Netanyahu calls Australia PM 'weak politician who betrayed Israel'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese as a "weak politician" on Tuesday, amid an ongoing row between the two countries after Canberra declared it would recognize a Palestinian state.
"History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia's Jews," read a post on the official X account of Netanyahu's office.
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Nahar Net
2 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Syrian, Israeli diplomats meet in Paris as US pushes for normalizing ties
by Naharnet Newsdesk 20 August 2025, 10:25 Syria's foreign minister held a rare direct meeting with an Israeli delegation in Paris on Tuesday, talks that were brokered by the United States as part of a diplomatic push for Syria and Israel to normalize relations despite a recent surge in tensions between them. Syria's state-run SANA news agency said Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met with Israeli officials to discuss de-escalating tensions and restoring a 1974 ceasefire agreement — a deal that established a demilitarized separation zone between Israeli and Syrian forces and stationed a U.N. peacekeeping force to maintain calm. The statement gave no details on the outcome of the Paris meeting. But a senior Trump administration official, who was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter, confirmed the talks. "The United States continues to support any efforts that will bring lasting stability and peace between Israel and its neighbors," the official told The Associated Press, adding that the backing follows President Donald Trump's outlined "vision of a prosperous Middle East" that includes a "stable Syria at peace with itself and its neighbors — including Israel." "We want to do everything we can to help achieve that," the official added. The long road to normalization In the past, Syrian officials have acknowledged holding indirect talks with Israel to defuse tensions, but this was the first time they acknowledged taking part in direct negotiations. There was no immediate confirmation of the meeting from Israel. Tensions have soared between the two neighbors following the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad in December in a lightning rebel offensive led by Islamist insurgents. Shortly after Assad's overthrow, Israeli forces seized control of the U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in Syria set up under the 1974 agreement and carried out airstrikes on military sites in what officials said was aimed at creating a demilitarized zone south of Damascus. Israel has said it will not allow hostile forces to establish themselves along the frontier, as Iranian-backed groups did during Assad's rule. It distrusts Syria's new government, which is led by former Islamist insurgents. Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaida commander who severed ties with the militant group years ago, has pledged to build a new country that respects the rights of minorities, but sectarian violence has erupted on a number of occasions, raising concerns about Syria's fragile transition. Sectarian clashes and Druze grievances Israel stepped up its intervention when violence erupted in Syria's Sweida province last month between Bedouin clans and government forces on one side and armed groups from the Druze religious minority on the other. During the fighting, some government forces allegedly killed Druze civilians, including a medical worker in a hospital in Sweida — an incident that was caught on video — and a U.S. citizen. Other videos circulating online have shown fighters forcibly shaving the mustaches off Druze sheikhs, or religious leaders, and stepping on Druze flags and photographs of religious clerics. The Syrian government has said it is investigating the allegations. The conflict then prompted airstrikes against Syrian forces by Israel before a truce — mediated by the U.S., Turkey and Arab countries — halted most of the fighting. Israel said it was acting to protect the Druze, who are seen as a loyal minority in Israel and often serve in the military. Israel launched dozens of airstrikes on convoys of Syrian forces around Sweida and struck the headquarters of the Syrian Ministry of Defense in the heart of Damascus, Syria's capital. Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed the strategic plateau in a move that has only been recognized by the United States. The rest of the international community views the Golan as occupied Syrian territory. A US envoy holds talks Earlier on Tuesday, U.S. envoy to Syria Tom Barrack posted on X that he had held a "warm and informative meeting" with Moafaq Tarif, the spiritual leader of Druze in Israel, and that the two discussed "how to bring together the interests of all parties, de-escalate tensions, and build understanding." Tarif described the meeting as "excellent" and said the Druze want American assistance with an end to the blockade of Sweida and humanitarian aid for the people there, the return of the Druze who were kidnapped during the fighting, as well as American assurances of Druze security. Though the fighting has largely calmed down, Syrian government forces have surrounded the southern city of Sweida, named after the province, and the Druze have said that little aid is getting in, describing the situation as a siege. While the Druze in Syria have historically been wary of Israel, an increasing number are now open to seeking Israeli assistance. Hundreds demonstrated in Sweida on Saturday to demand the right to self determination for the Druze minority, with some protesters waving Israeli flags. Videos and photos of the spectacle circulating on social media sparked outrage from many other Syrians, who accused the protesters of being traitors.
Nahar Net
2 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Israel defense minister approves plan to conquer Gaza City
Israel's defense minister has approved a plan for the conquest of Gaza City and authorized the call-up of around 60,000 reservists to carry it out, his ministry confirmed on Wednesday. Defense Minister Israel Katz's move, confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson, piled pressure on Hamas as mediators pushing for a ceasefire in the nearly two-year war in Gaza awaited an official Israeli response on their latest proposal. While mediator Qatar had expressed guarded optimism over the latest proposal, a senior Israeli official said the government stood firm on its call for the release of all hostages in any agreement. The framework that Hamas had approved proposes an initial 60-day truce, a staggered hostage release, the freeing of some Palestinian prisoners and provisions allowing for the entry of aid into Gaza. Israel and Hamas have held on-and-off indirect negotiations throughout the war, resulting in two short truces during which Israeli hostages were released in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The latest truce proposal came after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to conquer Gaza City, despite fears it will worsen the already catastrophic humanitarian crisis. Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have mediated the frequent rounds of shuttle diplomacy. Qatar said the latest proposal was "almost identical" to an earlier version agreed by Israel, while Egypt said Monday that "the ball is now in its (Israel's) court". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to publicly comment on the plan, but said last week that his country would accept "an agreement in which all the hostages are released at once and according to our conditions for ending the war". Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi said on social media that his group had "opened the door wide to the possibility of reaching an agreement, but the question remains whether Netanyahu will once again close it, as he has done in the past". - 'White gold' - The latest truce proposal came as Netanyahu faces increasing pressure at home and abroad. In Gaza, the civil defense agency reported Israeli strikes and fire killed 48 people across the territory on Tuesday. Agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal told AFP the situation was "very dangerous and unbearable" in the Zeitoun and Sabra neighborhoods of Gaza City, where he said "shelling continues intermittently". The Israeli military declined to comment on specific troop movements, saying only that it was "operating to dismantle Hamas military capabilities" and took "feasible precautions to mitigate civilian harm". The military later said a strike in Khan Younis overnight targeted a Hamas militant. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties accessing swathes of the Palestinian territory mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defense agency or the Israeli military. In the Zikim area of northern Gaza on Tuesday, an AFP journalist saw Palestinians hauling sacks of food aid along dusty roads lined with rubble and damaged buildings. Gazan Shawg Al-Badri said it took "three to four hours" to carry flour, what she called "white gold", back to her family's tent. "This bag is worth the whole world," she said. Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's offensive has killed at least 62,064 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza, which the United Nations considers reliable.
LBCI
11 hours ago
- LBCI
Elysee calls Netanyahu antisemitism claim 'abject', 'erroneous'
France on Tuesday slammed as "abject" and "erroneous" Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's accusation of antisemitism against President Emmanuel Macron's move to recognise a Palestinian state. France "protects and will always protect its Jewish citizens", the Elysee said, adding that a letter from Netanyahu containing his allegation "will not go unanswered." "This is a time for seriousness and responsibility, not for conflation and manipulation," the Elysee added. AFP
