<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;" id="isPasted">GENEVA: The United Nations voiced deep concern Tuesday over the dramatic US operation in Venezuela, warning that it clearly &quot;undermined a fundamental principle of international law&quot;.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&quot;States must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,&quot; Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the UN rights office, told reporters in Geneva.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Her comments came after Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were forcibly taken by US commandos in the early hours of Saturday amid airstrikes on the Venezuelan capital backed by warplanes and a heavy naval deployment.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Shamdasani dismissed the US justifications of the Venezuelan government&#39;s &quot;longstanding and appalling human rights violations&quot; for the raid.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&quot;Accountability for human rights violations cannot be achieved by unilateral military intervention in violation of international law,&quot; she insisted.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">She highlighted that the UN rights office had for a decade consistently reported on &quot;the continued deterioration of the situation in Venezuela&quot;.<p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; text-size-adjust: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 20px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; line-height: 2; letter-spacing: normal; font-weight: 400; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: source-sans-pro, Arial, sans-serif; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">&quot;We fear that the current instability and further militarisation in the country resulting from the US intervention will only make the situation worse.&quot;

Demonstrators hold signs in support of ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro outside the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse as Maduro awaits his arraignment hearing on January 5, 2026 in New York. (AFP)

Americas

Europe

The United Nations said that the US military operation in Venezuela undermined international law, saying unilateral force would worsen instability and human rights conditions.

US operation in Venezuela undermined international law: UN 

GENEVA: Washington on Monday pledged an initial $2 billion for United Nations humanitarian aid in 2026&mdash;far less than it has provided in recent years&mdash;warning individual UN agencies to &quot;adapt, shrink or die&quot;. With its pledge, announced at the US mission in Geneva alongside the United Nations&#39; aid chief Tom Fletcher, the United States is pursuing a dramatic overhaul of how it funds UN humanitarian work. Instead of handing funds to individual agencies, the United States will funnel its contributions through the UN aid agency OCHA, headed by Fletcher, which earlier this year launched a so-called Humanitarian Reset to improve efficiency and accountability. The US funds will then be distributed to more than a dozen selected countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar and Sudan. &quot;It is an initial anchor commitment,&quot; Jeremy Lewin, the senior US official for foreign assistance, humanitarian affairs and religious freedom, told reporters. &quot;There are other countries that we will add as we continue to get more funding into this mechanism.&quot; He challenged other countries to match or beat US funding for UN aid. &quot;This new model will better share the burden of UN humanitarian work with other developed countries and will require the UN to cut bloat, remove duplication, and commit to powerful new impact, accountability, and oversight mechanisms,&quot; US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X. According to UN data, the United States remained the top humanitarian aid donor in the world in 2025, but that amount fell significantly to $2.7 billion, down from around $11 billion in 2023 and 2024, and from over $14 billion in 2022. Other key donor countries have also been tightening their belts, triggering major upheaval in the global aid sector. &quot;Individual UN agencies will need to adapt, shrink, or die,&quot; a State Department statement said. Hard priority choicesFletcher, who is British, said the US pledge was an &quot;extraordinary&quot; commitment. &quot;The US has long been the world&#39;s humanitarian superpower,&quot; he said in a statement. &quot;Hundreds of millions of people are alive today because of American generosity&mdash;and many millions more will survive in 2026 because of this landmark investment in humanity.&quot; Fletcher said reform of the humanitarian system was in the pipeline, and US taxpayers would be able to see how their money was delivering life-saving impacts. &quot;The US is also placing a significant and encouraging vote of trust and confidence in the Humanitarian Reset, through which we are making humanitarian action faster, smarter and closer to the people on the front lines of emergencies,&quot; he said. &quot;We&#39;re cutting red tape, eliminating duplication, and prioritizing hard.&quot; When Fletcher launched the UN&#39;s annual Global Humanitarian Appeal for 2026 earlier this month, he requested $23 billion to provide assistance to 87 million of the world&#39;s neediest people, with a heavy focus on dire conflicts like those in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Haiti and Myanmar. The amount and number of people covered by the appeal has been dramatically reduced over recent years, as the UN strives to adapt to a new reality after President Donald Trump slashed US foreign aid spending. The United Nations has stressed that the smaller appeal does not mean needs have shrunk. It estimates that some 240 million people&mdash;in conflict zones, suffering from epidemics, or victims of natural disasters and climate change -- are in need of emergency aid. In 2025, the UN&#39;s appeal for more than $45 billion was only funded to the $12 billion mark, the lowest in a decade. That only allowed it to help 98 million people, 25 million fewer than the year before.&nbsp;

