Middle East crisis

Israel-Palestine conflict
Meloni: Recognizing Palestine could be counterproductive

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni believes that recognizing Palestine as a state before it is established could be counterproductive. She told the newspaper La Repubblica, according to Reuters.

– I am all for the state of Palestine, but I am not in favor of recognizing it before it has been established.

She further said that if something that does not exist is recognized on paper but not in reality, it can appear resolved even if it is not.

On Friday, Italy's foreign minister said that the recognition of a Palestinian state must take place at the same time as the new Palestinian entity recognizes Israel.

Voices on Gaza
Analysis: Pressure is mounting on Starmer to choose a side

France is to recognise Palestine as a state and now the pressure is increasing on Britain, Germany and other G7 countries. The Guardian's Julian Borger writes in an analysis.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is now being pressured to choose between the US's pro-Israel line and France's stated support for a Palestinian state.

If Starmer chooses the US path, it could "provoke mutiny in his own government and party" while France's path could "repel the White House", writes Borger.

So far, Starmer has answered "yes, but not yet" when asked whether Britain should recognise Palestine, Sky News' Jon Craig notes in an analysis. The question is how long that answer will satisfy the increasingly vocal demands for a choice of path.

“Parliament may have closed for a six-week summer recess, but MPs and the French president are increasing pressure on Starmer on the Middle East issue.”

Hungary becomes a case for the ICC – after Netanyahu’s visit

Hungary has been reported to the International Criminal Court (ICC) review panel, news agencies report.

The reason is that the country did not arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he was visiting Budapest in April. The judges who made the decision believe that it undermined the court’s ability to bring suspects to justice.

There is an arrest warrant issued by the ICC for Netanyahu, but instead of arresting him, he was welcomed on the red carpet by Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán. Hungary is obliged to arrest ICC wanted persons if they are within its borders because it is a signatory to the Rome Statute.

Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant are accused of crimes against humanity in connection with Israel's war in Gaza.

Hungary said in connection with Netanyahu's visit that the country will leave the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

Gaza war
Starmer wants to fly in Gaza aid – UNRWA chief critical

Great Britain will send food to Gaza by air, after Israel announced on Friday that it would allow air shipments of emergency aid, the country's Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

At the same time, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini criticized the air-borne emergency aid, which he called a "distraction and smokescreen" from Israel in a post on X.

"An artificial hunger can only be fought with political will," he wrote.

Israel has said that looting by Hamas and the UN's lack of distribution are behind the famine, something the UN strongly denies. An American analysis also shows that there is no evidence that Hamas has systematically stolen food.   

GHF Employee Testifies: “I Saw War Crimes in Gaza”

Anthony Aguilar, a retired US Special Forces officer, says he saw violations of the laws of war in Gaza.

– I witnessed war crimes in Gaza. In my entire career, I have never seen such a level of brutality, he tells the BBC.

He was employed by the criticized Israeli-American aid agency Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) during the year, but left after witnessing “brutality and indiscriminate violence against unarmed civilians”.

– I saw how the Israeli defense forces fired on crowds of Palestinians, he tells the BBC.

Criticism of the GHF — it’s about the matter

• The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by Israel and the US, took over food distribution in Gaza at the end of May 2025 after UN agencies were closed.
• The UN and humanitarian organizations have strongly criticized the GHF for its lack of neutrality and poor knowledge of emergency relief work.
• Since the GHF took over, Israeli soldiers have killed at least 1,000 aid seekers at or near emergency aid sites, according to the UN.
• Israel and the GHF have denied that civilians were shot at during the distributions, while testimonies indicate the opposite.
• A wide range of international aid organizations have warned of mass starvation and a sharp increase in malnutrition in Gaza, especially among children
• Negotiations on a ceasefire have been hampered by disagreements over who should be responsible for the distribution of emergency aid, with Hamas demanding that the UN and international actors handle the aid while Israel wants to keep the GHF.