π️Lonny's War Update- October 719, 2023 - September 24, 2025 π️
π️Day 719 that 48 of our hostages are still in Hamas captivityπ️
Qatari emir: Israel making it ‘impossible’ to hold Gaza talks, wants to ‘impose its will’ on Arab neighbors
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani says Israel’s attack earlier this month that targeted the political leaders of Hamas in Doha was an attempt by Israel to derail the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, in his address to the UN General Assembly in New York.
“They negotiate with delegations and plot to assassinate the members of the negotiation teams. It is difficult to cooperate with such a mentality that does not respect the most minimal standards of cooperation. It is impossible,” he says.
“Their goal is to destroy Gaza so that it is unlivable and where no one can study or receive treatment,” he claims, charging that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “is abandoning the notion of releasing the hostages.”
“The Israeli leader wants to continue the war. He believes in what is called Greater Israel,” he says of Netanyahu.
Israel is “engaged in a genocide, and its leader is proud of preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state, and he promises that such a state will never be established, and he takes pride in preventing peace with the Palestinians, and that he will prevent such peace in the future,” Thani continues.
“Israel is surrounded by states that have signed a peace agreement with it, or that are committed to the Arab Peace Initiative. But Israel does not make do with truces and settlements. It desires to impose its will on its surrounding Arab neighbors,” he says.
“Everyone who opposes its will is either antisemitic or a terrorist. Even Israel’s allies realize this fact and reject it,” he states. Link
- Trump insists he will ‘end the war in Gaza’ at meeting with heads of Arab and Muslim states
Witkoff offers thumbs up as White House doesn’t immediately comment on sit-down at UN, which UAE reports focused on permanent ceasefire and Turkey’s Erdogan describes as ‘fruitful’US President Donald Trump on Tuesday met leaders from the Arab and Muslim world on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York City to discuss ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, repeatedly calling it his “most important meeting.”
“We want to end the war in Gaza. We’re going to end it. Maybe we can end it right now,” Trump told the press at the start of the meeting.
“This is my most important meeting,” he continued. “But this is the one that’s very important to me because we’re going to end something that should have probably never started.”
Leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan were in attendance. Trump said the sit-down included “all of the big players except for Israel, but that’s going to be next,” in apparent reference to his meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next week.
Trump also complimented Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s speech to the General Assembly earlier, in which Subianto said peace requires guaranteeing Israel’s security.
Following the meeting, Trump simply waved to gathered news reporters without commenting on how things went, and there was no immediate comment from the White House. Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff offered a thumbs-up when asked how the meeting had fared.
Both Trump and Witkoff had been expected to unveil the US plan for the post-war management of Gaza that former UK prime minister Tony Blair has been developing in recent months and that was revealed last week in The Times of Israel.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan described the meeting with Trump as “very fruitful.”
NATO member Turkey has harshly criticized Israel’s attacks in Gaza against Hamas — which Erdogan is a leading backer of — and claims they amount to genocide, a charge that Jerusalem strongly rejects. Turkey has halted all trade with Israel, urged international measures against it, and demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Speaking to reporters, Erdogan said a joint declaration from the meeting would be published and that he was “pleased” with the outcomes of the meeting, but did not elaborate.
Emirati state news agency WAM meanwhile reported that the meeting focused on ending the ongoing war in Gaza and reaching a permanent ceasefire. The news agency said releasing all hostages and taking steps toward addressing the worsening humanitarian crisis in the war-torn enclave were also discussed as priorities.
Trump ‘on the side of Israel’
Meeting at the UN earlier in the day with French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country was among several to recognize a Palestinian state a day earlier during a Franco-Saudi conference on promoting a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Trump told reporters that he and the leaders of the Muslim nations “we’re going to see if we can do something about” ending the Gaza war.
“We want to stop that. We want to get our hostages back, or their hostages back,” he said, referring to the captives taken by Hamas-led terrorists during the October 7, 2023, attack against Israel that started the Gaza war.
While sitting alongside Macron, Trump also declared, “I’m on the side of Israel. I’ve been on the side of Israel, really, my whole life, and we’re going to get a solution, and it’s going to be a solution that’s good for everybody.”
Asked about Macron’s decision to recognize Palestinian statehood, Trump echoed his speech to the UN General Assembly. “I think it honors Hamas and you can’t do that because of October 7. You just can’t do that.”
“Nobody forgets the 7th of October,” Macron said in response.
“But after almost two years of war, what is the result?” Macron said, adding: “This is not the right the right way to proceed.”
Macron also said Israel’s killing of Hamas leaders was a “great achievement,” but “you have as many Hamas fighters as you had the first day. So it doesn’t work to dismantle Hamas. This is not the right way to proceed. So we need a full-fledged process.” LINK Trump's statement that he will end the war in Gaza could be seen as a typical narcissistic Trump statement, but this time, it is true. He is the only one in the world who can end the war because he is the only one who Netanyahu cannot say no to. If it is up to Netanyahu, the war will go on at least till October 2026 which is when the next elections are officially scheduled unless the government falls and early elections are to be held. Netanyahu has been doing everything in his power to keep the government together to survive politically until October 2026. For him, the time is critical. He needs as much time as he can get to in his quest of rewriting the narrative of October 7, everything that led to it and the mishandling of the war and the hostage crisis. He is banking of the traditional short memories of Israeli voters and that if he tells his lies often enough over a period of time, he will succeed in convincing his voter base that he bears no responsibility for anything except for the successes that he will continue to take ownership of, the 12 Day Iran War, the fall of Assad in Syria and the total destruction of their military, the successes in Lebanon with the killings of most of their top leadership. And if anyone mentions the hostages, he will focus on one thing and one thing only, that 'he brought back 203 hostages', not the facts that he has left them to rot for 719 days and counting. He and his poison machine truly believe that, with enough time, he can erase all remnants of our memories of his great responsibility and blame for October 7. He is very wrong. We will not let anyone forget, especially him.
