Tag: Gaza

Trump and Netanyahu Agree New Gaza Peace Plan

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu say they have agreed a new peace plan for Gaza, warning Hamas to accept it.

The plan proposes an immediate end to military operations, with Hamas releasing 20 living Israeli hostages and the remains of the more than two dozen hostages who are believed to be dead within 72 hours, in exchange for hundreds of detained Gazans.

A Palestinian source familiar with the ceasefire negotiations told the BBC that Hamas officials have been given the White House’s 20-point proposal.

It demands that Hamas will have no role in governing Gaza, and leaves the door open for an eventual Palestinian state.

Speaking at a news conference following talks at the White House, Trump called the plan “a historic day for peace”.

But he said that Netanyahu will have US backing to “finish the job of destroying the threat of Hamas” if Hamas does not agree to the plan.

Netanyahu then said Israel “will finish the job” if Hamas rejects the plan or does not follow through.

The Palestinian Authority, which governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank, has called the US president’s efforts as “sincere and determined”.

In a statement published by its WAFA news agency, the authority said it “renews its joint commitment to work with the United States, regional states, and partners” to end the war on Gaza, ensure sufficient delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the release of hostages and prisoners.

At least 66,055 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023.

The proposal, if followed, would begin with the immediate cessation of military operations. It also says existing “battle lines” would be frozen in place until conditions are met for a staged withdrawal.

Under Trump’s plan, Hamas would lay down its arms and its tunnels and weapon production facilities would be destroyed.

For every Israeli hostage whose remains are released, Israel will release the remains of 15 dead Gazans, the plan says.

The plan also stipulates that once both sides agree to the proposal “full aid will be immediately sent into the Gaza Strip”.

The US also outlines its plan for the future governance of Gaza.

It says a “technocratic, apolitical Palestinian committee” will govern temporarily “with oversight and supervision by a new international transitional body, called the Board of Peace, which will be headed” by Trump.

Former UK PM Sir Tony Blair will be part of the governing body alongside other leaders “to be announced”. Sir Tony called the plan “bold and intelligent”.

Blair wants to be on board that will oversee Gaza, Trump says

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer welcomed the plan, saying, “We call on all sides to come together and to work with the US Administration to finalise this agreement and bring it into reality.

“Hamas should now agree to the plan and end the misery, by laying down their arms and releasing all remaining hostages,” Sir Keir added.

European Council President Antonio Costa said he was “encouraged by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s positive response” to the proposal. He added “all parties must seize this moment to give peace a genuine chance”.

French president Emmanuel Macron praised the proposal, saying: “France stands ready to contribute” to the efforts to end the war and release hostages.

“These elements must pave the way for in-depth discussions with all relevant partners to build a lasting peace in the region, based on the two-state solution,” said Macron.

The plan adds that Hamas must have no role in governance, “directly, indirectly, or in any form”.

Much of the plan is focused on what the US calls an “economic development plan” to rebuild Gaza. It also says “Israel will not occupy or annex Gaza” and its forces will withdraw from the territory in stages over time.

In a shift from Trump’s earlier statements, Palestinians will not be forced to leave Gaza. Instead, the document said: “We will encourage people to stay and offer them the opportunity to build a better Gaza.”

The plan also leaves the door open to an eventual Palestinian state.

A Palestinian source familiar with the ceasefire negotiations told the BBC “Qatari and Egyptian officials have handed over the White House plan to end the war in Gaza to Hamas officials in Doha”.

Earlier, a senior Hamas official told the BBC that the group remained open to studying any proposal that could end the war in Gaza, but stressed that any agreement must safeguard Palestinian interests, ensure a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and bring the war to an end.

Asked about the group’s weapons, the official said: “The weapons of the resistance are a red line as long as the occupation continues.

“The issue of arms can only be discussed within the framework of a political solution that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.”

The announcement of the plan comes just days after Netanyahu attacked the recognition of a Palestinian state by multiple Western countries during a combative speech at the UN General Assembly.

Netanyahu labelled the recognition moves a “mark of shame” that sent the message that “murdering Jews pays off”.

Dozens of officials and diplomats staged a walk-out as he took to the UN podium, leaving large parts of the conference hall empty.

While Trump has staunchly backed Netanyahu since returning to the White House for a second term, he has become increasingly frustrated with Israel’s moves in recent weeks.

Trump expressed annoyance at Israel’s recent strike on Hamas members in key US ally Qatar.

Before Monday’s news conference, Netanyahu called Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani of Qatar from the White House to express his deep regret that Israel’s missile strike unintentionally killed a Qatari serviceman.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 66,055 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry.

A UN-backed body recently confirmed that famine was taking place in Gaza City. Earlier this month, a UN commission of inquiry concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza – which Israel strongly rejects.

September 30, 2025
Netanyahu Says Palestinian State Would Be ‘National Suicide’ For Israel

United Nations (United States) (AFP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Friday in an angry UN address to block a Palestinian state, accusing European leaders of pushing his country into “national suicide” and rewarding Hamas.

Netanyahu, who said his speech was being partially broadcast on Israeli military loudspeakers in Gaza, vowed to “finish the job” against Hamas even as President Donald Trump said he thought he had sealed a deal on a ceasefire.

Days after Britain, France and other Western powers recognized a state of Palestine, Netanyahu said that they had sent “a very clear message that murdering Jews pays off.”

“Israel will not allow you to shove a terrorist state down our throats,” Netanyahu said. “We will not commit national suicide because you don’t have the guts to face down the hostile media and antisemitic mobs demanding Israel’s blood.”

Hamas carried out the worst-ever attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, triggering a relentless Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas, a rival of Hamas, condemned the attack as well as antisemitism in his own address Thursday, which he delivered virtually after the United States refused him a visa.