The United States will pledge $2 billion for UN humanitarian aid in 2026, far below past levels, as funding declines strain UN appeals seeking $23 billion to assist millions amid global conflicts and disasters worldwide

US to pledge $2B for UN humanitarian aid in 2026, lower than previously

ISLAMABAD: The United States on Thursday announced sweeping sanctions targeting shipping and aviation networks tied to Iran&rsquo;s petroleum trade, explicitly naming entities operating &ldquo;in several countries, including, but not limited to India, Panama, and the Seychelles,&rdquo; according to a State Department statement.&nbsp;The State Department said it designated 17 entities, individuals and vessels, while the Treasury Department simultaneously listed 41 entities, individuals, vessels and aircraft for allegedly helping channel funds to Iran&rsquo;s &ldquo;malign activities through illicit oil sales.&rdquo;&nbsp;The statement warned that revenue from these networks is used to support &ldquo;Iran&rsquo;s regional terrorist proxies and procure weapons systems that pose a direct threat to US forces and our allies.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;We will use all the tools at our disposal to hold the regime accountable,&rdquo; the release said, stressing that actions are being taken under National Security Presidential Memorandum 2, which directs &ldquo;maximum pressure on the Iranian regime.&rdquo;&nbsp;Iran says West pursuing &lsquo;escalation&rsquo; after new IAEA resolutionReacting a day later, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US and three European powers of triggering a fresh confrontation after the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) passed a resolution demanding &ldquo;full and prompt&rdquo; cooperation from Tehran, including access to sensitive nuclear sites.&nbsp;&ldquo;Given that the E3 and the US seek escalation, they know full well that the official termination of the Cairo Agreement is the direct outcome of their provocations,&rdquo; Araghchi posted on X.&nbsp;He added that the agreement, reached in September to guide cooperation with the IAEA, was now &ldquo;null and void&rdquo; following the new resolution.&nbsp;Araghchi said Western actions had &ldquo;killed&rdquo; the framework much like &ldquo;the diplomacy which was assaulted by Israel and the US in June,&rdquo; referencing the mid-June conflict in which Israel launched an &ldquo;unprecedented bombing campaign&rdquo; and the United States &ldquo;briefly joined with strikes on key Iranian nuclear facilities.&rdquo;&nbsp;He argued earlier that any access for inspectors to sites hit during the war depended on reaching a &ldquo;new understanding,&rdquo; saying the latest IAEA move was &ldquo;disrupting the process of interactions and cooperation.&rdquo;&nbsp;With additional inputs from AFP

Asia

US sanctions India-linked networks in Iran’s oil trade as Tehran slams Western powers for “escalation” after a new IAEA resolution renders the Cairo cooperation agreement void.

India-linked entities flagged as US tightens curbs on Iran oil trade

UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council will vote Monday on a resolution endorsing US President Donald Trump&#39;s Gaza peace plan, diplomats said.&nbsp; Last week, the Americans officially launched negotiations within the 15-member Security Council on a text that would follow up on a ceasefire in the two-year war between Israel and Hamas and endorse Trump&#39;s plan. A draft of the resolution seen Thursday by AFP &quot;welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace,&quot; a transitional governing body for Gaza -- that Trump would theoretically chair -- with a mandate running until the end of 2027. It would authorize member states to form a &quot;temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF)&quot; that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip. Unlike previous drafts, the latest mentions a possible future Palestinian state. The United States and several Arab and Muslim-majority nations, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, called Friday for the UN Security Council to quickly adopt the resolution. &quot;The United States, Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and T&uuml;rkiye express our joint support for the Security Council Resolution currently under consideration,&quot; the countries said in a joint statement, adding they were seeking the measure&#39;s &quot;swift adoption.&quot; Friday&#39;s joint statement comes as Russia circulated a competing draft resolution to Council members that does not authorize the creation of a board of peace or the immediate deployment of an international force in Gaza, according to the text seen Friday by AFP. The Russian version welcomes &quot;the initiative that led to the ceasefire&quot; but does not name Trump. It also only calls on the UN secretary-general to submit a report that addresses the possibilities of deploying an international stabilization force in war-ravaged Gaza. The United States has called the ceasefire &quot;fragile,&quot; and warned Friday of the risks of not adopting its draft. &quot;Any refusal to back this resolution is a vote either for the continued reign of Hamas terrorists or for the return to war with Israel, condemning the region and its people to perpetual conflict,&quot; the US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, wrote in The Washington Post. &quot;Every departure from this path, be it by those who wish to play political games or to relitigate the past, will come with a real human cost.&quot; While it seemed until now that Council members supported principles of the peace plan, diplomatic sources noted there were questions about the US text, particularly regarding the absence of a monitoring mechanism by the Council, the role of the&nbsp; Palestinian Authority, and details of the ISF&#39;s mandate. The Russian UN mission said in a statement that its alternative proposal differed by recognizing the principle of a &quot;two-State solution for the Israeli-Palestinian settlement.&quot; &quot;Unfortunately, these provisions were not given due regard in the US draft,&quot; it said.

