logo
Israeli government hits back as international pressure over Gaza mounts

Israeli government hits back as international pressure over Gaza mounts

Straits Times28-05-2025

FILE PHOTO: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the annual ceremony at the eve of Israel's Remembrance Day for fallen soldiers (Yom HaZikaron) at the Yad LaBanim Memorial in Jerusalem, 29 April 2025 . Israel marks Yom HaZikaron, the 'Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism'. ABIR SULTAN POOL/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: \"Wanted\" posters with an image depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lie on the street, during a rally in support to Palestinian people, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Athens, Greece, May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Louisa Gouliamaki/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator holds a placard depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a rally in support to Palestinian people outside the Presidential Palace in Nicosia, Cyprus May 26, 2025. REUTERS/Yiannis Kourtoglou/File Photo
JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government hit back at growing international pressure over the war in Gaza on Wednesday, amid deepening signs of division over the war at home, 600 days after the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
On Wednesday, Italy joined a growing list of European countries that have traditionally held back from criticizing Israel in demanding an end to the war, after Germany stepped up its language against the Israeli campaign earlier in the week.
Netanyahu said last week that similar criticisms from France, Britain and Canada were "emboldening" Hamas and said the leaders of the three countries were "on the wrong side of history".
Speaking at a conference on antisemitism in Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was living through a time "when the ancient desire to eliminate the Jewish people has become stronger".
"The new antisemitism targets the state of Israel," he said. "It uses demonization, delegitimization and double standards."
He said organizations like the International Criminal Court, which has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza, as well as calls to impose an arms embargo on Israel, undermined the country's ability to defend itself.
"Removing Israel's right and ability to defend itself can only mean one thing. A second Holocaust," he said.
European countries have generally said explicitly that Israel has the right to defend itself. But there has been increasing shock at the scale of the destruction in Gaza, the deadliest episode in decades of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Hamas-led attack killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage into Gaza on the deadliest day for Israel since its foundation in 1948. Its campaign in response has killed around 54,000 Palestinians, more than in any other of the countless rounds of war between the two sides.
Netanyahu has drawn direct links between criticism coming from Europe and a surge in incidents of antisemitism which he said was part of a war of "civilization against barbarism" unleashed by the war in Gaza.
'COMPLETE VICTORY'
As Israelis marked the 600th day of the war, the chorus of international voices has echoed sharpening divisions within Israel itself, as the early unity forged by the trauma of October 7 has weakened and efforts to reach a ceasefire have faltered.
Facing a debate in parliament, Netanyahu accused the opposition of hypocrisy after it said his government had completely failed to achieve its war goals. He said he would continue until complete victory over Hamas.
He has dismissed charges that Israel was deliberately causing starvation in Gaza, where it imposed an 11-week blockade that was only relaxed last week after mounting pressure from close allies.
However even the United States, Israel's most important ally, has appeared to be shifting, with President Donald Trump pressing for an end to the war and saying Palestinians in the enclave were starving and should be helped.
Opinion polls have consistently shown a majority favouring an agreement to bring back the 58 hostages still held in Gaza. Families and supporters of the hostages have staged regular protests demanding a deal.
"The return of the hostages is Israel's security. Most of the public knows this and is asking you for a decision," said Ofri Bibas, sister of released hostage Yarden Bibas, at a rally in Tel Aviv for the 600 days landmark.
"You are failing in your refusal to do the one thing that will bring them all back -- declare an end to the war."
However, Netanyahu has continued to enjoy the support of hardliners in his government who have spoken in favour of reoccupying Gaza and driving out the Palestinian population.
A poll reported in the left-wing Haaretz newspaper this week found 82% of those surveyed supporting expelling Palestinians from Gaza, with 56% favouring expelling Palestinian citizens of Israel.
The same survey, based on a sample of 1,005 Jewish Israelis, found nearly 47% believed that all residents of a conquered enemy city should be killed in a manner similar to what the Bible says the ancient Israelites did when they conquered Jericho under the leadership of their leader Joshua. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Putin approves big revamp of Russia's navy, Kremlin aide says
Putin approves big revamp of Russia's navy, Kremlin aide says