Netanyahu — who has opposed a Palestinian state for decades — mocked Western support for Abbas and called the Palestinian Authority “corrupt to the core.”

But Palestinian foreign ministry official Adel Atieh called Netanyahu’s address “the speech of a defeated man.”

Netanyahu notably did not touch on the issue of annexing the West Bank, which some members of his cabinet have threatened as a way to kill any prospect of a real Palestinian state.

Trump, normally a staunch ally of Netanyahu, has warned against annexation as he pitches a peace plan on Gaza that would include the disarmament of Hamas.

Netanyahu went out of his way to praise Trump, whom he will meet Monday in Washington.

Trump said Friday just after Netanyahu spoke, “I think we have a deal.”

Former British prime minister Tony Blair was floated in some media reports as a possible leader of a transitional authority for Gaza under the US proposals.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, whose government has championed Hamas, said Friday he backed any ceasefire in Gaza.

Protests and circuitous route

With Netanyahu facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over war crime allegations, including using starvation as a weapon, the Israeli prime minister took an unusual route to New York that included flying over the narrow Strait of Gibraltar.

As he walked up to the General Assembly rostrum many delegations walked out. Protesters marched nearby in Times Square calling for his arrest.

“War criminals don’t deserve any peace of mind. They don’t deserve any sleep,” said Andrea Mirez, a young woman who kept up an overnight noisy protest outside Netanyahu’s hotel.

Netanyahu in his address aggressively challenged allegations that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza, noting Gazans were repeatedly urged to flee.

However, humanitarian law also considers forced displacement to be a war crime. Nearly the entire population of the Gaza Strip has been displaced during the war.

The October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally from Israeli official figures, in the deadliest day in the country’s history.

Israel’s offensive has killed more than 65,549 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory that the United Nations considers reliable.

Twenty people across Gaza were killed Friday ahead of Netanyahu’s speech alone, Gaza’s civil defense agency reported.

Medical charity Doctors without Borders said Friday it had been forced to suspend its work in Gaza City because of the ongoing Israeli offensive.

‘Not forgotten you’

Netanyahu said that his speech was broadcast in part on loudspeaker in hopes of reaching both Hamas leaders and hostages still held since the October 7, 2023 attack.

“We have not forgotten you — not even for a second,” Netanyahu said in Hebrew.

A number of hostage families have criticized Netanyahu’s renewed military campaign and sought a ceasefire to save their loved ones.

Netanyahu spoke months after he ordered a major bombing campaign of Iran’s nuclear sites.

During his speech he showed a map of the Middle East, taking out a pen to cross out adversaries Israel has killed. Iran boycotted the speech.

September 27, 2025
Jamia Mosque Imam Calls for KFC and Coca-Cola Boycott Over Gaza as Kenyan Government Faces Criticism for Silence

NAIROBI, Sept 21 – The imam of Kenya’s largest mosque has called on Muslims to boycott Western brands including KFC and Coca-Cola over their perceived support for Israel, as the Kenyan government faces mounting criticism for its muted response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Sheikh Jamaludin Osman, imam of Jamia Mosque in Nairobi, issued the boycott call during a solidarity rally at Uhuru Park on Sunday that brought together thousands of pro-Palestinian supporters, Islamic scholars, and political leaders.

“I want to send a message to our brothers who are still eating KFC, I want to send a message to our brothers and sisters who are still drinking Coca-Cola; these are people who are supporting the genocide,” Sheikh Osman told the gathering, referring to what he described as the companies’ indirect funding of Israeli military actions.

The rally, which doubled as a humanitarian fundraiser for Palestinians, highlighted growing frustration among Kenyan Muslims and civil society groups over what they perceive as their government’s inadequate response to the Gaza conflict that has reportedly killed more than 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

Government Under Pressure

Hassan Omar, Secretary General of the ruling United Democratic Alliance Party and East African Legislative Assembly member, joined the criticism of Kenya’s stance, calling on the government to classify Israel as a “terrorist entity.”

“We need to emphasise as Muslims a resolution to gazette the terrorist, Zionist state of Israel as a terrorist organisation,” Omar declared, reflecting a hardening of positions among some political leaders.

Kenyans take part in the “Free Palestine” protest at Uhuru Park in Nairobi on September 21, 2025.

The criticism comes as Kenya has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel while officially supporting a two-state solution. The country has faced scrutiny for its voting pattern at the United Nations, where it has abstained or voted against several resolutions condemning Israeli actions in Gaza, aligning with Western powers rather than many African nations.

Dadaab MP Farah Maalim questioned Kenya’s reluctance to take a firmer stance. “As a country, we should not be silent because nations need each other. What is happening in Gaza is genocide and must be condemned in the strongest terms possible,” he said.

Corporate Boycott Campaign Spreads

The boycott call reflects a broader international movement targeting multinational corporations perceived as supporting Israel.

Companies like KFC, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Starbucks have faced similar campaigns across Muslim-majority countries and among pro-Palestinian activists globally.

In Kenya, the campaign has gained traction particularly among Muslim communities, with Islamic committees, schools, and mosques from across the country participating in Sunday’s fundraising drive for humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Sheikh Osman, who was appointed imam of the historic Jamia Mosque in May 2024 after studying at the University of Madinah, has emerged as a prominent voice in Kenya’s Muslim community.

The mosque, built in the 1920s, serves as a central hub for Nairobi’s Muslim population.

Beyond the boycott calls, the Uhuru Park gathering served as a platform to raise funds for medical supplies, food aid, and other essentials for Palestinians.

Organizers also launched an environmental initiative to plant trees in memory of Palestinians killed in the conflict.

