Ramallah residents react to recognition of Palestine by some Western countries

Al Jazeera has spoken to Palestinians in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, to hear their reactions to the UK, Canada, Portugal and Australia recognising the state of Palestine.

They said the move was long overdue and hoped the countries would do more to help an independent, sovereign Palestine become a reality.

“I hope that they will push for this recognition to become reality on the ground,” said one man. “They can’t just recognise a state and turn their backs on us. They have responsibilities now to support Palestinian rights of independence and work towards ending the occupation.”

Another man said the world was “inching closer towards having a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital”.

“The whole world should follow the UK, Canada and France,” he said.

Most of the world already has, it's the US holding up the oppression / apartheid and Palestinian state.

Recognition of Palestine flicker of hope for Gaza residents trying to survive genocide

Gaza residents say the recognition of a Palestinian state by a number of Western countries is a flicker of hope amid the ongoing genocide.

“As a Palestinian living in Gaza, I hope this step will bring meaningful change and help end the genocide,” Wafa Alwan told Al Jazeera. “We have waited a long time for this recognition. Palestine deserves to be acknowledged, and our people deserve the right to lead a normal life,” she said.

Abed Allah Tayah said, though the recognition was “late”, it was better than never.

“After the immense losses we have endured … we hope this will not merely be a political gesture,” he said. “We expect to see practical measures that ensure the realisation of the Palestinian state on its land and prevent the forcible displacement of its citizens.”

Sanctions on Israel must follow recognition of Palestine: Palestinian envoy to UN

Palestine’s United Nations ambassador, Riyad Mansour, says countries that have recognised the state of Palestine need to follow up with tough sanctions to rein in Israel’s actions in Gaza.

“We will see more viciousness in the next few weeks, maybe a month or two, before the world can say to them, ‘Enough is enough … you are not going to continue on this path of insanity, we are going to impose on you all the sanctions possible, all the pressure possible, to stop you in your tracks,’” he said.

The message from the international community needed to be that “the Palestinian people are here to stay, their rights to be respected, and the two-state solution to become a reality,” he said.

Hmm not really.

With the strings attached it seems more the 'collective West' is trying to impose Camp David type restrictions on a Palestinian state by inserting themselves in the 2-state solution. Hedging their bets between trying to convince their population they're not actively supporting the genocide and still doing Israel's bidding to prevent a fully sovereign Palestinian state in case the genocide can't be completed.

But, after recognizing the state of Palestine, they do have an even larger onus to stop the genocide. Recognizing the 'group' means responsibility for said 'group' under the UN and genocide conventions. 

‘Palestine exists, it has always existed and it always will’: Palestine’s ambassador to UK

Palestine’s Ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot has spoken before a crowd in front of the Palestine Mission in central London to mark its transition to becoming Palestine’s embassy in the country.

“We are gathered today in front of the Palestinian Mission to the UK here in London to mark a historic moment,” said Zomlot. “In the same capital of the Balfour Declaration, after more than a century of ongoing denial, dispossession and erasure, the UK government has finally taken the long overdue step of recognising the state of Palestine.”

Holding up a plaque, he said, to cheers from the crowd: “Very soon, pending some legal work, some bureaucratic work … this plaque, which reads ‘The Embassy of the State of Palestine’ … will be placed right behind me on this building.”

He said the moment was “not only about Palestine, it is also about Britain and the British government’s solemn responsibility”.

“It is about ending the denial of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to freedom and self-determination and it is an acknowledgement of a historic injustice,” he said. “Ladies and gentlemen, Palestine exists, it has always existed and it always will.”

He called on people to remember “that this recognition comes at a time of unimaginable pain and suffering as a genocide is being waged against us – a genocide that is still being denied and allowed to continue with impunity”.

He continued: “It comes as our people in Gaza are being starved, bombed, and buried under the rubble of their homes; as our people in the West Bank are being ethnically cleansed, brutalised by daily state-sponsored terrorism, land theft and suffocating oppression.”

Zomlot said the recognition was occurring “as the humanity of Palestinian people is still questioned, our lives still treated as disposable and our basic freedoms still denied”.

“Yet, this moment stands as a defiant act of truth, a refusal to let genocide be the final word; a refusal to accept that occupation is permanent; a refusal to be erased and a refusal to be dehumanised,” he concluded.


Palestinian flag raised outside embassy in London

The Palestinian flag has been raised outside the premises of what is now Palestine’s embassy to the UK in central London, marking Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state.

The flag-raising followed a speech by Palestine’s ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, outside what was previously the Palestine Mission to the UK.

“Please join me as we raise the flag of Palestine with its colours representing our nation: Black for our mourning, white for our hope, green for our land and red for the sacrifices of our people,” said Zomlot.

“We raise it in honour of the long journey of the Palestinian people towards freedom and justice and in honour of the millions of freedom-loving people in Britain and around the world.”

He continued: “We raise it as a pledge that Palestine will live, Palestine will rise and Palestine will be free.”

