UK PM Liz Truss weighs Jerusalem embassy move

New Prime Minister Liz Truss’s announcement is likely to anger many across the Middle East and in Europe, but also within Britain. (AFP)
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Updated 22 September 2022
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UK PM Liz Truss weighs Jerusalem embassy move

  • Liz Truss discussed issue with Israeli counterpart on sidelines of UN General Assembly
  • Foreign policy sources warn decision could inflame regional tensions

LONDON: The UK’s new Prime Minister Liz Truss has told Israeli officials that her government is weighing a decision to move the British Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Truss reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid about the proposed embassy decision on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. Lapid said: “We will continue to strengthen the partnership between the countries.”

The Jerusalem issue has proven a longstanding source of friction between Israel and Palestine, both of which regard the city as their capital. Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 and illegally annexed it in 1980.

Most countries have chosen to base their embassies in Israel in Tel Aviv until a two-state solution is reached.

But in 2017, then-US President Donald Trump broke convention in announcing that Washington would move its embassy to Jerusalem, sparking anger among Palestinians. The UK was one of 128 countries that voted to condemn the US move in a UN resolution.

Truss told the Conservative Friends of Israel group last month: “I understand the importance and sensitivity of the location of the British Embassy in Israel. I’ve had many conversations with my good friend (Lapid) on this topic.”

The proposed move is likely to anger many across the Middle East and in Europe, but also within Britain, with foreign policy sources warning that the strategy could inflame tensions.


Risk of genocide in Sudan ‘very high’: UN

Updated 10 sec ago
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Risk of genocide in Sudan ‘very high’: UN

  • The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced 13 million, including 4 million who fled abroad, triggering what the UN has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis

GENEVA: The risk of genocide in Sudan’s devastating civil war remains “very high,” amid ongoing ethnically motivated attacks by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a top UN official warned Monday.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn apart by a power struggle between army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and RSF commander Gen. Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo.

The fighting has killed tens of thousands and displaced 13 million, including 4 million who fled abroad, triggering what the UN has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

“Both parties have committed serious human rights violations,” said Virginia Gamba, a UN under-secretary-general  and acting special adviser to UN chief Antonio Guterres on the prevention of genocide.

“Of specific concern to my mandate is the continued and targeted attacks against certain ethnic groups, particularly in the Darfur and Kordofan regions,” she told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

She highlighted in particular that the RSF and allied armed militias “continue to conduct ethnically motivated attacks against the Zaghawa, Masalit and Fur groups.”

“The risk of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Sudan remains very high,” Gamba warned.


EU finds ‘indications’ Israel is breaching key agreement with its actions in Gaza

Updated 4 min 37 sec ago
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EU finds ‘indications’ Israel is breaching key agreement with its actions in Gaza

BRUSSELS: The EU says there are indications that Israel’s actions in Gaza are violating human rights obligations in the agreement governing its ties with the EU, according to its findings seen by The Associated Press.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas presented the review to foreign ministers of the 27-member bloc in Brussels on Monday, leading at least one country to propose suspending the agreement openly.

“There are indications that Israel would be in breach of its human rights obligations under Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement,” according to the review by the EU’s diplomatic corps, the European External Action Service.

Suspending ties would require a unanimous decision, which is likely impossible to obtain from countries like Austria, Germany and Hungary that tend to back Israel.

Other actions — such as ending visa-free travel to Europe for Israelis, sanctioning Israeli settlers in the West Bank or halting academic partnerships — could be pushed if a “qualified majority” — 15 of the 27 nations representing at least 65 percent of the population of the EU — agree.

Countries like the Netherlands, Ireland, and Spain have been vocal in their support for the Palestinians in Gaza as Israel battles Hamas.

“When all the focus is on Iran and the escalation regarding Iran, we should not forget about Gaza,” said Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp, who led the charge for the review.

Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel. 

About 56,000 Palestinians have since been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, and relatively little aid has entered since Israel ended the latest ceasefire in March.

Outrage over Israel’s actions in Gaza has grown in Europe as images of suffering Palestinians have driven protests in London, Berlin, Brussels, Madrid, and Amsterdam.

Spain has canceled arms deals with Israel and called for an arms embargo.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares Bueno on Monday called for suspending the EU-Israel agreement.

“The time for words and declarations is behind. We had enough time,” he told the meeting. “And at the same time, Palestinians in Gaza have no more time to lose. Every day, babies, women, and men are being killed. This is the time for action.”

Manuel Albares also called for an embargo on EU countries selling weapons to Israel and for the widening of individual sanctions on anyone undermining the proposed two-state solution.

“Europe must show courage,” he told journalists.


Iranian combat drone crashes into restaurant in Jordan’s capital, Amman

Updated 23 June 2025
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Iranian combat drone crashes into restaurant in Jordan’s capital, Amman

  • Jordanian army says the Shahed 101 device had an explosive warhead but it did not detonate on impact
  • Residential buildings in Abu Nseir and Azraq were recently hit, and 27 intact drones with explosive payloads crashed in uninhabited parts of the country

LONDON: An Iranian Shahed 101 combat drone crashed into a building in the Umm Uthaina area of Jordan’s capital, Amman, on Monday.

Brig. Gen. Mustafa Hyari, a spokesperson for the Jordanian army, said the drone had an explosive warhead but did not detonate on impact when it hit the patio of a restaurant in Umm Uthaina. There were no injuries and military engineers dismantled the device.

