SPECIAL REPORTS PALESTINE

FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA - FREE PALESTINE
with special thanks to citizen-reporter 'Biba' (Algeria)
 June wk1 -- May wk5 part2 --  May wk 5 --  May wk4 part3 --  May wk 4 part2 --May week4 --   Click here for an overview by week in 2024

May 30 - 28, 2024 <<Live: Egypt's Sisi says Palestinians must not be 'forcibly displaced' in Gaza... and <<Spanish FM Albares: Recognising the state of Palestine 'a matter of pure humanity'... and <<<<At least 200 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Rafah camp... and <<Israel-Gaza latest: Deadly Rafah strikes do not cross red line, White House says; US suspends aid deliveries after pier damaged... and <<Israeli airstrike that killed dozens in Rafah carried out using type of bomb supplied by US... and <<What is the impact of recognising Palestinian statehood?... and <<Israel-Gaza latest: Israeli tanks reach centre of Rafah; Ireland formally recognises Palestine as independent state... and more news but most with a 'give way or go away' yell! Click here for May wk 5 part 3

May 28 - 27, 2024 <<Palestinian women in Israeli prisons face inhumane practices since Oct.7... and <<Live: Spain, Ireland, Norway set to recognise Palestinian statehood... and <<Israel faces fresh international condemnation over deadly strikes on Rafah tent camp... and <<'The sound was terrifying': Witnesses recount chaotic scenes during deadly strikes on Rafah camp... and <<Live: EU's Borrell urges implementation of ICJ ruling as Rafah camp death toll rises... and more news but most with a 'give way or go away' yell!

May 26 - 24, 2024 <<Sirens sound in Tel Aviv as Hamas says fired rockets from Gaza... and <<Scuffles erupt between Israeli police and protesters calling for return of Gaza hostages... and <<Live: Israel launches more strikes on Rafah despite UN court ruling... and <<After World Court ruling, Palestinians want action not words... and <<Food bound for Gaza rots in the sun as Egypt's Rafah crossing stays shut... and <<Gaza: Friday prayers held by ruins of mosque hit by airstrike on Khan Younis... and more news but most with a 'give way or go away' yell!     Overview social-media posts edited by citizen-reporter 'Biba'   May 9 - 4, 2024 May 3 - 1 - April 30 - 23,2024 Click here to go throughout May and earler, 2024

 When one hurts or kills a women
one hurts or kills hummanity and is an antrocitie.
Gino d'Artali
and: My mother (1931-1997) always said to me <Mi figlio, non esistono notizie <vecchie> perche puoi imparare qualcosa da qualsiasi notizia.> Translated: <My son, there is no such thing as so called 'old' news because you can learn something from any news.>
Gianna d'Artali.

Preface by 'Biba' (Algeria) and Gino d'Artali (Italy)
Despite the immense pain and grief the Ummah (expats) is feeling on a daily basis it is utmost important to continue the efforts to unmask the real face of netanyahu and his co-genocide killers and war-criminals and therefore the following social-media posting is more than necessary to view it and say with Richard Medhurst STOP the genocide NOW:
Richard Medhurst Destroys Zionism in its Birthplace Vienna [Full Speech]
https://youtube.com/watch?v=CgJpE3WkqNg&si=VmOAqkS0WmGgZI7m

