Thousands of Israelis back Palestinian state, end to Gaza war

More than 7,500 Israelis have signed a petition urging recognition of a Palestinian state and an end to Israel’s devastating war on Gaza.

The petition was launched by Zazim, a Jewish-Arab grassroots movement, that said the initiative seeks to send “a clear, united Israeli message to the international community” before the UN General Assembly meets in New York City next week.

Organisers said they expect the number of signatories to exceed 10,000 before the session convenes on Monday.

“The recognition of a Palestinian state is not meant as punishment for Israel but as a step toward a better future based on mutual recognition and security for both peoples,” the petition said.

Zazim warned that without such recognition, Israel risks following the path advocated by far-right ministers – such as Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir – for “annexation, apartheid, and the continuation of war”.

Pro-Palestinian signs on display at London anti-Trump protest


_{Thousands of demonstrators stage a rally in London to protest US President Donald Trump’s visit}

Strong solidarity with Gaza at anti-Trump protest in London

Pro-Palestinian messaging is on strong display at a march in central London protesting US President Donald Trump’s UK visit. Thousands of anti-Trump protesters marched through the British capital, many waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs calling for an end to the war in Gaza.

“Stop US and Israeli terrorism,” read a large banner at the front of the march.

Speaking from the protest, Al Jazeera’s Rory Challands said the protest was from a broad coalition of largely left-wing causes, comprised of groups saying Trump was enabling a genocide in Gaza, while rolling back human rights and climate protections and emboldening the far right.

“The message they’ve given overwhelmingly here is that Trump is not welcome,” he said.

London does not welcome Trump. pic.twitter.com/bZim0lzSJ3

— Palestine Solidarity Campaign (@PSCupdates) September 17, 2025

Trump seeking to ‘whitewash’ genocide with UK visit: UK Greens leader

US President Donald Trump has come to the United Kingdom seeking “to whitewash his own complicity in the genocide unfolding in Gaza,” the leader of the UK’s Green Party has said.

Speaking ahead of his appearance at an anti-Trump protest in London, Zack Polanski said the “vast majority” of the country was “against Trump and everything he stands for”, PA Media reported.

“Our country has a proud tradition of standing up for the underdog,” he said. “Today, that means standing alongside every child in Gaza; with all those in detention camps on the borders of the United States and with each and every one of those growing up in poverty here in Britain.”

‘What’s happening in Gaza is a genocide’: Sadiq Khan

London’s mayor has said that he believes that “what’s happening in Gaza is a genocide”.

The leader of the British capital shared his views on the subject in a video post on X.

“When I see the images of the children starving … when I see the health system in Gaza collapsed; when I see the lack of supplies reaching people in need; when I see the famine that is man-made; when I read the … interim judgement of the ICJ, and then see a UN commission report this week, I think it’s inescapable to draw the conclusion in Gaza we’re seeing, before our very eyes, a genocide,” he said.

What’s happening in Gaza is a genocide. pic.twitter.com/N4rQw83hEl

— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) September 17, 2025

Main events on September 17th

• The Israeli military killed at least 83 Palestinians across Gaza, including 61 people in Gaza City, where it is pressing ahead with a brutal offensive that has drawn widespread international condemnation.
• In one attack near al-Shifa Hospital, at least 13 people were killed, according to medical sources. Hamas described the attack as a “full-fledged war crime”.
• The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said the Israeli military has intensified its use of booby-trapped armoured vehicles loaded with explosives to demolish residential neighbourhoods in Gaza City.
• The European Commission presented a much-anticipated proposal to suspend trade-related provisions of the Association Agreement between the European Union and Israel in response to Israel’s war on Gaza.
• The Israeli military killed at least two people in a strike on a car in Baalbek, Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.
• Campaigners issued a call for European football federations to boycott the Israeli national team and ban Israeli players from domestic competitions in response to its actions in Gaza.
• United States Senator Bernie Sanders described Israel’s assault on Gaza as a genocide, becoming the first US senator to do so.

UN Finally Admits DARK Truth About Israel

Chris Hedges: Death of the Holocaust Industry

The genocide in Gaza has exposed the weaponization of the Holocaust as a vehicle not to prevent genocide, but to perpetuate it, not to examine the past, but to manipulate the present.

‘No one takes it seriously’; Australian UN expert calls Israeli allegation boring

Chris Sidoti was on fire on Monday when the UN Human Rights Council presented its much-awaited report on the Israeli atrocities in Gaza. This was after the UN confirmed that Israeli action in Gaza amounted to genocide. When a reporter told Sidoti and his colleague, Navi Pillay, that an Israeli minister had called the members of the UN investigating team antisemitic, Sidoti told reporter to not take Israeli allegations seriously as this had become reputable and boring.

