France, Spain Oppose Suspending Aid to Palestinian Territories 

Palestinians inspect the destruction from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City's al-Rimal neighborhood early on October 10, 2023. (AFP)
Palestinians inspect the destruction from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City's al-Rimal neighborhood early on October 10, 2023. (AFP)
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France, Spain Oppose Suspending Aid to Palestinian Territories 

Palestinians inspect the destruction from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City's al-Rimal neighborhood early on October 10, 2023. (AFP)
Palestinians inspect the destruction from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City's al-Rimal neighborhood early on October 10, 2023. (AFP)

France and Spain said on Tuesday they oppose suspending aid to the Palestinian territories.

France is not in favor of suspending aid that benefits Palestinians directly in response to a recent outbreak of violence in Israel, the foreign ministry in Paris said.

"We are not in favor of suspending aid that directly benefits the Palestinian people, and we made this clear to the European Commission yesterday," the ministry said in a statement.

The Spanish Acting Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said his government opposes the proposed suspension of European Union aid to the Palestinians.

"This cooperation must continue, we cannot confuse Hamas, which is in the list of EU's terrorist groups, with the Palestinian population, or the Palestinian Authority or the United Nation's organizations on the ground," Albares said in an interview with Spanish radio Cadena SER.

He added that Palestinian territories will likely need more aid in the near future after Hamas' Saturday attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

EU foreign ministers will meet to discuss the issue on Tuesday afternoon.



Israel Announces New Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthis

Israel Announces New Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthis
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Israel Announces New Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthis

Israel Announces New Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthis

Houthi militias in Yemen said Israeli airstrikes on Thursday targeted Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah, following several days of Houthi launches setting off sirens in Israel.

The Israeli military said it attacked infrastructure used by the Houthis at the international airport in Sanaa and ports at Hodeidah, Al-Salif and Ras Qantib along with Hezyaz and Ras Kanatib power stations. It came a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “the Houthis, too, will learn what Hamas and Hezbollah and Assad’s regime and others learned.”

Netanyahu monitored the new strikes along with military leaders, his government said. The Iran-backed Houthis' media outlet confirmed the strikes in a Telegram post but gave no immediate details. The US military also has targeted the Houthis in Yemen in recent days.

Over the weekend, 16 people were wounded when a Houthi missile hit a playground in Tel Aviv. Last week, Israeli jets struck Sanaa and Hodeidah, killing nine people, calling it a response to previous Houthi attacks. The Houthis also have been targeting shipping on the Red Sea corridor, calling it solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Israel has instructed its diplomatic missions in Europe to try to get the Houthis designated as a terrorist organisation.
The UN Security Council is due to meet on Monday over Houthi attacks against Israel, Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon said on Wednesday.