JERUSALEM: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday he did not envision a permanent division of Gaza, despite Israeli troops remaining in an area prioritised for reconstruction. Under a US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a &quot;Yellow Line&quot;, leaving them in control of around half of Gaza. The United States has said that reconstruction aid would be focused in the area under Israeli control. Rubio said that an international force, which US and regional mediators are trying to build, would move to enforce security across the Palestinian territory. Gaza&#39;s current masters, Hamas, could have no role in the future, he added. &quot;I think, ultimately, the point of the stabilisation force is to move that line until it covers hopefully all of Gaza, meaning all of Gaza will be demilitarised,&quot; Rubio told reporters on his plane between Israel and Qatar. &quot;Ultimately, the more of Gaza is demilitarised, the more of Gaza terrorism is removed from, the more of it is going to look like that green zone -- and that line will move as a result of it,&quot; he added. &quot;That&#39;s the long-term plan. The Israelis have made it abundantly clear they have no interest in occupying Gaza.&quot; The main Palestinian factions, including Hamas, have agreed to form a committee of technocrats to administer Gaza alongside the international ceasefire and reconstruction effort. But Hamas has resisted calls for its immediate disarmament, launching a crackdown on rival Palestinian gangs and armed groups in Gaza since the two-week-old ceasefire began. On Saturday, Mousa abu Marzouk, Hamas&#39;s head of international relations and legal affairs, warned: &quot;Excluding Hamas from maintaining stability in the Gaza Strip could lead to chaos and a security vacuum.&quot; Rubio was the latest top US official to come to Israel to push forward the ceasefire, arriving on the heels of Vice President JD Vance. Rubio said he expected General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, to visit Israel next week.

Middle East

Under a US-brokered ceasefire, Israeli forces have withdrawn to a "Yellow Line", leaving them in control of around half of Gaza. 

US State Secretary says he does not see permanent division of Gaza

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Foreign Office said on Sunday that Pakistan is actively pursuing the safe and prompt repatriation of its citizens detained by Israeli forces during their participation in the Global Sumud Flotilla.&nbsp;In an official statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it has established contact with international partners to ensure the safety of the detained individuals. Among them is former Senator Mushtaq Ahmad, who is confirmed to be in Israeli custody, safe and in good health. <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; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" 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=1974708517182574727&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2Fnew%2F&sessionId=9df509bd4df11b0a8f034903ca88199449e229e4&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 925px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1974708517182574727"></iframe></div></div></div>&nbsp;The ministry noted that Ahmad will be presented before a court under local legal procedures. His return to Pakistan is expected to be expedited once deportation orders are issued.&nbsp;Earlier, the government had successfully coordinated the return of other citizens who disembarked from the flotilla. It expressed gratitude to friendly nations that supported these efforts.&nbsp;&quot;The Government of Pakistan remains committed to the protection of all its citizens abroad and anticipates the completion of this repatriation process within the coming days,&quot; the statement said.

Foreign Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has established contact with international partners to ensure the safety of the detained individuals.