Amnesty International Kenya’s Executive Director Irũngũ Houghton urged the government to take a clearer position on the crisis.

“We call on the government of Kenya to issue a consistent and clear statement condemning all violations of international law in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories,” he said.

“Our New York and Geneva missions must vote consistently at the United Nations on the right side of history to condemn hostilities, call for the protection of civilians, and demand accountability for war crimes,” Houghton added.

The Kenyan protests come amid a broader wave of solidarity demonstrations across Africa and the Muslim world.

Similar rallies have been held in countries including South Africa, Senegal, and other African nations, reflecting widespread continental sympathy for the Palestinian cause.

However, the African Union’s response has been criticized as inadequate by some activists, with Kenya’s position seen as reflecting broader continental divisions on how to respond to the crisis.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with more than two million people facing extreme hardship due to severe shortages of food, medical supplies, and essential services.

Many households survive on minimal rations while hospitals struggle with inadequate resources and rising malnutrition, particularly among children.

As the conflict enters its second year, pressure continues to mount on governments worldwide to take stronger positions on the crisis, with Kenya’s Muslim community clearly signaling its expectation for more decisive action from Nairobi.

The boycott campaign represents both a form of economic activism and a way for ordinary Kenyans to express solidarity with Palestinians when they feel their government’s diplomatic response has been insufficient.

September 22, 2025
UK To Recognize Palestinian State Unless Israel Meets Conditions

The UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel takes “substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza”, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The PM said Israel must also meet other conditions, including agreeing to a ceasefire, committing to a long-term sustainable peace that delivers a two-state solution, and allowing the United Nations to restart the supply of aid, or the UK would take the step at September’s UN General Assembly.

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the move “rewards Hamas’s monstrous terrorism”.

The UK government has previously said recognition should come at a point when it can have maximum impact, as part of a peace process.

However, the PM has been under growing pressure – including from his own MPs – to act more quickly.

Last week France also announced it would officially recognise a Palestinian state in September – the first of the G7 group of the world’s richest countries to do so.

Giving a news conference after holding an emergency cabinet meeting, Sir Keir said he was announcing the plan now because of the “intolerable situation” in Gaza and concern that “the very possibility of a two-state solution is reducing”.

He told reporters that the UK’s goal of “a safe secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state” was “under pressure like never before”.

The PM added that his “primary aim” was to improve the situation on the ground in Gaza, including ensuring that aid gets in.

In outlining the steps UK wanted the Israeli government to take, Sir Keir also said it should make clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.

The current Israeli government is opposed to progress towards a two-state solution so it is highly unlikely to agree to the conditions.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir said Hamas must immediately release all hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and accept that they will play no part in the government of Gaza.

In response to the announcement Netanyahu wrote on social media: “A jihadist state on Israel’s border TODAY will threaten Britain TOMORROW.

“Appeasement towards jihadist terrorists always fails. It will fail you too. It will not happen.”

Asked if he knew the PM’s statement was coming, Donald Trump said the pair “never discussed it” during their meeting on Monday, when the US president was in Scotland.

He told reporters: “You could make the case… that you are rewarding Hamas if you do that. And I don’t think they should be rewarded.”

The US – along with many European nations – has said it would only recognise a Palestinian state as part of moves towards a long-term resolution to the conflict.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey welcomed the government’s announcement as “a crucial step” but urged the PM to recognise a Palestinian state immediately, and pursue “far greater action to stop the humanitarian disaster in Gaza”.

He added: “Rather than use recognition, which should have taken place many months ago, as a bargaining chip, the prime minister should be applying pressure on Israel by fully ceasing arms sales, and implementing sanctions against the Israeli cabinet.”

Some 255 MPs have signed a letter calling for the government to immediately recognise a Palestinian state – including more than half of Labour MPs.

Labour MP Sarah Champion, who coordinated the letter, said she was “delighted and relieved” at the announcement.

“This will put political pressure on Israel and make clear what’s happening in Gaza and the West Bank is totally unacceptable,” she said.

“However, I’m troubled our recognition appears conditional on Israel’s actions.

“Israel is the occupier, and recognition is about the self-determination of the Palestinian people. The two should be separate.”

The Conservatives and Reform UK have said now is not the right time to take the step, arguing this would reward Hamas for their attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said recognising a Palestinian state “won’t bring the hostages home, won’t end the war and won’t get aid into Gaza”.

“This is political posturing at its very worst,” she added.

The announcement comes after a call between Sir Keir and the leaders of France and Germany over the weekend, when Downing Street said plans for a sustainable route to a two-state solution were discussed.

However, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said his government had no plans to recognise a Palestinian state in the near future, suggesting this may be “one of the last steps on a path to realising a two-state solution”.

Most countries – about 139 in all – formally recognise a Palestinian state.

Spain, Ireland and Norway took the step last year, hoping to exert diplomatic pressure to secure a ceasefire in Gaza.

Palestinian representatives currently have limited rights to participate in UN activity, and the territory is also recognised by various international organisations, including the Arab League.

Sceptics argue recognition is largely be a symbolic gesture unless questions over the leadership and extent of a Palestinian state are addressed first.

As Sir Keir made his announcement, Foreign Secretary David Lammy addressed a UN conference in New York, aimed at advancing a two-state solution to the conflict.

Lammy told reporters the UK had worked with Jordan to air-drop 20 tonnes of aid to Gaza in recent days, as he also called for aid trucks to be allowed to enter by land.

UN agencies have described the situation in Gaza as “man-made mass starvation”, blaming the humanitarian crisis on Israel, which controls the entry of all supplies to the territory.

Israel has insisted there are no restrictions on aid deliveries and that there is “no starvation”.

