An alliance of mostly Muslim-majority countries including Türkiye, Egypt and Iran have demanded full Palestinian membership of the United Nations and greater international pressure on Israel amid its war on Gaza.

The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, which also includes Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nigeria and Pakistan, called for an immediate ceasefire in the devastated Palestinian territory.

Foreign ministers from the group meeting in Istanbul on Saturday called on the United States to lift its veto on full Palestinian UN membership and all countries to “exert diplomatic, political, economic and legal pressure” on Israel.

They also urged states to ensure Israel complies with the International Court of Justice’s decisions, withdraws from the southern Rafah governorate and guarantees the safe entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

‘Grave violations of international law’

Denouncing an “ongoing genocide and grave violations of international law”, the group called on states to contribute to and join legal proceedings against Israel at international courts.

The eight countries also demanded an end to arms and ammunition deliveries to Israel and that all measures be taken to protect Palestinian civilians, rejecting any attempted forced displacement.

They advocated a two-state solution based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital and a guarantee mechanism to protect a future settlement.

Israel’s military offensive has killed at least 36,801 people in Gaza, according to the Palestinian health ministry in the territory.

Saturday, June 1, 2024

1045 GMT — The Israeli army has detained at least 20 Palestinians from areas across the occupied West Bank.

According to a joint statement by the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner Society, the new arrests brought the total number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli forces since October 7, 2023, to 8,975.

The arrests mainly took place in the cities of Jenin, Nablus, Qalqilya, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jerusalem.

During the Israeli arrest campaigns, the Israeli forces beat and abused Palestinians and damaged their homes and properties, the statement also said.

More updates 👇

1207 GMT — French president calls for end to Gaza war, welcomes US proposal on ceasefire

France’s President Emmanuel Macron has called for an end to the Gaza war and expressed his support for US President Joe Biden’s ceasefire proposal “for durable peace.”

“The war in Gaza must end. We support the US proposal for a durable peace. Just as we are working with our partners in the region on peace and security for all,” said Macron on X in Arabic, Hebrew, and English.

“The release of the hostages, a permanent ceasefire to work towards peace and progress on the two-state solution,” he added.

1206 GMT — Israel opposition leader vows to support PM on hostage release deal

Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has vowed to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he goes ahead with a truce and hostage release deal that his far-right coalition partners have previously opposed.

Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have previously threatened to bring down his government if the war ends without the destruction of Hamas.

Lapid said in a post on social media platform X: “I remind Netanyahu that he has our safety net for a hostage deal if Ben Gvir and Smotrich leave the government”.

“The Israeli government cannot ignore President Biden’s important speech,” Lapid said.

“There is a deal on the table and it should take it.”

1204 GMT — Netanyahu says no Gaza ceasefire until Hamas destroyed

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there could be no permanent ceasefire in Gaza until Hamas was destroyed, casting doubt on a key part of a truce proposal that US President Joe Biden said Israel itself had made.

Biden said on Friday that Israel had proposed a deal involving an initial six-week truce with a partial Israeli military withdrawal and the release of some hostages while the two sides negotiated “a permanent end to hostilities”.

However, Netanyahu’s statement said any notion that Israel would agree on a permanent ceasefire before “the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities” was “a non-starter”.

1131 GMT — Egyptian, US and Israeli officials to discuss reopening Rafah crossing, Egypt’s Al Qahera says

A meeting between US, Egyptian and Israeli officials is scheduled to take place on Sunday in Cairo to discuss the reopening of Gaza’s Rafah crossing, a high-level source has told Egypt’s state-linked Al Qahera TV.

Egypt is insisting that Israel withdraw its forces from the crossing, Al Qahera reported. Israel seized the crossing on the Gaza side in May during its offensive in the city of Rafah along the enclave’s southern edge.

1126 GMT — Hezbollah downs Israeli drone over Lebanon with missile

An Israeli pilotless plane was shot down over Lebanese territory by a surface-to-air missile, Israel’s military has said, and Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the interception.

In a statement, Hezbollah said it downed a Hermes 900 drone in solidarity with Gaza, where Israel has been waging an almost eight-month-old war.

Video circulated online appeared to show a plane of a size corresponding to that of a Hermes, aflame and gyring earthward.

1003 GMT — Palestinian death toll nears 36,400: health ministry

At least 36,379 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s ongoing offensive on Gaza since last October, the Health Ministry in the besieged enclave said.

