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Palestinians condemn Gideon Saar’s dismissal of independent state
Earlier, we reported that Israel’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Palestinian statehood is not “realistic” after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated his demand for a “sovereign” country.
“I don’t think this position is realistic today and we must be realistic,” Saar told reporters.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned Saar’s remarks as an “extension of the war of extermination and displacement against our people”. The comments are in “disregard for international legitimacy … and the international consensus on the two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it said.
New Israel defence chief hints at strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities
Israel’s new defence minister suggested an attack on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Israel Katz’s comments came during his first meeting with the General Staff Forum, led by Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, according to Israel’s Channel 12.
“Iran is more vulnerable than ever to targeting its nuclear facilities. There is [now] a possibility of removing the threat,” Katz said. “The primary goal is achievable – to thwart and eliminate the threat of Israel’s annihilation.”
Katz was named last week to replace Yoav Gallant, who used his exit to criticise the Israeli leadership.
Iranian officials have vowed to retaliate for Israel’s October 26 attack on Tehran, which resulted in the deaths of four soldiers.
Arab League chief hints at Israel’s UN expulsion over Middle East wars
Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit highlighted an article in a concluding statement at a summit in Saudi Arabia that moved to revoke Israel’s membership in the UN General Assembly over its wars on Gaza and Lebanon.
Aboul Gheit said that suspending Israel’s membership in the world body would not come under the Security Council’s jurisdiction and could be decided by the General Assembly.
“We might witness soon the freezing of the membership [of Israel] through a UNGA majority decision,” he said.
The summit’s concluding statement demanded that all countries ban exports or transfers of weapons and ammunition to Israel and urged the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for civilian and military officials in Israel.
Hamas urges Arab, Muslim nations to force Israel to stop ‘aggression’
Hamas has called on Arab and Muslim countries to translate their pledges of support into action and take measures to stop Israel’s bloody war on Gaza.
“The establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital would require more immediate efforts and practical solutions to force [Israel] to stop its aggression and genocide against our people,” Hamas said in a statement.
The comments come after Arab and Muslim leaders demanded at a summit in Saudi Arabia that Israel withdraw from occupied Palestinian territory as a precondition for regional peace.