Pakistan engaged in repatriation efforts for citizens detained by Israel: FO

ROME: More than 2 million people across Italy rallied in over 100 cities Friday for a one-day general strike to support the residents of Gaza and a humanitarian aid mission, Italy&rsquo;s largest union said.&nbsp;Italian unions proclaimed the strike after the Global Sumud Flotilla that was trying to break Israel&rsquo;s naval blockade to deliver aid to Gaza was intercepted by Israeli naval forces on Wednesday night. Protests and demonstrations have sprung up all over Europe and globally since then, but they have been particularly strong in Italy.&nbsp;Italy&rsquo;s conservative Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had sharply criticized the strike. She anticipated it would cause widespread disruption across the country and said it was politically motivated and targeted her right-wing government.&nbsp;According to the CGIL union, 300,000 people marched through the streets of Rome alone, while the national average participation in the general strike stood at around 60%, halting all the main services in key sectors, including transportation and schools.&nbsp;<img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/b46b9a17-2f63-4d56-b07e-e8eb9f9eece4.jpg" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> In Florence, protesters approached the gates of the Italian national soccer team&rsquo;s training center to demand its upcoming World Cup qualifier against Israel not be played because of the war in Gaza.&nbsp;Italy is scheduled to host Israel in Udine on Oct. 14. But UEFA is considering suspending Israel over the war. The players were not at the Coverciano training center in Florence, but the squad will convene there on Monday.&nbsp;Protesters appeared to behave peacefully on the opposite side of the street from the soccer complex, holding aloft a banner that read in Italian, &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s stop Zionism with the resistance.&rdquo; <img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/6c054fec-d218-4378-8af2-a406394ed4ac.jpg" style="width: 1000px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> On Friday morning, around 100,000 people participated in a rally in the northern city of Milan. Clashes there briefly erupted after a group of protesters blocking the city&rsquo;s highway started throwing bottles at police, who responded with smoke bombs.&nbsp;Isolated scuffles also happened in Turin, Bologna and Naples, but the majority of the protests were peaceful.&nbsp;&ldquo;I still believe that all this brings no benefit to the Palestinian people. On the other hand, I understand that it will cause a lot of problems for the Italian people,&quot; Meloni told reporters Thursday, condemning the strike. &ldquo;Revolutions and long weekends don&rsquo;t go well together.&rdquo;&nbsp;The Italian leader has been facing mounting pressure to change Italy&rsquo;s stance as a longtime supporter of Israel in the Gaza conflict, as growing calls have emerged to stop the massive humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza.

Pro Palestine protests in Italy, Gaza protests in Italy, Global Sumud Flotilla

Europe

Italian unions proclaim the strike after the Global Sumud Flotilla that was trying to break Israel’s naval blockade to deliver aid to Gaza was intercepted by Israeli naval forces on Wednesday night.

2 million rally in Italy for Gaza as general strike halts key services

UNITED NATIONS:&nbsp;The United Nations insisted on Friday there was no safe place for Palestinians ordered to leave Gaza City,and that Israeli-designated zones in the southern Gaza Strip were &quot;places of death&quot;. Since launching its air assault on Gaza City in August ahead of its ground offensive there, the Israeli military has repeatedly told Palestinians to head south. &quot;The notion of a safe zone in the south is farcical,&quot; James Elder, a spokesman for the UN children&#39;s agency UNICEF, told journalists in Geneva. Speaking from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza, Elder pointed to how &quot;bombs are dropped from the sky with chilling predictability; schools, which had been designated as temporary shelters are regularly reduced to rubble, (and) tents... are regularly engulfed in fire from air attacks&quot;. The Israeli military has urged Palestinians to relocate to a &quot;humanitarian area&quot; in Al-Mawasi on the coast, where it says aid, medical care and humanitarian infrastructure will be provided. Israel first declared the area a safe zone early in the two-year war but has carried out repeated strikes on it since, saying it is targeting Hamas. Nutrition, shelter, sanitation Elder insisted that &quot;the issuance of a general or a blanket evacuation order to civilians does not mean that those who remain behind lose their protection as civilians&quot;. At the same time, he warned, the &quot;so-called safe zones ... are also places of death&quot;. Al-Mawasi, he pointed out, &quot;is now one of the most densely populated places on Earth. &quot;It&#39;s grotesquely overcrowded and has been stripped of the most basic essentials of survival.&quot; The UN had begun in late 2023 &quot;debunking this concept of a unilaterally-declared safe zone&quot;, Elder said. &quot;The law is very clear,&quot; he stressed. &quot;It is the responsibility of the occupying power -- Israel -- to ensure that a safe zone has all the essentials for survival: that is nutrition, shelter and sanitation. &quot;None of those are present in a level that is fitting of a population,&quot; Elder said, adding that the UN at the start had &quot;at least assumed that these places would not be bombed&quot;. But over the past 18 months, the Israeli-designated safe-zones had been hit &quot;dozens of time&quot;, and &quot;people in tents have suffered from airstrikes&quot;. Makeshift crutches Humanitarian agencies regularly warn that the amount of urgent supplies being allowed into the Gaza Strip are grossly insufficient to meet the immense needs of the population in the Israeli-besieged Palestinian territory. &quot;To cope with that situation, our colleagues, particularly in our hospital in Rafah, have decided to build our own materials,&quot; such as &quot;home-made, wooden crutches&quot;, said Christian Cardon, spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross. The ICRC announced on Wednesday that had been &quot;forced&quot; to suspend its activities in Gaza City due to Israel&#39;s intensified military operations. &quot;There are no longer any international staff in Gaza City. We had between two and five expatriates before,&quot; Cardon told AFP, adding that the ICRC has 350 staff, including 50 international staff, throughout the Gaza Strip. The World Health Organization is calling for humanitarian corridors to allow access to hospitals, its representative in the Palestinian territories, Rik Peeperkorn, told reporters.

