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ISLAMABAD (AP) — Iran’s foreign minister will visit Pakistan next week, the two countries said Monday, following unprecedented attacks on either side of the border last week that appeared to target Baluch militant groups with similar separatist goals. Iran's state-run IRNA news agency said that Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian spoke to Pakistani counterpart Jalil Abbas Jilani to defuse the flare-up. Pakistan said in a statement Amirabdollahian that would visit the country on Jan. 29. The statement also said that the two foreign ministers agreed that the ambassadors from both countries could return to their posts by Jan. 26. Pakistan recalled its ambassador amid the brief crisis and stopped Iran’s envoy from returning to his post.

Persons: —, Hossein Amirabdollahian, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Jan Locations: ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, Iran, Iran's

South Africa’s genocide case has put the spotlight on a deeper fault line in global geopolitics. Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP/Getty ImagesReactions from the Global North to the ICJ case have been mixed. “This war is a war that is not only between Israel and Hamas,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog told MSNBC in December. “It’s a war that is intended – really, truly – to save Western civilization, to save the values of Western civilization.”So far, no Western countries have supported South Africa’s case against Israel. Traditionally, the West has wielded significant influence in international affairs, but South Africa’s move signals a growing assertiveness among Global South nations that threatens the status quo, says Adekoya.

Persons: CNN —, Israel, ”, Nesrine Malik, ” Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, “, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, Biden, ” Remi Adekoya, Nelson Mandela, Yasser Arafat, ” Hugh Lovatt, Garry Andrew Lotulung, ” Lovatt, Lovatt, Israel –, Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, Alaister Russell, Isaac Herzog, Hage Geingob, Berlin’s, Namibians, ” Adekoya Organizations: CNN, Israel, International Court of Justice, Guardian, Hamas, West Bank, Getty, US, UN, University of York, Palestine Liberation Organization, North Africa, European Council, Foreign Relations, Global, Arab League, ICJ, West, ”, International, MSNBC, ZDF, Dhaka Tribune, Germany Locations: South Africa, Johannesburg, Israel, The Hague, Gaza, South, Africa, Sudanese, United States, Europe, Ramallah, West, AFP, England, PLO, East, Indonesian, Jakarta, Indonesia, Anadolu, China, Soviet, Ekurhuleni, Germany, German, Germany’s, Namibia, Namibian, Bangladesh, Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan CNN —Pakistan has carried out a series of military strikes on what it said were separatist militant hideouts inside Iran, its foreign ministry said Thursday, in the latest incident across their shared border that has sent tensions between the two neighbors soaring. “At 4:30 a.m. explosions were heard in a border village, several missiles were fired at the village,” Marhamati said. This morning’s action was taken in light of credible intelligence of impending large scale terrorist activities,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said. But the deadly attack inside Pakistani territory seriously damaged relations between the two countries, Pakistani Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani told his Iranian counterpart. And Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria have launched dozens of attacks aimed at US military positions in those countries.

Persons: Alireza Marhamati, ” Marhamati, IRNA, ”, Iran ”, Hossein Amir, Abdollahian, Jalil Abbas Jilani, Jilani, Qasem Soleimani, Houthi, Amir Organizations: Pakistan CNN —, “, Pakistan Pakistan’s, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry, Iranian, Pakistani, Adl, Justice, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Iranian Revolutionary Guard, Quds Force, ISIS, CNN, Economic, Davos Wednesday Locations: Islamabad, Pakistan, Pakistan CNN — Pakistan, Iran, Iran’s, Sistan, Baluchistan, Saravan, restive Baloch, Gaza . Pakistan, ”, Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan’s, Balochistan, Iranian, “ Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tehran, Jaish, Erbil, Iraq, Syria, Kerman, Red, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Davos

☆ Israel’s far-right wants to move Palestinians out of Gaza. Its ideas are gaining attention
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Mick Krever | Jomana Karadsheh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

