All the late" />

Saudi Arabia presses for Palestinian state, Netanyahu rejects ceasefire, Israeli hostage protest

Filed under: All News,more news,RECENT POSTS |

All the latest developments from the Israel Hamas war.

Saudi Arabia will not recognise Israel without Palestinian state

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has said the kingdom will not normalise relations with Israel or contribute to Gaza’s reconstruction without a credible pathway to a Palestinian state.

Israeli soldiers move on armored personnel carriers (APC) near the Israeli-Gaza border as smoke rises to the sky in the Gaza Strip, 21/1/2024.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s remarks in an interview with CNN broadcast late on Sunday were some of the most direct yet from Saudi officials.

The dispute over Gaza’s future puts the United States and its Arab allies against Israel, posing a major obstacle to any plans for postwar Gaza.

Before the war, the US had been trying to broker a landmark agreement in which Saudi Arabia would normalise relations with Israel in exchange for US security guarantees, aid in establishing a civilian nuclear programme in the kingdom, and progress toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A protester wears a shirt depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempt during a demonstration to demand the release of the hostages taken by Hamas militants
A protester wears a shirt depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempt during a demonstration to demand the release of the hostages taken by Hamas militantsLeo Correa/Copyright 2023 The AP. All rights reserved.

Relatives of Israeli hostages storm parliamentary committee

Dozens of family members of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza burst into a meeting of the Finance Committee in the Israeli parliament on Monday, shouting ‘You won’t sit here while they die over there!

On Sunday night, family members set up a protest tent in Jerusalem, vowing to stay until the government makes a deal to free some hostages.

Hostage families have stepped up their protests in recent days, demanding that the government do more to free their loved ones.

All this on a day when European Union (EU) foreign ministers are hosting their Israeli and Palestinian counterparts – in two separate meetings – to discuss the prospects for peace in the Gaza conflict.

Netanyahu rejects Hamas’ ceasefire demands

Israel’s prime minister released a video statement on Sunday in which he said he stressed in his conversation with US President Joe Biden on Friday that he rejects Hamas demands for a ceasefire.

Benjamin Netanyahu also ruled out withdrawing Israeli forces from Gaza and releasing Palestinians held by Israel in exchange for the remaining hostages.

He said that agreeing means another 7 October-style attack “would only be a matter of time.”

Demonstrators hold signs and wave flags during a pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels, Sunday, Jan 21, 2024.
Demonstrators hold signs and wave flags during a pro-Palestinian rally in Brussels, Sunday, Jan 21, 2024.Geert Vanden Wijngaert/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved.

Israel strikes Hezbollah military infrastructure

The Israeli military said it carried out a series of strikes on Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in southern Lebanon on Sunday.

The IDF said the strikes took place in the area of Markaba and Kafr Kila.

Israel is determined to see tens of thousands of its citizens return to communities near the border with Lebanon that were evacuated under Hezbollah fire nearly three months ago.

But since Hamas’ surprise attack on 7 October, it may no longer be able to tolerate an armed Hezbollah presence on the other side of the frontier.

Israeli leaders have repeatedly threatened to use military force if Hezbollah does not respect a 2006 UN ceasefire that ordered the militant group to withdraw from the border.

You might also like

Israel Hamas war: More than 25,000 killed in Gaza since conflict began

Reported Israeli airstrike on Damascus kills Iranian commander

Israel Hamas war: UN say women and children main victims of conflict as IDF hit Damascus