Latest news with #FiveEyes
CNA
18 hours ago
- Politics
- CNA
28 nations, including Japan, condemn Israel over 'inhumane killing' of Gaza civilians
LONDON: A group of 28 nations, including Japan, Britain, France, and Canada, said on Monday (Jul 22) Israel must immediately end its war in Gaza and criticised what they called the "inhumane killing" of Palestinians, including hundreds near food distribution sites. In a joint statement, the countries condemned what they called the "drip feeding of aid" to Palestinians in Gaza and said it was "horrifying" that more than 800 civilians had been killed while seeking aid. The majority of those killed were in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites, which the United States and Israel backed to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations. "The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity," the countries' foreign ministers said in a joint statement. "The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths." The call by about 20 European countries, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, for an end to the war in Gaza and the delivery of aid comes from many countries which are allied with Israel and its most important backer, the United States. Among those calling for an end to the war are four out of five countries in the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes the US. Israel's foreign ministry said the statement was "disconnected from reality" and it would send the wrong message to Hamas. "The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognise Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation," the Israeli statement said. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar later said he spoke with his British counterpart David Lammy on Monday on regional issues, including Gaza. He blamed Hamas "for the suffering of the population and the continuation of the war". The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called the statement "disgusting" and said blaming Israel was "irrational" because Hamas rejects every proposal to end the war. Nations that issued the joint statement The joint statement condemning Israel and calling for the war in Gaza to end was issued by the foreign ministers of 28 nations and the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management. The 28 nations that issued the joint statement are: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Collapse ISRAEL EXPANDS WAR The plea from the other Western nations came as Israeli tanks pushed into southern and eastern districts of the Gazan city of Deir al-Balah for the first time on Monday. Much of Gaza has been reduced to a wasteland during more than 21 months of the war that began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, with the latest deaths reported on Monday as Israel began a new incursion in central Gaza. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation uses private US security and logistics companies to get supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing the UN-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians. Hamas denies the accusation. The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which the GHF denies. The countries behind the statement said Israel was denying essential humanitarian assistance and called on the country to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law. They urged Israel to immediately lift restrictions to allow the flow of aid and to enable humanitarian organisations and the United Nations to operate safely and effectively. They added they were "prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace" for Israelis and Palestinians.
West Australian
a day ago
- Politics
- West Australian
Australia joins global condemnation of Israel's actions in Gaza
The Australian Government has joined a global joint statement to end war in Gaza, a move Israel's ambassador to Australia warns is 'disconnected from reality'. In a statement welcomed by terrorist organisation Hamas, Australia joined 27 other countries, including Five Eyes partners the UK, New Zealand and Canada, to call for urgent end to the war in Gaza, where the suffering of civilians had 'reached new depths.' 'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' it said. 'We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food. It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.' Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC News Breakfast the 'images of children being killed, of horrific slaughter, of churches being bombed' were 'indefensible.' 'On our own, Australia is not a loud voice or a decisive voice on the other side of the world. But when you can make a statement together with so many other significant powers, then we're all hoping that there'll be something that'll break this,' he said. 'It's a powerful statement. It's got countries, powerful countries from all around the world saying the same thing. The slaughter has to end.' Mr Burke added that 'none of this changes the fact that the hostages need to be released,' a call reflected in the statement's wording that 'hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly.' The call was immediately rebutted by Israel's Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon who said 'it sends the wrong message to Hamas' – a view echoed by the Coalition's shadow foreign minister Michaelia Cash, who slammed a 'disappointing' attack on Israel that ignored the role of Hamas in the conflict. Mr Maimon swiftly refuted the international demands, reposting the Israeli Foreign Ministry's stern criticism of the joint statement as failing to focus pressure on Hamas and recognise the terrorist organisation's role and responsibility for the situation. 'All statements and all claims should be directed at the only party responsible for the lack of a deal for the release of hostages and a ceasefire: Hamas, which started this war and is prolonging it,' said the full Israeli foreign ministry response. 'Instead of agreeing to a ceasefire, Hamas is busy running a campaign to spread lies about Israel. At the same time, Hamas is deliberately acting to increase friction and harm to civilians who come to receive humanitarian aid.' The ministry said Israel had repeatedly agreed to a concrete proposal for a ceasefire deal while Hamas 'stubbornly refuses' to accept it. Senator Cash said moral outrage at the situation should instead be directed at Hamas, and while it was important for aid to be able to flow into Gaza that 'the right system' must be in place to prevent its interception by the terrorist organisation. 'Hamas could end the suffering of the people of Gaza by freeing the remaining Israeli hostages and laying down their weapons. This war began because of Hamas's abhorrent attack on Israeli civilians,' she said. US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also denounced the joint declaration as 'disgusting!' '25 nations put pressure on @Israel instead of savages of Hamas,' Huckabee wrote on X. He added, 'Gaza suffers for 1 reason: Hamas rejects EVERY proposal. Blaming Israel is irrational.' The statement, which hit the headlines as MPs arrived in Parliament House for the pomp and ceremony of the opening day of the new term, condemned the 'denial of essential humanitarian assistance' to civilians and urged the Israeli Government to comply with its obligations under humanitarian law. Foreign Minister Penny Wong issued the full position via her X account, describing the humanitarian situation as 'catastrophic.' Hamas, which is designated by Australia as a terrorist organisation, welcomed the international calls emphasising the need for humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza via the United Nations and the condemnation of the 'starvation policy pursued by the Israeli occupation.' In a press release to the Yemeni state news agency, it said the killing of over 800 Palestinian civilians at 'aid distribution points controlled by US-Israeli mechanisms' underscored the 'brutality of this system and its criminal goal of killing and humiliating Palestinians.' The international statement overshadowed the inauguration of the 48th Federal parliament, creating the first political stoush of Labor's second term. The Greens welcomed the statement as 'significant' but urged the Government to sanction the entire Israeli cabinet to 'end its support and complicity in genocide,' with Senator David Shoebridge unveiling a petition by more than 2500 Australian healthcare workers calling for action to end the weaponisation of aid in Gaza.