CNN —The Israeli soldiers stand rifles in hand, arm over shoulder, speaking to the camera. “We must promote a solution to encourage the emigration of the residents of Gaza,” far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said on January 1. Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who also holds a position in the Defense Ministry, says that Israel “will rule there. If Palestinians in Gaza are “post-Jihad, pro-Israel, and want to live that good life in that beautiful soil, there should be an opportunity for that,” he said. That color was adopted in 2004 and 2005 by the movement protesting Israel’s disengagement from Gaza.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, “, Itamar Ben, Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Israel “, Antony Blinken, Dahlia Scheindlin, Itamar Ben Gvir, restoking, Netanyahu, ” Scheindlin, Diana Buttu, Netanyahu’s, ”, Ariel Sharon’s, Katif, Yishai Fleisher, ” Fleisher, we’ve, Fleisher, –, Jordan, ” Israel, Gush Katif, Hanan Ben Ari serenaded, Ben Gvir, Gila, Mahmoud Abbas, ” Omer Bartov, Buttu, ” Netanyahu, ” Tzvi, Melech, Ben Gvir’s Organizations: CNN, Hamas, Palestinian Authority, Gaza . Social Media, ”, Likud, National, Defense Ministry, United, Haaretz, Israeli, National Security, Settler, West Bank, “, Israel, Norwegian Refugee Council, United Nations, International Court of Justice, Israel Defense Forces, Gush, Social Media, Oregon State University, City University of New, Brown University, Smotrich’s, Ben Gvir’s Jewish Power Party Locations: Israel, Gaza, Hamas, Ramallah, Authority, ”, United States, Palestinian, Qatar, “, Hebron, Turkey, South America, South Africa, The Hague, Jerusalem, Gush, Israeli, Nova Beach, City University of New York, Israel’s

☆ U.S. and allies must 'persuade countries, not dictate to them,' former UK PM Gordon Brown says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Wednesday that the U.S. and other powerful nations must "persuade countries, not dictate to them" in an increasingly multipolar world. Much of the conversation at this week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, has focused on a breakdown of trust between populations and world leaders, and how to restore it. Allianz CEO Oliver Bäte told CNBC Tuesday that an "increasing detachment of the political elite from the working class" was the "number one risk for our societies." It's no longer neoliberal economics, it's more mercantilist economics, states doing their own thing, and protectionist trade policies have become 'in' and we've seen a retreat from globalization," Brown told CNBC on the sidelines of WEF. Brown told CNBC Wednesday that he still believes this should be the template for establishing lasting peace in the region, but that it is "incredibly difficult because nobody is trusting each other at the moment."

Persons: Gordon Brown, Oliver Bäte, Brown, Tony Blair, you've, we've, Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas, Ehud Olmert, Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Organizations: Economic, Allianz, CNBC Locations: Davos, Switzerland, WEF, America, Africa, Ukraine, Gaza, Israeli, Saudi, Israel, Palestinian

☆ Saudi Arabia isn’t ruling out befriending Israel. But it may come at a higher price
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +70 min

Fatima Shbair/AP Mourners collect the bodies of Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, Gaza, on December 24. Ilia Yefimovich/dpa/picture-alliance/AP Relatives and friends bid farewell to the body of Al Jazeera camera operator Samer Abu Daqqa in Khan Younis, Gaza, on December 16. Mahmud Hams/AFP/Getty Images Israeli soldiers form an honor guard at the funeral of Israeli reserve soldier Master Sgt. Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Children use candles for lighting in Khan Younis, Gaza, on Friday, October 20. Maya Alleruzzo/AP A boy carries salvaged belongings from the wreckage of his family's home in Khan Younis, Gaza, on October 11.

