Latest news with #GazaRiviera
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Israeli far right discusses Gaza ‘riviera' plans
JERUSALEM — Some Israeli far-right leaders held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss redeveloping the Gaza Strip into a tourist-friendly 'riviera', as Palestinians face a worsening humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory. The meeting, titled 'The Riviera in Gaza: From Vision to Reality', was held in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, under the auspices of some of its most hardline members. It saw the participation of firebrand Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as well as activist Daniella Weiss, a vocal proponent of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, among others. The name of the event evokes a proposal floated by US President Donald Trump in February to turn the war-ravaged territory into 'the Riviera of the Middle East' after moving out its Palestinian residents and putting it under American control. The idea drew swift condemnation from across the Arab world, and from Palestinians themselves, for whom any effort to force them off their land would recall the 'Nakba', or catastrophe -- the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel's creation in 1948. Participants in Tuesday's Knesset meeting discussed a 'master plan' drafted by Weiss's organisation to re-establish a permanent Jewish presence in Gaza. The detailed plan foresees the construction of housing for 1.2 million new Jewish residents, and the development of industrial and agricultural zones, as well as tourism complexes on the coast. Eight Israeli settlements located in various parts of the Gaza Strip were dismantled in 2005 as part of Israel's unilateral decision to 'disengage' from Gaza following years of violence between settlers, Palestinian armed groups and the army. For the past two decades, a small but vocal section of Israeli society has urged the resettlement of the Strip. Those voices have become louder after Palestinian militant group Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, with advocates presenting resettlement as a way to maintain tighter security control over the area. The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's ensuing military campaign in Gaza has killed 59,106 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in the Strip has reached catastrophic proportions after 21 months of conflict and a two-month aid blockade imposed by Israel. Israel began easing the blockade in late May, but extreme scarcities of food and other essentials persist, and cases of malnutrition and starvation are becoming increasingly frequent, according to local authorities, NGOs and AFP journalists on the ground.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israeli far right discusses Gaza ‘riviera' plans
Some Israeli far-right leaders held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss redeveloping the Gaza Strip into a tourist-friendly 'riviera,' as Palestinians face a worsening humanitarian crisis in the devastated territory. The meeting, titled 'The Riviera in Gaza: From Vision to Reality,' was held in the Knesset, Israel's parliament, under the auspices of some of its most hardline members. It saw the participation of firebrand Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as well as activist Daniella Weiss, a vocal proponent of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip, among others. The name of the event evokes a proposal floated by US President Donald Trump in February to turn the war-ravaged territory into 'the Riviera of the Middle East' after moving out its Palestinian residents and putting it under American control. The idea drew swift condemnation from across the Arab world, and from Palestinians themselves, for whom any effort to force them off their land would recall the 'Nakba', or catastrophe -- the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel's creation in 1948. Participants in Tuesday's Knesset meeting discussed a 'master plan' drafted by Weiss's organization to re-establish a permanent Jewish presence in Gaza. The detailed plan foresees the construction of housing for 1.2 million new Jewish residents, and the development of industrial and agricultural zones, as well as tourism complexes on the coast. Eight Israeli settlements located in various parts of the Gaza Strip were dismantled in 2005 as part of Israel's unilateral decision to 'disengage' from Gaza following years of violence between settlers, Palestinian armed groups and the army. For the past two decades, a small but vocal section of Israeli society has urged the resettlement of the Strip. Those voices have become louder after Palestinian militant group Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, with advocates presenting resettlement as a way to maintain tighter security control over the area. The October 7 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's ensuing military campaign in Gaza has killed 59,106 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the territory. Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis in the Strip has reached catastrophic proportions after 21 months of conflict and a two-month aid blockade imposed by Israel. Israel began easing the blockade in late May, but extreme scarcities of food and other essentials persist, and cases of malnutrition and starvation are becoming increasingly frequent, according to local authorities, NGOs and AFP journalists on the ground.
