UN conference backs two-state solution, urges Israel to commit to Palestinian state
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes a two-state solution and has rejected the meeting on both nationalistic and security grounds. Its close ally, the United States, is also boycotting, calling the meeting 'unproductive and ill-timed.'The conference, which was postponed from June and downgraded from world leaders to ministers, for the first time established eight high-level working groups to examine and make proposals on wide-ranging topics related to a two-state solution.The declaration's plan says conference co-chairs France and Saudi Arabia, the European Union and Arab League, and 15 countries that led the working groups agreed 'to take collective action to end the war in Gaza.'Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan urged the rest of the 193 UN member nations 'to support this document' before the start of the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly in mid-September.The declaration condemns 'the attacks committed by Hamas against civilians' in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. It marks a first condemnation by Arab nations of Hamas, whose attacks killed about 1,200, mainly Israeli civilians, and whose militants took about 250 people hostage. Some 50 are still being held.The declaration condemns Israeli attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Gaza and its 'siege and starvation, which have produced a devastating humanitarian catastrophe and protection crisis.' Israel's ongoing offensive against Hamas has killed over 60,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants.PLAN WOULD GIVE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY GOVERNING POWERThe conference plan envisions the Palestinian Authority governing and controlling all Palestinian territory, with a transitional administrative committee immediately established under its umbrella after a ceasefire in Gaza.It also supports deployment of 'a temporary international stabilisation mission' operating under UN auspices to protect Palestinian civilians, support the transfer of security to the Palestinian Authority and provide security guarantees for Palestine and Israel — 'including monitoring of the ceasefire and of a future peace agreement.'advertisementThe declaration calls for countries to recognise the state of Palestine, calling this 'an essential and indispensable component of the achievement of the two-state solution.' Without naming Israel but clearly referring to it, the document says 'illegal unilateral actions are posing an existential threat to the realisation of the independent state of Palestine.'French President Emmanuel Macron announced ahead of the meeting that his country will recognise the state of Palestine at the General Assembly's meeting of world leaders in late September. The French Foreign Ministry on Tuesday pushed back on Israeli claims that recognition of Palestine would 'reward' Hamas, saying that 'on the contrary, it has contributed to isolating Hamas.'United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday that Britain would recognise the state of Palestine ahead of September's high-level meeting, but would refrain if Israel agrees to a ceasefire and long-term peace process in the next eight weeks. The countries are now the biggest Western powers and the only two members of the Group of Seven major industrialised nations to make such a pledge.- EndsMust Watch
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The Hindu
27 minutes ago
- The Hindu
U.K. pensioner, student arrested for backing Palestine Action
Pensioner Marji Mansfield never imagined she would end up suspected of terrorism for protesting against the banning of a pro-Palestinian group. But the British grandmother was arrested on July 5 for joining a demonstration in support of Palestine Action just days after it was added to the UK government's list of proscribed organisations. "It's a terrible shock to be accused of potentially being a terrorist," said Mansfield, 68, who described herself as a "proud grandmother" of seven. She "was never politically interested," the former banking consultant from the southern town of Chichester told AFP. "I just worked hard, raised my family, lived an ordinary life." In early July, the UK government banned Palestine Action under the UK's Terrorism Act, after activists broke into an air force base in England and damaged two aircraft. Since then, the campaign group Defend Our Juries has organised protests around the country to challenge the ban, described as "disproportionate" by the United Nations rights chief. More than 200 people have been arrested, according to Tim Crosland, a member of Defend Our Juries. They risk prison sentences of up to 14 years. British police on Thursday said they had charged two men and a woman over the July 5 protest, adding that they were sending files on the 26 other people arrested that day to prosecutors. A new demonstration in support of the group, which was founded in 2020, is planned on Saturday in London. Organisers expect at least 500 people to turn up, and police have warned all demonstrators could face arrest. People "don't know what the nature of this group is," interior minister Yvette Cooper has said, claiming that "this is not a non-violent group". But Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori has launched a court bid to overturn the ban and a hearing is set for November. Some 52 scholars, including well-known authors Tariq Ali and Naomi Klein, backed the bid in an open letter published in Thursday's Guardian, calling the ban an attack on "fundamental freedoms of expression, association, assembly and protest." 'Not terrorists' Mansfield has long supported the Palestinian people, but the start of the current war, sparked by Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, galvanised her into action. "When it started happening again ... it was the most horrible feeling, that children's homes were being blown up, that their schools were being destroyed," she said. Hamas's October 2023 attack on southern Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Israel's subsequent campaign to eradicate the Palestinian militant group in Gaza has killed more than 60,000 people, also mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory's health ministry, which are deemed reliable by the United Nations. For Mansfield, the Palestine Action ban was the final straw, fuelling her feelings that the government was silencing her political views. The night before attending the July demonstration, Mansfield said she was "terrified". But she did not change her mind. Images on British media showed her being moved by several police officers after she refused to get up from the pavement. An 83-year-old woman was by her side. Mansfield spent 12 hours in custody, and is now banned from parts of London, meaning she cannot visit some museums with her grandchildren as she would like to do. "It was just ordinary people," said Mansfield. "We came from all backgrounds ... we're not terrorists." 'Civil liberties' Alice Clark, a 49-year-old doctor, also does not regret attending the protest where she was arrested in London on July 19. "Nobody wants to be arrested. I just feel that there's a responsibility," said Clark, who also accused the government of undermining "our civil liberties". Cooper said the ban on Palestine Action was "based on detailed security assessments and security advice". The ban says the group's "methods have become more aggressive" by encouraging members to carry out attacks which have already caused millions of pounds in damage. But Clark, a former volunteer for medical charity Doctors Without Borders, said she felt "growing disgust and horror" at the images of starving children in Gaza. The 12 hours in custody after her arrest were a shock. If convicted, she risks losing her licence to practice medicine. "There were points where I was close to tears. But I think just remembering why I was doing it kind of helped me keep calm," said Clark. History student Zahra Ali, 18, was also arrested on July 19, before being released under supervision. None of the three women has been charged. She is also appalled by the scenes from Gaza. "The starvation in Gaza, it's disgusting. And our government isn't doing anything about that," she told AFP. Imagining herself in prison at 18 is "a big thing," but "if people who are in their 80s can do it, then I can do it," Ali said. She also does not describe herself as an activist, but as "a normal person ... who decided that what our government is doing is wrong".
