Russia affirms nuclear doctrine, IDF enters central Gaza Strip

G7 foreign ministers speak out about the Israel-Hamas conflict, Japan-South Korea leaders will meet on the sidelines of APEC... are some notable international news in the past 24 hours.

G7 foreign ministers meeting in Tokyo, Japan issued a joint statement mentioning the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas conflicts. (Source: Reuters)

The World & Vietnam Newspaper highlights some of the day's international news highlights.

* Russia-backed Lugansk MP killed : On November 8, the pro-Russian governor of the Lugansk region, eastern Ukraine confirmed that MP Mikhail Filiponeko was killed in a car bomb attack the same day. Local media quoted his son as saying that the former top security official of the region died after a bomb planted in his car exploded.

Mr Filiponenko has been active in the pro-Russian separatist movement in Lugansk since 2014 and is one of the top commanders in the army of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic (LPR). In September, Mr Filiponenko was elected to the regional People's Council in a vote that was widely condemned internationally.

Bombings targeting senior Russian-appointed officials in Ukraine have occurred frequently since the conflict broke out in early 2022. (TASS)

* Ukraine continues to strengthen its air defense system: On November 7, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the country has deployed additional Western air defense systems.

On social media, Mr. Zelensky stated: “I was informed about the receipt of ammunition, weapons and equipment in the past day… Additional NASAMS systems from partners have been deployed. Timely reinforcement of air defense forces before winter.” Kiev is strengthening its defenses to protect key infrastructure from Russia’s winter offensive. (Reuters)

* G7 Foreign Ministers : Support for Ukraine “ will never waver ” : On November 8, in a joint statement after the conference in Japan, the Foreign Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) emphasized: “Our steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine's struggle for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity will never waver... We continue to call on China not to support Russia in the conflict in Ukraine.” (AFP/Sputnik)

* Israeli army enters Gaza city center , neutralizes Hamas commander: On the night of November 7, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said: "We are in the center of Gaza city".

He also asserted that the conflict “cannot stop” until the Hamas Islamist movement is “eliminated.” The Israeli defense minister also said that after the conflict ends, Israel will maintain security control over Gaza to monitor and act against security threats, preventing anyone who intends to harm the Jewish State.

On the morning of November 8, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel National Security Agency both confirmed the death of Muhsin Abu Zina, “one of the leaders of the weapons production apparatus” for Hamas and specializing in “strategic weapons and missiles.” The joint statement called him the head of Hamas’ “industry and weapons.”

During the night, the IDF also entered the center of Gaza City, the largest urban area in the northern Gaza Strip. IDF ground forces used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack a Hamas anti-tank missile team. Another airstrike eliminated several members of the team that launched rockets into Israel.

To date, the Hamas-Israel conflict has killed 10,328 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. On the Israeli side, 1,400 people were killed, mostly on the first day of Hamas' surprise attack on central and southern Israel, on October 7. (Reuters)

* Israeli Prime Minister warns Hezbollah movement , leaving open the possibility of a "tactical ceasefire": On the night of November 7, speaking live on television, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated: "We will not accept the fact that Hezbollah or its fighters, Hamas, will harm the communities and citizens of Israel... If Hezbollah participates - they will make a mistake."

He made the statement shortly after Hezbollah fired about 20 rockets from southern Lebanon at Israel's northwestern coast, including the port of Haifa. The leader also said the IDF had attacked multiple Hezbollah targets and had searched for and neutralized Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.

Notably, he said the IDF is capable of a short tactical pause in fighting to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip. However, the leader insisted that there would be no ceasefire until Hamas returned all hostages. According to him, Israel could consider a pause in fighting in the Gaza Strip for about an hour, depending on the circumstances, to allow for the safe passage of humanitarian supplies or for the safe departure of hostages.

Earlier in the day, Netanyahu also spoke by phone with US President Joe Biden. The White House statement said: “The two leaders discussed the possibility of a tactical ceasefire to allow civilians to safely leave areas of active fighting.” The US government also said that such a ceasefire would “ensure that aid reaches civilians in need… and facilitate the release of hostages.”

However, the Israeli leader is concerned that such a halt in fighting could become a de facto ceasefire, tantamount to “surrendering to Hamas.” He said a ceasefire would hamper military operations, as well as ongoing hostage rescue efforts. The leader also hinted that Israel may have intelligence on the location of the hostages. (Jerusalem Post/Times of Israel)

* US calls on Israel not to reoccupy Gaza : On November 8, speaking to reporters after the G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting held in Tokyo, Japan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken listed the "key elements" to create "lasting peace and security". He emphasized: "The US believes that the key elements should include: no forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, not now, not after the conflict; no use of Gaza as a haven for terrorism or other violent attacks; no reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends". According to Mr. Blinken, other conditions include "no attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza" or any "territorial reduction of Gaza".

The diplomat also stated that Israel cannot run Gaza, but there could be a transition period after the end of the current conflict. “Gaza cannot continue to be run by Hamas. That would simply lead to a repeat of the behavior of October 7… It is clear that Israel cannot occupy Gaza either… Now, the reality is that there may need to be a transition period after the end of the conflict… What I hear from Israeli leaders is that they have no intention of reoccupying Gaza,” he said.

