EU stands up against Netanyahu: From a change in tone to possible sanctions
An "intolerable" situation, "egregious actions," an "unacceptable" humanitarian "catastrophe." More than a year and a half after Hamas conducted its wave of attacks on Israel, which resulted in some 1,200 victims, Israel's retaliation and the intensification of its military operations in Gaza, with the death toll of more than 50,000 Palestinian victims continuing to rise, has left European leaders staggered.
In recent weeks, European governments have changed their tone when speaking about the Israeli government, notably due to pressure from their populations, who have been outraged by the destruction of residential areas, attacks on humanitarian workers and journalists, the way humanitarian aid was blocked – and then unfrozen in a chaotic, piecemeal way, while the Palestinian population has been starved and regularly forced to relocate from one area to another.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, on May 26: "What the Israeli army is doing in the Gaza Strip, I no longer understand, frankly, what its objective is." The next day, his foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, asserted that Germany defends "the rule of law everywhere and also international humanitarian law."
No consensus
A week before, a proposal from the Netherlands, backed by a majority of European foreign ministers, called on European Union institutions to launch a review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, a political and trade treaty between the EU and Israel, which was signed in 1995 and has been in force since 2000. The proposal was based on Article 2 of the agreement, which stipulates that the parties to the deal commit to upholding certain fundamental rights, notably human rights.
Ireland and Spain had already called for such a review in February 2024, supported by Josep Borrell, the EU's head diplomat at the time, but the Commission stayed silent on the matter. One year later, the situation has changed: the Netherlands, which traditionally have close ties to Israel, convinced many other EU member states, and Kaja Kallas, Borrell's successor, promised to present this review to the EU's next Foreign Affairs Council on June 23, along with "options" for what comes next.
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LeMonde
2 hours ago
- LeMonde
Iran fires back at Israel after onslaught targets nuclear facilities
Iran struck Israel early Saturday with barrages of missiles after a massive onslaught targeted the Islamic Republic's nuclear and military facilities, and killed several top generals. Air raid sirens and explosions rang out across Israel overnight, with its military calling on residents to take refuge in bomb shelters Saturday morning. The Israeli military said dozens of missiles – some intercepted – had been fired in the latest salvos from Iran. Smoke was billowing above skyscrapers in downtown Tel Aviv, an AFP journalist reported, as Iran's Revolutionary Guard said it had attacked dozens of targets in Israel. Israel's firefighting service said its teams were responding to the aftermath of Iranian missile strikes, including working to rescue people trapped in a high-rise building. Rescuers said 34 people had been wounded in the Gush Dan area, including a woman who later died of her injuries, according to Israeli media reports. In Iran's capital Tehran, early Saturday, fire and heavy smoke billowed from Mehrabad airport, an AFP journalist said, as local media reported a blast in the area. Iran said earlier it had activated its air-defence system and explosions could be heard across the capital. Dozens of people took to the streets of Tehran overnight to cheer their country's military response, with some waving national flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans. Iran's ambassador to the UN said Friday that 78 people had been killed and 320 wounded in the first wave of strikes by Israel. After a day of back-and-forth bombardments, UN chief Antonio Guterres called for the two nations to cease fire. "Enough escalation. Time to stop. Peace and diplomacy must prevail," he wrote on X late Friday. Calls for dialogue US officials said they were helping Israel defend against the missile attacks, even as Washington insisted it had nothing to do with Israel's strikes on Iran. US President Donald Trump agreed on a call with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer that "dialogue and diplomacy" were needed to calm the crisis, Starmer's office said. Trump also spoke with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Friday, US officials said, without elaborating. Iran's missile salvo came hours after Israel said its widespread air raids had killed several top Iranian generals, including most of the senior leadership of the Revolutionary Guards' air force. It had launched several rounds of strikes that hit about 200 targets, including nuclear facilities and air bases. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, vowed to bring Israel "to ruin" during a televised address. In Israel, Netanyahu issued a statement calling on the Iranian public to unite against their own government. But he also warned more attacks were coming. "In the past 24 hours, we have taken out top military commanders, senior nuclear scientists, the Islamic regime's most significant enrichment facility and a large portion of its ballistic missile arsenal," Netanyahu said. While stressing that it was not involved in the Israeli attacks, the United States warned Iran not to attack its personnel or interests. Tehran nevertheless said Washington would be "responsible for consequences." Commanders killed The strikes killed Iran's highest-ranking military officer, armed forces chief of staff Mohammad Bagheri, and the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, Iranian media reported. Khamenei swiftly appointed new commanders to replace those killed. Help us improve Le Monde in English Dear reader, We'd love to hear your thoughts on Le Monde in English! Take this quick survey to help us improve it for you. Take the survey "The senior chain of command of the air force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps had assembled in an underground command centre to prepare for an attack on the State of Israel," the Israeli military said, adding that its attacks had killed most of them. Iran confirmed that the Guards' aerospace commander had been killed, along with "a group of brave and dedicated fighters." AFP images showed a gaping hole in the side of a Tehran residential building that appeared to have sustained a targeted strike. Tasnim news agency said six nuclear scientists were among the dead. Iran confirmed that above-ground sections of the Natanz enrichment plant had been destroyed, but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said radiation levels outside the site "remained unchanged." "Most of the damage is on the surface level," said the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran's spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi. Oil prices surged while stocks sank on the Israeli strikes. The conflict raised questions as to whether Sunday's sixth round of talks planned between the United States and Iran to seek a deal on Iran's nuclear programme would go ahead in Oman. After the first wave of strikes on Friday, Trump urged Iran to "make a deal," adding that Washington was "hoping to get back to the negotiating table."