Palestinians, displaced from northern Gaza due to an Israeli military operation, take shelter, after evacuating southwards, following Israeli forces' orders to leave Gaza City, in the central Gaza Strip, October 3, 2025. (Reuters)

Asia

The UN denounced Israeli "safe zones" in southern Gaza as deadly and overcrowded, lacking essentials. Humanitarian groups face severe access restrictions amid intensified Israeli strikes and escalating civilian suffering.

UN says notion of a safe zone in southern Gaza 'farcical'

BRUSEELS: Belgium&#39;s foreign minister Maxime Prevot on Thursday slammed as &quot;unacceptable&quot; Israel&#39;s interception of pro-Palestinian activists on an aid flotilla headed towards Gaza, saying he has summoned the Israeli ambassador. &quot;The manner in which they were boarded and the location in international waters are unacceptable, which is why I summoned the ambassador,&quot; Prevot told lawmakers in Brussels.

Belgium’s Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot condemned Israel’s interception of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla in international waters as “unacceptable.” He told lawmakers he has summoned the Israeli ambassador to explain the boarding of pro-Palestinian activists.

Belgium summons Israeli ambassador over Gaza flotilla interception

UNITED STATES: More than 140 world leaders will descend on New York next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly summit, which will be dominated this year by the future of the Palestinians and Gaza. One world leader who will miss the gathering is Mahmud Abbas, the Palestinian president who Washington denied US visas to attend, along with his officials. Two years after the beginning of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, triggered by the unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the humanitarian catastrophe ravaging the small Palestinian territory will dominate debates at the high-level event. Kicking off Monday, Saudi Arabia and France will co-chair meetings on the future of the Israeli and Palestinian two-state solution, which aims to see both sides existing alongside one another in peace. After the overwhelming adoption last week by the General Assembly of a text supporting a future Palestinian state&nbsp;&mdash;&nbsp;albeit without Hamas &mdash; this meeting is expected to see the formal recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries, notably France. International Crisis Group analyst Richard Gowan called it a &quot;symbolic&quot; gesture that could have real significance &quot;if the countries that recognize Palestine follow up with further steps to try and put pressure on Israel to end its campaign in Gaza.&quot; Gowan warned of Israeli reprisals and a risk of &quot;escalation&quot; by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will address the General Assembly and has firmly said there will be no Palestinian state on his watch. The United States, Israel&#39;s main ally, has opposed recognition and vowed to deny visas to the Palestinian delegation, including Abbas. The Assembly will then vote on Friday to authorize the Palestinian president to speak via video link. All eyes will be on US President Donald Trump when Abbas speaks at the gathering, which brings much of Manhattan to a standstill every year as motorcades and heavily-armed security escorts sweep up First Avenue. Since his return to the White House, Trump has initiated massive cuts to US foreign aid, hammering UN agencies as humanitarian needs grow. Engulfed by deep financial crisis and raging wars, the UN quietly celebrated its 80th anniversary while fending off criticism of its efficacy. &#39;Existential threat&#39;&nbsp;&quot;The multilateral system... is under an existential threat,&quot; said Federico Borello, Interim Executive Director at Human Rights Watch. &quot;Norms are being weakened when powerful states, that include permanent members of the Security Council, either commit or are complicit in serious violations of international humanitarian law, as is happening in Gaza, in Ukraine, and elsewhere.&quot; &quot;People are demanding answers and action, actions that match the gravity of the challenges our world faces, actions that meet the expectations of all those on the outside looking in,&quot; UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said while calling for action on Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and climate change. Syria&#39;s President Ahmed al-Sharaa will be a prominent new addition to the group of nearly 140 world leaders, which also includes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Brazil&#39;s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. All eyes will be on Sharaa nearly a year after his forces overthrew Bashar al-Assad, as he now confronts the challenges of rebuilding after years of civil war. Iran&#39;s nuclear program will also be high on the agenda as sanctions against Tehran lifted ten years ago could be reinstated at the end of September, following a process triggered in late August by Paris, London, and Berlin. Guterres and President Lula will also organize a climate summit on Wednesday, where some states may announce new goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, just weeks ahead of COP30 in Brazil.&nbsp;