On the same day, speaking after the G7 conference, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that the move towards the establishment of a peace-loving government in Palestine is the most desirable outcome in the current Israel-Hamas conflict. At the same time, he emphasized that London supports the two-state solution. (AFP/Reuters)

* Egypt calls on Israel to stop attacking the Gaza Strip: On November 7, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry had separate phone calls with his Cypriot counterpart Konstantinos Kompos, Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide and Irish Foreign Minister Michael Martin.

During the conversation, he discussed the worsening humanitarian and security consequences of Israel's military operations in the Gaza Strip. The diplomat also discussed with his counterparts measures to address the consequences of the crisis in the Gaza Strip and prevent the spread of violence in the region.

Egypt's call for humanitarian aid and an immediate ceasefire is aimed at helping end the unprecedented suffering that Gazans are enduring, he said.

On the same day, meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in Cairo, Mr. Shoukry emphasized that the Palestinian people's right to live in safety is indisputable under international law, humanitarian law and moral standards.

For his part, Mr. Türk praised Egypt's efforts to prevent the impact of the conflict, affirming his desire to continue to coordinate with Cairo to come up with measures to solve the humanitarian problems suffered by civilians in Gaza. (AFP)

* Saudi Arabia to host a series of summits on the conflict: On November 7, at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore, Saudi Arabian Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih emphasized: “In the next few days, Saudi Arabia will convene an emergency Arab summit in Riyadh. You will see Saudi Arabia convene an African-Saudi summit in Riyadh. In the next few days, you will see Saudi Arabia convene an Islamic summit. In the short term, the goal of bringing these three summits and other meetings under Saudi leadership will be to work towards a peaceful solution to the conflict.”

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia on November 12 to attend the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit. This will be the first visit by an Iranian head of state to Saudi Arabia since Tehran and Riyadh ended years of hostility under a China-brokered deal in March. (Reuters)

* G7 Foreign Ministers speak out on Israel-Hamas conflict: On November 8, speaking after a meeting in Tokyo, Japan, the G7 Foreign Ministers issued a joint statement stating: “We emphasize the need for urgent action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza... We support a humanitarian pause and the creation of humanitarian corridors to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement and the release of hostages.”

The foreign ministers “underlined Israel’s right to self-defense and protect its people under international law, as it seeks to deter” Hamas attacks, the statement added. “We call on Iran to refrain from supporting Hamas and prevent the militant group from taking further destabilizing actions in the Middle East, including its support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and other non-state actors, and to use its influence over these groups to reduce tensions in the region,” it added.

In addition, the G7 foreign ministers plan to impose sanctions on the militant group Hamas to cut off funding opportunities. According to the joint statement, they also said that increased violence against Palestinians is unacceptable because it also undermines security in the West Bank. (Reuters)

* Russia-China strengthen cooperation : On November 8, Interfax (Russia) reported that Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu met with Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of China Zhang Youxia in Moscow. He said: "We, unlike some Western countries, do not form a military bloc. This relationship is a testament to strategic interaction based on trust and respect."

This is the second time in 10 days that the two officials have met. The last time they met was on the sidelines of a forum in Beijing attended by Minister Shoigu on October 30. (Reuters)

Northeast Asia

* Japanese and South Korean leaders to meet on APEC sidelines : On November 8, Kyodo (Japan) said that Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco next week.

The two sides are likely to reaffirm cooperation in addressing North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and speak together at Stanford University on November 11.

The appearance of both at the same university is another sign of an improvement in bilateral relations after years of deterioration to their lowest point in decades, largely due to issues related to wartime history.

During their speeches, the two leaders are expected to briefly introduce relations between their countries, as well as trilateral cooperation with the United States on security and other issues. (Kyodo)

Europe

* Russia firmly maintains its nuclear doctrine : On November 8, speaking about the previous statement on nuclear weapons by Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated: “Mr. Patrushev is the Secretary of the Security Council. He is part of the Kremlin. And his statements are also statements from the Kremlin.

With Russia, we have a doctrine in which everything is clearly presented. There are no changes. This is what the President confirmed.”

Earlier the same day, Secretary of the Russian Security Council Nikolai Patrushev affirmed that the "destructive" policies of the US and its allies are increasing the risk of using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. (Reuters)

Africa-Middle East

* AU concerned about continued funding of terrorist activities in Africa : On November 7, the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council issued a statement expressing deep concern about continued funding of terrorist activities in Africa.

According to the Council, the financing of terrorism continues, especially the growing links between terrorism and transnational organized crime, manifested in activities such as drug trafficking, illegal mining and trafficking of minerals and natural resources, or even illicit finance. These flows are undermining the economies of Member States.

At the same time, the Council expressed concern about the growing threat posed by the spread of terrorism and violent extremism to the peace, security and stability of the continent. This phenomenon undermines the AU’s efforts to prevent arms in Africa by 2030, hindering efforts to achieve the development plan of the UN Agenda 2063 and the Sustainable Development Goals. (VNA)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tin-the-gioi-811-nga-khang-dinh-ve-hoc-thuyet-hat-nhan-idf-tien-vao-trung-tam-dai-gaza-249261.html