Persons: UAE CNN —, Antony Blinken, ” Blinken, ”, “, “ There’s, ” Prince Khalid bin Bandar, ” Ali Shihabi, Shihabi, Israel, Blinken, Evelyn Hockstein, Benjamin Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Abraham, Biden, Yousef Al Otaiba, Israel “, ” Otaiba, Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Firas Maksad, Abir, Prince Khalid, Maksad, Jamal Khashoggi, ” Maksad, ” Prince Khalid, Isaac Herzog, Oded, Abed Rahim Khatib, Noam Galai, Majdi, Sufian Dagash, Ohad, Abed Zagout, Harel Ittah, Ariel Schalit, Khan Yunis, Stringer, Elisha Yehonatan Lober, Mount Herzl, Maja Hitij, Fatima Shbair, Ahmad Hasaballah, Mohammed Salem, Yaacov Elian, Boris Dunavetski, Amir Levy, Mohammed Abed, Mahmud Hams, Alon Lulu Shamriz, Ilia Yefimovich, Abu Daqqa, Khan, Khan Younis, Ben Shelly, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Eviatar Cohen, Mostafa Alkharouf, Mohammed Dahman, Ibraheem Abu Mustafa, Atef Safadi, Gal Meir Eisenkot, Eisenkot, Gadi Eisenkot, Leo Correa, Alexi Rosenfeld, Alleruzzo, Amir Cohen, Gil Cohen, Menahem Kahana, Sergeant Aschalwu Sama, Tsafrir, John MacDougall, Ahed Tamimi, Nasser Nasser, Viktor, Helena Brodski, Kiril Brodski, Ammar Awad, Jack Guez, Jabel Mukaber, Mahmoud Illean, Alexander Ermochenko, Younis, Mustafa Hassona, Asher, Raz, Doron, Schneider, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, Majed Al, Ansari, Mohammed Hajjar, Said Khatib, Jalaa Marey, Victor R, Liron Snir, James Oatway, Ashraf Amra, Ahmad Gharabli, Rizek Abdeljawad, Major Jamal Abbas, Shir Torem, Alexi J . Rosenfeld, Christopher Furlong, Hatem Ali, Avraham Fetena, Sgt, Raz Abulafia, Fadel Senna, Nasser, Matan Meir, Haitham Imad, Roni Eshel, Eshel, Kenzo Tribouillard, Sadi Berek, Salah al, Varda Goldstein, Nir Oz, Bernat, Tomer Appelbaum, Mohammad Abu Elsebah, Khaled Ibn Al, Walid, Ya'akov Ozeri, Ronen Zvulun, Mohammed Alaloul, Neil Hall, Saeed Jaras, Mohammad Abu Hattab, Mohammed Talatene, Ditza Heiman, Salman Habaka, Yuval Zilber, Jalaa Merey, Ahmad Salem, Ali Jadallah, Anas al, Yosef Vahav, Kiryat Shmona, Albert Miles, Ilan Rosenberg, Manna, Tamar Chaya Torpiashvili, Abed Khaled, Tamir Kalifa, Yoav Gallant, Jehad Al, Kafarnah, Teddy, Dan Kitwood, Dima Vazinovich, Sagiv Ben Zvi, Omar El, Yasser Qudih, Francisco Seco, Mohammed Saber, Ali Mohmoud, Mai Yaghi, Yam Goldstein, Nadav, Khaled Joudeh, Samar Abu, Leon Neal, Hatem Moussa, Wolfgang Schwan, Yousef Masoud, Shadi Tabatibi, Belal al Sabbagh, Janis Laizans, Gallant, Ofir Libstein, Aza, Belal Khaled, Hod, Ayal Margolin, Brendan Smialowski, Netanyahu, Kenny Holston, Kfar Aza, Mahmoud Khaled, Dor Reder, Violeta Santos Moura, Mohammed Fayq Abu Mostafa, Antonio Macías, Macías, Eli Albag, Liri, Sergey Ponomarev, Dor Kedmi, Saher, Abraham Cohen, Valentin Ghnassia, Ghnassia, Yuri Cortez, Ibrahim Hams, Bashar Taleb, Baz Ratner, Yahya Hassouna, Mapal Adam, Agha, Reuters Itzik, Miriam Shafir, Dor Shafir, Savion Kiper, Maya Alleruzzo, CNN Sergey Ponomarev, Eden Guez, Mohammed Soboh, Said, Noam Elimeleh Rothenberg, Ilai Bar Sade, Erik Marmor, Oren Ziv, Ramez Mahmoud, Roi Levy, Tali Touito, Ahmad Hasballah, Eyad Baba, Itai Ron, Hadas Parush, Lana Nusseibeh, “ That’s, Abu Dhabi, Anwar Gargash, ” Gargash Organizations: UAE CNN, Hamas, BBC, CNN, Palestinian, West Bank, Reuters, United Arab, Abraham Accords, Israel, UAE, Arab League, Saudi, Fox News, Washington Institute for Near East, Middle East Institute, Israeli, Getty, of Health, Congressional, Republicans, United Nations Security, AP, European Hospital, Mount, Rockets, UN, Anadolu, Museum of Art, Security, Nova, Magen, Getty Images, Kiryat, Islamic Jihad, Red, Tel, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical, Young, AP People, Schneider Children's Medical, Sisters, Schneider Children's, Ofer, Cross, Foreign, Artillery, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Al, Unicef, AP Journalists, Israel Defense Forces, Modern, Nasser Hospital, Nasser Medical, Najjar, Israel Defence Forces handout, Shutterstock, Reuters United Nations, Shifa, Palestine, Pictures, Bloomberg, Israeli Apache, United Nations Relief, Works Agency, Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, IDF, EyePress, New York Times, Nasser Medical Hospital, Deir Al, Tel Aviv University, Reuters Civil, AP Rockets, AP Israel's, Regional, Israel's, Ahli Baptist Hospital, Ben Gurion International, Aris Messinis, Haim, Puma, Mount Herzl Military, Anadolu Agency, Nova Festival, Ben Gurion, United Nations, Reuters Police, Reuters Rockets, Wall, Shihabi Locations: Abu Dhabi, UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, Saudi, United Kingdom, Gaza, United States, ”, Palestinian, East Jerusalem, Al Ula, Reuters Israeli, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, Washington , DC, Jerusalem, Abir Sultan, AFP, Turkey, Gulf, Tel Aviv, Israeli, Rafah, Maghar, Anadolu, Netanya, Khan, Khan Younis, Shaul, Shefayim, Jazeera, Kidron, Kfar Saba, Nahal Oz, Herzliya, Ashkelon, Petah Tikva, Ramallah, Egypt, Ofakim, Jabel, Khezaa, Gazan, Sisters Aviv, Beitunia, Gaza City, Galilee, Lebanon, Al, Aqsa, Al Bureij, Deir Al Balah, Xinhua, Pekiin, Mavki'im, Haifa, Sderot, Beit Hashmonai, Europe, Rishpon, Odem, Gaza's Al, Deir Al, Balah, Bureij, Kfar Aza, Meron, Jerusalem's, City, Jerusalem's Old City, Deir Balah, Mahmud, Southern Israel, Yanuh Jat, Netaim, Golan Heights, Shareef, Beit Guvrin, Kiryat, Al Aqsa, Kibbutz Be'eri, Ashdod, Holon, Najjar, Ichilov, Kibbutz Shefayim, Deir, Samar, Samar Abu Elouf, Deir al, Kibbutz Kissufim, Zahra City, Ras, Israel's, Yehuda, Hod HaSharon, Kiryat Shmona, Ahli, Gan, Kfar, North Sinai, Beit Kama, Cyprus, Be'eri, Rehovot, Mount Herzl, Modiin Maccabim, Mount Herzel, Yassin, Beitar Ilit, Ramat Gan, Itai, Beit Hanun, Rishon Lezion, Dhabi, Dubai, Al Arabiya