UNGA meeting expected to see formal recognition of a Palestinian state by several countries, notably France.





Gaza, Palestinian future to dominate UN gathering

Reuters

DUBAI: Saudi Arabia on Wednesday condemned &quot;in the strongest terms&quot; the Israeli ground operation in Gaza City, a day after Israel unleashed a long-threatened ground assault on the enclave.The Kingdom also urged members of the U.N. Security Council to act to halt what it described as Israel&#39;s killing, starvation and forced displacement of Palestinians, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement,Israel on Tuesday started a ground offensive to seize control of Gaza&#39;s main urban centre.There has been a wave of criticism from countries around the region including Qatar, which has been hosting and mediating ceasefire talks.Qatar described the Israeli ground offensive as a continuation of its &#39;war of genocide&#39; against the Palestinians.After a U.N. Commission of Inquiry concluded on Tuesday that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, Israel&#39;s ambassador in Geneva, Daniel Meron, called the report &quot;scandalous&quot; and &quot;fake&quot;, saying it had been authored by &quot;Hamas proxies&quot;.

Saudi Arabia strongly condemns Israeli ground operation in Gaza City

ISLAMABAD: Jerry Greenfield, the co-founder of the iconic ice cream brand Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s, resigned from the company due to escalating tensions with its parent firm, Unilever, over the company&rsquo;s stance on the Gaza war. The departure sheds&nbsp;light on the ongoing struggle between Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s commitment to social activism and Unilever&rsquo;s control over the brand&rsquo;s operations. <h2>Background to the dispute</h2> Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s, founded by Greenfield and Ben Cohen in 1978 in Vermont, built its reputation not only on its ice cream but also its outspoken commitment to social causes. This socially conscious mission remained a hallmark even after Unilever acquired the company in 2000. However, the relationship between the two has been strained since 2021 when Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s announced it would cease sales in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, a move that triggered sharp criticism and legal battles. The company&rsquo;s outspoken description of the war in Gaza as genocide&nbsp;marked a rare stance for a large U.S.-based corporation and deepened the rift with Unilever. Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s has accused Unilever of trying to silence the brand&rsquo;s social mission, leading to a lawsuit against its parent company. <h2>Greenfield&rsquo;s resignation and open letter</h2> Jerry Greenfield made his resignation public through an open letter addressed to the Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s community, which was shared on social media by Ben Cohen. In his letter, Greenfield said he could no longer remain with a company that had been &ldquo;silenced&rdquo; by Unilever, despite a unique merger agreement intended to safeguard Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s independence and social activism. He stated&nbsp;that this independence was secured through negotiations by him and Cohen at the time of the Unilever merger. A spokesperson for Unilever&rsquo;s Magnum Ice Cream unit, which oversees Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s, disputed Greenfield&rsquo;s view. They expressed that they had sought to engage both founders in constructive discussions to strengthen the brand&rsquo;s values-based position. The spokesperson confirmed Greenfield stepped down as a brand ambassador and noted he is not involved in the ongoing lawsuit. Unilever has not issued any public comment on Greenfield&rsquo;s departure. <h2>Future uncertain for Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s</h2> The resignation occurs amid Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s push to spin off from Unilever before Magnum Ice Cream&rsquo;s planned public listing in November. The founders&rsquo; calls to &ldquo;free Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s&rdquo; to protect its social mission were recently rebuffed by Magnum&rsquo;s new CEO, Peter ter Kulve. Cohen revealed that the company attempted to raise investment offers ranging from $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion but these were rejected. Ben &amp; Jerry&rsquo;s journey from a renovated Vermont gas station to a globally recognised brand was always intertwined with its progressive values. The current division betrays the difficulties of maintaining a socially driven agenda within the framework of a large corporate ownership.&nbsp;

