Middle East: Activist convoy enters Libya en route to Gaza – DW – 06/12/2025
A caravan of hundreds of activists has arrived in Libya on its way to the Rafah border crossing in the Gaza Strip, in an attempt to challenge Israel's blockade on humanitarian aid entering the territory.
Some 1,500 people were part of the convoy, which included activists and pro-Palestinian supporters from Algeria and Tunisia.
The group was well received and many in Libya are expected to join.
Activists are welcomed with roses in Misrata, Libya Image: Hazem Turkia/Anadolu/picture alliance
The convoy is composed of cars and buses and it plans to cross the Libyan cities of Tripoli, Misrata, Sirte, and Benghazi, heading to the Saloum Crossing which borders Egypt.
Activists are hoping to reach the Rafah Crossing separating Egypt and Israel.
But the Egyptian government has reportedly detained or questioned more than 200 pro-Palestinian activists in Cairo who were seeking to reach the Rafah crossing.
Israel has urged Egyptian authorities to halt the activists, saying Egypt must "prevent the arrival of jihadist protesters at the Egypt-Israel border," with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying the protest "would endanger the safety of (Israeli) soldiers and will not be allowed."
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39 minutes ago
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Israel attacks put pressure on Germany's Middle East policy – DW – 06/13/2025
Trapped between what it sees as a historical responsibility to Israel and international law and diplomacy, Germany is facing a tough foreign policy test after the latest Israeli attacks on Iran. Germany's foreign policy in the Middle East has always involved a delicate balancing act — a balancing act that just got a little more difficult. Israel's attack on Iran this week is likely to put further pressure on Germany's close relationship with Israel. Israel's security is part of Germany's so-called "Staatsräson," or "reason of state." Former Chancellor Angela Merkel popularized the term when she addressed the Knesset, Israel's parliament, in 2008. Although the idea has no official legal standing, Merkel's successor, Olaf Scholz, doubled down on it in the months after the militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. More recently though, the severe humanitarian consequences of Israel's ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip have made it difficult for the German government to find a suitable position on the conflict there. Only a few days ago, Germany's new Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, "frankly speaking, I no longer understand what the goal of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip is," during a television interview. "Harming the civilian population to such an extent, as has increasingly been the case in recent days, can no longer be justified as a fight against Hamas terrorism," he told German public broadcaster WDR. Despite those statements though, there have been no consequences. For example, Germany continues to send weapons to Israel. An apartment building in Teheran hit by Israeli airstrikes Image: Vahid Salemi/AP/dpa/picture alliance Germany's support to Israel The Israeli government is defending its latest strikes against Iran by saying it was acting against "an existential threat." Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz called it a "pre-emptive strike" because Iran was close to developing a nuclear bomb, something Israel wanted to prevent happening. The German government appears to share that opinion. In a press statement issued the morning of the first Israeli strikes, Merz said Israel had "the right to defend its existence and its citizens." Merz had spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone and Netanyahu had informed him of the military action and its objectives. The press statement also said that the German government has repeatedly expressed concerns about the Iranian nuclear program. Iran's "nuclear program violates the provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and poses a serious threat to the entire region, especially to the State of Israel," the German government statement said. The goal of any diplomatic intervention and de-escalation, which Germany supports, must be that Iran does not develop nuclear weapons, the statement concluded. Friedrich Merz (left) met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel in 2024, when Merz was the leader of the German opposition Image: Kobi Gideon/GPO/dpa/picture alliance That reaction from the German government was to be expected, Hans-Jakob Schindler, senior director of the Netherlands-based Counter Extremism Project, told DW. "Now it is the direct negotiations between the US and the Iranians that are crucial," Schindler said. "The previous negotiating format — Germany, France, the UK and the US, with the Iranians — is not a part of this any longer. In this conflict the Europeans are increasingly spectators, rather than actors." Growing criticism of Israel Schindler does not believe that the current military escalation will change anything around Germany's position on Israel. "We're not just any other country. We're Germany, with the history of the Holocaust," he explained. "In that sense there's absolutely no other moral or ethical option than expressing solidarity with Israel." That does not mean that Germany has to approve of each Israeli military operation and every Israeli government decision, Schindler continued. "The new German government seems much more prepared to criticize than the previous one," he noted. During Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington in April 2025, US President Donald Trump (left) assured him of the US' support Image: Leah Millis/REUTERS Voices critical of the Netanyahu government had recently been growing louder in the German government, including in the governing coalition made up of conservatives from the Christian Democratic Union, or CDU, and the Christian Social Union, as well as the left-centrist Social Democrats, or SPD. Some members of the government seem to fear being pressured by Israel. At the end of last month, Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany would not allow what he called "compulsory solidarity." During his visit to Cairo, Wadephul commented on the Iranian strikes that came in retaliation for the earlier Israeli ones. "We condemn the indiscriminate Iranian attack on Israeli territory in the strongest possible terms," Wadephul, a member of the CDU, said. "Iran is currently attacking Israel with hundreds of drones. There are initial reports of casualties. These developments are more than worrying." Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar had apparently informed him of the attack. Israel's months-long military offensive in Gaza has led Germany to be increasingly critical of Israeli actions Image: REUTERS After the Israeli attacks on Iran, SPD foreign policy specialist Rolf Mützenich told German public radio broadcaster Deutschlandfunk that Israel had the right to defend itself. However, that right should be connected to imminent danger and an existential threat. Whether those prerequisites had been present for Israel to base its attack on, would certainly be discussed at the United Nations Security Council, or UNSC. At the same time, Mützenich also confirmed the dangers posed by the Iranian nuclear program, adding that Teheran had also acted irresponsibly and was also part of the current escalation spiral. International law? Whether Israel's attack on Iran was legitimate under international law is also being discussed. Law experts say a preemptive strike is actually only permissible under certain, very specific conditions — for example, when there is an imminent threat that cannot be prevented any other way. Foreign policy spokesperson and co-chair of Germany's Left party, Jan van Aken, described the Israeli attack as "a serious violation of international law, which cannot be justified as self-defense." The UNSC should meet today in order to decide on the nature of this attack, van Aken said. "All sides must immediately deescalate, also to protect the affected civilian population in Iran and Israel," he added. A synagogue in Hannover: Jewish institutions are guarded by police in Germany (file photo, 2023) Image: Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance/dpa Some German politicians also see danger developing inside their own country due to the Israeli attack on Iran. The country's Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt said that, after talking to his counterparts in states around Germany, Israeli and Jewish institutions in Germany would get extra protection, so they are prepared in case a potential domestic threat develops. The Israeli Foreign Ministry also said it would close all consulates and embassies worldwide.
Int'l Business Times
an hour ago
- Int'l Business Times
Airlines Halt Many Middle East Flights After Israel Hits Iran
Global airlines on Friday cancelled flights to Tel Aviv, Tehran and other Middle East destinations, or rerouted planes, as airspaces shut following Israeli strikes on Iran. Israel, Iran, Iraq, Jordan and Syria closed their airspaces after Israel hit military and nuclear facilities in Iran. Israel said Tehran launched drones in retaliation. Air India's New Delhi-Vienna and Mumbai-London flights were about to enter Iranian airspace when Israel launched its attack, forcing the planes to turn back to their origin, according to aircraft tracker Flight Aware. Its London-New Delhi flight had just entered Iranian airspace and was rerouted over Iraq before arriving in India one hour late, according to Flight Aware. Air India diverted or called back a total of 16 flights between India and London and cities in Canada and the United States "due to the emerging situation in Iran". Emirates, the Middle East's largest airline, cancelled flights to and from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Iran after Israel launched the strikes. Qatar Airways, the country's national carrier and one of the Middle East's largest, said it had "temporarily cancelled flights to Iran and Iraq due to (the) current situation in the region". Air France said it was suspending its flights to and from Tel Aviv "until further notice" following the closure of Israeli airspace. "Air France is closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East in real time," a spokesman for the French airline told AFP, adding that "the safety of its customers and crews is its absolute priority". Russia's aviation authority Rosaviatsiya instructed Russian airlines not to fly "in the airspace of Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Iran" or use airports in Israel and Iran. It said the restrictions will stay in place until June 26 or until further notice. German airline group Lufthansa suspended flights to and from Tehran until July 31. It also extended the suspension of Tel Aviv flights for the same period. Swiss airline, which is owned by Lufthansa, suspended its Tel Aviv flights until October 25 while those to Beirut were suspended until the end of July. In the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi airport warned "flight disruptions are expected through today (Friday)" as a result of the Israeli strikes. Dubai's airport also announced flight delays and cancellations due to the closure of airspaces in Iran, Iraq and Syria.