(BBC)

July 30, 2025
Church Leaders Return With ‘Broken Hearts’ After Rare Visit to Gaza

Church leaders in Jerusalem say they have returned from a trip to Gaza with “broken hearts”, describing starving people and children not “batting an eyelid” at the sound of bombing.

“We have seen men holding out in the sun for hours in the hope of simple meal,” the Latin Patriarch, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, told journalists.

“This is humiliation that is hard to bear when you see it with you own eyes. It is morally unacceptable and unjustifiable.”

The Greek Orthodox Patriarch, Theophilos III, said his Church would “stand in solidarity” with “the whole people of Gaza”.

The two men made a rare visit to the war-torn strip after Israeli fire hit the Catholic Holy Family Church in Gaza City last week, killing two women and a man.

US President Donald Trump is said to have made an angry call to Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the deadly strike, which came days after an alleged attack by extremist Israeli settlers next to the ruins of an ancient church in the Christian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu’s office expressed deep regret for what was described as “a stray ammunition” hitting the Gaza church.

However, local Christians have questioned whether the place of worship was deliberately targeted. About 400 people have been sheltering in the compound, which is in part of Gaza City now under Israeli evacuation orders.

At the news conference, Pizzaballa noted that Christians were suffering in the same ways as other Palestinians.

“Three people died in our community, but thousands already died in Gaza,” he said.

He added that recent settler violence in Taybeh, was part of “broader phenomenon” in the West Bank which was “becoming a no-law land”.

Although Italy’s foreign ministry announced that the patriarchs had entered Gaza with 500 tonnes of aid, Pizzaballa said “not a gram” had yet been able to enter due to logistical issues.

He described the disappointment of those who came to the church hoping for handouts.

Amid some of the most severe food shortages in 21 months of war, Pizzaballa and Theophilos III said they met people “totally starved” and gave an account of the widespread destruction.

“We walked through the dust of ruins, past collapsed buildings and tents everywhere: in courtyards, alleyways, on the streets and on the beach,” Pizzaballa said at the end of his four-day visit. “Tents that have become homes for those who have lost everything.”

Last week, the two Church leaders led a delegation of foreign diplomats to Taybeh, north of Ramallah, where residents and local priests described several attacks by settlers.

The most serious was the fire stared next to the ruins of the Byzantine Church of St George.

An Israeli police statement said on Tuesday that a special investigative unit had found that “contrary to misleading reports, no damage was caused” to the church. It said the fire was limited to an adjacent open area and that arson was not yet confirmed.

However, one witness told the BBC that he saw settlers starting the blaze and others accused Israeli security forces of failing to respond to their complaints.

Villagers say extremists have seized their plots on the edge of Taybeh and regularly harass them, bringing cattle to eat their olive trees.

“What’s going on is really ridiculous and it’s driving people out as Israelis put their hands on our land,” a former mayor and co-founder of the Taybeh brewery, Daoud Khoury, told the BBC.

He said he worried that extremist settlers and an economic downturn since the start of the Gaza war would force more Christians to emigrate.

In an unusual move, the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, also visited Taybeh on Saturday.

In a statement, he then denounced the attack near the church as “an act of terror” and demanded “harsh consequences” for those responsible.

Huckabee, who is also an evangelical pastor known for his past strong statements supporting Jewish settlements, which are seen as illegal under international law, wrote on X. “Desecrating a church, mosque or synagogue is a crime against humanity and God.”

In response to the Israeli police statement, he wrote that he had not attributed the fire to any group, that “regardless, it was crime and deserves consequences”.

At the Jerusalem press conference, Theophilos III said that the tiny Christian community must be supported to remain in Gaza, close to their holy places “full of history”.

During his trip, Pizzaballa told an Italian newspaper that a Catholic presence would stay in the territory “whatever happens”.

The two leaders reiterated calls by Pope Leo and a growing number of international leaders for a Gaza ceasefire and the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas.

“We are not against Israel,” said Pizzaballa, who is known as a supporter of interfaith dialogue. “But we need to say with frankness and clarity, that this policy of the Israeli government in Gaza is unacceptable and morally we cannot justify it.”

(BBC)

July 24, 2025
Trump says Hamas Should Free All Hostages By Midday Saturday Or ‘Let Hell Break Out’

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that Hamas should release all hostages held by the militant group in Gaza by midday Saturday or he would propose canceling the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and “let hell break out.”

Trump cautioned that Israel might want to override him on the issue and said he might speak to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

But in a wide-ranging session with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump expressed frustration with the condition of the last group of hostages freed by Hamas and by the announcement by the militant group that it would halt further releases.

“As far as I’m concerned, if all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock, I think it’s an appropriate time. I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out. I’d say they ought to be returned by 12 o’clock on Saturday,” Trump said.

He said he wanted the hostages released en masse, instead of a few at a time. “We want ’em all back.”

Trump also said he might withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt if they don’t take Palestinian refugees being relocated from Gaza. He is to meet Jordan’s King Abdullah on Tuesday.

The comments came on a day of some confusion over Trump’s proposal for a U.S. takeover of Gaza once the fighting stops.

He said Palestinians would not have the right of return to the Gaza Strip under his proposal to redevelop the enclave, contradicting his own officials who had suggested Gazans would only be relocated temporarily.

In an excerpt of an interview with Fox News channel’s Bret Baier broadcast on Monday, Trump added that he thought he could make a deal with Jordan and Egypt to take the displaced Palestinians, saying the U.S. gives the two countries “billions and billions of dollars a year.”

Asked if Palestinians would have the right to return to Gaza, Trump said: “No, they wouldn’t because they’re going to have much better housing.”

“I’m talking about building a permanent place for them,” he said, adding it would take years for Gaza to be habitable again.

