Latest news with #Netanyahu-led
Euronews
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Exclusive: Cross-party MEPs call for EU sanctions on Israel over Gaza
A group of 40 cross-party MEPs are pressing on the European Union to suspend its trade deal with Israel and impose sanctions on the Netanyahu-led government, as an UN-backed body warns of signs of famine and widespread starvation in the Gaza Strip. In a joint statement seen exclusively by Euronews, the lawmakers call on the EU to hold the Israeli government accountable for actions that 'blatantly breach the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law.' The statement also urges Hamas to immediately release Israeli hostages still held captive in Gaza after they were kidnapped from Israel during October 7 2023 attacks. 'Future generations will judge today's leaders on their response, or lack thereof, to the atrocities in Gaza. Failing to act now will be remembered as a moral stain on humanity,' the statement reads. 'The time for moral cowardice is over, and action must be swift.' The coalition of MEPs explicitly call for sanctions on the Israeli government, a move the EU has so far avoided despite allies including the United Kingdom and Norway moving to sanction two Israeli ministers considered extremist, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. On Tuesday, the Netherlands imposed travel bans on both ministers in response to the deepening crisis in Gaza. The 40 signatories also press on the Commission to suspend the EU's Association Agreement with Israel, which defines the trading and political relations between both sides, and which has often been touted as the best tool at the EU's disposal to pressure Israel into improving a spiralling humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. A previous review by the EU's diplomatic arm found indications Israel had breached the human rights obligations enshrined in its Association Agreement with the bloc, but the process failed to trigger any concrete reprisals beyond a discussion between the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas and her Israeli counterpart, foreign minister Gideon Sa'ar. Those talks resulted in an 'agreement' by Israel to scale up the humanitarian assistance reaching Gaza. But concerns about the humanitarian situation on-the-ground have mounted since. On Monday, the European Commission tabled the partial suspension of Israel's access to the EU's Horizon Europe research and innovation programme in response to its actions in Gaza. But the signatories of the statement call for a much more stringent response, warning "mere words of condemnation are inadequate." They represent 14 of the EU's 27 countries and six different political groups, from The Left to the centre-right European People's Party (EPP). Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza has exposed deep political and national fault-lines in the European Union. But the deepening humanitarian crisis is prompting lawmakers from ideologically opposed groups to join forces in calling for more decisive EU action. 'MEPs from across the spectrum of pro-European, pro-democratic parties have united behind this statement,' MEP Evin Incir, who sits on the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group, told Euronews, adding that more signatories were expected to support the statement in the coming hours. 'Our concerns are directed at both the European Commission and EU member states, who all need to be more decisive in their response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis,' she added. The statement comes as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global watchdog monitoring hunger with the backing of governments and the UN, said there is 'mounting evidence' that 'widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths' in the besieged territory. Israeli government officials have either denied that there is famine in Gaza or deflected the blame. There have been multiple reports of armed gangs looting aid deliveries and selling the contents on the black market, which could be exacerbating the crisis.
India.com
17-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Bad news for Iran as Israel develops the Arrow 4 air defense system, it can intercept ballistic missiles from..., capable of destroying...
Israel ready for permanent ceasefire with Hamas but..., Netanyahu lays down condition to stop fight in Gaza, calls Hamas... Tel Aviv: In a major development, the Netanyahu-led Israeli government has announced that it has developed the Arrow-4 air defense system and will soon deploy it for the country's protection. Talking to the media, Boaz Levy, CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, confirmed that the deployment of Arrow-4 is now 'just a matter of time'. It is important to note that this missile is an upgraded variant of the existing Arrow-3. The Arrow-4 air defense system has been designed to intercept ballistic missiles at shorter ranges with greater accuracy. Israel is also working on the Arrow-5 system. The Arrow-4 system has been developed based on the 'shoot-look-shoot' operational theory, according to Israel Aerospace Industries. 'Shoot-look-shoot' operational theory means it can adjust its course after launch to more effectively destroy the target. It includes new warhead technology and an improved seeker system, enabling it to counter hypersonic and advanced ballistic missiles. During the recent conflict, Iran had used advanced ballistic missiles against Israel. Reports indicate that Israel successfully intercepted about 85 percent of these missiles, yet around 50 missiles did hit Israeli territory, causing significant destruction. The development of Arrow-4 aims to fill the gap in Israel's air defense system that adversaries could exploit. Here are some of the key details: It will take about two more years for this missile defense system to be fully inducted into the Israeli military, according to the reports. Israel has instructed the company to integrate the missiles into the system as soon as possible The Arrow-5 system that Israel is currently working on is expected to replace the Arrow-3 This will enable the country to neutralize even the most advanced ballistic missile threats. Once Arrow-4 is deployed, Israel will gain an additional layer of security beyond the existing Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 systems. This project began in 2021 when Israel and the United States jointly announced the development of the Arrow-4 system. The Arrow series defense system is already the world's first fully operational anti-ballistic missile system, which includes the Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 missiles. The Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 missiles are so powerful that it can intercept incoming missiles traveling at speeds of up to 3 km/second. With the introduction of the Arrow-4, this network will become even more lethal. It has the capability to neutralize hypersonic missiles and uses mid-course correction technology.
