logo
Israeli air strike kills at least 24 in Gaza

Israeli air strike kills at least 24 in Gaza

The National18-05-2025
Israeli air strike kills at least 24 in Gaza
Final communique calls for end to bloodshed in Gaza
Arab League announces fund for Gaza
Spanish PM proposes path to end Israeli 'carnage'
At least 53,272 Palestinians killed and 120,673 wounded since Gaza war began
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Israel has to make a decision on Gaza', says Trump
'Israel has to make a decision on Gaza', says Trump

The National

time22 minutes ago

  • The National

'Israel has to make a decision on Gaza', says Trump

Trump says Israel will have to decide on next steps in Gaza UAE and Jordan carry out aid air drops into Gaza Mediators resume contact with Israel and Hamas negotiators Yemen's Houthis threaten to target ships linked to Israeli ports Netanyahu says 'no more excuses' for UN after Gaza aid routes opened Israel announces 10-hour pause in military operations in Al Mawasi, Deir Al Balah, and Gaza city At least 59,821 Palestinians killed and 144,851 wounded since Gaza war began

Dropping aid into Gaza and the fate of a ceasefire
Dropping aid into Gaza and the fate of a ceasefire

The National

time2 hours ago

  • The National

Dropping aid into Gaza and the fate of a ceasefire

Israel has begun allowing aid to be dropped into Gaza by parachute. In Israel, far-right figures are objecting to permitting aid into Gaza. Syria, France and the US have agreed to meet on Kurdish integration. On today's episode of Trending Middle East: UAE and Jordan planes drop food and humanitarian aid into Gaza Israel claims aid trickling in after widespread condemnation of blockade Paris to host Syria talks on integrating Kurds This episode features Hamza Hendawi, Cairo correspondent, and Thomas Helm, Jerusalem correspondent. Editor's note: We want to hear from you! Help us improve our podcasts by taking our 2-minute listener survey. Click here.

UN conference will test global resolve for Palestinian statehood
UN conference will test global resolve for Palestinian statehood

The National

time2 hours ago

  • The National

UN conference will test global resolve for Palestinian statehood

Saudi Arabia and France are set to spearhead a high-stakes conference at the UN this week, launching a bold push to forge a path towards an independent Palestinian state − a move that has already ignited a fierce backlash from Israel and the Trump administration. This ambitious initiative aims to resurrect long-stalled peace efforts, setting the stage for a diplomatic showdown over the region's future. The two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is both more threatened and more necessary than at any time since the Oslo Accords, a French diplomatic source said ahead of the conference. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel deepened Israeli scepticism towards Palestinian statehood, while the subsequent war in Gaza has devastated the enclave and weakened prospects for stability, the source told reporters in New York. Despite these challenges, the French official argued that the two-state solution remains the only viable path forward. It is 'even more necessary because there is no alternative', the source said. 'We cannot just discuss the situation in Gaza and the day after … we need to see beyond.' French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced that France would recognise Palestine as a state. 'The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops, and the civilian population is saved,' he said. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told CBS News on Sunday that Paris's diplomatic efforts are 'very complementary' to Washington's. 'In fact, we will welcome any further efforts led by the US to implement the Abraham Accord logics. And what we're doing now with this very significant conference that will take place in New York will pave the way for such accords,' he said. 'But in the meantime, until the US administration provides, through the Abraham Accord logics, a political horizon for this crisis, we need to act in order to facilitate the or create an off ramp for the catastrophe ongoing in Gaza' The French diplomatic source indicated that no new normalisation agreements are expected to be announced during the meeting. This week's ministerial-level conference, which was postponed in June amid the 12-day air war between Israel and Iran, will focus on Gaza's reconstruction, its governance and security, disarmament of the Palestinian militant group Hamas and normalising relations between Israel and Arab states that have not yet done so. Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said the international community "will judge this conference on what it delivers." "We stand ready to support the Palestinians in state-building, with human rights and rule of law at its centre. When that time comes, programmes to support victims and survivors will be an important avenue for opening a pathway to accountability and redress," he said. China expressed its support for the UN conference on Friday, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun saying 'the two-state solution remains the only viable path to resolve the Palestinian issue'. Max Rodenbeck, Israel-Palestine project director at the International Crisis Group think tank, said that while reviving international focus on the two-state solution is 'laudable', practical steps are needed. 'Rhetorical support needs to be matched by practical steps, as the practical possibility for creating a Palestinian state on the ground has been ebbing for years, and under the current Israeli government faces stubborn hostility,' Mr Rodenbeck said. France in September will become the third permanent member of the UN Security Council to recognise Palestine, along with Russia and China. Currently, 147 out of 193 UN member states officially recognise the state of Palestine. Mr Rodenbeck noted that Mr Macron's pledge to recognise a Palestinian state, even if symbolic for now, offers Palestinians 'a horizon for hope'. Pressure is intensifying on Israel to end its war in Gaza. Israel's strikes and ground offensive have killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, displaced most of the population and laid waste to most of the enclave. This followed the Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 240. The conference takes place as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas appear to have collapsed, and as more than 100 aid agencies warned of mass starvation in Gaza. US President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should intensify military action against Hamas to eliminate the group. 'Hamas didn't really want to make a deal, I think they want to die,' Mr Trump told journalists at the White House before a trip to Scotland, adding that it's time to 'finish the job' and 'get rid' of Hamas. Mr Rodenbeck said: 'It is tragic that ceasefire talks have broken down, but the more immediate tragedy – and a more solvable one – is the looming famine about to engulf Gaza.' 'Israel's use of food as a weapon is not only disgraceful, it has clearly proved ineffective as a negotiating tactic,' he said. The event will test international resolve to push for Palestinian statehood despite Israeli and US resistance, with Riyadh and Paris framing it as a critical step towards long-term stability.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store