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France and Saudi Arabia will lead the charge starting Monday to revive the moribund push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians at a UN conference in New York.Days before the July 28-30 conference, to be co-chaired by Riyadh and Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that he would formally recognize the State of Palestine in September.Paris’s decision “will breathe new life into a conference that seemed destined to irrelevance,” said Richard Gowan, an analyst at the International Crisis Group.”Macron’s announcement changes the game. Other participants will be scrabbling to decide if they should also declare an intent to recognize Palestine.”In an interview with French weekly La Tribune Dimanche, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said that other European countries will confirm “their intention to recognize the State of Palestine” during the conference, without detailing which ones.France is hoping that Britain will take this step, and more than 200 British MPs on Friday pushed British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to do so, but he reiterated that recognition of a Palestinian state “must be part of a wider plan.”According to an AFP database, at least 142 of the 193 UN member states — including France — now recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988.In 1947, a resolution of the UN General Assembly decided on the partition of Palestine, then under a British mandate, into two independent states — one Jewish and the other Arab. The following year, the state of Israel was proclaimed.For several decades, the vast majority of UN member states have supported the idea of a two-state solution, Israelis and Palestinians living side-by-side peacefully and securely.But after more than 21 months of war in Gaza, the ongoing expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, and Israeli officials declaring designs to annex occupied territory, it is feared a Palestinian state could be geographically impossible. The war in Gaza started following a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel, which responded with a large-scale military response that has claimed tens of thousands of Palestinian lives.The conference is a response to the crisis, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and several dozen ministers from around the world expected to attend.It is coming at a moment when “the prospect of a Palestinian state has never been so threatened, or so necessary,” Barrot said. – Call for courage -Beyond facilitating conditions for the recognition of a Palestinian state, the meeting will have three other focusses — reform of the Palestinian Authority, disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from Palestinian public life, and normalization of relations with Israel by Arab states that have not yet done so. No new normalization deals are expected to be announced at the meeting, according to a French diplomatic source.But “for the first time, Arab countries will condemn Hamas and call for its disarmament,” Barrot said. The conference “offers a unique opportunity to transform international law and the international consensus into an achievable plan and to demonstrate resolve to end the occupation and conflict once and for all, for the benefit of all peoples,” said Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, calling for “courage” from participants.Israel and the United States will not take part in the meeting, while international pressure continues to mount on Israel to end nearly two years of war in Gaza. Despite “tactical pauses” in some military operations announced by Israel, the humanitarian catastrophe in the ravaged coastal territory is expected to dominate speeches by representatives of more than 100 countries as they take the podium from Monday to Wednesday.Gowan said he expected “very fierce criticism of Israel.” 

Malnutrition rates are reaching “alarming levels” in the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization warned Sunday, saying the “deliberate blocking” of aid was entirely preventable and had cost many lives.”Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July,” the WHO said in a statement.Of the 74 recorded malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 had occurred in July — including 24 children under five, one child aged over five, and 38 adults, it added.”Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting,” the UN health agency said.”The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.”Israel on Sunday began a limited “tactical pause” in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis.But the WHO called for sustained efforts to “flood” the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food, and for the expedited delivery of therapeutic supplies for children and vulnerable groups, plus essential medicines and supplies.”This flow must remain consistent and unhindered to support recovery and prevent further deterioration”, the Geneva-based agency said.On Wednesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the situation “mass starvation — and it’s man-made”.- ‘Dangerous cycle’ of death -Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, the WHO said Sunday, citing its Nutrition Cluster partners.It said the percentage of children aged six to 59 months suffering from acute malnutrition had tripled in the city since June, making it the worst-hit area in the Palestinian territory.”These figures are likely an underestimation due to the severe access and security constraints preventing many families from reaching health facilities,” the WHO said.The WHO said that in the first two weeks of July, more than 5,000 children under five had been admitted for outpatient treatment of malnutrition — 18 percent of them with the most life-threatening form, severe acute malnutrition (SAM).The 6,500 children admitted for malnutrition treatment in June was the highest number since the war began in October 2023.A further 73 children with SAM and medical complications have been hospitalised in July, up from 39 in June.”This surge in cases is overwhelming the only four specialised malnutrition treatment centres,” the WHO said.Furthermore, the organisation said the breakdown of water and sanitation services was “driving a dangerous cycle of illness and death”.As for pregnant and breastfeeding women, Nutrition Cluster screening data showed that more than 40 percent were severely malnourished, the WHO said.”It is not only hunger that is killing people, but also the desperate search for food,” the UN health agency said.”Families are being forced to risk their lives for a handful of food, often under dangerous and chaotic conditions,” it added.The UN rights office says Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operations in late May. Nearly three-quarters of them died near GHF sites.

