Page 4 - 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, ...

UK police make over 500 arrests in largest Palestine Action protest

The Metropolitan Police on Sunday arrested more demonstrators, taking the previous figure of 474 to over 500 during a weekend that saw the UK's largest protests in support of Palestine Action, banned by the government recently, making it a criminal offence to show any backing for the group. While 522 of those arrested during a demonstration in London were detained under the UK's Terrorism Act for showing support for a proscribed group, others were held for other offences, including assaulting police officers. Meanwhile, hundreds of pro-Israel counter-protesters also marched through central London on Sunday, demanding the release of hostages still held in Gaza and in a show of solidarity with Israel in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Many of those arrested at the pro-Palestine demonstrations were displaying placards expressing support for Palestine Action. The average age of those arrested was 54, and the most arrests 147 of them were of people aged between 60 and 69. The

466 arrested during London protest backing banned group Palestine Action

Under the UK's Terrorism Act 2000, membership in or support for the group is now a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison

Highlights: SC recalls order barring High Court judge from hearing criminal cases

Highlights: Mass protests broke out across Israel as the Cabinet met to decide on a full reoccupation of Gaza. Catch all the news developments here

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 ...

Highlights: NDA authorises PM Modi, BJP chief Nadda to pick the alliance's V-P candidate

Highlights: Catch all the news developments here

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

Israeli forces kill over 20 people seeking food in Gaza, say witnesses

Israeli forces killed at least 23 Palestinians seeking food on Sunday in the Gaza Strip, according to hospital officials and witnesses, who described facing gunfire as hungry crowds surged around aid sites as the malnutrition-related death toll surged. Desperation has gripped the Palestinian territory of more than 2 million, which experts have warned is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and nearly two-year offensive. Yousef Abed, among the crowds en route to a distribution point, described coming under what he called indiscriminate fire, looking around and seeing at least three people bleeding on the ground. I couldn't stop and help them because of the bullets, he said. Southern Gaza's Nasser Hospital said they had received bodies from near multiple distribution sites, including eight from Teina, about three km away from a distribution site in Khan Younis, which is operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private US and Israeli-backed contractor that took over a

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

Canada to recognise Palestinian state, risking split with US, Israel

Canadian PM Mark Carney cites Gaza crisis and eroded peace framework as Ottawa prepares to recognise Palestine at the UN, joining France and possibly the UK

UK may recognise Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes action

Starmer held a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before making his announcement, said a source, who asked not to be named

Donald Trump says 'real starvation' in Gaza, challenges Netanyahu's claim

US President Donald Trump said the US will coordinate with other nations to provide more aid in Gaza, after the UN warned that vast food supplies are needed to prevent widespread starvation

Highlights: French President Macron says France will recognise Palestine as state

Highlights: Catch all the latest news developments here

US slams French Prez Macron's decision to recognise Palestinian state at UN

Macron shared a letter to Mahmoud Abbas on X, confirming France's plan to recognise Palestine at the UNGA and rally support from other nations for the move

Aid groups warn of starvation in Gaza as Israeli strikes kill 29: Officials

More than 100 charity and human rights groups said Wednesday that Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip toward starvation, as Israeli strikes killed another 29 people overnight, according to local health officials. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, was set to meet with a senior Israeli official about ceasefire talks, a sign that lower-level negotiations that have dragged on for weeks could be approaching a breakthrough. Experts say Gaza is at risk of famine because of Israel's blockade and the offensive launched in response to Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack. The head of the World Health Organization said Gaza is witnessing a deadly surge in malnutrition and related diseases, and that a large proportion of its roughly 2 million people are starving. Israel says it allows enough aid into the territory and faults delivery efforts by U.N. agencies, which say they are hindered by Israeli restrictions a

Israeli tanks enter Gaza's Deir al-Balah, raising alarm over hostages

Israel's push into Deir al-Balah prompts concern from hostage families and UN agencies, as WHO confirms staff detentions and Gaza warns of starvation deaths

Highlights: 12-hour Odisha bandh today over student's suicide

Highlights: Catch all the news developments here

Highlights: NRI Amritpal Singh Dhillon arrested in hit-and-run death of marathoner Fauja Singh

Highlights: Amritpal Singh Dhillon, a resident of Dasupur village, is currently undergoing interrogation at the Bhogpur police station. Catch all the news developments here

Over 70 arrested at UK protests in support of banned group Palestine Action

More than 70 people were arrested Saturday at protests in the UK against the Palestine Action group being proscribed a terrorist organisation by the British government following a break-in and vandalism at a Royal Air Force base. In London, the Metropolitan Police said 42 people had been arrested by late afternoon. All but one of the arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organisation, which police have said includes chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos. Another person was arrested for common assault. A further 16 arrests were made in Manchester, according to Greater Manchester Police, while South Wales Police said 13 people were also held in Cardiff. In London, it was the second straight week protesters gathered to support the pro-Palestinian activist group. Its outlawing has meant support for the organisation is deemed a criminal offense. Police arrested 29 people at a similar protest last weekend. Two groups gathered undernea

Palestinians paying high price to get scarce cash in Gaza

Cash is the lifeblood of the Gaza Strip's shattered economy, and like all other necessities in this war-torn territory food, fuel, medicine it is in extremely short supply. With nearly every bank branch and ATM inoperable, people have become reliant on an unrestrained network of powerful cash brokers to get money for daily expenses and commissions on those transactions have soared to about 40 per cent. The people are crying blood because of this, said Ayman al-Dahdouh, a school director living in Gaza City. It's suffocating us, starving us. At a time of surging inflation, high unemployment and dwindling savings, the scarcity of cash has magnified the financial squeeze on families some of whom have begun to sell their possessions to buy essential goods. The cash that is available has even lost some of its luster. Palestinians use the Israeli currency, the shekel, for most transactions. Yet with Israel no longer resupplying the territory with newly printed bank notes, merchants a