Smotrich announces Israeli plan to split occupied West Bank in half
'This reality definitively buries the idea of a Palestinian state.' Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a plan to effectively split the occupied West Bank in half, approving thousands of new Jewish settler homes between occupied East Jerusalem and the Maale Adumim settlement.
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Qatar Tribune
2 hours ago
- Qatar Tribune
Foreign ministers of 31 Arab, Islamic countries, Arab League, Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Cooperation Council for Arab States secretaries-general condemn Israeli PM's 'Greater Israel' statements
DOHA: The Foreign Ministers of the State of Qatar, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the Republic of Chad, the United Republic of the Comoros, the Republic of Djibouti, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Gambia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Republic of Iraq, the State of Kuwait, the Lebanese Republic, the State of Libya, the Republic of Maldives, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Sultanate of Oman, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the State of Palestine, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Republic of Senegal, the Republic of Sierra Leone, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of Sudan, the Syrian Arab Republic, the Republic of Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates, the Republic of Yemen, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, the Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf have condemned in the strongest terms the statements made by Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel (the occupying power), as reported by the Israeli media, regarding the so-called 'Greater Israel', which represent a gross disregard for It is a blatant and dangerous violation of the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations, and constitutes a direct threat to Arab national security, the sovereignty of states, and regional and international security and peace. They emphasized that while Arab and Islamic countries affirm their respect for international legitimacy and the United Nations Charter, particularly Article 2, paragraph 4, which prohibits the use or threat of force, Arab and Islamic countries will adopt all policies and measures that frame and consolidate peace, thereby realizing the interests of all countries and peoples in terms of security, stability, and development, far removed from the illusion of control and the imposition of force. They also condemned in the strongest terms the approval by extremist Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the settlement plan in the E1 area and his extremist racist statements rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state. They considered this a flagrant violation of international law and a blatant assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent, sovereign state on the June 4, 1967, lines, with occupied Jerusalem as its capital. They emphasized that Israel has no sovereignty over the occupied Palestinian territory. They affirmed their absolute rejection and condemnation of this settlement plan and all illegal Israeli measures, which constitute a flagrant violation of international law and Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2334, which condemns all Israeli settlement activities aimed at altering the demographic composition, character, and legal status of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, the capital of the State of Palestine. They also reaffirmed the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which emphasized the illegality of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory and the need to end it immediately, eliminate its effects, and provide redress for its damages. They warned of the danger of Israeli intentions and policies aimed at annexing Palestinian territories, and the continued extremist Israeli government's expansionist settlement approach in the occupied West Bank. This includes attempts to undermine Islamic and Christian holy sites, foremost among them the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque/Al-Haram Al-Sharif, settler terrorism, daily incursions into Palestinian cities, villages, and camps, the systematic destruction of Palestinian refugee camps, and the displacement of Palestinians from their homes. All of this contributes directly to fueling cycles of violence and conflict and undermines the chances of achieving a just and comprehensive peace in the region. They also warned against relying on ideological and racist illusions, which threaten to intensify the conflict, making its course difficult to control or predict, and threatening regional and international security and stability alike. In a related context, the foreign ministers of Arab and Islamic countries, the League of Arab States, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation reiterated their rejection and condemnation of the crimes of Israeli aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing. They also affirmed the need for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, while ensuring unconditional access to humanitarian aid to halt the systematic starvation policy used by Israel as a weapon of genocide. This requires an immediate end to the deadly Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, the opening of Israeli crossings with the Gaza Strip, and holding Israel, the occupying power, fully responsible for the consequences of its crimes in the Gaza Strip, including the collapse of the health and relief systems, as an occupying power. They also reaffirmed their complete and absolute rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people in any form and under any pretext, and called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its aggression and fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip, in preparation for the creation of appropriate conditions for the implementation of the Arab-Islamic plan for early recovery and reconstruction efforts in the Strip. They emphasizedthat the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and the necessity for the State of Palestine to assume governance responsibilities in the Gaza Strip as well as in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with Arab and international support, within the framework of the political program of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, and the policy of one system, one law, and one legitimate weapon. In this context, they called on the international community, especially the permanent members of the Security Council, particularly the United States of America, to assume their legal and moral responsibilities and take immediate action to compel Israel to halt its ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip and its dangerous escalation in the occupied West Bank, and to stop the delusional, inflammatory statements issued by its officials. They also called on Israel to provide protection to the Palestinian people and enable them to realize their legitimate rights, foremost among which is their right to establish an independent, sovereign state on their national soil, and to hold accountable those who commit crimes and violations against the Palestinian people.
