GAZA CITY: A top Hamas official told AFP Saturday that the release of 48 mostly Israeli hostages held by Palestinian in Gaza would begin on Monday morning. &quot;According to the signed agreement, the prisoner exchange is set to begin on Monday morning as agreed, and there are no new developments on this matter,&quot; Osama Hamdan said in an interview with AFP. Hamas on the ground have not yet notified the movement&#39;s leadership about the logistics of the hostages&#39; handover, Hamdan added. Following the return of the captives from Gaza, Israel will proceed with the release of about 2,000 Palestinian detainees from its prisons, according to the terms of the first stage of a ceasefire deal signed by the two parties under US mediation. Hamdan said that the list of Palestinian prisoners slated for release was still under negotiation. Hamas&#39;s &quot;prisoners office has said that, so far, the process has not been finalized. Israel is still refusing to release certain names. However, the negotiating delegation is making every effort to secure their release,&quot; the official said, adding that the final list would be ready on Saturday night or by Sunday morning &quot;at the latest&quot;. Hamdan further highlighted that under the agreement, five entry points for humanitarian aid are expected to be opened, and said that the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt will reopen &quot;for individuals in both directions starting next Wednesday&quot;. Italy said that the Rafah crossing would reopen on Tuesday under the supervision of an EU monitoring mission, with a police presence from Italy, Spain and France.

Middle East

Hamas official Osama Hamdan said the hostage-prisoner exchange will begin Monday, involving 48 hostages and about 2,000 Palestinian detainees. Negotiations continue over final names, and Rafah crossing is set to reopen next week.

Hamas official says hostages release to begin on Monday morning

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign minister and his Egyptian counterpart exchanged views on the ongoing situation in the Middle East, especially the developments in Gaza. A telephonic conversation was held between the two leaders, according to a statement released by Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday. Developments in GazaPakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar spoke with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Dr Badr Abdelatty, it 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-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1976911958873194844&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=344a9fbe5eaf2d6414c517f6e95858521841675c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 793px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1976911958873194844"></iframe></div></div>According to the statement, the two leaders exchanged views on the ongoing situation in the Middle East, particularly the developments in Gaza and Palestine. They also discussed regional diplomatic efforts and coordination ahead of the forthcoming Summit scheduled to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, it said. Humanitarian crisis in Gaza&nbsp;Moreover, the Pakistani foreign minister also spoke with the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan, Jeyhun Bayramov on Saturday, said another statement released by the ministry.<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" allowtransparency="true" 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=1976928275449471195&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=344a9fbe5eaf2d6414c517f6e95858521841675c&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 798px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1976928275449471195"></iframe></div></div>They discussed the situation in the Middle East and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The two ministers also exchanged views on the broader efforts by Arab-Islamic countries to promote peace and stability in the region, as well as on the forthcoming summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the statement added. According to AFP, US President Donald Trump has said he expects to head to the Middle East on Sunday, with stops in Egypt, where the talks took place, and Israel. New Gaza police force&nbsp;With Egypt&#39;s support, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa has scheduled a reconstruction conference to take place a month after the ceasefire, Reuters reported on Thursday. Updated World Bank estimates put reconstruction costs for Gaza at $80 billion, up from $53 billion last October, he said. That&#39;s four times the combined GDP of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2022, according to the multilateral lender. Arab states including Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar backed the Saudi-French plan, which called for a transitional administrative committee to be formed &quot;under the umbrella of the&quot; PA, and foresaw the deployment of an international stabilization mission at the PA&#39;s invitation. The Trump plan foresees a temporary international stabilization mission deploying to train and support vetted Palestinian police forces, saying it would &quot;consult with Jordan and Egypt&quot;, Reuters reported. Mustafa said the PA had already nominated some 5,500 Palestinians to be part of a new Gaza police force being trained by Egypt. The goal is to train at least 10,000 people.

Foreign Affairs

Views exchanged on the ongoing situation in the Middle East, particularly the developments in Gaza and Palestine; regional diplomatic efforts discussed ahead of the forthcoming Summit scheduled to take place in Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday. 

