Oman welcomes Canada, Malta for intent to recognize Palestinian State
In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Oman commended this diplomatic development as a substantive and serious step toward upholding the Palestinian people's right to self-determination.
The move reflects the international community's commitment to the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, advancing the goal of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.
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US envoy visits aid operation in Gaza rejected by UN
President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy became the first high profile US official to visit Gaza since the war began, touring a US-backed aid operation on Friday that the United Nations says is partly to blame for deadly conditions in the enclave. Hours after Steve Witkoff visited a site run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Rafah, Palestinian medics said Israeli forces had shot dead three Palestinians near one of the group's sites in the city on Gaza's southern edge. Reuters could not immediately verify whether it was the same location. The United Nations says more than 1,000 people have been killed trying to receive aid in Gaza since the GHF began operating there in May, most of them shot by Israeli forces operating near GHF sites. The UN has declined to work with the GHF, which it says distributes aid in ways that are inherently dangerous and violate humanitarian neutrality principles, contributing to the hunger crisis across the territory. The GHF says nobody has been killed at its distribution points and it is doing a better job of protecting aid deliveries than the UN. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, who travelled with Witkoff to Gaza on Friday, posted on X a picture showing hungry Gazans behind razor wire with a GHF poster with a big American flag that read "100,000,000 meals delivered". "President Trump understands the stakes in Gaza and that feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority", GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay said in a statement, accompanied by images of Witkoff in a grey camouflage top, flak jacket and 'Make America Great Again' baseball cap with Trump's name stitched on the back. "We were honoured to brief his delegation, share our operations and demonstrate the impact of delivering 100 million meals to those who need them most", Fay said. Witkoff made his visit to Gaza a day after arriving in Israel to push for fresh ceasefire negotiations, as Israel is under mounting international pressure over the destruction of Gaza and growing starvation among its 2.2 million inhabitants. In addition to the three shot near a GHF site, medics said at least 12 other Palestinians were killed in air strikes across the Gaza Strip on Friday. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday's reported killings. Gaza medics say dozens have died of malnutrition in recent days as hunger sets in, after Israel cut off all supplies the enclave for nearly three months from March-May and restricted supplies since. Israel says it is taking steps to let in more aid, including pausing fighting for part of the day in some areas and announcing protected routes. It has acknowledged that its forces have killed some Palestinians seeking aid and says it has given its troops new orders to improve their response. The worsening humanitarian crisis has prompted France, Britain and Canada to announce plans to potentially recognise a Palestinian state, a move already taken by most countries but not by major Western powers. — Reuters
Observer
2 hours ago
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Canada plans to recognise Palestine, Portugal ponders
Oman has welcomed the announcement by the Prime Ministers of Canada and Malta regarding their countries' intent to recognise the State of Palestine. In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, Oman commended this diplomatic development as a substantive and serious step towards upholding the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. The move reflects the international community's commitment to the two-state solution and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, advancing the goal of a just and lasting peace in the Middle East. Canada plans to recognise the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced, ratcheting up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza. Malta will declare recognition of a Palestinian state during the general assembly of the United Nations in September, Prime Minister Robert Abela said. Portugal will also consider whether to recognise the State of Palestine at the UN in September, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro's office said on Thursday. The announcements came after France said last week it would recognise a Palestinian state and a day after Britain said it would recognise the state at September's UN General Assembly meeting if the fighting in Gaza, part of the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, had not stopped by then. Carney told reporters that the reality on the ground, including starvation of people in Gaza, meant 'the prospect of a Palestinian state is literally receding before our eyes.' The announcements by some of Israel's closest allies reflect growing international outrage over Israel's restrictions on food and other aid to Gaza in its war against Hamas, and the dire humanitarian crisis there. A global hunger monitor has warned that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding in the enclave. 