So he continues on with this horrible war, letting the hostages rot and die in the tunnels of Gaza, sending more and more soldiers to fight, get maimed and killed, killing more and more non combatant Gazans and the full and total destruction of Gaza, all for his political survival. Trump has given in to Netanyahu so far, but we all hope that Trump's patience is waning and at the end, as well as his fear that if he allows Netanyahu to continue with the war, the coveted Nobel Peace Prize will move further and further away from Trump's chances of winning it. We are all awaiting his 'major announcement' that is supposed to come from the White House in the next days about what he is going to do to end the war.
**There is nothing more important than getting them home! NOTHING!**
“I’ve never met them,But I miss them. I’ve never met them,but I think of them every second. I’ve never met them,but they are my family. BRING THEM HOME NOW!!!”
Red Alerts - Missile, Rocket, Drone (UAV - unmanned aerial vehicles), and Terror Attacks and Death Announcements
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Hamas executes 3 ‘collaborators’ in Strip as it faces rising challenges from militias
Palestinian analyst says action shows growing worry in terror organization of threat posed by rival groups
Hamas-led authorities in Gaza have executed three men accused of collaborating with Israel, a Palestinian official said, as the group seeks to crush rising challenges from militias it says are working against it with Israeli support.
Two years into the Gaza war and with Hamas under relentless Israeli military pressure, small bands of armed Palestinians opposed to the group have surfaced in several parts of Gaza where they have been operating against it, according to residents and sources close to Hamas and to the groups.
In a video circulated on social media showing the executions, a masked man is seen issuing a warning to “all collaborators” before the three men, kneeling and blindfolded, are kicked onto their fronts and shot in front of a crowd.
Reuters confirmed the location as Gaza City by the buildings, a gas station, road layout and signs seen in the video, which matched file and satellite imagery of the area.
The Palestinian security official from the Hamas-run Gaza government said the executions were carried out on Sunday by the “Joint Operations Room of the Palestinian resistance.”
The videos showed “revolutionary rulings” being implemented against people for security collaboration with Israel, it said.
The executions aimed to send “a clear message and serve as a deterrent to anyone tempted to collaborate with the occupation.”
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
During the war, Hamas said it has publicly punished people for crimes, including looting and collaboration with Israel. This video marked one of the most graphic demonstrations of this.
The Israeli military launched a ground offensive in Gaza City last week, pressing its campaign to defeat the group that sparked the war when it launched the October 2023 attack on Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly said in June that Israel was arming clans that oppose Hamas, without saying which.
The most prominent anti-Hamas rebel is Yasser Abu Shabab, based in Rafah in southern Gaza, an area controlled by Israel. He has denied receiving Israeli support or having contacts with the Israeli army.
The Palestinian security official said some of the men executed on Sunday had ties to Abu Shabab.
Abu Shabab’s organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent via its Facebook page.
Palestinian analysts say Hamas, though weakened, could swiftly suppress rival groups if a ceasefire were reached, but while the war continues, it struggles to do so — especially as those groups move freely in Israeli-controlled parts of Gaza.
Israel has cited exactly such concerns in its continuation of the war against the terror group, saying it can never again be allowed to rule the enclave.
Abu Shabab’s armed group recently advertised on social media for recruits with police and security experience, promising monthly salaries from NIS 3,000 to NIS 5,000 ($890 to $1,500).
Other groups opposed to Hamas have emerged in Beit Lahiya and Shejaiya in northern Gaza, and in eastern Khan Younis in the south, sources close to Hamas and residents say.
Palestinian analyst Akram Attallah said the executions indicate that Hamas is deeply worried, especially as these groups now operate beyond their usual areas and their attacks show more capability and a rising threat to the movement. link
Syrian leader accuses Israel of ‘stalling on negotiations, insisting on violating our airspace’
NEW YORK — Syria’s leader warns that the Middle East will face a new round of tumult unless Israel reaches a security agreement with his transitional government that preserves sovereignty.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former jihadist whose forces swept out longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December, is making a landmark visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
“We are not the ones creating problems for Israel. We are scared of Israel, not the other way around,” he tells an event of the Middle East Institute.
“There are multiple risks with Israel stalling on the negotiations and insisting on violating our airspace and incursions into our territory,” he says.
He rejects any talk of partitioning his country, as Israel makes incursions and says it is championing the interests of the Druze minority.
“Jordan is under pressure, and any talk of partitioning Syria will hurt Iraq, will hurt Turkey,” he says.
“That will take us all back to square one,” he says, noting that Syria has only just emerged from a decade-and-a-half of war.
In an earlier appearance, Sharaa played down prospects for a more historic agreement in which Syria would recognize Israel.
West Bank Palestinians shrug off France’s statehood recognition: ‘What will this bring us?’
Some welcome Macron’s decision to recognize Palestinian state while urging ‘additional steps’ such as ending Israel-Hamas war in Gaza
Despite widespread global anticipation of France’s recognition of a Palestinian state, residents of the Israeli-controlled West Bank felt the move would have little tangible effect on their daily lives.
