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Israel’s Gaza City plan is killing prospect of peace in Middle East, says Jordan Israel expands Gaza City offensive as UK decries West Bank settlement approval
(about 3 hours later)
Criticism adds to international outrage over Israel’s plans for new Gaza offensive and West Bank settlements Construction would be ‘flagrant breach of international law’ and undermine two-state solution, foreign secretary says
Israel is “killing all prospects” for peace in the Middle East, Jordan’s foreign minister has said amid escalating international outrage over Israel’s plans for a new large-scale offensive in Gaza City and its intention to massively expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Israel has announced it is expanding its military operations in Gaza City, as the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, condemned its approval of a huge new illegal settlement in the West Bank as a “flagrant breach of international law.”
Ayman Safadi made his remarks during a visit to Moscow on the same day that the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, approved a plan to conquer Gaza City, an urban area that is home to hundreds of thousands of people in the north of the Palestinian territory. Briefing journalists, the Israel Defense Forces spokesperson, Effie Defrin said the IDF had begun the second phase of Operation Gideon’s Chariots in Gaza, which it launched in May.
Echoing the sentiment, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said that the proposed new Gaza offensive would lead to “true disaster” and drag the region into “permanent war”. He said the IDF would intensify efforts to harm Hamas in Gaza City, which he deemed a “stronghold of regime and military terror”, as part of the operation.
Katz’s announcement, which will lead to the mobilisation of an extra 60,000 Israeli troops, was also condemned by Germany, historically one of Israel’s closest allies in Europe, which said it “rejects the escalation” of Israel’s campaign in Gaza. Defrin’s briefing coincided with a statement from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office in which he called for the acceleration of a much threatened offensive to conquer Gaza City.
“Ahead of approval of the plans for the operation in Gaza City, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the timetables – for seizing control of the last terrorist strongholds and the defeat of Hamas – be shortened,” the statement said.
It was unclear if Defrin’s statement was referring to the wider operation, plans for which have drawn widespread international condemnation.
Israeli talk of a large-scale operation could primarily be intended to put pressure on Hamas in ongoing negotiations over a ceasefire and an end to the war.
Defrin said Israeli forces were already occupying the outskirts of Gaza City and were operating in the Zeitoun neighbourhood.
Israel had announced earlier on Wednesday that it was calling up an extra 60,000 reservist for the Gaza City offensive. It justified launching a new phase by citing an attack by about 18 Hamas fighters on an Israeli position the day before, which it had characterised as large-scale, despite its small size in reality.
Thousands of Palestinians facing widening conditions of starvation in Gaza had already begun to flee in recent days in anticipation of the assault.
Jordan’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that Israel’s assault on Gaza had caused “massacres and starvation” and that its wider actions were “killing all prospects” for peace in the Middle East, as international outrage grows over the threatened Gaza City offensive and Israel’s intention to vastly expand Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Ayman Safadi made his remarks during a visit to Moscow on the same day that the Israeli defence minister, Israel Katz, approved a plan to conquer Gaza City, an urban area that is home to hundreds of thousands of people in the north of the territory.
The French president, Emmanuel Macron, echoed the sentiment, saying the proposed offensive would lead to “true disaster” and drag the region into permanent war.
Germany said it found it “increasingly difficult to understand how these actions will lead to the freeing of all the hostages, or to a ceasefire”, the government spokesperson Steffen Meyer told reporters.Germany said it found it “increasingly difficult to understand how these actions will lead to the freeing of all the hostages, or to a ceasefire”, the government spokesperson Steffen Meyer told reporters.
Katz announced that he had approved the plan to conquer Gaza City despite the decision earlier this week by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza to accept a ceasefire proposal which in most of its most significant details aligns with a proposal already previously agreed by Israel. Israel has yet to formally respond. Katz announced that he had approved the plan to conquer Gaza City despite the decision earlier this week by Hamas and other Palestinian factions in Gaza to accept a ceasefire proposal which in most of its most significant details aligns with one Israel had previously agreed. It has yet to formally respond to the lastest proposal.
