tag

Nine Palestinian women and children were martyred and others seriously wounded Wednesday night when the Israeli occupation forces bombed a family home east of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza. Local sources reported that the bombing completely destroyed the house, killing seven women and two children from one family. Civil defense and ambulance teams transported their bodies and the wounded to hospitals in central Gaza. In the same context, Israeli occupation forces renewed their artillery and air bombardment of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, while drones dropped explosive bombs on Al-Jalaa Street in Gaza, coinciding with heavy artillery shelling of the Al-Nasr neighborhood in the west. Medical sources said that 85 Palestinians were martyred by Israeli forces in various areas of the Gaza Strip since dawn on Wednesday and were taken to hospitals in Gaza. They explained that the geographical distribution of the martyrs included 53 in northern Gaza, 28 in central Gaza, and four in southern Gaza. The Israeli occupation continues its aggression after violating the ceasefire agreement on March 18, following a two-month hiatus, targeting various areas of the Gaza Strip, which has been facing an unprecedented humanitarian tragedy for nearly two years.

A Palestinian youth was shot by Israeli occupation forces on Sunday in the town of Al Ram in northern occupied Jerusalem, the West Bank. The Palestinian news agency WAFA, citing the Palestine Red Crescent Society, reported that its medics treated the youth for a gunshot wound to the thigh near the separation wall in Al Ram. Israeli occupation forces are firing live ammunition deliberately and directly at Palestinians who are near the separation wall. Daily raids and incursions into villages and towns across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem are a regular occurrence, with Israeli forces clashing with residents, making arrests, and using live ammunition, rubber-coated bullets, and tear gas against Palestinian youth. This has escalated amid the ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which began on Oct. 7, 2023.

Tunisia affirmed its unwavering support for the Palestinian people and their right to resist and preserve their land, expressing its disappointment and frustration at the Security Council's inability to put an end to the horrific humanitarian tragedy, genocidal war and starvation to which the Palestinians are subjected to by the Israeli occupation. In a speech delivered at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Tunisian Foreign Minister Mohamed Ali Nafti stressed that the occupation's crimes aim to liquidate the Palestinian cause and deny the Palestinian people their right to resist and preserve their land. He called on the international community to immediately assume its responsibilities by lifting the blockade on the Gaza Strip and all Palestinian territories, putting an end to the famine, and ensuring the effective delivery of humanitarian aid. He said, "We remain hopeful that we'll be able to build together a future that carries opportunities that meet the aspirations and the hopes of our people and future generations." The Tunisian Foreign Minister also emphasized that the process of reforming the UN and establishing a new phase of multilateral action can only be effective if it upholds the value of equality among human lives and avoids discrimination, selectivity, and double standards. He also addressed the issue of immigration, stressing Tunisia's categorical rejection of serving as a transit country or a place of residence for irregular migrants, victims of human trafficking networks. In this context, he said, "We renew our call to adopt a comprehensive approach to migration that takes into account the human and historical dimensions, and not just the narrow security dimension."

Palestinian civilians in several areas of the occupied West Bank were subjected to injuries, arrests, and assaults carried out by Israeli occupation forces and colonists, in a continuation of systematic measures that deepen the suffering of Palestinians through severe restrictions and relentless control over their daily life. In a statement, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that a 12-year-old child was injured after being run over by an Israeli military vehicle in the city of Jericho and was transferred to hospital for treatment. In Beitunia, west of Ramallah, Israeli occupation forces detained three Palestinians during a raid, according to Palestinian security sources. The same sources added that colonists brutally assaulted another child in the Ein Jariot area near Beitunia, causing him to lose consciousness before he was taken to hospital. Meanwhile, in occupied Jerusalem, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Kafr Aqab, north of the city, firing tear gas canisters. No injuries were reported, according to local sources. The West Bank continues to witness heightened tensions due to Israeli settlement expansion and military violations. The situation has escalated sharply since the occupation launched its assault on the Gaza Strip in October 2023.

