Norway wealth fund terminates Israel asset management contracts
The announcement follows an urgent review launched last week following media reports that the fund had built a stake in an Israeli jet engine group that provides services to Israel's armed forces, including the maintenance of fighter jets.
The fund, an arm of Norway's central bank, which held stakes in 61 Israeli companies as of June 30, in recent days divested stakes in 11 of these, it said in a statement.
"We have now completely sold out of these positions," the fund said, adding that it continued to review Israeli companies for potential divestments.
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Irish Examiner
13 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Finally, a large-scale anti-war protest in Israel
An estimated 100,000 Israelis took to the streets of Tel Aviv last Saturday night to protest against the Israeli Government's announcement to intensify and prolong the war on Gaza. This was the largest and most raucous anti-government demonstration in months. The anger was palpable; it was probably the first demonstration that I can recall that had a decidedly anti-war sentiment. For many months, smaller demonstrations have been held every Saturday evening across the country. Whilst these protests have always had an anti-government message, their focus remained squarely on the fate of remaining hostages held in Gaza. Explicit anti-war messages at the mainstream weekly demos have remained muted – up until now. Saturday night's demonstration felt different. This was arguably the first large-scale anti-war demonstration in Israel since the conflict began almost two years ago. The government's announcement to expand the war came after a 10-hour cabinet meeting last Thursday, indicating, unusually for this government, some real cabinet dissent. Netanyahu, in a press conference on Sunday evening, doubled down on that commitment. Israeli activists take part in a protest last month in Tel Aviv against the war in the Gaza Strip. Many demonstrators believe that Netanyahu's motivation to expand military operations is fuelled by nothing more than a cynical desire for political self-preservation. File photo: AP/Ohad Zwigenberg In language reminiscent of the infamous quote of the Vietnam War, 'It became necessary to destroy the town to save it', Netanyahu on Sunday spoke in English, without any hint of irony, 'We do not want to occupy Gaza but free Gaza'. This is after 22 months of relentless Israeli assault that has already killed over 60,000 Palestinians, including 18,000 children. Netanyahu's announcement to intensify the war on Gaza, including a plan to occupy and 'evacuate' Gaza city, has shocked but not surprised Israelis. Details of the military plan remain unclear. Initial local media reports over the weekend suggested that the plan included a full evacuation of Gaza City, to be completed by October 7, the second anniversary of the Hamas massacre. Recent polls suggest that more than 70% of Israelis want the war to end now. Presumably, an even higher percentage are opposed to any intensification of fighting that puts at risk not just the lives of the remaining hostages but also the lives of thousands of young Israeli soldiers who are now tasked with the unenviable job of ethnic cleansing. The IDF's (Israeli Defense Forces) Eyal Zamir has let it be known publicly that he is opposed to Netanyahu's ground plan for logistical reasons, arguing, like almost everybody else here, that the expansion of the war as outlined by the government puts the lives of soldiers and hostages at risk. Zamir's very public opposition has provoked accusations of treason from Netanyahu's son Yair, who has not been shy of weighing in with politically provocative outbursts since the war began. The political mood in the country has grown increasingly tense in the past 72 hours, with calls from both the family of the hostages and opposition leaders for a national strike later this week. Many political pundits in Israel, however, are genuinely scratching their heads as to the motivation behind Netanyahu's decision. Most are asking, why now? And why such a brazen and provocative call for an intensification of war, that has generated fierce condemnation from leaders across the globe, flies in the face of the majority of Israeli public opinion and is resolutely opposed by the Israeli military itself. If we take Netanyahu at his word, the war plans are simply a 'proposal for defeating Hamas'. If we do not take him at his word - and many Israeli political pundits say we shouldn't - the announcement is a ploy for Netanyahu to prolong the war, to ensure his short-term political survival. Israeli activists take part in a protest last month in Tel Aviv against the war in the Gaza Strip. The political mood in the country has grown increasingly tense in the past 72 hours. File photo: AP/Ohad Zwigenberg Any proposal to end the war that doesn't include a commitment to full Israeli occupation, ethnic cleansing, or expulsion, the argument goes, will not satisfy his far-right messianic coalition partners. The so-called never-ending war is designed to stave off the collapse of the government. Some have argued that the announcement is nothing more than a negotiation tactic to force Hamas to make concessions in the negotiations to end the war. There is a fourth and altogether darker interpretation. This is the opinion that none of this is being forced upon Netanyahu by political expediency, but instead driven by a deliberate, pre-planned strategic goal to eventually expel two million Palestinians from Gaza. This was the opinion of Aluf Benn, editor of Haaretz newspaper, the Israeli paper of record, just last week. The few demonstrators I spoke to on Saturday night were unanimous that Netanyahu's motivation to expand military operations was fuelled by nothing more than a cynical desire for political self-preservation. 'He [Netanyahu] cares nothing about the hostages, everything he does is for himself,' said Yoav. 'We need to get rid of this 'crime minister 'before more hostages die,' Yael added. Netanyahu has been indicted for corruption. His trial has been dragging on for years. Posters with his face behind bars with the caption 'Crime Minister' have been visible at all demonstrations for two years now. Lior was visibly angry. 'What are we fighting for? What are our soldiers dying for? Nothing, absolutely all a lie.' Israeli activists take part in a protest last month in Tel Aviv against the war in the Gaza Strip. Recent polls suggest that more than 70% of Israelis want the war to end now. File photo: AP/Ohad Zwigenberg 'We are killing children every day – it has to stop,' said Taly, one of the few people I spoke to who first raised the plight of Palestinian civilians. Her voice remains a minority. A little reported poll from the Israel Democracy Institute this weekend revealed that 78% of Jewish Israelis think that 'given the circumstances of the fighting in Gaza, Israel is making efforts to avoid causing suffering to the Palestinian population there'. A perhaps shockingly naive or wilfully ignorant viewpoint, indicative that many of the demonstrators on Saturday continue to either turn a blind eye to the reality what their state has done in the past 22 months of war. Many observers, I am sure both inside and outside Israel, would agree however, whatever the motivation of the demonstrators, any protest by ordinary Israelis that brings 100,000 of its citizens onto the streets to call for an immediate end to the war on Gaza should be welcomed by all.
