UK PM Offers Condolences to Zelensky, Discusses Peace Prospects, Defense Co-op
British Prime Minister (PM) Keir Starmer expressed his condolences to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a phone call on Friday, following the recent attack on Kyiv, which he described as a painful reminder of the cost of war.
British PM also reviewed the outcomes of U.S. President Donald Trump's recent visit to the United Kingdom.
Both leaders welcomed a new deadline set by President Trump for Russia to move forward toward a peace agreement, according to a statement on the UK government's website.
Regarding the agreement signed in June on battlefield technology sharing and the expansion of drone production, Starmer briefed Zelensky on the rapid progress made in its implementation.
He also praised the Ukrainian parliament's adoption of an anti-corruption law earlier this week.
The two leaders agreed to maintain close coordination and communication in the coming period.
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Egypt Independent
an hour ago
- Egypt Independent
Israeli military chief warns against takeover of Gaza as Netanyahu considers ‘full conquest' of besieged territory
Israel's military chief warned against a full takeover of Gaza, according to three Israeli sources familiar with the discussions, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considers ordering the 'conquest' of the besieged territory. In a meeting with top officials on Tuesday evening, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir cautioned that fully conquering Gaza would trap the military within the enclave and put the remaining hostages at risk, the sources said. Such a move, Zamir said, would also increase the burden on Israeli forces when the military is already suffering from attrition and burnout rates amongst reservist forces. According to two of the sources, Zamir's plan called for encircling Gaza City and other neighborhoods in which hostages might be held, while Netanyahu was pushing for a more intrusive operation into the heart of the areas. Netanyahu will urge a meeting of the security cabinet Thursday to support the full 'conquest of the Strip', CNN has previously reported, in what would mark a major escalation of the Israeli campaign at a time when the government is under international pressure for a truce. The latest disagreement underscores the growing discord between Israel's military leadership and its political echelon. Israel's military has recommended pursuing diplomacy to end the war, while Netanyahu and his government have pushed for maximalist war goals. The Israeli military says it already controls approximately 75 percent of Gaza following nearly two years of war which has left much of the territory in ruins and triggered a humanitarian crisis. Israel withdrew from Gaza two decades ago, but Zamir warned that a complete military occupation could ensnare the IDF anew. Zamir's warning once again put the new military chief at odds with the far-right parties in Israel's government, who have repeatedly called for broadening Israel's bombardment and siege of Gaza to destroy Hamas, something Israel has been unable to do despite nearly two years of fighting. Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir demanded on social media that Zamir publicly state 'in his own voice' that he will follow the country's political leadership, 'even if a decision is made regarding conquest and decisive action.' After Tuesday's meeting, the Prime Minister's Office issued an official statement stating that, 'the IDF is prepared to implement any decision made by the Security Cabinet.' On Wednesday, Netanyahu also met with the leader of Israel's opposition, Yair Lapid, who issued a video statement afterwards calling the conquest of Gaza 'a very bad idea.' 'You don't embark on such a move unless most of the nation is behind you,' said Lapid. The people of Israel are not interested in this war – we will pay too have a price for it.' Polling has repeatedly shown that the majority of Israelis favor an end to the war in exchange for the release of the remaining 50 hostages in Gaza. Starvation crisis Gaza's health ministry meanwhile reported its highest death toll in weeks on Wednesday, with 138 killed in the past 24 hours. Five people died of hunger in the past 24 hours, the health ministry said Wednesday, bringing the total number of those who died of starvation and malnutrition to 193, including 96 children. Only 1.5% of Gaza's farmland can be accessed and is undamaged as of July 28, United Nations data has found, underscoring 'the tiny amount of cultivable land that remains in the Gaza Strip' amid the starvation crisis in the enclave. Aid groups say only a fraction of the required aid has been getting into the crowded and war-devastated enclave. A major focus of aid group criticism has been a controversial US and Israel-backed aid distribution network called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The GHF was created to sideline the United Nations' role in distributing aid, after Israel complained that UN aid was reaching and being stolen by Hamas. An internal US government review found no evidence of widespread theft by Hamas, CNN reported in July, contradicting the State Department's claims that were used to justify backing GHF. The new group has also been criticized for failing to improve conditions as Gaza's starvation crisis deepens. The UN refused to participate in the new scheme, saying the GHF model violates basic humanitarian principles. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military while trying to get food, hundreds of them near GHF sites, according to the UN. The GHF disputes this. For two months, the scenes at GHF's four distribution sites have been chaotic, with the Israeli military seen firing towards scores of Palestinians, some of whom have been crushed in the scramble to reach aid. Multiple UN experts earlier this week called for the GHF network to be dismantled. The US has dismissed the criticism. Mike Huckabee, the US ambassador to Israel, visited a GHF run site last week and said on Wednesday that the network would expand. 'The immediate plan is to scale up the number of sites up to 16 and begin to operate them as much as 24 hours a day,' he told Fox News interview. 'The president has been telling us he wants foods into the hands of hungry people but he wants it in a way that it doesn't get into the hands of Hamas. That's exactly what we did when we stood up GHF,' he added. CNN has reached out to GHF for comment on Huckabee's comments. COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for bringing aid into Gaza, said close to 300 trucks entered Gaza and were collected and distributed by the UN and international organizations on Tuesday, adding that 110 pallets of aid were airdropped in cooperation with the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Germany, Canada and Belgium. However, the Hamas-controlled Media Office said that only 84 trucks made it into the enclave on Tuesday, adding that the strip needs at least 600 relief and fuel trucks daily to meet the basic needs of the population.
