Full text of Xi Jinping's keynote speech at 3rd BRF-2023

 

Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening ceremony of the third Belt and Road Forum
for International Cooperation and delivers a keynote speech at the Great Hall of the People
in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

(BRF2023) Full text of Xi Jinping's keynote speech at 3rd Belt and Road Forum for Int'l Cooperation

Source: Xinhua Editor: huaxia 2023-10-18

Building an Open, Inclusive and Interconnected World For Common Development

Keynote Speech by H.E. Xi Jinping

President of the People's Republic of China

At the Opening Ceremony of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation

October 18, 2023

 

Your Excellencies Heads of State and Government,

Heads of International Organizations,

Representatives of Various Countries,

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

Today, we are meeting here for the opening ceremony of the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF). On behalf of the Chinese government and Chinese people and in my own name, I wish to extend a very warm welcome to you all!

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) I proposed. The BRI, drawing inspiration from the ancient Silk Road and focusing on enhancing connectivity, aims to enhance policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity, inject new impetus into the global economy, create new opportunities for global development, and build a new platform for international economic cooperation.

Over these 10 years, we have stayed committed to this founding mission. Thanks to our joint efforts, Belt and Road international cooperation has gotten off the ground, grown rapidly and produced fruitful outcomes.

Belt and Road cooperation has extended from the Eurasian continent to Africa and Latin America. More than 150 countries and over 30 international organizations have signed Belt and Road cooperation documents. We have held two sessions of the BRF before, and have established over 20 specialized multilateral cooperation platforms under the BRI.

Belt and Road cooperation has progressed from "sketching the outline" to "filling in the details," and blueprints have been turned into real projects. A large number of signature projects and "small yet smart" people-centered programs have been launched.

Belt and Road cooperation has expanded from physical connectivity to institutional connectivity. Important guiding principles for high-quality Belt and Road cooperation have been laid down, which include the principle of "planning together, building together, and benefiting together," the philosophy of open, green and clean cooperation, and the goal of pursuing high-standard, people-centered and sustainable cooperation.

Over these 10 years, we have endeavored to build a global network of connectivity consisting of economic corridors, international transportation routes and information highway as well as railways, roads, airports, ports, pipelines and power grids. Covering the land, the ocean, the sky and the Internet, this network has boosted the flow of goods, capital, technologies and human resources among countries involved and injected fresh vitality into the millennia-old Silk Road in the new era.

Trains speeding along rail tracks, automobiles running on roads, flights connecting different countries, cargo ships breaking waves, and e-commerce bringing so much convenience to people -- they have all become symbols of international trade in the new era, just like camel caravans and the sailing ships were for the past age.

Hydro, wind and solar energy based power plants, oil and gas pipelines, and the increasingly smart and interconnected power transmission networks are removing the development bottleneck caused by energy shortage and fulfilling the dream of developing countries to achieve green and low-carbon development. These energy projects have become the oasis and lighthouse for sustainable development in the new era.

Brand new airports and harbors, smooth roads, and newly built industrial parks for business cooperation have created new economic corridors and new growth drivers, and have become the trading routes and staging posts of the new era.

Rich and colorful cultural years, art festivals, expos and exhibitions, Luban Workshops, people-to-people exchange programs like the Silk Road Community Building Initiative and the Brightness Action program, and deepening exchanges between non-governmental organizations, think tanks, media organizations, and the youth -- all these flourishing activities have composed a symphony of friendship in the new era.

When COVID-19 struck, the Belt and Road became a life-saving road. China provided more than 10 billion masks and 2.3 billion doses of vaccines to other countries and jointly produced vaccines with over 20 countries, making a special contribution to BRI partners' efforts in fighting COVID-19. And China also received valuable support from more than 70 countries when it was hit hard by the pandemic.

Belt and Road cooperation is based on the principle of "planning together, building together, and benefiting together." It transcends differences between civilizations, cultures, social systems, and stages of development. It has opened up a new path for exchanges among countries, and established a new framework for international cooperation. Indeed, the BRI represents humanity's joint pursuit of development for all.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

Our achievements in the past decade are truly remarkable, and there is so much we can draw from them.

We have learned that humankind is a community with a shared future. China can only do well when the world is doing well. When China does well, the world will get even better. Through Belt and Road cooperation, China is opening its door even wider to the world, with its inland regions turning from "fullbacks" into "forwards," and coastal regions scaling new heights in their opening-up. China's market has become even more closely integrated with the global market. China has become a main trading partner of more than 140 countries and territories and a primary source of investment for more countries. Both Chinese investment overseas and foreign investment in China have boosted friendship, cooperation, confidence and hope.

We have learned that win-win cooperation is the sure way to success in launching major initiatives that benefit all. When countries embrace cooperation and act in concert, a deep chasm can be turned into a thoroughfare, land-locked countries can become land-linked, and a place of underdevelopment can be transformed into a land of prosperity. Countries taking the lead in economic development should give a hand to their partners who are yet to catch up. We should all treat each other as friends and partners, respect and support each other, and help each other succeed. As the saying goes, when you give roses to others, their fragrance lingers on your hand. In other words, helping others is also helping oneself. Viewing others' development as a threat or taking economic interdependence as a risk will not make one's own life better or speed up one's development.

