British King Charles III outlines Labour’s Middle East plan
The United Kingdom plans to secure “long-term peace” in the Middle East, King Charles III has said in his parliament speech as he outlined the Labour Party’s programmes.
The new government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer is “committed” to a two-state solution” in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The UK backs “a viable and sovereign Palestinian state” living side by side with a “safe and secure Israel”, Charles said in reference to Israel’s war on Gaza.
Starmer has been criticised for initially refusing to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. He has since changed his position. Campaigners have been calling on the UK government to stop supplying weapons to Israel, which has killed more than 38,000 Palestinians since October.
UNSC session on Middle East
The UN Security Council is holding its quarterly session on the Middle East, with the war on Gaza and the humanitarian crisis expected to dominate the session.
UN chief Antonio Guterres is on leave, so his chef de cabinet, Earle Courtenay Rattray, is briefing the Security Council on his behalf.
Here are some of his remarks:
- The humanitarian support system in Gaza is close to total collapse.
- There’s a complete breakdown of public order and the spectre of further regional spillover is increasing by the day.
- Nothing can justify the horrific acts of terror committed by Hamas and other armed groups in Israel on October 7, and nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
- Rafah is in ruins and the Rafah crossing remains closed further hampering humanitarian operations.
- Almost two million people have been displaced, nearly the entire population of Gaza, and many of them multiple times.
- Nowhere in Gaza is safe.
- The United Nations remains committed to delivering life-saving aid, but we face severe challenges and deadly risks.
- Humanitarian convoys are frequently unable to collect and distribute life-saving goods in safety.
- Attacks on humanitarian aid workers and shelters, as well as strikes on or near health and humanitarian facilities, continue. Lawlessness and criminality are rampant.
- The parties must fundamentally and urgently change their conduct to address these challenges.
- The humanitarian notification system and other coordination mechanisms are not effective, resulting in delayed or aborted missions and the exposure of humanitarians to mortal risk.
- The UN still does not have the necessary security equipment in Gaza to manage the extreme risks that our personnel face. Despite ongoing dialogue with Israeli authorities and some improvement, much more is needed.
- The entry of humanitarian aid at scale and its delivery to all parts of Gaza are essential to the survival and wellbeing of civilians.
- We need consistent access through all crossing points and better access to those in need wherever they are.
- It is long past time for a safe, enabling environment for effective humanitarian operations in Gaza in line with international humanitarian law.
Calls for Paris 2024 to sanction Israel’s participation at Olympics
Protesters have gathered across the street from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games headquarters in Saint-Denis, just outside France’s capital, waving flags and banging pots and pans.
Some wore T-shirts that read “Boycott Israel” as they called for the organisers to ban Israeli athletes from the Games starting next week or apply similar sanctions to those Russian and Belarusian athletes are facing due to the war in Ukraine.
Members of the pro-Palestinian group Europalestine said there was a double standard, with Russian athletes banned from participating under their national flag, while no such measures have been introduced regarding Israeli athletes since the start of the war on Gaza.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the International Olympic Committee initially recommended a ban from international competitions of athletes from Russia and its ally Belarus, but it has since allowed them to participate as neutrals.
