Israel / Palestine

[…] The soldiers will include several units with varying expertise, such as explosives handling and medical support.

[…] The statement said the unity government will not promote any unrelated policy or laws except those related to the ongoing fighting with Hamas in Gaza.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday voiced grave concern over the escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza and stressed the need to prevent the violence from spreading into the wider region. The UN chief raised alarm over clashes along the Blue Line, the demarcation between Israel and Lebanon, as well as reported attacks from southern Lebanon.

The European Union has expanded its warnings that tech companies must remove illegal content from their platforms, or risk facing severe legal penalties. … In his letters to Musk and Zuckerberg, [EU industry chief Thierry] Breton said their companies had 24 hours to inform the EU how they were stopping harmful content on their platforms.

Israel's siege of Gaza is illegal the EU's top diplomat has said, while insisting that European aid to Palestine will keep flowing.

The move comes amid stepped-up international efforts by Egypt and the UN to defuse tensions and prevent a new round of armed conflict in the enclave.

Almost 50 foreign ministers from Europe and the Middle East met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week to unveil a new initiative. The initiative aims to revive the long-dormant peace process between Israel and Palestine. The EU is co-leading alongside Saudi Arabia, the Arab League, Jordan and Egypt.

More than 200 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis have been killed so far this year in demonstrations, clashes, military operations, attacks and other incidents, which already surpasses last year’s death toll, UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland said in a briefing to the Security Council on Monday.

The UN chief addressed the escalating loss of life in Israel and Palestine on Thursday, voicing strong condemnation for all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror. “Israel’s airstrikes and ground operations in a crowded refugee camp were the worst violence in the West Bank in many years,” said António Guterres, referring to the two-day-long military assault in Jenin, which began on Monday morning, involving the use of airstrikes and missiles fired from drones.

The Israeli army has withdrawn its troops from the refugee camp in the West Bank city of Jenin, Israeli officials said early on Wednesday. … The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the two-day-operation — the largest in the West Bank in around two decades — targeted militants based in the Jenin refugee camp.