JERUSALEM: Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid flotilla on Monday after it sailed from Turkey last week, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denouncing the mission as a &quot;malicious scheme&quot; intended to support Hamas. The Global Sumud Flotilla is the latest in a string of attempts by activists to breach Israel&#39;s blockade of the Palestinian territory, with the last convoy intercepted by Israeli forces only last month. &quot;Global Sumud Flotilla is under attack!&quot; the group wrote on X. It said &quot;military vessels are currently intercepting our fleet&quot; and Israeli forces &quot;boarding the first of our boats in broad daylight.&quot; A website tracking the flotilla&#39;s location showed several vessels being intercepted west of Cyprus. &quot;We demand safe passage for our legal, non-violent humanitarian mission. Governments must act now to stop these illegal acts or piracy meant to maintain Israel&#39;s genocidal siege on Gaza,&quot; they said. &quot;Normalization of the occupation&#39;s violence is a threat to us all.&quot; Netanyahu condemned the latest attempt to deliver aid to Gaza by sea. He told the commander of the interception force, &quot;I believe you are doing an extraordinary job... thwarting a malicious scheme designed to break the blockade we have imposed on Hamas terrorists in Gaza,&quot; according to a statement from his office. &quot;You are carrying this out with outstanding success... and certainly with far less fanfare than our enemies had anticipated,&quot; Netanyahu said. Earlier on Monday, the foreign ministry denounced the convoy as a provocation and vowed to prevent it from reaching Gaza. &quot;This time, two violent Turkish groups &mdash; Mavi Marmara and IHH, the latter designated as a terrorist organization &mdash; are part of the provocation,&quot; it said on X. &#39;Act of piracy&#39; Around 50 ships had departed from southwestern Turkey on Thursday. Ankara slammed the interception, saying it was a &quot;new act of piracy&quot; by Israel. Ties between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated since war on Gaza erupted. Activist Gorkem Duru, a member of the Turkey branch of the Global Sumud Flotilla group, who is not on board, told AFP that &quot;communication links with the ships were cut off&quot;. Activist Suayb Ordu, who was aboard one of the vessels, told Turkish channel NTV that the activists had &quot;no choice but to raise our hands and surrender peacefully without offering any resistance&quot;. &quot;We are not going there to fight or commit acts of violence; we are trying to prove the opposite to the world.&quot; The Israeli foreign ministry claimed the flotilla &#39;served&#39; the purposes of Hamas. Its aim was to &quot;serve Hamas, to divert attention from Hamas&#39;s refusal to disarm, and to obstruct progress on President Trump&#39;s peace plan,&quot; the ministry claimed. Under a Gaza ceasefire plan proposed by US President Donald Trump, which took effect in October, the territory is to be fully demilitarized, including through the disarmament of Hamas. Aid The Israeli ministry rejected claims that Gaza was facing aid shortages. &quot;The Gaza Strip is flooded with aid. Since October alone, more than 1.58 million tons of humanitarian aid and thousands of tons of medical supplies have entered Gaza,&quot; it said. Israel controls all entry points into Gaza, which has been under an Israeli blockade since 2007. Since Israel&#39;s war on Gaza, the territory has suffered severe shortages of food, medicine and other essential supplies, with Israel at times halting aid deliveries entirely. A previous flotilla attempt was intercepted last month in international waters off Greece, with most activists expelled to Europe. But Israeli forces arrested two of them &mdash; Spanish national of Palestinian origin Saif Abu Keshek and Brazilian activist Thiago Avila &mdash; and brought them to Israel for questioning. The pair were detained in a prison in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon before being deported several days later.

People raise V-signs and take photos from a boat decorated with Palestinian flags as another vessel displaying solidarity signs sails past near the port in Marmaris, Turkey, on May 14, 2026. (AFP)

Middle East

Israeli forces intercept a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says was an attempt to break the blockade on Gaza.

Israel PM confirms Gaza flotilla interception, says 'thwarting malicious scheme'

Reuters

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that he had received successful treatment for early-stage prostate cancer, without specifying when the treatment took place.&nbsp;In a statement on social media, as his annual medical report was released, Netanyahu, 76, said an early-stage malignant tumor had been discovered during a routine checkup. He said &quot;targeted treatment&quot; had removed &quot;the problem&quot; and left no trace of it.&nbsp;According to the medical report, which otherwise said the prime minister was in good health, Netanyahu was treated with radiation therapy for early-stage prostate cancer. Neither the medical report nor Netanyahu said when the treatment occurred.&nbsp;In March, during the fighting with Iran, rumors that circulated on social media and aired on Iranian state media claimed that Netanyahu had died. The Israeli leader recorded a video of himself visiting a Jerusalem cafe in March to refute the claims.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he successfully underwent radiation therapy for early-stage prostate cancer detected during a routine checkup. He reported no remaining trace, delayed disclosure.