☆ Bank of England set to hold interest rates as economists debate 2024 cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-13 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A passageway near the Bank of England (BOE) in the City of London, U.K., on Thursday, March 18, 2021. The market is pricing an almost 100% chance of a hold on Thursday, according to LSEG, with economic data since the Bank's last meeting proving largely inconclusive. The latest labor market data on Tuesday indicated a continuation of recent trends, with unemployment remaining broadly flat and vacancies continuing to decline at pace. Average pay including bonuses fell by 1.6% between September and October, versus an average monthly growth rate of 1.1% in the first half of the year. "An unchanged forward guidance will also serve the MPC well to push against the current market pricing of Bank Rate which assigns an increasing probability to cuts in H1 2024," they said.

Persons: BOE, Hollie Adams, Jake Finney, Finney, Abbas Khan, Jack Organizations: Bank of England, City of, Bloomberg, Getty, Monetary, Federal Reserve, Reuters, Bank, Barclays, MPC Locations: City, City of London

Residents, many of whom had moved there to flee earlier attacks in the Israel-Palestinian conflict, said they could hear tank fire and feared a new Israeli ground offensive was building. The Israeli military earlier ordered people to evacuate some areas in and near the city, but made no announcement of any new southern ground assault. "The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) continues to extend its ground operation against Hamas centres in all of the Gaza Strip," spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari told reporters in Tel Aviv. GROUND OFFENSIVE FEAREDGaza residents said earlier on Sunday they feared an Israeli ground offensive on the southern areas was imminent. Tanks had cut off the road between Khan Younis and Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, effectively dividing the Gaza Strip into three.

Persons: Alexander Ermochenko, Khan Younis, Daniel Hagari, Eylon Levy, Younis, United States —, —, Kamala Harris, Isaac Herzog, Mahmoud Abbas, Harris, Israel, Osama Hamdan, Deir, Suhaib Salem, Nidal, Mohammed Salem, Maayan Lubell, Ari Rabinovich, Emily Rose, Maggie Fick, Andrew Mills, Nandita Bose, Idrees Ali, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, David Lawder, Lincoln Organizations: Hamas, Pentagon, Palestinian, IDF, Israel Defence Forces, U.S . Defense Department, Yemen's, Reuters, United, Tanks, Thomson Locations: Gaza, Israel, Palestinian, Khan, U.S, Sea, Pentagon Iran, GAZA, CAIRO, Tel Aviv, Gaza City, Yemen's Iran, Hamas, Rafah, Gaza's, Beit Lahiya, United States, Lebanon, Egypt, Cairo, Jerusalem, Beirut, Doha, Dubai, Washington

On Monday, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, energy minister and the key climate negotiator, for the kingdom, was a no-show at the Saudi Green Initiative. "The climate finance that they have pledged at this COP28 is simply not enough," said Pakistani activist Zaigham Abbas, whose country was devastated last year by widespread flooding. Elsewhere, France and Japan said they would support a move by the African Development Bank to leverage IMF Special Drawing Rights for climate and development. This year also features the biggest-ever representation of business at the annual U.N. summit, amid hopes for more private investment toward climate causes. "The scale of the climate crisis demands urgent and game-changing solutions from every industry," COP28 President Ahmed Al-Jaber said.