SBS Australia
a day ago
- Politics
- SBS Australia
Australia, UK and allies call for immediate end to Gaza war as Israel expands offensive
A group of 25 Western countries including Australia, Britain, France and Canada said Israel must immediately end its war in Gaza and criticised what they called the "inhumane killing" of Palestinians, including hundreds near food distribution sites. The countries in a joint statement condemned what they called the "drip feeding of aid" to Palestinians in Gaza and said it was "horrifying" that more than 800 civilians had been killed while seeking aid. The majority of those killed were in the vicinity of Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites, which the United States and Israel backed to take over aid distribution in Gaza from a network led by the United Nations. "The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity," the countries' foreign ministers said in a joint statement. "The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths." The call by about 20 European countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand and Canada, for an end to the war in Gaza and the delivery of aid comes from many countries which are allied with Israel and its most important backer, the United States. Among those calling for an end to the war are four out of five countries in the so-called Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, which includes the US. Israel's foreign ministry said the statement was "disconnected from reality" and it would send the wrong message to Hamas. "The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognise Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation," the Israeli statement said. Save The Children estimates between 50,000 and 80,000 Palestinian people are sheltering in Deir al-Balah. Source: Getty / Dawoud Abo Alkas Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar later said he spoke with his British counterpart David Lammy on Monday on regional issues, including Gaza. He blamed Hamas "for the suffering of the population and the continuation of the war". The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called the statement "disgusting" and said blaming Israel was "irrational" because Hamas rejects every proposal to end the war. Israel expands war Much of Gaza has been reduced to a wasteland during more than 21 months of the war that began when Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's campaign in Gaza has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, with the latest deaths reported on Monday as Israel began a new incursion in central Gaza. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation uses private US security and logistics companies to get supplies into Gaza, largely bypassing the UN-led system that Israel alleges has let Hamas-led militants loot aid shipments intended for civilians. Hamas denies the accusation. The UN has called the GHF's model unsafe and a breach of humanitarian impartiality standards, which the GHF denies. The countries behind the statement said Israel was denying essential humanitarian assistance and called on the country to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law. They urged Israel to immediately lift restrictions to allow the flow of aid and to enable humanitarian organisations and the United Nations to operate safely and effectively. They added they were "prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace" for Israelis and Palestinians.
