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• This article is originally by Middle East Monitor, Republished here under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that his country plans to recognise the State of Palestine at the United Nations.

In a Friday post on X, Carney stated: “Canada supports a two-state solution which guarantees peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians.” He added that Ottawa “will work intensively in all fora to further that end, including through the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the UN High-Level Conference on a Two-State Solution in New York next week.

The Prime Minister also said that Canada condemns the Israeli government’s failure to prevent the rapid deterioration of the humanitarian adisaster in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron declared his intention to recognise the State of Palestine in September 2025.

In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned the move, saying that the establishment of a Palestinian state would pose a threat to Israel’s security.

Meanwhile, the Hamas movement welcomed Macron’s intention to recognise Palestine during the UN General Assembly in September.

Hamas described the move as a positive step in the right direction towards justice for the oppressed Palestinian people and support for their legitimate right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on all of its occupied territory, with Jerusalem as its capital.

An analysis conducted by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) found no evidence that Hamas systematically stole US-funded humanitarian aid in Gaza, Reuters reported Friday. The findings challenge a justification used by Israel and the US to support a private aid initiative that bypasses the UN system amid deadly distribution chaos in Gaza.

German authorities say at least 19 people were injured, four seriously, after a fireworks show went awry at a fair in the western city of Düsseldorf.

Fire squad and emergency services deployed after the incident late Friday at the Rheinkirmes event along the Rhine river, where images from the scene showed fireworks going off nearly at ground level along its banks.

Detentions without a trace: The crime of enforced disappearance in Venezuela.

• Venezuelan authorities commit enforced disappearances as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population, particularly those they consider dissidents, which amount to crimes against humanity.
• Out of the 15 cases of people forcibly disappeared that Amnesty International has documented since July 2024, 11 remain subjected to enforced disappearance, including Venezuelans and citizens of the United States, France, Spain, Ukraine, Colombia and Uruguay.
• The International Criminal Court and national courts exercising universal jurisdiction should investigate and – where sufficient evidence exists – prosecute those allegedly responsible, up to the highest authorities.

48-page report: I’ll Never Feel Secure’: Undocumented and Exploited Myanmar Nationals in Thailand.

• Thai authorities are threatening, extorting, and detaining Myanmar nationals who have fled the abusive military junta to seek safety in Thailand.
• The only way most Myanmar nationals can get legal status is as a migrant worker, who are excluded from a recent Thai government move to provide protection to some refugees.
• The Thai government should introduce a temporary protection regime for Myanmar nationals.

Republished under Creative Commons from MEMO.

Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen said the Gaza Strip should remain in a state of devastation without reconstruction for decades, media reports said Saturday, Anadolu reports.

Speaking to Israel’s Channel 14 television, Cohen said Israel has no intention of assisting in rebuilding Gaza’s destroyed infrastructure.

“Gaza should remain in ruins for decades without reconstruction,” he was quoted.

Referring to the army’s two main goals in Gaza, Cohen said the first is to secure the return of hostages and the second is to force Hamas into submission.

Gaza ceasefire talks

US President Donald Trump previously announced that Israel had accepted the necessary conditions for a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, with the proposal presented to Hamas by Qatari and Egyptian mediators.

Hamas responded positively and stated its readiness to proceed with negotiations to implement the ceasefire and exchange hostages.

Although Israel claimed Hamas’ amendments to the Qatari proposal were unacceptable, its delegation still traveled to Doha for talks.

Negotiations in Doha have focused on a temporary 60-day ceasefire, the release of 10 living and 18 deceased Israeli hostages, and discussions on a permanent truce.

While many issues were reportedly resolved, the main sticking point remained Israel’s insistence on maintaining occupation around Gaza’s perimeter.

Even if a ceasefire is reached, Israel has announced plans to continue its presence in Rafah and set up a “collection camp” as part of its aim to deport Palestinians to other countries.

Israelis, who had seized Palestinian lands, beat a Palestinian and fatally shot another on July 11 in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah.

At least 998 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Israel has since killed nearly 58,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children.

The International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian lands illegal last July and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

Republished under Creative Commons from MEMO.

Thousands of Israelis demonstrated in central Tel Aviv on Saturday to demand a prisoner exchange agreement with Palestinians, Anadolu reports.

“No victory without return of hostages,” and “There are 50 kidnapped families in Gaza,” read banners waved by protesters, Israeli Channel 13 reported.

The protest came amid reports of a deadlock in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas delegations in Qatar.

“The negotiations have not collapsed, and the Israeli delegation continues talks in Doha despite Hamas intransigence,” the channel said, citing an unnamed political official.

A forum representing families of Israeli captives in Gaza called on the government to end the ongoing war on the Palestinian enclave.

“Missing the current momentum would be a serious failure; every day the war continues is an achievement for Hamas and a serious risk for our hostages and soldiers,” the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said in a statement.

“All the polls and data show that an absolute majority of the nation of Israel wants an end to the war in Gaza and the return of hostages, and agrees that it is in Israel’s interest, including a decisive majority among coalition voters,” added the statement.

The families addressed a message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying, “History will remember what you chose: the hostages and fighters, or cheap political maneuvers.”

Hamas said Wednesday it has agreed to release 10 live Israeli captives as a sign of “flexibility” to reach a Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement, while Israel remains rigid on key points, including withdrawal from Gaza.

In contrast, Israel insists on a buffer zone 2 to 3 kilometers wide in the Rafah area, and 1 to 2 kilometers in other border areas.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a brutal offensive on Gaza since late October 2023, killing nearly 58,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has destroyed the enclave and led to food shortages and a spread of disease.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.