Middle East

Draft of the resolution "welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace," AFP reports

UN Security Council to vote Monday on Trump Gaza plan

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan condemned India&rsquo;s unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, and urged renewed global cooperation to protect shared natural resources and uphold international law.&nbsp;The Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, was speaking at the UN Security Council Briefing on &ldquo;Environmental Impact of Armed Conflict and Climate-Driven Security Risks&rdquo;, according to a statement posted on the mission&rsquo;s X account on Friday.<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-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 655px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1986531648650027281&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=3235ea982858a4eff3e5c68d29efe49e8d726ece&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Ambassador Ahmad said that deliberate weaponization of shared natural resources is of great concern, adding, &ldquo;A textbook example is the unilateral suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty by India earlier this year.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;He said, &ldquo;For more than six decades, this treaty has stood as a model of cooperation, ensuring equitable and predictable sharing of the Indus Basin waters between Pakistan and India, even in times of war.&rdquo;&nbsp;Endangering millions of lives&nbsp;&nbsp;&ldquo;India&#39;s unlawful unilateral decision to suspend this framework undermines the letter and spirit of this treaty, threatens ecosystems, disrupts data sharing and endangers the lives of millions who depend on the Indus River water system for food and energy security for their very survival.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Pakistani envoy emphasized, &ldquo;Such acts do not just harm one country. They weaken confidence in international water law and set a precedent for resource-based and driven coercion elsewhere.&rdquo;&nbsp;Ambassador Ahmad said, &ldquo;This should be of grave concern for every member of this council and for the international community as a whole.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;Court of Arbitration&#39;s award&ldquo;Pakistan has consistently maintained that no provision of the Indus Waters Treaty permits unilateral suspension or modification,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;Speaking about the continuing validity of the treaty, Ambassador Ahmad said: &ldquo;The Court of Arbitration&#39;s 2025 award reaffirmed the continuing validity of the treaty and its dispute settlement mechanisms, upholding Pakistan&#39;s position that all issues must be resolved within its legal framework.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;We therefore expect full respect for the treaty and an early return to compliance and normal functioning through the established channels,&rdquo; he stressed.&nbsp;&lsquo;Uphold international law&rsquo;&nbsp;In his address, the ambassador highlighted the grave environmental and security consequences of armed conflict.&nbsp;&ldquo;The Security Council must fulfill its charter responsibility to address threats to international peace and security at their very inception.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Second, environmental considerations could be integrated into UN peace operations and political missions where relevant.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Third, uphold international law, especially international humanitarian law,&rdquo; Ambassador Ahmad said.&nbsp;&ldquo;Pakistan stands ready to work with all partners at all relevant forums to uphold international law, advance environmental recovery in conflict-affected areas, and ensure that shared natural resources serve as avenues for cooperation and not contention,&rdquo; he added.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan has consistently maintained that no provision of the Indus Waters Treaty permits unilateral suspension or modification; expects full respect for the Treaty and an early return to compliance and normal functioning through the established channels.

