EU top diplomat tells Israel to stop killing Gazans at aid points
"The killing of civilians seeking aid in Gaza is indefensible. I spoke again with Gideon Saar to recall our understanding on aid flow and made clear that IDF must stop killing people at distribution points," Kallas wrote on X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
L'Orient-Le Jour
4 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Syrian delegation met with Israeli officials in Paris
A Syrian delegation, composed of officials from the Foreign Ministry and Intelligence Services, met with Israeli officials in Paris during a U.S.-mediated meeting to discuss recent security developments and efforts to contain the escalation in southern Syria, Reuters reported Saturday, citing a diplomatic source interviewed by Syria's state-run Ekhbariya TV. According to Reuters, the Syrian delegation rejected any 'illegitimate' foreign presence on Syrian territory. While the meeting did not result in any final agreement, the parties agreed to hold further discussions in the coming days to evaluate steps for maintaining stability in southern Syria. French and Syrian foreign ministers Jean-Noel Barrot and Assaad al-Chibani, along with U.S. envoy for Syria Tom Barrack, also met Friday in Paris to discuss the situation in the country. Syria, now governed by the transitional authorities led by Islamist Ahmad al-Sharaa — who took power following the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 — continues to experience frequent intercommunal violence. The most recent clashes between Druze and Sunni Bedouin communities left more than 1,300 people dead between July 13 and 20 in the south. Relations between the transitional government and various minority groups remain a concern for parts of the international community.
L'Orient-Le Jour
4 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Gaza aid airdrops ‘ineffective,' says UNRWA chief
The head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, said Saturday that the renewed airdrops of humanitarian aid over Gaza are an 'ineffective' measure in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe devastating the Palestinian territory. 'Airdrops will not stop the deepening famine. They are expensive, ineffective, and can even kill starving civilians,' Lazzarini wrote on X. He heads the agency, which plays a major role in the Gaza Strip. On Friday, an Israeli official told AFP that humanitarian airdrops would soon resume in Gaza, with the United Arab Emirates and Jordan coordinating the operations. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has deteriorated further, with international organizations warning of a sharp rise in child malnutrition. 'A man-made famine can only be resolved through political will,' Lazzarini said. Without directly blaming Israel, he called for the United Nations to be allowed to operate 'at scale and without obstacles' in Gaza. Israel is facing increasing international pressure over the dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian territory. In late May, it slightly eased a total blockade that had been imposed in early March, which had caused severe shortages of food, medicine and other essential goods. In a statement released Friday, the Israeli army said that 'Israel does not limit the number of trucks entering the Gaza Strip,' and claimed that 'international humanitarian organizations and United Nations agencies' are failing to collect aid once it enters the territory. However, numerous humanitarian organizations operating in Gaza have for months reported facing constraints and restrictions that effectively prevent them from responding to the humanitarian crisis — including limitations on the types of goods allowed in and burdensome administrative requirements. Yet, according to NGOs and many testimonies collected by AFP on the ground, the needs in Gaza are overwhelming. COGAT, the Israeli Defense Ministry body responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, said Saturday that 600 truckloads of aid were waiting to be offloaded by international organizations. The United Arab Emirates, Jordan, France, and other countries had taken part in airdrops of humanitarian aid over Gaza in 2024. These operations have at times been criticized — not only due to deaths caused by falling packages, but also because they require complex logistics to deliver a limited volume of aid. Parachutage d'aide à Gaza: « inefficace » pour le chef de l'Unrwa
L'Orient-Le Jour
4 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
A meeting between Syrian and Israeli officials aimed to defuse the escalation, according to a diplomatic source
A recent meeting in Paris between Syrian and Israeli officials, mediated by the United States, aimed to 'contain the escalation' between the two countries following intercommunal violence in southern Syria that prompted Israeli intervention, a Syrian diplomatic source said on Saturday. In July, Israel bombed targets in Damascus and in the predominantly Druze region of Sweida in southern Syria, claiming it sought to protect the Druze community and enforce a demilitarization of the area. According to a Syrian diplomatic source cited Saturday by state television, 'a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Intelligence Directorate' took part in Thursday's meeting with 'the Israeli side,' during which 'recent security developments and efforts to contain the escalation in southern Syria' were discussed. On Thursday, U.S. envoy for Syria Tom Barrack confirmed he had met with Syrian and Israeli representatives in Paris, without identifying them by name. A senior diplomat told AFP that Mr. Barrack hoped to facilitate dialogue between Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Chaibani and Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer. Participants also discussed 'the possibility of reactivating the disengagement agreement with international guarantees, while demanding the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from positions they have recently advanced into.' Since the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December and the rise of the new Islamist government, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria and deployed forces in the demilitarized buffer zone of the Golan Heights, violating the 1974 security agreement between the two countries, according to the United Nations. Israel has also conducted incursions into southern Syria. Damascus had previously confirmed indirect contacts with Israel aimed at a return to the 1974 agreement, which established the buffer zone. The Paris meeting 'did not result in any final agreement,' but allowed for 'preliminary consultations aimed at reducing tensions and reopening communication channels,' the diplomatic source said. It was agreed that further meetings would be held, the source added, emphasizing that the Syrian side had stressed the country's unity and sovereignty were non-negotiable. A prior meeting between Syrian and Israeli officials was held on July 12 in Baku, on the sidelines of a visit by Syria's interim president Ahmad al-Sharaa, according to a diplomatic source in Damascus. Israel and Syria remain technically at war since 1948, and Israel has occupied part of the Syrian Golan Heights since 1967. Une rencontre entre Syriens et Israéliens visait à désamorcer l'escalade, selon une source diplomatique