Time of India
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Congress slams govt for abstaining on UN Gaza ceasefire vote
New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday criticised the government for abstaining from the latest UN General Assembly resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, alleging that India's stance marked a departure from its long-held positions on peace and justice. The party questioned whether India had "abandoned its principled stand against war, genocide, and for justice." Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra went a step further, claiming that India's current position amounted to "cheering" the Netanyahu-led Israeli strikes on Iran. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said: "While 149 countries voted in favour of a UNGA resolution calling for a Gaza ceasefire, India was among just 19 nations that abstained. We stand virtually isolated. Have we abandoned India's consistent stand advocating for ceasefire, peace, and dialogue in the Middle East?" by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What Happens When You Massage Baking Soda Into Your Scalp Read More Undo Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said: "It is shameful and disappointing that our government chose to abstain from a UN motion seeking the protection of civilians and the upholding of legal and humanitarian obligations in Gaza. This is a tragic reversal of our anti-colonial legacy. Not only are we silent as Mr. Netanyahu annihilates an entire nation, we are cheering on as his government attacks Iran and assassinates its leadership, violating sovereignty and international norms."
Sydney Morning Herald
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
When Israel acts shamefully, we Jews must be willing to be ashamed of it
A few weeks ago I signed a statement from members of the Jewish community calling for an end to the Israel-Gaza war, and an end to the 'humanitarian crisis' unfolding under the Netanyahu-led government. The statement was meant to be published as a paid advertisement in The Australian Jewish News, but I found out last week the editor was not willing to run it as it was written. I have avoided signing statements on this war until now. Here in Australia, there has been fierce conflict over how we respond to the horror of Hamas's terror of October 7 and the subsequent decimation of Gaza and its people. What date to mark the beginning of 'it all'? What label for what kind of trauma is being inflicted, and for what reason? I have kept a notebook of alternating news reports of the same event to observe this dissonance at how we describe what we are witnessing. But this week, driving my children to school, I heard British plastic surgeon Dr Victoria Rose, who works at the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in Gaza. Every 40 minutes, she said, a child dies there. The children dying are between 1 and 11 and many are dying because they are so malnourished their bodies cannot fight the infections from their burns and wounds. The hospital is running out of the disinfectant they need to operate. These are unequivocal accounts of a humanitarian crisis that can and must be stopped. There have been times since October 7 that I have felt dizzy trying to find my sense of what is true about this war. I know my personal experiences of concrete antisemitism over the years, words said to me, to my children – 'Jewish pig', 'gas your family' – swastikas sent to my child in a school group chat. And there is no doubt that those who wield such words to me will find community in opposition to Israel. To diagnose what exactly is behind denial or minimisation of the atrocities of October 7 is less concrete, but at the very least perverse. But I find my feet again when I hear of these children. When I think of how their deaths will not contribute to the return of the hostages. When I think of the IDF soldier recently jailed for refusing to return to service, Captain Ron Feiner, who has served 270 days since October 7, who said: 'I'm horrified by the never-ending war in Gaza, by the abandonment of the hostages, by the continued killing of innocent people, and by the complete lack of political vision … I must resist in every way I can to bring this war to an end.' He is among 300 such soldiers who have refused to serve. I have a love for Jewish tradition's ethical grandeur, its long struggle for dignity in exile, and its rich intellectual inheritance. And it is precisely because of this love that I must speak of Jewish ethical responsibility.
The Age
29-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
When Israel acts shamefully, we Jews must be willing to be ashamed of it
A few weeks ago I signed a statement from members of the Jewish community calling for an end to the Israel-Gaza war, and an end to the 'humanitarian crisis' unfolding under the Netanyahu-led government. The statement was meant to be published as a paid advertisement in The Australian Jewish News, but I found out last week the editor was not willing to run it as it was written. I have avoided signing statements on this war until now. Here in Australia, there has been fierce conflict over how we respond to the horror of Hamas's terror of October 7 and the subsequent decimation of Gaza and its people. What date to mark the beginning of 'it all'? What label for what kind of trauma is being inflicted, and for what reason? I have kept a notebook of alternating news reports of the same event to observe this dissonance at how we describe what we are witnessing. But this week, driving my children to school, I heard British plastic surgeon Dr Victoria Rose, who works at the Nasser hospital in Khan Younis in Gaza. Every 40 minutes, she said, a child dies there. The children dying are between 1 and 11 and many are dying because they are so malnourished their bodies cannot fight the infections from their burns and wounds. The hospital is running out of the disinfectant they need to operate. These are unequivocal accounts of a humanitarian crisis that can and must be stopped. There have been times since October 7 that I have felt dizzy trying to find my sense of what is true about this war. I know my personal experiences of concrete antisemitism over the years, words said to me, to my children – 'Jewish pig', 'gas your family' – swastikas sent to my child in a school group chat. And there is no doubt that those who wield such words to me will find community in opposition to Israel. To diagnose what exactly is behind denial or minimisation of the atrocities of October 7 is less concrete, but at the very least perverse. But I find my feet again when I hear of these children. When I think of how their deaths will not contribute to the return of the hostages. When I think of the IDF soldier recently jailed for refusing to return to service, Captain Ron Feiner, who has served 270 days since October 7, who said: 'I'm horrified by the never-ending war in Gaza, by the abandonment of the hostages, by the continued killing of innocent people, and by the complete lack of political vision … I must resist in every way I can to bring this war to an end.' He is among 300 such soldiers who have refused to serve. I have a love for Jewish tradition's ethical grandeur, its long struggle for dignity in exile, and its rich intellectual inheritance. And it is precisely because of this love that I must speak of Jewish ethical responsibility.
