Thursday, February 6, 2025
0213 GMT — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said there was nothing wrong with President Donald Trump's idea to displace Palestinians from besieged Gaza after the US president's proposal was widely criticised internationally.
"The actual idea of allowing Gazans who want to leave to leave. I mean, what's wrong with that? They can leave, they can then come back, they can relocate and come back. But you have to rebuild Gaza," Netanyahu said in an interview on Fox News.
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0119 GMT — Israel withdraws from UN Human Rights Council, following US lead
Israel announced that it is withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) following a decision by the US to no longer participate in the body.
"Israel welcomes President (Donald) Trump's decision not to participate in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)," Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said on X.
"Israel joins the United States and will not participate in the UNHRC," he added.
2311 GMT — CENTCOM not developing plans to deploy troops in Gaza
US Central Command (CENTCOM) is not drawing up options for entering besieged Gaza following a plan announced by President Donald Trump to "take over" the enclave, according to a report.
Citing US defence officials, The Wall Street Journal reported that the Joint Staff had not received a formal request to draft such a plan.
According to the report, senior defence officials initially learned of the idea during Trump's press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday.
"Nobody knows what's happening," a defence official told the Journal.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, ahead of his meeting with Netanyahu, said the Pentagon is prepared to look at all options on Gaza.
"On the question of Gaza, the definition of insanity is attempting to do the same thing over and over and over again," said Hegseth.
2239 GMT — UN envoy says 'Gaza is part of the state of Palestine' after Trump's 'takeover' proposal
Palestine's permanent representative to the UN highlighted the importance of besieged Gaza for Palestinians, stressing that it is "part of the state of Palestine" after US President Donald Trump announced plans to "take over" the enclave.
"The Gaza Strip is a very precious component of the land of the State of Palestine. It is part of our homeland, and we don't have a homeland other than the state of Palestine," Riyad Mansour said at a meeting organised by a UN committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.
Saying that Palestinians are not in search of other "homelands," Mansour said: "For those who want us to have a happy place and safe place, we will be delighted to return to our homes inside the state of Israel."
"Gaza is part of the state of Palestine. The West Bank is part of the state of Palestine. So is Jerusalem," he noted.
2204 GMT — Canada reaffirms its support for Palestinians' right to self-determination after Trump eyes Gaza
Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly reaffirmed her country's "longstanding position" on Gaza and expressed solidarity with Palestinians after US President Donald Trump announced plans to "take over the Gaza Strip."
"Canada's longstanding position on Gaza has not changed. We are committed to achieving a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians can live securely within internationally recognised borders," Joly said on her X account.
2154 GMT — Pro-Trump Arab American group changes its name following Gaza 'takeover' plan
A leading Arab-American group that backed US President Donald Trump rebranded itself as "Arab Americans for Peace" after he said the US would "take over" besieged Gaza.
In a statement, the group — formerly known as "Arab Americans for Trump" — affirmed its commitment to Middle East peace and said: "We do, however, take issue with the president's suggestion of taking over Gaza and removing its Palestinian inhabitants to other parts of the Arab world."
Criticising Trump for not engaging directly with key Arab leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in discussions about a long-term peace process, the statement said: "We are adamantly opposed to the notion of transferring Palestinians outside of historic Palestine for ANY reason."
2053 GMT — Palestinian child shot dead by Israeli forces in southern Gaza despite ceasefire
A Palestinian child was killed by Israeli army gunfire in the city of Rafah, southern Gaza, despite a ceasefire in place between Hamas and Israel, Anadolu Agency has learned.
The victim, 13-year-old Hamza al-Hams, was shot dead by the Israeli army in Rafah, said a medical source at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis.
Israeli forces opened fire on the child in the Al Awda area of Rafah, wounding him, witnesses said, adding that he was transferred to a hospital where he succumbed to his wounds
For our live updates from Wednesday, February 5, 2025, click here.
