Iran's deputy FM: Held serious talks with Europeans, consultations to continue
He added that Iran reiterated its principled positions, including on the snapback sanctions mechanism, and that it was agreed that consultations on the matter would continue.
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Arab News
42 minutes ago
- Arab News
Netherlands bars two hard-line Israeli ministers
AMSTERDAM: The Netherlands has declared Israel's finance and national security ministers persona non grata for inciting violence and urging ethnic cleansing in Gaza. In June, the Netherlands backed a failed Swedish proposal to impose EU sanctions on Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. 'They repeatedly incited settler violence against Palestinians, promoted illegal settlement expansion, and called for ethnic cleansing in Gaza,' Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told parliament in a letter released late Monday. Smotrich responded on X, saying European leaders had succumbed to 'the lies of radical Islam that is taking over' and 'rising antisemitism.' Ben-Gvir said he would continue to act for Israel, even if he was banned from entering 'all of Europe.' 'In a place where terrorism is tolerated and terrorists are welcomed, a Jewish minister from Israel is unwanted, terrorists are free, and Jews are boycotted,' he wrote on X. Veldkamp said the Netherlands wanted to 'relieve the suffering of the population in Gaza' and was exploring further ways to contribute to humanitarian aid. 'Airdrops of food are relatively expensive and risky,' he said. 'This is why the Netherlands is also taking steps to further support land-based aid delivery.' Aid drops resumed in Gaza on Sunday as Israel announced temporary humanitarian pauses in parts of the besieged territory. Around 2.4 million Palestinians in Gaza are facing what UN aid agencies have warned is a deadly wave of starvation and malnutrition. The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) said on Tuesday that famine is unfolding across much of Gaza, with thresholds breached and over 20,000 children treated for acute malnutrition since April. Veldkamp said the Netherlands would push to suspend the trade element of the EU-Israel Association Agreement if Israel fails to meet its humanitarian obligations. 'The summons will also be used to remind Israel to comply with its obligations under international humanitarian law,' he said. After speaking by phone with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the government's position was 'crystal clear.' 'The people of Gaza must be given immediate, unfettered, safe access to humanitarian aid,' he said. Israel's foreign ministry said Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Sa'ar had summoned the Dutch ambassador Marriët Schuurman to Jersualem for a formal reprimand on Tuesday afternoon. 'The conversation will take place in light of the Dutch government's decisions to take measures against Israel, including against its right to defend itself and against ministers in its government,' the ministry said in a statement. The war in Gaza was sparked by Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's retaliatory campaign has killed 59,921 Palestinians, also mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
Leaders
5 hours ago
- Leaders
Netherlands Imposes Travel Bans on Israeli Ministers, Summons Ambassador
The Dutch government announced plans to summon the Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands to condemn what it described as the 'unbearable and indefensible' situation in Gaza and has also imposed travel bans on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, according to Reuters. Accusations of 'Ethnic Cleansing' The government has accused both Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians and urging for an 'ethnic cleansing' of the Gaza strip. Therefore, the Netherlands has imposed travel bans on both ministers and they will no longer be allowed to enter the country. The government also supported the European Union's recommendation to curb Israeli access to its flagship research funding program. Meanwhile, it would urge for imposing European trade sanctions if Israel was found to be violating its agreement with the EU on increasing aid supplies. Decisive European Moves This move follows similar decisions last month by several countries, including Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway. Moreover, Slovenia declared both Israeli ministers persona non grata two weeks ago. The Slovenian government has accused both ministers of making 'genocidal statements' and inciting violence against Palestinians. 'Today, the government adopted one of the first national measures, which is to declare two Israeli ministers… unwanted in the Republic of Slovenia,' Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said in a news conference. Slovenia's government issued a statement saying both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich 'publicly advocate the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the forced evictions of Palestinians, and call for violence against the civilian Palestinian population'. Gaza's Humanitarian Crisis This international pressure on Israel comes at a crucial time as violence against Palestinians in the West Bank is growing with increasing number of killings and attacks by settlers and security forces. At the same time, the starvation crisis in Gaza is worsening with dozens of Gazans including children dying due to malnutrition throughout the 21 months of war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed more than 59,000 Palestinians and wounded over 142,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Related Topics: UAE, Jordan Airlift Humanitarian Airdrops over Gaza amid Starvation Crisis Canada Condemns Israel over Gaza's 'Humanitarian Disaster' Gaza Talks at Crossroads: US Pulls Negotiators as Mediators Report Progress Short link : Post Views: 20