The National
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Israeli plan to force Palestinians into camps 'crime against humanity'
Israel Katz said he has ordered Israel's military to prepare for establishing a camp, which he called a 'humanitarian city', on the ruins of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, according to Haaretz. Plans would see Palestinians having to go through 'security screening' before entering, and once inside would not be allowed to leave. Israeli forces would control the perimeter of the camp and plan to initially 'move' 600,000 Palestinians into the site, mostly people currently displaced in the al-Mawasi area, Katz reportedly said at a briefing for Israeli journalists. READ MORE:Tony Blair's staff took part in 'Gaza Riviera' project, reports say The defence minister added that the plan is to eventually have the entire population of Gaza housed there, with Israel aiming to implement 'the emigration plan, which will happen', Haaretz quoted Katz saying. Israeli politicians, including the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have been emboldened and enthusiastically promoted forced deportation of Palestinians since the US President Donald Trump said at the start of the year that large numbers of Palestinians should leave Gaza to 'clean out' the strip. One of Israel's leading human rights lawyers, Michael Sfard, has condemned Katz's plans saying that his scheme breaks international law. '(Katz) laid out an operational plan for a crime against humanity. It is nothing less than that,' Sfard said. 'It is all about population transfer to the southern tip of the Gaza Strip in preparation for deportation outside the strip. 'While the government still calls the deportation 'voluntary', people in Gaza are under so many coercive measures that no departure from the strip can be seen in legal terms as consensual. 'When you drive someone out of their homeland that would be a war crime, in the context of a war. If it's done on a massive scale like he plans, it becomes a crime against humanity,' Sfard added. Work on the 'humanitarian city' could start during a ceasefire, the defence minister said and that Netanyahu is leading efforts to find countries willing to 'take in' Palestinians. Speaking from the White House on Monday, Netanyahu said the US and Israel were working with other countries that would give Palestinians a 'better future.' 'If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave,' Netanyahu said, as he met with Trump on Monday evening. Israeli politicians have also been advocates of new Israeli settlements in Gaza. Plans for the construction of camps called 'humanitarian transit areas', to house Palestinians inside and possibly outside Gaza, had previously been presented to the Trump administration and discussed in the White House, Reuters reported on Monday. The $2 billion plan bore the name of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), Reuters said. GHF denied it had submitted a proposal and said slides seen by Reuters, which laid out the plan, 'are not a GHF document'.
The National
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
Lisa Nandy aide 'drafted note saying BBC is institutionally antisemitic'
Nandy is due to meet with Israeli ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely at an unconfirmed date and was advised by a policy officer to make the claim against the BBC. But a source at the Department for Digital, Media, Culture and Sport told The National that this was dropped and the Culture Secretary would not brand the BBC 'antisemitic' at her meeting with the ambassador. They said: 'It was an initial draft.' READ MORE: How the UK media are covering up British spy flights for Israel It comes after independent journalist Matt Kennard revealed that briefing notes for the meeting had also advised the Culture Secretary to tell Hotovely that 'one mistake is an editing error but if you have multiple mistakes you need to look at the leadership'. The BBC found itself under fire from the upper echelons of the UK Government after broadcasting punk band Bob Vylan (below) leading at chant at Glastonbury which called for 'death to the [Israeli Defence Forces]'. (Image: Yui Mok) Kennard also reported that Nandy was also advised to tell the Israeli ambassador that 'Glastonbury continues to host acts with vile and inflammatory views' and more investigation was needed. The Bob Vylan chant was denounced as 'antisemitic' by Nandy, who last week told MPs: 'There is a clear difference between speaking out for Palestine, which is the right of everybody in this house and everybody in our country, and antisemitism, which is not and never will be. 'When the rights and safety of people and communities are at risk and when our national broadcaster fails to uphold its own standards, we will intervene.' READ MORE: Tony Blair's staff took part in 'Gaza Riviera' project, reports say She has discussed the matter with BBC director-general Tim Davie and demanded an explanation as to why the segment was broadcast. Nandy said last week: 'When you have one editorial failure, it's something that must be gripped. When you have several, it becomes a problem of leadership.' Bob Vylan's comments were reported to the police, with Avon and Somerset Police confirming footage would be "assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed". The band had their US visas revoked ahead of a tour of the country and the BBC later announced it would no longer broadcast "high risk" live performances.
The National
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
SNP selection candidate wins appeal after 'stitch up'
Toni Giugliano, who was in the running to be the party's candidate for Falkirk West at the Holyrood election next year, said that his appeal against the suspension has been upheld. Speaking to The National on Monday, Giugliano (below) said: 'I'm delighted that the SNP's Conduct Appeals Committee unanimously upheld my appeal and dismissed the complaint that led to my removal from the Falkirk West selection ballot, days before the poll closed. (Image: Toni Giugliano) 'I should never have been suspended and removed from the ballot. The committee's report is clear that I was denied a fair hearing. Indeed, I should have been cleared.' He claimed the result was a 'full vindication for the members who voted for me and stood by me', adding: 'I will now consult both with my supporters in Falkirk and the party, about what comes next. 'But make no mistake – our membership is the foundation of the SNP and they must never again be sidelined and disenfranchised. I'm pleased that due process has finally prevailed.' READ MORE: Tony Blair's staff took part in 'Gaza Riviera' project, reports say A complaint of bullying was made against Giugliano just days before the local party voted to choose its candidate for next year's election. He was running against three others and councillor Gary Bouse emerged victorious. But the complaint was dismissed by Giugliano's supporters as a conspiracy to block him from running, with one member telling The Herald in May: 'Toni has been stitched up and the voices of local members totally disregarded.' (Image: Supplied) A statement to SNP national secretary Alex Kerr (above, right) from the Falkirk South branch said: 'The SNP is founded on the principles of democracy and the active participation of its members. 'We are therefore dismayed that Toni Giugliano – a vetted candidate – was removed from the ballot just days before the declaration of results, in a decision that is entirely politically motivated and lacking in transparency." The SNP were approached for comment.
