Page 13 - Israel-palestine

Australia to recognise Palestinian state; joins France, Britain, Canada

Australia will recognise a Palestinian state, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Monday, joining the leaders of France, Britain and Canada in signalling they would do so. His remarks followed weeks of urging from within his Cabinet and from many in Australia to recognise a Palestinian state and amid growing criticism from officials in his government over suffering in Gaza, which Albanese on Monday referred to as a humanitarian catastrophe. Australia's government has also criticised plans announced in recent days by Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu for a sweeping new military offensive in Gaza. Albanese told reporters after a Cabinet meeting Monday that Australia's decision to recognise a Palestinian state will be formalised at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The acknowledgement was predicated on commitments Australia has received from the Palestinian Authority, Albanese said. Those commitments included no role for Hamas in a Palestinian government, ...

War can end tomorrow if Hamas lays down arms, releases hostages: Netanyahu

Netanyahu told the international media that Hamas still has thousands of armed terrorists in Gaza and vows to repeat the October 7 massacre

Netanyahu's Gaza takeover push fuels crisis for Israel's global image

Notwithstanding US support, the Jewish state faces a crisis of international credibility, from which it may not be able to recover for a long time

Thousands rally against Netanyahu's Gaza plan, demand release of hostages

Public opinion polls show an overwhelming majority of Israelis favour an immediate end to the war to secure the release of the remaining 50 hostages held by militants in Gaza

Israel's plan to take over Gaza City stirs fears for civilians and hostages

Israel's decision to intensify its 22-month war with Hamas by taking over Gaza City has stirred fears for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, and renewed international pressure for an end to the conflict. Israel's air and ground war has killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza, displaced most of the population, destroyed vast areas and pushed the territory toward famine. The timing of another major ground operation is unclear. It will likely require mobilising thousands of troops and forcibly evacuating civilians, almost certainly worsening Gaza's humanitarian crisis. An official familiar with the plans to take over Gaza City said the operation would be gradual and that there is no start date. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. The UN Security Council announced an emergency meeting on Israel's plans was rescheduled to 10 am EDT on Sunday after originally being scheduled to take place at 3 pm EDT on Saturday. The U

Germany halts military exports linked to Gaza amid Israel offensive

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says his country will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in Gaza until further notice. Friday's move from Germany, which has been a stalwart supporter of Israel for decades, comes after the Israeli Cabinet announced plans to take over Gaza City. In a statement, Merz emphasised that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas' terror and said that the release of Israeli hostages and purposeful negotiations toward a cease-fire in the 22-month conflict are our top priority. He said Hamas must not have a role in the future of Gaza. The even harsher military action by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, approved by the Israeli Cabinet last night, makes it increasingly difficult for the German government to see how these goals will be achieved, he added. Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice. The

Israel's security cabinet approves plan to take full control of Gaza

Before Israel's Security Cabinet meeting on Gaza's future, Benjamin Netanyahu had hinted that Israel has no intention to govern the territory and would hand over control to friendly Arab nations

Israel plans to destroy Hamas and take over all of Gaza, says Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that to destroy Hamas Israel intends to take full control of the Gaza Strip and eventually transfer its administration to friendly Arab forces, as the Security Cabinet discussed a widening of its 22-month offensive. Asked in an interview with Fox News if Israel would take control of all of Gaza, Netanyahu replied: We intend to, in order to assure our security, remove Hamas there, enable the population to be free of Gaza. The Security Cabinet would still need to approve such a decision. We don't want to keep it. We want to have a security perimeter, Netanyahu said in the interview. We want to hand it over to Arab forces that will govern it properly without threatening us and giving Gazans a good life. An Israeli official had earlier said the Security Cabinet would hold a lengthy debate and approve an expanded military plan to conquer all or parts of Gaza not yet under Israeli control. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity ...

Israel won't annex Gaza, seeks end to war with Hamas, says Netanyahu

Israel doesn't want to annex or occupy Gaza and its sole aim is to destroy Hamas and hand over the strip to a transitory government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. The prime minister also said that Israel wants to take control of Gaza's security after ending the war as soon as possible. In an interaction with a group of visiting Indian journalists, Netanyahu said over two million tonnes of food were sent to Gaza, but the supplies were "interdicted". The Israeli prime minister's comments came amid increasing international criticism of his government over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as an estimated 60,000 people were killed in the Israeli military offensive in the last 22 months. Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, killed about 1,200 people. Hamas also took 251 people as hostages. "Our plan is not to occupy or annex Gaza. Our goal is to destroy Hamas and get our hostages back, and then hand over Gaza to a transito

