The Indo Daily: ‘It's like a sick perversion of Squid Game': Horror in Gaza as tide begins to turn against Netanyahu
It seems as if this escalation has caused a visible collective shift in perspective, with new voices emerging in opposition in recent days.
Emmanuel Macron, for instance, has signalled France's intention to officially recognise a Palestinian state, making it the first G7 country to do so. Keir Starmer has also announced his intentions for the UK to follow suit, unless Israel acts to stop its war.
Donald Trump, meanwhile, has directly contradicted Benjamin Netanyahu's assertion that Israel isn't causing extreme hunger in Gaza, labelling the situation in Gaza as 'real starvation stuff' during his televised joint interview with Starmer earlier this week.
On this episode of The Indo Daily, host Kevin Doyle is joined by Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent with The Economist, and by TRT World presenter Enda Brady, to ask is the world turning on Benjamin Netanyahu? And is there any hope left for those in Gaza?
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The Journal
6 hours ago
- The Journal
'Important step': Ban on services must be included in Occupied Territories Bill, committee says
LAST UPDATE | 3 hrs ago A BAN ON SERVICES should be included in the updated Occupied Territories Bill, an Oireachtas committee has recommended. The Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade launched their pre-legislative scrutiny report on the proposed law today. In its current form, the Bill only applies to goods imported from illegal Israeli settlements, but the government has faced backlash for not including services, with Labour accusing the Taoiseach of instead publishing a 'retreat'. Micheál Martin has commented on the difficulty of incorporating services into the Bill, stating that it is 'genuinely more complex than goods transferring' due to issues over defining where the service originates. However, Simon Harris has vowed to seek their inclusion , if possible. The Occupied Territories Bill was first introduced by Independent Senator Francis Black in 2018 and proposed making it an offence 'for a person to import or sell goods or services originating in an occupied territory or to extract resources from an occupied territory in certain circumstances'. The slightly amended Bill proposed now by the Tánaiste would make it a crime under the Customs Act 2015 to import goods into Ireland that originate in Israeli settlements built over what is legally recognised as Palestinian land. Black said today that the recommendation from the cross-party committee is a 'hugely important step'. 'The inclusion of a ban on services, which would include tech and IT, is hugely significant,' she added, calling it a crucial component of the legislation. Speaking about the misinformation pushed about the Bill, she said the committee members 'saw through it', adding that it is important to state that the majority of businesses will not be impacted by the bill as they do not trade with the Occupied Territories. Advertisement The government must now deliver upon their promises to enact the legislation. 'I believe they will, I actually believe they will,' she told the media today. Senator Frances Black Chairperson of the Oireachtas committee, Fianna Fáil's John Lahart said while the Bill has been described as largely symbolic, it remains 'important'. He commented on how Ireland's reputation has been tarnished by some, stating that there have been smears and lies said about the country due to the position it has taken on this piece of legislation. The committee is invested in ensuring the country's objectives with this bill are communicated appropriately, he added, stating that Ireland should not suffer reputational damage over it. The committee also urged the government to make the Attorney General's advice on the Bill available to them. Also speaking at the launch today, Fianna Fáil TD and former Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl said that if the government decides now not to include services in the bill, their reasoning will need to be 'as compelling' as the evidence the committee heard in relation to why services should be included. 'The evidence presented to us to include goods and services was overwhelming,' he said. Ó Fearghaíl added that he believes the government will include services in the bill. 'I would be quite confident that the government will use its influence through Europe, and the UN, and internationally to build support for this initiative,' he said. Likewise, Fine Gael TD Brian Brennan, who also sits on the committee, said: 'We cannot lose sight of what this is about. It's about the kids, the parents, the grandparents who are starving to death and dying on a daily basis. We can talk about financial, political [repercussions] but there is a serious moral issue here… We are a small country but we are a proud country with moral standards.' Needs to be enacted as soon as possible Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence, Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, has welcomed the committee's recommendation stating that the message to government is clear: 'We cannot have a watered-down Occupied Territories Bill. We need it to be comprehensive, we need it to have teeth and we need it enacted as soon as possible.' Related Reads Gaza mother: 'My children ask for food, and I can give them nothing' Simon Harris says he will try to make a 'national day of protest over Gaza' happen EU tells Israel to 'stop killing people' who are seeking food and aid 'It is a hugely significant step forward that the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade has recommended that the government legislation on the Occupied Territories include a ban on not only trade in goods, but also trade in services. 'The situation that we see on our television screens and on our phones on a daily basis is intolerable – we are seeing deliberate starvation and human suffering on an incredible scale, and we are seeing people shot as they queue for aid. The world cannot simply look on,' he said. The committee launching its report in Leinster House in front of the media. Senator Alice-Mary Higgins, who is a member of the committee and co-sponsor of the Original Occupied Territories Bill introduced by Senator Frances Black in 2018, welcomed the report and its strong recommendations, particularly the recommendation to end trade in both goods and services from illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 'A euro of support is a euro of support' Speaking on the launch, Senator Higgins stated: 'The report is clear, there should be no dilution and no delays. The Committee want to see the Bill advanced as 'a matter of urgency' and believe it should include a prohibition of both goods and services in line with our obligations under international law.' Conor O'Neill, Christian Aid Ireland's Head of Policy and spokesperson for the Campaign to Pass the Occupied Territories Bill, said the committee has made it abundantly clear that Ireland needs to act. 'Ultimately, it doesn't matter whether you're importing a box of olives produced on stolen Palestinian farmland or booking a holiday rental in a stolen Palestinian home on a service platform like Airbnb. 'A euro of support is a euro of support, and the ICJ was clear that all of it has to end. We are calling on the government to listen to the Foreign Affairs Committee and the ICJ and pass a full, effective Occupied Territories Bill as soon as the Dáil resumes in September,' he said. With reporting from Jane Matthews Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