A ministry statement added that 82,407 other people have also been injured in the onslaught. “Israeli attacks killed 95 people and injured 350 others in the last 24 hours,” the statement said.

“Many people are still trapped under rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them,” it added.

0845 GMT –– Palestinian child starves to death in Gaza as Israel disregards global outcry

A Palestinian child starved to death in central Gaza due to Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Rafah crossing, which has prevented humanitarian aid from entering for 26 consecutive days.

“A 13-year-old Palestinian child has died due to starvation in Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza Strip amidst the closure of the Rafah border crossing,” the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported.

So far, malnutrition and dehydration have claimed the lives of 37 people in Gaza due to strict restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the besieged enclave, it added.

0838 GMT –– Israel pounds Gaza after Biden outlines ceasefire plan

Israeli forces hammered Rafah in southern Gaza with tanks and artillery, hours after US President Joe Biden unveiled a new roadmap towards a full ceasefire.

Shortly after Biden’s announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted his country would still pursue the war until it had reached all its aims.

Palestinian group Hamas, meanwhile, said it “considers positively” the plan laid out by Biden.

0831 GMT –– Saudi foreign minister receives call from US Secretary State to discuss Gaza ceasefire

Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud received a call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during which they discussed the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal, the Saudi state news agency said.

0820 GMT –– Indonesia ready to send peacekeepers, medical staff to Gaza

Indonesia is ready to send “significant peacekeeping forces” as well as medical personnel to Gaza if a new ceasefire proposal is accepted, President-elect Prabowo Subianto said.

Prabowo, who will succeed President Joko Widodo in October after winning the February elections, welcomed the plan, describing it as “an important step” to ending the war.

If requested by the United Nations, Indonesia was prepared to send “significant peacekeeping forces to maintain and monitor this prospective ceasefire,” Prabowo told the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.

“We are also prepared to immediately send medical personnel to operate field hospitals in Gaza with the consent and agreement of all sides.”

0323 GMT –– Houthis fire missiles, drones from Yemen: US

The Yemeni Houthis launched a combination of anti-ship ballistic missiles and drones above the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

“At approximately 1:30 am (Sanaa time) on May 31, Iranian-backed Houthis launched one uncrewed aerial system (UAS) from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Red Sea,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

The UAS crashed into the Red Sea with no injuries or damage reported by the US, coalition, or commercial ships, it said.

0243 GMT –– Canada says it backs Biden’s Gaza ceasefire proposal

Canada voiced support for a roadmap for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza announced by US President Joe Biden.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated that Canada has been calling for an immediate ceasefire, an urgent increase in unhindered humanitarian assistance and the release of all hostages.

“The proposal put forward by @POTUS is an opportunity to end the suffering and return to a path to peace. All parties must seize it,” the Canadian prime minister wrote X, referring to the President of The United States.

0238 GMT –– Blinken discusses Gaza ceasefire proposal with Turkish, Jordan, Saudi counterparts

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed President Joe Biden’s Gaza ceasefire proposal with counterparts from Türkiye, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in separate telephone calls.

The State Department said in a statement that Blinken and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan spoke about the proposal to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, secure the release of all hostages and end the war.

“They discussed the deal’s extensive benefits for the people of Gaza, including a massive influx of humanitarian assistance, the return of Palestinians to North Gaza, and the beginning of the reconstruction of Gaza,” said the statement.

It said Blinken underscored that the proposal is in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians.

0203 GMT –– Pro-Palestinian protesters occupy parts of Brooklyn Museum

Pro-Palestinian protesters took over parts of the Brooklyn Museum, hanging a banner above the main entrance, occupying much of the lobby and scuffling with police, witnesses said.

The art museum in the New York City borough of Brooklyn said it closed an hour early because of the disruption, including skirmishes between police and protesters that took place inside and outside the building.

Some arrests were made but a New York Police Department spokesperson said there would be no official count until after the protest concluded.

2130 GMT — Hamas reacts to US truce plan

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has said it had a positive view of the contents of a proposal announced by US President Joe Biden for a permanent ceasefire in besieged Gaza.

Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire plan from Israel to Hamas to end the war in Gaza where Israel has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, wounded over 82,000 and caused a colossal humanitarian crisis.

“Hamas confirms its readiness to deal positively and in a constructive manner with any proposal that is based on the permanent ceasefire and the full withdrawal [of Israeli forces] from the Gaza Strip, the reconstruction [of Gaza], and the return of the displaced to their places, along with the fulfillment of a genuine prisoner swap deal if the occupation clearly announces commitment to such deal,” the group said in a statement.