'The change in the position of the Canadian government at this time is a reward for Hamas and harms the efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and a framework for the release of the hostages,' the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made similar comments after the French and British announcements. A White House official said President Donald Trump also sees recognition of the State of Palestine as wrongly 'rewarding Hamas.' Unlike neighbouring Spain, whose leftist government recognised Palestinian statehood in May 2024 alongside Ireland and Norway and called on other EU countries to do the same, Portugal has taken a more cautious approach, saying it wanted to work out a common position with other EU countries first. — Agencies
Observer
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Trump's tariffs: What has changed and who is affected
Washington - President Donald Trump's administration unveiled a range of new tariffs Thursday due to take effect in one week on most US trading partners. The import levies ranged as high as 41 percent on Syria and included a hike on Canadian imports from the current 25 percent to 35 percent. AFP takes a look at the most recent developments: - Canada - Trump said Thursday the United States would raise tariffs on certain Canadian goods from 25 percent to 35 percent. He had warned of trade consequences for Canada after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Unlike the new levies affecting dozens of other economies, there is no delay, and these are set to begin Friday, according to a White House fact sheet. Products covered by the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement -- which covers a wide swath of items -- will be exempt from the tariff rate. Trump's order cited Canada's failure to "cooperate in curbing the ongoing flood of fentanyl and other illicit drugs" as well as its "retaliation" against his measures. Canada's Carney said his government was "disappointed" with the hike, citing its efforts to crack down on fentanyl and increase border security. - Mexico - Trump said he would delay imposing higher tariffs on Mexican imports, pushing back their rollout by 90 days. The decision came after he spoke with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. The US leader had originally threatened to raise tariffs on Mexican products from 25 percent to 30 percent come August 1, citing a lack of progress in flow of illicit fentanyl. Goods entering the United States under the existing North American trade deal were spared. - South Korea - Just days before the tariff deadline, Washington and Seoul reached a deal to avert a 25 percent duty on South Korean goods, bringing the level down to 15 percent instead. In announcing on Wednesday, Trump said the country also committed to $350 billion in investments and to purchase $100 billion worth of liquefied natural gas (LNG) or other energy resources. The 15 percent rate matches levels determined from US accords with Japan and the European Union. Tariffs on automobiles will also stay at 15 percent, Seoul said. - Brazil - Trump's measures against Brazil are openly political, overriding long-standing trade ties. He announced 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian goods, although delaying their imposition from August 1 to August 6 and exempting products like orange juice and civil aircraft. The tariffs marked Trump's follow-through on threats to use American economic power to punish Brazil -- and Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes -- for what he has called a "witch hunt" against his far-right ally and former president Jair Bolsonaro. - India - Trump on Wednesday said Indian goods would face a 25 percent US tariff starting August 1, slightly below an earlier threatened level. The country would also face an unspecified "penalty" over New Delhi's purchases of Russian weapons and energy, Trump said on social media. "I don't care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care," Trump added in a separate post. - European Union, Switzerland - EU exports to the United States are set to face tariffs of 15 percent on most products after both sides struck a deal to avoid a higher 30 percent level. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said some agricultural products would be exempt under the agreement struck on Sunday, though she did not specify which. But France's President Emmanuel Macron pledged to be "firm" in follow-up talks. "It's not the end of it," Macron told ministers during a cabinet meeting. Washington also announced a 39 percent tariff on Swiss goods, higher than the 31 percent rate it had been threatening to implement. The Swiss government said Friday it would negotiate with the United States to try to avoid harm to its key pharmaceutical industry. - China - Notably excluded from the drama was China, which faces an August 12 deadline instead, when duties could bounce back to higher levels. Washington and Beijing at one point brought tit-for-tat tariffs to triple-digit levels, but both countries have agreed to temporarily lower these duties and are working to extend their truce. China on Friday warned that US protectionism "harms the interests of all parties". "The Chinese side's opposition to tariffs has been consistent and clear," foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said, adding: "There is no winner in a tariff war or trade war."