EU council President Antonio Costa welcomes moves against Israel

Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, has welcomed measures proposed by the European Commission to member states that include sanctions on Israeli ministers and a removal of Israel’s preferential trade partner status.

In a post on X, Costa said: “These measures are not aimed at the Israeli people. Their purpose is to demonstrate that Europe cannot accept the actions of the Israeli government in Gaza and the West Bank, which have gone far beyond Israel’s legitimate right to self-defence.”

It is now up to EU member states to decide in a vote, with 17 of 25 countries needing to back the measures for implementation.

Israeli export leader responds to EU proposed sanctions

Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin, chair of the Israel Export Institute, says proposed EU sanctions are “very difficult” but the country will recover if the measures are implemented.

“When there are interests, there are also corners cut,” Nahmias-Verbin told local media.

The European Commission has presented a measure to suspend its trade concessions on Israeli exports worth nearly $6.87bn because of Israel’s war on Gaza. However, the proposal reportedly does not have enough support among the EU’s 27 nations to pass.

Very difficult? lol. Trump's tarifs are far more difficult for most of the world...

EU’s tariff plan on Israeli goods does ‘too little, too late’

We’ve spoken to Mohamad Elmasry, a professor of media studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, about the European proposals against Israel that were announced on Wednesday.

Describing the proposed measures as “too late” and “far too little”, Elmasry said the genocide convention places a duty on states “to act swiftly and punish genocide when it is taking place”.

“First of all, the idea that they’re not out to punish Israel, why do they have to go out of their way to say that?” he asked, referring to a statement by the European Commission.

“All they are proposing to do is to put a tariff on about 37 percent of Israeli exports; 63 percent would remain untouched,” Elmasry told Al Jazeera. “I could think of about a dozen things that they could do that would be much more effective at ending the genocide very, very quickly.”

Spain announces probe into alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza

The Spanish government will support the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Attorney General Alvaro Garcia Ortiz said a probe will determine if “serious violations” of international law have taken place in Gaza during Israel’s nearly two-year war on the Strip, his office said in a statement.

The investigation aims to respond to a UN inquiry that accused Israel of genocide in Gaza earlier this week. It asked UN member states to cooperate with the ICC in gathering and preserving evidence.

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity. It also issued arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders who were later killed by Israel.

UK ‘carefully considering’ UN genocide report on Gaza: Minister

The UK is “carefully considering” the report published by a UN inquiry this week accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, Jenny Chapman, Britain’s international development minister, has told the House of Lords.

Chapman, in response to a question posed by Baroness Margaret Ritchie, said the report would “be taken into account in the regular assessments made by the government of the compliance with international law by Israel in Gaza”.

Chapman added that the government believed it was for relevant national and international courts to determine genocide. “We will respect the decision of any competent court,” she said.

UAE considers downgrading ties with Israel over West Bank annexation

The United Arab Emirates is reportedly considering downgrading ties with Israel and possibly withdrawing its ambassador if Israel annexes the occupied West Bank.

The UAE is one of a small group of Arab League countries, including Morocco and Bahrain, that have ties with Israel.

Israel has been threatening to annex the occupied West Bank over the last few months in response to calls by European governments to recognise a Palestinian state.

Reuters news agency, citing three unnamed sources, reported Abu Dhabi won’t fully cut ties but may recall its ambassador.

GCC defence ministers vow to counter ‘egregious’ Israeli attack on Qatar

Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, says Israel’s attack on Doha was an “egregious violation of Qatar’s sovereignty”.

At the Doha meeting, the defence chiefs from the six-member Gulf bloc agreed “to promote and strengthen GCC collaboration to counter any threats”.

The Israeli strikes “constitute an attack against Qatar and all GCC countries. According to the joint defence agreement, we’ll increase intelligence sharing, training, and joint military exercises”, AlBudaiwi said at a news conference.

Gulf nations to coordinate ‘at all military and intelligence levels’

GCC defence ministers have issued a joint statement denouncing “the Israeli aggression and the blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the State of Qatar, threatening its security and stability”.

“The Joint Defense Council condemned in the strongest terms this dangerous military attack, stressing that this aggressive act represents a dangerous and unacceptable escalation and a grave violation of the principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” it said.

The statement added the GCC militaries will coordinate “at all military and intelligence levels to further enhance Gulf defence integration and work to intensify and link defence systems to confront all risks and challenges”.

Arrests, clashes during latest West Bank raids

Israeli forces have carried out a series of raids and arrests in the occupied West Bank. According to the Wafa news agency, troops –

‘Insulted and humiliated’: Plight of Palestinian prisoners inside Israel’s jails

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society has released a report detailing the “brutal” conditions faced by Palestinians held in Israeli prisons after multiple visits this month.