Persons: COP28, Johanna Geron, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, Nicholas Stern, Mia Mottley, Antonio Guterres, Zaigham Abbas, Abu Dhabi, Ahmed Al, Jaber, Simon Jessop, Maha El, Al Sayegh, Alexander Cornwell, Elizabeth Piper, David Stanway, Katy Daigle Organizations: of, European Union, REUTERS, Companies, Saudi, United, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Green Initiative, Crown, Grantham Research, Asian Peoples ' Movement, Development, African Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, BlackRock, HSBC, Finance, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Dubai, Brussels, Belgium, Companies UAE, DUBAI, COP28, United Arab, Saudi Arabia, Sharm el, Sheikh, Egypt, Paris, China, Grantham, Barbados, France, Japan, Copenhagen, Abu

☆ Belgian PM says he told Israeli president 'no more civilian killings' as fighting restarted in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Alexander Cornwell | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo attends a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez (not pictured), in Ramallah, 23 November 2023. ALAA BADARNEH/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsDUBAI, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The Belgian prime minister on Saturday said that he had spoken with Israel's president following the resumption of fighting in Gaza and told him there could be no more killing of civilians. A week-old temporary truce between Israel and Hamas collapsed on Friday after mediators were unable to extend the pause. Israeli warplanes have pounded areas of Gaza since the end of the temporary truce, killing hundreds of people, according to health officials in the coastal strip. Sirens warning of rocket fire sounded in Israeli communities near Gaza on Saturday but there were no reports of serious damage or casualties.

Persons: Alexander De Croo, Mahmoud Abbas, Pedro Sanchez, ALAA, I've, Belgium's Alexander De Croo, De Croo, Israel, “, Alexander Cornwell, Toby Chopra Organizations: Belgium's, Spain's, Rights, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Ramallah, Belgian, Gaza, Israel, Rafah, Dubai

[1/8] U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris disembarks an aircraft as she arrives to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2, 2023. The White House said Harris will carry a message about post-conflict Gaza as the region grapples with the fallout from a war that has upended the Middle East. Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' mainstream Fatah party and has ruled the enclave ever since. How post-conflict Gaza should realistically be managed is an issue that has confounded regional leaders and Middle East experts. "In her meetings, the vice president will outline our principles for post-conflict Gaza, lay out specific proposals that put Palestinian voices at the center, and build regional support for our efforts," the White House official said.

Persons: Kamala Harris disembarks, Amr Alfiky, Kamala Harris, Harris, Joe Biden, Mahmoud Abbas, Biden, Critics, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we’ve, John Kirby, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Matt Spetalnick, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, United Nations, Change, United Arab Emirates, REUTERS, Rights, West Bank, White, Palestinian, Fatah, Middle, Authority, United, White House, House, Munich, Conference, Thomson Locations: Dubai, United Arab, Israel, Gaza, United Arab Emirates, Washington, Russia, Ukraine

☆ Palestinian Rights Groups Snub ICC Prosecutor
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

RAMALLAH (Reuters) - Palestinian human rights groups refused to meet the International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan on Saturday, accusing him of favouring Israeli accusations of rights abuses over longstanding Palestinian charges. However Palestinian activists said they would refuse to see him because of their objections to what they saw as unequal treatment of Israeli and Palestinian cases. "As Palestinian human rights organizations, we decided not to meet him," said Ammar Al-Dwaik, director general of the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR). He was scheduled to meet lawyers for the families' group as well as members of the families themselves. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Abbas had urged Karim to investigate Israeli operations in Gaza as well as the occupied West Bank.