We have learned that the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit is the most important source of strength for Belt and Road cooperation. I once said that the pioneers of the ancient silk routes won their place in history not as conquerors with warships, guns, horses or swords. Rather, they are remembered as friendly emissaries leading camel caravans and sailing ships loaded with goods. Belt and Road cooperation is based on the belief that flame runs high when everyone adds wood to the fire and that mutual support can get us far. Such cooperation seeks to deliver a good life not only to people of just one country, but to people in other countries as well. It promotes connectivity, mutual benefit, common development, cooperation and win-win outcomes. Ideological confrontation, geopolitical rivalry and bloc politics are not a choice for us. What we stand against are unilateral sanctions, economic coercion and decoupling and supply chain disruption.

What has been achieved in the past 10 years demonstrates that Belt and Road cooperation is on the right side of history. It represents the advancing of our times, and it is the right path forward. We need to remain clear-eyed and undisturbed in a volatile world, and we need to be keenly aware of our responsibility for history, for the people and for the world. We should jointly address various global risks and challenges, and deliver a bright future of peace, development, cooperation and mutual benefit for future generations.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

Changes of the world, of our times, and of historical significance are unfolding like never before. China is endeavoring to build itself into a stronger country and rejuvenate the Chinese nation on all fronts by pursuing Chinese modernization. The modernization we are pursuing is not for China alone, but for all developing countries through our joint efforts. Global modernization should be pursued to enhance peaceful development and mutually beneficial cooperation and bring prosperity to all. On our way forward, we will encounter both headwinds and tailwinds. We need to stay focused on our goal, take results-oriented actions, persevere, and keep moving forward until our goal is met. China will work with all parties involved to deepen Belt and Road partnerships of cooperation, usher this cooperation into a new stage of high-quality development, and make relentless efforts to achieve modernization for all countries.

Now, I wish to announce eight major steps China will take to support our joint pursuit of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Xi announces eight major steps,
to advance modernization of all countries

First, building a multidimensional Belt and Road connectivity network. China will speed up high-quality development of the China-Europe Railway Express, participate in the trans-Caspian international transportation corridor, host the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum, and make joint efforts to build a new logistics corridor across the Eurasian continent linked by direct railway and road transportation. We will vigorously integrate ports, shipping and trading services under the "Silk Road Maritime," and accelerate the building of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor and the Air Silk Road.

Second, supporting an open world economy. China will establish pilot zones for Silk Road e-commerce cooperation, enter into free trade agreements and investment protection treaties with more countries. We will remove all restrictions on foreign investment access in the manufacturing sector. In light of international high-standard economic and trade rules, we will further advance high-standard opening up in cross-border service trade and investment, expand market access for digital and other products, and deepen reform in areas including the state-owned enterprises, digital economy, intellectual property and government procurement. China will hold the Global Digital Trade Expo annually. In the next five years (2024-2028), China's total trade in goods and services is expected to exceed USD 32 trillion and USD 5 trillion respectively.

Third, carrying out practical cooperation. China will promote both signature projects and "small yet smart" livelihood programs. The China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China will each set up a RMB 350 billion financing window. An additional RMB 80 billion will be injected into the Silk Road Fund. Together, they will support BRI projects on the basis of market and business operation. Cooperation agreements worth USD 97.2 billion have been concluded at the CEO Conference held during this Forum. China will carry out 1,000 small-scale livelihood assistance projects, and enhance vocational education cooperation through Luban Workshops and other initiatives. We will also step up joint efforts to ensure the safety of BRI projects and personnel.

Fourth, promoting green development. China will continue to deepen cooperation in areas such as green infrastructure, green energy and green transportation, and step up support for the BRI International Green Development Coalition. China will continue to hold the BRI Green Innovation Conference, and establish dialogue and exchange mechanisms for the solar industry and a network of experts on green and low-carbon development. China will implement the Green Investment Principles for the Belt and Road, and provide 100,000 training opportunities for partner countries by 2030.

Fifth, advancing scientific and technological innovation. China will continue to implement the Belt and Road Science, Technology and Innovation Cooperation Action Plan, hold the first Belt and Road Conference on Science and Technology Exchange, increase the number of joint laboratories built with other parties to 100 in the next five years, and support young scientists from other countries to work on short-term programs in China. At this Forum, China will put forward the Global Initiative for Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance. We stand ready to increase exchanges and dialogue with other countries and jointly promote the sound, orderly and secure AI development in the world.

Sixth, supporting people-to-people exchanges. China will host the Liangzhu Forum to enhance dialogue on civilizations with BRI partner countries. In addition to the Silk Road International League of Theaters, the Silk Road International Arts Festival, the International Alliance of Museums of the Silk Road, the Silk Road International Alliance of Art Museums, and the Silk Road International Library Alliance that have been set up, China has also launched the International Tourism Alliance of Silk Road Cities. And we will continue with the Chinese government scholarship Silk Road Program.

Seventh, promoting integrity-based Belt and Road cooperation. Together with its cooperation partners, China will release the Achievements and Prospects of Belt and Road Integrity Building and the High-Level Principles on Belt and Road Integrity Building, and establish the Integrity and Compliance Evaluation System for Companies Involved in Belt and Road Cooperation. We will also work with international organizations to carry out research and training on promoting integrity in Belt and Road cooperation.

Eighth, strengthening institutional building for international Belt and Road cooperation. China will work with its BRI partner countries to strengthen the building of multilateral cooperation platforms covering energy, taxation, finance, green development, disaster reduction, anti-corruption, think tank, media, culture and other fields. China will continue to host the BRF and establish a secretariat for the Forum.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Friends,

The past decade has been a journey of dedicated cooperation and fruitful outcomes. Belt and Road cooperation was proposed by China, but its benefits and opportunities are for the world to share. Let us meet the expectations of the people, assume responsibilities entrusted on us by history, closely follow the trend of the times, and press ahead with energy and enterprise. Let us deepen Belt and Road international cooperation, and bring Belt and Road cooperation to a new stage of higher-quality and higher-level development. Let us advance modernization of all countries, build an open, inclusive and interconnected world for common development, and jointly build a community with a shared future for mankind.

