Latest news with #MiddleEastPeaceProcess
Al Etihad
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Etihad
Egypt expresses its readiness to host international conference on early recovery, reconstruction in Gaza
29 June 2025 15:37 CAIRO (WAM)Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Expatriates Badr Abdelatty on Sunday emphasised the urgent need to end the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian a meeting with Christophe Bigot, the EU Special Representative (EUSR) for the Middle East Peace Process, Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from their reviewed Egypt's efforts, in cooperation with Qatar and the US, to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, exchange hostages and prisoners, and ensure the entry of humanitarian aid into the pointed to the gravity of the current situation in the Gaza Strip, in light of the humanitarian catastrophe there and Israel's continued obstruction of humanitarian aid expressed Egypt's readiness to host an international conference on early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza as soon as a ceasefire agreement is top Egyptian diplomat highlighted the dangerous developments in the West Bank, warning of the serious implications of continued Israeli military operations in West Bank cities and stressed the necessity of stopping the repeated and blatant attacks by Israeli settlers against the said that he is looking forward to hosting the international conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue, and the implementation of the two-state solution, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. He emphasised the importance of expanding international recognition of Palestine, and establishing a Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem (Al Quds) as its capital, considering it the only way to achieve sustainable peace, security, and stability in the region.
See - Sada Elbalad
3 days ago
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Egypt's FM, EU Envoy Discuss Gaza Ceasefire, West Bank Violence, Peace Prospects
By Ahmad El-Assasy Egypt's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Migration, Dr. Badr Abdel Aaty, held talks on Sunday, June 29, with Christophe Bigot, the European Union's Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, to discuss urgent developments in Gaza and the broader Palestinian territories. According to Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ambassador Tamim Khallaf, the meeting focused on Egypt's diplomatic efforts, in coordination with Qatar and the United States, to broker a ceasefire in Gaza, facilitate the exchange of hostages and detainees, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid into the besieged enclave. Minister Abdel Aaty highlighted the grave humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and criticized Israel's ongoing obstruction of aid access. He reiterated Egypt's firm rejection of any forced displacement of Palestinians and emphasized Cairo's readiness to host a conference on early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza, once a ceasefire agreement is reached. The minister also raised alarm over the escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, warning of the dangers posed by continued Israeli military operations in Palestinian towns and villages, and condemned the frequent and brutal settler attacks on Palestinian civilians. Abdel Aaty reaffirmed Egypt's support for the international conference on the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue, which is being jointly proposed by France and Saudi Arabia. He underscored the urgent need to accelerate international recognition of the State of Palestine, based on the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, viewing it as the only path toward lasting peace, security, and stability in the region. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream News Shell Unveils Cost-Cutting, LNG Growth Plan Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
Otago Daily Times
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
US criticises allies as NZ bans top Israeli ministers
The United States has denounced sanctions by Britain and allies - including New Zealand - against Israeli far-right ministers, saying they should focus instead on the Palestinian armed group Hamas. New Zealand has banned two extremist Israeli politicians from travelling to the country because of comments about the war in Gaza that Foreign Minister Winston Peters says "actively undermine peace and security". It joined Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Norway in imposing the sanctions on Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Peters said they were targeted towards two individuals, rather than the Israeli government. "Our action today is not against the Israeli people, who suffered immeasurably on October 7 [2023] and who have continued to suffer through Hamas' ongoing refusal to release all hostages. Nor is it designed to sanction the wider Israeli government." The ministers were "using their leadership positions to actively undermine peace and security and remove prospects for a two-state solution", Peters said. "Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have severely and deliberately undermined that by personally advocating for the annexation of Palestinian land and the expansion of illegal settlements, while inciting violence and forced displacement." The sanctions were consistent with New Zealand's approach to other foreign policy issues, he said. "New Zealand has also targeted travel bans on politicians and military leaders advocating violence or undermining democracy in other countries in the past, including Russia, Belarus and Myanmar." New Zealand has been a long-standing supporter of a two-state solution, Peters said, which the international community was also overwhelmingly in favour of. "New Zealand's consistent and historic position has been that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are a violation of international law. Settlements and associated violence undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution. "The crisis in Gaza has made returning to a meaningful political process all the more urgent. New Zealand will continue to advocate for an end to the current conflict and an urgent restart of the Middle East Peace Process." Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar said the move was "outrageous" and the government would hold a special meeting early next week to decide how to respond to the "unacceptable decision". His comments were made while attending the inauguration of a new Israeli settlement on Palestinian land. Peters is in Europe for the sixth Pacific-France Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Nice. 'Extremely unhelpful' Tammy Bruce, a spokeswoman for the US State Department, said it finds the sanctions "extremely unhelpful. It will do nothing to get us closer to a ceasefire in Gaza." Britain, Canada, Norway, New Zealand and Australia "should focus on the real culprit, which is Hamas", she said of the sanctions. "We remain concerned about any step that would further isolate Israel from the international community." The two ministers faced repeated criticism but no formal sanctions under former US president Joe Biden. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has vowed unstinting support for Israel. "If our allies want to help, they should focus on supporting Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff's negotiations and backing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation when it comes to food and aid," Bruce said. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has distributed aid in coordination with the Israeli military - an effort criticised by the United Nations and longstanding aid groups which say it violates humanitarian principles. 'You have to take actions' University of Otago international relations professor Robert Patman told RNZ's Morning Report programme today it was a "calibrated fulfilment of the promise to follow up actions if Israel did not desist" from expanding its military operations in Palestinian territory. "In May, the UK and France and Canada had demanded that Israel stop expanding its military operations in Gaza and allow emergency aid, humanitarian aid into Gaza. "It should be recalled that in early March, Israel, unilaterally cut off all humanitarian aid to Gaza and something like more than a million Palestinians now face starvation. And so this statement was made in May by those three countries, two of whom are members of the Five Eyes." New Zealand is also a member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, as are the United States and Australia. Patman also noted that the International Court of Justice last year said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory - not just in Gaza, but also the West Bank - was illegal. New Zealand supported that recommendation. "New Zealand's position has been… that there must be a two-state solution to the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Now the problem is that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his ministers adamantly opposed the two-state solution." The growing condemnation around the world of Israel's response to the 7 October atrocities was a result of the United States' "lack of will to try to make Israel comply with international law", Patman suggested. "I think the other liberal democracies are now beginning to react to that because they realise that Netanyahu, the Netanyahu government, has no intention of having a two-state solution. "Iin fact, it seems to be in the process of weaponising food distribution in Gaza… They set up, with the United States, something called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which seems to be part of a strategy to gradually evict Palestinians from Gaza. "Netanyahu's government doesn't make any bones about this. He wants to extend control over Gaza and… annex the West Bank [which] would completely rule out a two-state solution." Rather than just symbolic, Patman said European nations' sanctioning of Israeli ministers could have a real impact. "About 34 percent of Israel's trade is with members of the European Union, and if this stance taken by these five countries is replicated elsewhere and spreads, not just to these two ministers but to the Netanyahu government, then we could be looking at a different situation. "Verbal appeals to Israel to comply with international law have not worked. So, you know, if you believe in a two-state solution, then you have to take actions to try to bring it about." - Additional reporting by Reuters
Otago Daily Times
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
New Zealand sanctions top Israeli ministers
New Zealand has banned two extremist Israeli politicians from travelling to the country because of comments about the war in Gaza that Foreign Minister Winston Peters says "actively undermine peace and security". New Zealand joins Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and Norway in imposing the sanctions on Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Peters said they were targeted towards two individuals, rather than the Israeli government. "Our action today is not against the Israeli people, who suffered immeasurably on October 7 [2023] and who have continued to suffer through Hamas' ongoing refusal to release all hostages. Nor is it designed to sanction the wider Israeli government." The ministers were "using their leadership positions to actively undermine peace and security and remove prospects for a two-state solution", Peters said. "Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have severely and deliberately undermined that by personally advocating for the annexation of Palestinian land and the expansion of illegal settlements, while inciting violence and forced displacement." The sanctions were consistent with New Zealand's approach to other foreign policy issues, he said. "New Zealand has also targeted travel bans on politicians and military leaders advocating