France 24 - May 30, 2024 - Video by FRANCE 24
<<Live: Egypt's Sisi says Palestinians must not be 'forcibly displaced' in Gaza
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Thursday urged the international community to ensure Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are not displaced in their war-ravaged territory. Sisi's call came after the Israeli military on Wednesday said it seized control of a strategic corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt to cut off smuggling tunnels used by Hamas.
Summary:
Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Thursday for a peace conference on the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas as he addressed Arab leaders and diplomats at a forum in Beijing.
Israel's military said Wednesday it seized control of a strategic corridor along Gaza's border with Egypt to cut off smuggling tunnels used by Hamas.
Egypt has denied those reports, saying Israel is using claims of tunnels under Egypt's border with Gaza as cover for its war against Hamas. State-linked Al-Qahera News reported this on Wednesday, citing a <high-level Egyptian source>.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas to <implement necessary reforms>, offering the <prospect of recognition of the state of Palestine> during a phone call Wednesday, his office said.
The United States is wary of a new UN resolution on the war in Gaza, its deputy ambassador said Wednesday, after Algeria circulated a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages.
At least 36,171 Palestinians have been killed and 81,420 wounded in Israel's war in Gaza, according to the latest official death toll given by the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Some 1,170 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks and 250 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures, with 132 still missing.
Yesterday's key developments:
Street fighting and Israeli bombardment rocked Gaza's far-southern city of Rafah on Wednesday, Palestinian residents and officials said, a day after Israeli tanks rolled for the first time into the centre of the city near the Egyptian border.
The United Nations, which has warned of famine in Gaza, said on Wednesday the amount of humanitarian aid entering the enclave has dropped by two-thirds since Israel began its military operation in the Rafah region this month.>>
Read more and view video here:
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240530-%F0%9F%94%B4live-xi-jinping-tells-arab-nations-he-wants-gaza-peace-conference-hamas-israel

France 24 - May 29, 2024 - Video by Nadia MASSIH
<<Spanish FM Albares: Recognising the state of Palestine 'a matter of pure humanity'
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez met with Palestinian Authority prime minister Mohammad Mustafa and leading officials from several Middle Eastern countries in Madrid on Wednesday after Spain, Ireland and Norway recognised a Palestinian state. Although the diplomatic move by the three Western European nations on Tuesday was slammed by Israel and will have little immediate impact on its grinding war in Gaza, it was nonetheless a victory for the Palestinians and could encourage other Western powers to follow suit. FRANCE 24's Nadia Massih spoke with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares about the decision.
Speaking to FRANCE 24's Nadia Massih, Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares explained that Spain had led the charge to recognise the state of Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas war because <we have to protect the two-state solution, and to recognise the state of Palestine is the best way to do it>.
What is the impact of recognising Palestinian statehood?
<This is the right time to do it, but also because of justice for the Palestinian people. They cannot be condemned to be eternally a people of refugees,> said Albares, adding that <it is also a matter of pure humanity> given the death toll in Gaza of <more than 35,000> killed since the beginning of Israel's operation, after 1,200 Israelis were killed in Hamas's attack on October 7. In addition to this diplomatic move, Albares told FRANCE 24 that Spain has called for a worldwide peace conference whose objective will be focused not simply on calling for a two-state solution but on its implementation. Reacting to his Israeli counterpart Israel Katz's post on X that Spain was <rewarding terror> with this move, Albares said: <It's ridiculous, it's false and he knows it. We have condemned the terrorist attack of a terrorist organisation like Hamas. We have been calling since the very beginning for the [liberation] of all hostages.> >>
Source incl. video:
https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20240529-spanish-fm-albares-recognising-the-state-of-palestine-a-matter-of-pure-humanity

France 24 - May 29, 2024 - Video by Emerald MAXWELL
<<Street battles, Israeli strikes rock Gaza's Rafah
Street fighting and Israeli bombardment rocked Gaza's far-southern Rafah on Wednesday, Palestinian residents and officials said, a day after Israeli tanks rolled into the centre of the city near the Egyptian border.>>
Source incl. video:
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20240529-street-battles-israeli-strikes-rock-gaza-s-rafah

France 24 - May 29, 2024 - Video by Delano D'SOUZA
<<'All eyes on Rafah' image floods social media
As street fighting and Israeli bombardment rocked Gaza's far-southern Rafah on Wednesday, an image has gone viral on social media in condemnation of the continued offensive on the city. Showing rows of tents spelling out <All eyes on Rafah>, the image has been shared by millions, including a number of celebrities. France 24's Delano D'Souza takes a closer look.>>
Source incl. video:
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20240529-all-eyes-on-rafah-image-floods-social-media