I wish the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation a full success!

Thank you.

☝

What Could Have Triggered Gaza's Deadly Hospital Blast?

 What Could Have Triggered Gaza's Deadly Hospital Blast?

Sputnik International

The fatal explosion at a Gaza hospital occurred as the armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group, Hamas, continues to rage with no sign of abating.

The Israeli and Palestinian authorities have blamed each other over the huge blast at the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, which reportedly killed at least 500 people.

காசாவின் கொடிய மருத்துவமனை குண்டுவெடிப்பைத் தூண்டியது எது?

செவ்வாயன்று காசா பகுதியில் உள்ள அல்-அஹ்லி பாப்டிஸ்ட் மருத்துவமனையில் குறைந்தது 500 பேரைக் கொன்றதாகக் கூறப்படும் மிகப்பெரிய குண்டுவெடிப்பு தொடர்பாக இஸ்ரேலிய மற்றும் பாலஸ்தீனிய அதிகாரிகள் ஒருவருக்கொருவர் குற்றம் சாட்டினர்.

பாலஸ்தீனியர்கள் என்ன சொல்கிறார்கள்?

பாலஸ்தீனிய குடிமைத் தற்காப்பு செய்தித் தொடர்பாளர் மஹ்மூத் பாசல், காசா மருத்துவமனை வெடிப்பு, 2008 ஆம் ஆண்டிலிருந்து தொடர்ந்த தாக்குதல்களில்  "இஸ்ரேலின் மிக மோசமான வான்வழித் தாக்குதல்" என்று கூறினார்.

`இது இஸ்ரேலிய விமானப்படையின் வான்வழித் தாக்குதல்` என்ற பாலஸ்தீனத்தின் நிலைப்பாட்டை, குண்டுவெடிப்பால் காசா மருத்துவமனையை உலுக்கிய வீடியோ,  ஆதரிக்கிறது என ரஷ்ய இராணுவ நிபுணர் அலெக்ஸி லியோன்கோவ் ஸ்புட்னிக் இடம் கூறினார்.

தாக்குதலின் போது "அமெரிக்கத் தயாரிப்பான  GBU [Guided Bomb Unit]-31 JDAM [Joint Direct Attack Munition] வெடிகுண்டு பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டிருக்கலாம்" என்று அவர் பரிந்துரைத்தார்.

அவரைப் பொறுத்தவரை, இந்த முடிவு வெடிக்கும் சக்தி மற்றும் வீழ்ந்த எறிபொருளின் சிறப்பியல்பு ஒலியை அடிப்படையாகக் கொண்டது, இது வீடியோவில் கேட்கப்படுகிறது.

இஸ்ரேல் என்ன கூறுகிறது?

காசா மருத்துவமனையில் நடந்த பயங்கர வெடிப்பு பாலஸ்தீனிய இஸ்லாமிய ஜிஹாத் தீவிரவாதிகள் ஏவிய ராக்கெட் திசை தவறி மருத்துவமனை மீது வீழ்ந்ததால் ஏற்பட்டது என்பதை நிரூபிக்கும் ஒரு காட்சியை இஸ்ரேல் பாதுகாப்புப் படை வெளியிட்டுள்ளது. 

இஸ்ரேலிய இராணுவம், தனது  ஆயுதங்கள் பயன்படுத்தப்பட்டிருந்தால், அது ஒரு பரந்த தாள் குழியை விட்டுச்செல்லும் என்றும், இவ் வீடியோவில் காணுகிறவாறான எரிந்த வாகன நிறுத்துமிடம், மற்றும் துண்டாக்கப்பட்ட கூரைகள் அல்ல என்று வலியுறுத்தியது.

இதனை மறுத்து, வான் குண்டுகள் கட்டிடங்களைத் தாக்காதபோது மட்டுமே பொதுவாக பள்ளங்கள் ஏற்படுகின்றன என்று சிவ்கோவ் வலியுறுத்தினார். "அத்தகைய வெடிகுண்டு மருத்துவமனையைத் தாக்கும் போது, ​​அதன் கட்டிடம் இடிந்து விழும், அங்கே ஒரு பள்ளம் இருக்க முடியாது" என்று நிபுணர் அழுத்திக் கூறினார்.

மேலும் சிவ்கோவ், இஸ்லாமிய ஜிஹாதின் ராக்கெட் பற்றிய இஸ்ரேலின் வாதத்தை கேள்விக்குள்ளாக்குகின்றார்.காசா மருத்துவமனை குண்டுவெடிப்பின் விளைவாக கொல்லப்பட்டவர்களின் எண்ணிக்கையைக் கருத்தில் கொண்டால், அத்தகைய ஏவுகணை அதிநவீனமானதாக இருந்திருக்க வேண்டும் என்றும், அடிக்கோடிட்டுக் காட்டினார்.

"அத்தகைய பெரிய ஏவுகணையை ஏவுவதற்கான ஏவுதளம்( launcher), ஏவுகணையின் அளவின் அடிப்படையில் பொருத்தமானதாக பெரிதாக இருக்க வேண்டும்.  அமெரிக்க மற்றும் இஸ்ரேலிய உளவு அமைப்புகளால் விண்வெளி உள்ளிட்டு கட்டுப்படுத்தப்படும் காசா பகுதியில் இதுபோன்ற ஏவுகணையை மறைப்பது சாத்தியமற்றது" என்று நிபுணர் சுட்டிக்காட்டினார்.