Pakistan’s foreign minister discuss situation in Gaza with Egyptian, Azeri counterparts

UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan told the United Nations on Friday that a just and peaceful world order depends on applying international law universally, warning against impunity in conflicts like Kashmir and Palestine. At the UN Sixth Committee meeting on &ldquo;The Rule of Law at the National and International Level,&rdquo; Pakistan ambassador to the UN&nbsp;Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the rule of law is the foundation of civilization and economic growth. He warned that growing geopolitical rivalry and unilateral actions risk breaking down the international legal order. Ahmad pointed to ongoing occupations in Jammu and Kashmir and said ending impunity and respecting international law are essential for peace. He condemned India&rsquo;s May 2025 offensive as a serious violation of Pakistan&rsquo;s sovereignty that killed 54 civilians. Pakistan&rsquo;s lawful and proportionate response followed Article 51 of the UN Charter. The ambassador said peace and development depend on the rule of law and Pakistan&rsquo;s commitment to peaceful dispute resolution, noting Security Council Resolution 2788, passed under Pakistan&rsquo;s leadership this year. He urged all states to follow binding Security Council resolutions. Marking 80 years of the UN, he called for democratizing international law to ensure it remains inclusive and fair. He said Pakistan bases its actions on sovereignty, self-determination, non-use of force, and non-interference. The Pakistani envoy closed his speech by saying his country&nbsp;will work to strengthen the rules-based international system to reduce conflict and promote global stability.

Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad. 

Pakistan told the UN that peace requires universal international law, condemned India's May 2025 aggression against Pakistan, and urged respect for Security Council resolutions to ensure stability.

Pakistan tells UN selective justice undermines rule of law in Kashmir, Palestine

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed called on the international community to uphold the right to self-determination for the people of Indian-occupied Kashmir and Palestine, during his address at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.&nbsp;Addressing the Special Political and Decolonization Committee during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed drew global attention to the ongoing plights of peoples living under foreign occupation, particularly in Indian-occupied Kashmir and Palestine.&nbsp;He described the denial of self-determination to the Kashmiri people as one of the UN&rsquo;s oldest unresolved issues and urged the global body to implement its own resolutions. &ldquo;The final status of Jammu and Kashmir must be determined through a free and impartial plebiscite under UN supervision,&rdquo; Ahmed stressed.&nbsp;Condemning India&rsquo;s decades-long actions in the region, the Pakistani envoy accused New Delhi of pursuing a &ldquo;settler-colonial agenda&rdquo; aimed at altering Kashmir&rsquo;s demography. He cited the deployment of 900,000 Indian troops in the region and widespread human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary detentions, and collective punishment.&nbsp;Ahmed also denounced India&rsquo;s revocation of Jammu and Kashmir&rsquo;s special constitutional status on August 5, 2019, calling it illegal and in direct violation of UN Security Council resolutions.&nbsp;He warned that peace in South Asia remains impossible without resolving the Kashmir dispute and praised the resilience of Kashmiris in their struggle for freedom. &ldquo;Peace cannot be built on injustice and denial of rights,&rdquo; he asserted.&nbsp;Turning to the crisis in Gaza, the ambassador condemned Israel&rsquo;s airstrikes, stating that women and children were being deliberately targeted. &ldquo;These are not collateral damages, these are blatant violations of international humanitarian law,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Ahmed described Gaza&rsquo;s humanitarian catastrophe as a consequence of long-standing occupation, adding that &ldquo;occupation must end, as it remains the root cause of regional instability.&rdquo;&nbsp;He reaffirmed Pakistan&rsquo;s unwavering support for a viable and independent State of Palestine, based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.&nbsp;Ahmed warned against the continued presence of colonialism in the modern era. &ldquo;The struggles of Kashmir and Palestine are powerful reminders that freedom denied is freedom diminished,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The international community cannot allow colonialism in any form to persist in the 21st century.&rdquo;

Pakistan’s UN envoy called for upholding Kashmir and Palestine’s right to self-determination, condemning Indian repression and Israeli occupation, while urging international support for peace and decolonization efforts.