India’s suspension of waters treaty weaponization of shared natural resources: Pakistan UN rep

PARIS: This year&#39;s United Nations climate summit promises to be symbolic, marking a decade since the Paris Agreement and taking place in the environmentally vulnerable Amazon in Brazil from Nov. 10 to 21. But what is actually on the agenda? The marathon negotiations gather nearly every country to confront a challenge that affects them all, but unlike recent editions, this &ldquo;COP&rdquo;, or Conference of the Parties, has no single theme or objective. That does not mean big polluters will get off easily at COP30, with climate-vulnerable nations frustrated at their level of ambition and financial assistance to those most affected by a warming planet. Here are the big issues to look out for as world leaders gather in the city of Bel&eacute;m, located at the mouth of the Amazon River, on Thursday and Friday before the start of formal negotiations the following week: Emissions The world is not cutting emissions fast enough to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, and no amount of pomp and pageantry at COP30 will sugarcoat that uncomfortable reality. Under the climate accord, signatory nations are required to submit stronger targets every five years to cut greenhouse gas emissions, thereby steadily raising the collective effort to reduce global warming. The latest round of pledges for 2035 was due in February, giving the UN time before COP30 to assess the quality of these commitments. Most nations missed that deadline, but by early November, about 65 had turned in their revised plans. Few have impressed, and China&rsquo;s target in particular has fallen well short of expectations. The European Union, riven by infighting among member states, cannot agree on its target, while India, another major emitter, is yet to finalize its pledge. A reckoning could be coming in Belem. Brazil &mdash; which described the latest round of pledges as &ldquo;the vision of our shared future&rdquo; &mdash; is facing pressure to marshal a response. Money&nbsp; Money &mdash; specifically, how much rich countries give poorer ones to adapt to climate change and shift to a low-carbon future &mdash; is a likely point of conflict in Bel&eacute;m, as it has been at past COPs. Last year, after two weeks of acrimonious haggling, COP29 ended unhappily with developed nations agreeing to provide $300 billion a year in climate finance to developing ones by 2035, well below what is needed. They also set a much less specific target of helping raise $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 from public and private sources. Developing nations will be demanding some actual detail about this at COP30. Adaptation is a major focus of the summit, particularly a funding shortfall to assist vulnerable nations in protecting their people from climate impacts, such as building coastal defenses against rising seas. Forests Brazil chose to host COP30 in Bel&eacute;m because of its proximity to the Amazon, an ideal stage to draw the world&rsquo;s attention to the rainforest&#39;s vital role in fighting climate change. At COP30, the hosts will launch a new, innovative global fund that aims to reward countries with high tropical forest cover for keeping trees standing rather than chopping them down. The Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) aims to raise $25 billion from sponsor countries and another $100 billion from the private sector, which will be invested in financial markets. Brazil has already contributed $1 billion. Clement Helary from Greenpeace told AFP the TFFF &ldquo;could be a step forward in protecting tropical forests&rdquo; if accompanied by clearer steps at COP30 toward ending deforestation by 2030. The destruction of tropical primary forest hit a record high in 2024, according to Global Forest Watch, a deforestation monitor. The equivalent of 18 football fields per minute was lost, driven mostly by massive fires.

Partial view of one of the entrances at the City Park of the COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belem, Para State, Brazil, taken on November 3, 2025. (AFP)

Some of the major issues to watch out for at the annual climate conference in Belém, Brazil, include emissions, money, and forests.

Trees, targets and trillions: What's on the agenda at COP30?

