UK to recognise Palestinian state unless Israel meets conditions
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The National
2 hours ago
- The National
Nicola Sturgeon says Israel committing 'nothing short of genocide'
The former first minister also said she was 'proud' that the SNP-led Scottish Government was considering a full state boycott of Israel, as The National revealed on Thursday. Sturgeon's statement came after a number of her Glasgow Southside constituents wrote to question her 'surprising silence' on the Israeli occupation of Palestine. A template letter drafted by Scotland for Palestine – a pro-Palestine and pro-Scottish independence group – said: 'As a constituent who stands against apartheid, occupation, and genocide, I am writing to ask you to tell me what concrete steps you will take to help end the illegal occupation of Palestine and the Palestinian genocide?' The group aimed to push Sturgeon into speaking publicly on the issue ahead of her appearance at the Govanhill Book Festival on Friday, August 8. A spokesperson for Scotland for Palestine said: 'Nicola Sturgeon has a reputation as someone who will speak out in a forthright manner and with integrity. As a former first minister for Scotland and a heavy-weight politician she has an unrivalled platform and reach. READ MORE: David Pratt: Netanyahu makes more enemies by the day within Israel's military 'However, after almost two years in what is one of the darkest eras in history including a complete breakdown of international and humanitarian law, she seems to have been very quiet. 'What does she have to say about the current situation in Palestine and the part the SNP is playing in the widely documented political and financial backing of Israel?' Responding, Sturgeon was unequivocal. 'What we are witnessing in Gaza is nothing short of a genocide,' she said. 'The killing of civilians, the targeting of children, the destruction of entire communities. It is a moral outrage, and the world must not look away. "As someone who has always stood up for human rights and international law, I want to be clear: the root cause of the devastating cycle of violence in Gaza is the decades-long illegal occupation of Palestine – and that must end. Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has described Israel's actions as 'genocide' (Image: PA) 'I am proud that we have a Scottish Government that is standing up firmly for the people of Palestine – calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, calling for the recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state, demanding a ban on UK Government arms exports to Israel, considering imposing a state boycott on Israel, and demanding increased humanitarian aid to Gaza and Palestinian refugees. 'The people of Scotland have shown profound solidarity with the Palestinian people, and we must all ensure that Scotland remains a voice for justice on the global stage.' The former SNP leader's comments come after John Swinney, the current First Minister, also described Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide. Speaking to journalists after an Edinburgh Fringe event which was repeatedly interrupted by pro-Palestine protesters, Swinney said: 'It's quite clear that there is a genocide in Palestine – it can't be disputed.' Experts including Israel-based right group B'Tselem, dean's professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University Omer Bartov, UN special rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese, and Amnesty International have concluded that Benjamin Netanyahu's government is committing genocide. READ MORE: Israel 'using Hamas as pretext to commit genocide', B'Tselem says Netanyahu is wanted for arrest by the International Criminal Court on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Israeli prime minister is reported to be considering a full occupation of Gaza, with US president Donald Trump already having backed plans for a 'clear out' of the region – as well as saying that occupying Gaza is 'up to Israel'. The US and Israel have taken control of aid distribution points in the Palestinian region through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an American contractor led by evangelist former Trump adviser Johnnie Moore. US president Donald Trump has largely supported Israel's actions in GazaIsrael facilitated the establishment of four GHF sites in May after blocking the entry of all food, medicine and other goods for two-and-a-half months. A whistleblower told the BBC in July that he had witnessed tanks and machine guns at GHF sites firing on Palestinian women and children who posed no threat. 'I witnessed the Israeli Defense Forces firing a main gun tank round from the Merkava tank into a crowd of people,' Anthony Aguilar said. 'I witnessed mortar rounds being fired at the crowds of people to keep them controlled.' READ MORE: End 'deadly' Gaza aid scheme after hundreds of Palestinians killed, NGOs say The UN human rights office said last week that some 1400 Palestinians have been killed seeking aid since May, mostly near GHF sites but also along UN convoy routes where trucks have been overwhelmed by crowds. It says nearly all were killed by Israeli fire. Hamas-led militants killed some 1200 people, mostly civilians, in the October 7 attack and abducted another 251. Most of the hostages have been released in ceasefires or other deals. Of the 50 still held in Gaza, around 20 are believed to be alive. Israel's retaliation has killed more than 61,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which the UN and independent experts consider the most reliable source for the number of war casualties. Images taken from aid planes over Gaza have shown the region devastated, with schools, hospitals, universities, roads, and other infrastructure completely destroyed.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
First people to be returned to France under UK's ‘one in, one out' asylum deal
People who arrived in the UK on a small boat have been detained under Keir Starmer's 'one in, one out' deal for the first time and are expected to be returned to France within three weeks, the Home Office has said. Detentions began on Wednesday lunchtime as those identified in the Channel were held in immigration removal centres pending their removal. The UK would be expected to make referrals to France within three days, and the French authorities would be expected to respond within 14 days, officials said. A small proportion of people arriving on small boats will be selected for removal to France and, in return, Britain will accept an equal number of asylum seekers from France. The Home Office released footage of a group of men who were being assessed for possible removal. With their faces blurred, they were shown walking into a tent for medical assessment. A second film showed them being screened by Border Force staff. Questions remain over the treaty implementing the 'one in, one out' agreement. Immigration lawyers say its confusingly worded terms could be challenged by anyone attempting to block their return to France. The charity that successfully challenged the previous government's Rwanda plan said it was now examining whether it could launch a case against Labour's 'morally repugnant' policy. Steve Smith, the CEO of Care4Calais, said: 'Channel crossings are driven by a lack of safe routes, and here we have the government claiming to be opening a very limited, safe route, but they are locking people up before it's opened. These first detainees are being denied access to justice. 