2026 GMT — WHO assembly passes draft resolution asking to expand Palestine’s rights

The World Health Organization’s governing forum has adopted a draft resolution asking to expand Palestine’s rights and privileges in the agency in line with its “participation in the United Nations.”

The World Health Assembly adopted the draft resolution on “aligning participation of Palestine in the World Health Organization with its participation in the United Nations,” after a show of hands with 101 in favour, five against, and 21 abstaining.

The draft measure was proposed by Algeria, Brunei Darussalam, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Oman, Pakistan, Somalia, Tunisia, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Venezuela.

It asks to expand the rights and privileges of Palestine as an observer state “without prejudice to its existing rights and privileges.”

2021 GMT — US Congress invites Israel’s Netanyahu to address lawmakers

Democratic and Republican leaders in the US Congress have invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to deliver an address to lawmakers, House Speaker Mike Johnson said.

The four party leaders in the House and Senate asked Netanyahu to speak before a joint meeting of Congress at a date yet to be arranged, although US media reported that it is expected to take place just before or soon after the August recess.

A visit from Netanyahu could be an awkward affair for Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who called in March for Israel to hold new elections in a rare example of strident criticism from a senior American official of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza.

Tuesday, May 28, 2024

1405 GMT –– The Turkish health minister has said the dignity of humanity “is being destroyed” in Gaza amid ongoing attacks not only on civilians but also on health facilities.

“In Gaza, the dignity of humanity is being destroyed in front of all of our eyes, stomp by stomp,” Fahrettin Koca said in a World Health Assembly (WHA) session in Geneva.

“It has been seen that countries that claim to be developed are very backward in human values. They preferred to keep silent while children and babies were slaughtered with the most primitive methods,” he said, adding: “The so-called advanced democracies turned a deaf ear to the voices of societies.”

“We are all prisoners of this black and dark history,” he said.

More updates 👇

1358 GMT –– Palestine calls new Israeli strikes on Rafah a massacre

The Palestinian president’s spokesperson, Nabil Abu Rudeineh, has described new Israeli strikes on Rafah as a massacre and called for the implementation of a World Court decision ordering Israel to halt its offensive on the city.

Israel has kept up its offensive despite a ruling by the top UN court on Friday ordering it to stop, saying the court’s ruling grants it some scope for military action in Rafah.

1353 GMT –– Finland expresses sorrow about Israeli strikes in Rafah

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen has expressed sorrow about recent Israeli air strikes in Rafah that killed dozens of civilians.

“Devastated by news from Rafah on Israeli strikes killing dozens of civilians, including small children,” she wrote on X.

“Finland has consistently urged Israel to refrain from attacking Rafah, especially considering the high numbers of displaced people there. The orders of the ICJ and international humanitarian law must be respected by all parties.”

1344 GMT –– Israel holds 26 Palestinian women without trial or charge: NGO

Israel is holding 26 Palestinian women without trial or charge, a local nongovernmental organisation has said.

Three journalists, a lawyer and several students are among the detainees, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement.

“Some 26 women are held administratively without trial or charge from among 80 women in Israe li custody at Damon prison” near Haifa in northern Israel, it added.

1300 GMT –– Hamas urges UNSC to take ‘immediate measures’ to halt Israeli assault

Hamas has called on the UN Security Council to take “immediate” measures to halt Israel’s ongoing offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza.

In a statement, the Palestinian group urged the council “to fulfil its legal and moral responsibilities towards Israel’s disregard for the decision of the International Court of Justice.”

1243 GMT –– WHO chief deplores Israel’s Sunday attack on Rafah camp for displaced people

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief has deplored Israel’s Sunday attack on a camp for displaced people in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, causing the deaths of dozens.

“WHO deplores the air strike on Sunday night in Rafah that reportedly killed 45 displaced people sheltering in tents,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on X.

“As violence in Rafah continues escalating, almost a million displaced people are once again in search of safety that doesn’t exist in Gaza,” he said.

1231 GMT –– Dozens killed in Israeli strikes on tent area west of Rafah: officials

At least 21 Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded in new Israeli strikes on an area of tents housing displaced people West of Rafah, health authorities in the enclave have said.

The new Israeli strikes targeted tents of displaced families in the designated humanitarian area in Mawasi in western Rafah, according to medics and residents.