ISLAMABAD: Several countries have expressed interest in joining the International Stabilization Force (ISF), a multinational security force outlined in US President Donald Trump&#39;s 20-point peace plan for Gaza. While the force will likely need a mandate from the UN Security Council, efforts to constitute it have been stepped up, led by the United States and its European allies, France and Britain. Pascal Confavreux, a spokesman for the French Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Paris that a UN mandate was necessary for such a force to have a solid basis in international law and to facilitate the process of obtaining possible contributions from nations.&nbsp; So far, Egypt, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan have shown the most interest in joining the force, while Turkiye&rsquo;s participation remains uncertain.&nbsp; IndonesiaIndonesia has made the clearest commitment so far to joining the ISF. President Prabowo Subianto told the United Nations General Assembly that his country was ready to deploy up to 20,000 troops if the Security Council approved a resolution authorizing the operation, Reuters reported. Prabowo described Indonesia as one of the world&rsquo;s leading contributors to UN peacekeeping missions, saying Jakarta stood ready to &ldquo;serve where peace needs guardians.&rdquo; The pledge marks the first formal troop offer for the ISF, positioning Indonesia as a key player in shaping the force&rsquo;s structure and mandate. EgyptThough not publicly announcing formal offers yet, Egypt is widely seen by diplomats as the likely lead partner in the force, owing to its shared border with Gaza and historic security concerns tied to the Sinai Peninsula.&nbsp; The country&rsquo;s involvement would aim to anchor Arab legitimacy for the mission, provide a regional partner acceptable to key stakeholders, and help maintain security at Gaza&rsquo;s frontier while the international stabilization force takes shape. TurkiyeTurkiye publicly declared its willingness to participate in the force, stating that it may provide military or civilian personnel and has begun arranging support for rehabilitation.&nbsp; However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected Turkish military involvement.&nbsp; &ldquo;There is no disagreement,&rdquo; the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Office told The Times of Israel. &ldquo;There will be no Turkish involvement.&rdquo; Ankara&#39;s position is uncertain, but US officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have stated Turkiye might play a &quot;constructive role&quot; in stabilizing Gaza during a briefing at the Civilian-Military Coordination Centre in southern Israel, Reuters reported. However, Israel&#39;s strong resistance appears to make a Turkish force deployment doubtful. Azerbaijan, UAE, and QatarAccording to Reuters, the US has been in contact with several countries, including Azerbaijan, the UAE, and Qatar, regarding potential contributions to the force. So far, none of these countries has announced any public troop pledges, although officials say talks are ongoing. Azerbaijan&rsquo;s inclusion would lend regional and Muslim-majority representation to the force, while aligning with its existing security ties with Israel. Pakistan and MalaysiaPakistan has shown diplomatic support for the Gaza peace proposal, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attending the ceasefire signing ceremony in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.&nbsp; During a phone call with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Sharif reviewed the peace proposal and stressed the significance of unhindered humanitarian relief to Gaza. Pakistan&#39;s leadership will decide on troops&#39; contribution to the ISF. Malaysia has condemned Israel&#39;s actions in Gaza and shown a desire to help peace efforts. Malaysia&#39;s involvement in the ISF is expected to be limited to humanitarian assistance rather than actual military engagement.

United Kingdom

The United States and European allies are advancing plans for a UN-backed international stabilization force in Gaza under President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan, with Egypt, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, and Turkiye discussed as potential contributors.

Gaza international stabilization force: who's in, who's out

Reuters

GENEVA: European and Arab nations, Canada and the US appear willing to contribute to the estimated $70 billion needed to rebuild Gaza, a UN official said on Tuesday, adding that the two-year war there had produced rubble equal to 13 times the pyramids of Giza. Jaco Cilliers, an official at the United Nations Development Programme, said Israel&#39;s war against Hamas had generated at least 55 million tons of rubble and that it could take decades for Gaza to fully recover. &quot;We&#39;ve heard very positive news from a number of our partners, including European partners... Canada&quot; regarding their willingness to help, he told a press conference, adding that there were also discussions with the United States. Since a ceasefire deal came into effect in Gaza, large numbers of Palestinians have returned to the ruins of their homes in the coastal territory. Huge swathes of Gaza have been reduced to a wasteland by Israeli bombardment over two years that killed some 68,000 people, according to Gaza health authorities. A large part of the destruction is in Gaza City, scene of some of the fiercest fighting. About 83% of all building structures there have been damaged, according to the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT). UNDP said it had already cleared some 81,000 tons of rubble from the Gaza Strip and was continuing to do so. Israel launched its offensive after Hamas-led militants attacked the country on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Hamas freed the last living Israeli hostages from Gaza on Monday under the ceasefire deal and Israel sent home busloads of Palestinian detainees, as US President Donald Trump declared the end of the two-year-long war.

Palestinians carry belongings past destroyed buildings in Gaza City, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, after Israel and Hamas agreed to a pause in their war and the release of the remaining hostages. (AP)

European and Arab countries, along with Canada and the US, have expressed willingness to support Gaza’s $70 billion reconstruction following two years of conflict that devastated infrastructure and caused heavy casualties.

