Missile fire from Lebanon wounds a utility work crew in northern Israel as the front heats up
JERUSALEM (AP) — Lebanese Hezbollah militants fired antitank missiles at an Israeli community just over the border on Sunday, Israeli officials said, badly wounding utility workers as multiplying attacks from Lebanon threatened to escalate into another front in the Mideast’s latest war.
The Israeli military said it was striking the origin of the launch with artillery fire. The Israel Electric Corp. said workers in the rural community of Dovev were wounded while repairing lines damaged in a previous attack. Israeli media reported that six people were wounded, including one critically.
Hezbollah said it launched guided missiles against a “logistical force belonging to the occupation army that was about to install transmission poles and eavesdropping and spying devices near the Dovev barracks.” It said it hit an Israeli military bulldozer in a separate strike. Shortly after the attack, air raid sirens were heard in northern Israel. Army Radio reported that another antitank missile had been fired from Lebanon. The assault was the most serious incident involving civilians since an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon on Nov. 5 killed a woman and three children.
Israeli troops and Hezbollah militants and their allies have been clashing along the border since the Israel-Hamas war started five weeks ago with a bloody incursion into southern Israel by Hezbollah ally Hamas. While largely contained, clashes have increased in intensity as Israel conducts a ground offensive in Gaza against Hamas.
Earlier Sunday, the military reported that it struck a militant cell in Lebanon that intended to open fire toward Israeli territory. Overnight, Israel said a military drone struck a militant cell that tried to launch antitank missiles at northern Israel, near the town of Metula.
Shortly after midnight last night, peacekeepers in a UNIFIL position near Al Qawzah reported hearing gunfire nearby.
One peacekeeper was hit by a bullet and underwent surgery. He is recovering and currently stable.
Also Sunday, the United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon, UNIFIL, said one of its peacekeepers had been wounded by gunfire overnight near the Lebanese town of al-Qawza. It was not immediately clear where the shooting had come from or whether the peacekeepers were targeted or caught in crossfire. UNIFIL said it was investigating.
New Taiwan envoy to Thailand Chang Chun-fu, arrives in Bangkok
BANGKOK (CNA) – The newly appointed representative to Thailand, Chang Chun-fu (張俊福), arrived in Thailand Saturday (Nov. 11) to assume his duties.
Chang and his wife arrived at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok at noon on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. Deputy Representative to Thailand Xue Xiumei and the staff of the representative office went to pick them up. Many Taiwanese businessmen and overseas Chinese leaders were also present to welcome the new representative to take office.
The representative office in Thailand issued a press release stating that Zhang Junfu thanked the overseas Chinese leaders and the staff of the representative office who came to pick up the airport.
He pointed out that his arrival coincided with the first day of visa-free travel for Taiwanese, granted by Thailand, CNA reported. This measure will open a new chapter for Taiwan-Thailand exchanges, he said.
The new envoy said he anticipates further developments in bilateral diplomacy and promised to meet challenges head-on. Chang said Taiwan and Thailand have achieved substantial cooperation in various fields, including economy, trade, tourism, education, and culture.
Chang Jun-fu pointed out that Taiwan and Thailand have so far achieved rich cooperation results in many fields such as economy and trade, tourism, education and culture. The representative office will continue to expand Taiwan and Thailand based on the existing good foundation and with the support of Taiwanese people in Thailand. scale of economic and trade exchanges and deepen various bilateral cooperative relations.
It has been more than 30 years since Zhang Junfu was last stationed in Thailand. He said that he was very honored to be stationed in Thailand again. Currently, Thailand has made great progress in various fields. He is very much looking forward to starting work as soon as possible, getting to know Thailand again, and opening a new chapter for future bilateral cooperation between Taiwan and Thailand. .
Zhang Junfu graduated from the Department of Business of National Taiwan University and has many expatriate experiences. He has served as economic secretary of the representative offices in Thailand, the United States, and Switzerland; economic team leader of the representative offices in Indonesia, Canada, the European Union, and Belgium and the United States.
Zhang Junfu also served as the team leader of the Intellectual Property Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the team leader of the International Trade Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the Director of International Trade, the Counselor of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Director of the Economic and Trade Negotiation Representative Office, etc., and also participated in the World Trade Organization (WTO) accession negotiations, and cross-strait services Trade agreements, Cross-Strait Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) and many other negotiations.
Last envoy Zhuang Shuohan had dismissed
Zhuang Shuohan, the former representative to Thailand, was suddenly dismissed on June 21 this year less than a year after taking office. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on June 24 that Zhuang Shuohan was involved in a sexual harassment incident. After preliminary verification, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs based it on ” “Zero tolerance” is the highest standard and requires Zhuang Shuohan to resign as soon as possible.
Biden and Xi will meet Wednesday for talks on trade, Taiwan and fraught US-China relations
BY AAMER MADHANI AND COLLEEN LONG
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet Wednesday in California for talks on trade, Taiwan and fraught U.S.-Chinese relations in the first engagement in a year between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies.