Irish Examiner
13 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Israel intensifies bombing of Gaza, killing 89 Palestinians in 24 hours
Israel has stepped up bombing Gaza, killing at least 89 Palestinians in 24 hours, including at least 15 people queueing for food, despite global outcry over the deaths of six journalists% in the territory the previous day. Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City had intensified in the three days after Benjamin Netanyahu's security cabinet approved plans to expand the war in the territory. Five more people, including two children, were reported to have died of starvation, as the foreign ministers of 24 countries including Britain, Australia, France, Spain and Japan warned that 'humanitarian suffering in Gaza has reached unimaginable levels'. The ministers and the EU foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, called on the government of Israel to let in aid shipments immediately and allow essential humanitarian actors to operate in Gaza. 'Urgent action is needed now to halt and reverse starvation,' they said. More than 15 people were killed while waiting for food distribution at the Zikim crossing in northern Gaza, said Fares Awad, head of the ambulance services in northern Gaza. In the south of the territory, five people, including a couple and their child, were killed by an Israeli airstrike on a house in the city of Khan Younis and four by a strike on a tent encampment in nearby Mawasi, medics said. The civil defence agency spokesperson Mahmud Bassal said the residential neighbourhoods of Zeitoun and Sabra had been hit 'with very heavy airstrikes targeting civilian homes, possibly including high-rise buildings'. The bombardment was described by residents as the heaviest in weeks. 'It sounded like the war was restarting,' Amr Salah, 25, told Reuters. 'Tanks fired shells at houses, and several houses were hit, and the planes carried out what we call fire rings, whereby several missiles landed on some roads in eastern Gaza.' ''There are martyrs under the rubble that no one can reach because the shelling hasn't stopped,' said Majed al-Hosary, a resident in Zeitoun. Eleven bodies were recovered from the rubble of previous Israeli attacks, the ministry said on Telegram, including several casualties caused by strikes on Gaza City. The Israeli military said it was looking into the reports and that its forces took precautions to mitigate civilian harm. Separately, it said that its forces had killed dozens of militants in north Gaza over the past month and destroyed more tunnels used by militants in the area. In the summer heat, Palestinian children carry jerrycans after collecting water from a distribution point in Gaza City. Picture: Jehad Alshrafi/AP There was no sign on the ground of forces moving deeper into Gaza City as part of the newly approved Israeli offensive, which was expected to begin in the coming weeks. The most recent famine-related deaths brought the total number of hunger-related deaths recorded since October 7 2023 to 227, including 103 children, according to Gaza's health ministry. Nasser Medical Complex confirmed a six-year-old boy had died of hunger-related illness in the southern city of Khan Younis, while doctors said a 30-year-old man had died of malnutrition. Israel has faced mounting criticism over the 22-month-long war with Hamas, with UN-backed experts warning of widespread famine unfolding in besieged Gaza. Israel has imposed a blockade and restrictions on aid entering the territory, but in his press conference on Sunday Netanyahu said it was 'completely false' that his government was pursuing a 'starvation policy'. He acknowledged hunger, and problems with the food distribution system run by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, but accused the media of 'lies' about the scale of the problem. Twenty-two months into the conflict, Israel's war on Gaza has killed a total of 61,599 Palestinians and injured 154,088 since 7 October 2023, according to Gaza's health ministry. An outpouring of condemnation has followed the death of the prominent Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif, killed along with four colleagues in an Israeli airstrike on Sunday. The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights said they would file a joint complaint to the international criminal court over their killings. The Israel Defense Forces admitted carrying out the attack, claiming Sharif was the leader of a Hamas cell responsible for rocket attacks against Israel – an allegation that Al Jazeera and Sharif had previously dismissed as baseless. HRF's investigation traces the chain of command from Netanyahu to senior Israeli army figures, including air force and intelligence commanders. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, condemned their deaths and his spokesperson called for an independent investigation. The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Philippe Lazzarini, said in a post on X: 'The Israeli Army continues to silence voices reporting atrocities from Gaza.' 'I am horrified by the killing of another 5 journalists in Gaza City. Since the war began, more than 200 Palestinian journalists have been reported killed in total impunity.' — The Guardian
The Hill
14 minutes ago
- The Hill
Israel is in talks to possibly resettle Palestinians from Gaza in South Sudan
