world news
Borrell: Israeli-Palestinian conflict a battle of religion, civilization
The Gaza war has transformed the nationalistic Israeli-Palestinian conflict into a battle of religions and civilizations, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told a conference of ambassadors in Brussels on Monday.
While he’d previously viewed the issue as a nationalistic problem of two people, both of whom have a right to exist, Borrell explained that events of the last month have made the situation much more complicated and volatile.
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is no longer an Israeli-Arab [one] but a religious and civilization fight,” he said, in a wide-ranging speech about the war that began on October 7, its aftermath, and the forces that led up to it.
“The unfolding tragedy in the Middle East is the outcome of a collective political and moral failure” to resolve the conflict between the two nationalities for which “the Israeli and Palestinian people are paying a high price,” Borrell said.How the Israeli-Palestinian conflict got worse
For decades, he said, the international community committed to a two-state resolution but without providing a credible road map on how to achieve it, he explained. Instead, the forces of denial in both camps grew.
“In Israel, the colonialization of the West Bank has been progressing with impunity and violence against Palestinians and this has become more brutal since October 7” when the Gaza war started, he said.
In Palestinian society, Borrell said, moderate forces have fallen prey to extremists.
There had been a belief, until October 7, that regional normalization between Israel and the Arab nations, such as concluded under the Abraham Accords, would lead in the end to peace with the Palestinians.
The “barbarism” of the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, which was “un-excusable,” destroyed the credibility of that idea and underscored the importance of resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Borrell said.
His comment referenced the October 7 attack, in which Hamas infiltrated southern Israel killing 1,400 people and taking over 240 people hostage.
Borrell has been among those international diplomats who have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, or at the very least a humanitarian pause, warning about the high civilian cost of Israel’s military operation to oust Hamas.
“Ignoring the human cost” here, can ultimately “backfire,” he said.
“The overreaction of Israelis makes them lose the support of the international community,” Borrell said.
“Overreactions are always understandable but never acceptable,” he stressed.
Europe, he said, “has a moral and political obligation to be involved, not only by providing aid but by contributing to a durable solution.” The EU’s capacity “to contribute to a political solution will be a major test” of its credibility, he added.
But the priority has to be to end the violence in Gaza, he said, as Hamas asserted that close to 10,000 Palestinians in the enclave have been killed in violence related to that war.
“This is not going to be easy, because the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza is unprecedented,” he said, noting that Israel’s friends are asking it “not to be blinded by rage” and to conduct its military campaign based on international law.
There is no military solution to the conflict, so the war has to lead to peace, Borrell stressed. “No one can win a battle against terror, we have to look for political solutions,” he added.
Israel’s political echelon, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has ordered the IDF to prepare for an “immediate” return to fighting in Gaza, KAN News reported on Friday evening.
The Jerusalem Post reported earlier this week that Israeli officials estimated that if no agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas, Israel would return to fighting in Gaza in about a week and a half.
“Hamas is currently rejecting [US Middle East envoy Steve] Witkoff’s proposal, so it is very difficult to make progress,” one official said.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office, Witkoff’s plan involves the release of half of the living hostages and the return of half of the bodies on the first day of the continued deal. The rest of the hostages and bodies would be returned on the 42nd day, which would be the final day of the ceasefire.However, some claim that the terrorist organization has not rejected the proposal. According to a source familiar with the negotiations, “Hamas has neither accepted nor rejected the Witkoff proposal.”
Eyal Zamir to Gaza border community heads: We’re preparing to fight
On his first day as the new IDF chief of staff on Thursday, Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir told heads of local councils from the Gaza border communities that “we are preparing to return to fighting” in Gaza.
“We must defeat Hamas,” Zamir said. “We are also preparing to resume fighting. The hostages are our top priority.”
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
Negotiations over the continued release of hostages held in Gaza have stalled, and “right now there is nothing happening,” sources familiar with details of the talks admitted in conversation with The Jerusalem Post on Monday.
“Right now, there’s nothing happening,” an Israeli official told the Post, adding that “Hamas is currently rejecting the Witkoff proposal, so it is very difficult to make progress.”