Jordanian and Emirati planes dropped food into Gaza on Sunday, as Israel began a limited “tactical pause” in some military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis.The Palestinian territory is gripped by dire humanitarian conditions created by 21 months of war and made worse by Israel’s total blockade of aid from March to May.Since the easing of the blockade, the levels of aid reaching Gaza have been far below what aid groups say is needed.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisted his government was not to blame for the dire situation and lashed out at the UN.The Israeli military dismissed allegations that it had been using starvation as a weapon, saying it had coordinated with the UN and international agencies to “increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip”.The World Health Organisation warned on Sunday that malnutrition was reaching “alarming levels” in Gaza.It said that of the 74 recorded malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 had occurred in July — including 24 children aged under five, one child older than five, and 38 adults.”Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting,” the UN health agency said.”The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.”The UN’s World Food Programme said a third of the population of Gaza had not eaten for days, and 470,000 were “enduring famine-like conditions”.UN emergency relief coordinator Tom Fletcher welcomed Israel’s tactical pauses, saying his teams “will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window”. – ‘Humanitarian aid now’ -The Israeli decision came as international pressure mounted on Netanyahu to prevent mass starvation in the territory. Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz joined the chorus of concern on Sunday, urging the Israeli premier “to provide the starving civilian population in Gaza with urgently needed humanitarian aid now”.Accusing the UN of fabricating “pretexts and lies about Israel” blocking aid, Netanyahu said in remarks at an airbase that “there are secure routes” for aid.”There have always been, but today it’s official. There will be no more excuses,” he added.The situation inside the territory deteriorated sharply after Israel imposed its total blockade on aid in March.It later eased the blockade, but sidelined the UN and major aid agencies and instead relied on a newly created, US-backed private foundation.Aid groups refused to work with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, accusing it of furthering Israel’s military goals, while hundreds of people have been killed attempting to reach its sites.The Jordanian military said its planes, working with the United Arab Emirates, had delivered 25 tonnes of aid in three parachute drops over Gaza on Sunday. The Israeli military also said it had conducted a drop, parachuting seven pallets of aid into the territory. Truckloads of flour were also seen arriving in northern Gaza through the Zikim area crossing from Israel, according to AFP journalists.  AFP correspondents also saw trucks crossing from Egypt, heading for Israeli inspection before entering Gaza.The charity Oxfam’s regional policy chief Bushra Khalidi called Israel’s latest moves a “welcome first step” but warned they were insufficient.”Starvation won’t be solved by a few trucks or airdrops,” she said. “What’s needed is a real humanitarian response: ceasefire, full access, all crossings open and a steady, large-scale flow of aid into Gaza.”We need a permanent ceasefire, a complete lifting of the siege.”In general, humanitarian officials are deeply sceptical that airdrops can deliver enough food safely to tackle the hunger crisis facing Gaza’s more than two million inhabitants.- ‘It felt like war’ -In Gaza City’s Tel el-Hawa district, 30-year-old Suad Ishtaywi said her “life’s wish” was simply to feed her children. She spoke of her husband returning empty-handed from each day from aid points.There were chaotic scenes at the site where Israel conducted its first food drop, witnesses told AFP.Samih Humeid, a 23-year-old from the Al-Karama neighbourhood of Gaza City, said dozens of people had gathered to rush towards the parachuted supplies.  “It felt like a war, everyone trying to grab whatever they could. Hunger is merciless. The quantities were extremely limited, not enough even for a few people, because hunger is everywhere. I only managed to get three cans of fava beans,” he said. The Israeli army’s daily pause from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm will be limited to areas where its troops are not currently operating — Al-Mawasi in the south, Deir el-Balah in the centre and Gaza City in the north.Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, citing “reasonable grounds” to suspect war crimes including starvation — charges Israel vehemently denies.On Sunday, according to the Gaza civil defence agency, Israeli army fire killed 27 Palestinians, 12 of them near aid distribution areas. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties.Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza after Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.The Israeli campaign has killed 59,733 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.burs-str-dc/dcp