1212 GMT –– South Africa condemns Israel’s ‘deplorable’ Rafah strike

South Africa has condemned as “deplorable” an Israeli strike on Gaza’s southern city of Rafah that killed dozens in a displaced persons camp.

“The South African Government joins the international community in condemning the deplorable and brutal attacks on innocent civilians after Israeli forces bombed a tent camp housing displaced Palestinians,” the foreign ministry said.

It noted that the strike came two days after the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to end its military offensive in Rafah.

1200 GMT –– Medical evacuations under ‘abrupt halt’ in Gaza: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that medical evacuations in Gaza are under “abrupt halt” while 10,000 people need to be referred out.

“There’s been an abrupt halt to all medical evacuations,” WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said at a UN press briefing.

“We have around 10,000 people who need to be evacuated. And since the increase in the violence in the area and Rafah, and the limitation on the services, we now have an extra 1,000 critically ill and injured patients who’ve been unable to leave Gaza to receive the much-needed medical treatment elsewhere,” Harris stressed. She noted that no evacuation has been done since May 7.

1154 GMT –– Just one hospital now operational in Gaza’s Rafah: ministry

Only one hospital remains operational in Rafah in southern Gaza, while all other hospitals have ceased operations amid an Israeli offensive in the city, the Health Ministry has said.

In a statement, the ministry said that Israeli attacks had forced four hospitals in Rafah – Abu Yusef al-Najjar Hospital, Abu al-Walid Central Clinic, Rafah Field Hospital 2, and Kuwait Specialist Hospital – out of service.

“The Tel al-Sultan Maternity Hospital is still struggling to provide services to patients,” it added.

1114 GMT –– Israeli killing of Egyptian soldier shows how real Gaza war spillover threat is: Fidan

Israel’s killing of an Egyptian soldier in the Rafah border crossing has shown how real the risk of a spillover of the Gaza conflict is, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said in a live presser.

Speaking in a news conference alongside his Cambodian counterpart Sok Chenda Sophea, who is in the Turkish capital Ankara on an official visit, Fidan also criticised the US and other Western nations for their support to Israel.

“It would not be possible for this genocide to continue without the support of some countries, especially the US, for Israel,” he said.

1127 GMT –– Spain, Norway and Ireland formally recognise State of Palestine

Spain, Norway and Ireland have formally recognised the State of Palestine, defying Israel which had condemned the move.

The three European countries believe their initiative has a strong symbolic impact that is likely to encourage others to recognise a Palestinian state.

As Oslo’s formal recognition went into effect, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide hailed the move as “a special day for Norway-Palestine relations.”

“Norway has been one of the most fervent defenders of a Palestinian state for more than 30 years,” he added.

Shortly afterwards, Spain followed suit, with government spokeswoman Pilar Alegria confirming the cabinet had formally recognised Palestinian statehood, qualifying it as “a historic day.”

Later, the Irish government, too, announced its official recognition of a Palestinian state.

1044 GMT –– Health ministry in Gaza says war death toll at 36,096

The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza said that at least 36,096 people have been killed in the territory during more than seven months of Israel’s war on the besieged enclave.

The toll includes at least 46 deaths over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said, adding that 81,136 people have been wounded in Gaza since the Tel Aviv launched a brutal war after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7.

1030 GMT –– Israeli strikes in Rafah have had horrific, unacceptable consequences: Australia

In a broadside at Tel Aviv over its latest bombardment in Gaza, Australia has called on Israel to halt its offensive in Rafah.

“Israel’s strikes have had horrific and unacceptable consequences,” Foreign Minister Penny Wong said in a statement, referring to the latest Israeli attacks in Rafah which killed 45 on Sunday.

These events “underscore that we must see a humanitarian ceasefire now so that civilians can be protected,” she added.

0950 GMT –– UK foreign secretary calls for urgent action following ‘deeply distressing’ Israeli airstrikes on Rafah

In the wake of the devastating Israeli airstrikes on the city of Rafah in southern Gaza during the past weekend, UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron expressed deep concern and called for immediate and decisive action.

“Deeply distressing scenes following the airstrikes in Rafah this weekend,” Cameron said on X.

Cameron emphasised the necessity of a thorough investigation by the Israeli forces, urging it to be “swift, comprehensive & transparent.”

0941 GMT –– Reporters Without Borders files 3rd complaint with ICC about Israeli war crimes against journalists

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) filed its third complaint with the International Criminal Court about Israeli war crimes against journalists, according to a statement.