News18
36 minutes ago
- News18
Israel does not want to occupy or annex Gaza: PM Netanyahu
Agency: PTI Jerusalem, Aug 7 (PTI) Israel doesn't want to annex or occupy Gaza and its sole aim is to destroy Hamas and hand over the strip to a transitory government, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday. The prime minister also said that Israel wants to take control of Gaza's security after ending the war as soon as possible. In an interaction with a group of visiting Indian journalists, Netanyahu said over two million tonnes of food were sent to Gaza, but the supplies were 'interdicted". The Israeli prime minister's comments came amid increasing international criticism of his government over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, as an estimated 60,000 people were killed in the Israeli military offensive in the last 22 months. Israel launched the war in Gaza after Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, killed about 1,200 people. Hamas also took 251 people as hostages. 'Our plan is not to occupy or annex Gaza. Our goal is to destroy Hamas and get our hostages back, and then hand over Gaza to a transitory government," Netanyahu said. 'We will never hand it (Gaza) over to the Palestinian Authority or Hamas. We will provide overall security. There will be a security perimeter provided by us," he said. 'We want to end the war very soon. It will be over speedily. If Hamas concedes and lays down their arms and frees hostages, it will be over tomorrow. Even Palestinians in Gaza are fighting Hamas," the Israeli prime minister said. Netanyahu said Israel wants to make Gaza a 'de-militarised" zone. 'We are looking at ending the war very soon. We are focusing on winning the war," he said. Israel is also facing increasing international pressure on the scarcity of food and medicine in Gaza. However, Netanyahu rejected the criticism. 'We have supplied over 2 million tonnes of food. However, the supplies were interdicted. We let thousands of trucks carrying food go to Gaza," he claimed. 'I decided to open up the transit routes for aid trucks. The problem has been with the distribution. Hamas caused the humanitarian crisis." To a question, Netanyahu said he would like to come to India soon. There is a huge scope to expand India-Israel cooperation, including in areas of intelligence sharing, countering terrorism, he said. On US President Donald Trump imposing a 50 per cent tariff on India, he said it will be of interest to both countries to resolve the tariff issue. PTI MPB ZH ZH view comments First Published: August 07, 2025, 22:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
After Pakistan and Israel, THIS country nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
After Pakistan and Israel, the latest country to back US President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize is Cambodia. The Southeast Asian nation on Thursday formally nominated Trump for the top peace prize, citing his "visionary and innovative diplomacy." The Southeast Asian nation on Thursday formally nominated Trump for the top peace prize, citing his "visionary and innovative diplomacy."(AP) Cambodia's decision comes after the United States brokered a ceasefire with Thailand after five days of hostilities between the neighbouring countries. What has Cambodia said in its letter for Trump? "President Trump's extraordinary statesmanship -- marked by his commitment to resolving conflicts and preventing catastrophic wars through visionary and innovative diplomacy -- was most recently demonstrated by his decisive role in brokering an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand," the letter said. "This timely intervention, which averted a potentially devastating conflict, was vital in preventing great loss of lives and paved the pay towards the restoration of peace," the letter added further. Also Read | Why does Donald Trump want the Nobel Peace Prize so badly? It's his self-image, and Obama, say analysts Last week, Cambodia's deputy prime minister Sun Chanthol had stated that the country would work to nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize for his help in reaching a truce with Thailand. 'He should get the Nobel, not only for his work on Cambodia, but also elsewhere,' the deputy PM said. Pakistan, Israel on list of countries backing Trump. Pakistan became the first country to openly back the US President's bid for a Nobel Peace Prize. Islamabad's statement came after Trump's involvement in the ceasefire deal with India, which the US president has claimed full credit for. Also Read | 'No leader in world asked India to stop': PM shuts down Trump's ceasefire claim Despite his claims, India has denied a foreign hand in its ceasefire understanding with Pakistan after hostilities between the two nations in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor. Israel's backing for a Nobel for Trump formalised during Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington DC. During this meet, the Israeli leader presented Trump with a letter, expressing Tel Aviv's support for a peace prize nomination.