Recently, two drones struck residential buildings in Abu Nseir and Azraq, he said, and 27 intact drones with explosive payloads crashed in uninhabited parts of the country. In addition, hundreds of drone and missile parts fell onto Jordanian territory, Hyari added, but did not cause significant damage or serious injuries. He urged Jordanians to seek shelter when sirens sound, the Jordan News Agency reported.

Tensions have been rising in the region since a conflict between Israel and Iran began on June 13, sparking fears of a full-scale war across the Middle East. The two countries have continued to exchange attacks since then, and the situation escalated on Sunday when the US carried out airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites.


Six Iranian missiles headed for Al-Udeid US base in Qatar intercepted

Updated 27 min 46 sec ago
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Six Iranian missiles headed for Al-Udeid US base in Qatar intercepted

  • Sirens sound in Manama, Bahrain interior ministry urges people to remain calm and head to nearest safe space
  • Qatar condemns attack, calling it “flagrant violation” of sovereignty
  • UAE “closely monitoring ongoing regional developments” and “continuously assessing the situation”

DOHA: Iran confirmed it launched missile attacks Monday on US military bases in Qatar and Iraq, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites and escalating tensions in the volatile region, state media said.

Iran launched six missiles toward Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, as the sound of several explosions were heard over Doha.

The announcement was made on state television as martial music played. A caption on the screen called it “a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression.”

Qatar said it “successfully intercepted” missiles targeting the US base, and added it reserved the right to respond directly and in accordance with international law following the strikes.

It said it condemned the attack, calling it a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.

“We express the State of Qatar’s strong condemnation of the attack on Al-Udeid Air Base by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, and consider it a flagrant violation of the State of Qatar’s sovereignty and airspace, as well as of international law,” foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said in a statement.

*** READ SAUDI ARABIA'S CONDEMNATION HERE ***

The Gulf nation had announced earlier Monday it had closed its air space temporarily to ensure the safety of residents and visitors. Also on Monday, the US embassy in Qatar had advised Americans to shelter in place, out of what it said was “an abundance of caution.”

The US confirmed its air base in Qatar was targeted by missile attack from Iran and said no casualties were reported

“The White House and the Department of Defense are aware of, and closely monitoring, potential threats to Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar,” a senior White House official said.

Bahrain said sirens sounded in Manama with citizens and residents were urged to remain calm and head to nearest safe place, according to the Interior Ministry.

The interior ministry affirmed that these measures were part of Bahrain’s proactive efforts to safeguard public safety and ensure efficient emergency response.

Bahrain also suspended air traffic temporarily on Monday.

“The Civil Aviation Affairs of the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications announced the temporary suspension of air navigation in the skies of the Kingdom of Bahrain as a precautionary measure in light of recent regional developments,” said a statement carried by the official Bahrain News Agency.

Kuwait Airways, in a post on X, said departure flights had been suspended due to the regional developments.

EgyptAir also announced on Monday the suspension of flights to and from countries in the region following the attacks.

EgyptAir said in a statement: “Due to the events taking place in the region and the closure of airspace in a number of countries in the Arabian Gulf region, it has been decided to cancel EgyptAir flights from Cairo Airport to cities in the Arabian Gulf and vice versa until the situation in the region stabilizes.”

Kuwait's civil aviation body issued a statement, saying: “The country's airspace has been temporarily closed as a precautionary measure, starting today and until further notice. The decision comes within the framework of maintaining the highest levels of safety and security in light of regional developments.”

The UAE said it was closely monitoring the ongoing regional developments and was continuously assessing the situation, a government spokesperson said.

“This approach froms part of the UAE's interegrated national framework for emergency and crisis management, which prioritizses public safety and the continuity of operations across all sectors,” the spokesperson added. 

UAE airspace had also been closed, according to flight path data and air traffic control audio cited by FlightRadar.

 


European Commission allocates $230 million to support Palestinians

Updated 23 June 2025
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European Commission allocates $230 million to support Palestinians

  • UNRWA to receive €52 million ($58 million) to support its education, healthcare, and relief services for Palestinian refugees
  • Dubravka Suica, commissioner for the Mediterranean, said: ‘Our support to the Palestinian people remains steadfast’

LONDON: The European Commission announced on Monday that it has allocated $230 million to support the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and the Palestinian Authority.

On Monday, the commission announced that it had allocated €150 million ($172 million) to the PA to ensure the delivery of essential public services, including payment of salaries for teachers, civil servants, and healthcare workers. This financial support is contingent upon the implementation of the reform agenda, it added.

UNRWA received €52 million ($58 million) to support its education, healthcare, and relief services for Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip, West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Since late 2023, UNRWA has been crucial in providing aid and shelter to millions of Palestinians in Gaza amid ongoing Israeli attacks, some of which targeted UN staff and UNRWA facilities.

Dubravka Suica, the commissioner for the Mediterranean, said: “Our support to the Palestinian people remains steadfast.

“With this (first) disbursement of €202 million to the Palestinian Authority and the UN Agency UNRWA, we reaffirm our unwavering political and financial commitment,” she added.

The funds are part of the commission’s Palestine Recovery and Resilience program for 2025-2026, amounting to up to €1.6 billion ($1.84 billion), in which the EU reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian people and its commitment to a two-state solution, as announced in April during the EU-Palestinian Authority high-level political dialogue.

“The EU is deeply concerned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza and the worsening conditions in the West Bank. We remain firmly committed to a just and lasting peace, grounded in a negotiated two-state solution,” Suica added.