Germany halts navy exports that could possibly be utilized in Gaza, Merz says
The German authorities is not going to approve any exports of navy gear that could possibly be used within the Gaza Strip till additional discover, chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned on Friday in response to Israel’s plan to develop its navy operations there.
Merz mentioned it was Israel’s proper to disarm Hamas and to hunt the discharge of the Israeli hostages however “the German authorities believes that the even more durable navy motion within the Gaza Strip determined upon by the Israeli cupboard final evening makes it more and more troublesome to see how these objectives may be achieved”.
In line with Reuters, Merz mentioned in an announcement:
Beneath these circumstances, the German authorities is not going to approve any exports of navy gear that could possibly be used within the Gaza Strip till additional discover.
The discharge of the hostages and negotiations for a ceasefire are Germany’s high priorities, Merz mentioned, expressing deep concern over the struggling of civilians within the Gaza Strip.
Germany’s parliament mentioned in June that export licences for navy gear to Israel value €485m ($564m) had been granted between 7 October 2023 and 13 Might 2025, experiences Reuters.
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Israel’s plan to accentuate operations in Gaza is “a fallacious transfer”, Dutch international minister Caspar Veldkamp mentioned on Friday.
Veldkamp mentioned in an announcement on X:
The plan of the Netanyahu authorities to accentuate Israeli operations in Gaza is a fallacious transfer.
The [Gaza] humanitarian state of affairs is catastrophic and calls for fast enchancment. This choice on no account contributes to this and also will not assist to get the hostages house.
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Hamas calls Israel’s plan to grab Gaza Metropolis ‘a brand new battle crime’
Hamas described the Israeli authorities’s plan to take management of Gaza Metropolis as a “new battle crime” on Friday, warning the operation would value it “dearly”.
In line with Agence France-Presse (AFP), the group mentioned in an announcement:
The Zionist cupboard’s approval of plans to occupy Gaza Metropolis and evacuate its residents constitutes a brand new battle crime that the occupation military intends to commit towards town.
We warn the felony occupation that this felony journey will value it dearly and won’t be a simple journey.
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Germany halts navy exports that could possibly be utilized in Gaza, Merz says
The German authorities is not going to approve any exports of navy gear that could possibly be used within the Gaza Strip till additional discover, chancellor Friedrich Merz mentioned on Friday in response to Israel’s plan to develop its navy operations there.
Merz mentioned it was Israel’s proper to disarm Hamas and to hunt the discharge of the Israeli hostages however “the German authorities believes that the even more durable navy motion within the Gaza Strip determined upon by the Israeli cupboard final evening makes it more and more troublesome to see how these objectives may be achieved”.
In line with Reuters, Merz mentioned in an announcement:
Beneath these circumstances, the German authorities is not going to approve any exports of navy gear that could possibly be used within the Gaza Strip till additional discover.
The discharge of the hostages and negotiations for a ceasefire are Germany’s high priorities, Merz mentioned, expressing deep concern over the struggling of civilians within the Gaza Strip.
Germany’s parliament mentioned in June that export licences for navy gear to Israel value €485m ($564m) had been granted between 7 October 2023 and 13 Might 2025, experiences Reuters.
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Spain has condemned the Israeli authorities’s choice to escalate its navy occupation of Gaza.
In line with Agence France-Presse (AFP), Spanish international minister José Manuel Albares mentioned:
We firmly condemn the choice of the Israeli authorities to escalate the navy occupation of Gaza. It should solely trigger extra destruction and struggling.”
He added that “a everlasting ceasefire, the fast and large entry of humanitarian assist, and the discharge of all hostages are urgently wanted”.
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Up to date at 06.24 EDT
An Israeli airstrike on japanese Lebanon killed quite a lot of folks, together with a senior member of a Palestinian group and his bodyguard as they had been on their approach to Syria, information experiences and his group mentioned on Friday, based on the Related Press (AP).
The Thursday afternoon airstrike close to the Lebanese border crossing of Masnaa killed Mohammed Wishah, a member of the central committee of the Standard Entrance for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the group mentioned in an announcement.
There was no fast remark from Israel.
“We’ve misplaced two of probably the most loyal comrades who gave their treasured souls to freedom,” Marwan Abdel-Al, a senior PFLP official, wrote in a submit on social media concerning the loss of life of Wishah and his bodyguard, Mufid Hussein.
In line with the AP, a PFLP official mentioned Wishah had been in Lebanon to fulfill different officers with the group and was on his manner again to Syria when the airstrike occurred. The official spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t authorised to talk to the media.
The PFLP assertion mentioned Wishah was born within the Gaza Strip in 1954 and spent 5 years in Israeli jails shortly after he joined the Palestinian group in 1973.
Lebanon’s state-run Nationwide Information Company mentioned the airstrike on east Lebanon killed six folks and injured 10, with out figuring out the victims. Moreover, on Friday morning, an Israeli drone strike hit a automotive in a coastal freeway in south Lebanon killing citizen journalist Mohammed Shehadeh, the NNA mentioned.
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Up to date at 06.12 EDT
The Palestine Pink Crescent Society (PRCS) accused Israeli forces of focusing on a bunch of Palestinian civilians ready to obtain assist in Gaza yesterday and killing one in every of its workers members.