France 24 - May 29, 2024 - Video by Robert PARSONS
<<Israel sends tanks into Rafah as US says actions not a major ground offensive
Israeli tanks conducted a second day of probing attacks across Rafah on Wednesday, after Washington said the assault did not amount to a major ground incursion of the southern Gazan city that U.S. officials had told Israel to avoid.>>
Source incl. video:
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20240529-israel-sends-tanks-into-rafah-as-us-says-actions-not-a-major-ground-offensive

France 24 - May 29, 2024 - Video by Antonia KERRIGAN
<<Controversy in French parliament after MP brandishes Palestinian flag
PRESS REVIEW - Wednesday, May 29: There's been controversy in the French parliament after a lawmaker opened a Palestinian flag during a debate on Palestinian statehood. Also, an investigation suggests Israeli foreign intelligence services have been threatening and intimidating ICC prosecutors since 2015. In other news, an investigation by a consortium of international journalists, Rwanda Classified, exposes a systematic campaign of persecution by the Rwandan government against critics abroad. Finally, rivers are running orange in Alaska due to climate change.>>
Source incl. video:
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/press-review/20240529-controversy-in-the-french-parliament-over-a-palestinian-flag


At least 200 killed in airstrikes on Rafah camp
Jinha - Womens News Agency - May 29, 2024
<<<<At least 200 killed in Israeli airstrikes on Rafah camp
At least 200 people were killed in the Israeli airstrikes on Sunday that hit tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Rafah, UNRWA reported on Tuesday.
News Center- Juliette Touma, Director of Communications for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), spoke from Amman to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday. <More than one million have fled Rafah only in the past three weeks (since 6 May). The displacement continues including today. People in Rafah have been displaced several times already,> Juliette Touma said.
Heavy bombardment continued overnight
Pointing to that heavy bombardment continued overnight in the area including in Tal Al Sultan (north of Rafah) where the UN main offices in Gaza are, Juliette Touma said, <Just over 200 trucks with humanitarian supplies were picked up in the last three weeks as people’s humanitarian needs continue to immensely increase.>
At least 200 people killed
Juliette Touma also gave information about the death toll in the Israeli airstrikes on Sunday that hit tents sheltering displaced Palestinians in Rafah. <According to some medical sources, at least 200 people were killed in the airstrikes. The attack added to the general fear of death. People are seeing so much death around them. A colleague who recently returned from Gaza told me today people are dying inside, everywhere they look there is death, and it is as if people have accepted that death is their fate.> >>
Source:
https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/at-least-200-killed-in-israeli-airstrikes-on-rafah-camp-35128

