Latest news with #PeaceEfforts
The National
2 days ago
- Politics
- The National
UN conference will test global resolve for Palestinian statehood
Saudi Arabia and France are set to spearhead a high-stakes conference at the UN this week, launching a bold push to forge a path towards an independent Palestinian state − a move that has already ignited a fierce backlash from Israel and the Trump administration. This ambitious initiative aims to resurrect long-stalled peace efforts, setting the stage for a diplomatic showdown over the region's future. The two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is both more threatened and more necessary than at any time since the Oslo Accords, a French diplomatic source said ahead of the conference. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel deepened Israeli scepticism towards Palestinian statehood, while the subsequent war in Gaza has devastated the enclave and weakened prospects for stability, the source told reporters in New York. Despite these challenges, the French official argued that the two-state solution remains the only viable path forward. It is 'even more necessary because there is no alternative', the source said. 'We cannot just discuss the situation in Gaza and the day after … we need to see beyond.' French President Emmanuel Macron last week announced that France would recognise Palestine as a state. 'The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops, and the civilian population is saved,' he said. France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told CBS News on Sunday that Paris's diplomatic efforts are 'very complementary' to Washington's. 'In fact, we will welcome any further efforts led by the US to implement the Abraham Accord logics. And what we're doing now with this very significant conference that will take place in New York will pave the way for such accords,' he said. 'But in the meantime, until the US administration provides, through the Abraham Accord logics, a political horizon for this crisis, we need to act in order to facilitate the or create an off ramp for the catastrophe ongoing in Gaza' The French diplomatic source indicated that no new normalisation agreements are expected to be announced during the meeting. This week's ministerial-level conference, which was postponed in June amid the 12-day air war between Israel and Iran, will focus on Gaza's reconstruction, its governance and security, disarmament of the Palestinian militant group Hamas and normalising relations between Israel and Arab states that have not yet done so. Volker Türk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said the international community "will judge this conference on what it delivers." "We stand ready to support the Palestinians in state-building, with human rights and rule of law at its centre. When that time comes, programmes to support victims and survivors will be an important avenue for opening a pathway to accountability and redress," he said. China expressed its support for the UN conference on Friday, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun saying 'the two-state solution remains the only viable path to resolve the Palestinian issue'. Max Rodenbeck, Israel-Palestine project director at the International Crisis Group think tank, said that while reviving international focus on the two-state solution is 'laudable', practical steps are needed. 'Rhetorical support needs to be matched by practical steps, as the practical possibility for creating a Palestinian state on the ground has been ebbing for years, and under the current Israeli government faces stubborn hostility,' Mr Rodenbeck said. France in September will become the third permanent member of the UN Security Council to recognise Palestine, along with Russia and China. Currently, 147 out of 193 UN member states officially recognise the state of Palestine. Mr Rodenbeck noted that Mr Macron's pledge to recognise a Palestinian state, even if symbolic for now, offers Palestinians 'a horizon for hope'. Pressure is intensifying on Israel to end its war in Gaza. Israel's strikes and ground offensive have killed nearly 60,000 Palestinians, displaced most of the population and laid waste to most of the enclave. This followed the Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and abducting 240. The conference takes place as ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas appear to have collapsed, and as more than 100 aid agencies warned of mass starvation in Gaza. US President Donald Trump suggested on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should intensify military action against Hamas to eliminate the group. 'Hamas didn't really want to make a deal, I think they want to die,' Mr Trump told journalists at the White House before a trip to Scotland, adding that it's time to 'finish the job' and 'get rid' of Hamas. Mr Rodenbeck said: 'It is tragic that ceasefire talks have broken down, but the more immediate tragedy – and a more solvable one – is the looming famine about to engulf Gaza.' 'Israel's use of food as a weapon is not only disgraceful, it has clearly proved ineffective as a negotiating tactic,' he said. The event will test international resolve to push for Palestinian statehood despite Israeli and US resistance, with Riyadh and Paris framing it as a critical step towards long-term stability.
Arab News
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Pakistani PM speaks to Saudi, Qatari envoys as Iran fires missiles at US air base in Qatar
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed concern over Iran's missile attack on a United States (US) military base in Qatar and called for efforts to restore peace in the region, Sharif's office said on Monday, following his telephonic talk with Qatari and Saudi envoys to Islamabad. Iran launched missile attacks Monday on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq in retaliation for the American bombing of its nuclear sites, state media said, amid escalating tensions in the volatile region. Qatar said it had 'successfully intercepted' missiles targeting the US base, and added it reserved the right to respond in accordance with international law. The US confirmed its air base was targeted by missile attack from Iran and said no casualties were reported. Shortly after the attack, Sharif spoke with Qatar's Ambassador to Islamabad Ali Mubarak Ali Essa Al-Khater and expressed solidarity with the Qatari government and people. He then spoke with Saudi Arabia's Ambassador Nawaf bin Said-Al Malki. 'The Prime Minister urged that all efforts must be made to de-escalate tensions and restore peace in the region,' Sharif's office said, following his conversation with the Saudi envoy. 'He said Pakistan would continue to work closely with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to intensify peace efforts.' The Qatari and Saudi envoys thanked the prime minister for expressing solidarity and immediately reaching out to them after the development that could imperil peace and stability in the region, according to Sharif's office. Qatar earlier said it condemned the Iranian missile attack, calling it a 'flagrant violation' of its sovereignty. 'We express the State of Qatar's strong condemnation of the attack on Al-Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar's sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law,' foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement. The Al-Udeid air base is home to the US Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC), which provides command and control of air power across the region as well as the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing, the largest expeditionary wing in the world. Iran's retaliation came a day after the US launched a surprise attack Sunday morning on three of Iran's nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution. Just before the explosions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on the social platform X: 'We neither initiated the war nor seeking it. But we will not leave invasion to the great Iran without answer.'
LBCI
13-06-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
President Aoun condemns Israeli strikes on Iran
President Joseph Aoun said Israel's attacks on Iran undermine all efforts to maintain regional stability. He called on the international community to act immediately to stop Israel from advancing its objectives.
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Russian strikes ‘drown out' world's efforts for peace in Ukraine, says Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Update: Date: 2025-06-10T07:36:47.000Z Title: Morning opening: Russian attacks 'drown out' peace efforts, Zelenskyy warns Content: Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned that 'Russian missile … strikes drown out the efforts of the United States and others around the world to force Russia into peace,' after another difficult night of constant attacks. Russia fired 315 drones and seven missiles at Ukraine, making it one of the biggest aerial attacks of the war, killing two and wounding 13. Zelenskyy said it was 'vital that the response to this and other similar Russian attacks is not silence from the world, but concrete action.' 'Action from America, which has the power to force Russia into peace. Action from Europe, which has no alternative but to be strong. Action from others around the world who called for diplomacy and an end to the war – and whom Russia has ignored. There must be strong pressure for the sake of peace.' I will bring you all updates from Ukraine and across Europe here. It's Tuesday, 10 June 2025, it's Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning.