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
‘Will I make it back alive?': Gaza journalists fear targeting by Israel
Palestinian journalists have long known Gaza to be the most dangerous place on earth for media workers, but Israel's latest attack on a tent housing journalists in Gaza City has left many reeling from shock and fear. Four Al Jazeera staff were among seven people killed in an Israeli drone strike outside al-Shifa Hospital on August 10. The Israeli military has admitted to deliberately targeting the tent after making unsubstantiated accusations that one of those killed, Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, was a member of Hamas. Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed at least 238 media workers since October 2023, according to Gaza's Government Media Office. This toll is higher than that of World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, the war in Afghanistan and the Yugoslavia wars combined. Al Jazeera correspondent Hani Mahmoud said, 'Press vests and helmets, once considered a shield, now feel like a target.' 'The fear is constant — and justified,' Mahmoud said. 'Every assignment is accompanied by the same unspoken question: Will [I] make it back alive?' The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists has been among several organisations denouncing Israel's longstanding pattern of accusing journalists of being 'terrorists' without credible proof. 'It is no coincidence that the smears against al-Sharif — who has reported night and day for Al Jazeera since the start of the war — surfaced every time he reported on a major development in the war, most recently the starvation brought about by Israel's refusal to allow sufficient aid into the territory,' CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah said in the aftermath of Israel's attack. In light of Israel's systematic targeting of journalists, media workers in Gaza are forced to make difficult choices. 'As a mother and a journalist, I go through this mental dissonance almost daily, whether to go to work or stay with my daughters and being afraid of the random shelling of the Israeli occupation army,' Palestinian journalist Sally Thabet told Al Jazeera. Across the street from the ruins of the School of Media Studies at al-Quds Open University in Gaza City, where he used to teach, Hussein Saad has been recovering from an injury he sustained while running to safety. 'The deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalists has a strong effect on the disappearance of the Palestinian story and the disappearance of the media narrative,' he said. Saad argued the Strip was witnessing 'the disappearance of the truth'. While journalists report on mass killings, human suffering and starvation, they also cope with their own losses and deprivation. Photographer and correspondent Amer al-Sultan said hunger was a major challenge. 'I used to go to work, and when I didn't find anything to eat, I would just drink water,' he said. 'I did this for two days. I had to live for two or three days on water. This is one of the most difficult challenges we face amid this war against our people: starvation.' Journalist and film director Hassan Abu Dan said reporters 'live in conditions that are more difficult than the mind can imagine.' 'You live in a tent. You drink water that is not good for drinking. You eat unhealthy food … We are all, as journalists, confused. There is a part of our lives that has been ruined and gone far away,' he said. Al Jazeera's Mahmoud said that despite the psychological trauma and the personal risks, Palestinian journalists continue to do their jobs, 'driven by a belief that documenting the truth is not just a profession, but a duty to their people and history'.
Al Jazeera
5 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Arab, Islamic countries condemn Netanyahu's ‘Greater Israel' remark
A coalition of Arab and Muslim nations has condemned 'in the strongest terms' statements made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding his vision for a 'Greater Israel'. When interviewer Sharon Gal with the Israeli i24NEWS channel asked Netanyahu if he subscribed to a 'vision' for a 'Greater Israel', Netanyahu said 'absolutely'. Asked during the interview aired on Tuesday if he felt connected to the 'Greater Israel' vision, Netanyahu said: 'Very much.' The 'Greater Israel' concept supported by ultranationalist Israelis is understood to refer to an expansionist vision that lays claim to the occupied West Bank, Gaza, parts of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt and Jordan. 'These statements represent a grave disregard for, and a blatant and dangerous violation of, the rules of international law and the foundations of stable international relations,' said a joint statement by a coalition of 31 Arab and Islamic countries and the Arab League. 'They also constitute a direct threat to Arab national security, to the sovereignty of states, and to regional and international peace and security,' the statement released on Friday said. The signatories of the statement included the secretaries-general of the League of Arab States, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The Arab and Islamic nations also condemned Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's announcement on Thursday to push ahead with settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. The statement said the move is 'a blatant violation of international law and a flagrant assault on the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to realise their independent, sovereign state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with Occupied Jerusalem as its capital'. The statement added that Israel has no sovereignty over occupied Palestinian territory. Smotrich said he would approve thousands of housing units in a long-delayed illegal settlement project in the West Bank, saying the move 'buries the idea of a Palestinian state'. Last September, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling on Israel to end its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories within 12 months. The resolution backed an advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the UN's top court – which found that Israel's presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end. In February 2024, the ICJ said Israel was 'plausibly committing genocide'. The top UN court has yet to announce its verdict in the case brought by South Africa. Netanyahu and Smotrich made the remarks during Israel's devastating 22-month war on Gaza, which has killed at least 61,827 people and wounded 155,275 people in the enclave. Last week, Israel's Security Cabinet approved Netanyahu's plan to fully occupy Gaza City, and in Tuesday's interview, Netanyahu also revived calls to 'allow' Palestinians to leave Gaza, telling i24NEWS: 'We are not pushing them out, but we are allowing them to leave.' Campaigners said Netanyahu's use of the word 'leave' was a euphemism for the ethnic cleansing of Gaza – home to 2.1 million people, most of whom are refugees and their descendants from the 1948 Nakba when more than 700,000 Palestinians were forced to flee from what became the state of Israel. Past calls to resettle people from Gaza outside the war-battered territory, including from United States President Donald Trump, have sparked fears of forced displacement among Palestinians and condemnation from the international community. In their statement on Saturday, the Islamic countries reiterated their 'rejection and condemnation of Israel's crimes of aggression, genocide, and ethnic cleansing' in Gaza and highlighted the need for a ceasefire in the enclave while 'ensuring unconditional access to humanitarian aid to halt the systematic starvation policy used by Israel as a weapon of genocide'. They also reaffirmed their 'complete and absolute rejection of the displacement of the Palestinian people in any form and under any pretext' and called on the international community to pressure Israel to halt its aggression and fully withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
