Latest news with #Armistice
Egypt Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Israel plans to expand the war in Gaza. Here's what we know
Jerusalem — Israel's security cabinet has Israel's security cabinet has voted to expand the war in Gaza, marking a major escalation at a time when it is under intense domestic and international pressure to end the conflict. The cabinet approved plans to capture Gaza City, in the north of the territory, as part of Israel's goals to destroy Hamas and rescue hostages the militants are holding. But the move raised fears further fighting will only endanger captives – and worsen an already dire humanitarian crisis. The plan also brings Israel closer to fully occupying Gaza, something it has not done for nearly 20 years. Here's what we know about the decision that may reshape the war in Gaza. What do we know about the plan? After a marathon session, Israel's security cabinet voted to adopt what it called 'the five principles for ending the war.' These include disarming Hamas, returning the hostages held there, the demilitarization of the enclave, Israeli security control of Gaza and the eventual establishment of a civilian administration that is neither Hamas nor the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. The five-month plan would take place in several phases, beginning with a takeover of Gaza City 'while distributing humanitarian assistance,' according to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). The deadline for the first phase, which includes the evacuation of Gaza City and an expansion of the aid distribution, is October 7, according to an Israeli source, intentionally picked to mark the two-year anniversary of the Hamas-led attack on Israel. The plan would mean mobilizing thousands of soldiers already fatigued by months of fighting in the territory. A satellite image captured on Friday morning by Planet Labs showed more than 100 military vehicles parked at a depot near Israel's Nahal Oz crossing into Gaza – just two miles from Gaza City. The depot, located along the 1949 Armistice line, is surrounded by several defensive berms. But the PMO said the 'vast majority of cabinet ministers believed that the alternative plan presented in the cabinet would not achieve the defeat of Hamas nor the return of the hostages,' without making clear what that alternative plan was. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had told Fox News ahead of the meeting he intended to take full military control of Gaza, the announced plan is narrower, focusing, initially at least, on Gaza City. Is there support for the plan? In pushing ahead with this plan, Netanyahu is going against the wishes of much of the Israeli public and even key voices in the military. Protests erupted in Israel ahead of the security cabinet vote. Families of the hostages warned the government against expanding the military campaign, saying Netanyahu is preparing 'the greatest deception of all' by claiming that hostages can be freed through military means. Netanyahu responded to the backlash by insisting that Israel does not intend to fully occupy Gaza and that the expanded military campaign is to 'free Gaza from Hamas.' 'Gaza will be demilitarized, and a peaceful civilian administration will be established, one that is not the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, and not any other terrorist organization,' Netanyahu said in a post on social media Friday. 'This will help free our hostages and ensure Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future,' he added. Demonstrators and relatives of hostages protest demanding the immediate release of the hostages and the end of the war, in Tel Aviv, Israel on Thursday. Ammar Awad/Reuters Fifty hostages remain in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. A group of mothers of Israeli soldiers also criticized the plan, saying it would be fatal for hostages and Israeli soldiers. Opinion polls in Israel have consistently shown a large majority in favor of ending the conflict to secure the release of the captives. Israel's military has recommended pursuing diplomacy to end the war, fearing that an expanded operation could ensnare troops. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir warned of the danger of worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the international implications of the escalation, according to an Israeli source who spoke to CNN, who added that his warnings were brushed aside. Netanyahu does have support from far-right members of his cabinet, who are propping up his coalition and have been pushing for a total takeover of Gaza. There has already been strong international criticism of the plan – UK PM Keir Starmer said expanding the fighting would 'only bring more bloodshed.' Leaders from countries like France, Ireland, and Canada cautioned against the move, arguing that it would worsen the humanitarian situation in Gaza while also jeopardizing the lives of the remaining hostages. Several Middle Eastern countries also condemned the Israeli government's decision. Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it disapproved of Israel's 'adamancy to commit the crimes of starvation of civilians, beastly conduct, and ethnic cleansing against our Palestinian brethren.' The ministry said the decision demonstrates how the Israeli government does 'not understand the existential, historic, and legal relationship that our Palestinian brethren have to that land.' But key Israeli ally the US has effectively already given its approval. Ahead of the Israeli decision to expand the war, Trump voiced no concern, saying it's 'up to Israel' whether to occupy the entire Gaza Strip, adding that he wanted more aid to enter the enclave. What will this mean for Palestinians in Gaza? The first stage of Israel's plan – capturing Gaza City – entails the forced evacuation of up to a million Palestinians to southern Gaza, nearly half of the territory's population. The fighting has already devastated Gaza, killing tens of thousands of people and displacing almost the entire population. Palestinians rush to collect humanitarian aid airdropped by parachutes into Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip on Tuesday. Abdel Kareem Hana/AP A hunger crisis has taken over the Gaza Strip over the past few weeks as Israel has severely restricted the entry of aid and banned international aid groups from operating there, with authorities reporting daily deaths due to starvation. The plan approved by the security cabinet foresees more aid distribution sites in the enclave. Israel and the US would increase the number of aid distribution sites operated by the controversial US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) from the current four to up to 16, according to an Israeli official with knowledge of the proposal. But none of these new sites would be set up in Gaza City, in a move apparently designed to force the hundreds of thousands of people living there to leave by depriving them of access to food. UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned on Friday that a takeover of Gaza City 'will result in more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes.' UN Secretary-General António Guterres similarly said he was 'gravely alarmed' by the Israeli government's decision, which he warned would mark a 'dangerous escalation' in the conflict. Hamas condemned Israel's plan to take over Gaza City as a 'full-fledged war crime' that will come at a 'high cost.' Where does this plan leave Gaza in the long term? The statements by Netanyahu's office avoided references to an occupation of Gaza, which under international law would obligate Israel to provide basic services to ensure the welfare of the population. But the plan does envision Israel eventually taking full 'security control' over Gaza. The military says it already controls 75% of the territory, so seizing Gaza City would move Israel closer to full occupation. Israel withdrew settlers and thousands of troops from Gaza in 2005 and Hamas took power soon after. A view from the air as Jordanian air force personnel air drop aid into Gaza on ruling out any role for Hamas, Netanyahu has given little clue on his long-term plans for the Gaza, so it is unclear whether the expansion means Israel will have a lasting presence in the territory. Israel can militarily take over Gaza, but it will cost the country in the long-term, an analyst said, warning of the complications of a lengthy occupation. But Ofer Guterman, a senior researcher at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies, stressed that purely from a military perspective occupation of the entire enclave was possible. 'We have done it before. We were in Gaza for decades.'
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
Man outrages France by lighting cigarette from memorial flame
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during commemorations marking the 106th anniversary of the November 11, 1918, Armistice, ending World War I, at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. PARIS, France — A French minister on Tuesday said that she was taking legal action against an unidentified man who was filmed lighting a cigarette from a memorial flame at a major Paris war monument. The video of a man stooping and lighting up from the fire at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe, before walking calmly away watched by tourists, caused indignation when it was widely shared on social media. 'I am filing a case immediately with the Paris state prosecutors so that this man will be found and sanctions imposed to make an example of him,' Patricia Miralles, minister for veterans and remembrance, wrote on X. 'You cannot ridicule French remembrance and get away with it,' she added. The tomb, under the giant arch at the top of the iconic Champs Elysees avenue, contains the remains of a soldier killed in the First World War, laid there as a tribute to France's dead. 'This flame does not light a cigarette, it burns for the sacrifice of millions of our soldiers,' said Miralles. 'This is an insult to our dead, to our history and to our nation.' AFP was not able to determine the origin of the video. Le Figaro newspaper reported that it was filmed by a Latvian tourist on the evening of August 4 and first posted on TikTok.
Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Prince Harry 'whispered brutal question in Eugenie's ear' at event without Meghan
The Duke of Sussex cut a lonely figure at a huge family event without his wife Meghan Markle, and now a lip reader has uncovered the tense conversation he had with his royal ally Prince Harry has made it clear just how desperate he is to heal his fractured bond with King Charles and the rest of The Firm, but a hidden whisper to a royal ally might come back to haunt him. A secret peace summit between senior aides representing both Charles and his estranged son caused shockwaves last week as the pair seemingly edged closer to reconcilliation. The meeting came a mere few months after a BBC bombshell interview where the Duke claimed that his father "won't speak to him" due to his bitter legal battle over the level of security he is entitled to while in the UK. Addressing the years-long fall-out with his family, Harry said: "There is no point in continuing to fight anymore, life is precious." In a move that likely shocked the Palace, the Duke said "I don't know how much longer my father has," in reference to Charles' cancer diagnosis. The prince said that "some members of my family will never forgive me" for writing his explosive memoir Spare, but then added: "It would be nice to have that reconciliation part now. If they don't want that, that's entirely up to them." While Harry says he is "ready to forgive," he anger seemed palpabale at his father's Coronation, according to a lip reader who has uncovered a painful exchange between Harry and his cousin and longtime royal ally, Princess Eugenie. A new Channel 5 show, Lip-Reading The Royals: The Secret Conversations, which airs tonight, has decoded numerous royal conversations at major events, and the prince wasn't spared. Harry cut a lonely figure on the steps of Westminster Abbey at his father's Coronation ceremony in 2023, as he returned to home soil without his wife Meghan and children. As his relatives all gathered together in the congregation at the end of the event, it was clear tensions remained high. The Duke then walked over to Eugenie, one of the few royals he's remained close to, and according to a lip reader, complained: "I've spent five hours with my dad in his office and not a friendly text from either". It's not clear who hasn't texted Harry - whether it's Charles and Camilla, or William and Kate - but the Duke seemingly hasn't spoken to his brother in years. The lip reader claims that he then asks "Why hasn't anybody contacted me?" and Eugenie responds with a sympathetic but cautious smile. It comes as another exchange - this time between Harry and Meghan - is uncovered in the new TV show. The conversation occurred between the Sussexes at a Service of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey in 2018, just six months after their star-studded wedding in Windsor Castle. The couple was joined in the Abbey by the entire royal family, including the late Queen Elizabeth to honour fallen servicemen and women, and to mark the Centenary of the Armistice. According to the documentary, as Harry and Meghan sat and waited for the ceremony to begin, they started conversing and taking in the situation, with Meghan asking Harry a very serious question. Lip reading expert Nicola Hickling decoded the conversation for the programme, as she claimed Meghan instructed Harry to "take advantage of the situation", before she turned to look around at the sea of royals that surrounded them. She says Harry responded to her comment by asking: "Today?", as Meghan added: "Do it tonight." Then, Harry poses a question to Meghan, asking: "You do realise that this is the end?" as Meghan responds: "Yeah, I do know". It is then suggested by royal historian Dr Tessa Dunlop that the seemingly private comments between the Sussexes could mean that the couple had been plotting their dramatic exit from the royal family years before they actually decided to call it quits.
