Global Outlook

  Israel is intensifying pressure on the United States in the final hours before a U.N. Security Council vote scheduled for Monday on a proposal concerning Gaza’s governance and reconstruction after the war. The core dispute between Israel on one side and Washington, along with the Arab states supporting the proposal on the other, centers on the creation of a “Peace Council” in Gaza. The body would act as an interim governing authority until the Palestinian Authority is fully restructured and able to assume control. Israeli officials argue that this clause effectively reinforces the Palestinian right to self-determination and advances the prospect of a Palestinian state — a position Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly rejects. Netanyahu, facing mounting criticism for not dismissing the plan outright, reiterated before a cabinet meeting that he opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state. In a last-minute effort to influence Washington, Netanyahu held a closed consultati...

  Thousands of Israelis protested  across the country against the government, calling for all  remaining deceased hostages to be released  and the establishment of a state commission of inquiry  into the October 7 massacre. ■  Maxim Herkin,  who was released from  Hamas captivity  in October, thanked  protesters at Tel Aviv’s Hostage Square,  saying, “I’m here because of you, and I’m finally making my dream come true.” Fellow freed hostage Guy Gilboa-Dalal shared that before he was taken into Hamas’ tunnels, he “caught a glimpse of photos from the square. You gave me strength and hope.” ■  Iran  confirmed its  Revolutionary Guards  seized a tanker carrying  petrochemical cargo  bound for Singapore in Gulf waters, Iranian media reported. ■  Opposition lawmaker  Vladimir Beliak said that the  violence perpetrated by settlers  across the West Bank is “ institutionalized terror,”  a...

  Israel reacted angrily to the recognitions by several major Western allies of a Palestinian state and pledged to take retaliatory measures as a second round of recognitions are expected at a U.N. summit in New York on Monday. The  announcements  by the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia on Sunday that they would recognize Palestine as a sovereign state were telegraphed in advance as part of an effort, led by France, to build momentum toward a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that has never seemed more out of reach. French President Emmanuel Macron said he plans to follow suit at a high-level conference he is co-hosting with Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly on Monday afternoon. Other European countries are also joining in. While long sought, and applauded, by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah, the moves are largely symbolic, analysts say. It’s unclear what effect, if any, they will have on the ground, where Israel is ...

  Documents show that the United States and Israel have sent complaint letters to top United Nations officials contesting the impartiality of their staff over the Gaza conflict, as hundreds of UN staff protested outside its European headquarters,   Reuters   reports. UN staff carried placards saying “Peace for Gaza” and “Not a Target”. They laid over 370 white roses next to a memorial plaque in Geneva to represent each UN aid worker killed in the nearly two-year conflict. “Today, the UN staff are coming together to say that enough is enough, to say that we cannot kill our colleagues in Gaza with such impunity and to say stop to all these murders,” Nathalie Meynet, president of the UN refugee agency staff council, told  Reuters  at the protest. The letters highlight the rising tensions between the UN and its top funder, the US, which has already disengaged from the UN Human Rights Council over what Washington says is its anti-Israel stance.

  The Trump administration is preparing to place sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories, a U.S. official told HuffPost on Wednesday, signaling a significant move against one of the most outspoken critics of the ongoing U.S.-backed offensive in Gaza. The White House conveyed the directive to U.S. government agencies in recent hours, the official, who has direct knowledge of the matter, told HuffPost. The move is based on President  Donald Trump ’s executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court and anyone assisting its work. The measure likely would bar Albanese, an Italian national, from traveling to the U.S., as well as block any assets she has in the country and likely complicate her work by deterring U.S. companies and others from engaging with her. It was unclear Wednesday when the sanctions would be unveiled and how extensive they would be. Albanese, a human rights lawyer, has ...

  The US has unveiled a controversial plan to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza through private companies, bypassing traditional UN channels.  Ambassador Mike Huckabee confirmed that distribution centers, guarded by private security, will provide food and supplies to over a million Palestinians. While the US claims this will prevent Hamas from diverting aid, the UN has refused to participate, calling the scheme a violation of humanitarian principles. With Gaza’s famine crisis worsening, this move could deepen suffering rather than alleviate it. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has outright rejected the plan, arguing it “weaponizes” aid by placing it under a militarized framework. Jens Laerke, an OCHA spokesman, stated that the proposal clashes with the core values of neutral humanitarian work. Meanwhile, Gaza’s situation grows more dire — food prices have skyrocketed, community kitchens are shutting down, and over 90% of the population is disp...

  Leader Ahmed al-Sharaa from Syria has initiated a national dialogue in Damascus which includes promised democratic transformation and the formation of a transitional justice committee. The dialogue serves as a historically significant moment according to al-Sharaa and his HTS-led government for leading Syria to political transformation after the Assad downfall followed by civil war years. The high aspirations of the gathering are overshadowed by doubts about its usefulness because it was implemented too quickly while keeping attendance narrow. The speech by Al-Sharaa appealed for national solidarity by asking Syrians to unite against the injuries caused by the previous political order as he committed to controlling all state weapons to weaken the power of armed organizations. The compressed work sessions about transitional justice and constitutional reform and institutional reconstruction throughout one single day received strong criticism from both national and international...

 Violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank has escalated dramatically, sparking international concern and outrage. According to a recent update from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), attacks against Palestinians have surged, causing immense suffering and destruction. Between March 4 and 10 alone, at least 16 violent incidents were recorded, resulting in injuries, property damage, and theft. The UN has called for immediate intervention to prevent further escalation, but the situation on the ground remains dire. The targeted assaults have primarily focused on Palestinian communities, leading to widespread fear and displacement. One of the most shocking incidents occurred when Israeli settlers, reportedly dressed in military uniforms, stormed a mosque in Khirbet Tana, Nablus. Palestinian worshippers were attacked mid-prayer, an act seen by many as an outright provocation designed to incite further violence. This is not an isola...