Sky News - May 29, 2024 - By Sam Doak, OSINT producer
<<Israel-Gaza latest: Deadly Rafah strikes do not cross red line, White House says; US suspends aid deliveries after pier damaged
The White House has said strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah both on Sunday and yesterday do not prompt the withdrawal of US military assistance to Israel. Meanwhile, the US has been forced to suspend aid deliveries into Gaza by sea.
Three officers injured and 40 demonstrators arrested at pro-Palestine protest in London
Three police officers were injured and 40 people arrested during a pro-Palestine protest in Westminster last night. One police officer was left with a serious facial injury after she was hit by a thrown bottle, while two officers sustained minor injuries. The Metropolitan Police said the suspect who threw the bottle has not been identified but police are investigating. The protest, which was organised by a coalition of groups including the Palestine Solidarity Group, began around 6pm and was required to end at 8pm, police said. The majority of the crowd, between 8,000 and 10,000 people, left Whitehall without incident. But a group of around 500 remained and police began making a number of arrests for failing to comply.
Police said some resisted arrest, which required officers to use force to remove those who had been arrested. The protest then broke away, with the crowd marching to Bridge Street, outside Westminster Station, where police put up cordons to detain the group. A police statement said they went into the crowd shortly before 10pm to arrest those suspected of leading the breakaway protest, with 40 people arrested for offences including breaking the Public Order Act, obstruction of a highway and assaults of emergency workers.
Israeli airstrike that killed dozens in Rafah carried out using type of bomb supplied by US
On the night of 26 May, an Israeli airstrike hit the neighbourhood of Tel al Sultan in Rafah. At least 45 people were killed as structures in an area housing displaced Palestinians were set alight, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The affected area is less than 200m from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's compound in the north of Rafah. Geolocated footage and satellite imagery shows the strike destroyed buildings immediately adjacent to a sign identifying Kuwaiti Al-Salam Camp 1. While it is unclear whether the buildings are part of the camp, Kuwaiti Al-Salam Camp 1 is known to house Palestinians displaced by the ongoing conflict. Over much of the conflict, the surrounding area has been occupied by tents and sheds housing displaced people. In recent weeks, the number of these structures has decreased as Palestinians fled in advance of Israel's ground offensive in Rafah.
Read the full story here |Click the link below|
Israeli strikes near Rafah kill at least 37 in past day
Israeli shelling and strikes have killed at least 37 people, most of them sheltering in tents outside the southern Gaza city of Rafah, according to witnesses, first responders and hospital officials. The strikes yesterday hit the same area where attacks had triggered a deadly fire that swept through a camp for displaced Palestinians, killing at least 45 and drawing international outrage, they said. The Israeli military suggested the blaze on Sunday may have been caused by secondary explosions, possibly from a Hamas munitions dump. Shelling late on Monday and early yesterday hit Rafah's western Tel al Sultan district, killing at least 16 people, the Palestinian Civil Defence and the Palestinian Red Crescent said. Seven of those killed were in tents next to a UN facility about 200m from the site of Sunday night's strike and fire.
Yesterday afternoon an Israeli drone strike hit tents near a field hospital by the Mediterranean coast west of Rafah, killing at least 21 people, including 13 women, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Israel's military has denied striking the tent camp. The strikes over the past few days have hit areas west of Rafah, which had not been ordered by the military to evacuate.
World's biggest humanitarian network calls for ceasefire
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has called for a ceasefire and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza, where millions face a humanitarian catastrophe. <We desperately need a political solution that will allow us to have a ceasefire to get aid in,> Kate Forbes, its president, said. <We're ready to make a difference. We have to have access, and to have access there has to have a ceasefire.> She said she had seen the <atrocious> situation in Rafah during a visit in February, months before Israel launched its military assault on the southern Gaza city - where more than a million Palestinians forced to flee assaults on other parts of the enclave are sheltering. <There was not enough housing. There was no water, there weren't enough sanitation toilets. We had a hospital with no equipment... and unfortunately what I was afraid of has happened, and that there wasn't going to be enough food,> Ms Forbes said. <I plead with the governments on all sides to negotiate a ceasefire so that we can get aid in. My job is to ensure that when it [a ceasefire] happens, we can give the aid that's necessary. And so they need to do their jobs so I can do my job,> she added.>>
Read more here incl. video:
https://news.sky.com/story/israel-hamas-gaza-latest-ceasefire-rafah-sky-news-live-blog-12978800

