Israel says recognition of Palestinian state will force 'unilateral actions' in response
JERUSALEM – Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Sunday that unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state would force Israel to take 'unilateral actions', following announcements by several countries that they plan to take such a step.
'There have been talks about an initiative to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state… any attempt to do so unilaterally will only harm future prospects for a bilateral process and will push us for unilateral actions in response,' Saar said.
During a press conference in Jerusalem with his German counterpart, Johann Wadephul, Saar added that such initiatives were 'not constructive but counterproductive' and served 'as a prize for Hamas terror'.
Wadephul meanwhile said that a two-state solution was 'the best chance for Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, security, and dignity'.
He nonetheless added that it 'must not be hindered either by the advancement of illegal settlement construction (by Israel) or by the premature recognition of a Palestinian state'.
Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris might move to recognise a Palestinian state as early as June at a United Nations conference in New York.
'We must move towards recognition, and we will do so in the coming months,' Macron told France 5 television in an interview.
Hamas, the Palestinian militant group whose October 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, immediately welcomed the French leader's statement as an 'important step'.
Nearly 150 countries recognise a Palestinian state.
In May 2024, Ireland, Norway and Spain took the step to recognise a Palestinian state, followed by Slovenia in June.
Their moves were partly fuelled by concern over the high civilian death toll in Israel's devastating offensive in Gaza. –AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
31 minutes ago
- The Sun
UN experts accuse Israel of ‘extermination' in attacks on Gaza schools, religious sites
GENEVA: An independent United Nations commission said on Tuesday Israeli attacks on schools, religious and cultural sites in Gaza amount to war crimes and the crime against humanity of seeking to exterminate Palestinians. 'Israel has obliterated Gaza's education system and destroyed over half of all religious and cultural sites in the Gaza Strip,' the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a report. It accused Israeli forces of committing 'war crimes, including directing attacks against civilians and wilful killing, in their attacks on educational facilities that caused civilian casualties. 'In killing civilians sheltering in schools and religious sites, Israeli security forces committed the crime against humanity of extermination,' the report said. It noted: 'While the destruction of cultural property, including educational facilities, was not in itself a genocidal act, evidence of such conduct may nevertheless infer genocidal intent to destroy a protected group.' Commission chair Navi Pillay said in a statement accompanying the report: 'We are seeing more and more indications that Israel is carrying out a concerted campaign to obliterate Palestinian life in Gaza.' 'Children in Gaza have lost their childhood,' the senior South African judge said. 'They are forced to worry about survival amid attacks, uncertainty, starvation and subhuman living conditions.' The three-member commission said Israeli attacks 'targeted religious sites that served as places of refuge, killing hundreds of people, including women and children'. - 'Genocide' warning - The commission was set up by the UN to investigate violations of humanitarian and human rights law in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories. In May, UN humanitarian relief chief Tom Fletcher urged the countries of the UN Security Council to take action 'to prevent genocide' in Gaza. Israel has denied committing genocide. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs demanded that Israel lift its aid blockade on Gaza, where the UN says the entire population of more than two million people is at risk of famine. 'For those killed and those whose voices are silenced: what more evidence do you need now?' Fletcher said on May 14. 'Will you act -- decisively -- to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?' The UN commission's report paid special attention to Gaza but also focused on Israeli attacks on civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories as a whole, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel itself. It said Israel had 'done little' to prevent or prosecute Jewish settlers in the West Bank who 'intentionally targeted educational facilities and students to terrorise (Palestinian) communities and force them to leave their homes'. The report said Israeli authorities had intimidated and, in some cases, detained Israeli and Palestinian teachers and students who 'expressed concern or solidarity with the civilian population in Gaza'. - Call to Israel - The panel urged the Israeli government to stop attacking cultural, religious and education institutions, 'immediately end its unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory' and cease all settlement activity. It said the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should comply fully with provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice. The court has ordered Israel 'to prevent and punish the direct and public incitement to commit genocide against people in Gaza' and allow humanitarian aid to get through. It also urged Hamas, the Islamist militant group that runs Gaza, 'to cease using civilian objects for military purposes'. Hamas fighters launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. In response Israel launched an offensive during which the health ministry in Gaza says at least 54,880 people, the majority of them civilians, have been killed. The UN considers these figures reliable. The commission is to present its findings to the UN Commission on Human Rights on June 17.
