Israel to allow foreign aid to parachute into Gaza but continues bombardment despite growing global pleas for ceasefire
GAZA HELLHOLE Israel to allow foreign aid to parachute into Gaza but continues bombardment despite growing global pleas for ceasefire
ISRAEL will allow foreign aid to parachute into Gaza despite continuing its relentless onslaught.
Horror scenes of mass starvation have sparked an international outcry after Israel restricted supplies to the territory.
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A mother cradles her 18-month child in Gaza where fears of famine are growing
Credit: Getty
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Smoke billows over destroyed buildings after an Israeli airstrike
Credit: AFP
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Palestinians gather to receive food from a charity kitchen
Credit: Reuters
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A boy cries as he tries to receive food in the under siege territory
Credit: Getty
Aid groups warned this week Palestinians are on the brink of famine with one in five children suffering from malnutrition, with UN warning civilians are becoming "walking corpses".
But Israel has denied responsibility, blaming Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's population.
Aid drops into the territory will be managed by Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, an Israeli official said.
Despite the concession, Israel is keeping up its heavy bombardment in the face of global ceasefire please and huge protests in Tel Aviv.
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Explosions from fresh overnight strikes rocked the besieged coastal strip, with Israeli Defence Forces troops continuing to advance on Hamas lairs.
The terrorists are still hiding out within civilian communities after the cornered Islamist group repeatedly rejected ceasefire terms.
French president Emmanuel Macron yesterday ramped up pressure on Israel to halt fighting by announcing his nation would become the first in The West to recognise a Palestine state.
Macron held emergency talks over the crisis today with UK PM Sir Keir Starmer who called conditions in the 25-mile enclave 'unspeakable and indefensible'.
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Starmer has already declared statehood is Palestinians' 'inalienable right' but has yet to officially declare recognition.
Humanitarian workers have reported seeing children 'emaciated, weak and at high risk of dying' without urgent treatment, Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UNRWA relief agency said.
Parish priest Gabriel Romanelli is being treated after Israel hit Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza
Starmer said: 'We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe.
'The suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible. While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen.'
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Gaza's health ministry - which is controlled by Hamas - said 82 of 113 hunger-related deaths recorded there so far are Palestinian children.
But scores of desperate, innocent civilians have been killed queuing for food aid amid claims of IDF atrocities.
US and Israeli negotiators in Qatar walked out of ceasefire talks on Thursday after Hamas submitted a list of 'impossible' demands.
They reportedly included the release of more prisoners in exchange for hostages, including captured commandos involved in the October 7 attacks.
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Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff branded Hamas 'selfish' and suggested that the group 'does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith'.
He added that the terror group's 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza' was the reason US negotiators had been recalled.
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Smoke and flames rise from a residential building hit by an Israeli strike
Credit: Reuters
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Injured Palestinians are transported to hospitals
Credit: Getty
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Thousands gather in Tel Aviv to protest the ongoing attacks on Gaza
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Thousands gathered in Tel Aviv's Habima Square on Thursday for a protest demanding Israel's strongman PM Benjamin Netanyahu end the Gaza war and return the hostages.
Netanyahu has been accused of prolonging the bloodbath to save his political skin - and deflect blame for the security lapses which enabled Hamas to carry out the October 7 horror.
The rally, which began with a moment of silence for fallen soldiers, was joined by parents of hostages, parents of soldiers, and reservists demanding and end to the war.
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Retired military commander Major General Noam Tibon said at the rally: 'In the beginning, this was a just war after 22 months, this war no longer has a security purpose.
'The war has turned into a political war, and while the best of us are falling in Gaza.'