violence or undermining democracy in other countries in the past, including Russia, Belarus and Myanmar." New Zealand has been a long-standing supporter of a two-state solution, Peters said, which the international community was also overwhelmingly in favour of. "New Zealand's consistent and historic position has been that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are a violation of international law. Settlements and associated violence undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution. "The crisis in Gaza has made returning to a meaningful political process all the more urgent. New Zealand will continue to advocate for an end to the current conflict and an urgent restart of the Middle East Peace Process." Israel's foreign minister Gideon Saar said the move was "outrageous" and the government would hold a special meeting early next week to decide how to respond to the "unacceptable decision". His comments were made while attending the inauguration of a new Israeli settlement on Palestinian land. Peters is in Europe for the sixth Pacific-France Summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Nice. 'You have to take actions' University of Otago international relations professor Robert Patman told RNZ's Morning Report programme today it was a "calibrated fulfilment of the promise to follow up actions if Israel did not desist" from expanding its military operations in Palestinian territory. "In May, the UK and France and Canada had demanded that Israel stop expanding its military operations in Gaza and allow emergency aid, humanitarian aid into Gaza. "It should be recalled that in early March, Israel, unilaterally cut off all humanitarian aid to Gaza and something like more than a million Palestinians now face starvation. And so this statement was made in May by those three countries, two of whom are members of the Five Eyes." New Zealand is also a member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, as are the United States and Australia. Patman also noted that the International Court of Justice last year said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory - not just in Gaza, but also the West Bank - was illegal. New Zealand supported that recommendation. "New Zealand's position has been… that there must be a two-state solution to the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. Now the problem is that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu and his ministers adamantly opposed the two-state solution." The growing condemnation around the world of Israel's response to the 7 October atrocities was a result of the United States' "lack of will to try to make Israel comply with international law", Patman suggested. "I think the other liberal democracies are now beginning to react to that because they realise that Netanyahu, the Netanyahu government, has no intention of having a two-state solution. "Iin fact, it seems to be in the process of weaponising food distribution in Gaza… They set up, with the United States, something called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which seems to be part of a strategy to gradually evict Palestinians from Gaza. "Netanyahu's government doesn't make any bones about this. He wants to extend control over Gaza and… annex the West Bank [which] would completely rule out a two-state solution." Rather than just symbolic, Patman said European nations' sanctioning of Israeli ministers could have a real impact. "About 34 percent of Israel's trade is with members of the European Union, and if this stance taken by these five countries is replicated elsewhere and spreads, not just to these two ministers but to the Netanyahu government, then we could be looking at a different situation. "Verbal appeals to Israel to comply with international law have not worked. So, you know, if you believe in a two-state solution, then you have to take actions to try to bring it about." - Additional reporting by Reuters
Scoop
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
NZ Places Travel Bans On Extremist Israeli Politicians
Rt Hon Winston Peters Minister of Foreign Affairs New Zealand has joined Australia, Canada, the UK and Norway in placing travel bans on two extremist Israeli politicians, Foreign Minister Winston Peters says. The bans will prevent Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir from travelling to New Zealand. 'Our action today is not against the Israeli people, who suffered immeasurably on October 7 and who have continued to suffer through Hamas' ongoing refusal to release all hostages. Nor is it designed to sanction the wider Israeli government. 'Rather, the travel bans are targeted at two individuals who are using their leadership positions to actively undermine peace and security and remove prospects for a two-state solution. 'New Zealand is a long-standing supporter of the two-state solution. Ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir have severely and deliberately undermined that by personally advocating for the annexation of Palestinian land and the expansion of illegal settlements, while inciting violence and forced displacement. 'New Zealand's consistent and historic position has been that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are a violation of international law. Settlements and associated violence undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution.' Today's targeted sanctions are consistent with New Zealand's approach to other foreign policy issues, Mr Peters says. 'New Zealand has also targeted travel bans on politicians and military leaders advocating violence or undermining democracy in other countries in the past, including Russia, Belarus and Myanmar.' The international community is overwhelmingly in favour of a future Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution, Mr Peters says. 'The crisis in Gaza has made returning to a meaningful political process all the more urgent. New Zealand will continue to advocate for an end to the current conflict and an urgent restart of the Middle East Peace Process.'