In a submit on X on Thursday, the PRCS wrote:
Right this moment, our colleague Ashraf Suleiman Eid Yousef (44), a workers member within the administrative companies division on the Sarayah area hospital in Gaza Metropolis, was killed after Israeli forces focused a bunch of civilians whereas they had been ready to obtain assist within the Kisufim space, east of the central governorate.
This brings the overall variety of PRCS crew members killed to 53.
The Guardian has been unable to independently confirm this report.
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Up to date at 05.55 EDT
Andrew Sparrow
The Inexperienced celebration has additionally known as for the top of all UK arms gross sales to Israel. Ellie Chowns, the Inexperienced MP and a candidate to be co-leader within the present management contest, posted this on social media:
[Benjamin] Netanyahu’s brutal plan to take management of Gaza is yet one more declaration of intent to commit battle crimes.
The UK should do greater than specific disapproval: finish navy cooperation and arms gross sales, recognise Palestine, demand an instantaneous ceasefire and accountability for battle crimes.
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The worldwide charity ActionAid UK mentioned on Friday that it was “deeply alarmed” by the Israeli authorities’s plan to take management of Gaza Metropolis, describing it as a “horrifying escalation”.
Hannah Bond, the co-CEO of ActionAid UK, mentioned:
We’re deeply alarmed that the Israeli authorities has determined to push forward with its plan to take management of Gaza Metropolis, which clearly violates worldwide humanitarian regulation. This horrifying escalation will forcibly displace lots of of 1000’s of Palestinians who’re already experiencing hunger and have nowhere else to flee, and can inevitably end in much more bloodshed.
The UK authorities has condemned this choice but it surely ought to know by now that phrases usually are not sufficient to cease the Israeli authorities from pursuing a course of destruction. It must take actual tangible motion instantly: that features halting all arms exports to the Israeli authorities and imposing additional sanctions. If third states delay any longer, there will probably be nothing of Gaza left.
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Up to date at 05.27 EDT
Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, mentioned the Israeli authorities’s choice to occupy Gaza Metropolis will “create much more human struggling”.
In a submit on X, he wrote:
The choice of the Israeli authorities to grab management of Gaza Metropolis is totally and completely unacceptable. It should create much more human struggling for the Palestinian folks and additional escalate the battle.
The worldwide group should cease Israel and safe a ceasefire.
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Up to date at 05.12 EDT
China expressed “severe considerations” on Friday over Israel’s plan to take management of Gaza Metropolis, urging it to “instantly stop its harmful actions”.
“Gaza belongs to the Palestinian folks and is an inseparable a part of Palestinian territory,” a international ministry spokesperson advised Agence France-Presse (AFP) in a message.
“The proper approach to ease the humanitarian disaster in Gaza and to safe the discharge of hostages is an instantaneous ceasefire,” they added.
“An entire decision to the Gaza battle hinges on a ceasefire; solely then can a path to de-escalation be paved and regional safety ensured,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Beijing mentioned on Friday it was “keen to work along with the worldwide group to assist finish the combating in Gaza as quickly as potential”.
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Up to date at 05.11 EDT
The Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board has accused the Israeli authorities of sentencing the remaining residing Israeli hostages and captives in Gaza “to loss of life”, experiences the Instances of Israel.
In an announcement in response to the Israeli safety cupboard’s plan to take over Gaza Metropolis, the group mentioned:
Tonight, the Israeli authorities sentenced the residing hostages to loss of life and the fallen hostages to disappearance.
The cupboard choice to launch the method of occupying the [Gaza] Strip is an official declaration of the abandonment of the hostages, whereas fully ignoring the repeated warnings by the navy echelon and the clear need of a lot of the public in Israel.
In line with the Israeli on-line newspaper, the Discussion board’s assertion additionally accuses the federal government of appearing towards the nationwide curiosity with a “silly” transfer of “deception and unforgivable ethical and safety neglect” that brings Israel nearer to a “colossal catastrophe for the hostages and [IDF] fighters”.
The group added that it was not too late and that the plan could possibly be stopped, with the federal government in search of a deal to finish the battle and return all of the hostages.
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Up to date at 04.50 EDT
The Liberal Democrat chief, Ed Davey, has mentioned it was “more and more clear” that Benjamin Netanyahu’s “purpose is ethnic cleaning” in Gaza and urged the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, to cease the export of all UK arms to Israel and sanction the Israeli PM.
Davey mentioned:
Netanyahu’s plans to occupy the entire of Gaza are completely abhorrent – and it’s more and more clear that his purpose is ethnic cleaning.
This plan will solely serve to wreak extra devastation on the lives of thousands and thousands of Gazans – whose properties and communities have already been destroyed – whereas endangering the lives of these hostages nonetheless held by Hamas.
Moderately than sitting on its palms and issuing strongly worded statements, the UK authorities must take decisive motion. Keir Starmer must cease the export of all UK arms to Israel – at the moment – and sanction Netanyahu and his cupboard.
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Up to date at 04.17 EDT
Turkey condemns Israel’s Gaza Metropolis plan and requires worldwide motion
Turkey has urged the worldwide group to forestall Israel’s plan to take management of Gaza Metropolis, saying it was a “heavy blow” to peace and safety.
“We name on the worldwide group to fulfil its duties to forestall the implementation of this choice, which goals to forcibly displace Palestinians from their very own land,” the international ministry mentioned in an announcement on Friday, experiences Reuters.
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Up to date at 04.16 EDT