Jerry Greenfield, the co-founder of the iconic ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s, resigned from the company due to escalating tensions with its parent firm, Unilever, over the company’s stance on the Gaza war.

Americas

The co-founder of the popular ice cream brand was forced to resign due to his outspoken support for the war on Gaza.

Activism, ice-cream and the war on Gaza 

ISLAMABAD: Pro-Palestinian protests in Madrid, Spain, forced the cancellation of the Vuelta a Espa&ntilde;a cycling race&rsquo;s final stage on Sunday.&nbsp; Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard was declared overall winner after protesters blocked the race route and clashed with police. Protesters disrupt Madrid finishThousands of protesters opposing the participation of the Israeli cycling team gathered along the final race route in central Madrid. They overturned barriers while chanting slogans such as &ldquo;They will not pass.&rdquo;&nbsp; The local police responded with tear gas and baton charges as they tried to clear the route. Following multiple stoppages and rising unrest, race organisers confirmed the final stage was cancelled for security reasons, with no podium ceremony held. This marked the first time since 1978 that a Grand Tour cycling race was halted on its last day due to political protests. Earlier stages had also been affected by protests related to Israel&rsquo;s military siege of Gaza. Reactions&nbsp;Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S&aacute;nchez publicly praised the protesters, commending the Spanish people for mobilising &ldquo;for just causes like Palestine.&rdquo; His comments drew sharp criticism from Israel&rsquo;s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who called the Spanish government &ldquo;a disgrace&rdquo; for &quot;inciting&quot; the protestors. Meanwhile, Madrid&rsquo;s mayor blamed S&aacute;nchez for the violence and unrest. A Spanish far-right party leader condemned the government for encouraging street violence. Security forces deployed over 1,000 officers&mdash;the largest presence since Madrid hosted the NATO summit three years prior. The Israeli cycling team had removed its name from jerseys during the race due to safety concerns. Several riders voiced the possibility of withdrawing amid safety fears.&nbsp; Israeli siege of GazaThe protests were sparked by outrage over Israel&rsquo;s ongoing military operations in Gaza, which local sources say have resulted in over 64,000 Palestinian deaths since October 2023.

: Pro-Palestinian protests in Madrid, Spain, forced the cancellation of the Vuelta a España cycling race’s final stage on Sunday. 

Protesters blocked the race route and clashed with the local police.