Persons: Karim Khan, Khan, Ammar Al, Mr Khan, Mahmoud Abbas, WAFA, Abbas, Karim, Ali Sawafta, James Mackenzie, Giles Elgood Organizations: Criminal, West Bank, Independent Commission, Human Rights Locations: RAMALLAH, Israel, Ramallah, Gaza

☆ Palestinian rights groups snub ICC prosecutor
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO: International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks during an interview with Reuters about the violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories in The Hague, Netherlands, October 12, 2023. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsRAMALLAH, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Palestinian human rights groups refused to meet the International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan on Saturday, accusing him of favouring Israeli accusations of rights abuses over longstanding Palestinian charges. However Palestinian activists said they would refuse to see him because of their objections to what they saw as unequal treatment of Israeli and Palestinian cases. "As Palestinian human rights organizations, we decided not to meet him," said Ammar Al-Dwaik, director general of the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR). The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Abbas had urged Karim to investigate Israeli operations in Gaza as well as the occupied West Bank.

Persons: Karim Khan, de, Khan, Ammar Al, Mr Khan, Mahmoud Abbas, WAFA, Abbas, Karim, Ali Sawafta, James Mackenzie, Giles Elgood Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Criminal, West Bank, Independent Commission, Human Rights, Thomson Locations: Israel, The Hague, Netherlands, RAMALLAH, Ramallah, Gaza

"Many people have taken sides,” says Sandrine, who didn't feel comfortable providing her last name given the sensitivity of the topic. Immediately following the Oct. 7 attacks, Macron condemned Hamas and supported Israel’s right to defend itself. “The explicit prohibition of Palestinian demonstrations is something very recent and, in my opinion, a massive political mistake,” Lazar says. The RN, which denounces mass immigration to France from largely Muslim countries, also views Israel as a beacon of democracy in the Arab world. "He needs to defend what [Hamas does] without saying he supports them directly" as part of the Palestinian cause, says Lazar.

Persons: ”, Sandrine, Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Marc Lazar, ” Lazar, Mahmoud Abbas, Israel, Marc Hecker, “ That's, Hecker, David, Goliath, Joe Biden, Jean, Marie Le Pen, Marie Le Pen’s, “, Le, Le Pen, ‘, ’ ”, Yves Camus, Luc Mélenchon, –, Lazar, Mélenchon, they’re Organizations: Hamas, Montaigne Institute, Sciences Po, West Bank, Center for Security Studies, French Institute of International Relations, French Institute of Public, Palestinian Authority, U.S, National, La France, National Assembly, National Front, Israel, FN, Marine, Rassemblement, Institute of International Relations, Strategic Studies, European Jewish Congress, ” Locations: Paris, Israel, France, Gaza, Western Europe, Egypt, Jordan, Syria

☆ COP 28 Climate Summit Global Warming Talks Begin Amid Deep Tensions
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( David Gelles | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

PinnedWorld leaders are gathering in Dubai for an annual United Nations climate summit and calling for urgent action to slow down global warming. Greenhouse gas emissions, mainly driven by the burning of fossil fuels, have now warmed the planet by about 1.2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. While many developed countries are installing more wind and solar power, global greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel demand continue to rise. Another big issue on the table is an international effort to limit emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The president of the proceedings, Sultan Al Jaber, is the head of the Emirates’ state oil company, Adnoc.

Persons: King Charles III, Mia Mottley, Volodymyr Zelensky, William Ruto, Isaac Herzog of Israel, Mahmoud Abbas, Sultan Al Jaber, Al Jaber, ”, “ Organizations: Palestinian, United Arab, Emirates, Adnoc Locations: Dubai, United Nations, Barbados, Ukraine, Kenya, Gaza, United Arab Emirates

☆ Israel resumes its offensive in Gaza after accusing Hamas of violating the seven-day truce
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( Sean Conlon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailIsrael resumes its offensive in Gaza after accusing Hamas of violating the seven-day truceIsrael announced it has resumed its offensive in Gaza after accusing Hamas of breaching the terms of a week-long truce. The truce expired at 7 a.m. local time on Friday morning. The announcement comes one day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, in Israel and the occupied West Bank.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas Organizations: Israel, Palestinian, West Bank Locations: Gaza, Israel

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday stepped up calls for Israel to comply with international law as it wages its war against Hamas in Gaza. But he also said it is imperative that Israel protect civilians if it starts major military operations in southern Gaza. Netanyahu said he told Blinken, “This is the same Hamas that carried out the terrible massacre on Oct. 7, the same Hamas that tries to murder us everywhere. Blinken told Abbas "he would continue to insist on full accountability for those responsible,” the State Department said. Blinken also told Abbas that “the United States remains committed to advancing tangible steps for a Palestinian state,” it said.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Biden, Joe Biden's, Benjamin Netanyahu, Blinken “, West Bank ”, Netanyahu, ”, —, ” Netanyahu, Mahmoud Abbas, Abbas Organizations: —, Joe Biden's Democratic Party, Israeli, State Department, West Bank, United Arab Emirates Locations: TEL AVIV, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Jerusalem, Palestinian, United States, Dubai