_{The Palestinian flag is raised outside Palestine’s embassy in central London}

Top British diplomat says Israel must not expand annexation of occupied West Bank in retaliation

UK Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper says she has made clear to Israel that it must not retaliate to the recognition of Palestinian statehood by expanding its annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Cooper told the BBC before attending a conference at the UN in New York that the UK had “been clear to the Israeli government that they must not do that”. She said the decision to recognise a Palestinian state was “about the best way to respect the security for Israel as well as the security for Palestinians”.

Israeli government ministers, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have threatened to impose sovereignty over the occupied West Bank in response to the moves by the UK, Canada and Australia to recognise a Palestinian state.

UK aims to whitewash ‘complicity’ in genocide with recognition of Palestine: CAGE International

UK advocacy group CAGE International says the country’s recognition of a Palestinian state has come decades too late and is an attempt to whitewash its complicity in the genocide in Gaza.

“The UK government’s recognition of Palestine comes 77 years too late, without any accountability for Britain’s own role in establishing the Israeli settler colonial entity,” said Head of Public Advocacy Anas Mustapha.

“After decades of supporting occupation and human rights abuses, and two years into a livestreamed genocide, the public will not be fooled by Western leaders now trying to disguise their own complicity, as if they have suddenly gained a conscience.”

He said Israel’s actions had “shattered any prospect of a workable two-state solution”. “The only lasting solution for peace is the dismantling of the Israeli apartheid regime and ensuring liberation, justice and dignity for the Palestinian people,” he said.

Top German diplomat insists two-state solution must precede recognition of Palestine

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has reaffirmed the country’s position that it would not recognise the state of Palestine until the Israelis and Palestinians negotiate a two-state solution.

“A negotiated two-state solution is the path that can allow Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, security and dignity,” Wadephul said as he left for the UNGA in New York.

“For Germany, recognition of a Palestinian state comes more at the end of the process. But this process must begin now,” he said.

In light of its historical responsibility for the Holocaust, Germany has made support for the state of Israel a cornerstone of its foreign policy.

While Berlin has grown increasingly critical of the Israeli campaign in Gaza and its effect on Palestinian civilians in the past months, it has been opposing any significant action against Israel.

You did not wait to recognize the state of Israel until they negotiated a path to allow Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace, security and dignity...

Germany warns Israel against further annexation of occupied West Bank

As reported earlier, a number of world officials are warning Israel against expanding its annexation of the occupied West Bank in response to countries recognising Palestinian statehood.

Joining the chorus is now Germany’s government spokesperson, saying there must be no further annexation of Palestinian territory by Israel.

The comments come as Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he would raise the issue of annexing the Palestinian territory at the next cabinet meeting after Canada, the UK and Australia recognised the state of Palestine.

And earlier this month, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich pitched the annexation of 82 percent of the West Bank.

Gaza solidarity strike in Italy disrupts rail and public transport

A strike in solidarity with the people of Gaza has caused disruptions across Italy, with long delays on intercity trains and limited public transport in major cities, including Rome and Milan.

Some rail connections were delayed by more than an hour today, and public transport in several urban centres operated only partially, local media reported.

Schools and universities, including in Turin, reported blockades, while pro-Palestinian demonstrations were also held in a number of cities.

The strike was called by the USB union to protest what it described as the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and to demand sanctions against Israel. The walkout by transport workers is expected to last until Monday evening.





Lebanese authorities condemn Israeli attack in southern Lebanon

As we reported yesterday, an Israeli air strike in southern Lebanon killed five people, including three children. The Israeli army claimed it struck a “Hezbollah terrorist” operating within the civilian population.

Lebanese officials harshly condemned the attack. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said it was a crime against civilians and a message of intimidation to those returning to the south.

President Joseph Aoun, who is in New York to attend the UN General Assembly, denounced the attack and called it a massacre. He also called on countries “to pressure Israel to withdraw from Lebanese territory and abide by the ceasefire agreement”.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to pause hostilities in November last year, after more than a year of cross-border fighting, including two months of an all-out war.

According to the deal, both parties should have pulled out from southern Lebanon, but Israel has left troops in at least five locations and has continued to bomb the country, saying it aims to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities. And Hezbollah has so far refused to disarm until Israel ceases striking the country.

Desperate scenes along coastal road leading south from Gaza City

This is Gaza’s coastal road, which is seen at the moment as a lifeline for families fleeing Gaza City under threat of bombardment. We can see thousands of cars, trucks, and donkey carts loaded with furniture and personal belongings, as people move south to try to find a place of refuge.

Some cars have broken down or run out of fuel. You sometimes see cars towing another vehicle, or being pushed by hand. This is a desperate journey and scenes like this have been happening for more than a week. We have seen families sleeping by the side of the road.

For them, moving south does not mean they’ll be completely safe. But they’re trying to get away from areas of bombardment towards areas that have been designated so-called humanitarian spaces, despite the absence of any humanitarian infrastructure.


_{Displaced Palestinians flee southward in the central Gaza Strip after Israeli forces ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate}

Israeli army orders forced evacuation of Gaza City school sheltering displaced Palestinians

The Israeli army has issued a new forced evacuation order for a school in Gaza City, which shelters hundreds of displaced Palestinians who fled their homes in the eastern parts of the city. Many are wondering what might come next.