Israel is seeking to deport pro-Palestinian activists who were detained and brought to shore when their Gaza-bound boat was intercepted by the navy, a legal aid centre advising them said on Sunday.   The 21 activists from 10 countries were taken into custody late Saturday when the Handala was boarded in international waters as it attempted to breach an Israeli maritime blockade of the Palestinian territory.The Handala and its crew from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) were brought to the port of Ashdod in Israel, where, according to the legal rights centre Adalah, all but two — a pair of dual US-Israeli nationals — were being held under Israeli immigration law. “Israel is handling the custody of the volunteers as though they had entered the country illegally — even though they were forcibly taken from international waters and brought into Israel against their will,” Adalah said in a statement after its lawyers were allowed to meet the detainees.”The authorities presented them with two options: either agree to so-called ‘voluntary deportation’, or remain in detention and appear before a tribunal, to have their continued detention pending deportation reviewed,” the statement continued.According to Adalah, three detainees — an Italian, an American and a French member of parliament, Gabrielle Cathala — agreed to be deported and are expected to leave Israel in the coming hours.The US-Israeli nationals were interrogated by Israeli police and released, while 12 international activists — including another left-wing French MP, Emma Fourreau — refused to sign voluntary deportation orders and are still in Israeli custody pending legal hearings.The remaining four detainees, including a pair of Al Jazeera journalists, have retained private counsel. – ‘Peaceful’ mission -Adalah reiterated that the activists were engaged in a “peaceful civilian mission”, and maintained that both their detention and the Israeli blockade of Gaza were illegal.The Israeli foreign ministry has said the navy stopped the Handala to prevent it from entering coastal waters off Gaza, noting after its intecerption that all the vessel’s “passengers are safe”. Just before midnight local time on Saturday, video streamed live from the Handala showed Israeli troops boarding the vessel. An online tracker showed the ship in international waters west of Gaza.The ship had been on course to try to break the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and bring a small quantity of humanitarian aid to the territory’s Palestinian residents.The Handala’s crew had said before their capture in a post on X that they would go on hunger strike if the Israeli military intercepted the boat and detained its passengers.A previous boat sent by Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was also intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters on June 9 and towed to Ashdod.It carried 12 campaigners, including prominent Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The activists were eventually expelled by Israel.

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Israeli forces brought the pro-Palestinian activist boat Handala into the port of Ashdod on Sunday, after seizing the vessel in international waters and detaining the crew, an AFP journalist saw.Campaigners from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition had attempted to breach an Israeli naval blockade of the Palestinian territory of Gaza, but were intercepted late Saturday.The legal rights centre Adalah told AFP its lawyers were in Ashdod and had been allowed to speak to 19 members of the 21-strong international crew, which included two French parliamentarians and two Al Jazeera journalists.The remaining two of those detained were dual US and Israeli citizens and had been transferred to police custody, Adalah said. “After 12 hours at sea, following the unlawful interception of the Handala, Israeli authorities confirmed the vessel’s arrival at Ashdod port,” said the group, set up to campaign for the rights of Israel’s Arab population.”Adalah reiterates that the activists aboard the Handala were part of a peaceful civilian mission to break through Israel’s illegal blockade on Gaza. The vessel was intercepted in international waters and their detention constitutes a clear violation of international law.”Earlier, the Israeli foreign ministry said the navy stopped the Handala to prevent it from entering the coastal waters off the territory of Gaza. “The vessel is safely making its way to the shores of Israel. All passengers are safe,” it said.Just before midnight local time on Saturday, video streamed live from the Handala showed Israeli troops boarding the vessel. An online tracker showed the ship in international waters west of Gaza.The ship had been on course to try to break an Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and bring a small quantity of humanitarian aid to the territory’s Palestinian residents.The Handala’s crew had said before their capture in a post on X that they would go on a hunger strike if the Israeli army intercepted the boat and detained its passengers.On board were activists from 10 countries, including two French MPs from the left-wing France Unbowed party, Emma Fourreau and Gabrielle Cathala. There are also American, European and Arab activists among those detained.A previous boat sent by Freedom Flotilla, the Madleen, was also intercepted by the Israeli military in international waters on June 9 and towed to Ashdod.It carried 12 campaigners, including prominent Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. The activists were eventually expelled by Israel.