Page 7 - Gaza

Activists say Israeli navy has begun intercepting Gaza-bound aid flotilla

Activists on board a flotilla of vessels sailing toward Gaza said late Wednesday that the Israeli navy has begun intercepting their vessels as they approach the besieged Palestinian territory. The Global Sumud Flotilla, with Greta Thunberg, Nelson Mandela's grandson, Mandla Mandela, and several European lawmakers aboard, consists of nearly 50 boats and 500 activists and is carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid. It has remained undeterred in its mission to break the Israeli blockade of the coastal strip and reach Palestinians. Greg Stoker, an American veteran aboard one of the boats in the flotilla, said around a dozen naval vessels with their transponders off had approached it. They are currently hailing our vessels, telling us to turn off our engines and await further instructions or our boats will be seized and we will face the consequences," he said in a shaky video while wearing a red life jacket. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said on X that the navy had reached out to

Trump's Gaza peace plan gets global support, PM Modi among endorsers

The White House has highlighted the "global support, including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for President Donald Trump's visionary plan for peace in war-battered Gaza. President Trump's "groundbreaking plan for peace in Gaza has galvanised a chorus of international praise as the potential pivotal turning point after years of devastating war," the White House said in a statement on Wednesday. "Hailed as a game changer by nations across continents, President Trump's comprehensive framework emphasises an urgent end to hostilities, the full liberation of all hostages, sustained humanitarian relief, and Gaza's transformation into a beacon of prosperity," it said. It said the visionary plan has been embraced by key leaders from the Arab world to the West. The statement lists reactions and comments of world leaders, including PM Modi, on Trump's plan to end the conflict in Gaza. "We welcome President Donald J. Trump's announcement of a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict. It

Trump vows to protect Qatar against any attack, weeks after Israel's strike

The move came weeks after Israel launched a military strike in Qatar's capital, Doha, targeting top Hamas leaders and sending shockwaves across the Gulf countries

Israel orders Palestinians to leave Gaza City or be deemed militants

Around 400,000 Palestinians have fled famine-stricken Gaza City since Israel launched a major offensive last month aimed at occupying it, but hundreds of thousands remain

As outrage over war in Gaza grows, Europe's relation with Israel falters

Pro-Palestinian protests are shaking major European cities, and calls are growing to ban Israel from sporting and cultural events. European navies have been deployed to protect activists trying to get aid into Gaza, and a wave of countries have done the once-unthinkable and recognised a Palestinian state. As outrage over the humanitarian catastrophe grows, more European leaders, sometimes driven by pressure from their populations, have openly condemned Israel's war conduct and sought to push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to agree to a ceasefire and allow in aid. There has been a ground-breaking shift in Europe where, somewhere over the last year, populations have been putting more pressure on their governments, which has helped break taboos at the top over criticism of Israel, said Sanam Vakil, director of the Chatham House think tank's Middle East and North Africa program. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, one of Israel's closest EU allies, said last week that she ..

Trump, Netanyahu back Gaza war plan; Hamas asked to free hostages in 72 hrs

Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu agreed on a 20-point Gaza plan calling for an immediate ceasefire, hostages' release and a temporary Palestine board led by Trump and Tony Blair

PM Modi welcomes Trump's Gaza plan: 'Viable pathway to long term peace'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed US President Donald Trump's 20-point Gaza peace plan after he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Russia backs Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, calls for end to conflict

The plan calls for an immediate halt to hostilities in Gaza and the release of all hostages held by Hamas within 72 hours

Gaza peace proposal agreed to by Trump, Netanyahu: All you need to know

After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threw his support behind the US peace plan for Gaza, the question now is whether Hamas will agree. Hamas faces a bitter tradeoff the proposal demands that the militant group effectively surrender in return for uncertain gains. But if it rejects the deal, the US could give Israel an even freer hand to continue its punishing campaign in the already devastated territory. Under the proposal, the militant group would have to disarm in return for an end to fighting, humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and the promise of reconstruction in Gaza all desperately hoped for by its population. But the proposal has only a vague promise that, one day, perhaps, Palestinian statehood might be possible. For the foreseeable future, Gaza and its more than 2 million Palestinians would be put under international control. An international security force would move in, and a Board of Peace headed by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair would ..