Hamas freed two Israeli hostages Thursday afternoon and they were brought back into Israel, with more expected to follow, the Israeli military said. Israel had agreed to extend the truce by one day for every 10 militant-held hostages who are freed. Roughly 240 hostages were captured by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel that ignited the war. ISRAEL SAYS 2 MORE HOSTAGES RELEASED FROM GAZAJERUSALEM — The Israeli military said Thursday that two Israeli hostages were released from captivity in the Gaza Strip. The two hostages are among a larger group of Israelis expected to be released Thursday as part of the latest extension of a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

Persons: Israel, — Jake Sullivan, — Israel, Schumer, Pedro Sánchez, Eli Cohen, Sánchez “, ” Cohen, “, Sánchez, ” Sánchez, Israel ´, Karim Khan, Israel “, Khan, ISRAEL, BLINKEN, Antony Blinken, Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Biden, Blinken “, Mahmoud Abbas, Tzarfati, Israel —, ”, David Adom, Zaki Heller, Doron Turgeman, AHED TAMIMI Organizations: Qatar, Health Ministry, Islamic, U.S, MADRID —, Spanish, Spanish National Television, “, Belgian, ICC, Cross, HAMAS TEL, Israel — U.S, State Department, West Bank, MAN, Jerusalem police, Army, JERUSALEM, Qatari Foreign Ministry, Hamas Locations: Israel, Gaza, —, israel, MADRID — Israel, Spain, Palestinian, Egypt, Belgian, Spanish, HAGUE, Netherlands, Ramallah, GAZA JERUSALEM, ISRAEL, HAMAS TEL AVIV, U.S, Jerusalem, JERUSALEM, TEL AVIV, Qatar, AHED TAMIMI Israel

☆ US top diplomat Blinken visits Israel to discuss Gaza truce, aid
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks from his airplane upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on November 30, 2023. Washington's top diplomat is also expected to discuss Israel's looming offensive into southern Gaza. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza. On Wednesday, 16 more hostages were released by Hamas on the final day of a two-day truce extension. Following Israel, Blinken will visit the United Arab Emirates to attend a regional meeting and attend the U.N. COP28 climate summit.

Persons: Antony Blinken disembarks, SAUL LOEB, Antony Blinken, Mahmoud Abbas, Washington's, Israel, we’ll, Blinken, Humeyra Pamuk, Ali Sawafta, Rami Ayyub, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Ben Gurion, REUTERS Acquire, West Bank, U.S, Israel, Health, United, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV, Gaza, The U.S, Brussels, U.S, United Arab Emirates, Ramallah

☆ Blinken says truce between Israel, Hamas is producing results
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | Thomson Reuters | Humeyra Pamuk Is A Senior Foreign Policy Correspondent Based In Washington Dc. She Covers The U.S. State Department | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] US Secretary of State Antony Blinken disembarks from his airplane upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, on November 30, 2023. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsTEL AVIV, Nov 30 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday said a temporary truce between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas had produced results and the United States hoped it would continue. The truce has brought the first respite to Gaza in seven weeks during which Israel bombed the territory heavily in response to the Oct. 7 rampage. "I look forward to detailed conversations with the government of Israel about the way ahead in Gaza," Blinken said. Israel has sworn to annihilate Hamas, which rules Gaza.

Persons: Antony Blinken disembarks, SAUL LOEB, Antony Blinken, Isaac Herzog, Blinken, Washington, Israel, Herzog, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yair Lapid, Yoav Gallant, Benny Gantz, Mahmoud Abbas, Washington's, Humeyra Pamuk, Ali Sawafta, Howard Goller Organizations: Ben Gurion, REUTERS Acquire, Hamas, U.S, Israel, West Bank, Health, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Israel, TEL AVIV, Palestinian, United States, Gaza, Jerusalem, The U.S, Ramallah

That challenge is one of the major reasons US officials are keen on seeing a surge of humanitarian aid into northern Gaza. Multiple US officials have also stressed the need to create areas in the south that are clearly understood to be protected for civilians. Instead, Israel must be “more cautious, more careful, more deliberate, and more precise in their targeting,” one senior administration official said. While it’s not clear whether Israel would ultimately agree, some US officials expressed optimism that Israel was at least receptive to considering such ideas. “There is an understanding that a different type of campaign has to be conducted in the south than was conducted in the north,” another senior administration official said.