11 hours ago
- RTÉ News
US envoy Witkoff arrives in Israel for Gaza aid, ceasefire push
US special envoy Steve Witkoff has arrived in Israel in a bid to salvage Gaza ceasefire talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine was unfolding. Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Doha ended in deadlock last week with the sides trading blame for the impasse and gaps remaining over issues including the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal. Mr Witkoff will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss humanitarian aid and the "next steps" on Gaza. He may also visit a US-backed humanitarian group distributing food in Gaza, according to Israeli reports. Mr Witkoff has been the top US representative in indirect ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, but the discussions broke down last week when Israel and the United States recalled their delegations from Doha. Israel yesterday sent a response to Hamas' latest amendments to a US proposal that would see a 60-day truce and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees, a source familiar with the details said. Gaza medical officials said at least 23 people were reported killed by Israeli fire across the territory this morning, including 12 people among crowds who had gathered to receive aid around the Netzarim corridor, an area held by Israeli troops in central Gaza. The Israeli military said it was looking into the report. Since the war began, the Gaza health ministry has recorded 154 deaths from starvation and malnutrition, most of them in recent weeks, including at least 89 children. Facing mounting international outrage over images of starving children, Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations for ten hours a day in parts of Gaza and designate secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that the United Nations and its partners had been able to bring more food into Gaza in the first two days of pauses, but the volume was "still far from enough." With the number of Palestinians killed in almost two years of war passing 60,000 this week, pressure has been mounting in Gaza on Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal with Israel. In Israel, protests were expected in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, calling on the government to end the war. Mr Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition includes two parties who want to conquer Gaza and re-establish Jewish settlements there, has said he will not end the war until Hamas no longer rules Gaza and lays down its arms. Hamas has rejected calls to disarm. Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating the ceasefire efforts, backed a declaration on Tuesday by France and Saudi Arabia which outlined steps for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The declaration says Hamas "must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority", which is led by its rivals and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel has rejected the Palestinian Authority gaining control of Gaza. Israel has denounced declarations by France, Britain and Canada since last week that they may recognise a Palestinian state, which Israel says amounts to rewarding Hamas for its 7 October 2023 attack on Israeli territory. That attack, when fighters killed 1,200 people took 251 hostages back to Gaza, precipitated the war.
Irish Times
12 hours ago
- Irish Times
Trump envoy Witkoff travels to Israel for ceasefire talks
US special envoy Steve Witkoff travelled Israel on Thursday in a bid to salvage Gaza ceasefire talks and tackle a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave, where a global hunger monitor has warned that famine was unfolding. Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Doha ended in deadlock last week with the sides trading blame for the impasse and gaps remaining over issues including the extent of Israeli forces' withdrawal. Mr Witkoff, who will meet Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu , arrives as Israel faces mounting international pressure over Gaza, with Canada the latest western power to say it will recognise a Palestinian state. Israel on Wednesday sent a response to Hamas' latest amendments to a US proposal that would see a 60-day truce and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, a source familiar with the details said. READ MORE There was no immediate comment from Hamas. Gaza medical officials said at least 23 people were reported killed by Israeli fire across the enclave, including 12 people among crowds who had gathered to receive aid around the Netzarim corridor, an area held by Israeli troops in central Gaza. The Israeli military said it was looking into the report. Since the war began, the Gaza health ministry has recorded 154 deaths from starvation and malnutrition, most of them in recent weeks, including at least 89 children. Facing mounting international outrage over images of starving children, Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and designate secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Wednesday that the United Nations and its partners had been able to bring more food into Gaza in the first two days of pauses, but the volume was 'still far from enough.' Even with more aid running through Gaza, residents face peril from Israeli forces and Palestinian looters when trying to reach the supplies. 'I have tried several times to grab a sack of flour. The only time I managed to do so, someone with a knife froze me in the street and took it away, threatening to stab me,' one man from Deir Al-Balah told Reuters, asking not to be identified. With the number of Palestinians killed in almost two years of war passing 60,000 this week, according to Gaza health authorities, pressure has been mounting in Gaza on Hamas to reach a ceasefire deal with Israel. 'We can save thousands of lives and maybe the war wouldn't resume,' Rami from Gaza City told Reuters via a chat app. In Israel, protests were expected in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, calling on the government to end the war. Mr Netanyahu, whose ruling coalition includes two parties who want to conquer Gaza and re-establish Jewish settlements there, has said he will not end the war until Hamas no longer rules the enclave and lays down its arms. Hamas has rejected calls to disarm. Qatar and Egypt, who are mediating the ceasefire efforts, backed a declaration on Tuesday by France and Saudi Arabia which outlined steps for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The declaration says Hamas 'must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority', which is led by its rivals and based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Israel has rejected the Palestinian Authority gaining control of Gaza. Israel has denounced declarations by France, Britain and Canada since last week that they may recognise a Palestinian state, which Israel says amounts to rewarding Hamas for its October 7th, 2023 attack on Israeli territory. That attack, when fighters killed 1,200 people took 251 hostages back to Gaza, precipitated the war. - Reuters