அமெரிக்காவின் நிலை என்ன?

இதற்கிடையில், செவ்வாய் கிழமை நடந்த சோகத்தில் இஸ்ரேலுக்கு தொடர்பு இருப்பதாக தாம் நம்பவில்லை என்று அமெரிக்க அதிபர் ஜோ பிடன் தெளிவுபடுத்தியுள்ளார்.

"நான் பார்த்தவற்றின் அடிப்படையில், இதைச் செய்தது  இதர குழு, நீங்கள்  அல்ல" என அவர் நெத்தனியாகுவின் முகத்துக்கு நேரே கூறினார்.

(ஸ்புட்னிக் செய்தியின் முக்கிய குறிப்புகளின் சுருக்கம்: தமிழ் மொழி மாற்றம் சுபாகிள்)

What Do Palestinians Say?

Palestinian Civil Defense spokesman Mahmoud Basal called the Gaza hospital explosion "Israel's deadliest airstrike” since 2008.

He was echoed by the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, who condemned the hospital attack as a "horrendous massacre” and a "crime against humanity." The Ministry urged the international community to interfere so as to make Israel "end its destructive war in the Gaza Strip and stop ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people."

A video of the Gaza hospital being rocked by the blast supports Palestine’s stance that the Israeli Air Force launched an airstrike on the facility, Russian military expert Alexey Leonkov told Sputnik.

He suggested that “the US-made GBU [Guided Bomb Unit]-31 JDAM [Joint Direct Attack Munition] bomb was probably used” during the attack. According to him, this conclusion is based on the explosive power and the characteristic sound of a falling projectile, which can be heard on the video.

Leonkov was echoed by Konstantin Sivkov, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences, Doctor of Military Sciences, who said in an interview with Sputnik that “it may well be” the GBU-31 JDAM bomb that could be mistakenly dropped from an Israeli warplane.

The Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) GBU-31

“There could be a failure in the control system, which determined the location incorrectly,” the expert added.

He spoke as a US news network cited a deputy health minister in the Gaza Strip as claiming that the IDF had already conducted an airstrike on the Gaza hospital a few days ago, and notified its head that the shelling was a warning. According to the news network, the IDF slammed the hospital for failing to evacuate people after the airstrike.

What Does Israel Claim?

The Israel Defense Forces have released a footage that they claim proves that the deadly explosion at the Gaza hospital was caused by a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group rather than an IDF ordnance. Islamic Jihad, along with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, are blacklisted by Israel as terrorist organizations.

The Israeli military insisted that if its ordnance was used, it would have left a crater and not a burning parking lot and shrapnel-pocked roofs, something that the footage purportedly shows.

"There is no direct outside hit. There is damage in the parking lot, maybe other things, but it is not from a direct [hit] from the outside,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari told reporters.

His claims were questioned by Sivkov, who stressed that craters typically occur when aerial bombs don’t hit buildings. “And when such a bomb hits a hospital, its building collapses and there can't be a crater there,” the expert underlined.

Continuing to doubt Israel’s version about Islamic Jihad’s misfired rocket, Sivkov underscored that such a missile should have been a sophisticated one, given the number of people that have been killed as a result of the Gaza hospital blast.

“The launcher for such a sizable missile should appropriate in terms of its size. It is impossible to hide such launcher in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by the US and Israeli intelligence systems, including space ones,” the expert pointed out.

He said that “it is impossible to say whether it was a missile or an aerial bomb” because there is “no relevant data”. At the same time, Sivkov recalled that Israel does have state-of-the-art missiles, which is not the case with the Palestinian militant groups.

“I don't see a Hamas trace there. They cannot make the missile that could cause such damage,” the expert asserted, not ruling out that Israel could deliberately fire a missile on the Gaza hospital “resolve the problem of destroying Hamas militants who may be deployed there.”

Hagari, in turn, also argued that the IDF had intercepted what he described as "terrorists talking about rockets misfiring".

According to Hagari, one of the alleged Palestinian militants says, "I'm telling you, this is the first time that we see a missile like this falling and so that's why we are saying it belongs to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”

After another person allegedly replies, "What? It's from us?," the first person man says, "They are saying shrapnel from the missile is local shrapnel and not like Israeli shrapnel." The authenticity of the audio has not been independently verified.

What is US' Position?

US President Joe Biden has meanwhile made it clear that he doesn’t believe in Israel being involved in the Tuesday tragedy.

“Based on what I have seen, it was done by the other team, not you. But there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure. So we’ve got to overcome a lot of things,” POTUS told Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after the US president arrived in Israel earlier on Wednesday.

Biden added that “he’s deeply saddened and outraged by the incident,” pledging that the US “will continue to support Israel.” He also failed to provide evidence for his allegations that the Gaza hospital blast might have been caused by Palestinian militants’ failed rocket launch.

Commenting on Biden’s remarks, Sivkov said that “there are only two teams – Hamas and Israel.” If one proceeds from the assumption that neither Hamas nor Israel are responsible, it will be safe to assume that the US could launch a strike on the Gaza hospital, because “there is no one else” who could be involved, according to the expert.

What Does Russia Say?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the Gaza hospital explosion a tragedy and a humanitarian catastrophe, while expressing expectation that it could be a signal of the necessity to end the conflict.

"As regards the hospital [attack], the tragedy that happened there is horrific. Hundreds of dead and injured are, of course, a catastrophe. [It happened] in one place, the place of humanitarian nature. That's why I expect this to be a signal that the conflict should be ended as soon as possible. Anyway, it is necessary to initiate some contacts and talks," Putin told reporters after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Third Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on Wednesday.

