Skip next section China and Indonesia push for immediate cease-fire in Gaza
04/18/2024April 18, 2024
China and Indonesia push for immediate cease-fire in Gaza
The foreign ministers of and have called for an immediate and lasting cease-fire following talks in Indonesia’s capital Jakarta on Thursday.
“Both ministers expressed resentment over the humanitarian disaster due to the Palestine-Israel conflict. We agree that the UN Security Council resolution on a ceasefire must be fully implemented and without any condition,” China’s Wang Yi said after the meeting with Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi.
Wang urged the US to “listen to the international community” amid growing concerns over the spiraling conflict in the Middle East.
“The UN Security Council is a collective security mechanism that must not be used by a certain country,” Wang said.
Indonesia’s top diplomat said she hoped Beijing would “use its influence to prevent escalation” in Gaza and emphasized the need for a two-state solution.
Israel launched an offensive against the Islamist Hamas militant group after it led a terror attack on southern Israel on October 7 in which around 1,200 were killed and some 250 people were taken hostage.
Since then Israel has gradually expanded its offensive throughout the Gaza Strip. More than a million Palestinians are now seeking shelter in the southern city of Rafah, which Israel says it is planning on moving ground forces into.
Hamas-run health authorities in the Palestinian territory say that over 33,000 people have been killed, mostly women and children.
https://p.dw.com/p/4euxf
Skip next section Tightened EU sanctions on Iran’s drone, missile programs welcomed by Israel
04/18/2024April 18, 2024
Tightened EU sanctions on Iran’s drone, missile programs welcomed by Israel
’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Thursday welcomed news that EU leaders would widen sanctions against Iran.
“This is an important step to pull the teeth out of the snake,” Katz wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
He thanked “all our friends for their support and help.” Katz wrote: “Iran must be stopped now be stopped now before it’s too late.”
In the early hours of Thursday morning, European Council President Charles Michel announced that specifically targeting its drone and missile producers.
EU leaders have been meeting at a two-day summit in Brussels to discuss Middle East tensions, following Iran’s weekend attack on Israel involving hundreds of drones and missiles, among other issues.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has tasked his staff with drawing up new measures. It is not a simple step, however, as the EU has already targeted those responsible for making drones that Iran has sold to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine.
Borrell said that proxy forces backed by Iran in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria could also be targeted with sanctions.
kb/wd (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)
https://p.dw.com/p/4eun0
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