Israel fighting war of ‘civilisation over barbarism’ in Gaza: PM
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has slammed a statement by the governments of France, the United Kingdom, and Canada saying they could sanction Israel if it doesn’t end a new ground invasion of Gaza.
“By asking Israel to end a defensive war for our survival before Hamas terrorists on our border are destroyed and by demanding a Palestinian state, the leaders in London, Ottawa and Paris are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel … while inviting more such atrocities,” he said in a social media post.
Israel is fighting a war of “civilization over barbarism” and will continue until it achieves “total victory”, Netanyahu added.
His post also called on European nations to accept US President Donald Trump’s vision for Gaza.
“That means the expulsion of more than two million Palestinians from their home country,” Al Jazeera correspondent Hamdah Salhut reported from Jordan. “The statement is saying that European leaders should get behind this as well.”
Western warnings to Israel late but significant: Palestinian official
The Palestinian ambassador to the UK has told Al Jazeera that the statement by Canada, France and the UK threatening action against Israel if it does not stop a renewed military offensive in Gaza and lift aid restrictions is “19 months late”, but is nevertheless “very significant”.
“Coming from [some of] the strongest allies of Israel, and after 19 months of utter silence from these capitals, it is very significant,” Husam Zomlot told Al Jazeera from London
He said that Palestinians want to build on this statement, and that he wanted these states to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, sanction state figures, work to hold Israeli war criminals to account, and recognise Palestine as an independent state.
“We need to save whatever is left of our lives and the lives of our people. We must make sure that we save whatever is left of international law, including the convention to prevent the crime of genocide, and we want to save our humanity,” Zomlot added.
“So, of course, we have so much to despair [about] but we also have a lot to do to make sure that international actors, including the UK, take their responsibilities seriously.”
Freed Israeli pleads with lawmakers to end war on Gaza
Arbel Yehoud, who was released after 482 days in captivity in a ceasefire earlier this year, told Israeli lawmakers at a parliamentary committee that they’ll have blood on their hands “if you do not stop the war”.
Yehoud’s partner, Ariel Cunio, is still held in Gaza along with 57 other captives, 23 of whom are believed to be alive.
She said she was terrified by the sound of bombs while she was being held. “As someone who was there, I know that only through negotiations is [returning the captives] possible,” Yehoud said.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri blamed Israel’s leaders for the lack of progress at truce talks in Qatar, and said that escalating its military offensive would be “a death sentence” for the remaining captives.
