
BRICS declares Gaza 'inseparable' part of Palestinian state
Listen to article
BRICS has declared the Gaza Strip an 'inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian Territory' and called for a unified Palestinian governance under the Palestinian Authority.
In a joint declaration, the bloc reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and an independent State of Palestine, reported Anadolu Agency on Monday. The statement also endorsed full Palestinian membership at the United Nations.
The member states expressed 'grave concern' over Israel's continued military operations in Gaza and the blocking of humanitarian assistance, strongly condemning the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
'We urge the parties to engage in good faith in further negotiations to achieve an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire,' the statement read.
BRICS also called for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and all parts of the occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as the release of all hostages and detainees held in violation of international law.
BRICS, which originally included Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded its diplomatic reach in recent years and increasingly positioned itself as a counterweight to Western influence on global security issues.
Palestinian death toll mounts
Overnight Israeli airstrikes killed nine Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, including a child, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
Al-Shifa Hospital reported that six people, including a child, were killed and at least 15 others were wounded in a strike on a clinic in the Remal neighbourhood of Gaza City.
Separately, one person was killed and others were injured when an apartment building was bombed in the Tal al-Hawa area, also in Gaza City.
Read: Gaza ceasefire takes priority over Israel ties, says Saudi FM
In central Gaza, a medical source at Al-Aqsa Martyrs and al-Awda Hospitals confirmed that two people were killed and several others wounded in a strike on a residential home in the Bureij refugee camp.
Ceasefire talks
US President Donald Trump said on Sunday there is a strong possibility of a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal being reached with Hamas this week, according to Reuters.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for Washington, Trump said such a deal could see the release of "quite a few hostages" held in Gaza.
The Israeli delegation is not sufficiently authorised to reach an agreement with Hamas, as it has no real powers.
Palestinian source
Trump is expected to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, where the war in Gaza is likely to be high on the agenda.
His comments come as indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas in Qatar concluded their first session without a breakthrough, two Palestinian sources told Reuters.
Read more: Netanyahu hopes Trump talks will boost Gaza hostage deal efforts
'The Israeli delegation is not sufficiently authorised to reach an agreement with Hamas, as it has no real powers,' said one source, referring to the talks held in Doha.
Netanyahu, speaking ahead of his departure to Washington, said Israeli negotiators had been given 'clear instructions' to pursue a ceasefire deal under terms already approved by Israel.
'Gaza killings funded by taxpayer money'
Meanwhile, US mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has accused the American government of using taxpayer money to fund the killing of children in Gaza, drawing sharp reactions online and in political circles.
In a post on X, Mamdani wrote: 'Sorry America, while you're struggling to pay for your health care, rent, and education, remember that your government couldn't help you because they have to give Israel billions of dollars in US citizen tax money to bomb and kill innocent children in Gaza'.
Sorry America, while you're struggling to pay for your health care, rent, and education, remember that your government couldn't help you because they have to give Israel billions of dollars in US citizen tax money to bomb and kill innocent children in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/Nov9LgCOqG — Zohran Mamdani (@zohranmamdani) July 7, 2025
Israel's war on Gaza
The Israeli army has launched a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing at least 57,481 Palestinians, including 134,592 children. More than 111,588 people have been injured, and over 14,222 are missing and presumed dead.
Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave. The proposed deal includes a pause in hostilities, increased humanitarian aid, and negotiations on the release of captives.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Trump slaps allies Japan, S Korea with 25pc tariffs
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump announced tariffs of 25 percent on Japan and South Korea on Monday, stepping up pressure on the two key US allies and a dozen other economies to reach trade deals with Washington. Trump issued similar letters to South Africa, Malaysia, Myanmar, Laos and Kazakhstan, saying he would slap duties on their products ranging from 25 percent to 40 percent. The president had said at the weekend that, starting from Monday, he would send a first batch of letters to countries informing them that he would reimpose harsh levies earlier postponed in April. In near-identically worded letters to Japanese and South Korean leaders, Trump said the tariff hikes came as their trading relationships with Washington were 'unfortunately, far from Reciprocal.' The tariffs set out in Trump's latest letters are due to take effect August 1. He warned of further escalation if the countries involved retaliated against the duties. Currently, the affected countries have been hit with a 10 percent levy Trump imposed on almost all trading partners. But Trump said he was ready to lower the new levels if countries changed their trade policies: 'We will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter.' Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Sunday that he 'won't easily compromise' in trade talks with Washington. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that Trump would sign an order later in the day to delay his original July 9 deadline for steeper tariffs to take effect — postponing their imposition to August 1. She added that besides Japan and South Korea, there would be approximately 12 other partners receiving letters from Trump soon. With the deadline extension, Leavitt noted that Trump would set out the 'reciprocal tariff rate' for partners in the coming month as negotiations continue. Trump originally announced sweeping tariffs on world economies on what he called 'Liberation Day' on April 2, claiming the United States was being 'ripped off.' Amid market turmoil, he then suspended the initial tariffs for 90 days, a deadline that would have expired Wednesday without the latest extension.


Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
10 dead in Kenya during protests after heavy police deployment
NAIROBI: Ten people died across Kenya during anti-government demonstrations on Monday, a rights group said, following clashes between police and protesters in the capital Nairobi's outskirts. The Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) also accused the police of cooperating with criminal gangs, as a heavy deployment of the security forces kept much of central Nairobi deserted ahead of the annual marches to mark Saba Saba Day. Meaning Seven Seven, the demonstrations commemorate July 7, 1990 when Kenyans rose up to demand a return to multi-party democracy after years of autocratic rule by then-president Daniel arap Moi. The KNCHR said in a statement it 'had documented ten fatalities, twenty-nine injuries' across 17 counties, but did not provide any further details. From around midday, AFP saw running battles with groups of anti-riot police who fired teargas at small gatherings, with some of the crowd throwing rocks at officers and engaging in destructive looting. Young Kenyans, frustrated over economic stagnation, corruption and police brutality, are once again engaging in protests that last month degenerated into looting and violence, leaving dozens dead and thousands of businesses destroyed. Protesters accuse the authorities of paying armed vandals to discredit their movement, while the government has compared the demonstrations to an 'attempted coup'. On Monday, the streets of central Nairobi were quiet after police mounted roadblocks on the main roads, restricting entry to areas that were the epicentre of previous rallies. Many businesses were closed for the day. 'I have never witnessed the city centre like this,' security guard Edmond Khayimba, 29, told AFP. While the centre remained deserted, groups gathered on the outskirts in the afternoon with AFP reporters witnessing two people wounded, as well as looting and vandalism. Protesters on a major highway clashed with police blocking their entry into the city, with the small crowds chanting: 'Ruto Must Go', a popular rallying cry against President William Ruto, and 'wantam' meaning 'one term'. Again, AFP saw looting and property destruction in the surrounding area. In its statement, the KNCHR noted the presence of 'criminal gangs wielding crude weapons, including whips, wooden clubs, machetes, spears, bows and arrows' during the protests in a number of counties. It said that in Nairobi 'these hooded gangs were seen operating alongside police officers'. It also said it had documented 37 arrests. In comments to AFP, the National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson said that the KNCHR statements 'may lack factualness many times over'. The spokesperson also reiterated that the NPS 'would never work alongside individuals called 'goons' or criminal elements', a reference to the armed men paid to disrupt demonstrations.


Business Recorder
2 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Iran president says Israel attempted to assassinate him
TEHRAN: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in an interview released on Monday that Israel, which last month fought a 12-day war with Iran, had attempted to assassinate him. The remarks came less than a month after Israel launched its unprecedented June 13 bombing campaign against Iran, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists. The Israeli attacks took place two days before Tehran and Washington were set to meet for a new round of nuclear talks, stalling negotiations that were aimed at reaching a deal over Iran's atomic programme. 'They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed,' Pezeshkian told US media figure Tucker Carlson in response to a question on whether he believed Israel had tried to kill him. 'It was not the United States that was behind the attempt on my life. It was Israel. I was in a meeting... they tried to bombard the area in which we were holding that meeting,' he said according to a translation of his remarks from Persian, in apparent reference to an alleged assassination attempt during the recent war. More than 900 people were killed in Iran during the conflict, according to the judiciary. The Israeli attacks drew waves of retaliatory drone and missile fire, killing 28 people in Israel, according to authorities. The 12-day war between Iran and Israel saw it, along with the United States, launching strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took hold since June 24.