In the streets of Ramallah — seat of the Palestinian Authority — screens were not showing the UN gathering where French President Emmanuel Macron announced the recognition, and most said they would not tune in to watch it.
“Of course (recognition) is a good thing, but even if the whole world recognizes it, Palestine’s situation will not improve,” said Zain Abdel Wahab, 18, on a quiet shopping street in Ramallah.
“The war on Gaza has lasted two years. What will this recognition bring us? Will the war end? No, it will continue,” he said, adding that economic conditions in the West Bank were deteriorating.
Many Palestinians expressed disinterest in the wave of countries recognizing their state.
Rasha, a 37-year-old who gave only her first name, said she did not care about the move. “The West… is making a big deal out of it, but it does not make any difference for Palestinians, it does not make any change in our daily life.”
“It’s too risky (to go to Jenin) because of all the settlers that are attacking us, and… there are too many checkpoints now,” she continued.
“So much for their Palestinian state that they are recognizing.”
Somebody cares’
Following the move by Britain, Canada and Australia to recognize the Palestinian state, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to expand settlements in the West Bank, adding that no such state would exist.
The move by the Western leaders, moreover, comes as Israel presses a new offensive in Gaza City against Hamas, whose October 7, 2023, terror attack against Israel started the nearly two-year-long war that has devastated most of the Gaza Strip.
For some, recognition of a state of their own was a positive step, but it still fell short.
“We are happy with this recognition, but we want additional steps from the countries that recognized the state of Palestine,” said Ibrahim Salam Abdullah, 18.
“We want the countries that recognized the state of Palestine and gave us their love to work on improving the situation in the West Bank, ending the war in our beloved Gaza Strip, and ending the famine that is afflicting the children and all of our people in Gaza.”
At a cafe in downtown Ramallah, men smoked and clapped occasionally during Macron’s speech, with some praising him for addressing equality between Israelis and Palestinians.
Abu Elias, 63, who was watching the speech, said he was optimistic but felt nothing would change in the short term.
“You don’t go to the moon in one day,” he said, adding, “nothing has been happening for 80 years and now I have a feeling something good for Palestinians will happen.”
Bisan, a 25-year-old architecture student, admitted she didn’t really understand what the recognition would mean.
“I don’t understand what this recognition entails, and I don’t know what to think about it because I don’t know what is the future of a Palestinian state,” she said.
“I don’t know what the European countries mean when they say they want to recognize Palestine.
“We don’t see the reality of it. But I think for my parents, it’s important, it makes them feel that somebody cares.” Link
Palestinian shot dead by off-duty soldier during clash with settlers in West Bank
A Palestinian man was shot dead by an off-duty soldier during clashes between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in a village near the West Bank city of Ramallah this evening, according to Palestinian media and the army.
The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry reports that Saeed Murad Nasan, 20, was shot dead amid an attack by settlers on a park in al-Mughayyir. The PA’s official Wafa news agency reports that five other Palestinians were wounded in the incident.
The military says that it had received reports of a violent clash, during which “dozens of Palestinians hurled stones and attacked Israeli civilians in a pasture near al-Mughayyir.” One Israeli civilian was wounded, the army says.
“During the incident, an off-duty soldier who was at the location fired several shots in the air and later toward the suspects who continued to approach,” the IDF says, adding that “hits were identified.”
Troops were then dispatched to the scene to disperse the sides. When they arrived, the IDF says Palestinians hurled stones at the troops, who used riot dispersal means and live fire.
The IDF adds that the incident is under further investigation.
There are no reports of arrests. Link Of course there were no arrests and the investigation to be done won’t be . In a best case scenario, the IDF Officer investigating’ May make done phone calls or even interview one or two soldiers who were present. No Palestinians will be questioned. In the end, the army, if it does release any statement, they will say that after a thorough investigation, the reserve soldier who fired and killed the Palestinian will be totally cleared and be found to have acted entirely in self defense and the investigation’ will be satisfied and closed. No settlers will be arrested or taken in for questioning and they certainly will never be charged with any crime related to settler terrorism against the Palestinians. If anyone will be taken in for questioning, arrested, charged and brought to trial, it will be the Palestinians who were attacked. They are almost always convicted and none are ever released or have charges dropped for self defense. Self Defense against Settler Terrorists is only an option for the settler terrorists themselves, never for those being attacked. That is the justice of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank.
