Latest news with #Marmorstein
Edmonton Journal
2 days ago
- Politics
- Edmonton Journal
'Disconnected from reality': Israel rejects Gaza statement from Canada, 24 other nations
Article content Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and 24 of her counterparts abroad have signed a joint statement saying 'the war in Gaza must end now,' while calling on Israel to stop displacing Palestinians. Article content The signatories — who include the foreign ministers of France, Japan and the U.K. — called Israel's aid distribution system 'dangerous.' Article content Article content The ministers also condemned Hamas for continuing to hold hostages captured from Israel in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and called for their immediate release. Article content Article content They said it's 'horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.' That death toll is based on figures released by the UN human rights office and the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. Article content Article content Oren Marmorstein, spokesman for Israel's foreign affairs ministry, said Israel rejects the joint statement, calling it 'disconnected from reality' and saying it 'sends the wrong message to Hamas.' Article content 'The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation. Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides,' Marmorstein wrote in a social media statement. Article content 'At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind.' Article content Marmorstein said that Hamas is solely to blame for the lack of movement on a ceasefire and on releasing the hostages. He accused Hamas of 'deliberately' increasing tensions and civilian harm at humanitarian aid stations. Article content Article content The ministers who signed the statement are calling on the Israeli government to lift all restrictions on aid delivery and to 'enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs' to do their work safely and effectively. Article content Article content 'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. 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,' the ministers wrote. Article content The ministers decry proposals by Israeli officials to concentrate Palestinians in Gaza into one city. It also takes aim at the Israeli government's proposed expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories it occupies, particularly as it seeks to divide the West Bank from East Jerusalem.
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
'Disconnected from reality': Israel rejects Gaza statement from Canada, 24 other nations
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and 24 of her counterparts abroad have signed a joint statement saying 'the war in Gaza must end now,' while calling on Israel to stop displacing Palestinians. The signatories — who include the foreign ministers of France, Japan and the U.K. — called Israel's aid distribution system 'dangerous.' The ministers also condemned Hamas for continuing to hold hostages captured from Israel in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and called for their immediate release. They said it's 'horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid.' That death toll is based on figures released by the UN human rights office and the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. 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. Oren Marmorstein, spokesman for Israel's foreign affairs ministry, said Israel rejects the joint statement, calling it 'disconnected from reality' and saying it 'sends the wrong message to Hamas.' 'The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation. Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides,' Marmorstein wrote in a social media statement. 'At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind.' Marmorstein said that Hamas is solely to blame for the lack of movement on a ceasefire and on releasing the hostages. He accused Hamas of 'deliberately' increasing tensions and civilian harm at humanitarian aid stations. The ministers who signed the statement are calling on the Israeli government to lift all restrictions on aid delivery and to 'enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs' to do their work safely and effectively. 'The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. 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,' the ministers wrote. The ministers decry proposals by Israeli officials to concentrate Palestinians in Gaza into one city. It also takes aim at the Israeli government's proposed expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories it occupies, particularly as it seeks to divide the West Bank from East Jerusalem. This would 'critically undermine the two-state solution,' the statement said, noting an increase in the building of settlements that Canada deems illegal, at a time when 'settler violence against Palestinians has soared.' Most of the food supplies Israel has allowed into Gaza go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, an American contractor backed by Israel. Israel has blocked aid for three months before setting up GHF sites, effectively shutting down hundreds of sites that had been operated by international agencies across Gaza. Israel says it had to take this step to prevent aid from reaching Hamas, which had been selling vital supplies and food to pay its fighters. While the United States, Qatar and Egypt did not sign the letter, the ministers who did sign say they support the efforts of those three countries to negotiate a ceasefire. In addition to the U.S., Germany was the only other G7 country that did not endorse the statement. The signatories added they are prepared to take 'further action to support an immediate ceasefire' and establish a political pathway to peace in the region. — With files from The Associated Press
2 days ago
- Politics
25 countries sign statement calling for end of war in Gaza
Twenty-five countries have released a joint statement calling for the immediate end of the war in Gaza and accusing Israel of not allowing sufficient aid in, demanding it must do so to comply with international humanitarian law. "We, the signatories listed below, come together with a simple, urgent message: the war in Gaza must end now," the statement began. "The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity." "The Israeli Government's denial of essential humanitarian assistance to the civilian population is unacceptable. Israel must comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law," the statement further said. Throughout the conflict, Israel has maintained they are sending enough aid into Gaza but international aid organizations have repeatedly said there is not enough aid, and the United Nations has reported conditions of malnutrition inside of Gaza. The statement is signed by the foreign ministers of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the U.K. The call to action was released Monday following an incident Sunday in which at least 81 Palestinians