“The situation is getting much more dire as these people don’t have anywhere to run, and the high cost of relocating and heading to the south is very high and unaffordable for hundreds of displaced Palestinians,” said Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili. “The situation is getting much more dire and chaotic in the light of these first evacuation orders”.

“They told us we had six to seven hours to evacuate the school quickly,” Najwa Musabeh, a displaced woman, told Al Jazeera.

“We’ve been living like this for two years. We have no money to keep moving. We left our belongings behind, and even my children. I don’t know where they are or where they went. We don’t know where we’re going, but we’re not leaving Gaza. We have nowhere else to go”.

‘The horror of it all’: Doctor describes ‘catastrophic’ conditions at Gaza City hospital

An Australian anaesthesiologist working at Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital has described the horrors of working amid Israel’s offensive on the territory’s largest urban centre.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from the hospital, where she had been based for less than a week, Dr Saya Aziz said the situation was “catastrophic”. “I don’t think anyone has anything quite like it,” she said.

“You’ll hear a big huge bomb, then you’ll know within 5-10 minutes, you’re going to get a mass casualty. You’ll hear the wailing, the screams, the chaos … family members bringing in the patients.”

She described the scenes that confronted medical staff following an attack as “a bloodbath … You’ll walk into the resus area and … don’t know where to look,” she said. “Bits of flesh everywhere, dangling bits of toes, muscle, tendons … The horror of it all.”

“The [staff] who have turned up are essentially risking their lives to come,” she said. She said one anaesthetic assistant had walked four hours from southern Gaza to show up for work. “He worked a 24-hour shift, kept going all night, with a foot that he’d hurt because he was digging his tent for his family and children that he’d left in the south,” she said.

“He couldn’t bring it upon himself to not come back to work because he said if it wasn’t him, who is going to turn up for these patients? Every soul to them matters.”

Gaza death toll rises

At least 61 Palestinians have been killed and 220 injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza in the past 24 hours, according to the enclave’s Health Ministry. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed 65,344 people and injured 166,795 since October 7, 2023, the ministry added.


Thick smoke blankets Gaza City’s Tal al-Hawa

As reported throughout the morning, Israeli air raids continue to hit targets across Gaza. Here is a video, verified by Al Jazeera, showing the rise of a thick cloud of smoke covering the sky above the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood in Gaza City.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO5Ry6LjLw4

Israeli closure of Zikim crossing part of ‘systematic starvation’ policy

Ismail al-Thawabta, director general of the Government Media Office in Gaza, has slammed Israel for “perpetuating its policy of starvation” by closing the Zikim crossing and preventing the entry of aid and trucks for 10 consecutive days into the north of the enclave.

The Zikim crossing was closed on September 12, and no aid groups have been able to import supplies since, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Al-Thawabta called it part of a “systematic starvation engineering policy”, adding that Israel has also reduced aid passing through the Karem Abu Salem crossing, known to Israelis as Kerem Shalom, and al-Karara, known to Israelis as Kissufim, which Israel also closed for several days.

He cited UNRWA statistics that reiterate how “Gaza needs more than 600 aid trucks daily to meet the minimum needs of more than 2.4 million people”.

Al-Thawabta said Israel and its allies are “fully responsible for this worsening humanitarian catastrophe” and urged the UN and international community to take “serious and immediate action” to open the crossings and secure aid deliveries.

Child dies of malnutrition in southern Gaza: Nasser Hospital

A child has died due to malnutrition and lack of treatment, according to Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis city.

According to the records of the enclave’s Health Ministry, famine and malnutrition prompted by Israeli blockade have starved more than 440 people, including 147 children.

Nasser Medical Complex says children ‘piled up in corridors’ amid shortages

The Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis has warned of a “real disaster” as overcrowding and shortages are having a major impact on children.

“A painful scene in Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, where dozens of children are piled up in corridors and between rooms due to insufficient beds, and their families are forced to sit on the floor amid acute shortage of medicines and care,” the hospital said in a statement posted on Facebook.

It added that the displacement from the north of Gaza has overwhelmed its capacity while “the nursery department is in for a real disaster, when three children are placed in one incubator”.

Qassam Brigades publishes video of Israeli captive

Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, has released a video of Israeli captive Alon Ohel, saying he has been held in Gaza for more than 700 days “due to Netanyahu’s stubbornness”.

In the video posted on Telegram, Ohel appeared to be in good physical condition as he commented on a televised speech by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

The 24-year-old can be heard saying, “I demand that the US government stop supporting Netanyahu’s decisions” and “US envoy Steve Witkoff must not let Netanyahu kill us”.

Ohel also said prisoners like himself “have become a burden on the [Israeli] government, which is trying to get rid of us”.

Three Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza City

We are receiving reports that three more Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza City.

Two people were killed in the Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood and one in a drone strike in the al-Sahaba area, our colleagues reported.

Israeli shelling targets Gaza City refugee camp