- Politics and the War and General News
- 80% of world recognizes Palestinian state: The countries joining anti-Israel diplomatic wave
A global wave of Palestinian state recognition gains momentum as France, Belgium and others join the UK and EU nations in a diplomatic surge against Israel and seeks to reshape the path toward a two-state solutionA growing number of nations have formally recognized a Palestinian state, intensifying diplomatic pressure on Israel nearly two years into the war in Gaza.France spearheaded the latest wave, with President Emmanuel Macron on Monday announcing recognition alongside Malta, Monaco, Luxembourg and San Marino at a French-Saudi conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York Belgium and Andorra also issued declarations of recognition, though both conditioned implementation on the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the group’s removal from power in Gaza. The move follows announcements from the UK, Canada, Australia and Portugal just days earlier. In total, 153 of the UN’s 193 member states—around 80%—now officially recognize Palestine. Recognition first surged in November 1988, when Yasser Arafat declared Palestinian independence in Algiers. Dozens of Arab, Asian and African states immediately extended recognition, followed over the years by much of the developing world. South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Sweden are among the later joiners. More recently, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Slovenia, Armenia and Mexico added their names. Not all recognitions have endured. Hungary and the Czech Republic withdrew their recognition, while reports suggest Papua New Guinea’s 1994 recognition is no longer valid. Argentina, under pro-Israel President Javier Milei, has not revoked its recognition but opposed upgrading Palestine’s UN status in May 2024. Macron defended his move at the UN, saying recognition was necessary to preserve chances for a two-state solution and to pressure Israel to halt the war in Gaza and settlement expansion in the West Bank. “The worst could still happen—further civilian deaths, the expulsion of Gaza’s residents to Egypt, annexation of the West Bank, the killing of hostages held by Hamas,” Macron warned. He argued that recognition “is a defeat for Hamas and for those who fuel antisemitism and seek the destruction of Israel.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who announced his recognition last week, accused Israel of “cruelty” in Gaza and said the step was essential to maintain hopes for a future peace. He has also curbed defense exports to Israel and sanctioned far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. France and its partners insist recognition does not mean turning a blind eye to Hamas. Macron said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas had committed to dismantling Hamas’s role in any future government, implementing deep governance reforms and combating incitement. “A French embassy in Palestine will open once the hostages are released,” he pledged. Still, the move remains largely symbolic. Recognition does not grant Palestine full UN membership, which requires Security Council approval—something the United States, under President Donald Trump, has vowed to block. Trump, who is set to address the General Assembly this week, denounced Macron’s initiative as “a reward for terror.” Israel has yet to announce how it will respond. Smotrich and Ben-Gvir are urging annexation of West Bank territory, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shelved that option for now. “The response to this attempt to impose a terror state in the heart of our land will be given after my return from the U.S.,” Netanyahu said in a video statement. link - 'Israel is small, France is a powerhouse' diplomat warns as Jerusalem mulls Palestinian state response
After Britain recognized a Palestinian state, a senior diplomat insisted the move was 'not against Israel'; London has vowed continued support, but warned that 'harsh retaliation will cause ping-pong'; Israel signaled it would respond strongly against France, which has led the moveA senior British diplomat stressed Sunday that the United Kingdom’s recognition of a Palestinian state was not aimed at Israel, even as Jerusalem weighs its response to the move championed by France. Canada and Australia also announced recognition on Sunday.“This is not punishment of Israel — on the contrary,” the diplomat said, noting that London continues to support Israel. He said the recognition was tied to key conditions: the release of all hostages, Hamas disarmament, demilitarization of Gaza, and Palestinian elections within a year, authorized by the Arab League. “Israel says 'no' to a Palestinian state. We asked, 'What is the alternative?' We didn’t get an answer,” he said. The diplomat added that Britain would continue intelligence flights over Gaza to track hostages and stressed there was no broad arms embargo. Only about 10% of offensive weapons exports had been paused, he said, adding: “Britain continues to supply Israel with weapons.” Still, he cautioned against an aggressive Israeli response: “If Israel reacts with harsh diplomatic measures, there will be retaliation. It will become a ping-pong. Israel must think carefully about its responses" Israel weighs options Israel has not yet finalized its response. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to coordinate with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington after Yom Kippur before announcing any move. Options range from restraint — unlikely — to annexing the entire West Bank, though that too appears doubtful. Analysts suggest a more symbolic step, such as annexing the Jordan Valley, might be more realistic and palatable to Washington. France led the push for recognition and lobbied other countries to join. Jerusalem has warned Paris of sharp retaliation, including possibly closing the French consulate in Jerusalem, which handles Palestinian affairs. French officials said such a move would not go unanswered. According to French media reports, possible countermeasures include expelling Israeli diplomats or limiting Mossad’s Paris office, which has historically provided intelligence that helped France thwart terror plots. One was the foiled 2018 Iranian bomb attack outside Paris. A senior French diplomat told Le Figaro: “Recognition of a Palestinian state is not a declaration of war against Israel. It is recognition of moderates against Hamas. Netanyahu has shown no alternative. For 20 years, there has been no negotiation, only settlements.” He added, bluntly: “We warned Israel not to respond harshly. With all due respect, Israel is a small country and France is a powerhouse. Our ability to hurt you is greater than yours to hurt us.” The diplomat also revealed that Paris is preparing a “second wave” of recognition, possibly including Japan. Netanyahu’s dilemma Netanyahu faces competing pressures: coalition partners Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir demand full annexation, but Trump could veto such a move, citing commitments in the Abraham Accords that explicitly rule out annexation. Germany has also signaled it would not accept annexation and hinted it might itself recognize a Palestinian state if Israel proceeds. For Netanyahu, the timing is delicate. His government has primed public opinion for a strong response, but he risks disappointing his political base if Trump blocks annexation. Analysts say only a hostage deal and a cease-fire might soften domestic backlash. In Washington, Trump may give Netanyahu leeway to target France diplomatically, but not to endanger the Abraham Accords. Any escalation with Paris, however, risks a bruising exchange between allies — and could play directly into President Emmanuel Macron’s hands as he seeks to project strength at home. link - British PM to demand Palestinian Authority stop payments to terrorists' families
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will make it clear to senior Palestinian Authority officials that they must stop payments to families of terrorists before Britain can develop full diplomatic relations with them. This was reported by the British "Telegraph."