The White House has said for weeks that it anticipated Biden and Xi would meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco, but negotiations went down to the eve of the gathering, which kicks off Saturday.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement the leaders would discuss the “continued importance of maintaining open lines of communication” and how the they “can continue to responsibly manage competition and work together where our interests align, particularly on transnational challenges that affect the international community.”
China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement Friday that Xi would attend APEC from Tuesday to Friday at Biden’s invitation and would take part in the U.S.-China summit.
Two senior Biden administration officials, who earlier briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said the leaders would meet in the San Francisco Bay area but declined to offer further details because of security concerns. Thousands of protesters are expected to descend on San Francisco during the summit.
Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met for a second day of talks on Friday in San Francisco, the latest in a string of senior level engagements between the nations in recent months aimed at easing tensions.
Yellen, who visited China in July, said she accepted an invitation to make a return trip to Beijing next year.
“There is no substitute for in-person diplomacy,” said Yellen, who added that she believed the two laid the groundwork for a productive meeting between Biden and Xi. “During our discussions, we agreed in-depth and frank discussions matter, particularly when we disagree.”
The Biden-Xi meeting is not expected to lead to many, if any, major announcements, and differences between the two powers certainly won’t be resolved. Instead, one official said, Biden is looking toward “managing the competition, preventing the downside risk of conflict and ensuring channels of communication are open.” The officials said they believed it would be Xi’s first visit to San Francisco since he was a young Communist Party leader.
The agenda includes no shortage of difficult issues.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng’s yesterday meeting’s Photo. Source : @SecYellen
Differences in the already complicated U.S.-Chinese relationship have only sharpened in the last year, with Beijing bristling over new U.S. export controls on advanced technology; Biden ordering the shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon after it traversed the continental United States; and Chinese anger over a stopover in the U.S. by Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen earlier this year, among other issues. China claims the island as its territory.
Biden will also likely press Xi on using China’s influence on North Korea, during heightened anxiety over an increased pace of ballistic missile tests by North Korea as well as Pyongyang providing munitions to Russia for its war in Ukraine.
The Democratic president is also expected to let Xi know that he would like China to use its burgeoning sway over Iran to make clear that Tehran or its proxies should not take action that could lead to expansion of the Israel-Hamas war. His administration believes the Chinese, a big buyer of Iranian oil, have considerable leverage with Iran, which is a major backer of Hamas.
Biden and Xi last met nearly a year ago on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. In the nearly three-hour meeting, Biden objected directly to China’s ”coercive and increasingly aggressive actions” toward Taiwan and discussed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other issues. Xi stressed that “the Taiwan question is at the very core of China’s core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-U.S. relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-U.S. relations.”
The Chinese foreign ministry said this time Biden and Xi would focus on “in-depth communications on the strategic, overall and directional issues of the China-US relations as well as major issues concerning world peace and development.”
Next week’s meeting comes as the United States braces for a potentially bumpy year for U.S.-Chinese relations, with Taiwan set to hold a presidential election in January and the U.S. holding its own presidential election next November.
Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make the island’s decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step U.S. leaders say they don’t support. Under the “One China” policy, the U.S. recognizes Beijing as the government of China and doesn’t have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but it has maintained that Taipei is an important partner in the Indo-Pacific. Biden intends to reaffirm the U.S. wants no change in the status quo, one official said.
The officials also said Biden would underscore U.S. commitment to the Philippines, following a recent episode in which Chinese ships blocked and collided with two Filipino vessels off a contested shoal in the South China Sea.
The Philippines and other neighbors of China are resisting Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims over virtually the entire sea.
“I want to be very clear,” Biden said in October. “The United States’ defense commitment to the Philippines is iron clad.”
Both sides appeared to be carefully considering security for the meeting, declining to publicize the venue of the much-anticipated talks.
Thousands of people protesting climate destruction, corporate practices, the Israel-Hamas war and other issues are expected to descend on San Francisco during the summit.
San Francisco Police Department Chief Bill Scott said his department expects several protests a day but doesn’t know which ones will materialize where and when. He said the city respects people’s right to mobilize peacefully but will not tolerate property destruction, violence or any other crime.
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Associated Press writers Janie Har and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco, Fatima Hussein in Washington and Ken Moritsugu in Beijing contributed reporting.
Yellen warns Beijing: Chinese firms aiding Russia face ‘significant consequences’
By David Lawder and Ann Saphir
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday said the U.S. government had seen evidence that Chinese firms may be aiding in the flow of equipment to Russia’s war effort despite Western sanctions, and said she had urged China to crack down.
Yellen said she raised the issue during two days of meetings with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, expressing concern that equipment “helpful to Russia’s military” was evading sanctions and getting to Moscow to aid its war against Ukraine.
“I stressed that companies must not provide material support to Russia’s defense industrial sector and that they will face significant consequences if they do,” Yellen told reporters at a news conference in San Francisco.
“We are determined to do all that we can to stem this flow of material that aids Russia in conducting this brutal and illegal war,” Yellen said, warning that any companies aiding Moscow’s war effort could face sanctions.
She said the U.S. government had already imposed sanctions against a number of private firms, including some in China, that were helping Russia get equipment, along with some financial institutions that could be aiding that effort.
