Istanbul Projects in Limbo as Mayor, City Officials Locked Up
Meanwhile, the central government is advancing its push for Kanal Istanbul, a multibillion-dollar canal project that stands to strain the region's resources. It had been strongly opposed by Imamoglu, who referred to it as 'a dagger intended to be thrust into the city's heart.' Read more from contributor Jennifer Hattam today on CityLab: Major Istanbul Projects Are Stalling as City Leaders Sit in Jail
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Yahoo
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Germany stops military exports that could be used in Gaza
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has said his country will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in Gaza 'until further notice'. The move from Germany, which has been a supporter of Israel for decades, came after the Israeli cabinet announced plans to take over Gaza City. In a statement, Mr Merz emphasised that Israel 'has the right to defend itself against Hamas's terror' and said the release of Israeli hostages and 'purposeful' negotiations towards a ceasefire in the 22-month conflict 'are our top priority'. He added that Hamas must not have a role in the future of Gaza. 'The even harsher military action by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, approved by the Israeli cabinet last night, makes it increasingly difficult for the German government to see how these goals will be achieved,' he added. 'Under these circumstances, the German government will not authorise any exports of military equipment that could be used in the Gaza Strip until further notice.' The German government remains deeply concerned about the suffering of civilians in Gaza, he said, adding: 'With the planned offensive, the Israeli government bears even greater responsibility than before for providing for their needs.' He called on Israel to allow comprehensive access for aid deliveries — including for UN organisations and other non-governmental organisations — and said Israel 'must continue to comprehensively and sustainably address the humanitarian situation in Gaza'. Germany also called on Israel's government 'not to take any further steps toward annexing the West Bank'.
New York Times
5 minutes ago
- New York Times
Netanyahu Comes Under Fire at Home and Abroad After New Gaza Plan
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced international and domestic criticism on Friday after his office announced that the Israeli military would escalate its nearly two-year-old campaign in the Gaza Strip. Statements by the United Kingdom and the families of hostages held by militant groups in Gaza reflected Mr. Netanyahu's intensifying clash with both some longstanding allies abroad and supporters of hostages at home. 'The Israeli Government's decision to further escalate its offensive in Gaza is wrong, and we urge it to reconsider immediately,' Keir Starmer, the U.K. prime minister, said in a statement. 'This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of hostages. It will only bring more bloodshed.' In recent weeks, many European countries have urged Israel to end the war in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, reduced cities to rubble, and caused a widespread hunger crisis. The Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war, killed about 1,200 people and about 250 people were taken captive to Gaza. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing many families of hostages, said the Israeli government had issued a 'death sentence to the living hostages' and 'a disappearance sentence' to the bodies of those killed in captivity. 'There has never been a government in Israel that has acted with such great determination against the national interest,' the group said in a statement. 'The security cabinet chose another march of folly on the backs of the hostages, the fighters, and all of Israeli society.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Associated Press
36 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Israeli airstrike kills Palestinian official and bodyguard in east Lebanon
BEIRUT (AP) — An Israeli airstrike on eastern Lebanon killed a number of people, including a senior member of a Palestinian group and his bodyguard as they were on their way to Syria, news reports and his group said Friday. The Thursday afternoon airstrike near the Lebanese border crossing of Masnaa killed Mohammed Wishah, a member of the central committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the group said in a statement. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Senior PFLP official Marwan Abdel-Al mourned in a post on social media the death of Wishah and his bodyguard, Mufid Hussein. 'We have lost two of the most loyal comrades who gave their precious souls to freedom,' Abdel-Al wrote. Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the airstrike on east Lebanon killed six people and wounded 10, without identifying the victims. Since the Israel-Hamas war began in October 2023, Israel has targeted Palestinian officials in Lebanon, including PFLP members. Three FPLP members were killed in an airstrike on a Beirut apartment last September. A FPLP official said Wishah had been in Lebanon to meet with other officials with the group and was on his way back to Syria when the airstrike happened. The official spoke on condition of anonymity due to not being authorized to speak to the media. The PFLP statement said Wishah was born in the Gaza Strip in 1954 and spent five years in Israeli jails shortly after he joined the Palestinian group in 1973. For many years, the leftist and secular PFLP has been the second-largest member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah group. On Friday morning, an Israeli drone strike hit a car in a coastal highway in south Lebanon killing citizen journalist Mohammed Shehadeh, NNA said. Since the 14-month Israel- Hezbollah war ended with Israel has carried out scores of airstrikes on Lebanon mainly targeting Hezbollah members.