Meloni says Italy could recognize Palestinian state if hostages released, Hamas excluded
Full text of Abbas speech at 2-state summit: ‘We demand a ceasefire’; Hamas must hand arms to PA
Palestinian Authority president denounces ‘the occupation’s policies,’ urges Israel to enter talks, condemns Hamas for Oct. 7, says Palestinian ‘freedom and independence’ is near
Hamas lauds Palestinian state recognition, but insists on right to retain weapons
In a statement, the Hamas terror group applauds Western countries for recognizing a Palestinian state and for calling for concrete steps to end the war in the Gaza Strip.
It adds: “Weapons of the resistance are a national right anchored by all international laws and treaties, until the end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem.”
Western countries that have recognized a Palestinian state have also called on Hamas to disarm and give up its rule over the Gaza Strip.
French proposal envisions multinational Gaza force tasked with gradually disarming Hamas
Paris circulating draft, obtained by ToI, aimed at operationalizing internationally-backed NY Declaration to marginalize Hamas; but it’s mum on coordination with Israel
France is advancing an initiative aimed at establishing an “International Stabilization Mission” that would replace the IDF in Gaza and work to disarm Hamas after the war ends, according to a draft of the proposal obtained by The Times of Israel.
The proposal aims to operationalize an internationally-backed declaration from July calling for a two-state solution, the disarmament of Hamas and the gradual transfer of internal security in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority.
The proposal envisions several states leading the transitional force and specifically names Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as preferred candidates.
The draft “outlines a pragmatic pathway to deploy — in a short timeframe — a UN-mandated, regionally-led temporary stabilization mission in Palestine as provided for in the New York Declaration, once the environment is sufficiently permissive.”
The New York Declaration was cosponsored by France and Saudi Arabia in July and was subsequently endorsed by Arab countries, including Qatar and Egypt, before being enshrined in a UN General Assembly resolution earlier this month.
The declaration stated that signatories “support the deployment of a temporary international stabilization mission upon invitation by the Palestinian Authority and under the aegis of the United Nations and in line with UN principles.”
Results are displayed during a General Assembly meeting to vote on the two states solution to the Palestinian question at United Nations headquarters (UN) on September 12, 2025 in New York City. (ANGELA WEISS / AFP)“This mission, which could evolve depending on the needs, would provide protection to the Palestinian civilian population, support transfer of internal security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority, provide capacity building support for the Palestinian State and its security forces, and security guarantees for Palestine and Israel, including monitoring of the ceasefire and of a future peace agreement, in full respect of their sovereignty,” the New York Declaration added.
Peacekeeping force vs. multinational mission
The French proposal for the International Stabilization Mission, obtained by The Times of Israel, gets more specific about the mandate and scope of the mission, serving as a potential precursor for a UN Security Council resolution that would establish the force.
The draft states that the force would ideally take the form of a United Nations peacekeeping operation (PKO) or a special political mission (SPM), which would be officially neutral, have more internationally legitimacy and operate under a clear set of principles.
However, establishing a lower-level, ad hoc Multinational Mission led and commanded by specific nations would allow for faster deployment, as it requires fewer approvals, and is more likely to be accepted by the parties on the ground, the proposal states.
UN peacekeepers hold their flag in Blida, a Lebanese border village with Israel in south Lebanon, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)The mission would be funded by voluntary donors, such as Gulf countries, through a dedicated trust fund, rather than through mandatory contributions, the draft says.
Notably, the proposal suggests that the mission could be deployed before an end to the war in Gaza, but it specifies that securing a ceasefire agreement ahead of time is “most preferable.”
Two-phase deployment
The draft envisions a two-phased deployment, ideally beginning after a ceasefire is reached, with the objectives of the force stated as “ceasefire monitoring, protection to the Palestinian civilian population, gradual disarmament of Hamas and facilitation of humanitarian access and delivery of basic services in coordination with the PA and UN agencies.”
In phase two, which is characterized as medium-to-long-term, the international force will focus on “capacity building support” for a future Palestinian state, drawing lessons from similar UN missions in Kosovo and East Timor.
The force will support the transfer of internal security to the PA, coordinating with existing initiatives to train Palestinian police, the draft says, referencing ongoing programs led by Egypt and Jordan to ready thousands of PA security force members for deployment in Gaza.
The stabilization mission will also assist preparations for Palestinian elections across Gaza and the West Bank and coordinate reconstruction efforts in the Strip.
Palestinians run accross a hill as they try to chase off Israeli settlers in the village of Sinjil, in the occupied West Bank on July 4, 2025. (JOHN WESSELS / AFP)As for the scope of the force, the French proposal says it will initially be deployed in Gaza only.
“Limiting the mandate of this mission in Gaza in the long term could however lead to a lasting separation between Gaza and the West Bank,” the proposal warns, arguing in favor of eventual extension of the deployment to the latter territory.
However, such a move would be “subject to political agreement and operational feasibility, given sensitive issues such as settler violence and the presence of Israeli forces,” the proposal states.
Potential red flags
The above reference is the only mention of Israel in the two-page proposal. Israel could well be a roadblock to the plan, given that Jerusalem has been adamant in its opposition to a PA role in Gaza, let alone letting an international force operate in the West Bank.
Any international force will likely have to coordinate and deconflict with the IDF, and while the French draft is not final, its omission of details on the international force’s relationship with the Israeli army appeared glaring.
Qatar’s involvement in the security mission could also face pushback from Jerusalem, though officials familiar with the proposal argue Doha’s role will be essential in keeping Hamas at bay.