A young Palestinian man was martyred by Israeli gunfire on Wednesday in the village of Anza, south of Jenin, according to local sources. They said the victim was struck by a bullet in the back and rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition before succumbing to his wounds.Israeli troops raided the village as students were on their way to school. Classes were disrupted and confrontations broke out between residents and the occupying forces. Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) detained three children from the village of Deir Abu Mash'al, northwest of Ramallah, at dawn on Wednesday.Security sources told WAFA that the IOF detained the three children after raiding their homes and ransacking their contents. The same sources added that the IOF stormed the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah, and drove their military vehicles through the streets, raiding several homes, and seizing several vehicles.The Israeli occupation forces continued their incursions, raiding Palestinian homes in the Qarawat Bani Hassan and al-Zawiya, west of Salfit, and assaulting Palestinian youths.

The Israeli occupation continued relentless airstrikes across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, causing more Palestinian deaths and injuries. According to Palestinian news agency (WAFA), four Palestinians were martyred and several more injured after Israeli warplanes struck a residential building in Gaza City. Reports also indicated that Israeli aircraft targeted the Shati Camp in Gaza City. Meanwhile, medical sources said a Palestinian woman was martyred when occupation forces shelled the Bureij Camp, while injuries were reported in several other areas across the Strip. WAFA further reported that two fishermen were martyred by Israeli gunfire south of Gaza City. The latest attacks have brought the death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip to 65,344, mostly women and children, with 166,795 others injured. The figures are expected to rise further as hundreds of victims remain trapped under the rubble or lying on the streets, beyond the reach of rescue teams.

Malaysia has reiterated its unwavering support for the Palestinian people's struggle for peace, justice, freedom, and independence. In a statement carried by Bernama News Agency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs underscored Malaysia's strong opposition to the Israeli occupation and what it described as genocide in the Gaza Strip.The Ministry affirmed that Malaysia will continue to work constructively with the international community to advance peace and justice, provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians, and ultimately support the establishment of an independent and sovereign State of Palestine based on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.The statement further emphasized that justice and accountability are essential to achieving lasting peace.

The Palestinian flag was raised Monday at premises of what is now Palestine's embassy to the United Kingdom (UK) in London, during a ceremony marking the country's official recognition of Palestine as a state.A ceremony was held in front of the Palestinian embassy building, attended by British parliamentarians, government representatives, and Arab diplomats.The Palestinian ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot said during the ceremony that international recognition is not just a diplomatic position, but rather a recognition that Palestine has always been a land with a people, stressing the need to remember that this recognition comes amidst unimaginable pain and suffering due to the genocide being waged against us in Gaza.The UK government announced Sunday, in a statement by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, its official recognition of the State of Palestine.

In his address at the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated that the historic New York Declaration, adopted overwhelmingly by the General Assembly, stressing that the war on the Palestinian people must end immediately and permanently. He added that the crimes of blockade, starvation, and destruction can never serve as a means of achieving security.President Abbas also praised the Egyptian, Qatari, and American mediation efforts to end the war in Gaza, commending the international community's stance against forced displacement.He emphasized that the State of Palestine is the only entity qualified to take full responsibility for governance and security in Gaza through a temporary administrative committee connected to the Palestinian government in the West Bank, with Arab and international support.The president expressed appreciation for the countries that have already recognized the State of Palestine and called on those who have not yet done so to follow suit. He also called for support for Palestine's full membership in the United Nations.He also praised the significant role played by the conference's co-chairs, Saudi Arabia and France, as well as the United Kingdom, in rallying more global recognition.