In a shock announcement on Feb. 4 after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, Trump proposed resettling Gaza’s 2.2 million Palestinians and the U.S. taking control of the seaside enclave, redeveloping it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

IGNITE THE REGION

Trump’s suggestion of Palestinian displacement has been repeatedly rejected by Gaza residents and Arab states, and labeled by rights advocates and the United Nations as a proposal of ethnic cleansing.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Trump’s statement that Palestinians would not be able to return to Gaza was “irresponsible.”

“We affirm that such plans are capable of igniting the region,” he told Reuters on Monday.

Netanyahu, who praised the proposal, suggested Palestinians would be allowed to return. “They can leave, they can then come back, they can relocate and come back. But you have to rebuild Gaza,” he said the day after Trump’s announcement.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who will depart later this week for his first visit to the Middle East in the office, said on Thursday that Palestinians would have to “live somewhere else in the interim,” during reconstruction, although he declined to explicitly rule out their permanent displacement.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the disparity between Rubio and Trump’s most recent remarks on the plan.

Trump’s comments come as a fragile ceasefire reached last month between Israel and Hamas is at risk of collapse after Hamas announced on Monday it would stop releasing Israeli hostagesover alleged Israeli violations of the agreement.

Israel’s Arab neighbors, including Egypt and Jordan, have said any plan to transfer Palestinians from their land would destabilize the region.

Rubio met Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Washington on Monday. Egypt’s foreign ministry said Abdelatty told Rubio that Arab countries support Palestinians in rejecting Trump’s plan. Cairo fears Palestinians could be forced across Egypt’s border with Gaza.

Trump said in the Fox News interview that between two and six communities could be built for the Palestinians “a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is.”

“I would own this. Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land. No big money spent,” he said.

February 11, 2025
No Right Of Return For Palestinians Under Gaza Plan: Trump

US President Donald Trump said in comments aired Monday that Palestinians who leave the besieged Gaza Strip under his widely panned ownership plan for the coastal enclave will not be allowed to return.

“We’ll build safe communities a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is. In the meantime, I would own this. Think of it as a real estate development for the future, it would be a beautiful piece of land,” Trump said during an interview with Fox News.

Asked directly by the interviewer if Palestinians would “have the right to return,” Trump said flatly, “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing.”

“In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them, because if they have to return now, it will be years before you could ever… it’s not habitable. It will be years before it could happen. I’m talking about starting to build and I think I could make a deal with Jordan, I think I could make a deal with Egypt, you know, we give them billions and billions of dollars a year,” he added.

Trump rolled out his proposal in the midst of an ongoing ceasefire that has halted Israel’s war on Gaza after 15 months. His plan to take ownership of Gaza has been roundly rejected on the world stage, but Trump has insisted that he will see it through, repeatedly claiming he can force Egypt and Jordan to settle Palestinian refugees — claims they have publicly rebuffed, as have the Palestinians.

Jordan’s King Abdullah is slated to visit the White House this week.

Trump’s plan shares strong similarities to one publicly put forward by his son-in-law Jared Kushner in March 2024, when the president’s one-time advisor lauded the Palestinian territory’s “very valuable” Mediterranean property.

“Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable if people would focus on building up livelihoods,” Kushner said during an interview at Harvard University. “It’s a little bit of an unfortunate situation there, but I think from Israel’s perspective I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up.”

Israel’s war on Gaza has left the besieged enclave in ruins, with half of its housing damaged or destroyed and nearly 2 million people displaced amid severe shortages of sanitation, medical supplies, food, and clean water. Over 47,000 people have been killed.

In November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Separately, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.

February 10, 2025
Netanyahu Suggests Saudi Arabia Create Palestinian State on Its Land

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the condition of establishing a Palestinian state as part of normalisation with Saudi Arabia, proposing instead that the Kingdom create a state for Palestinians on its land.

In an interview with Israel’s Channel 14, Netanyahu responded to a question about Saudi Arabia’s demand for a Palestinian state as part of the deal, saying, “The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there.”

Netanyahu argued that a Palestinian state would pose a security threat to Israel, citing Gaza, which he described as a Palestinian state controlled by Hamas, as an example of the risks involved.

He emphasised that peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia is not only possible but likely.

Despite Netanyahu’s assertion, Saudi Arabia’s official stance, reiterated by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, remains firm on the establishment of a Palestinian state as a prerequisite for normalisation with Israel.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry reaffirmed this position last week, making it clear that Riyadh’s demand for a Palestinian state is non-negotiable.

Netanyahu also claimed that Israel had engaged in secret negotiations with Saudi Arabia over the past three years, stressing that he would not make any agreement that would endanger the state of Israel.

February 9, 2025
Israel and Hamas Agree Gaza Ceasefire Deal

Israel and Hamas have agreed a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal following 15 months of war, mediators Qatar and the US say.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani said the agreement would come into effect on Sunday so long as it was approved by the Israeli cabinet.

US President Joe Biden said it would “halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the deal’s final details were still being worked on, but he thanked Biden for “promoting” it. Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya said it was the result of Palestinian “resilience”.

Many Palestinians and Israeli hostages’ families celebrated the news, but there was no let up in the war on the ground in Gaza.

The Hamas-run Civil Defence agency reported Israeli air strikes killed more than 20 people following the Qatari announcement. They included 12 people who were living in a residential block in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City, it said. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military.

Israel launched a campaign to destroy Hamas – which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and others – in response to an unprecedented cross-border attack on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 46,700 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. Most of the 2.3 million population has also been displaced, there is widespread destruction, and there are severe shortages of food, fuel, medicine and shelter due to a struggle to get aid to those in need.