Troops of the 36th Division are seen operating in Gaza, in a handout photo issued by the IDF on September 21, 2025. (Israel Defense Forces)Still, its explicit mention of Hamas disarmament appeared to go further than the US-backed plan being crafted by former British prime minister Tony Blair, which was obtained and published last week by The Times of Israel.
The Blair proposal focuses more exclusively on the establishment of a transitional governing authority in Gaza. It does highlight a goal of advancing the “disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR),” but it doesn’t mention Hamas by name.
The French proposal is also more explicit about the force being a precursor to a two-state solution, which Arab countries have repeatedly asserted is critical for their involvement. Paris appears keen on taking Arab allies’ stances into account in its proposal, while Blair has also been trying to appeal to the US and Israel, who are far less enthusiastic, if not hostile, to the idea of establishing a Palestinian state.
Without US support, the French proposal has no chance of getting through the UN Security Council.
Macron makes the case
French President Emmanuel Macron said in a Sunday interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation” that he has been engaging the US and Blair regarding Paris’s proposal.
He argued that his decision to recognize a Palestinian state in the coming week was critical to getting Arab countries on board to contribute to the security mission needed to disarm Hamas.
Macron offered some additional details on the French plan, saying it will see Israeli vetting of Palestinian troops.
The French president said he is working closely with the UK — which recognized a Palestinian state on Sunday — along with Arab leaders to advance the effort to “offer an international force to be deployed in Gaza, with a UN mandate… to assist and back [Palestinian] policemen and security forces.”
French President Emmanuel Macron participates in a meeting with European leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on August 18, 2025. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP)“It would involve Jordan and Egypt, and others are ready to finance. Obviously, it is to be made in close coordination with Israel,” Macron said.
He stressed that the “core element” of the French security plan is the “dismantling of Hamas.”
“There is no other option if you want to fix the situation — disarm Hamas, demobilize [its] fighters and organize… a DDR process… to be sure that Hamas will never be involved in the government, with some key people leav[ing] Gaza and some others de-radicalized,” Macron added.
“In order to do so, you need these international forces to be here,” he said.
The French Mission to the UN did not respond to a request for comment on this story. Link
Qatar, Jordan denounce Netanyahu as warmonger, regional threat; Indonesia says ‘Shalom’
‘They visit our country and plot to attack it,’ wails emir, as Abdullah warns ‘Greater Israel’ would involve ‘blatant violation of the sovereignty’ of Israel’s neighbors; Indonesian leader says Israel’s security must be respected
Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani said Tuesday that Israel had chosen war over the return of its remaining 48 hostages, and that its “treacherous” September 9 attack on the Hamas leadership in Doha was an attempt to derail the Qatari-mediated Gaza hostage-ceasefire talks.
In his address to the UN General Assembly in New York, al-Thani accused Israel of genocide in Gaza and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sees the Gaza war as “an opportunity to expand settlements.”
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the leaders of Jordan and Turkey also condemned Israel over its conduct in Gaza, with Jordan’s King Abdullah devoting almost his entire address to a denunciation of the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which he said was not a partner for peace and whose “Greater Israel” calls threatened the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Israel’s neighbors.
In sharp contrast, the president of Indonesia — the world’s most populous Muslim nation, which has no formal relations with Israel — said the world must respect Israel’s right to security and ended his speech with the Hebrew benediction “Shalom.”
Some of al-Thani’s criticism of Netanyahu was echoed by hostage families, who vowed to follow Netanyahu this week to the General Assembly, where the prime minister is set to speak on Friday, in protest of the new IDF operation to take over Gaza City.
Hostage families have said the operation, whose ground phase was launched last week, places their loved ones’ lives in acute danger. They have also assailed the strike on Doha for scuttling the hostage-ceasefire negotiation, which has stalled since then.
Addressing the strike, Qatar’s emir slammed the violation of the Gulf state’s sovereignty and reiterated his denunciation of Israel’s “rogue act … of state terrorism,” accusing Israel of a policy of political assassinations.
“They visit our country and plot to attack it,” al-Thani said of Israel, which has frequently sent negotiators to Doha. “They negotiate with delegations and plot to assassinate the members of the negotiation teams. It is difficult to cooperate with such a mentality that does not respect the most minimal standards of cooperation. It is impossible.”
“They consider negotiations the continuation of war by other means and a way to delude the Israeli public opinion,” he went on. “If the release of Israeli hostages is [contingent on] the end of war, the government of Israel is abandoning the notion of releasing the hostages,” said al-Thani.
The Israeli government’s “goal is to destroy Gaza so that it is unlivable and where no one can study or receive treatment,” he said. Israel is, in other words, aiming to “end the viability of the Gaza Strip, to displace its population.”
Referring to Netanyahu, al-Thani said: “The Israeli leader wants to continue war. He believes in what is called Greater Israel.”
Al-Thani said Netanyahu “believes that war is an opportunity to expand settlements and to change the status quo in the holy sites” on the Temple Mount, a flash point that was the site of the two Jewish temples of antiquity and is now the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site. “He also plots for attacks in the West Bank,” said the Qatari emir.
“Israel is not a democratic country surrounded by enemies, but in fact it is an enemy to its surrounding neighbors,” al-Thani said.
Amid a wave, applauded by al-Thani and decried by Israel, of recognitions of Palestinian statehood by Western nations, the emir noted that Netanyahu has vowed to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state. The emir also accused Israel of genocide, a charge Israel has bitterly rejected.