Persons: CNN —, Joe Biden, –, it’s, Israel, ”, Benjamin Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, Biden, Blinken, Samantha Power, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Israel won’t, Mahmoud Abbas, Kaitlan Collins Organizations: CNN, CNN — Biden, Israel Defense Forces, Biden, US, Democrats, Capitol, ” Palestinian, Palestinian Locations: Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Doha, European, ”

☆ CIA director returns to Qatar for hostage talks with Israeli and Egyptian counterparts
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —CIA Director Bill Burns visited Qatar on Tuesday for meetings with Qatari officials as well as his Israeli and Egyptian counterparts, according to multiple sources. “Director Burns traveled to Doha for meetings about the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, including continued discussions on the hostages,” a US official said. Another person familiar with the trip said the CIA director would be joined in Doha by the director of Israel’s intelligence service Mossad, David Barnea, and the Director of Egyptian General Intelligence, Abbas Kamel. Burns’ trip to Qatar comes after the truce was extended by two days, and with Americans still missing in the wake of the October 7 Hamas attack. The agreement was brokered by Qatar, which served as an intermediary between Hamas and Israel in negotiations with the close involvement of the US.

Persons: Bill Burns, Burns, ”, David Barnea, Abbas Kamel, Abigail Edan, Biden, Barnea, Brett McGurk Organizations: CNN, CIA, Doha, General Intelligence, Qatari, Qatar Locations: Qatar, Doha, Israel

Thirty Palestinian women and minors were released from Israeli prisons on Tuesday as part of the agreement, according to an official list. It was the fifth exchange of hostages and prisoners since Friday. Since Friday, when a cease-fire deal covering hostages, Palestinian prisoners and aid for Gaza went into effect, Hamas has released more than 60 hostages seized in its Oct. 7 raid in Israel that set off the war. Egypt, Israel and the United States dispatched their top intelligence officials to Qatar to negotiate further exchanges. director, joined David Barnea, the head of the Mossad, Israel’s spy service, and Abbas Kamel, Egypt’s spy chief, for meetings with Qatari officials, including the prime minister.

Persons: Israel, William J, Burns, David Barnea, Abbas Kamel, Egypt’s Organizations: Hamas, United Locations: Gaza, United States, Israel, Egypt, Qatar

☆ Israel's finance minister defends settlement funds in budget row
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich attends an inauguration event for Israel's new light rail line for the Tel Aviv metropolitan area, in Petah Tikva, Israel, August 17, 2023. On Sunday, centrist Minister Benny Gantz demanded that Netanyahu remove all political payouts from the new budget, saying they will harm the war effort. Those include so-called "coalition funds" intended for settlements in the occupied West Bank and for the ultra-Orthodox Jewish education system. The row over devoting funds to settlements comes at a sensitive moment for Israel as it seeks to mobilize international support for the war in Gaza. Israel's central bank and hundreds of economists have also called on the government to scrap funds not vital to financing the war.

Persons: Bezalel Smotrich, Amir Cohen, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Benny Gantz, Netanyahu, Smotrich, Josep Borrell, Gantz's, Mahmoud Abbas, Gantz, Maayan Lubell, Steven Scheer, Ari Rabinovitch, Ali Sawafta, Nick Macfie Organizations: Tel, REUTERS, Rights, Israeli, West Bank, Jewish, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Tel Aviv, Petah Tikva, Israel, Gaza, United States, Jerusalem

The militants released 17 hostages, including 13 Israelis, while Israel freed 39 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas is to release at least 50 Israeli hostages, and Israel 150 Palestinian prisoners. A BITTERSWEET MOMENT FOR HOSTAGE FAMILIESShortly before midnight, Hamas released the second group of hostages, 13 Israelis and four Thais. The Israeli hostages freed on Saturday included seven children and six women, Netanyahu’s office announced. A kibbutz spokesperson said all the released hostages either had a family member killed in the Oct. 7 rampage or a loved one still in captivity in Gaza.

Persons: Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Nurhan Awad, Israa Jaabis, Jaabis, ”, Fatah, Mahmoud Abbas, ___ Magdy, Tia Goldenberg Organizations: Hamas, Health Ministry, United Nations, Aid, Palestinian, Crescent, West Bank, Palestinian Prisoners ’ Club, Associated Press Locations: DEIR, Gaza, Israel, Qatar, Egypt, Tel Aviv, United States, Gaza City, Be’eri, Jerusalem, Palestine, Al, Cairo, israel

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