Netanyahu says he was successfully treated for prostate cancer

RABAT: Thousands of Moroccans gathered in Rabat on Sunday to voice their support for the Palestinian cause and protest a new Israeli law that would allow the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks. The crowd of around 5,000 people marched down the capital&#39;s Mohammed V Avenue in the centre of town, with many carrying Palestinian and Moroccan flags, AFP journalists reported. The protest was called by the National Action Group for Palestine, which brings together Islamists from the Justice and Development party and left-wing activists. Marchers chanted &quot;no to the death penalty&quot; and &quot;no to occupation and Zionism&quot;, as well as slogans criticising Israel&#39;s conduct of the war in Gaza. &quot;We&#39;re sending our support to Palestinian prisoners who are threatened by this new law on the death penalty,&quot; said Aziz El Hannaoui, a member of the organising coalition. The Israeli law makes the death penalty the default punishment for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank found guilty of intentionally carrying out deadly attacks deemed &quot;acts of terrorism&quot; by an Israeli military court. It also allows the death penalty to be applied in murder cases tried in Israeli criminal courts if the perpetrator intended to &quot;put an end to the existence of the State of Israel&quot;. Critics have said that by effectively creating a separate legal track for Palestinians, the law appears to conflict with Israel&#39;s Basic Laws, which prohibit arbitrary discrimination. After its passage, the law was condemned by the Palestinian Authority, activists and several foreign governments, and immediately drew a court challenge. While the death penalty exists for a small number of crimes in Israel, it has become a de facto abolitionist country -- the Nazi Holocaust perpetrator Adolf Eichmann was the last person to be executed in 1962. The protesters in Rabat on Sunday also renewed their criticism of Morocco&#39;s normalisation of ties with Israel in 2020.&nbsp;

Thousands of Moroccans gathers in Rabat to voice their support for the Palestinian cause and protest a new Israeli law that would allow the execution of Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks

Moroccans protest Israel death penalty law at pro-Palestinian rally

PALM BEACH: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet Donald Trump in Florida on Monday, with the US president pushing to move to the next stage of his fragile Gaza truce plan.&nbsp;Netanyahu is also expected to try to shift some focus onto Iran, amid reports he will call for more US strikes on the Islamic republic.&nbsp;The meeting at Trump&#39;s lavish Mar-a-Lago resort the fifth between the two leaders to be held in the United States this year comes as some White House officials fear both Israel and Hamas are slow-walking the second phase of their ceasefire.&nbsp;Trump, who said Netanyahu had asked for the talks, is reportedly keen to announce as soon as January, a Palestinian technocratic government for Gaza and the deployment of an international stabilization force.&nbsp;The two leaders are to meet at 1 pm (1800 GMT), the White House said.&nbsp;In recent months, Israeli officials and media have expressed concern that Iran is rebuilding its ballistic missile arsenal after it came under attack during the 12-day war with Israel in June.&nbsp;But Sina Toossi, a researcher at the Center for International Policy (CIP) in Washington, said Trump&#39;s insistence that US strikes in June destroyed Tehran&#39;s nuclear program had &quot;removed Israel&#39;s most powerful historical justification for US support for war with Iran&quot;.&nbsp;Netanyahu&#39;s new focus on Iran&#39;s missiles is &quot;an effort to manufacture a replacement casus belli,&quot; Toossi told AFP.&nbsp;Iran on Monday denounced the reports as a &quot;psychological operation&quot; against Tehran, emphasizing it was fully prepared to defend itself, and warning renewed aggression would &quot;result in harsher consequences&quot; for Israel.&nbsp;Phase two has to beginNetanyahu&#39;s visit caps a frantic few days of international diplomacy in Palm Beach, where Trump hosted Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday for talks on ending Russia&#39;s invasion.&nbsp;The Gaza ceasefire in October is one of the major achievements of Trump&#39;s first year back in power, but his administration and regional mediators want to keep up the momentum.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s global envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner hosted senior officials from mediators Qatar, Egypt and Turkey in Miami earlier this month.&nbsp;The timing of the Netanyahu meeting is &quot;very significant,&quot; said Gershon Baskin, the co-head of peacebuilding commission the Alliance for Two States, who has taken part in back-channel negotiations with Hamas.&nbsp;&quot;Phase two has to begin,&quot; he told AFP, adding that &quot;I think the Americans realize that it&#39;s late because Hamas has had too much time to re-establish its presence.&quot;&nbsp;The first phase of the truce deal stipulated that Hamas release the remaining hostages, both dead and alive, taken during its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The group has so far returned all the living captives and the remains of all but one.&nbsp;Under the second stage, Israel is supposed to withdraw from its positions in Gaza, while Hamas is supposed to lay down its weapons.&nbsp;An interim authority is meanwhile meant to govern the Palestinian territory, and the international stabilization force (ISF) is to be deployed.&nbsp;Both sides, however, have alleged frequent ceasefire violations.&nbsp;Frustrated with NetanyahuThe Axios news outlet reported on Friday that Trump wanted to convene the first meeting of a new Gaza &quot;Board of Peace&quot; that he will chair at the Davos forum in Switzerland in January.&nbsp;But it said that senior White House officials were growing exasperated with what they viewed as efforts by Netanyahu to stall the peace process.&nbsp;&quot;There are more and more signs that the American administration is getting frustrated with Netanyahu,&quot; said Yossi Mekelberg, a Middle East expert at London-based think-tank Chatham House.&nbsp;&quot;The question is what it&#39;s going to do about it,&quot; he added, &quot;because phase two is right now going nowhere.&quot;&nbsp;Israel is continuing to strike Hamas targets in Gaza, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon despite another ceasefire there. Syria will also be on the agenda.&nbsp;Mekelberg said Netanyahu could be attempting to shift attention from Gaza onto Iran as Israel enters an election year.&nbsp;&quot;Everything is connected to staying in power,&quot; he said of the long-time Israeli premier.

Americas

Netanyahu meets Trump in Florida as the US urges progress on the Gaza ceasefire, while Washington grows frustrated with delays and Netanyahu shifts attention toward Iran as Israel continues military strikes.

Netanyahu to meet Trump in Florida for talks on Gaza, Iran

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Israeli&rsquo;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel and India were strengthening their strategic partnership, after a meeting with India&rsquo;s commerce minister. &nbsp; Netanyahu, in a post on X on Sunday, stated: &ldquo;I met today in Jerusalem with India&rsquo;s Minister of Commerce &amp; Industry, @PiyushGoyal.&rdquo; &ldquo;Israel and India are strengthening our strategic partnership, more investments, more innovation, and a strong economic corridor from India through Israel to Europe.&rdquo; &lsquo;Building economic power&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Together we are building economic power,&rdquo; the Israeli prime minister said.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1992543314466259414&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=157dd920deac199260651d7196ba90606df41d93&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 773px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>According to the economic corridor initiative&#39;s official website, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was officially announced on Sept. 9, 2023, during the G20 Summit in New Delhi.&nbsp; As of April 2025, the IMEC project is progressing according to the scheduled timelines, with major developments underway in the construction of transportation and logistics infrastructure, according to the website. &nbsp; Meanwhile, the Indian commerce minister also met with the Israeli president. India&rsquo;s Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, in a post on X on Sunday, stated: &ldquo;Grateful for the warm welcome by H.E. @Isaac_Herzog, President of the State of Israel. Reiterated how Israel&rsquo;s innovation ecosystem coupled with India&rsquo;s talent, skill and scale can become a force multiplier for global good.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-3" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-3&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1992598071767904666&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=157dd920deac199260651d7196ba90606df41d93&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 600px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs&rsquo; brief on India-Israel bilateral relations published in July 2024, &ldquo;India is Israel&rsquo;s second-largest trading partner in Asia.&rdquo; India-Israel bilateral trade&nbsp;According to the brief, &ldquo;Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, India-Israel bilateral trade and economic ties have progressed rapidly. From around USD 200 million in 1992 (comprising primarily of diamonds), merchandise trade diversified and reached around USD 10.77 billion (excluding defence) in FY 2022-23, with Indian exports at around USD 8.45 billion.&rdquo; &ldquo;In FY 2023-24 (April-March), the bilateral trade was USD 6.53 billion (excluding defense) with India&#39;s exports at USD 4.52 billion and Israel&#39;s exports at USD 2.0 billion.&rdquo; The &ldquo;Cumulative Overseas Direct Investment (ODI) from India to Israel from April 2000 to April 2024, was around USD 396 million,&rdquo; the brief said. &nbsp; Foreign Direct Investment&nbsp;&ldquo;In the period from April 2000 to March 2024, the direct FDI from Israel to India was around USD 314.87 million.&rdquo; &ldquo;In 2022, a consortium led by India&rsquo;s Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) acquired the Haifa Port Company Ltd from the Government of Israel with an investment of USD 1.18 billion,&rdquo; the Indian External Affairs Ministry&rsquo;s brief states.

