British PM faces pressure to recognise Palestinian state
Starmer said he will speak to French President Emmanuel Macron, who has confirmed France will recognise Palestinian statehood, making his country the first G7 nation to do so in a move that would be formalised at the UN General Assembly in September.
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Malay Mail
25 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Starmer to press Trump on Gaza ceasefire, trade at Scotland meeting
TURNBERRY, July 28 — UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will press Donald Trump on ending 'the unspeakable suffering' in Gaza, and also talk trade, when they meet Monday at the US president's golf resort in Scotland. The talks will come a day after the US and the European Union reached a landmark deal to end a transatlantic standoff over tariffs and avert a full-blown trade war. Starmer is expected to push Trump on urging a revival of stalled ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas as a hunger crisis deepens in the besieged Palestinian territory. The meeting at Turnberry, south-western Scotland, comes as European countries express growing alarm at the situation in Gaza, and as Starmer faces domestic pressure to follow France's lead and recognise a Palestinian state. The leaders will also discuss implementing a recent UK-US trade deal, as well as efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine, according to a British government statement issued late Sunday. But it is the growing threat of starvation faced by Palestinians in Gaza that is set to dominate the talks, on the third full day of Trump's trip to the land where his mother was born. Starmer is expected to 'welcome the president's administration working with partners in Qatar and Egypt to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza,' a Downing Street spokesperson said. 'He will discuss further with him what more can be done to secure the ceasefire urgently, bring an end to the unspeakable suffering and starvation in Gaza and free the hostages who have been held so cruelly for so long.' Trump told reporters Sunday that the US would give more aid to Gaza but he wanted other countries to step up as well. 'It's not a US problem. It's an international problem,' he said, before embarking on crunch trade talks with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen at the resort south of Glasgow. Starmer and Trump's meeting comes after the UK PM backed efforts by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates to air drop aid to Gaza. Humanitarian chiefs remain sceptical such deliveries can deliver enough food safely for the area's more than two million inhabitants. On Sunday, Israel declared a 'tactical pause' in fighting in parts of Gaza and said it would allow the UN and aid agencies to open secure land routes to tackle the hunger crisis. Tariffs Last week, the United States and Israel withdrew from Gaza truce talks, with US envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of blocking a deal — a claim rejected by the Palestinian militant group. Starmer held talks with French and German counterparts on Saturday, after which the UK government said they agreed 'it would be vital to ensure robust plans are in place to turn an urgently-needed ceasefire into lasting peace'. But the Downing Street statement made no mention of Palestinian statehood, which French President Emmanuel Macron has announced his country will recognise in September. More than 220 MPs in Britain's 650-seat parliament, including dozens from Starmer's own ruling Labour party, have demanded that he too recognise Palestinian statehood. Number 10 said Starmer and Trump would also discuss 'progress on implementing the UK-US trade deal', which was signed on May 8 and lowered tariffs for certain UK exports but has yet to come into force. Trump said Sunday the agreement was 'great' for both sides and that Starmer was doing 'a very good job'. After their meeting they will travel together to Aberdeen in Scotland's northeast, where the US president is expected to formally open a new golf course at his resort on Tuesday. Trump played golf at Turnberry on Saturday and Sunday on his five-day visit that has mixed leisure with diplomacy, and also further blurred the lines between the presidency and his business interests. — AFP
Malaysian Reserve
33 minutes ago
- Malaysian Reserve
Only 73 aid trucks allowed into Gaza as famine expands, authorities say
ISTANBUL — Local authorities in Gaza said on Sunday that only 73 aid trucks entered the besieged enclave in the last 24 hours, amid a deepening famine caused by Israel's months-long blockade, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. In a statement, the government media office said the humanitarian crisis has reached unprecedented levels, with at least 133 people, including 87 children, dying from hunger since the start of the Israeli genocidal war. The office accused Israel of deliberately engineering chaos and hunger in the territory. 'The famine is expanding at an alarming rate and now affects the entire population of Gaza, including 1.1 million children,' the statement said. While several governments and international organisations have announced plans to deliver hundreds of aid trucks to Gaza, the statement said that only 73 trucks have arrived, and many of those were looted or obstructed under Israeli surveillance. The media office said three airdrops were carried out over Gaza, but their total payload was equivalent to only two aid trucks. The drops landed in 'red zones' — active combat areas marked on Israeli maps — where civilians cannot safely retrieve supplies, it added. 'What is happening is a farce,' the office said, accusing the international community of complicity through 'false promises' and 'misleading information' coming from major powers like the United States (US). It renewed its call for the unconditional reopening of border crossings and the immediate entry of food, water, and infant formula. Palestinian authorities say that Gaza needs 600 aid trucks daily to meet the needs of the territory's 2.4 million population. On Sunday, Israel announced plans for localised temporary pauses in fighting to allow aid deliveries through designated safe corridors after scores of Palestinians died of starvation in the blockaded enclave. Jordan said early in the day that it had carried out three airdrops over Gaza in coordination with the United Arab Emirates. Gaza's hunger crisis has spiralled into a humanitarian catastrophe. Harrowing footage shows severely emaciated residents, some reduced to skin and bone, collapsing from exhaustion, dehydration, and prolonged starvation. Israel has imposed a blockade on Gaza for 18 years, and since March 2 has shut down all crossings, worsening humanitarian conditions in the enclave. Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since Oct 7, 2023, killing nearly 60,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages. Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. — BERNAMA-ANADOLU
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
UN aims to aid Gaza's starving during Israel's humanitarian pause
GENEVA: The United Nations has announced plans to maximise aid delivery to Gaza's starving population following Israel's decision to establish secure land routes for humanitarian convoys. The World Food Programme confirmed sufficient food supplies are available to feed Gaza's 2.1 million residents for nearly three months. UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher stated the organisation would work to reach 'as many starving people as we can' during the temporary pause. Israel's one-week suspension of military operations aims to facilitate aid distribution amid worsening hunger. Fletcher welcomed Israel's move to ease restrictions, including lifting customs barriers on essential supplies from Egypt and securing convoy routes. Initial reports indicated over 100 aid trucks were collected on Sunday, though Fletcher stressed the need for sustained efforts. 'We need faster clearances, multiple daily convoy trips, and safe routes avoiding crowded areas,' he said. The WFP emphasised the critical need for food aid, revealing that a third of Gaza's population has gone days without eating, while 470,000 endure famine-like conditions. Monthly, 62,000 tonnes of food assistance are required to sustain Gaza's two million residents. Israel has pledged to expedite truck clearances and ensure no armed forces interfere with convoys. The WFP hopes these measures will accelerate food distribution. Meanwhile, UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned Israel's failure to meet its obligations as an occupying power, describing Gaza as a 'dystopian landscape of deadly attacks and total destruction.' Turk criticised the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation for chaotic aid distribution, citing over 1,000 Palestinian deaths near its sites since May. - Reuters