Pakistan urges UN action on Kashmir, Palestine occupations

ROME: Israel&rsquo;s World Cup qualifying match at Italy next week is expected to attract more pro-Palestinian protesters outside the soccer stadium in Udine than ticket-holding spectators inside the arena.&nbsp;Protesters already approached the gates of Italy&rsquo;s training center in Florence last week to demand that the match isn&rsquo;t played because of the war in Gaza, part of a national strike that saw millions of activists take to the streets.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s not going to be a calm environment,&rdquo; Italy coach Gennaro Gattuso acknowledged Tuesday from inside the Coverciano training center that was targeted. &ldquo;There will be 10,000 people outside the stadium and 5-6,000 inside the stadium.&rdquo;&nbsp;As of Monday, only 4,000 tickets were sold for next Tuesday&rsquo;s match at Stadio Friuli.&nbsp;While UEFA had been considering suspending Israel over the war and Udine Mayor Alberto Felice De Toni had called for the game to be postponed, with Italy desperately attempting to avoid failing to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, the four-time champion doesn&rsquo;t plan to risk not playing.&nbsp;&ldquo;We have to play this match. Because if we don&rsquo;t, we&rsquo;ll lose it 3-0,&rdquo; Gattuso said, referring to the rule for forfeited matches. &ldquo;(Italian soccer federation) president (Gabriele) Gravina explained that very well.&rdquo;&nbsp;There was also tension on the field between the two squads after the final whistle when Italy edged Israel 5-4 in a nine-goal thriller last month in neutral Hungary, where Israel has been playing its &ldquo;home&rdquo; matches during the war.&nbsp;The protesters in Italy and elsewhere have also been reacting to an international aid mission blocked by Israeli forces.&nbsp;&ldquo;It&rsquo;s upsetting to see what&rsquo;s happening to innocent people and children,&rdquo; Gattuso said. &ldquo;It hurts your heart.&rdquo;&nbsp;Italy and Israel are level six points behind group leader Norway, with only the first-place finisher in the group to qualify directly for next year&rsquo;s tournament in North America.&nbsp;The second-place finishers progress to a playoff, the stage where Italy was eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia and ruled out of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, respectively.&nbsp;&nbsp;Israel could also face protests during a visit to Norway on Saturday.&nbsp;The Norwegian soccer federation pledged to give its profits from ticket sales for the game in Oslo to humanitarian work in Gaza by Doctors Without Borders.&nbsp;Italy played Israel in Udine last October in the Nations League. That game went off without incident amid a heavy police presence and despite a pro-Palestinian demonstration before the game. Italy won 4-1.

Football

Protests are expected during next week’s Italy-Israel World Cup qualifying match in Udine, raising security concerns amid anger over the Gaza war and increasing calls for the game’s cancellation.


Tension builds as Italy-Israel World Cup qualifying match faces protests

JERUSALEM: Israel&#39;s military chief warned on Sunday that if negotiations to secure the release of hostages fail to achieve their aims, the military will return to fighting in Gaza. &quot;There is no ceasefire (at the moment), but the operational situation has changed, with the political level converting the tools and achievements you have gained through military action into political gains,&quot; Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir told a group of soldiers deployed in Gaza. &quot;If the political effort fails, we will return to fighting,&quot; he added, according to a statement issued by the military.

 Israeli soldiers take position along the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP)

Europe

Israel’s military chief warned that fighting in Gaza will resume if hostage negotiations fail, emphasizing that current political efforts aim to convert military achievements into diplomatic gains amid an uneasy halt in combat operations.