The complaint was filed on May 24, the Paris-based RSF said in a statement.

This complaint is “asking the prosecutor to investigate crimes against at least nine Palestinian reporters between 15 December and 20 May, as well as, more broadly, the more than 100 journalists that the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have killed since 7 October (2023) in Gaza,” the non-profit said.

The RSF added that it filed two previous complaints on October 31 and December 22, 2023, and the third one detailing “eight new cases of Palestinian journalists killed between 20 December and 20 May, as well as the case of a journalist who was injured.”

0908 GMT –– Israel advances in Philadelphi Corridor, moves closer to blocking Gaza from Egypt

The Israeli army began expanding its incursion into Rafah, southern Gaza, seizing more of the border area with Egypt, known as the Philadelphi Corridor.

The move means that the Israeli army is moving closer to isolating the besieged enclave from contact with Egypt and eventually the entire world.

The current Israeli incursion into Rafah makes it only 3 kilometres (1.8 miles) away from the Rafah coast and puts over two-thirds of the Philadelphi Corridor area under Israel’s control.

The Philadelphi Corridor –– 14-kilometer (8.69-mile) in length –– is a demilitarised buffer zone running along the Gaza-Egypt border, as stipulated by the treaty following the signing of the 1978 Camp David Accords between then-Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin.

0901 GMT –– Israel again bombs Rafah as UNSC to discuss camp attack

Israel has again bombarded Gaza’s far-southern Rafah area despite a global storm of outrage over Sunday’s strike that set ablaze a crowded tent city, killing at least 45 people.

The strike, which Gaza medics said also left hundreds of civilians with shrapnel and burn wounds, drew condemnation from world leaders and was set to be discussed at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council from 1915 GMT.

The sight of the charred carnage, blackened corpses and children being rushed to hospitals led UN chief Antonio Guterres to declare that “there is no safe place in Gaza. This horror must stop.”

0842 GMT –– Israeli tanks reach Rafah city centre, witnesses say

Several Israeli tanks reached the centre of Rafah, witnesses told Reuters news agency, three weeks into a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city that has has drawn intense scrutiny from neighbouring Egypt and from the United States.

The tanks were spotted near al-Awda mosque, a central Rafah landmark, the witnesses said.

The Israeli military did not immediately comment on their account, saying it would issue a statement about the Rafah offensive later.

0809 GMT –– Israeli forces press Rafah offensive despite global outcry

Israel pounded Rafah with air strikes and tank fire, pressing its offensive in Gaza’s southern city.

At least 16 Palestinians were killed in strikes overnight, officials in the enclave said. Israeli tanks pushed towards western neighbourhoods in one of the worst nights of bombardment reported by residents.

Reacting to Sunday night’s strike and fire in a camp where thousands of families displaced from assaults elsewhere in Gaza had sought shelter, global leaders urged the implementation of a World Court order to halt Israel’s assault.

0746 GMT –– China expresses ‘grave concern’ over Israel’s military assaults in Rafah

China expressed “grave concern” over Israel’s military attacks in Rafah, where an Israeli strike killed dozens in a displaced persons camp.

China “expresses its grave concern over the ongoing Israeli military operations in Rafah”, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

Beijing urged “all parties to protect civilians and civilian facilities”. It also said it “strongly urges Israel to listen to the appeals of the international community and to stop its attacks on Rafah”.

0739 GMT –– UNRWA says around 1 million people have fled Rafah in past 3 weeks

Around one million people have fled the Gazan city of Rafah in the past three weeks, the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) said.

The small city on the southern edge of Gaza had been sheltering more than a million Palestinians who fled Israeli assaults on other parts of the enclave.

UNRWA said Palestinians’ flight from Rafah “happened with nowhere safe to go and amidst bombardments, lack of food and water, piles of waste and unsuitable living conditions.”

0652 GMT — Recognising Palestinian statehood ‘essential for reaching peace’: Sanchez

Recognising Palestinian statehood is an “essential” step for achieving peace in the Middle East, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said, with his government poised to formally take the step alongside Ireland and Norway.

“Recognition of the state of Palestine… is an essential requirement if we are all to achieve peace,” he said.

0319 GMT –– German foreign minister booed over govt’s approach to Gaza conflict

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock was booed and jeered by pro-Palestinian protesters at a weekend event in the capital Berlin over the government’s support for Israel.