Sky News - May 29, 2024
<<Israeli airstrike that killed dozens in Rafah carried out using type of bomb supplied by US
Footage filmed by Palestinian journalist Alamuddin Sadiq at the scene of the strike appears to indicate which specific munition was used, 1,000 of which were supplied by the US to Israel in 2023. On the night of 26 May, an Israeli airstrike hit the neighbourhood of Tel al Sultan in Rafah. At least 45 people were killed as structures in an area housing displaced Palestinians were set alight, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
Location of the strike
The affected area is less than 200 metres from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency's compound in the north of Rafah. Geolocated footage and satellite imagery shows the strike destroyed buildings immediately adjacent to a sign identifying Kuwaiti Al-Salam Camp 1. While it is unclear whether the buildings are part of the camp, Kuwaiti Al-Salam Camp 1 is known to house Palestinians displaced by the ongoing conflict. Over much of the conflict, the surrounding area has been occupied by tents and sheds housing displaced people. In recent weeks, the number of these structures has decreased as Palestinians fled in advance of Israel's ground offensive in Rafah.
Verifying footage
To build a picture of what happened immediately after the strike, Sky News verified numerous videos and photographs captured by those present.
A sign and other distinctive features visible in footage recorded in the immediate aftermath allowed it to be matched to a daytime recording from the same scene. Landmarks visible in the daylight made it possible to determine the exact location of the strike, and verify pieces of footage recorded at night in the same place. The footage ultimately verified by Sky News shows numerous bodies being pulled from the wreckage of destroyed buildings. In one video, a man can be seen carrying the body of a decapitated child. Satellite imagery captured by Planet Labs PBC on 27 May shows four buildings were destroyed in this strike.
The Israeli account
In a statement given on 28 May, a senior Israeli military official claimed the deaths of civilians were the result of an attempt to kill two senior members of Hamas, and that the site is close to an area used to launch rockets. According to Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, two 17kg (37lb) munitions were used. Claiming that much of the destruction was caused by a subsequent fire that could not have been solely ignited by munitions of this size, Hagari stated that this was being investigated.
The weaponry used in this strike
Recorded the day after the strike, the fragments resemble the tail section of a GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb (SDB). According to Rahul Udoshi, a weapons specialist at the defence intelligence company Janes, the fragment <appears to be tail section of GBU-39 SDB (of Israeli Air Force stock).> Noting the similarity, Udoshi pointed out <the screw and cut section next to that>, which he described as an <exact match>. Reviewing the same image, Chris Cobb-Smith, a former British army artillery officer and director of Chiron Resources, also concluded that it matched a GBU-39 SDB, describing the munition as <an advanced, state-of-the-art weapon>. According to Sipri Arms Transfers Database, Israel received 1,000 of these munitions from the US as recently as 2023. Bloomberg, reporting at the time, states that this delivery was accelerated following the 7 October Hamas attack.
Aerial footage
During his statement, Rear Admiral Hagari shared a video showing the strike filmed from above. Highlighting the specific buildings that were targeted, the video shows that out of the four destroyed, these were the second furthest east and the structure immediately to its west. On the loss of innocent life, Hagari said <our aerial surveillance was filming prior to the strike in order to minimise civilian harm>. In the footage shared by the Israeli military, Sky News identified four people moving in the immediate vicinity of the targeted building in the seconds before it was hit.
Humanitarian zone
Prior to its ground offensive in Rafah, Israel produced a map marking an evacuation area and humanitarian zone.>>
Source incl. video:
https://news.sky.com/story/israeli-airstrike-that-killed-dozens-in-rafah-carried-out-using-type-of-bomb-supplied-by-us-13144703