Israel army chief warns fighting in Gaza will resume if talks fail

ROME: Huge numbers turned out at pro-Palestinian rallies in Europe on Saturday, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the release of activists on board a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the territory.&nbsp;Organizers of the protest in Rome said hundreds of thousands of people had turned out for a fourth day running, after Israel intercepted the 45-strong flotilla seeking to reach Gaza earlier this week.&nbsp;Some 70,000 people, according to police, took to the streets in Barcelona, in one of several pro-Palestinian protests to take place across Spain.&nbsp;Elsewhere, several thousand people marched through the centre of the Irish capital, Dublin, to mark what organizers said was &quot;two years of genocide&quot; in Gaza.&nbsp;With Ireland, Spain is one of the fiercest European critics of Israel&#39;s military offensive in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas &nbsp;October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza Strip.&nbsp;But in Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni&#39;s hard-right government has been criticized for its inaction on the siege of the Palestinian territory.&nbsp;On Saturday, Meloni accused demonstrators of defacing a statue of Pope John Paul II with graffiti in front of Rome&#39;s main train station, calling it a &quot;shameful act&quot;.&nbsp;&quot;They claim to take to the streets for peace, but they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace,&quot; she said in a statement.&nbsp;Protesters in the Italian capital, including families with children, shouted, &quot;We are all Palestinians&quot;, &quot;Free Palestine&quot; and &quot;Stop the genocide&quot;, with many carrying Palestinian flags and wearing black-and-white chequered keffiyehs.&nbsp;&quot;Usually, I don&#39;t appreciate large-scale demonstrations, but today, I couldn&#39;t bring myself to stay home,&quot; Donato Colucci, a 44-year-old scout leader accompanying 150 youths from a secular association, told AFP.&nbsp;&quot;I think countries like Italy, France, and Spain have developed a culture of resistance and democratic values more than others because they experienced dictatorship and violence.&quot;&nbsp;In Barcelona, Marta Carranza, a 65-year-old pensioner demonstrating with a Palestinian flag on her back, said Israel&#39;s policy &quot;has been wrong for many years and we have to take to the streets&quot;.&nbsp;&nbsp;SolidarityThe Global Sumud flotilla, which was intercepted on Wednesday, left Barcelona in early September and had been seeking to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold.&nbsp;Around 50 Spaniards on the flotilla have been detained by Israel, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares told public television in an interview aired on Saturday.&nbsp;The flotilla organisers say Israel&#39;s actions were &quot;illegal&quot; since they intercepted the vessels while they were traversing international waters.&nbsp;In Paris, where some 10,000 people gathered, a spokesperson for the French contingent of Global Sumud, Helene Coron, told the crowd: &quot;We&#39;ll never stop.&nbsp;&quot;This flotilla didn&#39;t get to Gaza. But we&#39;ll send another, then another until Palestine and Gaza are free.&quot;&nbsp;Jordi Bas, a 40-year-old primary school teacher waving a Palestinian flag in Barcelona, said he was not surprised by the huge turn-out.

Huge numbers turned out at pro-Palestinian rallies in Europe on Saturday, calling for an immediate end to the war in Gaza and the release of activists on board a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to the territory