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
Anwar lauds Poland's commitment to Gaza relief, praises support for UNRWA and principled stance on Palestine
PUTRAJAYA, June 10 — Malaysia has conveyed its sincere appreciation to Poland for extending humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, particularly through its support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the provision of emergency relief. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Poland's commitment to humanitarian efforts, including airdrops of essential supplies, reflected its principled stance on the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. 'I, on behalf of Malaysia, express my appreciation and thanks for the support for UNRWA and your stance on the two-state solution,' Anwar said at a joint press conference with visiting Polish President Andrzej Duda here today. The Prime Minister also stressed the urgent need for sustained humanitarian access and a peaceful resolution to the long-standing conflict, describing the situation in Gaza as a matter of global moral responsibility. 'There is a pressing need to secure peace and ensure humanitarian assistance continues to reach Gaza and the occupied territories,' Anwar said. Recently, international media reported that the Polish Embassy in Amman coordinated the delivery of humanitarian aid from Poland to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip which included over six tonnes of medicines, powdered milk, essential items for children, hygiene supplies and blankets that arrived in Jordan on April 23 aboard a Polish Armed Forces aircraft. In addition to the Gaza issue, the two leaders also discussed broader global and regional developments, including Malaysia's experience within Asean, ties with China and the country's engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This year marks Malaysia's fifth term as Asean Chairman, having previously held the chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. On Ukraine, the Prime Minister reiterated Malaysia's strong advocacy for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict, noting its far-reaching consequences. 'This ongoing conflict is not only a threat to Europe but also to the international community and our economic interests,' he said. Duda is on his first official visit to Malaysia, which comes at a significant moment – coinciding with Malaysia's Asean Chairmanship and Poland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2025. Earlier today, Duda was accorded an official welcome at the Perdana Putra Complex, followed by a bilateral meeting with Anwar and an official luncheon hosted by Anwar at the Seri Perdana Complex. According to Wisma Putra, Duda is also scheduled to visit the Second Regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps at the Sunggala Camp in Port Dickson and deliver a public lecture at the Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. Duda's visit underscores the robust and friendly relations between Malaysia and Poland, which are founded on mutual respect and close cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971. In 2024, Poland ranked as Malaysia's 8th largest trading partner among European Union member states, with total bilateral trade rising by 19.5 per cent to RM5.66 billion compared to 2023. Malaysia's primary exports to Poland include electrical and electronic products, rubber products and machinery, while key imports from Poland consist of machinery, equipment and parts, electrical and electronic products and transport equipment. — Bernama
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Malaysia thanks Poland for Gaza humanitarian aid
PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia has conveyed its sincere appreciation to Poland for extending humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, particularly through its support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the provision of emergency relief. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Poland's commitment to humanitarian efforts, including airdrops of essential supplies, reflected its principled stance on the ongoing crisis in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories. 'I, on behalf of Malaysia, express my appreciation and thanks for the support for UNRWA and your stance on the two-state solution,' Anwar said at a joint press conference with visiting Polish President Andrzej Duda here today. The Prime Minister also stressed the urgent need for sustained humanitarian access and a peaceful resolution to the long-standing conflict, describing the situation in Gaza as a matter of global moral responsibility. 'There is a pressing need to secure peace and ensure humanitarian assistance continues to reach Gaza and the occupied territories,' Anwar said. Recently, international media reported that the Polish Embassy in Amman coordinated the delivery of humanitarian aid from Poland to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip which included over six tonnes of medicines, powdered milk, essential items for children, hygiene supplies and blankets that arrived in Jordan on April 23 aboard a Polish Armed Forces aircraft. In addition to the Gaza issue, the two leaders also discussed broader global and regional developments, including Malaysia's experience within ASEAN, ties with China and the country's engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). This year marks Malaysia's fifth term as ASEAN Chairman, having previously held the chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005 and 2015. On Ukraine, the Prime Minister reiterated Malaysia's strong advocacy for a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict, noting its far-reaching consequences. 'This ongoing conflict is not only a threat to Europe but also to the international community and our economic interests,' he said. Duda is on his first official visit to Malaysia, which comes at a significant moment - coinciding with Malaysia's ASEAN Chairmanship and Poland's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2025. Earlier today, Duda was accorded an official welcome at the Perdana Putra Complex, followed by a bilateral meeting with Anwar and an official luncheon hosted by Anwar at the Seri Perdana Complex. According to Wisma Putra, Duda is also scheduled to visit the Second Regiment of the Royal Armoured Corps at the Sunggala Camp in Port Dickson and deliver a public lecture at the Asia-Europe Institute, Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. Duda's visit underscores the robust and friendly relations between Malaysia and Poland, which are founded on mutual respect and close cooperation since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1971. In 2024, Poland ranked as Malaysia's 8th largest trading partner among European Union member states, with total bilateral trade rising by 19.5 per cent to RM5.66 billion compared to 2023. Malaysia's primary exports to Poland include electrical and electronic products, rubber products and machinery, while key imports from Poland consist of machinery, equipment and parts, electrical and electronic products and transport equipment.
