Israeli settlers, right-wing politicians attend a tour overlooking Gaza
Israeli media outlet The Times of Israel is reporting that politicians and settlers visited a lookout in the city of Sderot that provides views of the northern Gaza Strip to discuss potential locations for future illegal settlements in the enclave.
Haaretz reported that Limor Son Har-Malech of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party and Zvi Sukkot, a member of the Religious Zionist party, led the event called “A tour overlooking Gaza”.
Daniella Weiss, the founder of Nachala, a hardline Israeli settler organisation, is reported to have taken part in the event.
Any Israeli attempt to occupy Gaza would violate international law but some Israeli officials have pushed for building settlements in Gaza since Israel began its war on the enclave in October 2023.
Israeli settlements are Jewish communities illegally built on Palestinian land. Roughly 700,000 Israeli settlers are living in at least 250 illegal settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
UN to ask ICJ for opinion on Israeli obligation to facilitate aid to Palestinians
The UN General Assembly has voted on asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for an opinion over Israel’s obligation to facilitate aid to Palestinians that is being delivered by aid organisations, the UN and member states.
The Norway-drafted resolution was adopted with 137 votes in favour. Israel, the US and 10 other countries voted “no”, while 22 countries abstained.
In July, the ICJ ruled that Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories was unlawful and should end “as rapidly as possible”.
Spain’s political parties urge PM to sanction Israel
Several political parties in Spain, including coalition partner Sumar and four other parties backing the minority left-wing government, have called on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to take decisive action against Israel.
The parties – Sumar, Podemos, the Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), the Basque EH Bildu and the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG) – made their appeal through a written statement submitted to the Spanish parliament’s records.
The letter demanded the enforcement of “a full military embargo, along with political and economic sanctions” against Israel.
It urged Sanchez to minimise diplomatic relations with Israel and suspend trade agreements until the illegal occupation of Palestine ends.
Additionally, the letter called on Spain’s Teresa Ribera Rodriguez, the European Commission’s vice president and the commissioner for competition, to push for the cancellation of the EU’s agreement with Israel, which currently grants the country preferential trade treatment.
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