Palestinian Authority condemns approval of West Bank settlement
Earlier on Wednesday, far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich described the project as 'erasing' a Palestinian state 'not with slogans but with actions'.
The PA's foreign ministry said in a statement that the approval of the project in the area known as E1 "fragments... geographic and demographic unity, entrenching the division of the occupied West Bank into isolated areas and cantons that are disconnected from one another, turning them into something akin to real prisons."
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Middle East Eye
an hour ago
- Middle East Eye
France and UK's recognition ploy on Palestine is too little, too late
In recent weeks, the depressing European political discourse on Gaza - and more generally, on the right of Palestinians to self-determination - has cast a few rays of light onto a dismal situation. France, followed by the UK and Canada, formally announced its intentions to fully recognise a Palestinian state next month. The first two countries share the biggest historical responsibility for the mayhem endured by the Middle East and its people after the tragic decisions they took a century ago: from the 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement, to the 1917 Balfour Declaration, to the 1919 Treaty of Versailles and its fallout. If legal rights had real value, and had the countries of the region been braver and savvier, these two top colonial powers would have been buried under a long overdue class-action lawsuit worth billions of dollars for the immense damage they have inflicted on the Middle East. It is a tragic law of history that the most culpable often escape the punishment they well deserve. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In the meantime, if France and Britain follow through on their vow to recognise Palestine when the UN General Assembly meets next month, it is difficult to say whether this long-delayed act of justice would improve their respective political standings. French President Emmanuel Macron, whose approval ratings are low and who has little to show for his historical legacy, might be hoping to boost his popularity among the country's large and vocal Muslim minority. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also dealing with plummeting support for the Labour Party - so much so that roughly 18 percent of Britons would consider voting for a new party led by former leader Jeremy Corbyn. Disastrously packaged gesture In addition, rather than justifying his overdue decision as what it is - a century-late act of justice - Starmer presented it as a lever to deploy if Israel fails to bring an end to the atrocities it has been carrying out in Gaza. Legal experts are unanimous that this is a genocide. If his clumsy intent was to make everyone happy, Starmer may find it has the opposite effect. Powerful pro-Israel lobbying groups in the UK will not forgive him, while the growing pro-Palestinian movement will see it for what it is: a disastrously packaged gesture. Follow Middle East Eye's live coverage of the Israel-Palestine war Israel and the US have reacted with fury to these developments, wrongly suggesting that the recognition of a Palestinian state would 'reward terror', while setting back the 'peace process'. And yet, three decades after the Oslo Accords, ostensibly designed to bring about that goal, it appears further away than ever, as Israel moves to annex more and more of the land that was supposed to form a Palestinian state. Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has said as much. He responded to the recent flurry of recognition announcements by telling the BBC: 'It's not going to happen. There will be no state to recognise.' Indeed, the US and Israel do not consider the recognition of a Palestinian state to be a long-overdue act of justice that fulfills the Palestinian people's inalienable right to self-determination. Rather, it is nothing more than a bargaining chip - and Israel must always have the last word. Instead of sanctioning Israel, the West is retreating into the fantasy of a 'virtual state' Read More » Only when Israel is satisfied with the conditions attached to the creation of a Palestinian state would this ever be allowed to happen - which, in the current political climate, likely means never. Until a few months ago, this twisted logic was shared by major European powers - but as images of starving children in Gaza became impossible to ignore, some have finally started to shift their approach. The real test, however, will not be whether these promises to recognise Palestine are ultimately fulfilled. Rather, it will be in what European democracies are ready to do to stop the ongoing massacre in Gaza, alongside the accelerating annexation, dispossession and deadly settler provocations in the occupied West Bank. Beyond shedding crocodile tears, are they willing to halt all military assistance to Israel and adopt sanctions against it, with the same zeal displayed against Russia - and following the example of smaller states like Ireland and Slovenia? Just this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu levelled harsh new accusations against France over its decision to recognise Palestine, saying the move fuelled antisemitism (and finally getting the scorn he deserved from Paris in response). At the same time, Hamas has formally accepted the latest Gaza ceasefire proposal presented by mediators Egypt and Qatar. While these might seem to be encouraging signals, neither will end the ordeal facing Palestinians - especially as the US and Israel continue to dig in their heels, with President Donald Trump on Tuesday asserting that both he and Netanyahu were 'war heroes'. This bizarre inversion of reality does not bode well for the future of Gaza. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Turkey bars Israel-linked ships after Hague Group pledge
