Israel’s parliament has spoken out against “unilateral recognition” of a Palestinian state. 99 of the 120 MPs voted for a corresponding government declaration on Wednesday, as announced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party.
“Today the Knesset voted by a large majority against the attempt to dictate to us the creation of a Palestinian state,” said Netanyahu, according to his party. He congratulated the MPs who voted for his proposal.
Netanyahu’s cabinet unanimously approved a statement on Sunday that Israel’s government rejects a peace settlement with the Palestinians imposed by international parties. A peace settlement is only conceivable as a result of direct negotiations between both sides without preconditions, it said.
Media had previously reported that the USA and other allies could recognize a Palestinian state without Israeli consent.
Israel’s army: “Dozens of terrorists” killed
The Israeli army said it killed “dozens of terrorists in ground fighting and targeted airstrikes” in a neighborhood in Gaza. The military said numerous weapons were also found there. At the same time, the troops also increased their deployment in Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip. There, too, around 20 armed fighters were killed within 24 hours, the statement said. The information cannot yet be independently verified.
The Israeli army radio reported on Tuesday that troops had already advanced into the Al-Saitun district during the night. The operation focuses on “Hamas’ terrorist infrastructure, which has not yet been destroyed by the army.” It is expected that the operation there could last several weeks. The army called on the residents of Al-Saitun and another district to flee on Tuesday.
Palestinian: Boy killed in West Bank clashes
According to Palestinian sources, a 14-year-old was killed in confrontations during an Israeli army operation in the occupied West Bank. The health ministry in Ramallah said the boy was shot in the heart. Clashes broke out between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians in a town east of the city of Kalkilia, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. Four people were reportedly arrested.
When asked, the Israeli army said that a Palestinian had fired a Molotov cocktail at a civilian Israeli bus in the town in the northwest of the Palestinian territory. There were also violent riots. Suspects hurled stones at the Israeli forces. They then fired sharply and hit one person.
One dead in Lebanon after Israeli attack
A woman was killed in an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon. The woman’s daughter was also seriously injured in the attack on the town of Majdal Zun, the state news agency NNA reported. The Israeli army said Israeli fighter jets had attacked command centers of the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah in the area. A total of three Hezbollah command centers were attacked in the south of Lebanon. Israeli artillery also shelled two targets in the neighboring country “to remove a threat.”
Hezbollah, for its part, claimed several attacks on Israeli targets. The pro-Iranian militia said it attacked Israeli military positions in areas including Even Menachem, Shomera and the Shebaa Farms area. The militants also attacked two buildings in Avivim in response to previous Israeli attacks on civilians. According to Hezbollah, there were Israeli soldiers in there.
Reports of explosions in Damascus
Multiple explosions reportedly rocked the Syrian capital Damascus. According to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, three people were killed in Israeli attacks. One of the victims is said to have been a Syrian civilian, while two others were foreign citizens whose identities have not yet been established. The Syrian state news agency Sana also reported an Israeli attack. Israel’s military declined to comment on the reports when asked.
In the afternoon, further explosions were reported in Damascus and the surrounding area. As the Observatory reported, these were probably Israeli attacks on Iranian militias. There was initially no information about possible victims.
USA: UN court should exercise restraint in Gaza conflict
Meanwhile, the USA called on the International Court of Justice to refrain from making unilateral demands on Israel in the Gaza war. The demand to immediately and unconditionally vacate the occupied territories could further block the peace process, the US legal representative warned; Richard Visek, in front of the court in The Hague. The court should not attempt to resolve the long-running conflict with a legal opinion that specifically addresses the behavior of only one side.
Since Monday, a hearing has been underway at the United Nations’ highest court on the question of whether the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, which has lasted for almost 60 years, is legal. A record number of 52 states and three international organizations are taking part. A decision from the court is not expected for months.
The representative of the United States reiterated that such a legal opinion would have consequences for the parties to the conflict and for the ongoing “efforts toward lasting peace.” The representative of Russia, Ambassador Vladimir Tarabrin, denounced Israel for the “continued denial of the right to self-determination to the Palestinians.” He also accused the US of deliberately disrupting the peace process for years.