France 24 - May 29, 2024 - Video by FRANCE 24
<<Live: Algeria proposes Security Council resolution to stop Israeli offensive on Rafah
Algeria is circulating a proposed UN Security Council resolution that would demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and order Israel to halt its military offensive in the southern city of Rafah immediately. This comes hours after an Israeli strike killed at least 21 people at a displacement camp west of Rafah. Follow our liveblog for the latest developments in the war in Gaza.
Summary:
Algeria is circulating a proposed UN Security Council resolution that would demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and order Israel to halt its military offensive in the southern city of Rafah immediately. Israeli tanks reached the centre of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday, witnesses said, as the bombardment of the southern Gazan area continued. Spain, Ireland and Norway have officially recognised a Palestinian state, a move which Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has called <historic>. Israeli shelling and airstrikes west of Rafah killed at least 37 people overnight Monday and on Tuesday, most of them sheltering in tents, according to witnesses, emergency workers and hospital officials. The strikes pummeled the same area where strikes on Sunday triggered a deadly fire that engulfed tents in a camp for displaced Palestinians, killing 45 people.
At least 36,096 Palestinians have been killed and 81,136 wounded in Israel’s war in Gaza, according to the last official death toll given by the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Some 1,170 people were killed in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks and 250 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli figures, with 132 still missing.
Yesterday's key developments:
The United Nations chief says the <humanitarian catastrophe> in Gaza is risking famine and is calling on Israel to enable safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance through all crossing points. The US-built temporary pier taking humanitarian aid to Gaza's coast will be repaired after getting damaged in rough seas and weather, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The pier will be pulled out and sent to the southern Israeli city of Ashdod, where US Central Command will repair it. US President Joe Biden is not turning a <blind eye> to casualties in Gaza's Rafah but has no plans to change policy yet following a deadly Israeli strike over the weekend, the White House said Tuesday. The White House said on Tuesday it opposes imposing sanctions against International Criminal Court officials over the prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over the Gaza war. Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad released a video on Tuesday showing an Israeli hostage alive and held in the Gaza Strip. The captive, identified by Israeli media as Sasha Trupanov, 28, is seen speaking in Hebrew in the 30-second clip.>>
Read more and watch video here:
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240529-🔴live-algeria-proposes-security-council-resolution-to-stop-israeli-offensive-on-rafah-gaza-hamas