National Observer
14-07-2025
- Business
- National Observer
TikTok CEO wants to meet with industry minister over shutdown order
The CEO of TikTok is asking Industry Minister Mélanie Joly for an urgent meeting about the federal government's order directing the company to shut down its Canadian operations. Shou Chew wrote to Joly on July 2 asking for an in-person meeting within two weeks, according to a letter obtained by The Canadian Press. Chew argued that order was made in different circumstances, when it looked like the United States was going to ban TikTok. "There is no upside to this outdated and counterproductive government order, which was issued under a different government and in a different era, and which doesn't reflect today's reality," the letter says. In November, Ottawa ordered the dissolution of TikTok's Canadian business following a national security review of ByteDance Ltd., the Chinese company behind the social media platform. While TikTok has been told to wind down its Canadian operations, the app will continue to be available to Canadians. Chew argued going ahead with that November directive would make Canada an outlier among its allies, including other countries that are part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance. TikTok CEO asks to meet with industry minister over shutdown order. He said the order appeared to be based on "assumptions about TikTok's future in the United States which no longer hold true." Canada launched its national security review in the fall of 2023 but did not disclose it until March 2024, when the US House of Representatives passed a bill to ban TikTok if ByteDance did not divest its stake. But in June, US President Donald Trump extended the deadline to ban TikTok in the US for a third time. In the July 2 letter, Chew said that without Joly's intervention, the company would soon have to fire more than 350 employees in Canada, stop its direct investment in Canada and cut support for Canadian creators and culture. "The wind-up process is rapidly approaching a critical juncture," he wrote. On July 7, TikTok said it was pulling out as a sponsor of several Canadian arts institutions, including the Juno Awards and the Toronto International Film Festival. A spokesperson for Joly did not answer questions about whether the minister has responded to the letter or plans to meet with Chew. TikTok is challenging the shutdown order in Federal Court. It launched a legal challenge in December, arguing the government ordered 'measures that bear no rational connection to the national security risks it identifies.' Ottawa's national security review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with the potential to harm national security. When he was industry minister, François-Philippe Champagne said the government was taking action to address "specific national security risks." He didn't specify what those risks are. Privacy and safety concerns about TikTok and ByteDance have focused on Chinese national security laws that compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering. Chew said no evidence has been presented to show that TikTok is a security threat to Canada and the government has not been interested in discussing solutions. He said the government's concerns could be addressed through measures such as enhanced data security protocols and additional transparency and oversight measures. The shutdown order would leave TikTok available to its 14 million users in Canada, Chew said in the letter. But the company would "no longer have a presence or representatives within Canada's jurisdiction," he added. He said the company's Canadian employees have appeared at Parliamentary committees, engaged with regulators, trained Canadian law enforcement on how to submit lawful access requests and worked with Elections Canada during the federal election. "TikTok maintaining a presence in Canada means there is a local team who is accountable to Canadian policy-makers and authorities," he wrote.
Vancouver Sun
14-07-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
TikTok CEO asks to meet with industry minister over shutdown order
The CEO of TikTok is asking Industry Minister Melanie Joly for an urgent meeting about the federal government's order directing the company to shut down its Canadian operations. Shou Chew wrote to Joly on July 2 asking for an in-person meeting within two weeks, according to a letter obtained by The Canadian Press. Chew argued that order was made in different circumstances, when it looked like the United States was going to ban TikTok. 'There is no upside to this outdated and counterproductive government order, which was issued under a different government and in a different era, and which doesn't reflect today's reality,' the letter says. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. In November, Ottawa ordered the dissolution of TikTok's Canadian business following a national security review of ByteDance Ltd., the Chinese company behind the social media platform. While TikTok has been told to wind down its Canadian operations, the app will continue to be available to Canadians. Chew argued going ahead with that November directive would make Canada an outlier among its allies, including other countries that are part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance. He said the order appeared to be based on 'assumptions about TikTok's future in the United States which no longer hold true.' Canada launched its national security review in the fall of 2023 but did not disclose it until March 2024, when the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill to ban TikTok if ByteDance did not divest its stake. But in June, U.S. President Donald Trump extended the deadline to ban TikTok in the U.S. for a third time. In the July 2 letter, Chew said that without Joly's intervention, the company would soon have to fire more than 350 employees in Canada, stop its direct investment in Canada and cut support for Canadian creators and culture. 'The wind-up process is rapidly approaching a critical juncture,' he wrote. On July 7, TikTok said it was pulling out as a sponsor of several Canadian arts institutions, including the Juno Awards and the Toronto International Film Festival. A spokesperson for Joly did not answer questions about whether the minister has responded to the letter or plans to meet with Chew. TikTok is challenging the shutdown order in Federal Court. It launched a legal challenge in December, arguing the government ordered 'measures that bear no rational connection to the national security risks it identifies.' Ottawa's national security review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with the potential to harm national security. When he was industry minister, Francois-Philippe Champagne said the government was taking action to address 'specific national security risks.' He didn't specify what those risks are. Privacy and safety concerns about TikTok and ByteDance have focused on Chinese national security laws that compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering. Chew said no evidence has been presented to show that TikTok is a security threat to Canada and the government has not been interested in discussing solutions. He said the government's concerns could be addressed through measures such as enhanced data security protocols and additional transparency and oversight measures. The shutdown order would leave TikTok available to its 14 million users in Canada, Chew said in the letter. But the company would 'no longer have a presence or representatives within Canada's jurisdiction,' he added. He said the company's Canadian employees have appeared at Parliamentary committees, engaged with regulators, trained Canadian law enforcement on how to submit lawful access requests and worked with Elections Canada during the federal election. 'TikTok maintaining a presence in Canada means there is a local team who is accountable to Canadian policy-makers and authorities,' he wrote. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our politics newsletter, First Reading, here .
