Ministers gather at UN for delayed meeting on Israel, Palestinians, World News
The 193-member UN General Assembly decided in September last year that such a conference would be held in 2025. Hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, the conference was postponed in June after Israel attacked Iran.
The conference aims to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told newspaper La Tribune Dimanche in an interview published on Sunday that he will also use the conference this week to push other countries to join France in recognising a Palestinian state.
France intends to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said last week.
"We will launch an appeal in New York so that other countries join us to initiate an even more ambitious and demanding dynamic that will culminate on September 21," Barrot said, adding that he expected Arab countries by then to condemn Palestinian militants Hamas and call for their disarmament.
The conference comes as a 22-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza still rages. The war was triggered on Oct 7, 2023, when Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's military campaign has killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The US will not attend the conference at the United Nations, said a State Department spokesperson, describing it as "a gift to Hamas, which continues to reject ceasefire proposals accepted by Israel that would lead to the release of hostages and bring calm in Gaza."
The State Department spokesperson added that Washington voted against the General Assembly last year calling for the conference and would "not support actions that jeopardise the prospect for a long-term, peaceful resolution to the conflict."
Israel is also not taking part in the conference, "which doesn't first urgently address the issue of condemning Hamas and returning all of the remaining hostages," said Jonathan Harounoff, international spokesperson at Israel's UN mission.
The UN has long endorsed a vision of two states living side by side within secure and recognised borders. Palestinians want a state in the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, all territory captured by Israel in the 1967 war with neighbouring Arab states.
The UN General Assembly in May last year overwhelmingly backed a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member by recognising it as qualified to join and recommending the UN Security Council "reconsider the matter favourably." The resolution garnered 143 votes in favour and nine against.
The General Assembly vote was a global survey of support for the Palestinian bid to become a full UN member — a move that would effectively recognise a Palestinian state — after the US vetoed it in the UN Security Council several weeks earlier.
[[nid:720671]]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
12 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Gaza civil defence says Israeli fire kills 16
Find out what's new on ST website and app. People carry food parcels in the Al-Mawasi camp in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, that were picked up from the Rafah corridor on July 27. GAZA CITY - Gaza's civil defence agency said 16 people were killed by Israeli fire on July 28 in the Palestinian territory devastated by more than 21 months of war. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the dead included five people killed in an overnight strike on a residential building in the southern Gaza district of Al-Mawasi. A pregnant woman was among those killed, the Palestinian Red Crescent said, adding its teams saved the woman's foetus by performing a Caesarean section in a field hospital. Israel designated Al-Mawasi, a coastal area west of the southern city of Khan Yunis, as a humanitarian zone in the early months of the war. Despite that designation, it has continued to be hit by air strikes and now shelters a large share of Gaza's displaced people. All of Gaza's 2.4 million residents have been displaced at least once since the start of the war, and the United Nations says 88 per cent of the territory is now either under evacuation orders or within Israeli military zones. The civil defence spokesman said five people were killed in another air strike in Khan Yunis' Japanese neighbourhood. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after PUB tests Singapore Ong Beng Seng set to plead guilty on Aug 4 in case linked to ex-transport minister Iswaran Asia Gunman kills 5 security guards near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Singapore COE quota up 2.6% to 18,701 for August to October Business Resilient economy versus uncertain outlook splits views on Singapore's monetary policy Singapore HPB looking for vaping, smoking counselling services for up to 175 secondary school students Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose The Israeli military told AFP it was looking into the Al-Mawasi and Khan Yunis strikes. Mr Bassal said six more people were killed in two separate strikes in Gaza City and central Gaza. Central Gaza's Al-Awda hospital in Nuseirat camp said in a statement that one person was killed and nine wounded when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians waiting for aid in central Gaza. The health ministry of Gaza's Hamas-run government said on July 28 that five people had died of malnutrition in Gaza in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total death toll from malnutrition to 147 since the start of the war. After talks to extend a six-week ceasefire broke down, Israel imposed a full blockade on Gaza on March 2, allowing nothing in until trucks were again permitted to enter at a trickle in late May. Stocks accumulated during the ceasefire have depleted, leaving the territory's inhabitants experiencing the worst shortages since the start of the war in October 2023. AFP
Straits Times
12 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Iran rejects talks with West on ‘defence capabilities'
Find out what's new on ST website and app. TEHRAN – Iran said on July 28 that its military capabilities were not up for negotiations, after France called for a 'comprehensive deal' with Tehran that covers its missile programme and regional influence. 'Regarding matters related to our defence capabilities, there will absolutely be no discussion,' foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a regular press briefing. Iran generally refers to all military activities, including its ballistic missile programme, as defensive. On July 27 , French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told CBS News show 'Face The Nation' that Western governments were seeking a 'comprehensive agreement' with Iran, in part to avert the 'risk' that it could covertly pursue a nuclear weapon – an ambition Tehran has consistently denied. Mr Barrot said such agreement would include 'the nuclear dimension' as well as the 'ballistic component' and 'the regional destabilisation activities that Iran has been conducting', referring to armed groups backed by Tehran across the Middle East. His remarks followed a meeting on July 25 between Iranian diplomats and counterparts from France, Germany, and Britain – the first nuclear talks since Israeli strikes targeting the Islamic republic's atomic activities in June spiralled into a 12-day war. T he July 25 talks in Istanbul came as the three European powers, known as the E3, have in recent weeks threatened to trigger a so-called 'snapback mechanism' under a moribund 2015 nuclear deal which would reinstate UN sanctions on Iran. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Thailand, Cambodia agree to 'immediate and unconditional ceasefire' to de-escalate border row Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after PUB tests Singapore Ong Beng Seng set to plead guilty on Aug 4 in case linked to ex-transport minister Iswaran Asia Gunman kills 5 security guards near Bangkok's Chatuchak market before taking own life Singapore COE quota up 2.6% to 18,701 for August to October Business Resilient economy versus uncertain outlook splits views on Singapore's monetary policy Singapore HPB looking for vaping, smoking counselling services for up to 175 secondary school students Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose 'Unless a new and robust and durable and verifiable agreement is reached by the end of the summer, France, Germany and the UK will have no other choice but to reapply the global embargo that were lifted 10 years ago,' said Mr Barrot. Iran has previously warned that Tehran could withdraw from the global nuclear non-proliferation treaty if sanctions were reimposed. Mr Baqaei on July 28 said: 'One cannot expect a country to remain in the treaty while being deprived of its stated rights, particularly the peaceful use of nuclear energy.' Israel's attacks on Iran i n June hit key nuclear and military sites but also residential areas, and killed top commanders, nuclear scientists and hundreds others. The United States briefly joined the war, striking key nuclear sites. The fighting had derailed US-Iran nuclear negotiations that began in April, and prompted Iran to limit cooperation with the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. Mr Baqaei said the Istanbul meeting with the European powers focused solely on 'the nuclear issue and the lifting of sanctions'. Raising any other 'unrelated topics... is merely a sign of confusion on the part of the other side', the spokesman said. He added that Iranian had emerged from the war with its staunch rival Israel 'even more determined... to safeguard all their assets, including their means of defence against foreign aggression and hostility'. AFP
Business Times
12 minutes ago
- Business Times
Europe reacts with mix of relief and concern to US trade deal
[BRUSSELS] European governments and companies reacted with both relief and concern on Monday (Jul 28) to the framework trade deal struck with US President Donald Trump, acknowledging what was seen as an unbalanced deal but one that avoided a deeper trade war. The agreement, announced on Sunday between two economies that account for almost a third of global trade, will see the US impose a 15 per cent import tariff on most European Union (EU) goods – half the threatened rate but much more than what Europeans hoped for. Many of the specifics of the deal were not immediately known, however. 'As we await full details of the new EU-US trade agreement, one thing is clear: this is a moment of relief but not of celebration,' Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever wrote in a post on X. 'Tariffs will increase in several areas and some key questions remain unresolved.' Trump said the deal, including an investment pledge topping the US$550 billion deal signed with Japan last week, would expand ties between the trans-Atlantic powers after years of what he called unfair treatment of US exporters. It will bring clarity for European makers of cars, planes and chemicals. But the EU had initially hoped for a zero-for-zero tariff deal. And the 15 per cent baseline tariff, while an improvement on the threatened rate of 30 per cent, compares with an average US import tariff rate of around 2.5 per cent last year before Trump's return to the White House. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up European Commission chief Von der Leyen, describing Trump as a tough negotiator, told reporters on Sunday that it was 'the best we could get'. European stocks opened up on Monday, with the STOXX 600 at a four-month high and all other major bourses also in the green. Tech and healthcare stocks led the way. 'The 15 per cent rate is better than the market was fearing,' said Jefferies economist Mohit Kumar. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the deal, saying it averted a trade conflict that would have hit Germany's export-driven economy and its large auto sector hard. French government ministers said on Monday that the deal had some merits – such as exemptions they hoped to see for some key French business sectors such as spirits – but was nevertheless not balanced. Industry minister Marc Ferracci stressed more talks – potentially lasting weeks or months – would be needed before the deal could be formally concluded. 'This is not the end of the story,' he told RTL radio. European companies, meanwhile, were left wondering whether to cheer or lament the accord. 'Those who expect a hurricane are grateful for a storm,' said Wolfgang Große Entrup, head of the German Chemical Industry Association VCI. 'Further escalation has been avoided. Nevertheless, the price is high for both sides. European exports are losing competitiveness. US customers are paying the tariffs,' he said. Stellantis shares were up 3.5 per cent and car parts maker Valeo jumped 4.7 per cent while German pharma group Merck KGaA rose 2.9 per cent, in a sign of relief for those sectors. Among the many questions that remain to be answered, however, is how the EU's promise to invest hundreds of billions of dollars in the US and steeply increase energy purchases can be turned into reality. It was not immediately clear if specific pledges of increased investments were made or whether the details still must be hammered out. And while the EU pledged to make US$750 billion in strategic purchases over the next three years, including oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and nuclear fuel, the US will struggle to produce enough to meet that demand. While US LNG production capacity is due to almost double over the next four years it will still not be enough to ramp up supplies to Europe, and oil production is expected to be lower than previously forecast this year. Despite the lingering unknowns, analysts stressed the deal still helped decrease uncertainty. Oil prices rose on Monday, as did the euro. 'Now that there is more clarity, you would think that not only in the United States, but around the globe, there will be a little bit more willingness to look at investment, to look at expansions, and to look at where the opportunities are,' said Rodrigo Catril, senior currency strategist at National Australia Bank. REUTERS
