Israeli activist slams Trump blaming Boulder attack on Biden border policy
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USA Today
a minute ago
- USA Today
Israel approves settlement plan to erase idea of Palestinian state
JERUSALEM, Aug 20 (Reuters) - A widely condemned Israeli settlement plan that would cut across land that the Palestinians seek for a state received final approval on Wednesday, according to a statement from Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. The approval of the E1 project, which would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, was announced last week by Smotrich and received the final go-ahead from a Defence Ministry planning commission on Wednesday, he said. "With E1, we are delivering finally on what has been promised for years," Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist in the ruling right-wing coalition, said in a statement. "The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions." Restarting the project could further isolate Israel, which has watched some Western allies frustrated by its continuation and planned escalation of the Gaza war announce they may recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September. More: Most Americans in favor of Palestinian state, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds "We condemn the decision taken today on expanding this particular settlement, which … will drive a stake through the heart of the two-state solution," said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. "We call on the government of Israel to halt all settlement activity." The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also condemned the announcement, saying the E1 settlement would isolate Palestinian communities living in the area and undermine the possibility of a two-state solution. British Foreign Minister David Lammy said on X: "If implemented, it would divide a Palestinian state in two, mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution." A German government spokesperson commenting on the announcement told reporters that settlement construction violates international law and "hinders a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented on the E1 announcement. More: 'I'm not sure this helps us much': European countries are recognizing an official Palestinian state However on Sunday, during a visit to Ofra, another West Bank settlement established a quarter of a century ago, he made broader comments, saying: "I said 25 years ago that we will do everything to secure our grip on the Land of Israel, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, to prevent the attempts to uproot us from here. Thank God, what I promised, we have delivered." The two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel. More: Israeli lawmaker launches plan to 'bury' idea of Palestinian state Western capitals and campaign groups have opposed the settlement project due to concerns that it could undermine a future peace deal with the Palestinians. The plan for E1, located adjacent to Maale Adumim and frozen in 2012 and 2020 amid objections from the U.S. and European governments, involves the construction of about 3,400 new housing units. Infrastructure work could begin within a few months, and house building in about a year, according to Israeli advocacy group Peace Now, which tracks settlement activity in the West Bank. Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area and saying the settlements provide strategic depth and security. (Reporting by Lili Bayer and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem, Ali Sawafta in Ramallah, Rachel More in Berlin and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Aidan Lewis, Rod Nickel)
CNN
13 minutes ago
- CNN
Exclusive: CNN asks Egyptian foreign minister about aid into Gaza
Exclusive: CNN asks Egyptian foreign minister about aid into Gaza In an exclusive interview, CNN's Becky Anderson speaks to Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, about the difficulties of getting aid across into Gaza from Egypt. This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that discussions are underway with several countries about taking in displaced Palestinians. 00:59 - Source: CNN Vertical World News 13 videos Exclusive: CNN asks Egyptian foreign minister about aid into Gaza In an exclusive interview, CNN's Becky Anderson speaks to Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdelatty, about the difficulties of getting aid across into Gaza from Egypt. This comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that discussions are underway with several countries about taking in displaced Palestinians. 00:59 - Source: CNN Activists fear China's 'Super Embassy' plans China wants to build a new embassy in the heart of historic London that would be the biggest in Europe. Many locals and activists say it would be a threat to security and privacy, with the UK government set to make a decision on the proposal in the coming days. CNN's Salma Abdelaziz speaks to one political dissident from Hong Kong who fears for her safety if plans are allowed to go ahead. 01:39 - Source: CNN Fireball lights up skies in Japan Cameras captured the moment a ball of light lit up the night sky over parts of Japan. 00:20 - Source: CNN This 95-year-old former prisoner of war wants to return to North Korea Captured during the Korean War and imprisoned for decades for refusing to renounce his political beliefs, 95-year-old Ahn Hak-sop now has a single dying wish: to return to North Korea and be buried alongside his comrades. CNN's Mike Valerio reports from outside the Korean Peninsula's Demilitarized Zone as Ahn tried to enter the North from the South. 01:40 - Source: CNN Hear from aid truck drivers waiting to enter Gaza Thousands of aid trucks are parked near the Rafah border crossing in Egypt, waiting to enter Gaza. Many convoys have remained idle for weeks causing essential food aid to spoil as starvation grips the blockaded strip. CNN Senior News Reporter Mostafa Salem speaks with truck drivers waiting in Rafah to deliver aid to Palestinians. 01:31 - Source: CNN Meet the Japanese 'doctor' who fixes toys for the elderly Fumiyoshi Sumi has repaired hundreds of toys for children. But these days, more and more elderly people are bringing in 'patients" to his toy hospital. 