Israel says 94 of the hostages are still being held by Hamas, of whom 34 are presumed dead. In addition, there are four Israelis who were abducted before the war, two of whom are dead.

Getty.

Qatar’s prime minister called for “calm” on both sides before the start of the first six-week phase of the ceasefire deal, which he said would see 33 hostages – including women, children and elderly people – exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Israeli forces will also withdraw to the east away from densely populated areas of Gaza, displaced Palestinians will be allowed to begin returning to their homes and hundreds of aid lorries will be allowed into the territory each day.

Negotiations for the second phase – which should see the remaining hostages released, a full Israeli troop withdrawal and a return to “sustainable calm” – will start on the 16th day.

The third and final stage will involve the reconstruction of Gaza – something which could take years – and the return of any remaining hostages’ bodies.

Sheikh Mohammed said there was “a clear mechanism to negotiate phase two and three”, with the agreements set to be published “in the next couple of days, once the details are finalised”.

He also said Qatar, the US and Egypt, which also helped broker the deal, would work together to ensure Israel and Hamas fulfilled their obligations.

“We hope that this will be the last page of the war, and we hope that all parties will commit to implementing all the terms of this agreement,” he added.

President Biden said the plan, which he first outlined eight months ago, was “the result not only of the extreme pressure Hamas has been under and the changed regional equation after a ceasefire in Lebanon and the weakening of Iran – but also of dogged and painstaking American diplomacy”.

“Even as we welcome this news, we remember all the families whose loved ones were killed in Hamas’s 7 October attack, and the many innocent people killed in the war that followed,” a statement added. “It is long past time for the fighting to end and the work of building peace and security to begin.”

Celebrations erupted across Gaza as news of the agreement spread. Reuters.

At a later news conference, Biden also acknowledged the assistance of President-elect Donald Trump, who put pressure on both parties by demanding hostages be released before his inauguration on Monday.

“In these past few days, we’ve been speaking as one team,” he said, noting that most of the implementation of the deal would happen after he left office.

Trump was first to confirm reports the agreement had been reached, beating the White House and Qatar to a formal announcement.

In a later post on social media, he attempted to take the credit for the “epic” agreement, saying it “could have only happened as a result of our historic victory in November”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office thanked Trump “for his help in promoting the release of the hostages, and for helping Israel end the suffering of dozens of hostages and their families”.

“The prime minister made it clear that he is committed to returning all the hostages by any means necessary,” it said, before adding that he had also thanked Biden.

Later, the office said an official statement from Netanyahu would “be issued only after the completion of the final details of the agreement, which are being worked on at present”.

Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, said the deal would bring with it “deeply painful” moments and “present significant challenges”, but that it was “the right move”.

The agreement is expected to be approved by the Israeli cabinet, possibly as soon as Thursday morning, despite opposition from Netanyahu’s far-right coalition partners.

Then the names of all the Palestinian prisoners due for release will be made public by the Israeli government, and the families of any victims will be given 48 hours to appeal. Some of the prisoners are serving life sentences after being convicted of murder and terrorism.

Hamas’s chief negotiator and acting Gaza chief, Khalil al-Hayya, said the agreement represented “a milestone in the conflict with the enemy, on the path to achieving our people’s goals of liberation and return”.

The group, he added, would now seek to “rebuild Gaza again, alleviate the pain, heal the wounds”.

But he also warned “we will not forget, and we will not forgive” the suffering inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza.

Supporters of the Israeli hostages’ families also celebrated in Tel Aviv. Reuters.

As news of the agreement emerged, pictures showed people cheering and waving Palestinian flags in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah and southern city of Khan Younis.

Sanabel, a 17-year-old girl living to the north in Gaza City, told BBC OS: “All of us are delighted.”

“We have been waiting for this for a long time,” she said. “Finally, I will put my head on my pillow without worrying… It is time to heal.”

Nawara al-Najjar, whose husband was among more than 70 people killed when Israeli forces launched an operation to rescue two hostages, said: “After the ceasefire I want to give my children the best life.”

“I want them to get over the fear we lived. My children are really scared. The terror has settled in their hearts.”

Sharone Lifschitz is a British-Israeli woman whose 84-year-old father Oded is among the remaining hostages. Her mother, Yocheved, was also abducted in the 7 October attack but was released after several weeks in captivity.

She told the BBC in London as news of the deal came through that it felt “like a bit of sanity”, but she admitted: “I know that the chances for my dad are very slim.”

“He’s an elderly man, but miracles do happen. My mum did come back, and one way or another, we will know. We will know if he’s still with us, if we can look after him.”

She warned: “There are more graves to come and traumatised people to come back, but we will look after them and make them see light again… May this be the start of something better.”

Moshe Lavi, the brother in-law of Omri Miran, a 47-year-old father-of-two young children, told the BBC that it was “a very mixed day for most families of hostages”.

“We want to see our families come home from their mass captivity. But we also understand that this is a phase deal. Only the first phase was agreed upon,” he said.

“We’ll have to keep fighting, keep advocating as families with all leaders with our own government to understand they have to release all the hostages.”

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the “priority now must be to ease the tremendous suffering caused by this conflict”.

(BBC)

January 15, 2025
Netanyahu Uses UN Speech To Warn Iran And Hezbollah Of Israel’s ‘Long Arm’

Israel is “fighting for its life,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly Friday, that showed his intention to press on with a military campaign against Hezbollah and Hamas despite growing international pressure for a ceasefire with both groups.

“We face savage enemies who seek our annihilation,” Netanyahu said, issuing stark warnings to Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah that Israel would continue fighting Tehran and its proxies for as long as they remain a threat.

“I have a message for the tyrants of Tehran: If you strike us, we will strike you,” Netanyahu declared. “There is no place in Iran that the long arm of Israel cannot reach, and that’s true of the entire Middle East.”

