Israel puts pressure on Hamas with massive offensive on Deir al-Balah
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Ya Libnan
an hour ago
- Ya Libnan
European leaders urged Israel end to Gaza's 'humanitarian catastrophe'
Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, carries her sick 18-month-old son, Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who is showing signs of malnutrition, at Al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City, July 24, 2025. © Omar al-Qattaa, AFP archives European powers on Friday urged an end to Gaza's 'humanitarian catastrophe' as the UN food agency warned that almost a third of the people in the war-torn Palestinian territory were not eating for days. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also slammed the 'indifference and inaction' of the international community to widespread starvation in the enclave, calling it a 'moral crisis that challenges the global conscience'. Britain , France and Germany on Friday urged an end to Gaza's 'humanitarian catastrophe' as the UN food agency warned almost a third of people in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory were not eating for days. Alarm has been mounting about the deepening crisis in Gaza, with aid groups saying that 'mass starvation' is spreading after more than 21 months of conflict. Gaza's civil defence agency added that Israeli military operations killed at least 28 people on Friday across the Palestinian territory. In a joint statement, the leaders of the three European powers urged Israel 'to immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and urgently allow the UN ' and NGOs to 'take action against starvation'. 'The most basic needs of the civilian population, including access to water and food, must be met without any further delay,' they said. 'Withholding essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law.' UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday also slammed the international community for turning a blind eye to widespread starvation in the Gaza Strip , calling it a 'moral crisis that challenges the global conscience.' 'I cannot explain the level of indifference and inaction we see by too many in the international community — the lack of compassion, the lack of truth, the lack of humanity,' Guterres told Amnesty International 's global assembly via video link. 'This is not just a humanitarian crisis. It is a moral crisis that challenges the global conscience. We will continue to speak out at every opportunity.' Guterres said while he had repeatedly condemned the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on southern Israel, which triggered the war in the Palestinian territory, 'nothing can justify the explosion of death and destruction since'. 'The scale and scope is beyond anything we have seen in recent times,' he said. 'Children speak of wanting to go to heaven, because at least, they say, there is food there. We hold video calls with our own humanitarians who are starving before our eyes… But words don't feed hungry children.' He added that the United Nations was ready to 'dramatically scale up humanitarian operations' in Gaza should Israel and Hamas reach a ceasefire deal. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani added his voice to the criticism, saying his country cannot accept 'carnage and famine' in Gaza. Concern is growing in particular about surging numbers of malnourished children. Doctors Without Borders ( MSF ) says that a quarter of the young children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers it had screened at its clinics last week were malnourished. Warning that the crisis had reached 'new and astonishing levels of desperation', the United Nations food agency said: 'Nearly one person in three is not eating for days.' 'Malnutrition is surging with 90,000 women and children in urgent need of treatment,' said the Rome-based World Food Programme. 'Food aid is the only way for people to access any food as food prices are through the roof… People are dying from lack of humanitarian assistance.' File photo of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and French President Macron Israel has rejected accusations it is responsible for the deepening crisis in Gaza, which the World Health Organization has called 'man-made'. Israel placed the Gaza Strip under an aid blockade in March, which it only partially eased two months later while sidelining the longstanding UN-led distribution system. Calls for ceasefire In their joint statement, Germany, France and Britain also stressed that 'the time has come to end the war in Gaza. 'We urge all parties to bring an end to the conflict by reaching an immediate ceasefire.' In a separate statement Friday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signalled that London will not imminently recognise a Palestinian state, after French President Emmanuel Macron said a day earlier that his country intended to do so in September. Starmer said that he was 'unequivocal' Britain should eventually recognise a Palestinian state, but that this step 'must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution'. He is facing mounting pressure however, with more than 220 British MPs, including dozens from the ruling Labour party, demanding that his government formally recognise a Palestinian state. Britain's position is similar to that of Germany, which said it regarded the recognition of a Palestinian state as 'one of the final steps on the path to achieving a two-state solution'. Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered the conflict with its October 7, 2023 attack in Israel. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,139 people, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's military campaign in Gaza has so far killed 59,676 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Of the 251 hostages taken during the attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)
Nahar Net
an hour ago
- Nahar Net
Palestinians hold mixed views as France prepares to recognize state
by Naharnet Newsdesk 26 July 2025, 14:04 Palestinians expressed mixed opinions Friday after French President Emmanuel Macron said he'd recognize a Palestinian state, with enthusiasm mitigated by the world's failure to stem suffering in Gaza. "We hope it will be implemented, and we hope that most or all countries around the world will follow France's lead in recognizing the Palestinian people's right to an independent state," said Nabil Abdel Razek, a resident of Ramallah, home to the Palestinian Authority. Under the 1993 Oslo Accords, the PA was intended to be a building bloc towards the establishment of a state. At a newsagent in the central square of the West Bank city, several front page headlines mentioned President Emmanuel Macron's late Thursday evening announcement. "All of these decisions not only affirm the rights of the Palestinian people, but also contribute to changing the violent reality in the region and lead to greater stability," said Ahmed Ghoneim, a political militant, as he headed off to a demonstration in solidarity with Gaza. Ghoneim said he also hopes France's move will inspire other European countries, given that at least 142 of the 193 U.N. member states recognize a Palestinian state, according to an AFP tally. But analysts are more cautious. "The question for Palestinians is what will France do NOW about Israel starving them in Gaza," Nour Odeh, a political commentator, wrote on X. Others also agreed the main issue for Palestinians is Gaza. "What France should have recognized is the genocide and taken measures to end it and end the occupation," said Ines Abdel Razek, co-director of the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD). In an interview with AFP, she said France should cut relations with Israel and impose a trade embargo. "An example of a brave gesture is the Colombian president asking his army to block boats transporting energy and arms to Israel, she said. While saying France's promise is just "symbolic", Samer Sinijlawi, another political militant, noted Macron's call for elections in the Palestinian territories and said this "brings us hope".