The Russian president added that he had an impression that the main regional players in the Middle East did not want the Palestine-Israel conflict to deepen and escalate into a broader standoff.

“It is necessary to seek the unity of the Palestinian people,” the Russian president said, adding, however, that it should be the matter of Palestinians themselves. According to the Russian head of state, Moscow has always been in favor of the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin said on Wednesday that the UN Security Council is working on a common reaction to the deadly strike on the al-Ahli hospital in Gaza.

"We are currently coordinating the reaction of the international community in the UN Security Council to the events happening in Gaza … Today, there will be the fiercest debates and some decisions will be taken, probably belated," Vershinin added.

Referring to the Gaza hospital blast, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, for her part, told Sputnik that Moscow classifies this as “an act of a crime, [and] an act of dehumanization." She emphasized that Israel must provide satellite images to prove that its army is not involved in the Gaza hospital attack.

“Provide satellite images […] that would indicate the entire geography of the flights, with all the details that were available at that moment. I think this could be a serious and important step to justify yourselves,” Zakharova said, referring to Israeli authorities.

The escalation of the situation in the Middle East has gone far beyond the region, the Russian diplomat added, calling it "a global humanitarian disaster on a global scale."

When asked whether Israel would provide the above-mentioned images, Syvkov for his part remained downbeat about the move, recalling that Israel has never done such things before.

☝

''மருத்துவமனைக் குண்டுவெடிப்புக்குப் பின்னால் காசா போராளிகள்''- அமெரிக்க ஜனாதிபதி

போராட்டக்காரர்கள் இஸ்ரேல் மீது கோபத்தை வெளிப்படுத்தும் போது, மருத்துவமனை குண்டுவெடிப்புக்குப் பின்னால் காசா போராளிகள் இருப்பதாகத் தெரிகிறது என்று பிடென் கூறுகிறார்.

நிடல் அல்-முக்ராபி மற்றும் ஸ்டீவ் ஹாலண்ட் மூலம் அக்டோபர் 18, 2023 (ராய்ட்டர்ஸ்)

பிடென் கூறுகிறார், 'இன்று எங்களிடம் உள்ள தகவல்களின் அடிப்படையில், இது காசாவில் உள்ள ஒரு பயங்கரவாத குழுவால் ஏவப்பட்ட தவறான ராக்கெட்டின் விளைவாக ஏற்பட்டது என்று தோன்றுகிறது'

மேல்நிலைப் படங்கள், இடைமறிப்புகள் மற்றும் திறந்த மூலத் தகவல் ஆகியவற்றின் தற்போதைய அமெரிக்க மதிப்பீட்டின்படி, காசா மருத்துவமனையின் குண்டு வெடிப்பிற்கு இஸ்ரேல் பொறுப்பல்ல என்று வெள்ளை மாளிகை கூறுகிறது.

காசா/டெல் அவிவ், அக்டோபர் 18 (ராய்ட்டர்ஸ்) - அமெரிக்க ஜனாதிபதி ஜோ பிடன் புதன்கிழமை மத்திய கிழக்குக்கு அவசர அமைதிப் பயணம் மேற்கொண்டபோது, நடந்த

காசா மருத்துவமனை ``கொடிய குண்டுவெடிப்பு`` ஹமாஸ் போராளிகளால் ஏற்பட்டதாகத் தெரிகிறது என்று கூறினார்.மேலும் இஸ்ரேலுக்கான அமெரிக்காவின் ஒத்துழைப்பையும் அவர் உறுதி செய்தார்.

செவ்வாய்கிழமை பிற்பகுதியில் அல்-அஹ்லி அல்-அராபி மருத்துவமனையை சூழ்ந்த தீப்பிழம்பால் மத்திய கிழக்கைச் சுற்றியுள்ள எதிர்ப்பாளர்கள் இஸ்ரேலின் மீது கடும் கோபத்தை வெளிப்படுத்தினர், இதில் 471 பேர் கொல்லப்பட்டதாக பாலஸ்தீனிய அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்தனர், இது ஸ்திரமின்மை பரவுவது பற்றிய அச்சத்தை எழுப்பியுள்ளது.

குண்டுவெடிப்புக்கு வான்வழித் தாக்குதலை காரணம் காட்டி அவர்கள்  இஸ்ரேலை குற்றம் சாட்டினர், ஆனால் இஸ்ரேல் காசாவின் இஸ்லாமிய ஜிஹாத் போராளிக் குழுவின் திசை தவறிய ராக்கெட் ஏவுதலால் ஏற்பட்டது என்று கூறி  குற்றச்சாட்டை மறுத்தது.அதே நேரத்தில் ஜிஹாத் போராளிக் குழுவும் இதை நிராகரித்தது.

இந்த மாத தொடக்கத்தில் 1,400 இஸ்ரேலியர்களைக் கொன்றதன் விளைவாக, காசாவை ஆளும் ஹமாஸ் குழுவில் இருந்து போராளிகளை வேரறுக்க காசா மீது குண்டுவீசித் தாக்கும் இஸ்ரேலுக்கு கூடுதல் உதவிகளை பிடென் தனது திடீர் ஒரு நாள் பயணத்தின் முடிவில் உறுதியளித்தார்.

மருத்துவமனை குண்டுவெடிப்பு பற்றி : "இன்று நாம் பார்த்த தகவல்களின் அடிப்படையில், இது (வெடிப்பு) காசாவில் ஒரு பயங்கரவாத குழுவால் ஏவப்பட்ட தவறான ராக்கெட்டின் விளைவாக தோன்றுகிறது." என அவர் கூறினார்.