Al-Ahram Weekly
an hour ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israeli security cabinet to hold talks over future Gaza war plans - War on Gaza
Israel's security cabinet was expected to meet later Thursday to discuss future military plans in Gaza, according to Israeli media reports, amid speculation of a full takeover of the besieged Palestinian territory. The planned meeting comes as international outrage over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza has ratcheted up pressure on Israel, with UN agencies warning of famine in the devastated territory. The Times of Israel said the meeting was set to commence around 6:00 pm local time (1500 GMT). The Israeli press, citing officials speaking on condition of anonymity, has predicted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping to seek approval on expanding operations. That would include the pockets of densely populated areas such as Gaza City. On Wednesday, the military announced a fresh evacuation call for portions of Gaza City in the north, and Khan Yunis in the south, where a spokesman said ground forces were set to "expand the scope of combat operations". Ahead of Thursday's meeting, rumours have been rife about disagreements between the cabinet and Israel's military chief, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir. Defence Minister Israel Katz also weighed in on the matter, saying on social media that Israel's military will have to execute any government decisions on Gaza, following reports that Zamir was against moves to fully occupy Gaza. Katz said in a post on X that while "it is the right and duty of the chief of staff to express his position in the appropriate forums", the military must respect policies made by the government. 'Unrealistic costs' The Israeli government is under mounting pressure to end the war, with growing concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and increasing alarm among Israelis about the fate of the remaining captives. Out of 251 captives captured during Hamas's 2023 attack, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. In Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, hundreds took to the streets calling on the government to secure the release of the remaining captives. Global criticism has soared in recent weeks over the continued suffering of the more than two million Palestinian inhabitants in Gaza, after the United Nations warned that famine was unfolding in the territory. On Thursday, displaced Gaza resident Mahmoud Wafi said that the prices of available food remained high and erratic. "We hope that food will be made available again in normal quantities and at reasonable prices, because we can no longer afford these extremely high and unrealistic costs," the 38-year-old told AFP from Al-Mawasi near Khan Yunis. Gaza's civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal said that at least 16 people had been killed in Gaza on Thursday following airstrikes in multiple areas, with dozens more injured. In late July, Israel partially eased restrictions on aid entering Gaza, but the UN says the amount allowed into the territory remains insufficient. Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO Network in the Gaza Strip, told AFP that the long and slow inspection procedure at entry points into Gaza meant few trucks could enter. "What is currently entering the Gaza Strip are very limited numbers of trucks -- between 70 to 80 per day -- carrying only specific types of goods," he said. He added that over the past few days, "around 50 to 60 trucks" destined for the private sector were able to enter for the first time in months. The UN estimates that Gaza needs at least 600 trucks of aid per day to meet its residents' basic needs. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
an hour ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Israel struck over 500 schools sheltering displaced Palestinians in Gaza: HRW - War on Gaza
Israeli military strikes have hit over 500 school buildings in Gaza since October 2023, many of which were sheltering displaced Palestinians, killing hundreds of civilians and causing significant damage to nearly all of Gaza's schools, a new report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Wednesday. The report accused Israeli authorities of carrying out "unlawfully indiscriminate attacks," including with US-supplied weapons, as part of an ongoing military campaign that has demolished civilian infrastructure, displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and worsened the dire humanitarian situation. 'Israeli strikes on schools sheltering displaced families provide a window into the widespread carnage that Israeli forces have carried out in Gaza,' said Gerry Simpson, an associate crisis, conflict, and arms director at HRT. 'Other governments should not tolerate this horrendous slaughter of Palestinian civilians merely seeking safety,' he added. The HRW also documented Israeli attacks on at least two schools in recent months: the Khadija Girls' School in Deir Al-Balah, struck on 27 July, killing at least 15 people, and Al-Zeitoun School in Gaza City, hit on 21 September, leaving at least 34 dead. The group said it found no evidence of military activity at either location. The organization also cited a spate of Israeli strikes between 1 and 10 July 2025 that hit at least 10 school shelters, reportedly killing 59 people and displacing dozens of families for a second or third time. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly one million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in schools during the war. By 18 July, at least 836 people sheltering in schools had been killed and 2,527 injured, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported. Meanwhile, an assessment by the Occupied Palestinian Territory Education Cluster indicated that 97 percent of Gaza's schools — 547 out of 564 — have sustained damage, with 92 percent requiring full reconstruction or major repairs. While the Israeli military has frequently claimed that Hamas or other Palestinian factions were operating from schools or using them as command centres, the HRW said such assertions have often lacked specific evidence. In one case, following a strike on Al-Sardi School on 6 June, the Israeli military named 17 alleged Hamas fighters, but an HRW review found that three of them had been killed in earlier attacks. "Even if fighters were present, international humanitarian law prohibits attacks on military targets if the expected civilian harm is disproportionate to the anticipated military advantage," HRW noted. The HRW said governments, including the United States, which has provided weapons used in Israel's unlawful attacks, should impose an arms embargo on the Israeli government and take other urgent measures to enforce the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. The group called on countries supplying arms to Israel to immediately suspend weapons transfers, citing the 'clear risk' of complicity in serious violations of international law. 'After nearly two years of frequent Israeli attacks killing civilians in schools and other protected locations, governments providing military support to Israel can't say they weren't aware of the consequences of their actions,' said Simpson. 'Governments should suspend all arms transfers to Israel and take other actions to prevent further mass atrocities.' On 10 June, the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory reported that Israeli forces had 'obliterated Gaza's education system.' It described the destruction of schools, religious sites, and cultural institutions as part of a 'widespread and relentless assault against the Palestinian people,' including war crimes and the crime against humanity of extermination. The ongoing targeting of educational institutions underscores the lack of any safe refuge for Gaza's displaced civilians and reflects an alarming pattern of violations with impunity, the Human Rights Watch concluded. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
