Middle East: Israel launches Gaza City offensive

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Friday said the United Nations would seek clarification from the US State Department regarding Washington's revocation of visas for diplomats and politicians scheduled to represent Palestinian interests at September's General Assembly.

"We obviously hope that this will be resolved," said Dujarric. "It is important that all member states, permanent observers be able to be represented."

Dujarric called on Washington to reconsider.

"We'll discuss these matters with the State Department, in line with the UN Headquarters agreement between the UN and the US," said Dujarric.

The agreement stipulates that no US security agencies are allowed to operate on the grounds of the UN headquarters in New York and that UN members have the right to transit freely through the United States to the United Nations.

"We would like to see all diplomats and delegates who are entitled to come here to be able to travel freely," added Dujarric.

The US State Department claims the Palestinian mission to the UN is exempt from the US-UN agreement because it holds observer status and is not a full member.

Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour told reporters in New York that Palestinian representatives will respond to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's decision to revoke the visas of dozens of politicians and diplomats slated to travel to the UN in September.

"We will see exactly what it means and how it applies to any of our delegation, and we will respond accordingly," said Mansour.

The Palestinian Authority released a statement that the Palestinian presidency "expressed its deep regret and astonishment" at the visa decision, which "contravenes international law and the Headquarters Agreement, especially since the State of Palestine is an observer member of the United Nations."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday revoked the visas of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and at least 80 other individuals slated to represent the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which begins on September 9.

"It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace," the State Department said in a statement.

"Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism — including the October 7 massacre — and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO," the State Department statement added.

The PLO serves as the official representation of Palestinians at the international level. The PA operates in the occupied West Bank.

Both entities are separate from the Hamas militant group, which led the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel that sparked the current war in Gaza.

Several nations, including Australia, Canada and France, have said they plan to back Palestinian statehood at the General Assembly as the war in Gaza rages with no end in sight and the so-called two-state solution fades along with it. 

The State Department also announced Friday that it had suspended a program that allowed injured Palestinian children from Gaza to come to the US for medical treatment.

The US said members of the Palestinian Authority will be denied visas required to attend next month's UN General Assembly.

"The Trump administration has been clear: it is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace," a State Department statement said.

The Trump administration accused the Palestinians of "lawfare" by turning to the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice to take up grievances with Israel.

It was not immediately clear if the order applies to all Palestinian officials.

Israel welcomed the move as a "bold step."

"We thank (President Donald Trump) and the administration for this bold step and for standing by Israel once again," Gideon Saar posted on his official X account.

"Thank you (Secretary of State Marco Rubio) for holding the "PLO" (Palestine Liberation Organization) and PA (Palestinian Authority) accountable for rewarding terrorism, incitement and efforts to use legal warfare against Israel," he added.

DW Director General Peter Limbourg called on the Israeli government to ensure the safety of all journalists, after Israeli soldiers fired tear gas directly at a DW crew in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday.

Senior International Correspondent Fanny Facsar was in Ramallah with a DW cameraman and a local colleague, documenting the risks faced by media professionals in the occupied West Bank, when Israeli soldiers aimed their weapons at them, despite the crew wearing protective gear clearly marked "PRESS."

Soldiers fired tear gas, hitting the group. Nobody was injured in the incident.

"The repeated attacks on our journalists in the West Bank are absolutely unacceptable. There is no justification for threatening press representatives — neither by the military nor by radical settlers," Limbourg said.

"We call on the Israeli government to ensure the safety of all journalists. Press freedom and the protection of media professionals are fundamental pillars of any democracy," Limbourg stressed.

The broadcaster said in a statement that it would continue to report on developments in the region and advocate for the safety of its staff and for press freedom worldwide. broadcaster.

 

The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said European powers have an "opportunity" in the coming weeks to find a diplomatic solution to tensions over Iran's nuclear programme.

Kallas was speaking at the start of an EU defense ministers' meeting in Copenhagen, a day after France, the United Kingdom and Germany triggered a so-called "snapback" mechanism that will reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran in 30 days for failing to comply with its nuclear commitments.

"We are entering a new phase with this 30 days that is now giving us also the opportunity to really find diplomatic ways to find a solution," Kallas told reporters.

The threat to reimpose sanctions on Iran comes after it allegedly breached conditions agreed to under the 2015 nuclear deal.

Moscow and Beijing have both slammed the decision by Germany, France and the United Kingdom — dubbed the E3 — to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme.

A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said the move "is not constructive" and threatens to "undermine the process of a political and diplomatic settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue."

Russia's Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, warned that reimposing sanctions could have "irreparable consequences." 

In a statement, the ministry urged the E3 "to reconsider and review their erroneous decisions before they lead to irreparable consequences and further tragedy." 

The foreign ministers of six European nations have condemned Israel's expanded offensive in Gaza City and its plans to "establish a permanent presence" in the enclave's largest city.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, the foreign ministers from Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia and Spain reiterated that intensifying military operations in the war-torn enclave would "endanger the lives of hostages who cruelly remain at the hands of Hamas and will lead to the intolerable deaths of innocent Palestinian civilians."