According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, the Witkoff plan involves the release of half of the living hostages and the return of half of the bodies on the first day of the deal. The second half of the hostages and bodies would be returned on the 42nd day, which would be the final day of the ceasefire.
On the other hand, some claim that Hamas has not rejected the proposal. “Hamas has neither accepted nor rejected the Witkoff proposal,” said a source with knowledge of the negotiations with the Post.“Hamas has said it is willing to negotiate and has not rejected the plan. Since Israel currently states that this is the proposal on the table, from Israel’s perspective, Hamas has rejected it.”
Trump envoy Steve Witkoff not expected to visit Israel soon, source says
An Israeli source told the Post that there is no expectation for Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, to visit the region at the moment, adding, “He will only come to finalize a deal. And since there is no real progress right now, it is unclear when or if he will arrive.”
Without an agreement on the release of additional hostages in the coming days, Israeli sources say Israel is preparing to escalate its actions against Hamas. After the decision on Sunday to stop humanitarian aid, Israel is preparing to cut off water and electricity to the Gaza Strip, as well as resume fighting – some say this might happen, without a deal, as early as next week.
Israeli officials suggest that even without accepting the Witkoff initiative, Hamas might agree to release additional hostages in the near future in exchange for the release of terrorists from prison and the entry of caravans and humanitarian aid, but they add that this also depends on other issues.
“The Israeli government needs to decide what will be negotiated with Hamas and what they will receive in exchange for the release of hostages in the coming weeks,” said an Israeli source. “Hamas’s agreement to release more hostages depends on the answers to these questions.”
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Monday that Israel responded to the mediators’ request to allow a few more days of negotiations. Katz added,d “If Hamas does not release the hostages soon, the gates of Gaza will be locked and the gates of hell will be opened – we will return to fighting, and they will face the IDF with forces and methods they have never encountered before.”
Israeli officials suggest that even without accepting the Witkoff initiative, Hamas might agree to release additional hostages in the near future in exchange for the release of terrorists from prison and the entry of caravans and humanitarian aid, but they add that this also depends on other issues. “The Israeli government needs to decide what will be negotiated with Hamas and what they will receive in exchange for the release of hostages in the coming weeks,” said an Israeli source. “Hamas’s agreement to release more hostages depends on the answers to these questions.”
No progress has been made in the ceasefire talks in Cairo, and Israel is reaching a dead end, a source familiar with the details of the negotiations told The Jerusalem Post Saturday.
There were lots of technical discussions but no results, the source added.
Israel and mediating countries believe that only the Trump administration can perhaps break the talks out of the impasse.
“When [US Middle East envoy Steve] Witkoff arrives, things may happen. Everyone is waiting for him,” the source said.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will convene a meeting on the hostage deal in the next several hours with senior officials and the negotiation team, an Israeli official told the Post.
Hamas refusing Israeli proposal to extend phase one of deal
Hamas is refusing the idea of extending the first phase of the deal, Israeli officials said.
The Israeli and Qatari delegations arrived in Cairo on Thursday. The delegation is led by Coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing Persons, Brig.-Gen. (Res.) Gal Hirsch, as well as “M,” an anonymous officer from the Shin Bet. M is the former deputy of Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who is reportedly no longer part of the hostage deal negotiating team.
-
Solar Energy3 years agoDLR testing the use of molten salt in a solar power plant in Portugal
-
TOP SCEINCE7 months agoSearching old stem cells that stay young forever
-
Camera1 year agoDJI Air 3 vs. Mini 4 Pro: which compact drone is best?
-
Indian Defense4 years ago
Israeli Radar Company Signs MoU To Cooperate With India’s Alpha Design Technologies
-
Camera1 year agoSony a9 III: what you need to know
-
world news1 year ago
Gulf, France aid Gaza, Russia evacuates citizens
-
world news5 months ago
Sirens trigger across central Israel following rocket barrage targeting Tel Aviv Iron Dome battery
-
Solar Energy1 year agoGlencore eyes options on battery recycling project