He reiterated his position that the war in Gaza would only end with the elimination of Hamas, which he said would have no role in post-war Gaza.

A day after Israel rejected a US-backed call for a ceasefire with Hezbollah, Netanyahu did not mention the plan but vowed to defeat the group, dimming allies’ hopes of preventing an all-out war in the region.

“Israel has been tolerating this intolerable situation for nearly a year,” he said. “Well, I’ve come here today to say enough is enough.” Netanyahu said.

Netanyahu said he is committed to “a historic peace agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” vowing to do “everything in my power to make it happen.”

Many UN delegates left the chamber in protest as Netanyahu began to speak, and the UN chair had to repeatedly call for order in the chamber. Netanyahu, who famously hates the United Nations, repeatedly attacked the UN General Assembly, referring to it as an “anti-semitic swamp.”

September 27, 2024
Lebanon Becoming ‘another Gaza’: UN Chief Tells Member States

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned member states Tuesday about Lebanon “becoming another Gaza” amid escalating tensions with Israel.

Highlighting the “epic transformation” that the world is facing, Guterres addressed member states during the opening of the 79th UN General Assembly at New York headquarters.

“Our world is in a whirlwind. We are in an era of epic transformation — facing challenges unlike any we have ever seen — challenges that demand global solutions,” said Guterres, adding that “geo-political divisions keep deepening.”

Drawing attention to global warming, the UN chief said that “wars rage with no clue how they will end.”

He underscored the threat of nuclear posturing and “new weapons cast a dark shadow.”

“We are edging towards the unimaginable, a powder keg that risks engulfing the world,” he said.

Guterres grounded his speech in two key realities: that the current global state of affairs is “unsustainable” and the challenges facing the world are “solvable.”

“The level of impunity in the world is politically indefensible and morally intolerable,” he stressed, lamenting that many governments feel entitled to disregard international laws, human rights conventions and UN resolutions.

“They can invade another country, lay waste to whole societies, or utterly disregard the welfare of their own people. And nothing will happen,” he said, noting that the “impunity” can be seen in the Middle East, Europe, Africa and beyond.

On the Middle East, Guterres observed that “Gaza is a non-stop nightmare that threatens to take the entire region with it. Look no further than Lebanon.”

Saying all states should be “alarmed by the escalation” between Lebanon and Israel, he said. “Lebanon is at the brink.”

“The people of Lebanon, the people of Israel, and the people of the world cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza,” he said.

He denounced the collective punishment of Palestinians, reiterating his demand for an immediate cease-fire and the start of a two-state solution.

“The speed and scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza are unlike anything in my years as secretary-general. More than 200 of our own staff have been killed, many with their families,” he said.

Guterres contrasted the current global disorder with the more structured tensions of the Cold War era.

“For all its perils, the Cold War had rules. There were hotlines, red lines, and guardrails,” he said, but now, the world is in a “purgatory of polarity” with many countries acting unaccountably in the absence of a stable world order.

– ‘Fragmentation is inevitable’ without UN reform

Guterres highlighted global inequality and the urgency of reforming institutions like the UN Security Council and the financial system.

“The United Nations Security Council was designed by the victors of the Second World War. Most of Africa was still under colonial domination,” he said, noting that Africa has no permanent seat until today.

He stated that “those with political and economic power, and those who believe they have power, are always reluctant to change.”

Guterres warned that “without reform, fragmentation is inevitable, and global institutions will become less legitimate, less credible, and less effective.”

He also pointed to the dual existential threats of climate change and artificial intelligence.

“We are in a climate meltdown,” he said, stressing that the poorest are hardest-hit.

Warning about the risk of artificial intelligence (AI) creating global divisions, if not managed properly, Guterres said: “The rapid rise of new technologies poses another unpredictable existential risk.”

“The people of the world are looking to us,” he said, urging nations to pursue justice, accountability and reform to steer the world toward a more sustainable future.

September 24, 2024
Four Israeli Hostages Freed From Gaza

Four hostages kidnapped by Hamas from the Nova music festival during the 7 October attacks have been rescued in a daylight raid deep in central Gaza.

Noa Argamani, 26, Almog Meir Jan, 22, Andrei Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41, were freed during a “high-risk, complex mission” from two separate buildings in the Nuseirat area, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The IDF said the four are in good medical condition and have been transferred to the ‘Sheba’ Tel-HaShomer Medical Center for further medical examinations – where they have been pictured embracing family members waiting at the facility.

Dozens of people, including children, have been killed and injured in the area where the operation took place, with images and footage showing significant numbers of casualties.

Staff at the Al-Aqsa hospital are said to be struggling to treat the casualties.

‘Precise intelligence’

The rare rescue of hostages – a joint operation conducted by the IDF, Israel Security Agency and Israel Police – comes eight months into war with Hamas in Gaza.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said the mission was based on “precise” intelligence and that Israeli forces came under fire during the operation.

In a televised news conference, Mr Hagari said one Israeli soldier had been badly hurt.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Israeli forces for operating “creatively and bravely”.

“We will not let up until we complete the mission and return home all the hostages – both those alive and dead,” he added.

Miss Argamani, a Chinese-born Israeli citizen, was kidnapped from the Nova festival and harrowing video footage from 7 October showed the 25-year-old being taken away on the back of a motorbike screaming, “Don’t kill me!”

Fresh video of her being reunited with her father, smiling and embracing him on board a vehicle, was broadcast soon after news of the rescue operation on Saturday.

Mr Kozlov, a Russian who moved to Israel in 2022, had been working as a security guard at the festival when he was kidnapped.