India

Israel’s prime minister after meeting India’s commerce minister says ‘Israel and India are strengthening our strategic partnership, more investments, more innovation, and a strong economic corridor from India through Israel to Europe’

India, Israel developing ‘a strong economic corridor’ to Europe: Netanyahu 

ISTANBUL: Turkiye announced Friday that it had issued arrest warrants for genocide against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials within his government.&nbsp;Among 37 suspects listed are Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, said a statement from the Istanbul prosecutor&#39;s office, which did not publish the complete list.&nbsp;Turkiye has accused the officials of &quot;genocide and crimes against humanity&quot; that Israel has &quot;perpetrated systematically&quot; in Gaza.&nbsp;The statement also refers to the &quot;Turkish-Palestinian Friendship Hospital,&quot; built by Turkiye in the Gaza Strip and bombed by Israel in March.&nbsp;Turkiye last year joined South Africa&#39;s case accusing Israel of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).&nbsp;A fragile ceasefire has been in force in the devastated Palestinian territory since October 10 as part of US President Donald Trump&#39;s regional peace plan. Israel calls the move &#39;PR stunt&#39; Israel on Friday denounced as a &quot;PR stunt&quot; arrest warrants for genocide issued by Turkiye against its leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on X: &quot;Israel firmly rejects, with contempt, the latest PR stunt by the tyrant (President Recep Tayyip) Erdogan.&quot;

Among 37 suspects listed are Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and army chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir

Turkiye issues genocide arrest warrant against Netanyahu

WASHINGTON: Netanyahu on Monday apologized to Qatar Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for a military strike targeting Hamas officials in the emirate that infuriated Arab leaders and triggered rare condemnation by the US of Israel, according to two people, including a diplomatic official, familiar with the matter. Netanyahu called al Thani to extend the apology during his White House meeting on Monday with President Donald Trump. The people familiar spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. President Donald Trump was hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for critical talks aimed at ending the war in Gaza and developing a US plan on post-war governance in the war-battered Palestinian territory. The White House talks between Netanyahu and Trump come at a tenuous moment. Israel is increasingly isolated, losing support from many countries that were long its steadfast allies. At home, Netanyahu&rsquo;s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience. The question now is whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu throughout the war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to wind down the conflict. As he welcomed Netanyahu to the White House, Trump responded affirmatively when asked by reporters whether he was confident a deal would be soon reached to end the fighting between Israel and Hamas. &ldquo;I am. I&#39;m very confident,&rdquo; Trump said. White House urges Israel and Hamas to get to a ceasefire and hostage release deal Earlier, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt urged both sides to finalize an agreement to bring an end to the nearly two-year old war in Gaza. &ldquo;Ultimately the president knows when you get to a good deal, both sides are going to leave a little bit unhappy,&rdquo; Leavitt told reporters. &ldquo;But we need this conflict to end.&rdquo; Trump and Netanyahu are first holding talks with aides in the Oval Office and over a private lunch. A joint press conference is expected later. Meanwhile, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, said Palestinian officials stood ready to work with Trump and Arab countries in bringing an end to the war. &ldquo;Let us not delay a single minute more in doing what is necessary for this just peace to replace the unbearable reality of today,&rdquo; Mansour said during a Security Council meeting on the Middle East. Trump growing more frustrated with conflict Trump joined forces with Netanyahu during Israel&#39;s brief war with Iran in June, ordering US stealth bombers to strike three nuclear sites, and he&#39;s supported the Israeli leader during his corruption trial, describing the case as a &ldquo;witch hunt.&rdquo; But the relationship has become more tense lately. Trump was frustrated by Israel&#39;s failed strike this month on Hamas officials in Qatar, a&nbsp;US ally in the region that had been hosting negotiations to end the war in Gaza. Last week, Trump vowed to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank &mdash; an idea promoted by some of Netanyahu&#39;s hard-line governing partners. The international community opposes annexation, saying it would destroy hopes for a two-state solution. On Friday, Trump raised expectations for the meeting with Netanyahu, telling reporters the US was &ldquo;very close to a deal on Gaza.&rdquo; Trump made finding quick ends to the Gaza war, as well as Russia&#39;s invasion of Ukraine, a central plank of his successful 2024 presidential campaign. He&#39;s struggled mightily on both fronts. Proposal does not include expulsion of Palestinians Trump&rsquo;s proposal to stop the war in Gaza calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave, according to three Arab officials briefed on the plan. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because the plan has not been formally unveiled. Hamas is believed to be holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed by Israel to be alive. The militant group has demanded Israel agree to end the war and withdraw from all of Gaza as part of any permanent ceasefire. Trump discussed the plan with Arab and Islamic leaders in New York last week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It doesn&rsquo;t include the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, which Trump appeared to endorse earlier this year. The 21-point proposal also calls for an end to Hamas rule of Gaza and the disarmament of the militant group, said the officials briefed on the plan. Hundreds of Palestinians, including many serving life sentences, will be released by Israel, according to the proposal. The plan also includes the establishment of an international security force to take over law enforcement in postwar Gaza, they said. A Palestinian committee of technocrats would oversee the civilian affairs of the strip, with power handed over later to a reformed Palestinian Authority, they said. Netanyahu has rejected any role for the authority, the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinians, in postwar Gaza. A Hamas official said the group was briefed on the plan but has yet to receive an official offer from Egyptian and Qatari mediators. The group has repeatedly rejected laying down arms and has linked its weapons to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Israel has lost much of the world&#39;s goodwill Apart from the US leadership, Israel has lost much of the international goodwill it once could count on. At a special session of the UN Security Council last week, nation after nation expressed horror at the 2023 attack by Hamas militants that killed about 1,200 people in Israel, saw 251 taken hostage and triggered the war. Then many of the representatives went on to criticize the response by Israel and call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and influx of aid. Israel&rsquo;s sweeping offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run administration. Its figures are seen as a reliable estimate by the UN and many independent experts. The fighting has displaced 90% of the Gaza population, with an increasing number now starving. In recent weeks, 28 Western-aligned countries that circled behind Israel two years ago have called on it to end the offensive in Gaza. They also criticized Israel&rsquo;s restrictions on humanitarian aid, which have contributed to famine in parts of Gaza. Ten countries &mdash; including Britain, France, Canada and Australia &mdash; recognized Palestinian statehood last week, hoping to revive the long-moribund peace process. Several Arab states, including some with longstanding relations with Israel, have accused it of committing genocide in Gaza, as have leading genocide scholars, U.N. experts and some Israeli and international rights groups. The UN&rsquo;s highest court is weighing genocide allegations raised by South Africa that Israel vehemently denies

President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the West Wing of the White House, Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Washington. (AP)

Asia

Netanyahu apologized to Qatar for strikes targeting Hamas during a meeting with Trump on Gaza peace talks amid growing US pressure. Trump has proposed a ceasefire, hostage release, and postwar governance plan for Gaza.

