Global Pressure Around Annexation and War in Gaza
There is increasing international pressure on Israel to end its military campaign and military occupation of Palestinian territories, as many of its Western allies are officially recognizing a Palestinian state. Far-right voices in Netanyahu's coalition have advocated for the complete annexation of the West Bank, a move critics claim will end any possibility of a future Palestinian state.
The UK and Germany have urged Israel not to annex, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said it was "morally, legally, and politically intolerable". Trump confirmed that he has been speaking with Netanyahu and other leaders in the region, noting that "we're getting pretty close to having a deal on Gaza, maybe even peace".
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addressed the UN General Assembly via video message and said he was willing to work with world leaders towards a peace plan proposed by the French. Due to his age (89), Abbas was not able to attend the meeting in New York in person. He expressed gratitude to several countries, including Canada, Australia, the UK, Portugal, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Andorra and Denmark, which all recently endorsed a Palestinian state. The U.S. has been critical of recognition, arguing it rewards Hamas. Abbas said Hamas would have no future in government and thus, the Palestinian state must take full control of Gaza and connect to the West Bank.
Regional Tensions and Rising Casualties
At the UN, Trump held meetings with Arab and Muslim leaders who warned of consequences if Israel moved forward with annexation. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said that Trump knew the risks and the dangers.
Israel also closed the one route from the West Bank to Jordan after a Jordanian soldier shot and killed two Israeli soldiers at the border and was subsequently shot dead. The closure also stopped more than two million Palestinians from leaving the territory.
Also, in Gaza, hospitals reported that Israeli airstrikes on Thursday, mainly in Gaza City, killed more than 80 Palestinians, including women and children. The war began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since then, Gaza's health ministry reported at least 65,419 Palestinians, including more than 18,000 children, have been killed in Israeli strikes.
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, over half a million Palestinians in Gaza are experiencing catastrophic levels of starvation and destitution. However, Netanyahu does not believe the Palestinian people are starving. Furthermore, a UN commission accused Israel of genocide in Gaza, a charge Israel has rejected and labelled as false and distorted.
Growing Global Action
While international criticism grows, the European Commission announced plans to limit trade with Israel and impose sanctions on extreme ministers in Netanyahu's government. If enacted, they would be the strongest EU measures against Israel so far in the war.
Moreover, Microsoft has cut some services to a unit of Israel's Ministry of Defence after discovering that the technology it powered was used for mass civilian surveillance in Gaza. While the war goes on, Israel is facing increasing international pressure to end the fight and the occupation.
