عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Abbas Calls for ‘International Peace Conference’ on Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (dpa)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (dpa)
TT
TT

Abbas Calls for ‘International Peace Conference’ on Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (dpa)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (dpa)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has underscored on Sunday the need for convening an international peace conference that would ensure the Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territories under international legitimacy resolutions and within a specified timeline.
During his meeting with the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland, Abbas stressed the urgency to enable the State of Palestine politically and economically to fulfill its responsibilities towards the Palestinian people in Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank.
He also stressed the importance of preventing the displacement of Palestinians and stopping all attacks by occupation forces and settlers, as well as the release of all Palestinian clearance funds.
The President further urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to step up international efforts to stop the ongoing Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people, to withdraw Israeli occupation forces from the entire Gaza Strip, and not to confiscate any inch of its land.
Abbas also demanded increasing humanitarian and relief aid in Gaza “amid the current harsh weather conditions there”.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Israel’s Prime Minister, Defense Minister Trade Barbs over Gaza War Aims

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv , Israel , 28 October 2023. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv , Israel , 28 October 2023. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Israel’s Prime Minister, Defense Minister Trade Barbs over Gaza War Aims

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv , Israel , 28 October 2023. (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defense minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference in the Kirya military base in Tel Aviv , Israel , 28 October 2023. (Reuters)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu traded barbs with his defense minister on Monday, underscoring the deep internal splits that continue to plague the government as the war in Gaza risks spilling out into a wider regional conflict.

Following Israeli media reports quoting Defense Minister Yoav Gallant dismissing Netanyahu's war aim of total victory against the Hamas movement in Gaza as "nonsense", Netanyahu's office put out a statement rebuking Gallant.

"When Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he harms the chances of reaching a hostage deal," the statement said.

It said Israel's war aim remained "total victory", with the elimination of Hamas and the release of the remaining hostages seized by Hamas-led gunmen on Oct. 7 last year.

"This is the clear directive of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Security Cabinet, and it obligates everyone – including Gallant," it said.

The exchange came as Israel has been bracing for a possible attack by Iran and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in southern Lebanon, after a sharp escalation in tensions following a missile strike killed 12 youngsters in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights on July 27.

In the wake of that attack, Israel killed a senior Hezbollah commander in Beirut. A day later, the political leader of Hamas Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, drawing vows of retaliation from Iran.

The public reprimand of Gallant, who has repeatedly clashed with Netanyahu and the nationalist-religious parties in his coalition, was the latest episode of internal strife that has persisted since the government took office in 2022.

Last year, Netanyahu tried to sack Gallant over his opposition to plans to curb the power of the Supreme Court, only to have to reverse course in the face of mass protests by hundreds of thousands of Israelis.

The latest exchange comes ahead of a last-ditch attempt to revive Egyptian and Qatari-brokered talks to halt the fighting in Gaza and bring back 115 Israeli and foreign hostages still held in the battered enclave.

Hamas has said it will not send a delegation to the meeting, accusing Netanyahu of wanting to waste time rather than make an honest attempt to reach a deal.