Footage shared on social media showed several people interfering with a presentation by Baerbock at the Democracy Festival held on Sunday to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the country’s constitution.

Some attendees shouted angrily and waved banners, disrupting her speech. They accused the German government of bias and demanded that it immediately halt arms shipments to Israel.

Reports in the German media also said that a woman among the protesters who claimed to be Jewish shouted: “There is no freedom of thought in Germany after Israel’s attacks on Gaza!”

The protesters were later escorted out of the venue by security personnel.

0255 GMT –– Greece’s main opposition party pushes for recognition of Palestinian state

Greece’s main opposition SYRIZA party said it is pressing the government to recognise the State of Palestine.

“We must take a history lesson from the friendship between the Greek people and the Palestinian people, starting with (former Greek Prime Minister) Andreas Papandreou and (former Palestinian President) Yasser Arafat, and today bring it back to the forefront of our foreign policy.

“Because if not now, (then) when? What is the best time to finally recognise the Palestinian state, to follow the example of Spain, Ireland and Norway?” said the party’s leader, Stefanos Kasselakis, speaking to the radio station Sto Kokkino.

0205 GMT –– Israel’s attack on Rafah was ‘intentional’: US Congresswoman

Israel’s bombing over the weekend of a camp for displaced people in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza was “intentional,” the only Palestinian American member of the US Congress said.

“This was intentional. You don’t accidentally kill massive amounts of children and their families over and over again and get to say, ‘It was a mistake’,” Rashida Tlaib said on X.

“Genocidal maniac Netanyahu told us he wants to ethically cleanse Palestinians. When are you going to believe him @POTUS?” she added, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

0148 GMT –– Several Palestinians injured from assaults by Israeli army, settlers in West Bank

Several Palestinians were injured due to assaults by Israeli forces and illegal Jeswish settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Two Palestinians –– a father and his son –– were injured near the town of Yatta in Hebron governate as illegal Israeli settlers stopped and assaulted them with sharp objects, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

Both suffered moderate injuries and were transferred to a hospital in Hebron.

0127 GMT –– An Israeli strike in southern Lebanon kills 2 people near a hospital, officials say

An Israeli strike targeting a motorcycle in southern Lebanon hit next to a hospital entrance, killing the motorcycle driver and a hospital security guard and wounding several civilians nearby, local health officials said.

It was not immediately clear who the driver was or why he was targeted in the strike in the town of Bint Jbeil.

The Israeli army did not give a statement on the strike but said it had targeted other areas of southern Lebanon in response to what they call “terrorist launches.”

0117 GMT –– Hezbollah targets Israeli army position in northern Israel

The Lebanese Hezbollah group said it carried out an aerial attack against an Israeli army position in northern Israel.

In a statement, the group said it targeted newly established bunkers of Artillery Battalion 411 east of Nahariya with explosive-laden drones and achieved precise hits, inflicting casualties.

The Times of Israel news website meanwhile reported that the Israeli army intercepted one drone while a second one hit an area in western Galilee, both of which were launched by Hezbollah.

0052 GMT –– Japan urges Israel to comply with world court’s order to halt Rafah offensive

Japan urged Israel to obey an order by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to halt its military offensives in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.

The provisional measures “are legally binding on the parties to disputes and to be observed in good faith,” Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko told her Israeli counterpart Israel Katz in a phone call.

Kamikawa also linked the release of Israeli hostages being held in Gaza to a ceasefire in the besieged Palestinian enclave, according to a statement by Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

0023 GMT –– EU discussing sanctioning Israel if it refuses to comply with world court’s ruling: minister

The European Union is discussing sanctioning Israel if it refuses to comply with a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering it to immediately halt its military campaign in the city of Rafah, local media reported, citing Ireland’s foreign minister.

During a meeting of the European Political Community, EU foreign ministers for the first time discussed the prospect of sanctions against Israel if it continued to disregard the court’s order, said Michael Martin, according to public broadcaster RTE.

“Certainly, if compliance isn’t forthcoming, then we have to consider all options,” he said, adding that Ireland would support such an approach.

2126 GMT — UNSC to hold emergency meeting after Israel’s massacre in Rafah

The UN Security Council has convened an emergency meeting after what Israel said was a “precision strike” on a displaced persons camp in the southern Gaza city of Rafah that killed at least 45 people, wounded 250, some of them burned alive and others slashed into pieces.

The closed-door meeting was requested by Algeria, which is currently a non-permanent member of the council, diplomats said.