were killed and another 150 were injured while trying to gain access to food, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health, which said the majority of those killed were gathered near the Zikim border between Gaza and Israel. The Israel Defense Forces said Sunday that its troops fired near crowds "in order to remove an immediate threat posed to them," though it wasn't specific. A review is ongoing, but "preliminary review indicates that the reported number of casualties does not align with existing information," according to the IDF. Oren Marmorstein, a spokesperson for the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement on X Monday that the country "rejects" the 25-nation joint statement "as it is disconnected from reality and sends the wrong message to Hamas." "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," Marmorstein's statement said. The statement further said that while there is a "concrete proposal for a ceasefire deal," Hamas "stubbornly refuses to accept it." "The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation." Marmorstein said. "Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides." "At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind," the Marmorstein statement concluded. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the joint statement "disgusting" in a post on X. "25 nations put pressure on @Israel instead of savages of Hamas! Gaza suffers for 1 reason: Hamas rejects EVERY proposal. Blaming Israel is irrational," the post said. At least 875 people have been killed in Gaza while trying to get food aid in recent weeks, according to the United Nations. "It is horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid," the joint statement said. It also condemned Hamas for refusing to release the remaining Israeli hostages. "The hostages cruelly held captive by Hamas since 7 October 2023 continue to suffer terribly. We condemn their continued detention and call for their immediate and unconditional release," the statement said. "A negotiated ceasefire offers the best hope of bringing them home and ending the agony of their families." United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said in a statement Monday that he is "appalled by the accelerating breakdown of humanitarian conditions in Gaza." The "last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing," Guterres said in part, adding that he "condemns the ongoing violence, including the shooting, killing, and injuring of people attempting to get food for their families." "Civilians must be protected and respected, and they must never be targeted. The population in Gaza remains gravely undersupplied with the basic necessities of life," Guterres' statement said. The 25 signatory countries further called on the Israeli government to "immediately lift restrictions on the flow of aid and to urgently enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their life saving work safely and effectively," and for "all parties to protect civilians and uphold the obligations of international humanitarian law." "We urge the parties and the international community to unite in a common effort to bring this terrible conflict to an end, through an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire," the statement continued. "Further bloodshed serves no purpose. We reaffirm our complete support to the efforts of the US, Qatar and Egypt to achieve this." "We are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and a political pathway to security and peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the entire region," the statement concluded. On Sunday, Pope Leo XIV also renewed calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. "I once again call for an immediate end to the barbarity of this war and for a peaceful resolution to the conflict," the pope said during Sunday Angelus prayer from his summer retreat in Castel Gandolfo, according to the Associated Press.
2 days ago
- Politics
Canada joins allies in demanding Israel stop 'dangerous' aid delivery in Gaza
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and 24 of her counterparts abroad have signed a joint statement saying the war in Gaza must end now, while calling on Israel to stop displacing Palestinians. The signatories — who include the foreign ministers of France, Japan and the U.K., as well as the European Union commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management — called Israel's aid distribution system dangerous. The ministers also condemned Hamas for continuing to hold hostages captured from Israel in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and called for their immediate release. They said it's horrifying that over 800 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid. That death toll is based on figures released by the UN Human Rights Office (new window) . The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. 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, the ministers wrote. The ministers decry proposals by Israeli officials to concentrate Palestinians in Gaza into one city. Permanent forced displacement is a violation of international humanitarian law, the statement notes. Enlarge image (new window) Ministers from 24 nations, including Canada, called on Monday for an end to the war. Photo: Associated Press / Jehad Alshrafi It also takes aim at the Israeli government's proposed expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories it occupies, particularly as it seeks to divide the West Bank from East Jerusalem. This would critically undermine the two-state solution, the statement said, noting an increase in the building of settlements that Canada considers illegal, at a time when settler violence against Palestinians has soared. Israel rejects statement Oren Marmorstein, spokesman for Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry, said Israel rejects the joint statement, calling it disconnected from reality and saying it sends the wrong message to Hamas. The statement fails to focus the pressure on Hamas and fails to recognize Hamas's role and responsibility for the situation. Hamas is the sole party responsible for the continuation of the war and the suffering on both sides, Marmorstein wrote in a social media statement. At these sensitive moments in the ongoing negotiations, it is better to avoid statements of this kind. Marmorstein said that Hamas is solely to blame for the lack of movement on a ceasefire and on releasing the hostages. He accused Hamas of deliberately increasing tensions and civilian harm at humanitarian aid stations. WATCH | Weekend attacks near aid sites kill at least 85: The ministers who signed the statement are calling on the Israeli government to lift all restrictions on aid delivery and to enable the UN and humanitarian NGOs to do their work safely and effectively. Most of the food supplies Israel has allowed into Gaza go to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an American contractor backed by Israel. Witnesses and health officials say that