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Reuters
11 minutes ago
- Reuters
Frustration, Gaza alarm drove Macron to go it alone on Palestine recognition
PARIS, July 26 (Reuters) - President Emmanuel Macron's announcement that France would become the first Western member of the United Nations Security Council to recognise a Palestinian state in September has caused diplomatic ructions from the Middle East through Europe to Washington. But it did not come out of the blue. When Macron visited the Egyptian town of Al-Arish on the border with Gaza in April, he was struck by the mounting humanitarian crisis and made clear on his return home that Paris would soon opt for recognition. Working with Saudi Arabia, Macron came up with a plan to have France plus G7 allies Britain and Canada recognise Palestinian statehood, while pushing Arab states to adopt a softer stance towards Israel through a United Nations conference. But despite weeks of talks he failed to get others on board. Three diplomats said London did not want to face the wrath of the United States, and Ottawa took a similar stance, leaving Macron to go it alone. "It became increasingly apparent that we could not wait to get partners on board," said a French diplomat, adding France will work to get more states on board ahead of conference on a two-state solution in September. Domestically Macron was under rising pressure to do something amid widespread anger at the harrowing images coming out of Gaza. Although with both Europe's biggest Muslim and Jewish communities and a polarised political landscape, there was no obvious course of action that would satisfy all sides. Israel and its staunch supporter the United States have blasted France's move, branding it a reward for the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which ran Gaza and whose attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 triggered the current war. Macron had discussed the matter extensively with both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in advance. Trump said on Friday that France's decision didn't "carry any weight" but added Macron was "a good guy". French officials previously considered an announcement at a conference scheduled for June at the United Nations, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, to sketch out a roadmap to a viable Palestinian state while also ensuring Israel's security. But the conference was postponed amid intense U.S. diplomatic pressure and after Israeli air strikes on Iran. Macron's announcement on Thursday is linked to a rescheduled and rejigged version of the U.N. conference, now planned to take place Monday and Tuesday. That meeting will be at ministerial level, but Paris decided it would hold a second event with heads of state and government on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in September, where Macron will announce formal recognition. Some analysts say Macron has used the carrot of recognition to extract concessions from Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority which is a moderate rival to Hamas, and other regional players. "Macron here is acting as a catalyst to get the Palestinians to deliver on the needed reforms, to get the Arabs to deliver on a stabilization force and the disarming of Hamas," said Rym Momtaz, editor-in-chief of the Strategic Europe blog run by the Carnegie Europe think tank. Others say while recognition has symbolic value, there will still be no functioning Palestinian state whenever the war in Gaza comes to an end. "Recognition by a European heavyweight like France is indicative of the rising frustration with Israel's intransigent policies," said Amjad Iraqi, senior analyst at International Crisis Group. "What's the point of recognising a state if they're doing little to stop it from turning into ruins?" French officials point to months of intense Israeli lobbying to try to prevent Macron's move - and Netanyahu's fierce criticism of it - as evidence that it matters a lot to Israeli leaders. Sources familiar with the matter say Israel's warnings to France had ranged from scaling back intelligence-sharing to complicating Paris' regional initiatives - even hinting at possible annexation of parts of the West Bank. But French officials concluded that Netanyahu would do whatever he thought was in his interests in the West Bank anyway, regardless of what France did on recognition. Israel's parliament voted on Wednesday in favour of a non-binding declaration urging the government to apply Israeli law to the West Bank, widely seen as a de facto annexation of the territory. That added to the urgency in Paris. "If there is a moment in history to recognise a Palestinian state, even if it's just symbolic, then I would say that moment has probably come," said a senior French official.
Scotsman
30 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Poll reveals 'confidence collapsing' SNP can usher in clean energy jobs as oil and gas declines
The transition from fossil fuels to green energy is a serious challenge that needs serious people in charge (Picture: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Only one in five Scots believe the energy transition away from oil and gas will create jobs, a new poll has revealed. The nationwide survey, conducted by YouGov for the GMB and Prospect trade unions, shows that Scots have more at stake in the drive to cut emissions than anywhere else in the UK, but share far less confidence it will deliver economic or climate benefits. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The transition from fossil fuels to green energy is a serious challenge (Picture: Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images The UK and Scottish governments have insisted that a just transition will create hundreds of thousands of jobs in clean technologies for former oil and gas workers as the industry declines, but the poll of 2,100 people across the UK reveals most Scots are unconvinced. The survey suggests that 17 per cent of Scots work in the energy sector or know someone who does - a far higher proportion than anywhere else in the UK. But less than half, 47 per cent, feel positive about the transition from oil and gas to renewable energy - lower than in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - while 21 per cent feel negative, more than any of the other home nations. Almost one in three fear the energy transition will cost jobs in Scotland, also the highest proportion across the UK and almost three times the proportion in England. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Only 17 per cent of Scots think the transition will increase job opportunities, the lowest level of optimism across the country. Louise Gilmour, GMB Scotland secretary, said: 'Experienced and skilled workers across oil and gas know better than anyone what the scale of this transition will demand and what is at stake. GMB Scotland secretary Louise Gilmour | Andrew Cawley 'Promises of green jobs tomorrow mean nothing when real jobs are being lost today and, so far, this transition has been something done to our workers and their communities not with them. 'These workers understand change and know how to make it happen but their expert voice has been drowned out by the din of politicians and campaigners making a noise instead of a plan. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad READ MORE: Rosebank and other North Sea oil and gas fields could be given green light under new guidelines 'The insight and expertise of workers must be front and centre in this transition and, if it is not, this transition will fail.' Prospect general secretary, Mike Clancy, added: 'The government have raised the ambition on energy policy, which is welcome. 'Now they need to be bigger and bolder when it comes to energy jobs and put energy workers at the heart of this agenda.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Scottish Government is also under increasing pressure to reverse its ban on new nuclear power as the construction of new small modular reactors in England is poised to create thousands of well-paid jobs and apprenticeships. Scottish Labour net zero spokesperson, Sarah Boyack, said: 'Scotland can be a global clean energy superpower, but both the Tories and the SNP have been squandering this opportunity. Scottish Labour's Sarah Boyack 'Under the SNP green jobs targets have been missed, supply chain jobs have been sent abroad, our seabeds have been sold off on the cheap, and just transition funding has been frittered away with little to show for it.' Scottish Conservative energy and net zero spokesperson, Douglas Lumsden, said: 'With the SNP repeatedly missing their own emissions targets, it's little wonder public confidence is collapsing in their ability to deliver the renewable jobs they keep promising. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Warm words on green jobs are cold comfort to the thousands of skilled oil and gas workers who have been chucked on the scrapheap by both Labour and the SNP.' Climate Action and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin said: 'We're clear in our support for a just transition for Scotland's valued oil and gas sector, which recognises the maturity of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments. 'Communities, workers, and trade unions are at the heart of Scotland's renewable energy transition, and we are committed to ensuring local voices are central to any decisions we take, this includes the voices of the workforce within our oil and gas industry. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Through initiatives such as the Just Transition Fund and the Energy Transition Fund, the Scottish Government has already invested £120 million in the North East's transition to net zero to help create green jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.
