Israel Launches New Ground Incursion in Lebanon, Raising Fears for Truce
The Israeli military said the 'targeted operations' had located and destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure, but it did not say when this happened. The Israeli military released footage showing what it said was soldiers conducting nighttime operations inside Lebanese territory.
For months, Israel has conducted near-daily strikes against what it describes as Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, intensifying them in recent weeks. The attacks have added to growing fears that the tenuous Israeli-Hezbollah cease-fire, which has been in place since November, may not hold.
Battered by last year's war with Israel and struggling to recuperate, Hezbollah has yet to respond militarily to any of the Israeli attacks since the truce was agreed.
The United States and Israel have been stepping up pressure on Hezbollah to give up its arsenal — a core requirement of the cease-fire, which ended the country's deadliest conflict in decades.
The war began when Hezbollah attacked Israel in solidarity with its Palestinian ally in the Gaza Strip, Hamas, which is also backed by Iran. The Israelis went to war against Hamas immediately after the militants led the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed roughly 1,200 people.
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Hamilton Spectator
20 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
In Canada's pledge to recognize Palestine, much depends on what comes after the words
It was nearly 80 years ago that a Canadian diplomat and future prime minister first laid out the boundaries of an independent and equal Palestinian state. Lester B. Pearson was chairman of the United Nations committee that drafted the former British territory's 1947 partition plan . Had it not been hindered by a war the following year that led to the creation of the state of Israel and kicked off a decades-long cycle of violence, the plan would have carved up the land into side-by-side Arab and Jewish territories. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney took a significant step to revive the idea of a two-state solution to the conflict, one he said has been ' steadily and gravely eroded ' by the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel . In announcing that he would recognize a Palestinian state before the United Nations General Assembly in September, Carney said Canada was 'standing with all people who choose peace over violence or terrorism.' It is a step that Middle East observers see as a potentially powerful signal, one that comes in concert with an identical pledge from France and a warning that Britain will follow suit if Israel does not agree to a ceasefire in Gaza and commit to a peace deal . On top of snubbing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the recognition of Palestine risks isolating the United States, which could end up as the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council resisting the movement. This is important because a potential United Nations member state must first have the backing of the UNSC before submitting to a vote of the General Assembly, where 147 out of 193 countries already support Palestinian statehood. The move by Canada, France and the United Kingdom could also split the wealthy and influential G7 member states and push their numbers into the majority at the G20. But this political recognition is far from a magic wand that will end the war and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Much depends on what comes after the words. If recognition is not followed by action, the declaration will remain largely symbolic, said Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow with Chatham House in London. Canada can intervene in the case against Israel in support of the principles of international law. Canada can intervene in the case against Israel in support of the principles of international law. But it could also prove to be hugely significant if it leads to a larger plan to end the war in Gaza , free the remaining Israeli hostages, deliver humanitarian aid and rebuild the devastated territory, reduce tensions in the West Bank and forge a long-term peace between Israelis and Palestinians. 'It actually should have been done long before as a way to overcome the asymmetry in negotiation between a state (Israel) and a non-state actor (the Palestinian Authority),' Mekelberg said in an interview. Carney, who spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas following his declaration, said he expects the governing body, which administers the West Bank, to commit to governance reforms, to holding elections in 2026 and to demilitarizing the Palestinian state. 'It puts the onus on the Palestinians to behave as a state and not as a liberation movement,' Mekelberg said. The Israeli government has strongly objected to the move, saying that recognition is a reward for terrorism and supports a movement that wants to destroy Israel, not live beside it in peace. On Thursday, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media that Canada's decision ' will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal with them .' Trump posted on Truth Social the move 'will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal' with Canada. Trump's deadline for a trade deal is Friday. Trump posted on Truth Social the move 'will make it very hard for us to make a trade deal' with Canada. Trump's deadline for a trade deal is Friday. The U.S. State Department also announced Thursday that it had decided to prevent Palestinian political leaders from obtaining travel visas on grounds they had, among other things, attempted to 'internationalize' the conflict with Israel through legal proceedings at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.' But the decision by Canada, France and Britain — three countries with historically close ties to Israel — to back the Palestinian cause will also make it hard for average Israelis to ignore the existence of a shifting tide in global public