வாஷிங்டனில், வெள்ளை மாளிகையின் தேசிய பாதுகாப்பு கவுன்சில் பிடனை கூற்றை எதிரொலித்தது. அமெரிக்க மதிப்பீடு ஆனது மேல்நிலை படங்கள், குறுக்கீடுகள் மற்றும் திறந்த மூல தகவல்களின் பகுப்பாய்வு அடிப்படையில் அமைந்தது என்று அது கூறியது.

ஜோர்டானில் பிடெனுடனான உச்சிமாநாட்டை ரத்து செய்வதன் மூலம், இஸ்ரேல் மீது குற்றம் சாட்டிய அரபுத் தலைவர்கள் மருத்துவமனையின் உயிர் இழப்புக்கு பதிலளித்தனர். இம்மாநாடு ஒரு பரந்த மத்திய கிழக்குப் போரைத் தவிர்ப்பதற்காக, கூட்டாளி நாடுகளுடன் அவசர சந்திப்புகளுக்காக, கவனமாக அரங்கேற்றப்பட்ட நாடகத்தின்  இரண்டாம் பாதியாகக் கருதப்பட்டது.

Biden says Gaza militants appear to be behind hospital blast as protesters vent fury with Israel

By Nidal Al-Mughrabi and Steve Holland October 18, 2023

Summary

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

Biden says 'based on information we have today, it appears the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza'

White House says current US assessment of overhead imagery, intercepts and open source info is that Israel not responsible for explosion at Gaza hospital

Biden hugs survivors of Hamas rampage

GAZA/TEL AVIV, Oct 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden pledged solidarity with Israel on Wednesday and said a deadly blast at a Gaza hospital appeared to have been caused by Hamas militants as he wrapped up an urgent Middle East peace mission that was curtailed by the explosion.

Raising fears of wider instability, protesters around the Middle East vented fury with Israel over the fireball that engulfed the Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital late on Tuesday, which Palestinian officials said killed 471 people.

They blamed an Israeli air strike for the blast, while Israel it was caused by a failed rocket launch by Gaza's Islamic Jihad militant group, which denied blame.

Biden promised more aid to Israel at the end of his impromptu one-day visit to the country, which is bombarding Gaza to try to root out militants from its ruling Hamas group after they killed 1,400 Israelis in a rampage earlier this month.

He said of the hospital blast: "Based on the information we have seen today, it (explosion) appears the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza."

In Washington, the White House National Security Council echoed Biden, saying the U.S. assessment was based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open source information.

Arab leaders responded to the loss of life at the hospital, which they blamed on Israel, by cancelling a summit with Biden in Jordan. This had been intended as the second half of his carefully choreographed itinerary for emergency meetings with allies to avert a wider Middle East war.

DON'T BE CONSUMED BY RAGE, BIDEN SAYS

Biden said the United States would do everything it could to ensure Israel was safe while also urging Israelis not to be consumed by rage, reiterating that the vast majority of Palestinians were not affiliated with Hamas.

The Gaza health ministry said 3,478 Palestinians have been killed and 12,065 injured in Israeli air strikes since Oct 7.

Biden said the U.S. would provide $100 million in new funding for humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

"What sets us apart from the terrorists is we believe in the fundamental dignity of every human life," Biden said. If that was not respected, "then the terrorists win."

He also said he would ask Congress for an "unprecedented" aid package this week, before flying out of Israel after what ended up being a less than eight-hour visit.

Biden faced intense pressure to secure a clear Israeli commitment to let aid into Gaza from Egypt, to ease the plight of civilians in the small, densely populated coastal enclave.

At the end of his visit, Netanyahu's office put out a statement saying Israel would let food, water and medicines reach southern Gaza via Egypt. It reiterated that it would not let aid in from Israel until Hamas released Israeli hostages.

BIDEN SUMMIT WITH ARABS CANCELLED

Biden's Middle East trip was designed to calm the region, but Jordan called off his planned summit in Aman with Egypt and the Palestinian Authority after the hospital blast. Instead, he was expected to speak to the Jordanian and Egyptian leaders by phone from Air Force One on his way home.

After talks with Netanyahu’s war cabinet, Biden held an emotional meeting with Israeli survivors of the Oct. 7 slaughter. He hugged retired grandmother Rachel Edri, who was held hostage at gunpoint in her home for 20 hours by Hamas and used food and conversation to stall them until their capture.

"Please keep supporting us in eliminating Hamas once and for all," a soldier told Biden.

Hamas and witnesses later said Israel was bombarding Gaza City's Zeitoun district, and the group's armed wing said it fired more rockets towards Israel's biggest city Tel Aviv on Wednesday over what it called Israeli attacks on Gaza civilians.

Sirens sounded in central Israel but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

'HELP US, HELP US!'

The accounts of destruction at the hospital were horrific even by the standards of the past 12 days, which have confronted the world with relentless images, first of Israelis murdered by Hamas gunmen in their homes and then of Palestinian families buried under rubble from Israel's retaliatory strikes.

Rescue workers scoured blood-stained debris for survivors. The Gaza health ministry put the death toll at 471, though Israel disputed those figures. Palestinian ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qudra said rescuers were still recovering bodies.

"People came running into the surgery department screaming, 'Help us, help us, there are people killed and wounded inside the hospital!'" said Dr Fadel Naim, head of the hospital's Orthopedic Surgery Department.

Israel later released drone footage of the scene of the explosion, which it said showed it was not responsible because there was no impact crater from any missile or bomb and no structural damage to surrounding buildings.