Hundreds of thousands turn out at pro-Palestinian marches in Europe

Gaitty Ara Anis

US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s newly announced 20-point plan to end Israel&rsquo;s war in Gaza and release hostages held by Hamas has sparked mixed reactions across the Middle East. It was initially widely praised but was soon followed by criticism from key regional allies. Pakistan issued a joint statement with seven other Muslim countries during the announcement of the 20-point peace plan, praising President Trump&#39;s sincere efforts to end the war. Later, Pakistan, along with Qatar, noted that changes had been made to the originally-proposed draft. The changes are being called out as benefiting Israel rather than the Palestinians and requiring the inclusion of other points that were previously discussed with the US. &lsquo;Lack of Palestinian input&rsquo;Experts on the Middle East believe there are many obstacles to implementing the plan, from the supposed disagreement within the Hamas leadership to doubts about Israel&rsquo;s intentions to carry it out. Dr Jason Campbell, an expert on defense and regional security at The Middle East Institute, called it a sign of &ldquo;general frustrations&rdquo; that seem to center on a handful of factors stipulated in the plan. &ldquo;Lack of Palestinian input in the drafting has been a justifiable criticism,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;Particularly given that it was Israel&#39;s unwarranted attack on Hamas negotiators in Doha that derailed previous collaborative discussions.&rdquo; This is a view shared by Areig Elhag, Arabic Content Editor at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. She says that the plan was shaped mainly around US and Israeli priorities. &ldquo;Without solid guarantees for Palestinian sovereignty, regional actors recognized that implementation depends on reforms within the Palestinian Authority and the disarmament of Hamas&rdquo; &mdash; conditions she believes seem highly unrealistic to materialize in the near term. &lsquo;Product of extensive consultation&rsquo;Trump described his plan as the product of &ldquo;extensive consultation with friends and partners throughout the region.&rdquo;&nbsp; Under the plan, hostilities would end immediately once both parties accepted. Israeli forces would withdraw to agreed positions, and all military operations would be frozen. Within 72 hours, all hostages would be returned, and Israel would release Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and those detained. Hamas members who agree to disarm and &ldquo;commit to peaceful co-existence&rdquo; would receive amnesty, while those wishing to leave Gaza would be granted safe passage to third countries. As proposed by President Trump in the draft, a &ldquo;Peace Board&rdquo; would take over control of the administration in Gaza, headed by President Trump himself; however, the rest of the composition remains unclear. A few names have been floated, said Dr Campbell, such as Tony Blair&rsquo;s.&nbsp; However, many consider the former British prime minister a controversial figure, often questioned for his allegedly misleading policies during the Iraq War. Blair&#39;s decision to lead the UK into the 2003 Iraq War remains one of the most controversial events of his career. Given that context, analysts believe this is also drawing criticism, particularly from Palestinians. Elhag notes that concerns in such a situation are justified. She explains that they stem from a lack of clear mechanisms for enforcing the plan, causing the 20 points to seem more like a &ldquo;political gesture than a practical roadmap.&rdquo; Accept now. Discuss details later?Dr Campbell considers it a concern that the peace draft does not specify conditions for fully removing Israeli forces from Gaza. Despite this flaw, he says, reports indicate that key mediators, including Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt, are &ldquo;recommending&rdquo; that Hamas negotiators accept the plan &ldquo;in principle&rdquo; and iron out the details during implementation. This approach aligns with the stance many Islamic countries are also adopting, as Pakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, pointed out the absence of several critical points from the peace plan but expressed hope that they will be included in the future.Is there any alternative to this plan? There have been numerous ceasefire deals that were tabled over the past two years of Israel&rsquo;s war against Palestine, but none of those have borne any fruit. &ldquo;The reality is that there are no other alternatives currently on the table, and the continuation of the war is in no one&#39;s interest.&rdquo; Regarding whether Hamas and Israel will follow the plan, Elhag said, &ldquo;It is difficult to imagine both sides fully committing. Hamas remains divided &mdash; some leaders are pragmatic, while others are hardline. This internal split weakens the chances of success.&rdquo; On the Israeli side, the government faces significant domestic political pressure. Prime Minister Netanyahu may publicly support the plan, but he must proceed cautiously to avoid alienating his coalition partners. Over the past two years, there remain strong doubts about the seriousness of this proposal. While Dr Jason Campbell also shares this skepticism, he said that predicting anything is impossible. However, based on recent history, he believes both sides will try to follow the plan in words, if not in practice. There is sufficient ambiguity in the points to allow each side to claim they are following the agreement, even if no real progress is being made.What does this plan mean for a common Gazan? Both Elhag and Dr Campbell agree that the world is exhausted from witnessing the widespread devastation and human suffering in Gaza, and the priority is to stop it immediately. &ldquo;The reported sentiment is one of ending the incessant attacks, even if the points presented are imperfect.&rdquo; Elhag believes that &ldquo;many Gazans are likely to see it less as a genuine peace agreement and more as a managed truce, one that temporarily improves daily life but postpones core political issues such as statehood and sovereignty.&rdquo; &ldquo;Without addressing the fundamentals,&rdquo; she fears, &ldquo;the plan risks becoming just another transitional arrangement rather than a lasting solution.&rdquo;While the plan gains momentum as more Western nations acknowledge Palestine&#39;s statehood, President Trump has made it clear that he &ldquo;will be the one deciding when Hamas has run out of time.&rdquo;

The plan was initially widely praised but was soon followed by criticism from key regional allies.