Pro-Palestinian protests halt final stage of Spain’s cycling race

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Iran called for increased cooperation among Arab and Muslim states following Israel&rsquo;s recent airstrike targeting Hamas leaders in Qatar. Pakistan proposed the formation of a joint task force, while Iran called for the establishment of &ldquo;joint operations rooms&rdquo; to counter escalating Israeli aggression. Their proposals come ahead of an emergency Arab-Islamic summit scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. in Doha (8 p.m. PKT). Nearly 60 Arab and Islamic countries will convene to condemn the Israeli aggression and show solidarity with Qatar. <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" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" 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=1967287260388471097&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=3bf6bc7387a33991ee425fbbd28c925568bbe357&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="1967287260388471097"></iframe></div></div> Israeli strikes on DohaThe summit was convened in response to Israel&rsquo;s airstrikes on September 9, which targeted Hamas leaders attending ceasefire talks in Doha. The attack resulted in the deaths of five Hamas members, including the son of a senior leader, as well as a Qatari security officer. Several civilians were also injured. The attack was widely condemned across the Muslim world as a violation of Qatar&rsquo;s sovereignty and an infringement of international law. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammad al-Thani strongly denounced the strike as an act of &ldquo;state terrorism.&rdquo; He accused Israel of seeking to uproot Palestinians from their own homeland. He called on the international community to end double standards and hold the Israeli regime accountable for what he described as genocidal wars. Pakistan proposes a joint task forcePakistan&rsquo;s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar condemned the Israeli airstrike as illegal and in violation of the United Nations Charter and international laws. He proposed the establishment of a joint Arab-Islamic task force charged with monitoring Israeli intentions and coordinating both deterrent and offensive actions. Dar described the attack on Qatar, a sovereign state engaged in ceasefire negotiations, as an assault on diplomacy itself. He called for an immediate ceasefire, a prisoner exchange, and the establishment of a two-state solution. The Pakistani deputy PM demanded that Israel be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Pakistan, alongside Algeria and Somalia, also raised the issue with the U.N. Security Council and Human Rights Council, advocating for practical measures including the deployment of an international peacekeeping force in Gaza. Iran calls for &#39;joint operations rooms&#39;The Secretary of Iran&rsquo;s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani, sharply criticized Muslim states over perceived inaction regarding the Gaza conflict. In a statement shared via social media platform X (formerly Twitter), he called for, &ldquo;at the very least, establishing a &lsquo;joint operations room&rsquo; against the madness of this entity,&rdquo; referring to Israel. Larijani warned that conferences filled only with rhetoric but lacking tangible outcomes invite further Israeli aggression. He urged Muslim states to unite in practical, coordinated resistance, asserting that such a move could destabilize the Israeli regime and compel change. Summit draft resolutionA draft resolution from the summit described the Israeli strike as a destabilizing escalation. It accused Israel of carrying out genocidal acts, ethnic cleansing, and colonial expansion that threaten peace prospects and normalization agreements in the region, such as the Abraham Accords, signed five years ago to normalize relations between Israel and several Gulf states. Convening of the Preparatory Ministerial Meeting for the Joint Arab-Islamic Emergency Summit in Doha to Discuss the Israeli Attack on the State of Qatar, image courtesy: <a data-fr-linked="true" href="//OIC.com" style="font-size: 18px; color: rgb(0, 115, 230);">OIC.com</a> Despite strong condemnation from the Arab-Islamic world, Israel maintained a defiant stance. On the day Arab ministers convened in Doha, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Jerusalem.&nbsp; Rubio&rsquo;s visit aimed to &lsquo;clarify&rsquo; Israel&rsquo;s strategy regarding Gaza, the ongoing hostage situation, and humanitarian plans amid lingering tensions caused by the unauthorized airstrike in Qatar. Ongoing attacks in Gaza and the West BankMeanwhile, Gaza continues to endure heavy bombardment. Recent Israeli airstrikes have destroyed multiple high-rise buildings, forcing evacuations of civilians with often little notice. Palestinian health officials report that over 64,000 Palestinians have died since the conflict escalated, including over 18,000 children. Several international media outlets have also reported an uptick in attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel in 2020, warned against annexation plans in the West Bank. It described such moves as a &ldquo;red line&rdquo; threatening hopes for peace. While the Arab-Islamic summit is expected to adopt a joint resolution condemning Israel&rsquo;s strike, it currently does not include sanctions or punitive measure.

Arab-Islamic Summit: Pakistan calls for joint task force, Iran urges ‘operations rooms’ against Israel, image courtesy: OIC

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