Israeli military intensifies military campaign on remaining residential neighbourhoods in Gaza
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Hamas says French pledge to recognise State of Palestine 'positive step'
Palestinian militant group Hamas hailed France's pledge on July 24 to recognise a State of Palestine as a "positive step" and urged all countries to do the same despite Israeli opposition. "We consider this a positive step in the right direction toward doing justice to our oppressed Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate right to self-determination," Hamas said in a statement, after French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that France would formally state its recognition in September. "We call on all countries of the world --especially European nations and those that have not yet recognised the State of Palestine — to follow France's lead," Hamas added. French President Emmanuel Macron said on July 24 his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state during a UN meeting in September, the most powerful European nation to announce such a move. Macron said the "urgent priority today is to end the war in Gaza and rescue the civilian population". "We must finally build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability and enable it, by accepting its demilitarisation and fully recognising Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East," he wrote on social media. At least 142 countries now recognise or plan to recognise Palestinian statehood, according to an AFP tally — though Israel and the United States strongly oppose the move. Several countries have announced plans to recognise statehood for the Palestinians since Israel launched a bombardment of Gaza in 2023 in response to the October 7 attacks by Hamas. Macron's announcement drew immediate anger from Israel, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it "rewards terror" and poses an existential threat to Israel. Netanyahu said in a statement that the decision "risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became", which would be "a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it".
The National
4 hours ago
- The National
Hamas 'keen' to continue ceasefire talks as US recalls negotiators from Qatar
Israel recalls negotiating team for consultations after Hamas response Israeli attacks kill 17 in Gaza, including three seeking aid People in Gaza are 'walking corpses', says UNRWA as starvation deaths reach 113 Gaza suffering is 'unbearable', says EU commissioner At least 59,587 Palestinians killed and 143,498 wounded since Gaza war began
The National
5 hours ago
- The National
Israel's Knesset has become a forum for extremism
To gauge how noxious Israeli politics has become, one need only consider what the past month has been like for Ayman Odeh, the Arab leader of a coalition of leftist parties. The Knesset, Israel's legislature, moved to impeach Mr Odeh for a tweet earlier in the year in which he said he was 'happy for the release of [Israeli] hostages and [Palestinian] prisoners' – the inclusion of both groups in the same sentence apparently too much for his detractors. Parliamentarians voted overwhelmingly – 73 to 14 – for Mr Odeh's expulsion, but a boycott of the session by Ultra-Orthodox parties over an unrelated issue prevented the 90-vote threshold required from being met. Then, last weekend, Mr Odeh was attacked on his way to an anti-war protest in central Israel. His assailants cracked the windshield of his car while he was inside, and chanted 'Death to Arabs'. Police, Mr Odeh says, stood by and did nothing. The silence from his fellow parliamentarians has been deafening. Yet it is little surprise, considering the anti-Arab mood in the Knesset appears to be at a fever pitch. On Wednesday, the legislature voted in favour of a non-binding motion to annex the West Bank, a Palestinian territory whose long-standing occupation by Israeli security forces is illegal under international law. The West Bank is a critical part of historic Palestine and any future Palestinian the vote was overwhelming, with 71 for to 13 against. The Knesset resolution called on the government 'to apply Israeli sovereignty, law, judgement and administration' over large areas where illegal Jewish settlements are present, and noted the entire territory is 'an inseparable part of the land of Israel', to which Israel has a 'natural, historical and legal right'. The anti-Arab mood appears to be at a fever pitch Ten Arab and Islamic countries, along with the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, released a statement on Thursday roundly condemning the Knesset resolution. The statement, of which the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt were signatories, called the resolution 'a flagrant and unacceptable violation of international law', adding it will 'only fuel the growing tension in the region, exacerbated by the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip and the resulting humanitarian catastrophe'. The resolution has been viewed by Israeli politicians as a largely symbolic measure, as it does not carry the force of law. But it is deeply problematic, both as an antagonistic barb against the dignity and rights of Palestinians and as a barometer of public sentiment. While it is true that the statements and votes of Members of the Knesset belie more nuanced public opinion, the picture is still disturbing. A poll conducted by The Jerusalem Post in February found that 35 per cent of Israelis favour a 'Jewish-only state, from the river to the sea'. This would, in effect, include the prospect of annexation of the West Bank and the end of hopes for a Palestinian state. The pro-annexation movement is about much more than territorial claims. It inherently denies Palestinians the right to exist as a national community – it is no coincidence the most prominent supporters of annexing the West Bank apply their logic to Gaza, too. The fact that it has become an ideological staple in the Knesset makes its success as eventual national policy much likelier, and that ought to alarm everyone in the region, as well as Israel's allies in the West. A generalised acceptance of lawlessness and oppression among most of a country's politicians can have concrete consequences. Even if the annexation resolution is symbolic, the violent assault against Mr Odeh was very real.