Turkey has imposed new restrictions on Israeli-owned and linked ships, barring them from visiting the country's ports, a senior Turkish official told Middle East Eye. Reuters reported that Turkish port authorities this week began informally requiring shipping agents to submit letters declaring that vessels are not connected to Israel and are not carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for Turkish ports. The report added that vessel owners, managers and operators must have no ties to Israel, and that certain types of cargo, including explosives, radioactive materials or military equipment, cannot be on board if en route to Israel. Bloomberg, meanwhile, reported that Turkish-flagged ships have also been barred from calling at Israeli ports. A senior Turkish official confirmed to MEE that Ankara has taken these moves against Israel as part of its punitive steps over the genocide in Gaza. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters In May 2024, Ankara suspended its $8bn bilateral trade with Israel in response to Israel's war on Gaza. This prompted Turkish companies to use third countries, such as Greece or Palestine, to continue shipping goods to Israel. That loophole was closed in November, when Turkey introduced a three-stage process for companies exporting to Palestine. Under the new rules, businesses must obtain approval from the Palestinian economy ministry before completing transactions. The latest shipping restrictions follow Ankara's announcement last month that it was taking up six measures against Israel, in line with The Hague Group's joint statement from the Bogota Emergency Conference on Palestine. Sanctions pledge The Hague Group, a bloc of eight countries consisting of Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Honduras, Malaysia, Namibia, Senegal and South Africa, was launched on 31 January in The Hague with the stated goal of holding Israel accountable under international law. Turkey became the first country to formally endorse the commitments adopted at the summit on 16 July. The Bogota conference, which convened several countries in an effort to halt the Gaza genocide and hold Israel to account, concluded with a joint declaration calling for international sanctions and legal accountability for what participants described as 'grave violations of international law'. Colombia summit: What's next for The Hague Group? Read More » The six measures include suspending military exports to Israel, refusing transit of Israeli weapons through Turkish ports and airspace, and reviewing all public contracts to block state institutions and pension funds from supporting Israeli companies or the occupation of Palestinian territories. The declaration further commits signatory states to preventing the provision of dual-use items to Israel and to ensure that local industries do not supply materials that could facilitate genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity or other violations of international law. It also calls on states to prohibit the transit, docking and servicing of Israeli vessels at their ports where there is a clear risk of the vessels carrying arms, munitions, military fuel, related equipment or dual-use goods to Israel, while remaining compliant with international law. The Bogota summit, co-hosted by Colombia and South Africa, brought together representatives from more than 30 countries across Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. It marked the most coordinated diplomatic effort yet by a coalition of states opposing Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Turkish-Israeli relations deteriorated sharply last year after Turkey joined South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide and began mobilising international platforms to build an alliance against the Israeli onslaught.
Middle East Eye
2 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Hamas says Israel ignoring truce efforts by launching new Gaza assault
Hamas has accused Israel of ignoring mediators' efforts to reach a ceasefire by launching a new assault in Gaza City, believed to mark the first phase of the full occupation of the Strip. In a statement on Wednesday, the Palestinian movement described the latest ground attack - dubbed 'Gideon's Chariots II' by Israel - as a 'new act of genocide' against Palestinian civilians and a 'deliberate disregard for the efforts of the mediators'. Hamas said it had agreed to the latest ceasefire proposal put forward earlier this week by mediators Qatar and Egypt. The agreement calls for a 60-day truce, during which negotiations for a permanent end to the war would begin. It also includes the release of nearly half of the remaining captives held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Israel has not officially responded to the proposal. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters 'We had agreed to the latest proposal put forward by the mediators, but the occupation government continues its aggression in a failed attempt to break our people's will,' Hamas said. 'We affirm that this operation will fail, just as previous ones have, and we hold the occupation and the US administration fully responsible for its consequences.' The statement came shortly after the Israeli army spokesman Effie Defrin said that they had begun "preliminary operations in Gaza City" ahead of a major new offensive aimed at occuping the city. 'We had agreed to the latest proposal put forward by the mediators, but the occupation government continues its aggression' – Hamas spokesperson Defrin said the Israeli army was "not waiting" and is "already taking control of the outskirts of Gaza City". In recent days, Israel has intensified air strikes and artillery shelling south, east and north of Gaza City. According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces killed at least 70 Palestinians on Wednesday. Overall, Israeli forces have killed more than 62,000 Palestinians since the genocide in Gaza began nearly two years ago, including at least 18,000 children. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to hold a security meeting on Thursday to finalise the Gaza City occupation plan. Ceasefire offer response delayed Elsewhere, Haaretz reported that those close to Netanyahu cannot estimate when he will respond to the latest ceasefire proposal. The deal's outline, which Hamas accepted on Monday, is "almost identical" to what Israel had previously agreed. Israel steps up Gaza bombing as it signals ceasefire deal rejection Read More » Sources involved in the talks indicated that Israel is readying its response under "deliberate secrecy," according to Haaretz. A day after the proposal was accepted by Hamas, Israel's strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer - a close ally of Netanyahu, and the man who heads Israel's negotiating team in ceasefire talks - met with senior Qatari officials in Paris, according to Channel 12. However, Israeli media has reported mixed reactions to the proposal, with some outlets expressing optimism about the deal, while others suggest that Netanyahu is no longer interested in partial agreements. "He understands that a partial deal is not the right thing, and understands that it will be very difficult to resume fighting after a 60-day ceasefire," the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahranoth reported. On Tuesday, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer signalled the rejection of the proposal accepted by Hamas. He told the BBC that "things have changed now. The prime minister has laid out a plan for the future of Gaza."
