Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, April 19-Xinhua

Xinhua Middle East news summary at 2200 GMT, April 19

Source: Xinhua

Editor: huaxia

2026-04-20 06:17:15

TEHRAN -- Iran's official news agency IRNA said on Sunday the country has rejected taking part in the second round of the peace talks with the United States.

Iran's absence from the second round of talks "stems from what it called Washington's excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade, which it considers a breach of the ceasefire," the agency said in a post on its English account on social media platform X. (Iran-US-Talks)

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TEHRAN -- Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency said Sunday that Iran has currently no decision to send a negotiating delegation for peace talks with the United States.

The Iranian team has stressed that as long as the U.S. "anti-Iran" naval blockade remains in place, there will be no negotiation with Washington, according to the report. (Iran-US-Ceasefire)

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RAMALLAH -- Palestinian Industry Minister Arafat Asfour said on Sunday that Israeli authorities are preventing food products from the West Bank from entering East Jerusalem, warning of reciprocal measures if the situation is not resolved soon.

Asfour told the official Voice of Palestine radio station that Israel recently began blocking daily products, processed meats, and their derivatives from entering East Jerusalem. (Palestine-Israel-West Bank)

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JERUSALEM -- The Israeli military said Sunday it killed Hezbollah's Bint Jbeil commander, Ali Rida Abbas, along with more than 150 members of the group in "pre-ceasefire strikes" during the 24 hours before a U.S.-mediated truce took effect.

The military said Abbas was the fourth Hezbollah commander for the Bint Jbeil area killed by Israel since October 2023. It described Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon as a key frontline area for Hezbollah attacks. (Israel-Hezbollah-Casualties)