The Israeli military published what it said was an audio recording of "communication between terrorists talking about rockets misfiring".

Palestinians were convinced the explosion was an Israeli attack, with no warning for civilians to leave a hospital being used as a shelter by Gazans already made homeless by bombing.

FURY ACROSS MIDDLE EAST

World leaders from U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres to Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the blast in statements that nonetheless avoided addressing who was to blame.

The blast unleashed anger across the Middle East.

Palestinian security forces fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse anti-government protesters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, seat of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, one of the Arab leaders who cancelled a meeting with Biden.

Tensions also ran very high on Israel's border with Lebanon, where clashes between the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement and Israel over the past week have been the deadliest since the last all-out war in 2006.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army said troops exchanged fire with militants across the border and a tank destroyed two militant positions on Lebanese soil after spotting fighters trying to fire an anti-tank rocket.

Reporting By Nidal Mughrabi in Gaza, Steve Holland aboard Air Force One, and Jerusalem Bureau Writing by Peter Graff and Mark Heinrich Editing by Gareth Jones and Philippa Fletcher

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The US government currently believes that Israel “is not responsible” for the blast at a hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, according to the National Security Council, following President Joe Biden’s comments that a Palestinian militant group was behind the strike.

A spokesperson for the NSC, Adrienne Watson, said the assessment is based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open-source information.

“While we continue to collect information, our current assessment, based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open-source information, is that Israel is not responsible for the explosion at the hospital in Gaza yesterday,” Watson said in a statement on Wednesday.

Officials told CNN separately that the initial evidence gathered by the US intelligence community suggests that the hospital strike came from a rocket launched by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group.

Hospital blast looms over Biden's complicated diplomatic mission to Israel

Among the evidence that’s been gathered is a blast analysis that suggests it was a ground explosion rather than an airstrike that hit the hospital, one of the sources said. There was no singular crater suggesting there was a bomb, but there was extensive fire damage and scattered debris that is consistent with an explosion starting from the ground level, according to the source.

That analysis is one datapoint that’s led intelligence officials to lean toward assessing that the attack on the hospital was a rocket launch gone wrong.

Still, the blast analysis is just one of the things being examined by the intelligence community, which has surged intelligence collection assets to the region. US intelligence officials have not made a final assessment and are still gathering evidence, the officials said.

In addition to the blast analysis, the initial US assessment was based on overhead imagery collected from US satellites and intelligence intercepts provided by the Israelis, according to officials.

Current and former law enforcement officials say US the assessment of the cause of the blast is being hampered because of the lack of access to the site and analysis of the bodies recovered. FBI teams can typically use samples from the scene to, within hours, identify the rocket fuel and explosives used, one former FBI official said. Without examining the scene, US officials are left to analyze signals and other intelligence that can help make a strong circumstantial assessment of the cause but is not definitive.

Not long after landing in Israel on Wednesday, Biden weighed in on who was behind the strike on the hospital. “Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after his arrival in Israel on Wednesday.

Asked what made him confident the Israelis weren’t behind the hospital strike, Biden said: “The data I was shown by my Defense Department.”

In his remarks later on Wednesday, Biden reiterated that based on the information the US has seen, the blast appears to have been “the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza.”

“The Palestinian people are suffering greatly as well – we mourn the loss of innocent Palestinian lives,” he said. “Like the entire world, I was outraged and saddened by the enormous loss of life yesterday in the hospital in Gaza. Based on the information we’ve seen to date, it appears the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza. The United States unequivocally stands for the protection of civilian life during conflict, and I grieve, I truly grieve for the families were killed or wounded by this tragedy.”

Authorities in Gaza have said Israel was behind the deadly blast at the hospital, while the Israel Defense Forces said its intelligence showed a “failed rocket launch” by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group was responsible for the explosion.

An IDF spokesman said Wednesday that imagery following the blast showed “no cratering and no structural damage to nearby buildings.”

“There are no craters here. The walls stay intact. This shows is it not an aerial munition that hit the parking lot” of the hospital, IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said at a news conference Wednesday. “Analysis of our aerial footage confirms that there was no direct hit of the hospital itself. The only location damaged is outside the hospital in the parking lot where we can see signs of burning.”

The US intelligence community has been reviewing different kinds of intelligence to try to reach an assessment, including overhead imagery from satellites as well as the blast analysis, the officials said.

“I’m not sure the IC is ready to make an absolutely conclusive attribution but what we’re hearing is consistent with what the president said,” Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said following a classified briefing on Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning.

House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner of Ohio and Himes issued a joint statement Wednesday, saying, “Based on information the House Intelligence Committee received from the administration regarding the hospital attack in Gaza, we believe this was not the result of Israeli military action.”

Israel provided US with intelligence

Israel has also provided the US with intelligence it has gathered related to the explosion, according to an Israeli official and another source familiar with the matter. The Israeli official said that Israel had passed signal intelligence on the explosion to US intelligence. Signals intelligence includes intercepted communications and other forms of data collected through various means.

“I believe the US intelligence community likely has enough imagery, communications intercepts, and other data to determine where the projectile originated that stuck in the Al-Ahli al-Arabi hospital and what the original statements of people on the ground were as to what they believed happened,” said Mick Mulroy, a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East and retired CIA officer.

“In addition, from the video released publicly, the explosion is consistent with a rocket that still had a lot of rocket fuel at the time of impact,” Mulroy added.

Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling, a CNN national security and military analyst, said the US military has overhead platforms that see “a missile burn when it takes off or when something explodes and comes out of the sky.”

The imagery released by the Israeli military of the explosion site was also “compelling,” Hertling said.

