Latest news with #IsraelPalestine
Khaleej Times
12 hours ago
- General
- Khaleej Times
Israel's blocking of West Bank delegation shows 'they only want violence', says Saudi FM
Israel's blocking of a visit by Arab diplomats to the occupied West Bank showed its "rejection of... a diplomatic path to peace", Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Sunday. Speaking at a joint press conference in Amman with his Jordanian, Egyptian and Bahraini counterparts, Prince Faisal said Israel's move "illustrates and confirms its extremism and its rejection of any serious attempt to engage in a diplomatic path toward peace... it is clear that they only want violence." The foreign ministers of five Arab countries who had planned to visit the occupied West Bank on Saturday condemned Israel's decision to block their plans. The ministers condemned "Israel's decision to ban the delegation's visit to Ramallah (on Sunday) to meet with the president of the State of Palestine, Mahmud Abbas", the Jordanian foreign ministry said. Ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE had been expected to take part alongside Turkey and the secretary-general of the Arab League. Israel had announced late Friday that it would not cooperate, effectively blocking the visit as it controls the territory's borders and airspace. Abbas "intended to host in Ramallah a provocative meeting of foreign ministers from Arab countries to discuss the promotion of the establishment of a Palestinian state," said a statement attributed to an unidentified official. "Such a state would undoubtedly become a terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel. Israel will not cooperate with such moves aimed at harming it and its security." Had the visit gone ahead, the delegation's head Prince Faisal bin Farhan would have become the first Saudi foreign minister to visit the West Bank.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Thom Yorke reveals 'heavy toll my mental health' has suffered since walking off stage following pro-Palestine heckling and 'fills in the blanks' about his views on Israel-Gaza war
Radiohead's Thom Yorke has opened up about the 'heavy toll' his mental health has suffered since storming off stage after clashing with a pro-Palestine concertgoer. The rock-star's revelation came in a social media post on Friday, in which he also spoke out abut his thoughts on the ongoing conflict between Israel Palestine. 'Some guy shouting at me from the dark last year when I was picking up a guitar to sing the final song alone in front of 9000 people in Melbourne didn't really seem like the best moment to discuss the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza,' he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post. 'Afterwards I remained in shock that my supposed silence was somehow being taken as complicity, and I struggled to find an adequate way to respond to this and to carry on with the rest of the shows on tour.' 'That silence, my attempt to show respect for all those who are suffering and those who have died, and to not trivialise it in a few words, has allowed other opportunistic groups to use intimidation and defamation to fill in the blanks, and I regret giving them this chance. This has had a heavy toll on my mental health,' he said. Back in October, Yorke dared a heckler who disrupted his show to protest about the war in Gaza 'to come up on the stage and say that' before ultimately storming off. The British rocker had taken to stage in Melbourne for a solo performance, but got in a tense exchange with a fan during the encore. Yorke had started to play Radiohead's hit track Karma Police when an audience member started shouting to him on stage, while disgruntled members of the crowd were heard booing. The protester was heard shouting in support of Gaza amid the war with Israel, and reportedly criticised Yorke for his silence on the issue. Yorke responded by accusing him of being a 'coward' for heckling and urged him to come up on stage, before walking off himself. In an expletive-laden rant, he said: 'Come up and say that. Right here. Come up on the f**king stage and say what you want to say. But don't stand there like a coward, come here and say it. Come on. 'You want to p**s on everybody's night? Come on. OK, you do. See you later then,' he added, before removing his guitar and leaving the stage. The incident at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl venue sparked a huge outcry in the audience and Yorke eventually returned to the stage to continue playing his encore track to finish off his show. In today's Instagram post, the singer went on to state his opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government, writing that they are 'totally out of control and need to be stopped, and that the international community should put all the pressure it can on them to cease.' 'Their excuse of self-defence has long since worn thin and has been replaced by a transparent desire to take control of Gaza and the West Bank permanently.' Additionally, he called Israel's aid blockade 'horrific,' but also condemned Palestinian terror group Hamas. 'Why did Hamas choose the truly horrific acts of October 7th? The answer seems obvious, and I believe Hamas chooses to hide behind suffering to its people.' His comments come days after hundreds of Palestinians stormed a United Nations food warehouse in Gaza in a desperate attempt to get food. Four people died in the chaos, according to hospital officials. The deaths came a day after a crowd was fired upon while overrunning a new aid-distribution site in Gaza set up by an Israeli and US-backed foundation, killing at least one Palestinian and wounding 48 others, Gaza's Health Ministry said. Israeli forces - which are now in control of large parts of Gaza - have kept up attacks on various targets around the enclave, killing 3,91 Palestinians since a two-month-old ceasefire collapsed in March, according to Gaza officials. In all, more than 54,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's air and ground war, Gaza health authorities say. It was launched following a cross-border Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023 that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Asharq Al-Awsat
3 days ago
- Business
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Macron: France May Toughen Stance on Israel if it Continues Blocking Gaza Aid