Leaders
5 hours ago
- Leaders
Israeli Strikes Kill 30 as Trump Acknowledges Starvation in Gaza
Israeli airstrikes killed at least 30 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, in the Nuseirat refugee camp. This comes hours after the US President, Donald Trump, acknowledged that many people in Gaza are starving, vowing to establish food centers to provide humanitarian assistance to the devastated enclave. Killing Civilians On Tuesday, the Gaza Civil Defense Agency said that at least 30 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed by Israeli airstrikes in the central Nuseirat district, reported AFP. According to the civil defense's spokesman, Mahmud Bassal, the Israeli strikes took place overnight and into the morning. They targeted 'a number of citizens' homes' in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Meanwhile, the local Al-Awda hospital said it had received the bodies of 30 Palestinians, including 14 women and 12 children. Starvation in Gaza Trump on Monday acknowledged the starvation in Gaza, saying that Israel could do more on humanitarian access, according to Reuters. The US President's comments came as famine spreads across Gaza and several hundreds of Palestinians have been killed while trying to reach food distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). US President Donald Trump During his visit to Scotland, Trump said that Israel assumes a lot of responsibility for aid flows, suggesting that many people could be saved. 'You have a lot of starving people,' Trump said. 'We're going to set up food centers,' to ease access, he said, adding that the US would collaborate with other countries to provide more humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, including food and sanitation. More details on the food centers would be revealed soon, according to a White House spokesperson. Opposing Views With these remarks, Trump seems to be at odds with the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who dismissed reports about starvation in Gaza. 'There is no starvation in Gaza, no policy of starvation in Gaza, and I assure you that we have a commitment to achieve our war goals,' he posted on X on Monday. 'We will continue to fight till we achieve the release of our hostages and the destruction of Hamas' military and governing capabilities,' he added. Later on Monday, however, Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying that Israel 'will continue to work with international agencies as well as the US and European nations to ensure that large amounts of humanitarian aid flows into the Gaza Strip.' Famine Unfolding Starvation and malnutrition are claiming more lives in Gaza, as the death toll from war is nearing 60,000, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. It said on Monday that at least 14 people had died in the past 24 hours of starvation and malnutrition, bringing the war's death toll from hunger to 147, including 88 children. Gaza Similarly, the World Food Program (WFP) said that around 47,000 Gazans are facing famine-like conditions, including 90,000 women and children in need of urgent nutrition treatments. Meanwhile, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed monitor, warned on Tuesday that the 'worst-case scenario of famine' is 'now unfolding' in Gaza, reported AFP. Tactical Pauses Under increasing international pressure to prevent famine in Gaza, Israel on Sunday announced 'tactical pauses' to fighting across three areas in Gaza: Muwasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm local time to allow aid delivery. It also announced other measures including the resumption of airdrops into Gaza and establishing safe corridors for aid convoys. However, humanitarian groups have criticized aid airdrops as expensive, inefficient and dangerous for those on the ground. Insufficient Aid Flows On Tuesday, the IPC said airdrops 'will not be enough to reverse the humanitarian catastrophe.' It added that only 'immediate, unimpeded' humanitarian access into Gaza can stop rapidly rising 'starvation and death.' Aid truck entering Gaza Furthermore, the WFP said that 60 aid trucks had been dispatched but they are still short of the needed target. 'Our target at the moment, every day is to get 100 trucks into Gaza,' the WFP Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, Samer AbdelJaber, told Reuters. The WFP also said it has 170,000 metric tons of food ready outside Gaza, enough to feed the Strip's entire population for three months, once it secures the permission to enter the enclave. Short link : Post Views: 19