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Putin approves big revamp of Russia's navy, Kremlin aide says

The strategy aims to restore the country's position as a leading maritime power. PHOTO: REUTERS MOSCOW - Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a new naval strategy which aims to fully restore Russia's position as one of the world's leading maritime powers, Kremlin aide Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview published on June 9. Russia has the world's third most powerful navy after China and the US, according to most public rankings, though the navy has suffered a series of high-profile losses in the Ukraine war. Mr Patrushev, a former KGB officer who served with Mr Putin in the northern Russian city of St Petersburg during Soviet times, said the new naval strategy - entitled "The Strategy for the Development of the Russian Navy up to 2050" - had been approved by Mr Putin in late May. "Russia's position as one of the world's greatest maritime powers is gradually recovering," Mr Patrushev told the Argumenti i Fakti newspaper in an interview. "It is impossible to carry out such work without a long-term vision of the scenarios for the development of the situation in the oceans, the evolution of challenges and threats, and, of course, without defining the goals and objectives facing the Russian Navy," Mr Patrushev said. Mr Patrushev gave no further details about the strategy, though Russia has ramped up spending on defence and security to Cold War levels as a percentage of gross domestic product. A US Department of Defence report said in 2021 that China had the largest navy in the world and that Beijing's overall battle force is expected to grow to 460 ships by 2030. Open source data suggests Russia has 79 submarines, including 14 nuclear powered ballistic missile submarines, as well as 222 warships. It's main fleet is the Northern Fleet headquartered in Severomorsk on the Barents Sea. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Ukrainian tenor Gorai dies while volunteering in Sumy, Odesa opera says
Ukrainian tenor Gorai dies while volunteering in Sumy, Odesa opera says

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Ukrainian tenor Gorai dies while volunteering in Sumy, Odesa opera says

Tenor Vladislav Gorai, a soloist with the Odesa National Opera, died on Sunday while engaged in a volunteer mission in the northern region of Sumy bordering Russia, opera officials said. More than three years after launching its war against Ukraine, Russia moved further into Sumy last week, threatening the regional capital in a dual advance with fierce frontline fighting and relentless missile and drone attacks. "The whole world knew the voice of Vladislav Vikentiiovych, but his heart belonged to Ukraine," the opera said in a Facebook statement on Sunday. "Even in the darkest times, he did not stay aside - he helped, volunteered, supported." It added, "The Odesa National Opera has been orphaned." It was not immediately clear how Gorai, designated in 2013 an Honoured Artist of Ukraine, died. Reuters could not independently verify the report. On its website, the opera says Gorai worked with the Odesa theatre since 1993, after graduating in 1988 from the music faculty of the Vinnytsia State Pedagogical Institute. He participated in international opera projects in cities such as Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, Lyon, Strasbourg and Zurich. Among the international music houses with which he worked were Madrid's Teatro Monumental and Romania's State Opera and Ballet Theater. He toured Britain, Canada, Italy and the United States, among other countries. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

South Korea President Lee, Japan PM Ishiba agree to strengthen ties, Lee's office says
South Korea President Lee, Japan PM Ishiba agree to strengthen ties, Lee's office says

Straits Times

time2 hours ago

  • Straits Times

South Korea President Lee, Japan PM Ishiba agree to strengthen ties, Lee's office says

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Japan, on Dec 24, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS SEOUL - South Korea's newly-elected President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba agreed during a telephone call to strengthen bilateral ties, a South Korean presidential spokesperson said on June 9. The call comes after the two leaders have said they aim for the countries to continue coordination on North Korea issues. Mr Lee, a left-leaning leader who was elected last week, has said pragmatism was key to his diplomacy and he would continue with security cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the United States. Mr Lee told Mr Ishiba that he wanted to deal with geopolitical crises within the framework of the three-way cooperation with Tokyo and Washington, Ms Kang Yoo-jung, the president's spokesperson, told reporters. Reaffirming the significance of bilateral ties, the two leaders agreed to meet in person to further develop the relations, Ms Kang added. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store