since the group's operations began in late May, hundreds of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli army fire while trying to reach aid distribution sites. Israel blocked aid for three months before setting up GHF sites, effectively shutting down hundreds of sites that had been operated by international agencies across Gaza. Israel says it had to take this step to prevent aid from reaching Hamas, which had been selling vital supplies and food to pay its fighters. But UN agencies say this was not happening to a large extent. While the United States, Qatar and Egypt did not sign the letter, the ministers who did sign say they support the efforts of those three countries to negotiate a ceasefire. The U.S. and Germany were the only G7 countries that did not endorse the statement. In addition to Canada, the signatories include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The signatories added they are prepared to take further action to support an immediate ceasefire and establish a political pathway to peace in the region. David Baxter (new window) · The Canadian Press With files from The Associated Press
Scottish Sun
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Iran was building warheads ‘capable of blitzing London' as twisted regime raced to have world's biggest missile arsenal
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IRAN'S twisted regime was attempting to produce a terrifying two-tonne warhead which could obliterate London, Israel has warned. Tehran was said to be trying to build up the world's biggest ballistic missile arsenal to help them launch a global tirade of destruction, according to the Israeli foreign ministry. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Two Iranian ballistic missiles in the sky near Jerusalem at the start of the week Credit: Alamy 8 Footage posted to social media shows the moment an Iranian ballistic missile strikes an apartment building in Beersheba Credit: Twitter 8 The Kermanshah missile facility in Iran was left severely damaged in Israeli strikes Credit: AFP Officials in Tel Aviv said they successfully thwarted Iran's plan to become the largest ballistic missile producer on the planet in tactical airstrikes alongside Donald Trump on June 13. The US struck Iran's nuclear programme and hit key nuke sites which were ordered by Trump who said they had "obliterated" the targets. But Israeli officials, who helped to orchestrate the "bunker buster" bombs with the US, have now revealed they also had a second objective in the weekend strikes. Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry said: "We actually acted because of two existential threats. read more in Iran vs Israel SPIES HANGED Iran executes three prisoners accused of spying for Israel in brutal crackdown "One was nuclear, and we acted when we did because Iran was at the 11th hour of being able to build a bomb. But the other was the ballistic threat." Tehran already boasted a concerning number of ballistic weapons prior to the conflict with US intelligence saying they had around 3,000 at their disposal. The latest Israeli intelligence though had pointed towards a much more dire figure emerging if Iran wasn't stopped. They claimed the regime was actively working on increasing production to over 20,000 ballistic missiles. Some even had a payload of one or two tonnes, Marmorstein said. The spokesman detailed the destruction which one missile could cause saying just last week, prior to the agreed ceasefire, four people were killed in the southern Israeli town of Beersheba in a missile strike. Inside Op Red Wedding – Israel's fierce wave of assassinations killing 30 Iran generals in first MINUTES of 12-day war "Imagine if Tehran sent 10,000 of those," Marmorstein added. "That threat was as existential to us as a nuclear bomb. "They were moving into industrial scale and about to become the number one ballistic missile producer in the world. "Some of these are intercontinental, which are not for us." He claimed these would have been able to reach into Europe with capitals such as London, Berlin and Paris all at risk. "They were getting closer and closer, almost to the point of no return," Marmorstein said. Israel managed to wipe out dozens of missiles with more than half of their 300 missile-launchers also destroyed. A strike also targeted the military facility in Yazd which houses Iran's heaviest missile, known as the Khorramshahr. 8 A ballistic missile fired from Iran caused major damage to a residential block in Beersheba last week Credit: Getty 8 Israeli special forces check the remains of a ballistic missile found lying in northern Israel Credit: Reuters 8 Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for Israel's foreign ministry, said Israel viewed the ballistic missile threat as as dangerous as the nuclear threat Credit: Fox The weapon is regarded as a copy of a North Korean missile carrying a two-ton warhead. The war in the Middle East lasted just 12 days as it quickly turned into a major conflict when Trump decided to strike the Iranian nuclear sites. The attacks helped to end the war with both Israel and Iran quickly declaring they had won the fight - despite Iran suffering a major blow to their nuclear capabilities. Despite a ceasefire being agreed, Trump has said he would "absolutely" consider bombing Iran again if it was ever needed. He told reporters in the White House he would "without question" attack the country if US intelligence pointed towards Iran enriching uranium to concerning levels. It comes as Iran held a funeral for the commanders wiped out in the war. The event was severely plagued by "Death to America" chants and the burning of Israeli flags across the day. Britain can never be safe against the threat of Iran if they aren't stopped By Chief Foreign Reporter, Katie Davis BRITAIN will never be safe until Iran's nuclear scheme is completely wiped out, Israel's ambassador told The Sun. Tzipi Hotovely said Israel did the UK a "huge service" by wiping out the rogue state's efforts to create a nuke weapon. The diplomat said: "The Israeli people know they're facing a very radical enemy like the British people were fighting in the Second World War and that they must get to the point where it's being defeated. The Iranians have proven they have no interest in diplomacy. They were just using diplomacy to keep on running their nuclear programme. "And President Trump kind of lost patience with this type of behaviour. He said it clearly, I don't want Iran to have nuclear weapons. "We gave a chance to diplomacy. We backed up the American diplomatic plan - 60 days expired. "They didn't come to the table. That's what the Prime Minister said, they want to blow up the table, not to sit next to it. "And we are now certain that once this military operation is over, the world, the Middle East, Israel, Europe, everyone will have a safer world. "This is a war to end wars, not to begin wars." 8 Over a million people reportedly lined the streets of Tehran for the funeral of Iranian commanders Credit: Getty