Israel is “engaged in a genocide, and its leader is proud of preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state, and he promises that such a state will never be established, and he takes pride in preventing peace with the Palestinians, and that he will prevent such peace in the future,” said al-Thani, accusing Israel of stonewalling on peace with its Arab neighbors.
“Israel is surrounded by states either who have signed a peace agreement with it, or are committed to the Arab Peace Initiative. But Israel does not make do with truces and settlements. It desires to impose its will on its surrounding Arab neighbors,” he said. “Everyone who opposes its will is either antisemitic or a terrorist. Even Israel’s allies realize this fact and reject it.”
He said Qatar would continue to engage in diplomacy even when its enemies “find it easier to use weapons,” and denounced what he said were disinformation campaigns against his country, which Israel has repeatedly accused of support for terrorism, due to its funding of Al Jazeera and its hosting of Hamas leaders.
Damage is seen after an Israeli strike targeted part of a building that hosted Hamas’s leaders in Doha, Qatar, September 10, 2025. (AP/Jon Gambrell)Qatar, with Netanyahu’s approval, had for years delivered millions of dollars in cash to Gaza on a monthly basis until the terror group stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.
The money was intended for government salaries in the Hamas-run Strip, and has been seized upon by Netanyahu’s critics to blame him for the Hamas onslaught.
Current and former top aides to Netanyahu are also under investigation for alleged criminal ties to Qatar.
Hostage families to follow PM to General Assembly
Netanyahu is expected to depart for the UN on Wednesday night, after the end of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which began Monday night.
Hostage families and hundreds of supporters have rallied outside his Jerusalem residence throughout the holiday, holding meals and prayers there.
In a statement outside Netanyahu’s residence on Tuesday, Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, said hostage families will follow the premier on his upcoming trip.
Einav Zangauker, center, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker, speaks during a press conference outside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Jerusalem, September 23, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)“We will also go to the US while he is staying there,” Zangauker said, referring to Netanyahu’s trip, which is also set to include a meeting with US President Donald Trump next week.
“A week ago, Netanyahu gave instructions to occupy Gaza City, blow up the living hostages and make the dead disappear forever,” Zangauker said, adding that the families of hostages could not remain at home while their loved ones were in danger.
“For a week, we shouted the cry of our children from the tunnels. But instead of leaving the house and reaching out, Netanyahu sealed his heart and closed his windows,” said Zangauker. Attempts to silence the families have failed, she added.
Erdogan: Netanyahu uninterested in peace or hostages
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also slammed Israel’s war against Hamas as a “genocide” during his speech at the UN General Assembly, showing images of the destruction in Gaza during his address.
“A genocide is continuing in Gaza; even as we meet here, innocent people are dying,” said Erdogan. “We cannot possibly talk about the presence of two sides in Gaza, because in Gaza, on one side, there is a regular army with the most modern, most lethal weapons, and on the other hand, there are innocent civilians, innocent children. This is not a fight against terrorism. This is an occupation, deportation, exile, genocide, and destruction of life.”
He also condemned Israel’s actions in the West Bank, “where Hamas is not in power,” as well as the strike in Doha and “attacks on Syria, on Iran, Yemen and Lebanon.”
“Netanyahu is obviously not interested in forging peace or releasing the hostages. Not only Israel’s neighbors, but all countries in the Middle East are subject to the Israeli government’s reckless threats,” he said.
Israel’s actions threaten “the values that emerged after the Second World War” and were responsible for the shelving of “fundamental human rights” around the world, said Erdogan.
Jordan: Gaza war ‘one of the darkest moments’ in UN history
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, in a relentless denunciation of Netanyahu and Israel’s leadership, said in his speech that the war in Gaza was “one of the darkest moments in this institution’s history.”
“How long will we be satisfied with condemnation after condemnation without concrete action? When it comes to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it seems that what unfolds in the halls of power is theory; the struggles and suffering on the ground are reality,” he said, commending nations for supporting a deal that “ensures the release of all hostages, unhindered humanitarian aid and support for the Palestinian people as they rebuild.”
Abdullah also said interim deals between Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, which dominates the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, have “served as a distraction, as Israel grabbed more land, expanded illegal settlements, demolished homes, and displaced entire neighborhoods.
“Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem have been vandalized and desecrated by those under government protection,” charged the king, whose country holds a custodianship over Christian and Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount.
“And throughout all these years, Israeli families too have not been able to live in true security because military action cannot bring the safety they need. Nowhere is that more evident than in Gaza,” he said.
“More than 60,000 Palestinians killed, 50,000 children injured or killed, miles of burnt-out rubble. Neighborhoods, hospitals, schools, farms, even mosques and churches in ruins, widespread starvation. And what we are seeing is only a glimpse because never in our modern history has the lenses of international media been obstructed like this from capturing the reality on the ground,” said Abdullah.
The figures he cited come from Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry and cannot be independently verified. They do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel says it has killed some 22,000 gunmen as of August as well as about 1,600 terrorists inside Israel during the October 7 onslaught.
Tents sheltering Palestinians displaced by conflict from Gaza City are pitched by damaged buildings in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on September 22, 2025. (Omar AL-QATTAA / AFP)Like the Qatari emir, Abdullah accused Israel of flouting the status quo at the Temple Mount, and referred to Greater Israel, a concept that has been used to describe a Jewish state spanning all or some of Jordan, the West Bank, Gaza, Golan Heights and Sinai Peninsula.
“The current Israeli government’s provocative call for a so-called Greater Israel can only be realized through the blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbors. And there is nothing great about that,” he said. “I can’t help but wonder if a similar outrageous call were made by an Arab leader, would it be met with the same global apathy?”