The group said violence against prisoners has intensified with Israeli guards using batons, rubber-coated bullets and stun guns. Prisoners are underfed and deprived of basic hygiene supplies, it said.

Some have worn the same clothes for half a year while others – particularly in the Negev and Ofer prisons – suffer from scabies, which is spreading, the group reported.

“Every time I ask to go to the clinic, I am insulted and humiliated,” the group quoted one prisoner as saying. “I also suffer from severe joint pain, and despite my numerous requests for treatment, they mock me and refuse to provide me with any medication.”

Another prisoner added: “Those who claim to be doctors or nurses carry out humiliating acts against patients. When we ask for treatment, they respond sarcastically: ‘It’s good that he’s breathing.’ Or they say: ‘Drink water with soap.'”

Israel is torturing Palestinian detainees with total ‘impunity’

Ajith Sunghay, the head of the UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territory, says conditions for Palestinians held in Israeli jails are “terrible, to say the least”.

There are more than 10,000 Palestinians being held in different Israeli prisons and detention centres, Sunghay told Al Jazeera, enduring “ill-treatment and torture”.

“The conditions are horrendous”, he said, citing testimonies.

He said that international bodies, including the ICR,C do not have access to inspect conditions inside the prisons, and that Israeli politicians refuse to adhere to court rulings saying Palestinians should be treated humanely.

“Unfortunately, I do not expect the conditions to change anytime soon,” Sunghay said. “There is not enough pressure on Israel to change this situation and make sure they abide by international human rights and humanitarian laws.”

He said most detainees are held without charge or trial under the widely criticised practice of administrative detention.

There has been a history of torture in Israeli prisons, Sunghay added, and this is being carried out with “impunity”.

Shooter wounds 2 at Jordan-West Bank crossing

A shooting attack wounded two men at a border crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan. The Israeli ambulance service said two people were seriously injured, while Israeli media reported two alleged assailants were killed.

“Two men, approximately 20 and 60 years old, were critically injured and are unconscious following the attack at the Allenby crossing,” the Magen David Adom emergency service said in a statement.

The King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge is a crucial crossing for trade between Jordan and Israel. In September 2024, a gunman from Jordan killed three Israeli civilians at the Allenby crossing before being shot dead by soldiers.

Two killed from shooting attack at Jordan-West Bank crossing

The two people hurt in the shooting attack at the Israel-controlled King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge between Jordan and the occupied West Bank have been pronounced dead, Israel’s emergency service said.

The Israeli military says details of the shooting are under investigation, adding that the attacker arrived in a truck transporting humanitarian aid from Jordan and opened fire.

Israeli military: Allenby crossing attack perpetrator ‘neutralised’

Israel’s military has released a statement on the shooting attack near the Allenby crossing.

The army said the perpetrator “arrived in a truck transporting humanitarian aid from Jordan, and opened fire”. Israeli soldiers returned fire and “neutralised” the alleged attacker, who was reportedly armed with a gun and a knife.

Currently, Israeli military units are carrying out a search and “encircling” the city of Jericho in the occupied West Bank.

The two victims received initial treatment at the scene of the attack. “We continued the medical care, including resuscitation efforts, at the end of which we sadly had to pronounce them deceased,” the emergency service quoted one of its medics as saying.

Jordan halts travel through Allenby Bridge after deadly attack

Jordan’s Public Security Directorate says it has suspended passenger movement through the King Hussein Bridge, also known as the Allenby crossing, following the deadly attack we’ve been reporting on.

Authorities said the halt comes after the bridge was closed from the Israeli side, and urged travellers to monitor official media channels for updates until the crossing reopens.

Jordan decries Allenby crossing shooting, launches investigation

Jordan’s Foreign Ministry says it has launched an investigation into the shooting attack on the Israeli side of the King Hussein (Allenby) Bridge earlier today, calling the incident a violation of law that threatens Jordan’s humanitarian aid efforts to Gaza.

In a statement, the ministry reaffirmed Jordan’s condemnation of all acts of violence and stressed its commitment to ensuring the safe return of the drivers who crossed the bridge today to deliver aid.

Authorities confirmed that 22 Jordanian aid trucks crossed into Gaza earlier today, part of more than 8,600 trucks sent since the start of Israel’s war on the enclave.

The ministry named the driver accused of carrying out the attack as 56-year-old Abd al-Mutlaib al-Qaisi, a civilian who had been working as an aid driver for the past three months.

Jordan renewed its call for an immediate end to Israel’s assault on Gaza and for a permanent ceasefire.