France 24 - May 28, 2024 - Video by FRANCE 24
<<What is the impact of recognising Palestinian statehood?
Spain, Norway and Ireland officially recognised a Palestinian state on Tuesday, fulfilling a long-held Palestinian aspiration. Israel has expressed deep discontent with the move, calling it <a reward for Hamas>. As the humanitarian crisis worsens and the civilian death toll continues to swell in Gaza, experts hope the move could give new impetus to peace talks. In a coordinated move last week, Spain, Ireland and Norway announced they would formally recognise the state of Palestine. On Tuesday, they fulfilled their promise. Described as a <historic decision> by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a televised address, the three nations hope their initiative will encourage other European countries to do the same. But the continent is divided on the issue. Of the 27 member states that make up the European Union, only 10 have recognised a Palestinian state: Cyprus, Sweden, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and now Ireland and Spain. Malta and Slovenia have indicated they will follow suit while France and Germany have said now is not the time to do so. Sweden was the first Western country to officially recognise the state of Palestine in October 2014, a move its foreign minister at the time, Margot Wallstrom, said was <an important step that confirms the Palestinians' rights to self-determination>. Norway, which is not an EU member state, has played a major role in brokering peace between the Israelis and Palestinians, most notably hosting the secret talks that led to the Oslo Accords - the widely celebrated 1993 peace agreement between the two parties that ultimately went unfulfilled. Now out of the 193 UN member states, more than 140 have officially recognised a Palestinian state. Many recognitions date back to 1988, when the Palestinian National Council unilaterally declared its statehood and issued a declaration of independence. FRANCE 24 spoke with international criminal investigator Céline Bardet and Johann Soufi, an expert in international law and former head of UNRWA's legal office in Gaza, about the impact recognising the state of Palestine will have.
Why does recognising Palestine as a state matter?
Celine Bardet: First of all, it puts Palestine on an equal footing with all the other states. And that is essential, both legally and on the ground.
Palestine has been a non-member observer state of the United Nations since 2012 and is already recognised by many member states. But this move could give it more bargaining power, particularly on an international level. It also gives a population an identity, even if Palestinians are perfectly aware of their own identity. Still, it is not legal or at least not legally recognised. What I find most important is the symbolism that lies behind the decision, especially for the Palestinian people.
Johann Soufi: A state is something that precedes recognition. Recognising something just means recognising its existence. Statehood does not depend on recognition. A Palestinian state already exists. That is why 143 UN member states recognise it as a sovereign state, but it is also why Palestine is part of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and considered a state by UNESCO. But Palestine faces a unique problem. It is still not a full member of the UN. I think this is extremely important because in reality, [being a member] gives you the right to vote and also gives you political influence. It is a form of power. For a state to be fully admitted to the UN General Assembly, the UN Charter requires two-thirds of the member states to vote in favour - which is already the case, since there was a recent resolution in which 143 states voted positively. It also requires the UN Security Council to green light the decision through a unanimous vote. And that is what is holding things up. The US vetoed the vote. As long as the US vetoes the decision, Palestine will not be a full member of the UN.
Why do you think Spain, Norway and Ireland made this move now?
Bardet: The recognition of a state is an act of international public law. But it is also a political act. When we look at the scale of the conflict [between Israel and Palestine] over the last few months and what has happened, particularly yesterday in Rafah, we understand that these decisions – especially when taken by European countries - play an important role in pushing for discussions or solutions. A solution will only come with two states [Israel and Palestine]. The move legitimises Palestine in its stance, in its existence and gives it more power in pushing negotiators to reach a ceasefire deal. But there is also the question of whether this move could have the opposite effect…
Soufi: Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told the BBC on Monday that for him, the decision was about rights. [He said that] Palestinians have had a state since 1948 and have the right to self-determination and [the right to protection under] international law. So it is first and foremost a matter of justice. From a more political point of view, it is also the only way to bring hope to the peace process. When talking about a two-state solution as the only credible alternative to war, well, there needs to be two states. If we do not recognise one of the two states, there cannot be a two-state solution.
What are the broader implications of recognising Palestinian statehood?
Soufi: It is all very well to recognise a state, even legally. But being a state also means controlling one’s borders, controlling a territory, the entry and exit of goods and people, the ability to gain access to the land. In reality, Palestine is not a state because it does not have control over its territory. It has been occupied [by Israel] since 1967. And so in a very pragmatic way, what will truly make Palestine a state is if it can exercise all the rights a state has over its territory and population. When I speak of controlling one's territory, it also implies demarcating borders. And that is a chicken-and-egg problem. There are those who say we must first agree on what borders constitute Palestine and only then can we recognise its existence. This is a way of eternally postponing official recognition and any move towards a true Palestinian state. It is important to know where a state begins and ends, but that should not be a determining factor in whether or not the state of Palestine should be recognised. Recognising Palestinian statehood means recognising its people, their right to self-determination and their right to live safely on their territory.
Bardet: [Recognising Palestine] also determines who makes up its population.
I think it is important, too, to think about the reconstruction of Palestine [when the war ends]. Who will represent Palestine? What does this mean in terms of governance? For Palestinians, recognition will not change their lives overnight. It is not a magical swish of a wand. But if it helps find a solution to the conflict, that will definitely change people's lives.>>
Source incl. videos:
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240528-what-is-the-impact-of-recognising-palestinian-statehood


Gaza enters their 235th day
Jinha - Womens News Agency - May 28, 2024
<<Israeli attacks on Gaza enters their 235th day
At least 36,050 Palestinians have been killed and 81,026 others injured in Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, the Gaza's health ministry said on Monday.
News Center- The Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip have entered their 235th day. At least 36,050 Palestinians have been killed and 81,026 others injured in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, according to the statement of the Gaza’s health ministry on Monday. A number of Palestinians have been killed and injured in Israeli bombardment of various areas of the Gaza Strip since last night. Two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli strike targeting a house belonging to the Al-Ghussein family in Al-Darraj neighborhood in Gaza City and at least three Palestinians were killed and a number of others injured in an Israeli airstrike targeting a tent of displaced people from the Abu Jarad family at Tal Al-Sultan, west of the city of Rafah, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported on Tuesday. At least 45 people were killed, including women and children, in an Israeli airstrike on a camp for displaced Palestinians in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Sunday night.>>
Source:
https://jinhaagency.com/en/actual/israeli-attacks-on-gaza-enters-their-235th-day-35125