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Iran launches more missiles at Israel after it targets nuclear facilities
Iran and Israel targeted each other with airstrikes early on Saturday after Israel launched its biggest-ever offensive against its longtime foe in a bid to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the country's two largest cities before dawn, sending residents rushing into shelters. The military said its air defence systems were operating, seeking to intercept Iranian missiles. "In the last hour, dozens of missiles have been launched at the state of Israel from Iran, some of which were intercepted," the Israeli military said. It said rescue teams were operating at a number of locations across the country where fallen projectiles were reported, without commenting on casualties. Several explosions were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. The Fars news agency said two projectiles hit Tehran's Mehrabad airport, and Iranian media said flames were reported there. Close to key Iranian leadership sites, the airport hosts an air force base with fighter jets and transport aircraft. Israeli media said a suspected missile came down in Tel Aviv, and a Reuters witness heard a loud boom in Jerusalem. It was unclear whether Iranian strikes or Israeli defensive measures were behind the activity. The Fars news agency said Tehran launched a third wave of airstrikes on Saturday after two salvos on Friday night. Those were in response to Israel's attacks on Iran early on Friday against commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets and nuclear sites. In central Tel Aviv, a high-rise building was hit during a wave of the missile attacks, damaging the lower third of the structure, which stands in a densely populated urban area. An apartment block in nearby Ramat Gan was destroyed. Israel's ambulance service said 34 people were injured on Friday night in the Tel Aviv area, most with minor injuries. Police later said one person had died. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel on Friday, two US officials said. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on Friday and that most were intercepted or fell short. Several buildings in and around Tel Aviv were hit. The Israeli strikes on Iran throughout the day and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Trump says: Not too late Iran's state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes. Israeli officials said it may be some time before the extent of damage at Natanz was clear. Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium there to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz has been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on Friday. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war. A senior Iranian official said nowhere in Israel would be safe and revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He called Israel's operation "an act of national preservation." Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear programme. Tehran had been engaged in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear programme to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer.
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
Top-level UN conference on Palestinian statehood postponed
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Friday that a top-level UN conference on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine has been postponed amid surging tensions between Israel and Iran. France and Saudi Arabia were due to co-chair the conference hosted by the UN General Assembly in New York on June 17-20, and Macron had been among leaders scheduled to attend. Macron told reporters that the two-state conference was postponed for logistical and security reasons, and because some Palestinian representatives couldn't come to the event. He insisted that it would be held 'as soon as possible' and that he was in discussion with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about a new date. He insisted that 'this delay does not call into question our determination to move forward with the implementation of the two-state solution, whatever the circumstances." One of the aims at the UN conference was to increase the number of countries recognising Palestinian territories as an independent state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the creation of a Palestinian state, and Israel refused to participate in the conference. On Wednesday, Reuters reported that US President Trump's administration had sent a cable discouraging governments around the world from attending the conference. It reportedly warned countries that any "anti-Israel actions" taken after the conference could be followed by diplomatic consequences from Washington. Macron stressed that 'the aim is a demilitarised Palestinian state recognising the existence and the security of Israel,' Macron said. Any such state would exclude any Hamas leaders, he said. After Israel's strikes on Iran on Friday, Macron said that France's military forces around the Middle East are ready to help protect partners in the region, including Israel, but wouldn't take part in any attacks on Iran. He said "the risk of this march towards nuclear weapons by Iran threatens the region, Europe and, more generally, collective political stability." French schools, places of worship, public buildings, public festivals and gatherings and places of interest for the French Israeli, American and Jewish communities are all the focus of a call for greater security given out by France's interior minister Bruno Retailleau today. In a letter seen by Euronews addressed to the minister of defence, the heads of the army, police and other security chiefs, Retailleau said that deteriorating situation in the Middle East following Israel's strikes on Iran necessitated implementation of immediate action to increase security within France. In addition to calling on a beefed up police presence and extra vigilance, the note also called for efforts to track individuals, "particularly Iranians or those with links to Iran", already of interest to French authorities in the context of anti-radicalisation. After convening with his security cabinet, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Germany will also increase protection of Israeli assets and Jewish sites. While Merz emphasised Israel's 'right to protect its existence and the security of its citizens," he also called on both sides to refrain from further escalation.