“It is very compelling, but when you also look at that aftermath, where’s the crater? When you’re talking about a crater from an Israeli bomb, there’s going to be a hole there,” he said.

British officials in public and private on Wednesday have not yet gone as far as the US. One official said it’s “not conclusive, but the Israeli assertion is not unfounded.”

“We’re not quite there yet,” another official said. “Not because we dispute what they’ve seen. We’re still at ‘Let’s look at all the facts.’”

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Wednesday that British intelligence services were working “rapidly” to establish the facts behind the deadly blast.

“We should not rush to judgments before we have all the facts on this awful situation,” Sunak told lawmakers in the UK parliament.

US intel surges collection in the region

Multiple officials said that the US intelligence community has surged intelligence collection assets to the region, primarily through overhead intelligence collection as well as some special operations support.

One military source described the move as “a major shift” and “lots of focus on this from across the IC,” though the source said it’s not clear how long this shift will last.

It’s not clear how helpful the additional resources will be when it comes to both hostage intelligence and Hamas planning in such a densely populated area, according to a US official – especially if most of the hostages are in the tunnels.

It might help a little bit with planning for potential ground clearance, and some of the signals intelligence collection capabilities could detect Hamas communications to help pinpoint hotspots of their activity. But the official noted that Hamas has been pretty smart about staying off communications – one of the reasons, sources say, the group was able to avoid Israeli detection during the planning of the October 7 attack in Israel.

Overhead surveillance would likely be much more helpful for keeping an eye on Hezbollah and Iran, according to two officials. The US would absolutely not want to be surprised by a Hezbollah attack, however unlikely, and could provide the Israelis with warnings and indications of any imminent operation.

CNN’s Alex Marquardt, Evan Perez, Zachary Cohen, Oren Liebermann, DJ Judd and Niamh Kennedy contributed to this report.

Biden Video

Peter Baker

Oct. 18, 2023,  Peter Baker Traveling with President Biden in Israel

Here’s the latest on the war.

As outrage grew over a blast that ripped through a hospital in Gaza, American and Israeli intelligence said early evidence showed the deadly explosion was caused by an errant rocket fired by Palestinian fighters.

Making a rare wartime visit to Israel on Wednesday, President Biden firmly backed the Israeli’s government’s assertion that it had nothing to do with the deadly explosion. “Based on what I’ve seen, it appears as though it was done by the other team, not you,” he said, appearing with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel in Tel Aviv.

The evidence American intelligence has gathered includes satellite and other infrared data showing a launch of a rocket or missile from Palestinian fighter positions within Gaza, U.S. officials said. The United States has also analyzed open-source video showing the launch did not come from Israeli military positions. In addition, Israeli officials have provided intercepted communications of Hamas officials saying the strike came from forces aligned with Palestinian militant groups.

Adrienne Watson, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said on the X social media platform that “our current  assessment, based on analysis of overhead imagery, intercepts and open-source information, is that Israel is not responsible.”

Mr. Biden also said he had secured Israel’s agreement to allow some humanitarian aid into the besieged strip, offering the first hint of relief to a humanitarian crisis that has left the strip’s two million residents facing acute shortages of basic necessities. Mr. Netanyahu’s office said Israel would not block the provision of food, water and medicine from Egypt to civilians in southern Gaza, but warned, “Any provisions that reach Hamas will be thwarted.”

There was no immediate comment from the government in Egypt, where emergency supplies are waiting to cross through a key land border with Gaza.

Here’s what else to know:

The Israel Defense Forces outlined at a news conference early Wednesday their version of the cause of the hospital explosion. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said that the Islamic Jihad group fired 10 rockets at 6:59 p.m. local time. One of the rockets, he said, fell to earth prematurely, hitting a parking lot outside the hospital. He said that Israel had not fired any ordnance in the area of the hospital at that time.

President Biden also announced $100 million in aid to help civilians in Gaza and the West Bank and said he had secured a commitment from Israel’s government to allow food, water and medicine to be delivered to Palestinians in Gaza from Egypt in a humanitarian effort overseen by the United Nations and others.

The United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on the conflict put forth on Wednesday by Brazil. The text called for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza and the protection of civilians, and also condemned the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The U.S. ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said she had vetoed the resolution because it did not state that Israel has a right to defend itself and because she wanted to give Mr. Biden’s diplomatic efforts a chance.

The Gaza City hospital explosion sparked protests in cities across the Middle East that stretched into Wednesday morning, bringing defiant crowds to embassies and consulates of countries that demonstrators said were complicit in the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians in Gaza.

Matthew Rosenberg contributed reporting from London.

 NPR News

Arab governments blame Israel for the hospital explosion, Israel says a militant group is to blame

Palestinian authorities, along with Arab governments including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, accused Israel of bombing the Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza.

But in a statement to NPR, the Israel Defense Forces said it considers a hospital a sensitive building and not an IDF target.

In an official statement, the IDF put the blame of the hospital blast on another militant group, smaller than Hamas, called the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

"The hospital was hit as a result of a failed rocket launched by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization," IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. "The terrorist organizations within the Gaza Strip fire indiscriminately toward Israel. Since the beginning of the war, approximately 450 rockets launched toward Israel have fallen within Gaza, endangering and harming the lives of Gazan residents."

NYT Ephrat Livni Reporting from Washington Oct. 18, 2023, 

Organizers of the protest by the Capitol say about 400 people, led by 25 rabbis who are praying and reading testimonials of Palestinians, went inside the Cannon House Office Building. About 200 people seem to have been arrested, organizers estimated, but since arrestees are being led out through a back door, the precise number is unclear.

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