France could harden its position on Israel if it continues to block humanitarian aid to Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, reiterating that Paris was committed to a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict. "The humanitarian blockade is creating a situation that is untenable on the ground," Macron said at a joint press conference in Singapore with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. "And so, if there is no response that meets the humanitarian situation in the coming hours and days, obviously, we will have to toughen our collective position," Macron said, adding that France may consider applying sanctions against Israeli settlers. "But I still hope that the government of Israel will change its stance and that we will finally have a humanitarian response,' Reuters quoted him as saying. Under growing international pressure, Israel partially ended an 11-week long aid blockade on Gaza last week, allowing a limited amount of relief to be delivered under a system that has been heavily criticized. Macron said Paris is committed to working towards a political solution and reiterated his support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The existence of a Palestinian state "is not just simply a moral duty but also a political necessity," Macron told reporters in Singapore, in comments broadcast on French TV. Macron is leaning towards recognizing a Palestinian state, diplomats and experts say, a move that could infuriate Israel and deepen Western splits. French officials are weighing up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting between June 17-20, to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
France may toughen stance on Israel if Gaza aid blockade stays, says Macron
Emmanuel Macron said they may consider applying sanctions against Israeli settlers. (AFP pic) SINGAPORE : France could harden its position on Israel if it continues to block humanitarian aid to Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, reiterating that Paris was committed to a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict. 'The humanitarian blockade is creating a situation that is untenable on the ground,' Macron said at a joint press conference in Singapore with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. 'And so, if there is no response that meets the humanitarian situation in the coming hours and days, obviously, we will have to toughen our collective position,' Macron said, adding that France may consider applying sanctions against Israeli settlers. 'But, I still hope that the government of Israel will change its stance and that we will finally have a humanitarian response'. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has hit back at growing international pressure over the war in Gaza, the deadliest fighting in decades of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Macron was in Singapore on a state visit and he will also deliver the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security forum, which runs this year from May 30 to June 1. Deep differences between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel have stymied previous attempts to restore a ceasefire that broke down in March. Under growing international pressure, Israel partially ended an 11-week long aid blockade on Gaza 10 days ago. It has allowed a limited amount of relief to be delivered via two avenues – the United Nations or the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The French president said Paris is committed to working towards a political solution and reiterated his support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Macron is leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state, diplomats and experts say, a move that could infuriate Israel and deepen Western splits. French officials are weighing up the move ahead of a UN conference, which France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting between June 17-20, to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in response to a Hamas attack in its south on Oct 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 Israelis taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The war since then has killed around 54,000 Palestinians, Palestinian health authorities say, more than in any other of the countless rounds of fighting between the two sides.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
France may toughen stance on Israel if it continues blocking Gaza aid, Macron says
SINGAPORE, May 30 (Reuters) - France could harden its position on Israel if it continues to block humanitarian aid to Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday, reiterating that Paris was committed to a two-state solution to resolve the Israel-Palestinian conflict. "The humanitarian blockade is creating a situation that is untenable on the ground," Macron said at a joint press conference in Singapore with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. "And so, if there is no response that meets the humanitarian situation in the coming hours and days, obviously, we will have to toughen our collective position," Macron said, adding that France may consider applying sanctions against Israeli settlers. "But I still hope that the government of Israel will change its stance and that we will finally have a humanitarian response". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has hit back at growing international pressure over the war in Gaza, the deadliest fighting in decades of conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Macron was in Singapore on a state visit and he will also deliver the keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security forum, which runs this year from May 30-June 1. Deep differences between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel have stymied previous attempts to restore a ceasefire that broke down in March. Under growing international pressure, Israel partially ended an 11-week long aid blockade on Gaza 10 days ago. It has allowed a limited amount of relief to be delivered via two avenues - the United Nations or the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. The French president said Paris is committed to working towards a political solution and reiterated his support for a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Macron is leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state, diplomats and experts say, a move that could infuriate Israel and deepen Western splits. French officials are weighing up the move ahead of a United Nations conference, which France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting between June 17-20, to lay out the parameters for a roadmap to a Palestinian state, while ensuring Israel's security. Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in response to a Hamas attack in its south on October 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 Israelis taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. The war since then has killed around 54,000 Palestinians, Palestinian health authorities say, more than in any other of the countless rounds of fighting between the two sides.