Trump names himself, Tony Blair for 'Board of Peace' to end Gaza conflict

Donald Trump unveiled a 20-point Gaza peace plan with Israeli PM Netanyahu, proposing a Board of Peace co-led with Tony Blair; world leaders welcomed the move

Trump says Pak PM Sharif, Army chief Munir welcome his Gaza peace plan

Donald Trump included Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir in the list as he presented a 20-point peace plan to end the Israel-Gaza war after he met with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House

Trump meets Israel's Netanyahu for pivotal talks on Gaza peace proposal

Washington presented a 21-point peace plan to Arab and Muslim states on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last week

Netanyahu, Trump set to meet as pressure mounts to end war in Gaza

On the eve of meeting with US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel is working on a new ceasefire plan with the White House, but details are still being sorted out. Netanyahu has come under heavy international pressure to end the war, especially during the ongoing offensive in Gaza City. The death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has topped 66,000 Palestinians, Gaza's Health Ministry said Sunday. In Monday's White House meeting, Trump is expected to share a new proposal for ending the conflict. We're working on it, Netanyahu told Fox News Sunday's The Sunday Briefing. It's not been finalised yet, but we're working with President Trump's team, actually as we speak, and I hope we can -- we can make it a go. Arab officials briefed on the plan say the 21-point proposal calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages held by Hamas within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The officials spoke on ...

Israeli strikes kill 32 in Gaza as Netanyahu ignores demands for ceasefire

Israeli strikes killed at least 32 people across Gaza overnight, health officials said, as international pressure grows for a ceasefire but Israel's leader remains defiant about continuing the war. Strikes in central and northern Gaza killed people in their homes in the early hours of Saturday morning, including nine from the same family in a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, according to health staff at the Al-Awda hospital where the bodies were brought. The attacks came hours after a defiant Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told fellow world leaders at the UN General Assembly on Friday that his nation must finish the job against Hamas in Gaza. Netanyahu's words, aimed as much at his increasingly divided domestic audience as the global one, began after dozens of delegates from multiple nations walked out of the UN General Assembly hall en masse Friday morning as he began speaking. International pressure on Israel to end the war is increasing, as is Israel's isolation, w

Will not allow Israel to annex West Bank, says Trump amid Arab concerns

President Donald Trump has said that he will not allow Israel to annex the West Bank. "There's been enough," Trump, apparently referring to Israel, told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday while signing executive orders unrelated to Middle East policy. He added, "It's time to stop now." Trump has long bragged about his close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but the president has faced pressure from Arab leaders, who have publicly expressed concerns about the Israeli military acting to annex more territory. Unlike Gaza, where Israel's war with Hamas continues, the West Bank is governed by the Palestinian Authority.

Israeli PM Netanyahu to address UN as pressure mounts over Gaza conflict

Facing international isolation, accusations of war crimes and growing pressure to end a conflict he has continued to escalate, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gets his chance to push back Friday on the international community's biggest platform. Netanyahu's annual speech to the UN General Assembly is always closely watched, often protested, reliably emphatic and sometimes a venue for dramatic allegations. But this time, the stakes are higher than ever for the Israeli leader. In recent days, Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom and others announced their recognition of an independent Palestinian state. The European Union is considering tariffs and sanctions on Israel. The assembly this month passed a nonbinding resolution urging Israel to commit to an independent Palestinian nation, which Netanyahu has said is a non-starter. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant accusing Netanyahu of crimes against humanity, which he denies. And the UN's ..

Slovenia bans Israeli PM Netanyahu from entering over ICC arrest warrant

Slovenia on Thursday said it was banning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from entering the European Union country to underscore its defence of international law. The decision was linked to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against the Israeli prime minister, Foreign Ministry official Neva Grasic said, according to the official STA news agency. The EU nation of some 2 million people, which recognised a Palestinian state last year, has been a vocal critic of Israeli actions in Gaza and Thursday's move against Netanyahu was apparently designed to underscore the country's policies. Slovenia already had barred Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country and imposed an arms embargo on Israel. All countries that are bound by the international court, including Slovenia, must not recognise the situation resulting from Israel's illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory, an

'Ended 7 wars, never got call from UN': Highlights from Trump's UNGA speech

From a broken escalator and teleprompter mishap to jabs at India, China, and the UN, here are the top takeaways from US President Donald Trump's speech at UNGA

Trump calls Gaza talks 'successful' despite Palestine recognition dispute

Trump reiterated his opposition to unilateral moves by some countries to recognise a Palestinian state, calling such efforts a 'reward' for Hamas

EU to create Palestinian donor group, financial instrument to rebuild Gaza

Calling for an end to violence, which has claimed the lives of at least 65,283 people in Gaza, Ursula von der Leyen said that the only realistic peace plan is based on the solution of two states