The ministers also denounced "the forced displacement of Palestinians, which represents a flagrant violation of international law."

The statement said Israel's "systematic destruction of essential civilian infrastructure, including locations that serve as refuge for extremely vulnerable displaced civilians, is unacceptable."

They urged the Israeli government and military authorities to immediately cease its operations.

"This spiral of violence must end," the statement said.

The ministers also said they were "horrified" by the UN-backed monitor's confirmation of a famine in Gaza City and its surroundings, urging Israel to "uphold its humanitarian obligations."

"The international community will not remain silent in the face of human rights violations, and we will continue working intensively for peace (…) We all need peace and stability to return to the region," the statement concluded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office has said that the bodies of two hostages have been recovered from the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Netanyahu confirmed that the remains of Ilan Weiss and another unnamed hostage had been returned to Israel.

"The campaign to bring back the captives continues unabated. We will not rest or be silent until we bring all our captives home — both the living and the fallen," the prime minister said.

The statement explained that Weiss, a member of the Israeli army, had died defending Kibbutz Be'eri during the Hamas terror attacks on October 7, 2023 and that his body had been taken by the militants to the Palestinian enclave.

The remains of the unidentified hostage were still being identified, the statement said.

The Hamas attacks, in which around 1,200 people — mostly civilians — were killed and 251 people were taken hostage, triggered a massive retaliation by Israel.

About 50 hostages remain in Gaza, including around 20 that Israel believes are still alive.

Israel's military campaign following the Hamas attacks has killed over 63,000 people, according to officials in Gaza.

The United Kingdom has said that Israeli officials will not be allowed to attend a major defense trade show next month in London.

The move comes amid a deepening diplomatic rift between the two long-standing allies over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.

The UK this month said it plans to recognize Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly in Septemberunless Israel took specified steps toward ending the war in Gaza.

London has been trying to ramp up the pressure on Israel to ease the dire humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave and end its offensive, which began in October 2023 in response to terror attacks by Hamas.

"The Israeli government's decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong,"  a statement from the British Ministry of Defence said.

"There must be a diplomatic solution to end this war now, with an immediate ceasefire, the return of the hostages and a surge in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza," it added.

Israel has strongly condemned the move, calling it "a deliberate and regrettable act of discrimination."

It added that the UK's decision "introduces political considerations wholly inappropriate for a professional defence industry exhibition."

Private Israeli defense companies will still be allowed to attend the trade fair, which runs from September 9 to September 12.

The Iranian parliament is preparing a draft law that would remove the country from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), state media reported.

The NPT is a landmark international agreement that underpins nuclear arms control, promoting nuclear disarmament and peaceful use of nuclear energy. 

The planned move is a response to Germany, France and the United Kingdom's decision Thursday to reimpose sanctions on Tehran in 30 days for failing to comply with its commitments to a 2015 nuclear deal.

"The draft law is on the agenda and will undergo the legal review and approval process next week," lawmaker Hossein-Ali Haji-Deligani told the official Iranian Tasnim news agency Friday.

Iran has insisted that its nuclear programme only has civilian purposes but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) disputes those claims.

Western nations fear Iran intends to build a nuclear bomb.

The NPT came into force in 1970. Only five countries — India, Israel, Pakistan, South Sudan and North Korea — are not parties to the treaty.

Israel's army said Friday that it was suspending humanitarian pauses in fighting and has declared Gaza City a "dangerous combat zone."

Last month, Israel included the enclave's most populated city among the areas where fighting was paused during the daytime to allow for deliveries of food and aid.

"The local tactical pause in military activity will not apply to the area of Gaza City, which constitutes a dangerous combat zone," the military said in a statement.

The UN estimates that nearly a million people live in Gaza City and its surroundings.

Last week, a UN-backed monitor declared a famine in the area. Israel dismissed the report as a "lie."

Gaza City is home to some of the enclave's critical infrastructure and health centers.

Israel says the city is a stronghold of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which led the October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel.

Defense Minister Israel Katz last week said Israel would destroy Gaza City unless Hamas agrees to Israel's terms to end the war.

The Defense Ministry had called up 60,000 reservists after it had approved widely decried plans to conquer the city.

Tens of thousands of Gazans have started fleeing the area.

After weeks of preparations and nearly two years into its military offensive in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces on Friday launched an offensive on the enclave's largest city, in a widely controversial move.

Israel says the city is a stronghold for Palestinian militant group Hamas.

The escalation of the war and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where a famine was declared last week, is causing a growing rift between Israel and some of its allies, including the United Kingdom.

The UK said Friday that Israeli government representatives would not be invited to attend an arms fair in London next month.

Israel has condemned the move as an "act of discrimination".

Meanwhile, the fallout from Thursday's decision by Germany, France and the UK to pave the way for reimposing sanctions on Iran continues, with China and Russia calling for a diplomatic solution.

Stay tuned as we bring you the latest developments from Israel and the Middle East on Friday.