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First Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
UK, France bolster nuclear bond amid concerns over Russia's growing aggression and US's aloofness
In targeting a 'reboot' of defence ties with a focus on joint missile development and nuclear co-operation, while also firming up support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, Europe's two nuclear powers also hope to send a strong signal to Moscow read more French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer look on upon their arrival on the Place de l'Etoile to attend commemorations marking the 106th anniversary of the November 11, 1918, Armistice, ending World War I, in Paris, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. File Image: AP Britain and France took a key step to underpin Europe's security by agreeing to tighten nuclear cooperation, as the region frets over the US commitment to its defence and Russian ambitions. In targeting a 'reboot' of defence ties with a focus on joint missile development and nuclear co-operation, while also firming up support for Ukraine in its war with Russia, Europe's two nuclear powers also hope to send a strong signal to Moscow. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What is the UK and France's nuclear stance? Right from its inception, France's nuclear deterrent was designed to be independent, its potential deployment subject to the French president's evaluation of any perceived threat to the republic's strategic interests. According to the independent Stockholm-based Sipri Institute on global security, France has 290 nuclear warheads, some carried aboard four submarines and some by Rafale fighter jets. Britain for its part has 225 nuclear warheads. For now, the British nuclear deterrent is purely sea-based, carried by four submarines armed with ballistic missiles. However, the British government announced last month it would add an airborne component to its operational system with the purchase of 12 American F-35 fighter jets. Unlike France's, Britain's nuclear forces are fully integrated under the NATO defence umbrella to cover the Western military alliance's 32 member states. On Thursday during a visit by its President Emmanuel Macron to London, France agreed to the principle of coordination with Britain despite nominal national independence. Despite the cherished independence of the French deterrent, Macron remarked in 2020 that France's vital interests have an 'authentically European dimension'. In a 1995 joint declaration Paris and London acknowledged that 'the vital interests of one (partner) could not be threatened without the vital interests of the other equally being at risk'. What's new? Whereas that declaration was limited to the definition of the two neighbours' 'vital interests', the latest cooperation accord goes much further. The 1995 accord 'was a uniquely Franco-British declaration on a very political level', said Heloise Fayet, a researcher on nuclear issues at the French Institute for International Relations. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the latest announcement, 'the reference to nuclear arms is much more visible and clear,' Fayet told AFP. 'There are two advances: on the operational level with this coordination of the two deterrents. And the second is obviously the expansion of the joint European dimension.' Thursday's declaration stated that the respective deterrents of London and Paris remain under national control 'but can be coordinated'. It added 'that there is no extreme threat to Europe that would not prompt a response by both nations', the UK defence ministry and the French presidency said in a statement. London and Paris also said they would further underpin cooperation by creating a nuclear supervision group which, says Fayet, 'deepens the existing consultation mechanism'. Complications for Russia? For Artur Kacprzyk of Poland's PISM research institute, the declaration was 'still ambiguous' regarding the possible response to an 'extreme threat'. 'It obviously doesn't mean automatic use of nuclear,' Kacprzyk told AFP, but sends an 'additional signal to the Russians that there could be a joint French and British nuclear response to an attack on allies… It complicates the calculus for Russia.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Fayet said London and Paris were sending a message that they can deal with 'an extreme threat to Europe via conventional responses, cyber attacks – and nuclear, evidently'. She judged it 'truly an additional step with an unprecedented level of military and political coordination', opening up the possibility notably of joint submarine patrols. That, for instance, could see an attack submarine from one cross-Channel partner escort a ballistic missile submarine from the other or participation of British aircraft in French exercises. What's in it for the rest of Europe? 'It's a welcome development for European security and deterrence of Russia, although not a revolutionary one, at least not yet as we don't know the details,' said Kacprzyk. 'It sends a strengthened message of deterrence to Russia' even if in practice this 'depends a lot on implementation', he added. The move comes at a time when 'a lot of Europeans are getting concerned about the US' and its commitment to Europe's defence, said Ed Arnold, an expert at Britain's Royal United Services Institute. For Fayet, 'other European countries can only welcome Franco-British cooperation, as long as it translates concretely and swiftly in operational terms into Franco-British discussion mechanisms with other countries.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Kacprzyk added: 'There are many, many steps that both can take together or separately to further strengthen European nuclear deterrence, like having more nuclear forces or, as Macron mentioned, deploying some of them on allied territories.'
