Israel/Palästina

In its final statement following a meeting in Manama, the 22-member grouping called for "international protection and peacekeeping forces of the United Nations in the occupied Palestinian territories" until a two-state solution is implemented.

South Africa is asking the UN's top court to order Israel to stop its military offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza. It is presenting its case at a two-day hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. Israel is to deliver its response at the court on Friday.

[…] To date, Rafah has emptied of at least 600,000 people in just the last week, and another 100,000 have been uprooted from the north of the enclave, amid fresh evacuation orders by the Israeli military.

The Secretary-General and the UN human rights chief said again on Sunday that a large-scale Israeli offensive in Rafah must be prevented at all costs, warning of catastrophic consequences in the densely populated southern area in Gaza.

The UN General Assembly convened again in New York on Friday for an emergency special session on the Gaza crisis and overwhelmingly passed a resolution which upgrades Palestine’s rights at the world body as an Observer State, without offering full membership. It urged the Security Council to give “favourable consideration” to Palestine’s request.

For the first time since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, the Biden administration has paused the shipment of weapons to Israel amid mounting concern over its plan to expand a military operation in Rafah that the United States does not support.

Wednesday brought fresh calls for international pressure against an Israeli offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, with Qatar and the African Union expressing concern about an escalating humanitarian crisis.

The Israeli military says its troops have taken "operational control" of the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt. Rafah has been a key entry point for aid and the only exit for people able to flee since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in October.

The UN Secretary-General on Tuesday reiterated his appeal to Israel to stop any escalation in Gaza, amid reports that its forces have taken over key border crossings in Rafah.

Donors must continue to support humanitarian efforts to assist millions in need in Yemen, UN agencies and dozens of other aid partners said on Monday. Nine years of war have left over half the population – 18.2 million people, mainly women and children – in need of assistance and protection services.