'Lets be clear, however. This grubby deal is all about permanently denying people the right to sanctuary. Offering a safe route to one person who has a strong case to be offered protection, while denying somebody else, who may have an equally strong case, is abhorrent. It must be challenged, and we are keeping all our options open to do so.' The reciprocal scheme allowing asylum seekers with links to the UK has also begun. Applicants must satisfy the eligibility and suitability criteria, including uploading a passport or other identity documents as well as a recent photograph. Those selected will have to pass further stringent security checks and biometric controls, meaning that only those individuals whom the UK government has approved for entry will be allowed through the new route. People from war-torn and drought-hit countries such as Eritrea could be excluded from the scheme by the requirement for official documents, a charity has warned. A Refugee Legal Support spokesperson said: 'This week in Calais, we spoke with many people from Eritrea and almost none of them have copies of their Eritrean passports because they were never able to obtain one. Eritrean nationals are the top nationality crossing the Channel in 2025; 86% of Eritrean asylum seekers receive a positive decision, but almost all will be excluded from this scheme.' As the one-in, one-out pilot scheme continues into its implementation phase, the Home Office is also launching a campaign warning people not to risk their money or their life, to be promoted in the coming days across multiple channels. The deal has been trumpeted by ministers as a 'gamechanging' deal but Home Office sources said it would apply only to about 50 asylum seekers at first. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, did not confirm how many people were being prepared to be returned to France and said the government would resist any legal challenges. 'The transfers to immigration removal centres are under way as we speak, so we won't provide operational details at this point that criminal gangs can simply use and exploit. 'But no one should be in any doubt: anyone who arrives from now on is eligible for immediate detention and return,' she said. 'It's the beginning of the pilot and it will build as well over time, but we're also clear that France is a safe country, so we will robustly defend against any legal challenge that people try.' A copy of the agreement was released on Tuesday as the prime minister comes under increasing pressure to stop boats carrying asylum seekers from crossing the Channel. The UK will pay the costs of transporting asylum seekers to and from France. The deal will have to be renewed by 11 June next year, and can be ended at a month's notice by either side. If people have an outstanding claim for asylum, they cannot be removed, the deal says. France can reject a requested removal if it 'considers that an individual would be a threat to public policy, internal security, public health or the international relations of any of the Schengen states'. So far in 2025, more than 25,000 people have arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel in small boats – a record for this point in the year since data began being collected in 2018. That is up 48% on the same time last year.
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Trump says he would meet Putin even if Russian leader won't meet Zelensky
Donald Trump has said he would meet Vladimir Putin even if the Russian leader will not meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mr Trump was asked by a reporter if the Russian leader would need to meet Mr Zelensky to secure a meeting with the US, and replied: 'No, he doesn't. No.' His comments followed Mr Putin's remarks earlier on Thursday that he hoped to meet the US president next week, possibly in the United Arab Emirates, but the White House was still working through the details of any potential meetings, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. Mr Putin's announcement came on the eve of a White House deadline for Moscow to show progress towards ending the three-year war in Ukraine or suffer additional economic sanctions. Asked on Thursday if his deadline for Friday would hold, Mr Trump said of Mr Putin: 'It's going to be up to him. We're going to see what he has to say. It's going to be up to him. Very disappointed.' He also touched on killings that have continued on both sides and added, 'I don't like long waits. I think it's a shame.' A White House official told the Associated Press on Thursday morning that a US-Russian summit would not happen if Mr Putin did not agree to meet Mr Zelensky, but the official later said it only made it less likely. Speaking of possible direct talks with Mr Zelensky, the Russian president said he has mentioned several times that he was not against it, adding: 'It's a possibility, but certain conditions need to be created.' The Kremlin has previously said Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky should meet only when an agreement negotiated by their delegations is close. Ukraine fears being sidelined by direct negotiations between Washington and Moscow, and Mr Zelensky said he had phone conversations with several European leaders on Thursday amid a flurry of diplomatic activity. European countries have pledged to back Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russia's invasion. Mr Putin's foreign affairs adviser, Yuri Ushakov, earlier brushed aside the possibility of Mr Zelensky joining the summit, something the White House said Mr Trump was ready to consider. Mr Putin has spurned Mr Zelensky's previous offers of a meeting to clinch a breakthrough. Asked who initiated the possible talks with the US president, Mr Putin said that did not matter and 'both sides expressed an interest'. A meeting would be the first US-Russia summit since 2021, when Joe Biden met Mr Putin in Geneva. It would be a significant milestone towards Mr Trump's effort to end the war, although there is no guarantee it would stop the fighting since Moscow and Kyiv remain far apart on their conditions for peace. Months of US-led efforts have yielded no progress on stopping Russia's invasion of its neighbour. The war has killed tens of thousands of troops on both sides and more than 12,000 Ukrainian civilians, according to the United Nations. Western officials have repeatedly accused Mr Putin of stalling in peace negotiations to allow Russian forces time to capture more Ukrainian land. He has previously offered no concessions and said he will accept a settlement only on his terms. Mr Zelensky said European countries must also be involved in finding a solution to the war on their own continent. 'Ukraine is not afraid of meetings and expects the same bold approach from the Russian side. It is time to end the war,' he added. A ceasefire and long-term security guarantees are priorities in potential negotiation with Russia, he said on social media. He noted that Russian strikes on civilians have not eased despite Mr Trump publicly urging Mr Putin to relent. A Russian attack on Wednesday in the central Dnipro region killed four people and wounded eight others, he said. A new Gallup poll published on Thursday found that Ukrainians are increasingly eager for a peace settlement. In the survey, conducted in early July, about seven in 10 Ukrainians said their country should seek to negotiate a settlement as soon as possible.