Sky News - May 28, 2024
<<Israel-Gaza latest: Israeli tanks reach centre of Rafah; Ireland formally recognises Palestine as independent state
A top UN official says Rafah has been turned into <hell on earth> after people were <burnt to death> in an Israeli airstrike that killed at least 45. Meanwhile, Ireland has formally recognised Palestine as a sovereign and independent state. Seven killed in new strike on tent area west of Rafah, Palestinian health officials say. Seven Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded in new Israeli strikes on a tent area to the west of Rafah, Palestinian health officials have said. The strikes targeted tents of displaced families in the designated humanitarian area in Mawasi in western Rafah, medics and residents told Reuters.
Hamas media said the number of deaths stood at 20.
It comes after Israeli strikes on Rafah killed at least 16 Palestinians, as residents reported an escalation of fighting in the city in southern Gaza.
Those strikes took place in the same area where Israel targeted what it said was a Hamas compound on Sunday night - in an attack that ignited a fire in a camp for displaced Palestinians and killed at least 45 people, according to local health officials.
Spain and Norway formally recognise Palestinian state
Spain and Norway have joined Ireland in formally recognising a Palestinian state.
Israel has said the move will have no immediate impact on its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told his nation in a televised address from Madrid that <this is a historic decision that has a single goal, and that is to help Israelis and Palestinians achieve peace.> But Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz quickly lashed out at Spain on X, saying Mr Sanchez's government was <being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes.>
Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide said <for more than 30 years, Norway has been one of the strongest advocates for a Palestinian state. Today, when Norway officially recognizes Palestine as a state, is a milestone in the relationship between Norway and Palestine.>
While some 140 countries have recognised a Palestinian state, more than two-thirds of the United Nations, none of the major Western powers have done so. But the move by three European countries represents a victory for Palestinian efforts in the world of public opinion and will likely put pressure on France and Germany to rethink their position. The UK and US back the idea of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, but argue it should come as part of a negotiated settlement. For more on the calls Prime Minister Rishi Sunak faces to follow Spain, Norway and Ireland, read this:
Ireland formally recognises Palestine as independent state
Ireland has formally recognised Palestine as a sovereign and independent state.
The Irish government said it had agreed to establish full diplomatic relations between Dublin and Ramallah and said an ambassador to the state of Palestine will be appointed, along with a full embassy of Ireland in Ramallah.
In a statement, the government said it noted the tragic backdrop to the announcement and again called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of Israeli hostages and unhindered access of humanitarian aid.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said: <This decision of Ireland is about keeping hope alive. It is about believing that a two-state solution is the only way for Israel and Palestine to live side by side in peace and security. We had wanted to recognise Palestine at the end of a peace process however we have made this move alongside Spain and Norway to keep the miracle of peace alive. I again call on Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel to listen to the world and stop the humanitarian catastrophe we are seeing in Gaza.>
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Cameron calls for swift investigation into deadly Rafah strike
Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron has renewed calls for a pause in fighting following an Israeli strike than killed at least 45 people in Rafah. Lord Cameron said the scenes from the southern city were <deeply distressing>. <The IDF's investigation must be swift, comprehensive and transparent.
We urgently need a deal to get hostages out and aid in, with a pause in fighting to allow work towards a long-term sustainable ceasefire.> >>
Read more here:
https://news.sky.com/story/israel-hamas-gaza-latest-ceasefire-rafah-sky-news-live-blog-12978800

France 24 - May 28, 2024 - Video bySarah MORRIS
<<PM Sanchez says Spain to recognise Palestinian state as EU rift with Israel widens
Spain, Ireland and Norway will formally recognise a Palestinian state on Tuesday in what Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday called a <historic decision>. The move has been slammed by Israel as a <reward> for Hamas more than seven months into the devastating Gaza war.>>
Source incl. video:
https://www.france24.com/en/video/20240528-pm-sanchez-says-spain-to-recognise-palestinian-state-as-eu-rift-with-israel-widens

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