01:10 - Source: CNN Zelensky prepares for White House meeting In the wake of the Alaska summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, European leaders joined Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky for a conference call ahead of the leader's meeting with the US president at the White House on Monday. 01:24 - Source: CNN Nationwide demonstrations across Israel demanding hostage deal A planned nationwide strike in Israel on Sunday saw hundreds of thousands take part to call on the government to bring the remaining hostages in Gaza home. CNN's Oren Liebermann reports from Tel Aviv. 01:23 - Source: CNN Witkoff hopeful of trilateral meeting US envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN's Jake Tapper he believes a trilateral meeting between Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, and Vladimir Putin is possible. 00:39 - Source: CNN Canadian government orders end to Air Canada strike After more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike seeking wage increases and paid compensation for work when planes are on the ground, the Canada Industrial Relations Board has ordered them to return to work according to an announcement by Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu. 01:05 - Source: CNN Hong Kong's poorly housed bear the brunt of climate change Climate change is making Hong Kong's summers hotter. Yet tens of thousands of residents remain sardined into homes smaller than a parking space, where staying cool is a luxury few can afford as the climate warms. In small, enclosed spaces with little ventilation or cooling, indoor temperatures can soar past 100°F (37.7°C), posing serious health risks for the city's most vulnerable. 01:31 - Source: CNN London's toxic trash 'volcano' Arnolds Field landfill on Launders Lane in east London is better known to locals as the 'Rainham volcano.' The site was used as an illegal dump for years and now, every summer, it bursts into flames, sending plumes of acrid smoke over nearby homes, parks and schools. CNN's Laura Paddison speaks to residents who feel abandoned and trapped. 02:05 - Source: CNN Protesters condemn 'no deal' outcome of Trump-Putin talks Protesters in Alaska said they're not surprised that President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't reach a deal on the war in Ukraine. 01:08 - Source: CNN
USA Today
31 minutes ago
- USA Today
Most Americans in favor of Palestinian state, Reuters/Ipsos poll finds
WASHINGTON, Aug 20 (Reuters) - A 58% majority of Americans believe that every country in the United Nations should recognize Palestine as a nation, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, as Israel and Hamas considered a possible truce in the nearly two-year-long Gaza war. Some 33% of respondents did not agree that U.N. members should recognize a Palestinian state and 9% did not answer. The six-day poll, which closed on Monday, found a pronounced partisan divide on the issue, with 78% of Democrats supporting the idea, far more than the 41% of President Donald Trump's Republicans who agreed. A narrow 53% majority of Republicans did not agree that all U.N. member nations should recognize a Palestinian state. Israel has long counted on the U.S., its most powerful ally, for billions of dollars a year in military aid and international diplomatic support. An erosion of U.S. public support would be a worrisome sign for Israel as it faces not only Hamas militants in Gaza but unresolved conflict with Iran, its regional arch-foe. A widely condemned Israeli settlement plan that would cut across occupied West Bank land which the Palestinians seek for a state received final approval on Wednesday, according to an Israeli government statement. More: Israel says it has taken first steps of military operation in Gaza City The poll was taken within weeks of three countries, close U.S. allies Canada, Britain and France, announcing they intend to recognize a Palestinian state. This ratcheted up pressure on Israel as starvation spreads in Gaza. The survey was taken amid hopes that Israel and Hamas would agree on a ceasefire to provide a break in the fighting, free some hostages and ease shipments of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip. Britain, Canada, Australia and several of their European allies said last week that the humanitarian crisis in the war-torn Palestinian enclave has reached "unimaginable levels," as aid groups warned that Gazans are on the verge of famine. The United Nations human rights office said on Tuesday Israel was not letting enough supplies into the Gaza Strip to avert widespread starvation. Israel has denied responsibility for hunger in Gaza, accusing Hamas of stealing aid shipments, which Hamas denies. More: As Netanyahu expands Gaza war, some reservists grow more disillusioned SUPPORT FOR FIGHTING STARVATION Some 65% of the Reuters/Ipsos poll respondents said the U.S. should take action in Gaza to help people facing starvation, with 28% disagreeing. The number disagreeing included 41% of Republicans. Trump and many of his fellow Republicans take an "America First" approach to international relations, backing steep cuts to the country's international food and medical assistance programs in the belief that U.S. funds should assist Americans, not those outside its borders. More: One meal a day. $20 for an egg. Choosing which kid gets fed. Starvation stalks Gaza The war in Gaza began when Hamas-led fighters stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Israel's offensive has since killed more than 62,000 Palestinians, plunged Gaza into humanitarian crisis and displaced most of its population, according to Gaza health authorities. The Reuters/Ipsos poll also showed that 59% of Americans believe Israel's military response in Gaza has been excessive. Thirty-three percent of respondents disagreed. In a similar Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in February 2024, 53% of respondents agreed that Israel's response had been excessive, and 42% disagreed. Officials at the Israeli embassy in Washington and mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the poll. The latest Reuters/Ipsos survey, conducted online, gathered responses from 4,446 U.S. adults nationwide and had a margin of error of about 2 percentage points. (Reporting by Patricia Zengerle and Jason Lange; editing by Scott Malone, Cynthia Osterman and Mark Heinrich)