Int'l Business Times
an hour ago
- Int'l Business Times
'Unacceptable': Iranians Seethe After Israeli Onslaught
Iranians called for revenge on Friday demanding a swift response to a dizzying wave of strikes by Israel, as some took to the streets in protest, while others sheltered inside, unsure what would happen next. The aerial onslaught killed several of the military's top brass, targeted an array of leading scientists and struck military and nuclear sites across Iran in an unprecedented attack that left many seething with anger. "How much longer are we going to live in fear?" asked Ahmad Moadi, a 62-year-old retiree. "As an Iranian, I believe there must be an overwhelming response, a scathing response." The raids appeared to push the longtime enemies into full-blown conflict following years of fighting a shadow war mostly conducted through proxies. Iran regularly arrests individuals it accuses of spying for Israel amid a flurry of targeted assassinations and acts of sabotage targeting its nuclear programme in recent years. At least six scientists involved in Iran's nuclear programme were killed in Friday's strikes. "They've killed so many university professors and researchers, and now they want to negotiate?" Moadi exclaimed, referring to calls for Iran to go ahead with nuclear talks with Israel's US ally planned for this weekend. As Iran continued to assess the damage, some residents rallied in the streets of Tehran chanting: "Death to Israel, death to America," while waving Iranian flags and portraits of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. State television said similar demonstrations were held in cities across the country. The Israeli strikes followed repeated threats from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who appeared to finally cap a years-long quest to strike Iran's nuclear programme. "We can't let this bastard continue, or we'll end up like Gaza," Abbas Ahmadi, a 52-year-old Tehran resident, told AFP from behind the wheel of his car. "Iran must destroy him, it must do something." Friday's attacks came after more than a year of soaring tensions as Israel took on Iran's regional allies Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Huthis in Yemen. Amid the tensions, Israel and Iran exchanged aerial barrages on two separate occasions last year. while stopping short of a full-scale war. But following Friday's attack, all bets were off over what would come next, with Khamenei warning Israel faced a "bitter and painful" fate, while the Iranian military said there would be "no limits" to its response. Apart from scattered protests, Tehran's streets were largely deserted, except for queues at petrol stations, a familiar sight in times of crisis. Air traffic was halted at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport amid disruption across the region. In the upscale district of Nobonyad in north Tehran, rescuers continued to comb through the rubble of two apartment blocks targeted in Israeli strikes. Families with tear-streaked faces gathered nearby. "They want to deprive us of our nuclear capability -- that's unacceptable," said Ahmad Razaghi, 56, calmly echoing the official line. For Farnoush Rezaei, a 45-year-old nurse wearing a colourful hijab, Friday's attacks represented a final act by Israel -- a country "on its last breath". Iranian leaders have for decades insisted that Israel will "soon" disappear. "If God wills it, at least a bit of peace will come from this," said Rezaei. First responders clamber over the rubble of a Tehran building hit by an Israeli strike. AFP
