Friday, February 14, 2025
06:20 GMT — Rubio touts Trump plan, says US keen for Arab ideas on Gaza
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said his country was eager to hear new proposals by Arab states on Gaza, after President Donald Trump's provocative plan to ethnically cleanse the territory's entire Palestinian population who would have no right to return.
Rubio, who is visiting Middle East on Friday, said he hoped to discuss ideas during his stops in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as well as Israel, after talks in Washington with Egypt and Jordan.
"Hopefully they're going to have a really good plan to present the president," Rubio said of Arab states.
05:21 GMT — Gaza Child killed by Israeli explosive ordnance
A Palestinian child has been killed after explosion of an Israeli explosive ordnance in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, Palestine's official WAFA News Agency reported.
Hammoudeh Alaa Saud, 14, was killed after an unexploded ordnance left behind by the Israeli troops detonated in the refugee camp, WAFA said.
On January 30, Luke Irving, Chief of the UN Mine Action Programme in the occupied Palestinian territories, said that at least 92 Palestinians have been killed or wounded by Israeli explosive ordnance since October 2023.
04:30 GMT — US targets ICC top prosecutor with sanctions
The US has sanctioned the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, following up on President Donald Trump's order last week targeting the court over its investigations of Israel and arrest warrants for Israeli leaders including PM Benjamin Netanyahu.
The prosecutor, Karim Khan, was added to Washington’s list of “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons.” Those on the list are barred from doing business with Americans and face restrictions on entry to the US.
The Hague-based court is tasked with prosecuting war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The US never has recognised the ICC's authority, and Trump has criticised the court for years. His first administration sanctioned Khan's predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, and the Biden administration subsequently lifted those sanctions.
03:20 GMT — Vatican says Palestinians must 'stay on their land'
A top Vatican official has rejected Trump's proposal to uproot Palestinians from Gaza, saying "the Palestinian population must remain on its land".
"This is one of the fundamental points of the Holy See: no deportations," Secretary of State Pietro Parolin said on the sidelines of an Italy-Vatican meeting, according to the ANSA news agency.
Expelling Palestinians out would cause regional tensions and "makes no sense" as neighbouring countries such as Jordan are opposed, he continued.
"The solution in our opinion is that of two states because this also means giving hope to the population," he said.
For our live updates from Thursday, February 13, 2025, click here.