“The international community must stop entertaining the illusion that this government is a willing partner for peace. Far from it. Its actions on the ground are dismantling the very foundations on which peace could stand and intentionally burying the very idea of a Palestinian state,” said Abdullah.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visits the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 2, 2025. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)“Its hostile rhetoric calling for the targeting of Al-Aqsa Mosque will incite a religious war that would reach far beyond the region and lead to an all-out clash that no nation will be able to escape,” he added.
Since first receiving the national security portfolio in 2022, far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has continuously asserted that his policy is to allow Jewish prayer atop the Temple Mount, flouting the status quo, which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office has insisted remains in place.
Guterres: Gaza horrors approaching ‘monstrous’ 3rd year
Opening the General Assembly earlier Tuesday, Guterres, the UN chief, said “the horrors are approaching a third monstrous year” in Gaza, where he accused Israel of carrying out disproportionate “collective punishment.”
“They are the result of decisions that defy basic humanity,” he said, citing “a scale of death and destruction beyond any other conflict” in his nearly nine years as secretary-general.
Guterres reiterated his condemnation of the October 7 massacre and hostage-taking, but said “nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and the systematic destruction of Gaza.”
Guterres called for the full and immediate implementation of international law, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and humanitarian access. “And we must not relent in the only viable answer to sustainable Middle East peace: a two-state solution,” he said.
Indonesia’s Subianto calls for ‘Shalom’
In contrast to the wave of condemnatory rhetoric, Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto told the UN that his country “will immediately recognize that State of Israel” once Israel recognizes a Palestinian state.
“We must also recognize, we must also respect, and we must also guarantee the safety and security of Israel. Only then we can have real peace,” Subianto said in his speech, which he ended with the word “Shalom,” Hebrew for peace.
Though Indonesia has no formal relations with Israel, it has coordinated with Israel on airdropping aid in Gaza and was last year saidto be mulling normalizing relations with Israel as part of a bid to join the OECD.
Subianto had reiterated on Monday at a UN summit on the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that Indonesia would be prepared to send troops to a post-war peacekeeping mission in Gaza.
He doubled down on the offer at the General Assembly on Tuesday, saying Indonesia wants a peace that shows “might cannot make right.”
“We believe in the UN. We will continue to serve where peace needs guardians — not with just words, but with boots on the ground,” he said.
“If and when the UN Security Council and this great assembly decide, Indonesia is prepared to deploy 20,000 or even more of our sons and daughters to help secure peace in Gaza,” he states.
He said Indonesia was also willing to send peacekeepers elsewhere, including in Ukraine, Sudan, or Libya. Link
The leaders condemning Israel speak of 'them' and Israel doing ‘x’ because this is what they see. But the ‘them” and the Israel the speak of, in the worst possible ways is actually one person, Netanyahu. Yes, he is prime minister abd the actions he takes are in the name of every citizen, but almost everything he does is for himself abd not firvthe good of the country. He claims he speaks for us, and in doing so, drags us all into his den of iniquity, the abyss of war crimes, and an oath of total alienation from the countries of the world. What the world doesn’t know or doesn’t care is that the current government, the current prime minister lost any legitimacy they may have had on October 7. Had they been people of principals , they all would have resigned in disgrace with their heads bowed in shame and a vow never to hold public office again. But none of them had the decency to do any of that. They have proven to be bottom feeders, and are only concerned about them own interest. What a terrible path Netanyahu has take the country and his first consideration is what’s good for himself. He and his government don’t have legitimacy. The overwhelming majority of Israel’s citizens want early elections and whoever will win those elections following 2 years of a horrific war, will have the legitimacy of the country and they will chart our new path, not Netanyahu who has never had any strategy for anything, except for his political survival.
Japanese PM says Palestine state recognition ‘when not if,’ warns of action if Israel blocks 2-state solution
Japan’s prime minister tells the United Nations that Tokyo’s recognition of the State of Palestine is only a question of time, saying he was “indignant” at recent comments by Israeli officials.
Nearly 80 percent of UN members recognize the State of Palestine, with a string of countries including Britain, Canada and France adding their names this week after nearly two years of war in Gaza.
“I feel strongly indignant at the statements made by senior Israeli government officials that appear to categorically reject the very notion of Palestinian state-building,” Shigeru Ishiba says.
“For our country, the question is not whether to recognize a Palestinian state, but when. The continued unilateral actions by the government of Israel can never be accepted,” he says.
“I must state clearly that if further actions are taken that obstruct the realization of a two-state solution, Japan will be compelled to take new measures in response,” he adds.
Ishiba says that the “terror inflicted by Hamas and the devastation in Gaza we are witnessing today have left many feeling deeply saddened.”
“What matters the most is that Palestine can exist in a sustainable manner, living side by side in peace with Israel,” Ishiba says.
“As we invite Palestine to assume its role as a responsible member of the international community, the Palestinian side must establish a system of governance that ensures accountability,” he added.
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Acronyms and Glossary
ICC - International Criminal Court in the Hague
IJC - International Court of Justice in the Hague
MDA - Magen David Adom - Israel Ambulance Corp
PA - Palestinian Authority - President Mahmud Abbas, aka Abu Mazen
PMO- Prime Minister's Office
UAV - Unmanned Aerial vehicle, Drone. Could be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, or be weaponized with missiles or contain explosives for 'suicide' explosion mission
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