Author: Gulf News Week

The Canadian prime minister says Hamas cannot play a role in the future of Palestine or take part in possible 2026 elections.Canada has joined several Western countries in announcing its intention to recognise a Palestinian state amid the continuing Israeli atrocities unfolding in Gaza.Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement on Wednesday.He explained that Ottawa had hoped that a two-state solution could be achieved through a negotiated peace process, but that approach was “no longer tenable”.“Canada intends to recognise the State of Palestine at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025,” Carney told reporters.The…

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem says group will ‘not submit to Israel’ and disarm as pressure on Lebanon grows.Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has said that calls for the Lebanese group’s disarmament serve only Israel, amid pressure from the United States for Beirut to take such steps.“Those who call for submitting arms practically demand submitting them to Israel … We will not submit to Israel,” Qassem said on Wednesday in a televised address marking the first anniversary of the targeted killing by Israel of senior commander Fuad Shukr.Hezbollah emerged weakened from a war with Israel last year that eliminated most of the…

Mauritian rider Kim Le Court has made history for Africa by winning a stage at the women’s Tour de France.Mauritian Kim Le Court became the first African to win a stage on the women’s Tour de France..It was a case of double celebration for the 29-year-old who, on Wednesday took the fifth stage honours in a sprint to reclaim the leader’s yellow jersey.Le Court edged Dutch duo Demi Vollering and Anna van der Breggen after a hilly 166km ride, the longest of the Tour, from Chasseneuil-du-Poitou Futuroscope to Gueret.Overnight leader Marianne Vos lost yellow to the AG Insurance-Soudal team leader…

The cofounder of a pro-Palestinian campaign group has won her bid to bring a legal challenge against the British government’s decision to ban the group under “antiterrorism” laws.London’s High Court on Wednesday ruled that the ban could be considered to be an impingement of freedom of expression and the group should have been consulted before it went into effect.Palestine Action has increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain, often spraying red paint, blocking entrances or damaging equipment. It accuses Britain’s government of complicity in what it says are Israeli war crimes in Gaza.After the group broke into a military airbase in…

Only 32 percent of survey respondents said they approve of Israel’s conduct in Gaza, down 10 points from last year.Washington, DC – A new poll from the research firm Gallup suggests that only 32 percent of Americans approve of Israel’s military action in Gaza, a 10-point drop from September 2024, as anger over atrocities against Palestinians continues to rise.The survey, released on Tuesday, also showed an enormous partisan divide over the issue. Seventy-one percent of respondents who identified as members of the Republican Party said they approve of Israel’s conduct, compared with 8 percent of Democrats.Overall, 60 percent of respondents…

Trump rolled back sanctions against Israeli settlers, including Yinon Levi, the alleged killer of Awdah Hathaleen.Washington, DC – A spokesperson for the State Department in the United States has been questioned about the killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen, allegedly at the hands of an Israeli settler previously sanctioned by the US government.At a news briefing on Tuesday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce demurred when asked whether the suspect in Hathaleen’s death, Yinon Levi, would be held accountable.“Israel has investigations that it’s implementing regarding situations of this sort,” Bruce said. “I don’t know the end result of what that’s going…

The right-wing congresswoman condemns the ‘starvation happening in Gaza’ as she criticises her pro-Israel colleague Randy Fine.Washington, DC – United States Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a right-wing ally of US President Donald Trump, has suggested that Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, highlighting a growing schism in the Republican Party.In a social media post this week, Greene condemned the dire situation in Gaza, where an Israeli-imposed hunger crisis has killed more than 120 people.She also criticised her colleague Randy Fine, who has openly celebrated the starvation and bombardment of Palestinians.“It’s the most truthful and easiest thing to say…

PM says Israel must take major steps in coming weeks or the UK will make its move ahead of UN General Assembly in September.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told his cabinet that the United Kingdom will recognise the state of Palestine by September unless Israel takes “substantive steps” to end its war on Gaza and commits to a lasting peace process.According to a government statement issued after an emergency cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Starmer said the move could come before the United Nations General Assembly in New York unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire, halts plans to annex parts…

The family man, activist, and football fiend also helped make an Oscar-winning documentary.Masafer Yatta, occupied West Bank – Awdah Hathaleen was standing by a fence in the Umm al-Kheir community centre when he was shot in the chest by an Israeli settler on Monday.The beloved 31-year-old activist and father of three fell to the ground as people rushed over to try to help him. Then an ambulance came out of the nearby illegal settlement of Carmel and took him away.Israeli authorities have refused to release his body for burial, simply telling his family on Monday night that he had died,…

RSF attacks in North Kordofan are exacerbating the humanitarian crisis on the provincial capital of el-Obeid.On the morning of June 25, the crackling sound of machinegun fire startled Hamisa and her family as they were having breakfast in Sudan’s North Kordofan state.The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had just stormed her village, Kazkeel, on motorbikes, as they burned huts and farms and fired artillery at women and children fleeing for their lives.Hamisa, 60, fled with her seven teenage children, siblings and mother. As they made a run for it, she saw young men from her village picking up guns to…