Gaza peace plan faces Mideast skepticism

A screengrab from a livestream shows Israeli navy forces aboard the Gaza-bound vessel Florida, part of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which organizers say was intercepted Oct. 2, 2025. (Global Sumud Flotilla via Reuters)

Israeli naval forces intercept the Global Sumud Flotilla about 70 nautical miles off Gaza, boarding Alma, Sirius, and Adara, detaining activists including Greta Thunberg and Pakistani Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan. Twenty-one vessels are confirmed intercepted, 19 assumed, and four still sailing or under legal support.

Pakistan 'strongly condemns' Israel for interception of Global Sumud Flotilla 

BRUSSELS: Pro-Palestinian protests are shaking major European cities, and calls are growing to ban Israel from sporting and cultural events. European navies have been deployed to protect activists trying to get aid into Gaza, and a wave of countries have done the once-unthinkable and recognized a Palestinian state. As outrage over the humanitarian catastrophe grows, more European leaders, sometimes driven by pressure from their populations, have openly condemned Israel&#39;s war conduct and sought to push Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s government to agree to a ceasefire and allow in aid. &ldquo;There has been a ground-breaking shift in Europe where, somewhere over the last year, populations have been putting more pressure on their governments, which has helped break taboos at the top over criticism of Israel,&rdquo; said Sanam Vakil, director of the Chatham House think tank&rsquo;s Middle East and North Africa program. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, one of Israel&rsquo;s closest EU allies, said last week that she would support European Union sanctions against Israel. It was her toughest position yet, and followed a nationwide strike in Italy and pro-Palestinian protests from Palermo to Milan. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Meloni said: &ldquo;Israel ended up violating humanitarian norms, causing a massacre among civilians.&rdquo; Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters launched air and ground attacks on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, Israel&rsquo;s military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 66,000 people, according to Gaza&rsquo;s Health Ministry. The ministry, part of the government and staffed by medical professionals, doesn&rsquo;t differentiate between civilians and combatants, but says women and children make up around half. The war has also destroyed vast areas of Gaza, killed 289 journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, displaced around 90% of Gaza&#39;s population, and caused a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, including an outbreak of famine in Gaza City. Pro-Palestinian protests have grown, according to the Armed Conflict Location &amp; Event Data Project, or ACLED, which monitors worldwide conflicts. From December to April, there were 780 protests across Europe. That has grown to 2,066 in the last five months, an average of at least 15 a day, said researcher Ciro Murillo. The protests cut across parties and include members of Europe&rsquo;s large Muslim communities, an important voting bloc in countries like France and Germany. In the past six months, there were only 51 pro-Israel protests in Europe, about half of them in Germany. ACLED data showed a steep drop in public support for Israel starting a few months after the war began. Speaking at the UN two days after Meloni, Netanyahu seemed to acknowledge the turn. &ldquo;Sure, in the days immediately following Oct. 7, many ... supported Israel. But that support quickly evaporated when Israel did what any self-respecting nation would do in the wake of such a savage attack,&rdquo; he told world leaders. Israel&rsquo;s deep ties with EuropeWith a shared birth in the aftermath of World War II, Israel and the European Union are intricately interwoven. Almost all Jewish Israelis trace their heritage to either the broader Middle East or the Jewish communities of Europe laid waste to by pogroms in the Russian empire and the genocidal Third Reich of Germany. &ldquo;Israel is from Europe, and anyone who fails to admit it or understand it doesn&rsquo;t really understand this country,&rdquo; said Sharon Pardo, a professor at Ben-Gurion University and author of a book on European-Israeli relations, &ldquo;Uneasy Neighbors.