Israel has launched a ground incursion into Gaza City, according to officials, escalating its war in defiance of international condemnation and backlash from the families of hostages held by Hamas. The Israeli military estimates its offensive to take “several months” to complete.
An independent United Nations inquiry has concluded that Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, in what it described as the “most authoritative UN finding to date.”
Over 10% of Palestinians in Gaza have been killed or injured since the war began, the Israeli military’s former chief said — a figure very close to that reported by the Palestinian health ministry.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog urged Europe not to drift from Israel on Tuesday, arguing that the continent will harm itself if it “turns its back on” the Jewish state.
“I want to be clear: Isolating, ostracizing and penalizing Israel is falling prey to the manipulations of agents of chaos,” Herzog said at a German embassy event in the Israeli city of Herzliya.
“Europe must understand: Turning its back on Israel at this time is turning its back on Europe’s own interests,” Herzog continued. “And we will all pay the price. Yes, in science and innovation, in research and culture. But especially in a weakened alliance of moderates in favor of an empowered axis of extremism. We must not allow this to happen.”
Herzog’s comments come as Israel grows increasingly isolated internationally, both for its actions in Gaza and its recent strike on Qatar. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned last week that the commission will put its “bilateral support to Israel on hold,” even proposing sanctions on certain far-right members of the Israeli government.
Netanyahu announces another trip to White House
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday evening that he is set to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House later this month. Speaking at a news conference, Netanyahu referred to a phone call with Trump on Monday, in which “he invited me to the White House, and that will happen in two weeks on Monday.”
Netanyahu is scheduled to travel to New York next weekend for his annual address to the UN General Assembly, and he said he plans to go to Washington after his speech.
This will be his fourth visit to the White House since the beginning of Trump’s second term.
On the Qatar strike: Netanyahu said he held several phone calls with Trump since Israel’s unprecedented attack on Doha last week, describing all of them as “excellent.” Referring to reports about Israel updating the US of the attack, Netanyahu insisted, “I made the decision myself with my closed cabinet. It is my responsibility, and we did not involve the White House.”
“Security independence”: The news conference was an apparent attempt to minimize economic damage triggered by his remarks yesterday, in which he predicted the Israeli economy would have to adopt “autarkic” characteristics of isolation and self-sufficiency.
Netanyahu clarified that his remarks only referred to the weapons industries, which are facing political restrictions from Western European governments.
“If there is one lesson we learned from the war, it is that we want to be in a place where we are not restricted. Israel must defend itself with its own forces and its own weapons. Israel must have security independence,” he said.
