansky district head retirement: situation in Kursk Region

Units of the battlegroup continued offensive operations, defeating Ukrainian formations in the areas of the settlements of Daryino, Leonidovo, Malaya Loknya, Nikolayevo-Daryino and Novoivanovka

US military strikes car carrying Houthi rebel leaders — TV

According to the source, the US also carried out strikes at Houthi military targets in this area

Kremlin spokesman denies media reports of phone call between Putin, Trump

Dmitry Peskov described the Washington Post and Reuters reports about the alleged telephone conversation as "the most remarkable example of the quality of the information that is published nowadays, sometimes even by quite respected outlets"

Russia’s Rubikon unmanned technology center team destroys Ukrainian armor in Kursk area

"The video shows a team of the Russian Defense Ministry’s Testing Center of Advanced Unmanned Technologies destroying Ukrainian armor by an FPV drone in the Kursk area," the ministry said

Press review: Russia, Belarus finalize security deal as China readies for Trump’s new term

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54 countries vote against resolution on combating ne-Nazism

116 countries, including Azerbaijan, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Cuba, Serbia, and Syria, supported the document

Detentions, blocking of roads: what is known about situation in Abkhazia

The prosecutor general stated that following the incident, four Abkhazian residents were detained: Garry Kokaya, Almaskhan Ardzinba, Omar Smur, and Ramaz Dzhopya

Ukrainian General Staff reports difficult situation along entire frontline

It also acknowledged the supremacy of the Russian army in equipment and personnel