UN says countries are willing to help fund Gaza's $70 bln reconstruction

NEW DELHI: The UN peacekeeping chief warned Tuesday that the &quot;indispensable&quot; role played by peacekeepers was facing challenges due to budget cuts, as funding shortfalls translate into troop reductions. &quot;We do not have a choice but to implement these reductions, which are due to the partial non-payment by some states,&quot; Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix told representatives from 32 UN troop-contributing countries. &quot;The international community is divided,&quot; he said in New Delhi. &quot;As a result, the appetite for collective responses to crises is diminishing.&quot; Shortfall in budget&nbsp;UN officials said earlier this month there was 16&ndash;17% shortfall in the peacekeeping budget, largely linked to US aid cuts. As a result, a 25% troop reduction will be spread across nine of the 11 peacekeeping missions. The United States was expected to contribute $1.3 billion of the $5.4 billion budget for 2025-2026 peacekeeping operations. But it has told the United Nations it will only pay around half that amount, or $682 million, which includes $85 million for a new international anti-gang mission in Haiti that was not in the original budget. Slashed foreign aid&nbsp;President Donald Trump has long claimed that international institutions have taken advantage of the United States and has slashed foreign aid. Lacroix emphasized the achievements of peacekeepers over the decades. &quot;The list, as we know, is very long of countries which successfully reached stability with the support of peacekeeping,&quot; he said. &lsquo;Indispensable&rsquo; role&nbsp;&quot;They make the difference between life and death for hundreds of thousands of civilians. They monitor ceasefires. They help build national key capabilities. Their role is indispensable.&quot; Despite the budget cuts, the overall security landscape has &quot;deteriorated&quot;, he added, demanding more of the truncated force. &quot;We&#39;re facing emerging drivers of conflict such as the impact of climate change, the role of international global terrorism and... the negative aspect of digital technology.&quot;

UN officials said earlier this month there was 16–17% shortfall in the budget, largely linked to US cuts; as a result, 25% troop reduction will be spread across nine of the 11 peacekeeping missions.

'Indispensable' peacekeeping operations threatened by cuts, UN warns

ISLAMABAD: &nbsp;New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in New York on Friday that New Zealand will not be recognizing the state of Palestine at this time. &ldquo;With a war raging, Hamas remaining the de facto government of Gaza, and no clarity on next steps, too many questions remain about the future state of Palestine for it to be prudent for New Zealand to announce recognition at this time,&rdquo; Peters said in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, according to Reuters.<div class="fr-embed responsive-video"><div class="video-wrapper aspect-video"><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=1971718983637520693&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=021308110e693a6d0f1abb490d3dbc366f94e567&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="width: 550px; height: 761px; min-height: 0px; position: static; visibility: visible;" data-tweet-id="1971718983637520693"></iframe></div></div></div>A New Zealand government&rsquo;s press release on Saturday, quoted the foreign minister as saying, &ldquo;We are also concerned that a focus on recognition, in the current circumstances, could complicate efforts to secure a ceasefire by pushing Israel and Hamas into even more intransigent positions.&rdquo; &lsquo;When the time is right&rsquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;New Zealand has long been a staunch advocate of the two-state solution and a defender of Palestinians&rsquo; right to self-determination,&rdquo; Peters said. &ldquo;What is needed now more than ever is dialogue, diplomacy and leadership &ndash; not further conflict and extremism. &ldquo;New Zealanders are shocked by the harrowing images of famine in Gaza, revolted by the grossly disproportionate military action from the Israeli Government and disturbed by Israeli rhetoric and actions aimed at dismantling future prospects for a Palestinian state.&rdquo; He said, &ldquo;New Zealand&rsquo;s position remains that it is a matter of when, not if we recognize the State of Palestine.&rdquo; &ldquo;Like every other New Zealand Government over the past 80 years, we hold the position that we will recognize a Palestinian state when the time is right. &lsquo;Complex issue&rsquo;&ldquo;What we are looking for now are real actions towards the full viability and legitimacy of the State of Palestine, rather than rhetoric in that direction; Israel to stop and reverse all actions aimed at destroying the two-state solution, including illegal settlements in the West Bank, and to return to meaningful negotiations with the Palestinians; the release by Hamas of all the hostages it holds; the disbanding and disarmament of Hamas; and the renouncement of violence by all Palestinian leaders who have yet to do so.&rdquo; Recognition of Palestine is a complex issue on which reasonable people can disagree, Peters said. &ldquo;Some of our close partners have chosen to recognize Palestine, and others have not. We do not question the good intentions of those who have chosen to recognize Palestine at this time. Indeed, we have a shared objective of trying to help bring about a two-state solution. Where we differ with some of our partners is on the issue of whether recognition now by New Zealand will make a tangible, positive contribution to the realization of a two-state solution.&rdquo; Immense suffering in GazaNew Zealand remains committed to doing its part to alleviate the immense suffering in Gaza, the New Zealand foreign minister said. The New Zealand Government has also today released Cabinet material associated with its decision on the recognition of Palestine, the New Zealand government&rsquo;s statement said.

Australasia

New Zealand will not recognize Palestine at this time, citing ongoing conflict, Hamas' control in Gaza, and unclear future prospects. It supports a two-state solution but stresses recognition must occur when conditions are right.

Articles tagged with "UN"