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel is in discussions with South Sudan about the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country, part of a wider effort by Israel to facilitate mass emigration from the territory left in ruins by its 22-month offensive against Hamas. Six people familiar with the matter confirmed the talks to The Associated Press. It's unclear how far the talks have advanced, but if implemented, the plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another, and raise human rights concerns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to realize U.S. President Donald Trump's vision of relocating much of Gaza's population through what Netanyahu refers to as 'voluntary migration.' Israel has floated similar resettlement proposals with other African nations. Palestinians, rights groups, and much of the international community have rejected the proposals as a blueprint for forcible expulsion in violation of international law. For South Sudan, such a deal could help it build closer ties to Israel, now the almost unchallenged military power in the Middle East. It is also a potential inroad to Trump, who broached the idea of resettling Gaza's population in February but appears to have backed away in recent months. Israel's Foreign Ministry declined to comment and South Sudan's foreign minister did not respond to questions about the talks. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said it doesn't comment on private diplomatic conversations. Egypt opposes proposals to resettle Palestinians out of Gaza Joe Szlavik, the founder of a U.S. lobbying firm working with South Sudan, said he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks. He said an Israeli delegation plans to visit the country to look into the possibility of setting up camps for Palestinians there. No known date has been set for the visit. Israel did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the visit. Szlavik said Israel would likely pay for makeshift camps. Edmund Yakani, who heads a South Sudanese civil society group, said he had also spoken to South Sudanese officials about the talks. Four additional officials with knowledge of the discussions confirmed talks were taking place on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them publicly. Two of the officials, both from Egypt, told AP they've known for months about Israel's efforts to find a country to accept Palestinians, including its contact with South Sudan. They said they've been lobbying South Sudan against taking the Palestinians. Egypt is deeply opposed to plans to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza, with which it shares a border, fearing an influx of refugees into its own territory. The AP previously reported on similar talks initiated by Israel and the U.S. with Sudan and Somalia, countries that are also grappling with war and hunger, and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland. The status of those discussions is not known. 'Cash-strapped South Sudan needs any ally' Szlavik, who's been hired by South Sudan to improve its relations with the United States, said the U.S. is aware of the discussions with Israel but is not directly involved. South Sudan wants the Trump administration to lift a travel ban on the country and remove sanctions from some South Sudanese elites, said Szlavik. It has already accepted eight individuals swept up in the administration's mass deportations, in what may have been an effort to curry favor. The Trump administration has pressured a number of countries to help facilitate deportations. 'Cash-strapped South Sudan needs any ally, financial gain and diplomatic security it can get,' said Peter Martell, a journalist and author of a book about the country, 'First Raise a Flag.' Israel's Mossad spy agency provided aid to the South Sudanese during their decades-long civil war against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum ahead of independence in 2011, according to the book. The State Department, asked if there was any quid pro quo with South Sudan, said decisions on the issuing of visas are made 'in a way that prioritizes upholding the highest standards for U.S. national security, public safety, and the enforcement of our immigration laws.' From one hunger-stricken conflict zone to another Many Palestinians might want to leave Gaza, at least temporarily, to escape the war and a hunger crisis bordering on famine. But they have roundly rejected any permanent resettlement from what they see as an integral part of their national homeland. They fear that Israel will never allow them to return, and that a mass departure would allow it to annex Gaza and reestablish Jewish settlements there, as called for by far-right ministers in the Israeli government. Still, even those Palestinians who want to leave are unlikely to take their chances in South Sudan, among the world's most unstable and conflict-ridden countries. South Sudan has struggled to recover from a civil war that broke out after independence, and which killed nearly 400,000 people and plunged pockets of the country into famine. The oil-rich country is plagued by corruption and relies on international aid to help feed its 11 million people – a challenge that has only grown since the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to foreign assistance. A peace deal reached seven years ago has been fragile and incomplete, and the threat of war returned when the main opposition leader was placed under house arrest this year. Palestinians in particular could find themselves unwelcome. The long war for independence from Sudan pitted the mostly Christian and animist south against the predominantly Arab and Muslim north. Yakani, of the civil society group, said South Sudanese would need to know who is coming and how long they plan to stay, or there could be hostilities due to the 'historical issues with Muslims and Arabs.' 'South Sudan should not become a dumping ground for people,' he said. 'And it should not accept to take people as negotiating chips to improve relations.' ___