L'Orient-Le Jour
2 hours ago
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Blerta Aliko, UNDP resident representative to OT: Lebanon's recovery hinges on recovery of its people
BEIRUT — Appointed as the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Lebanon, Resident Representative Blerta Aliko took on her role a year ago, shortly before the escalation of the Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which erupted on Oct. 8, 2023, into a full-scale war. Aliko began her career in her home country, Albania, and has worked within the United Nations system since 1996. She has experience in several settings and countries: conflict, mid-income and post-crisis recovery. Committed to gender equality and women's empowerment, Aliko held various positions within agencies such as UN Women, UNICEF, and served as the Resident Representative of UNDP in Algeria before relocating to Beirut. In an exclusive interview with L'Orient-Le Jour/Today, Aliko discusses the findings of a new joint report by several U.N. agencies (including the UNDP, U.N. ESCWA, UNICEF, ILO and U.N.-Habitat) on the socio-economic impact of Israel's war on Lebanon and emphasizes the need for reforms to support the country's recovery. On a socio-economic level, what impact did the war leave on Lebanon? Approximately 4,300 people have been killed by Israeli strikes, 30 percent of whom were women and children. Nearly 500,000 children saw their education disrupted for several months, and 362 schools were damaged – an impact that threatens to undermine Lebanon's education system and hinder the development of its future human capital. The country's Human Development Index (HDI) has fallen back to 2010 levels, effectively reversing over a decade of development efforts. On the economic front, the toll has been equally severe. An estimated 689,000 jobs were lost, representing a 25 percent decline in employment during the war, while 15 percent of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) were forced to shut down permanently. These figures do not account for the extensive damage sustained by productive infrastructure, including factories, farmlands and assets in the tourism sector. Lebanon's productive base has severely regressed and been paralyzed, which will have catastrophic consequences for the country's broader socio-economic development. What is the price of inaction, stalled reforms and the near-daily Israeli violations of the cease-fire for the country today? The fundamental cost of inaction is Lebanon's human capital. Unemployment rates are likely to rise further, and in a country with a young population, prolonged joblessness will inevitably push more people toward alternative means of income generation, such as migration, thereby exacerbating the ongoing brain drain. These trends are neither sustainable nor supportive of national recovery. Continued violations of the cease-fire and the stalling of reforms also risk eroding public trust in state institutions and the newly formed government, authorities in whom many had placed renewed hope. That optimism must be channeled into tangible results. Failure to do so could seriously undermine Lebanon's broader peace and security. What do you call on the government to do today to counter the lingering impact of the war and the multifaceted economic crisis? Lebanon's recovery hinges on the recovery of its people. If Lebanese citizens do not feel tangible improvements in their daily lives (basic services, job opportunities and overall living conditions), then we cannot speak of a recovery for Lebanon. Even if the country were to report economic growth, that growth must translate into real, lived improvements. I've seen firsthand how, in other countries, reported growth has failed to translate into practical improvements such as poverty reduction and meaningful job creation. For Lebanon, economic recovery must be planned in an inclusive way. In the report, we strongly emphasized that the first step toward meaningful recovery is rebuilding state institutions and restoring their core functions. A strong, capable state is essential, not only to deliver services efficiently and accountably, but also to ensure national ownership and serve its citizens with credibility. The second priority is jumpstarting the country's economic recovery. As I've mentioned, optimism and trust will only return when people begin to see and feel concrete results, such as access to jobs and equitable services like water, health and education. The third pillar is strengthening social protection and expanding assistance programs to curb rising poverty levels across all regions of Lebanon. Finally, reforming the financial sector is crucial, and financial inclusion is a top priority. Today, 80 percent of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) rely on access to financing, and this sector remains a vital engine for job and wealth creation. But with the banking sector paralyzed by delayed reforms, MSMEs can't get back on their feet or scale up at the necessary pace.