Singapore said on Monday it will impose targeted sanctions on leaders of Israeli settler groups and would recognise a Palestine state under the right conditions.Western and other nations have been taking an increasingly hard line against settler groups and some Israeli officials they accuse of fomenting violence, while global recognition is growing of Palestinians' aspiration for an independent homeland.Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, speaking in parliament, chided those Israeli politicians who have spoken about annexing parts of the West Bank or Gaza, the two Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories."We call on the Israeli government to cease settlement construction and expansion," he said, citing the so-called E1 settlement project as fragmenting the West Bank."We oppose ongoing attempts to create new facts on the ground which undermine the prospects for a two-state solution."More details on the sanctions would be released at a later date, he said.Balakrishnan said it was a matter of when not if Singapore recognises a Palestinian state and that the nation is waiting for an "appropriate constellation" of factors, including a need for an effective Palestinian government that accepts Israel's right to exist and categorically renounces terrorism."Ultimately, to resolve this long-standing conflict in a comprehensive, just and durable manner, there needs to be a negotiated settlement which results in two states, one Israeli (and) one Palestinian, with their peoples living alongside each other in peace, security and dignity," he added.Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area and saying the settlements provide security.While Singapore and Israel have shared close diplomatic and military ties since the former gained independence in 1965, the city-state in 2024 voted in favour of numerous resolutions expressing support for U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul advocated for the immediate start of efforts to reach a two-state solution in the Middle East, while criticizing the Israeli offensive in Gaza City as completely misguided."For Germany, the recognition of a Palestinian state is more likely to come at the end of the process," the minister said. "But this process must begin now."On Monday afternoon, on the eve of the UN General Assembly, Wadephul plans to attend a conference organized by France and Saudi Arabia that aims to boost support for a two-state solution that envisions Israel and an independent, democratic Palestinian state living peacefully side by side."What the region needs now is an immediate ceasefire, significantly more humanitarian aid for the people in Gaza and the immediate, unconditional release of the hostages," Wadephul said.The Israeli offensive on Gaza City is completely the wrong approach, he added. "Any steps towards annexing occupied territories in violation of international law also undermine the chance of a lasting solution to the conflict." "As far as it may seem at the moment, a negotiated two-state solution is the way to enable Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, security and dignity," Wadephul continued.

Britain, Australia, Canada and Portugal on Sunday recognised a Palestinian state in a coordinated, historic shift in decades of Western foreign policy, triggering swift anger from Israel.Other countries, including France, are due to follow Monday at the annual UN General Assembly opening in New York.Israel has come under huge international pressure over its war against Hamas in Gaza, which has sparked a dire humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory.Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu denounced the statehood moves, later vowing to expand Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.Netanyahu spoke after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain was formally recognising the State of Palestine "to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution".The UK and Canada became the first members of the Group of Seven advanced economies to take the step, with Australia following suit.Portugal said Sunday it recognises a Palestinian state, making it the latest Western nation to make the symbolic move as the war in Gaza shows no sign of ending."Recognizing the State of Palestine is therefore the fulfilment of a fundamental, consistent, and widely agreed policy," Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel told reporters in New York."Portugal advocates the two-state solution as the only path to a just and lasting peace, one that promotes coexistence and peaceful relations between Israel and Palestine," he added.Three-quarters of UN members now recognise Palestinian statehood, with at least 144 of the 193 member countries having taken the step.Canada "offers our partnership in building the promise of a peaceful future", Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wrote on X.Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the move "recognises the legitimate and long held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own".Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas hailed the recognitions as "an important and necessary step toward achieving a just and lasting peace".French President Emmanuel Macron insisted in an interview with a US television network that releasing the hostages captured in 2023 would be "a requirement very clearly before opening, for instance, an embassy in Palestine".It is a watershed moment for Palestinians and their ambitions for statehood, with the most powerful Western nations having long argued it should only come as part of a negotiated peace deal with Israel.Although a largely symbolic move, it puts those countries at odds with the US and Israel.US President Donald Trump said last week after talks with Starmer during a state visit to the UK that "one of our few disagreements" was over Palestinian statehood.A growing number of longtime Israeli allies have shifted their long-held positions as Israel has intensified its Gaza offensive.The Gaza Strip has suffered vast destruction, with a growing international outcry over the besieged coastal territory's spiralling death toll and a UN-declared famine.The UK government has come under increasing public pressure to act, with thousands of people rallying every month on the streets. A poll released by YouGov on Friday showed two-thirds of British people aged 18-25 supported Palestinian statehood.