opinion. This, even if a Pew Research survey published last month found that only about one in five Israelis believed it was possible for separate Israeli and Palestinian states to peacefully coexist, while half said it was not possible. The prospects for a peaceful future have little to do with the determination about whether a territory constitutes a state. The generally accepted definition was agreed to nearly a century ago at a gathering of mostly central and South American countries in Uruguay. They signed a treaty, the 1933 Montevideo Convention , resolving that a state existed as a legal entity wherever four basic criteria were met: a permanent population; a defined territory; a government; and the capacity to enter into relations with other states. Canada's own difficult history with the Quebec independence movement and the geopolitical chaos prompted by the fall of communism in the 1990s is a reminder that what is written on paper rarely translates neatly into what occurs in real life. It took nearly a decade after the guns had fallen silent for Canada to recognize Kosovo as a state separate from neighbouring Serbia, although the Balkan nation still does not have a seat at the UN. In the case of Palestine and Israel, Canada and dozens of other frustrated countries have determined that recognition can serve as a potential precursor to peace, not simply as a reward for having achieved an end to the fighting. Mekelberg said that rather than viewing international recognition of Palestine as an attack on Israel, it should be seen as a 'pro-Israeli move' to end the wars, to ensure Israel's security and to fulfil the potential of both the Arab and Jewish populations. 'It's not a punishment,' he said. 'It's a step toward once and for all, finishing a conflict that is not only 77 years old, it's more than 100 years old.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
20 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Trump puts U.S. trade deal with Canada in doubt after Carney moves to recognize Palestine
Canada's intent to recognize Palestine may not bode well for ongoing tariff negotiations with the United States. During a news conference July 30, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced he would support Palestine as a state. 'International co-operation is essential to securing lasting peace and stability in the middle east,' Carney said in the streamed statement . 'Canada will do its best to lead that effort.' U.S. President Donald Trump was quick to react, posting on his own social media platform, Truth Social . 'Wow! Canada has just announced that it is backing statehood for Palestine. That will make it very hard for us to make a Trade Deal with them. Oh' Canada!!!' Trump shared. 'The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!' Trump said in a later post . Trump and Carney are in the process of negotiating an updated trade deal, with a deadline of Aug. 1. Trump has said he will impose a 35-per-cent tariff on all Canadian goods not covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico trade agreement by Aug. 1, if the countries do not reach an agreement before the deadline. On Nov. 30, 2018, Canada, the United States and Mexico signed an agreement to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement, the federal government said on its website . It included tariff rate quotas for refined sugar and sugar-containing products, as well as certain dairy products. There were also stronger regional requirements for core vehicle parts, such as engines and transmissions, with national security exemptions for US$32.4 billion worth of Canadian auto parts annually. Prior to Trump being sworn in as president in January, he threatened tariffs were coming to some Canadian goods. And he's made good on those threats, with additional tariffs added throughout the first six months of Trump's presidency. Trump wrote further about tariffs shortly after 6 a.m. July 31 . 'Tariffs are making America GREAT and RICH Again. They were successfully used against the USA for decades and, coupled with really dumb, pathetic, and crooked politicians, we're having a devastating impact on the future, and even the survival, of our country,' Trump wrote. 'Now the tide has completely turned, and America has successfully countered this onslaught of Tariffs used against it.' He added a year ago, America was a 'dead country, now it is the 'hottest' country anywhere in the world.' Carney said ongoing talks with Trump have been constructive and complex, but a deal may not be reached by Friday's deadline. According to a recent Angus Reid Institute poll, Canadians want Prime Minister Mark Carney to take a 'hard approach' in trade talks with Trump. Canada has already implemented a $1.3-billion border plan that includes new helicopters and resources on the ground, as well as a 'fentanyl czar' to appease Trump's idea that drugs are getting into the U.S. from Canada. Our country is also paying additional tariffs — 50 per cent — on steel and aluminum imported to the United States, which came into effect in March. Canada has decided not to retaliate that charge. Instead, to protect the country's steel sector, Canada announced effective Aug. 1 , the tariff rate quotas will be extended to countries that have a free-trade agreement in force with Canada, with the exception of the United States and Mexico. This will result in a 50-per-cent surtax being applied on steel imports above 100 per cent of 2024 levels. A 25-per-cent surtax will also be applied on imports from all countries other than the U.S. that contain steel melted and poured in China. All eyes will be on Trump and Carney today, waiting to see if a deal is reached. -with files from Mike Pearson Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CNN
21 minutes ago
- CNN
Amnesty Intl. Researcher tells CNN why they call the Gaza crisis ‘genocide'
Budour Hassan, a researcher with Amnesty International, talks with CNN's Wolf Blitzer about the ongoing hunger crisis in Gaza and explains why her organization is calling Israel's actions "genocide."