&rdquo; Strategic practicality drove Israel towards Europe, even if many considered it &ldquo;a continent of murderers,&rdquo; Pardo said. Israel&rsquo;s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, began building long-standing economic, political and cultural ties with Europe. Today, the EU is Israel&rsquo;s top trading partner. &ldquo;These were the immediate markets for Israeli agriculture; this was the market for weapons for Israel,&rdquo; Pardo said. But the embrace by Netanyahu, Israel&rsquo;s longest-serving prime minister, of far-right European parties has antagonized the European political establishment. &ldquo;Netanyahu&rsquo;s Israel is an anti-European Union country, a Euro-sceptic country that does its utmost to harm the European integration project,&rdquo; Pardo said. Criticism of Israel rises as war in Gaza grinds onThe shocking violence of Oct. 7, 2023, ignited an outpouring of support from European leaders. Ursula von der Leyen, the EU&rsquo;s political chief, visited a still-smoldering kibbutz days later and met with Netanyahu. She pledged EU support for Israel. But nearly two years later, Israel&rsquo;s foreign minister, Gideon Saar, accused her of &ldquo;empowering a terrorist organization&rdquo; with her surprise call for the EU to increase pressure on Israel to halt the war. Von der Leyen said there&rsquo;s been &ldquo;a more systematic shift in the last months that is simply unacceptable&rdquo; in the conflict and that &ldquo;Europe needs to do more.&rdquo; She was likely influenced by growing protests and by EU staff critical of her policies, said Lisa Musiol, head of EU Affairs for the International Crisis Group. She pointed to open letters criticizing the EU&rsquo;s Gaza policy signed by more than 2,000 current EU staffers and 390 former European ambassadors and officials. Von der Leyen proposed increasing EU tariffs on some Israeli goods and sanctioning some Israeli settlers and two members of Netanyahu&rsquo;s Cabinet. She would also sanction 10 Hamas leaders. EU leaders were to discuss the proposals on Wednesday in Copenhagen. Major EU measures require unanimity &mdash; a likely impossibility in the 27-nation bloc &mdash; but some can be passed with a vote weighted by population. That would require Italy or Germany to join nations critical of Israel. All eyes on Merz and MeloniGermany&rsquo;s support for Israel is second only to the United States. But Germany&rsquo;s ruling coalition is split on Gaza, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz&rsquo;s centre-right Christian Democrats supporting Israel and the smaller Social Democrats more critical of the war. Merz has spoken to Netanyahu about his growing concerns and has curbed arms sales to Israel, but said he is not considering sanctions. Germany&#39;s historical responsibility for the Holocaust has shaped its postwar support for ensuring Israel&rsquo;s security and combating antisemitism. Still, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Berlin on Saturday, calling for the war&#39;s end. More likely to swing the vote would be Meloni, who has said she supports Italy joining recent moves to recognize a Palestinian state by European neighbors France, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the United Kingdom and Portugal, as well as Commonwealth nations Canada and Australia. In contrast to Germany, Italy has a different historical relationship to Israel, said Elisabetta Brighi, a University of Westminster professor. Deeply influenced by the country&rsquo;s strong trade unions and the Vatican, Italy could switch and join European efforts to pressure Israel over Gaza. &ldquo;Italy has not translated the trauma of fascism the same way that Germany has,&quot; she said. Italy has joined Spain in sending navy ships to protect a flotilla of boats carrying activists seeking to break Israel&rsquo;s blockade of Gaza after the activists said they were attacked by drones near Greece. Calls have also grown to ban Israel from some sporting and cultural events, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez saying after protesters disrupted the Spanish Vuelta cycling race last month that Israel should be excluded until the &ldquo;barbarity&rdquo; in Gaza ends. Some countries have also threatened to boycott the Eurovision Song Contest &mdash; hugely popular in Israel and Europe &mdash; if Israel is allowed to compete. Israeli military restricts movement, intensifies bombing in Gaza City Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the Israeli military issued new orders banning people from returning to northern Gaza while urging residents to leave for the south, as Gaza City came under heavy bombardment. Overnight strikes by Israeli planes and tanks targeted residential areas, killing at least 17 people, including seven in a strike on the old city and six sheltering in a school. Starting Wednesday, the military blocked the coastal road from south to north, allowing only southbound movement. This move pressurizes those still in Gaza City to flee and prevents displaced residents from returning, raising fears of permanent displacement.&nbsp; It also halts the flow of goods from the south to the north, likely worsening food shortages in Gaza City. Similar restrictions separating north and south were imposed earlier in the war but eased during a ceasefire in January.

Outrage over Gaza has sparked mass protests across Europe, pressuring governments to criticize Israel, consider sanctions, recognize Palestine, and threaten cultural boycotts, straining EU-Israel relations amid deepening humanitarian concerns.

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