Netanyahu apologizes to Qatar PM for strike in Trump-led call

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif welcomed US President Donald Trump&#39;s plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza on Monday, while lauding his leadership efforts. In a <a href="https://x.com/cmshehbaz/status/1972670954229698744?s=46&t=SApcAZAv0zK56lMSgiF_fg" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">post</a> on X (formerly Twitter), the Pakistani PM welcomed Trump&rsquo;s plan to end the Gaza war, stating that lasting peace between Palestinians and Israelis was vital for stability in the region. &ldquo;I welcome President Trump&rsquo;s plan to ensure an end to the war in Gaza. I am also convinced that durable peace between the Palestinian people and Israel would be essential in bringing political stability and economic growth to the region.&rdquo; <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/827dfea4-ae42-4c3b-9b75-6bb7cbf934fe-pm tweet.png" alt="pm tweet.png" class="fr-fil fr-dib"></figure> Sharif said that it was his &ldquo;firm belief that President Trump is fully prepared to assist in whatever way necessary to make this extremely important and urgent understanding to&nbsp;become a reality.&rdquo; He&nbsp;said the two-state proposal was necessary for lasting peace: &ldquo;I also strongly believe that the implementation of the two-state proposal is essential to ensure lasting peace in the region.&rdquo; Trump-Netanyahu meeting&nbsp; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to meet with Donald Trump in Washington on Monday amid increasing international pressure and isolation. While Netanyahu has vowed to continue the offensive until Hamas is destroyed, Trump&rsquo;s plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, release of hostages within 48 hours, gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and disarmament of Hamas. The plan includes establishment of an international security force and a Palestinian technocratic committee initially governing Gaza civilian affairs, with eventual transfer to a reformed Palestinian Authority&mdash;though Netanyahu rejects the Palestinian Authority&rsquo;s role in Gaza postwar. Despite Netanyahu&rsquo;s praise of Trump&rsquo;s support, Israel and some Arab states expressed reservations, seeking revisions. Concerns include the involvement of Palestinian security forces, the fate of Hamas officials, and guarantees that Israel will uphold any agreements. Hamas has rejected disarmament and conditions tied to ending the war. The White House has urged both Israel and Hamas to finalize a ceasefire and hostage release deal, with Trump declaring on social media that &ldquo;We have a real chance for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST... WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!&rdquo; AFP reported Monday that Trump said he was &quot;very confident&quot; of a Gaza deal, telling reporters, &quot;I am, I&#39;m very confident,&quot; when asked about peace prospects. When asked if all parties supported his plan, he repeated, &quot;very confident.&quot; Israel&rsquo;s War on Gaza Israel&rsquo;s war on Gaza has killed over 66,000 Palestinians and displaced more than 90% of Gaza&rsquo;s population, with devastating shortages of food, water, and medical supplies due to an ongoing siege. The UN and numerous countries have called for immediate humanitarian access and ceasefire amid growing famine and civilian suffering. The conflict&rsquo;s toll and Israel&rsquo;s response have eroded its international support, with 28 Western-aligned countries urging an end to the offensive, and ten countries recently recognizing Palestinian statehood. Several Arab states and international experts accuse Israel of committing genocide, a charge Israel vehemently denies and the issue is under review by the UN&rsquo;s highest court. UN report finds Israel responsible for Gaza genocide On September 16, 2025, the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry (COI) issued its third report on the Israeli war on Gaza, recognizing for the first time that genocide has been committed and continues against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The report demanded Israel immediately implement a &ldquo;complete and permanent&rdquo; ceasefire and ensure unfettered humanitarian access. The COI&rsquo;s investigation, spanning October 2023 to July 2025, found Israel responsible for four of the five acts constituting genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention, including killing members of the group, causing serious bodily and mental harm, deliberately inflicting destructive living conditions, and imposing measures to prevent births within the group. Specific evidence cited included attacks on civilians and healthcare facilities, torture and sexual violence against Palestinian detainees, destruction of maternity and fertility clinics, attacks on agricultural land, cultural sites, and widespread displacement of Gaza&rsquo;s population. The report concluded these acts were committed with clear genocidal intent, based on statements and actions by Israeli authorities. With input by Associated Press (AP) and Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif meets with the United States President Donald Trump in the White House on September 26, 2025. (Prime Minister's Office)

Pakistan’s PM welcomed Trump’s Gaza peace plan and called for a lasting two-state solution ahead of Israeli PM Netanyahu and Trump’s meeting to discuss Gaza's ceasefire, future governance, and hostage release.

Pakistan welcomes Trump’s Gaza peace plan, lauds his leadership efforts

GAZA CITY: Hamas said a mass walkout of delegations before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&#39;s speech at the United Nations on Friday showed Israel&#39;s &quot;isolation&quot; as a result of the Gaza war. &quot;Boycotting Netanyahu&#39;s speech is one manifestation of Israel&#39;s isolation and the consequences of the war of extermination,&quot; Taher al-Nunu, the media adviser to the head of Hamas&#39;s political bureau, said in a statement.