Scotsman
30 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Think Donald Trump is a clown? He's a serious politician and a warning to Scotland
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I have some advice for John Swinney as he prepares for his chat with Donald Trump. Expected the unexpected. The President of the United States, who has popped over the Atlantic for a long weekend break at his golf courses in Ayrshire and Aberdeenshire, is no ordinary world leader. Not for him the niceties of protocol, the firm handshakes, the carefully scripted exchanges, drafted weeks in advance by diplomats. The Donald could, and may well, do or say anything. Theresa May never fully recovered from Trump holding her hand as they strolled through the White House gardens in early 2017. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Twenty years ago, I was a nervous press officer standing outside the lift in the lobby of Trump Tower, waiting for the signal to take the then First Minister up to Donald Trump's penthouse office for a meet and greet, as had been arranged with his office. Jack McConnell was in New York on a short trip to promote Scotland as a great place for inward investment. Donald Trump dances on stage at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines earlier this month (Picture: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds) | AFP via Getty Images Trump's hidden mic Scottish Enterprise officials had set up a meeting with Trump, whose mother Mary Anne Macleod was from the Western Isles, after the property developer turned TV star expressed an interest in building a world-class golf resort on the North East coast. The lift doors suddenly opened and out swept Trump, with a camera crew in tow, shouting 'Where's the First Minister?' What followed was a classic Trump meeting. He insisted on doing press interviews first, which delighted the small Scottish media pack who were with us. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Then, on the way to lunch in the Trump Tower restaurant, he tried to make the First Minister wear one of his signature red baseball caps, emblazoned with his then-famous catchphrase 'You're Fired', from his hit TV show The Apprentice. Trump knew full well that if he had succeeded, the picture would have been splashed on the front page of every Scottish newspaper. I am grateful to this day that the FM saw through his schoolboy jape. Then, just as the burger and fries were served, McConnell asked his host to remove the microphone he had hidden under his tie. A shamefaced Trump apologised, saying he always wore one in case he came across anything 'interesting' for his TV show. An amusing tale, and one that says more about the 47th President than any number of Foreign Office briefings. Another word of advice, Mr Swinney. Check for hidden mics. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Three-time loser' Trump is the world's biggest show-off. He has to be the centre of attention, whether he is meeting with the war-weary president of Ukraine or jousting with his erstwhile best friend, Elon Musk. Everything he says and does is content for TV networks or social media. And he has the attention span of a teenage girl scrolling TikTok. Only his beloved golf holds his interest for longer than a few minutes, and his weekend in Scotland will be no different. He also ditches people as soon as they are no longer useful to him. His friendship with Alex Salmond ended in tears when Trump objected to plans for windfarms near his Menie golf resort. Salmond dubbed Trump a 'three-time loser' while Trump hit back, calling Salmond a 'has been' with a 'bloated ego'. Take any compliment with a pinch of salt, First Minister. He doesn't mean a word he says. But as Trump flies back to Washington and Swinney and his team review the weekend's events, there is a far bigger lesson to be drawn from Trump's flying visit than that the President is a shameless exhibitionist. He is also a very successful politician whose populist messaging now appeals to a large swathe of America, and not just white, working-class rednecks – as the Democrats tried to argue before November 2024. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A recent analysis of his election win by the Pew Research Center shows that he has built a diverse coalition of supporters from across Hispanic, Black and Asian communities and expanded his base of white, blue-collar, non-college educated voters. Extremism, as promoted by Trump, is now mainstream in the land of the free. Trump supporters in Scotland There may be thousands of Scots protesting his visit this weekend, screaming in anger about Gaza, the climate crisis and what they see as the damage Trump has done to the 'very principles of justice and humanity'. But the silent majority of voters will scarcely give the president's PR jaunt a second thought, and some will positively welcome him, pleased that he has singled out his mother's homeland for his first 'private' overseas visit since his election. Trump is often characterised by his opponents as a clown but, as he has shown, it is the politician who speaks directly to people in blunt, often politically 'incorrect' language who is more likely to succeed in today's unsettled and unsettling world. Voters, whether in Pennsylvania or Scotland, are disillusioned by career politicians who appear more interested in progressive issues like gender identity than everyday concerns such as the price of eggs or coffee. It was Trump's visceral appeal, more than his policy platform, that won him the popular vote last year, and it is not hard to imagine home-grown populists like Nigel Farage on the right and Jeremy Corbyn, with his new left-wing party, having a similar effect on Scottish voters. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