Separately on Wednesday, Israel announced that plans to build a large new illegal settlement block had been approved. The block would split the West Bank into two with the deliberate intention – according to far-right finance minster, Bezalel Smotrich – of killing off any prospect of the establishment of a Palestinian state. Israel also announced on Wednesday that plans to build a major new illegal settlement block in the West Bank had been approved. The block would split the West Bank into two with the deliberate intention – according to Israel’s far-right finance minster, Bezalel Smotrich – of killing off any prospect of a Palestinian state.
Amid credible evidence that Israel’s policies in Gaza have led to conditions of mass starvation, and accusations of genocide, Israel has doubled down on its defiance of outraged international opinion that it is threatening to turn Israel into a pariah state, even as a growing number of countries have said they plan to recognise Palestinian statehood. Lammy wrote on X that if implemented the plan “would divide a Palestinian state in two, mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution”.
The new call-up of 60,000 reservists and extension of the service for an additional 20,000 Israeli troops took place days after hundreds of thousands in the country rallied for a ceasefire. Amid credible evidence that its policies in Gaza have led to conditions of mass starvation and accusations of genocide, Israel has reiterated its defiance of outraged international opinion that it is threatening to turn Israel into a pariah state, even as a growing number of countries have said they plan to recognise Palestinian statehood.
A growing campaign of exhausted reservists has accused the government of perpetuating the war for political reasons and failing to bring home remaining hostages. The new call-up of 60,000 reservists and extension of the service for another 20,000 soldiers took place days after hundreds of thousands of Israelis rallied to call for a ceasefire.
The families of the hostages and former army and intelligence chiefs have also expressed opposition to the expanded operation in Gaza City. Most of the families of the hostages want an immediate ceasefire and worry an expanded assault could imperil efforts to bring home the 50 hostages still in Gaza. Israel believes that 20 are still alive. A growing campaign of exhausted reservists has accused the government of perpetuating the war for political reasons and failing to bring home the remaining hostages.
A military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations, said that troops would operate in parts of Gaza City where they have not yet been deployed and where Israel believes Hamas is still active. The families of the hostages and former army and intelligence chiefs have also expressed opposition to the expanded operation in Gaza City. Most of the families want an immediate ceasefire and worry an expanded assault could imperil efforts to bring home the 50 hostages still in Gaza. Israel believes that 20 are still alive.
Gaza City is both Hamas’s military and governing stronghold and one of the last places of refuge in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands are sheltering. Israeli troops will be targeting Hamas’s vast underground tunnel network there, the official added. A military official, speaking on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations, said troops would operate in parts of Gaza City where they have not yet been deployed and where Israel believes Hamas is still active.
It remains unclear when the operation will begin, but it could be a matter of days and such a mobilisation of reservists is the largest in months. Gaza City is Hamas’s military and governing stronghold and also one of the last places of refuge in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering. Israeli troops will be targeting Hamas’s vast underground tunnel network there, the official said.
It remains unclear when the operation will begin, but it could be a matter of days. The mobilisation of reservists is the largest in months.
Israel’s top planning committee approved plans for the so-called E1 settlement in an area of land east of Jerusalem that critics have said would undermine hopes for a contiguous Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.Israel’s top planning committee approved plans for the so-called E1 settlement in an area of land east of Jerusalem that critics have said would undermine hopes for a contiguous Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Last week, Smotrich backed plans to build 3,400 homes on a contentious parcel of land that lies between Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim. Smotrich backed plans last week to build 3,400 homes on a contentious parcel of land that lies between Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim.
António Guterres, the UN secretary general, warned that constructing Israeli homes there would “put an end to” hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said building Israeli homes there would put an end to hopes for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Guy Yifrach, the mayor of Maale Adumim, said on Wednesday: “I am pleased to announce that just a short while ago, the civil administration approved the planning for the construction of the E1 neighbourhood.”
All of Israel’s settlements in the West Bank, occupied since 1967, are considered illegal under international law, regardless of whether they have Israeli planning permission.
Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at the Israeli anti-settlement organisation Ir Amim, said: “Today’s approval demonstrates how determined Israel is in pursuing what Minister Smotrich has described as a strategic programme to bury the possibility of a Palestinian state and to effectively annexe the West Bank.
“This is a conscious Israeli choice to implement an apartheid regime,” he added, calling on the international community to take urgent and effective measures against the move.