What to know as Israel considers Gaza reoccupation amid war escalation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering ordering the full reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, according to Israeli media, a move that would draw fierce opposition internationally and within Israel. It would mark a stunning escalation of the nearly 22-month war in the territory that has already been largely destroyed and where experts say famine is unfolding. It would put the lives of countless Palestinians and about 20 living hostages at risk, and deepen Israel's already stark international isolation. It would also face fierce opposition within Israel: Families of the hostages would consider it a virtual death sentence, and much of the security establishment is also reportedly opposed to an open-ended occupation that would bog down and further strain the army after nearly two years of regional wars. The threat to reoccupy Gaza could be a negotiating tactic aimed at pressuring Hamas after talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar appeared to have broken down

Israel says Hamas starving hostages; UNSC says Israel starving Palestinians

Israel called an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Tuesday to demand the release of its emaciated hostages, including one seen digging his own grave. Their plight drew widespread sympathy -- but the 2 million Palestinians starving in Gaza got even more. Not only the Palestinians but most council members blamed the Israeli government and military for the two-month blockade of Gaza and failure to allow enough food into the conflict-wracked territory, where its health ministry has reported over 100 deaths from starvation, including many children. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who flew to New York to attend the council meeting, accused Russia and other unnamed council members as well as the international media of perpetuating "so many lies". He pointed to Hamas and Islamic Jihad's starvation of hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, attacks in southern Israel "while the terrorists enjoy meat, fish and vegetables". Saar insisted that Israel is facilitating "huge

Netanyahu hints at wider war in Gaza, former military & spy chiefs object

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted at wider military action in devastated Gaza on Tuesday, even as former Israeli army and intelligence chiefs called for an end to the nearly 22-month war. The new pressure on Netanyahu came as Gaza's Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll had surpassed 61,000. Health officials reported new deaths of hungry Palestinians seeking food at distribution points. As desperation mounts, the Israeli defence body coordinating aid announced a deal with local merchants to improve aid deliveries. Among those speaking out were former leaders of Israel's Shin Bet internal security service, Mossad spy agency and the military -- and also ex-Prime Minister Ehud Barak. In a video posted to social media this week, they said far-right members of the government are holding Israel "hostage" in prolonging the conflict. Netanyahu's objectives in Gaza are "a fantasy", Yoram Cohen, former head of Shin Bet, said in the video. "If anyone imagines that we

Hamas denies disarmament claim, calls US envoy's Gaza visit a 'staged show'

Hamas issued a statement in response to remarks allegedly made by Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, during a meeting with families of Israeli captives held in Gaza

Hamas deputy commander Salah al-Din Za'ara eliminated in Gaza strike

Za'ara previously served as the commander of the battalion's combat support company and was responsible for directing and promoting numerous terror operations

UAE, Jordan lead Gaza aid airdrop with France, Germany, Italy, and Spain

Under President Mohamed bin Zayed's directives, the UAE is leading global efforts to deliver urgent land, air, and sea aid to Palestinians in Gaza amid severe humanitarian conditions

Israeli military intel goes back to basics with focus on spies, not tech

The plan is to rely less on technology and instead build a cadre of spies and analysts with a broad knowledge of dialects - Yemeni, Iraqi, Gazan - as well as a firm grasp of radical Islamic doctrines

Statehood a distant dream for Palestinians as nightmare unfolds in Gaza

Plans announced by France, the United Kingdom and Canada to recognise a Palestinian state won't bring one about anytime soon, though they could further isolate Israel and strengthen the Palestinians' negotiating position over the long term. The problem for the Palestinians is that there may not be a long term. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects Palestinian statehood and has vowed to maintain open-ended control over annexed east Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and the war-ravaged Gaza Strip territories Israel seized in the 1967 war that the Palestinians want for their state. Israeli leaders favour the outright annexation of much of the West Bank, where Israel has already built well over 100 settlements housing over 500,000 Jewish settlers. Israel's offensive in Gaza has reduced most of it to a smoldering wasteland and is pushing it toward famine, and Israel says it is pressing ahead with plans to relocate much of its population of some 2 million to other ...

Seeking to turning the tide in Gaza, global community calls out Israel

For the first time, four of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council are likely to extend recognition to Palestine (China and Russia being the other two), isolating the US

$30 potatoes, $300 flour: Food prices reach extraordinary heights in Gaza

The mayhem and the limited amount of aid entering the enclave in the first place has led many Palestinians to give up trying to get humanitarian aid, even though starvation is mounting

Statehood for Palestine? The legal test, the war, and the global shift

Global calls for Palestinian statehood rise, but legal, political, and diplomatic roadblocks remain complex and contested