26/07/2025

SATURDAY | JULY 26, 2025

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US quits truce talks, blames Hamas for blocking deal o Washington to ‘consider alternative options to bring hostages home and create stable environment for Gaza’ more stable environment for the people of Gaza”, he added. A Palestinian source familiar with the talks said Hamas’s response included proposed

Plan to recognise Palestinian state by France lauded ISTANBUL: European leaders on Thursday welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France would recognise the State of Palestine in September, describing it as a key step towards achieving peace in the Middle East, Anadolu Ajansy reported. “This is an important contribution towards implementing the two-state solution, which offers the only lasting basis for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike,” said Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also voiced support for the French decision, stressing the urgency of preserving the path to a negotiated settlement. “Together, we must protect what (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu is trying to destroy. The two-state solution is the only solution.“ Scottish First Minister John Swinney weighed in, calling on the United Kingdom government to take similar action. “The United Kingdom should follow the example of France and recognise the State of Palestine. The ceasefire and humanitarian aid must start now.“ Earlier, Macron announced that he would officially declare France’s recognition of the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly in September. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio slammed Macron’s announcement and said: “This reckless decision only serves Hamas propaganda and sets back peace.” Netanyahu said the move “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became”. “A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel, not to live in peace beside it.“ – Bernama-Anadolu 12 die in Syrian arms depot blast DAMASCUS: A series of explosions killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 100 at a weapons depot in northwestern Syria on Thursday, a monitor said. “Multiple blasts at a weapons and ammunition warehouse belonging to the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 100 in Maaret Misrin, in northern Idlib province,“ said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Those killed included a woman and a child, said the Britain-based monitor, which relies on a network of sources on the ground. The TIP is an extremist group active in the Idlib region and made up of Uighur fighters who joined the Syrian civil war to fight against former president Bashar al-Assad. Syria’s Health Ministry reported seven deaths and 157 wounded in the blasts, in a toll published by the official news agency Sana. Authorities did not immediately say what may have caused the explosions. The Interior Ministry said it has opened “an investigation to determine the circumstances and causes of the explosion, and hold those responsible to account”. – AFP

trucks to where they are needed is a major challenge in an active war zone. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he would hold an “emergency call” yesterday with France and Germany on Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, urging a ceasefire and steps towards Palestinian statehood. “We will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need. “A ceasefire would put us on a path to the recognition of a Palestinian state and a two-state solution, which guarantees peace and security for Palestinians and Israelis.” Through more than 21 months of fighting, Israel and Hamas have clung to long-held positions, preventing two short-lived truces from being converted into a lasting ceasefire. For Israel, dismantling Hamas’s military and governing capabilities is non-negotiable, while Hamas demands firm guarantees on a lasting truce, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and the free flow of aid into Gaza. – AFP

amendments to clauses on the entry of aid, maps of areas from which the Israeli army should withdraw and guarantees on securing a permanent end to the war. In Khan Younis, in Gaza’s south, Umm al-Abd Nassar urged Hamas to secure a truce after her son was killed in one of a series of Israeli strikes that the civil defence agency said claimed the lives of dozens of civilians. “They need to do something. Enough with this destruction and people dying.” Israel rejects accusations that it is responsible for Gaza’s deepening hunger crisis, which the World Health Organisation called “man-made” and France blamed on an Israeli “blockade”.

JERUSALEM: The United States joined Israel on Thursday in pulling its negotiators from ceasefire talks, with special envoy Steve Witkoff blaming Hamas for failing to reach a deal and saying Washington would “consider alternative options”. In Qatar, mediators have been shuttling between Israeli and Hamas delegations for more than two weeks in a bid to secure a breakthrough in indirect talks for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages after nearly two years of fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government is still seeking a ceasefire despite recalling its negotiators from Doha, accusing Hamas of blocking an agreement. Pressure is mounting over the plight of the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza, where the fighting has triggered a dire ISTANBUL: Communications were restored yesterday with the Handala , a humanitarian aid vessel heading to the Gaza Strip, after a two-hour interruption during which drones were spotted nearby, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said, Anadolu Ajansy reported. The coalition announced that the ship is continuing its mission and less than 646km from Gaza. “For about two hours, our Freedom Flotilla boat’s communications were interrupted and drones were observed near the boat, raising serious concerns of a potential attack,” it said. The group called on supporters to “keep your eyes on the Handala and Palestine, and continue pressuring your governments and media to break the illegal siege on Gaza”. In an accompanying video, activist Tan Safi said the crew was unaware of a global outage affecting Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service. “Some experts are investigating it and said this was unusual. It is not the first time Elon has worked with Israel but this was most likely a global disruption.” Safi added that drones were still present near the vessel, prompting the activists to maintain a watch. The Freedom Flotilla Coalition earlier said it had lost contact with the Handala amid fears of an attack after drones were spotted near the aid ship. The incident follows similar confrontations, including a drone attack on the MV Conscience near Malta in May and the interception of the Madlene in June, when Israeli forces detained 12 activists. Very little aid has reached the

humanitarian crisis and warnings that “mass starvation” is spreading. After Hamas submitted its response to mediators on the latest ceasefire proposal, Netanyahu’s office said Israeli negotiators were returning for consultations. “We are working to reach another deal for the release of our hostages,” said Netanyahu. “But if Hamas interprets our willingness to reach a deal as a weakness, as an opportunity to dictate surrender terms that would endanger Israel, it is mistaken.” Witkoff accused Hamas of not “acting in good faith” and said the United States was bringing home its team.

Hamas’s response “clearly shows a lack of desire to reach a ceasefire in Gaza”, he said on social media. Washington would “consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a Humanitarian aid vessel resumes mission It accuses Hamas of preventing supplies from being distributed, and says international relief agencies are failing to pick up aid. Aid agencies have said permissions from Israel are limited and coordination to safely move

Parcels of humanitarian aid awaiting transfer into Gaza at the Kerem Shalom crossing. – REUTERSPIC

Gaza Strip, said the United Nations (UN) on Thursday, reported German Press Agency. The UN confirmed that its teams collected mainly flour at two border crossings on Wednesday and brought it into the coastal strip, which is home to two million people. UN spokesperson Farhan Haq emphasised that the amounts released are not sufficient. UN partner organisations in the Gaza Strip and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that “the aid that

nightfall before reloaded goods could set off. Earlier, the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that the military had invited dozens of international journalists to the Kerem Shalom border crossing to show how hundreds of trucks with aid goods were entering the Gaza Strip. However, the goods were reportedly standing around and not being distributed. The ministry accused the UN of refusing to distribute the aid. – Bernama-Anadolu

they have been able to bring into Gaza over the past two months is nowhere near sufficient to meet people’s survival needs”. “We are not trying to prevent all these people, including our people, from getting food. “They are being held up by different obstacles, including those placed by Israeli authorities,” said Haq. He added that the multi-stage approval process by the Israeli military is cumbersome, with significant delays, often resulting in