First Post
07-07-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Macron beats Trump with a royal invite to UK, but Starmer may not dump US prez for French bromance
Even as French President Emmanuel Macron has beaten Donald Trump to arrive in the United Kingdom on a state visit, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is unlikely to change his position on the President of the United States. Unlike Macron's firm handling, he is set to continue with his softer approach to Trump. read more French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer look on upon their arrival on the Place de l'Etoile to attend commemorations marking the 106th anniversary of the November 11, 1918, Armistice, ending World War I, in Paris, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. File Image: AP Even as the French-British reset is supposed to be the top agenda of President Emmanuel Macron's state visit starting Tuesday, US President Donald Trump will be on the back of the head of both the leaders. Macron has beaten Trump to be the first to arrive in the United Kingdom on a state visit this year — the invitation of a state visit to Trump was a big part of British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's charm offensive during his visit to the United States in February. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In recent months, the UK and France have formed a united front at the world stage whether it is handling of Russian war on Ukraine or the West Asia crisis. The two leaders have led the 'coalition of the willing' initiative to put up a European peacekeeping or assurance force in Ukraine in case of a peace deal. This is a far cry from the tensions of the Brexit era when the two countries often found themselves jabbing each other. Macron and Starmer are expected to deepen the cooperation on defence, reach an agreement on tackling illegal immigration through the English Channel, and hold talks on nuclear collaboration during the visit. The divergences, such as the British soft handling of Trump's compared to Macron's firmer approach and the British insistence on US security guarantees for any 'coalition of the willing' force in Ukraine, will be discussed in private and are unlikely to make headlines. Despite such increasing bonhomie, however, Starmer is unlikely to replace change the stance taken so far on Trump and the importance he has given to the US-UK relationship — described as a 'special relationship' for generations. Trump to remain Starmer's priority — even with UK-France reset Starmer has made it a point to handle Trump softly and avoid taking a firm stance like Macron. In sharp contrast to Starmer, Macron has treated Trump as an equal and has not shied from correcting him often, critiquing him occasionally, and challenging him when needed. For example, when Trump was rambling in their White House meeting about the lack of European assistance to Ukraine, Macron calmly put a hand on Trump's arm and laid the figures to stress that Europe had been doing his job. He also went to Greenland to stand with Denmark in the wake of Trump's threats of invasion and annexation of the island. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even though Macron is bound to be frustrated by Starmer's soft approach to the Trump, Starmer is unlikely to change his position. The two leaders have also differed on the approach to Trump's trade war. While Starmer has already struck a trade deal with the United States, Macron has called for firmer negotiations on part of the European Union (EU) for any EU-US deal. A former British diplomat told Politico that Macron had 'done some stroking but not as much as we have' when it comes to Trump's ego. The diplomat described Starmer's soft approach to Trump as 'shameless but necessary'. The indication is clear: Starmer is unlikely to act firm and risk creases in the smooth relationship. Even as his and Trump's positions on the Russian war on Ukraine are poles apart, Starmer has been cautious in addressing the differences. After Trump and his deputy JD Vance ambushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House and kicked him out of the White House after berating him on live television, nearly every European spoke within hours in support of Zelenskyy. Starmer, on the other hand, worked the phones privately and spoke to both Trump and Zelenskyy in an effort to calm the tensions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Different approaches for common benefit Instead of Trump affecting the UK-France reset, the reset along with different approaches regarding Trump may work towards improving the standing of both the countries regarding Trump and even Russia. The UK-France reset sends a signal to both Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin that both the countries are like-minded and 'there is no ideological warfare between them" and that 'core values and principles are deeply shared, and they are closely tied when it comes to defending Ukraine and the continent and upgrading their military capabilities while increasing defence spending', Sebastien Maillard, a special adviser to the Jacques Delors Institute, told Guardian. Maillard further said that the reset between the two nations is the most natural thing. 'The geopolitical landscape has changed and made it more compelling for both sides to make up. At a time of tremendous, almost earth-shattering movements in the international order, it's a way for both countries —who are permanent members of the UN security council, have nuclear deterrents and the same level of diplomatic and military outreach— to cling to an order based on international law,' said Maillard. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