Hamas says walkouts before Netanyahu UN speech show Israel 'isolation'

ISLAMABAD: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced a mass walkout at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday as he delivered a combative defense of Israel&rsquo;s war in Gaza, laced with Islamophobic remarks, attacks on Western states recognizing Palestine, and warnings against Iran.&nbsp;Netanyahu addressed a largely empty hall after dozens of delegations walked out in protest over Israel&rsquo;s military campaign in Gaza, which has killed more than 65,500 people, mostly civilians, according to local health authorities. His speech was broadcast along the Israel-Gaza border via loudspeakers mounted on trucks as part of an official campaign to project his message inside Gaza.&nbsp;Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged war crimes, lashed out at France, Britain, Australia, and Canada for recognizing a Palestinian state. He compared the move to &ldquo;murdering Jews,&rdquo; accusing these governments of &ldquo;rewarding terrorism.&rdquo;&nbsp;He warned that establishing a Palestinian state near Jerusalem would be like &ldquo;giving Al Qaeda a state one mile from New York City after September 11,&rdquo; dismissing the idea as &ldquo;sheer madness.&rdquo;&nbsp;Iran as &ldquo;terror axis&rdquo;Holding up a map labeled &ldquo;The Curse,&rdquo; Netanyahu described Iran as the hub of a &ldquo;terror axis&rdquo; threatening &ldquo;the peace of the entire world&rdquo; and Israel&rsquo;s existence. He cited Israel&rsquo;s strikes on Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Hamas, and even took credit for the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.<figure class="fr-media"> </figure><figure class="fr-media"> </figure><figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/57ed6d92-3fb6-4da1-a741-800c2b8d648b-netnayhua.png" alt="The Israeli PM started off his speech by pulling out a map with the words “The Curse” written on it. He declared Iran as a hub “terror axis” that threatens the “peace of entire world”, “the stability of [Middle East]”, and “the very existence of my countr" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">The Israeli PM started off his speech by pulling out a map with the words &ldquo;The Curse&rdquo; written on it. He declared Iran as a hub &ldquo;terror axis&rdquo; that threatens the &ldquo;peace of entire world&rdquo;, &ldquo;the stability of [Middle East]&rdquo;, and &ldquo;the very existence of my country, Israel&rdquo;.</figcaption></figure>Iran&rsquo;s foreign ministry denounced the speech as &ldquo;Islamophobic propaganda&rdquo; aimed at justifying &ldquo;genocide in Gaza&rdquo; and condemned what it called Israel&rsquo;s attempts to distract from its war crimes.&nbsp;Rejection of genocideResponding to genocide accusations, Netanyahu claimed Israel takes unprecedented measures to protect civilians, saying, &ldquo;For Israel, every civilian casualty is a tragedy. For Hamas, it is a victory.&rdquo;&nbsp;He accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields but rejected responsibility for Gaza&rsquo;s humanitarian catastrophe, which UN agencies warn has pushed the enclave to the brink of famine.&nbsp;Hamas responseHamas welcomed the mass boycott, saying it underscored Israel&rsquo;s deepening isolation. &ldquo;Boycotting Netanyahu&rsquo;s speech is one manifestation of Israel&rsquo;s isolation and the consequences of the war of extermination,&rdquo; said Taher al-Nunu, media adviser to Hamas political bureau.&nbsp;<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/67780db5-3782-4c05-bfbc-39927ba3c9bf-6283817018288264.jpg" alt="6283817018288264.jpg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">People walk out of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speech at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 26, 2025 in New York City. (AFP)</figcaption></figure>Netanyahu also dismissed the Palestinian Authority as &ldquo;corrupt to the core,&rdquo; accusing it of incentivizing violence against Israelis. He argued the PA was no different from Hamas in opposing Israel&rsquo;s existence.&nbsp;Hostages and US supportSpeaking directly to families of hostages still held in Gaza, Netanyahu vowed they would not be forgotten: &ldquo;We will not rest until we bring all of you home.&rdquo; He praised US President Donald Trump for supporting Israel and urged the UN Security Council to reinstate sanctions against Iran to prevent it from rebuilding its nuclear program.&nbsp;Rejection of ceasefireThe Israeli leader rejected international appeals for a ceasefire as &ldquo;empty posturing,&rdquo; insisting that many governments privately thank Israel for countering terrorism. He described Israel&rsquo;s post-October 7 response as &ldquo;one of the most stunning in history,&rdquo; though fighting continues.&nbsp;Despite ruling out Palestinian statehood, Netanyahu signaled openness to peace with Lebanon and Syria through direct talks. He suggested that defeating Hamas could clear the way for broader normalization with Arab and Muslim-majority states, but warned Western leaders against &ldquo;shoving a terror state down our throats.&rdquo;

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2025. REUTERSKylie Cooper

Israeli PM opens his address in front of a largely empty hall, as several delegations staged a walkout in protest against the war in Gaza.

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