Free Republic

Turkey on Friday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and dozens of other Israeli officials on “genocide” charges. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said it has issued warrants against 37 people. Besides Netanyahu, warrants target Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and military chief Eyal Zamir, among others. The warrants charge the Israeli officials with “crimes against humanity” and “genocide” committed in Gaza and against the flotilla carrying aid to the enclave, according to the prosecutor’s office. That flotilla was intercepted by Israeli authorities last month. Israel was quick to condemn...

David Lammy will tell MPs on Monday that the UK still intends to recognise a Palestinian state next month, with Israel having shown no sign of meeting the government’s demands. The foreign secretary will say in a Commons statement that government officials intend to carry out a formal assessment in the coming days of whether Israel has complied with the tests set out by the prime minister, Keir Starmer, last month. But with Benjamin Netanyahu’s government continuing to harden its position in respect to Gaza and the West Bank, the foreign secretary will confirm that Britain remains on the “pathway”...

France will recognise a Palestinian state in September at the UN general assembly, Emmanuel Macron has said. The French president announced the decision on X on Thursday evening, saying he hoped it would bring peace to the region. Macron published a letter sent to Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas, confirming France’s intention to become the first major western power to recognise a Palestinian state. “True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the State of Palestine,” Macron said. “I will make this solemn announcement at the...