Mr Jan tried to flee the festival. He and a friend made it to the friend’s car but only managed to drive a short distance before being forced to stop.

Mr Ziv was part of the security detail at the festival and was initially in contact with his sisters as the attack unfolded, according to an interview with The Times of Israel.

Andrey Kozlov is a Russian-Israeli who worked in security at the music festival from where he was kidnapped on 7 October. Getty Images.

The Hostages Families Forum Headquarters, a group representing the families of the hostages, described the rescue of the four hostages as “a miraculous triumph,” and thanked the IDF for the “heroic operation”.

The group added: “The Israeli government must remember its commitment to bring back all 120 hostages still held by Hamas — the living for rehabilitation, the murdered for burial.”

In response to the military offensive in Nuseirat, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said Israel could not force its choices on the group.

He said the group would not agree a ceasefire deal unless it achieved security for Palestinians.

During its 7 October attacks in southern Israel Hamas killed about 1,200 people and took some 251 people.

Some 116 remain in the Palestinian territory, including 41 the army says are dead.

A deal agreed in November saw Hamas release 105 hostages in return for a week-long ceasefire and some 240 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

On Saturday, the Hamas-run health ministry said the death toll in Gaza is now 36,801 people.

June 8, 2024
Governor Warns BIDCO Of Breaking UN Resolutions In Doing Business With Israel And Fueling Genocide

Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyongo sent what many now view as a direct threat to Bidco Africa CEO Vimal Shah while weighing in on the Israel-Gaza conflict,the urging Kenyan manufacturer Bidco to halt business with Israel. Though Nyong’o didn’t call for repercussions, his intent could be a call to boycott the company’s products something that is now becoming a common pressure on multinational companies dealing with Israel.

In a statement on Tuesday, February 19, Governor Nyongo said Israel, which has mounted a large-scale attack on Gaza, that has killed at least 25,000 Palestinians, is already facing global condemnation over what many have termed genocide.

The war on gaza has also displaced thousands, with figures from the United Nations (UN), saying at least 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced, with thousands bearing injuries.

Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o.

Governor Nyong’o revealed that Bidco held a secret meeting with Israel and are in the process to seal a multibillion deal with the warring country and now demands that Bidco pulls out of the deal which arose from a meeting between an Israeli Economic and Trade Mission and Bidco Group Chairman, Mr Vimal Shah, in Kenya last week.

“Last week, an Israeli Economic and Trade Mission was in Kenya to meet Bidco Group Chairman, Mr Vimal Shah during which they discussed collaboration with Israeli companies in the FMCG sectors,” Governor Nyongo said.

“We are calling our brother Vimal to restrain his company from taking this move in line with the decisions taken by the United Nations Organization and the International Court of Justice.”

The Kisumu County boss stated that the only way to resolve the conflict between the two countries is to adopt a two-state solution.

Opposition Leader Raila Odinga.

This won’t be the first time that the company is targeted by the opposition and human rights groups, following disputed 2018 presidential election, National Super Alliance (Nasa) leader Raila Odinga called for a boycott of Bidco Oil products accusing the company of working with the Uhuru Kenyatta regime that they accused of rigging the elections followed by police violence against opposition protesters and in-line infringing on the rights of Kenyan citizens. Odinga also called for the boycott of other companies including Safaricom, Brookside and Haco.

Former Isiolo Deputy Governor, Simba Guleid calls for boycott of Bidco products.

Bidco Group deals in a range of household products from cooking oil to soap and also animal feed products.

Similar tribulations have also hit the company in the neighboring country in Uganda where petition by Bugala Farmers’ Association asked the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to cut ties with the cooking oil firm. They pointed out Bidco Africa’s failure to comply with court orders to compensate farmers for their land; and the company’s labour practices in East Africa and the firm’s alleged tax evasion in Kenya and deforestation of land for its palm oil production in Uganda.

Vimal however dismissed the claims of his firm ripping off farmers in Uganda terming the claims as baseless and malicious.

War in Gaza

Meanwhile, except for Hungary, all EU countries called for a “immediate humanitarian pause” in the Gaza war on Monday, according to foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

The European Union has struggled for a united response on Israel’s military operation following the October 7 attack by Hamas.

But Borrell said foreign ministers from 26 states had agreed a statement calling for “an immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a sustainable ceasefire”.

The EU countries also reiterated their calls for Israel not to launch an assault on the Gaza city of Rafah, which has become the main shelter zone in the stricken territory.

Other EU nations such as Germany have been reluctant until now to call for an “immediate” halt in Israel’s operations. It has not wanted to be seen backing any move that could limit Israel’s right to defend itself.

Previously, UN human rights officials listed firms doing business in the West Bank are supporting the Israeli occupation of internationally recognized Palestinian territory. Israel said the UN is advocating a boycott.

This followed the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) call for a database listing all businesses supporting the settlements or engaging in “specific activities related to Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory.”

According to the HRC, the businesses listed are involved in activities that “raise human rights concerns,” including facilitating settlement construction or providing security services, banking and demolition equipment.

Following the Israel invasion of Gaza, several global companies have stopped trading with Israel with mounting calls for product boycotts of companies dealing with Israel who’re seen to be fueling the conflict and destruction of Gaza.

Photo showing the destruction of Gaza Strip by Israeli forces. (Before and after).

The war started when Hamas launched its unprecedented attack of October 7 that left about 1,160 people dead in southern Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.

Over 29,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in the Israel military operation in Gaza, the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory says.

Hamas, considered a “terrorist” group by the United States, EU and other governments, also took about 250 hostages — 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 30 presumed dead, according to Israel.

Israel has warned that, unless Hamas frees all hostages, it will push on with its offensive during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, including in Rafah.

February 20, 2024