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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has thrown up more doubts about the future of the Gaza Strip, suggesting that the Palestinian Authority in its current form should not take charge of the coastal enclave.
Israel has vowed to destroy Palestinian group Hamas, which governs Gaza, following its shock October 7 cross-border assault, and has launched a full-scale invasion of the territory. However, it has not spelt out who should rule the enclave once the conflict is over, saying only that Israel would maintain overall security. Washington has said Israel cannot occupy the enclave after the war, with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken saying last week that the Gaza administration had to be re-unified with the nearby West Bank, parts of which are run by the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on Friday that the PA could play a future role in governing the Gaza Strip, but Netanyahu indicated late Saturday he did not want the current PA rulers to be given free rein in Gaza.At a news conference, Netanyahu aired his long-standing grievances over the PA’s school syllabus, which he says fuels hatred of Israel. Israel pressed on with its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza, engaging in ground battles in a northern refugee camp while rejecting rising international calls for a ceasefire.
The United Nations said Israeli ground attacks and shelling intensified around hospitals in Gaza City and northern Gaza, with several being directly hit, while contact was lost with Al-Shifa, a major facility. Israel, which accuses Hamas of using the hospitals as command centers, said there was safe passage for anyone who wanted to leave.
3,00,000 protestors march in London to protest war in Gaza
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More than 300,000 protesters gathered in London for a pro-Palestinian march that’s turned into a divisive political issue in the UK, while police arrested dozens of English nationalists seeking to disrupt it.
Demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war have been held the past four weekends, but Saturday’s event sparked more controversy because of the timing and the reaction to it within the government. It coincided with Remembrance Day when the UK marks the end of World War I and honors military personnel who have died in conflict.
Iran’s president calls for arming Palestinians
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, attending the joint Arab Islamic extraordinary summit in Riyadh, called for Muslim countries to arm Palestinians if Israel’s attacks persist. It was the first time in more than a decade that a sitting Iranian president traveled to the kingdom. A further 30,000 people left areas in northern Gaza for the south on Friday while only 30 more aid trucks managed to cross the border from Egypt.
French President Emmanuel Macron told the BBC there was “no justification” for the bombing of Gaza and urged a ceasefire.