She welcomed to China’s Vice Premier yesterday and tweets
I am glad to host Vice Premier He Lifeng for two days of discussions about the U.S.-China economic relationship. We seek to develop deeper and more resilient channels of communication to stabilize the bilateral economic relationship and make progress on economic issues. pic.twitter.com/3fsZGcxEms
“We would like to see China crack down on this, especially when we’re able to provide information,” she said. She gave no further details on the names of the companies involved or He’s reaction.
Yellen stressed the Chinese firms in question were private and said she was not suggesting that this was occurring with knowledge of the Chinese government.
Indian authorities seize $3 million property from Hero MotoCorp’s Munjal
BENGALURU, Nov 10 (Reuters) – India’s financial crime agency has seized property worth about 249.5 million rupees ($3 million) belonging to Hero MotoCorp (HROM.NS) Chairman Pawan Munjal in relation to an ongoing money laundering investigation, the agency said on Friday.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said it seized three properties in New Delhi, under the country’s provisions of The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
This takes the total value of seizures and attachments in the case to about 500 million rupees, it added.
ED has attached 03 immovable properties located at Delhi worth Rs. 24.95 Crore (approx.) under the provisions of PMLA, 2002 belonging to Pawan Kant Munjal, CMD & Chairman, M/s Hero MotoCorp Ltd in connection with a money laundering investigation. The total value of seizure and…
Hero did not immediately respond to a Reuters’ request for comment, while Munjal could not be immediately reached for comment.
Last month, Delhi Police registered a case against Hero and Munjal on allegations of forgery and fraud by Brains Logistics, which provided manpower services to the two-wheeler maker. ($1 = 83.3625 Indian rupees)
Reporting by Indranil Sarkar in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D’Souza
US and India reaffirm security ties as their top diplomats and defense officials hold talks
BY ASHOK SHARMA
NEW DELHI (AP) — India and the U.S. underlined their commitment to boosting security ties Friday as their top diplomats and defense chiefs met to discuss regional security, China and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with their Indian counterparts in New Delhi as part of an Asian trip aimed at showing unity over Russia’s war in Ukraine and preventing differences on the Israel-Hamas war from deepening.
Blinken said the U.S. and India were continuing to “deepen our collaboration on everything from emerging technologies to defense to people-to-people ties” and align diplomacy for “an Indo-Pacific region that’s free, that’s open, that’s prosperous, that’s resilient.”
He said the two sides discussed the crisis in the Middle East and “we appreciate the fact that from day one India has strongly condemned the attacks of Oct. 7. And as our joint statement makes clear, India and the United States stand with Israel against terrorists.”
Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the situation in the Middle East was a big concern. While India has condemned the Hamas attack on Israel, it balances its position by calling for talks on “a sovereign, independent and viable state of Palestine living within secure and recognized borders, side-by-side at peace with Israel.”
Blinken met with India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and “reaffirmed their shared vision for close partnership in the Indo-Pacific,” said U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
In New Delhi I discussed with Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi how the U.S. and India are working to promote an open and secure Indo-Pacific region. I look forward to continuing our innovations in technology, clean energy, and space for a brighter future. pic.twitter.com/yCDTBEkOgc
“They emphasized working together to address ongoing crises such as Russia’s war against Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East,” Miller said.
Vinay Mohan Kwatra, India’s top bureaucrat in the foreign ministry, said India’s tense ties with China also were discussed at the official-level talks, but declined to give details.
India’s relationship with China has deteriorated since 2020, when Indian and Chinese troops clashed along their disputed border in the Himalayan Ladakh region, leaving 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead. A standoff involving thousands of soldiers in the eastern Ladakh region continues, despite several rounds of military and diplomatic talks.
Blinken said he also discussed with the Indian side a diplomatic dispute that erupted when Canada alleged that India was involved in the assassination of a Sikh separatist in Canada.
Blinken said that the U.S. wants the two sides to resolve their differences in a cooperative way and urged India to “work with Canada on its investigation.”
The dispute started when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there were “credible allegations” of Indian involvement in the killing of Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar in suburban Vancouver in western Canada. India rejected the accusation.
India and the U.S. have held so-called two-plus-two talks between India’s external affairs and defense ministers and the U.S. secretaries of state and defense since 2018 to discuss issues of concern and strengthen bilateral ties.
Austin and his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, discussed a roadmap for defense industrial cooperation that will fast-track technology cooperation and co-production of defense systems, India’s defense ministry said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken,left, with Defense Secretary Lioyd Austin, speaks during the so-called “2+2 Dialogue” with Inida’s Foreign Minister Subramanyam J and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at the foreign ministry in New Delhi, India, Friday, Nov.10,2023. Photo : Jonathan Ernst/Pool via AP
“We’re integrating our industrial bases, strengthening our inter-operability, and sharing cutting-edge technology,” Austin said in his opening remarks.
Washington expects India to be a leading security provider in the Indo-Pacific region.
The two sides reached an agreement that will allow U.S.-based General Electric to partner with India-based Hindustan Aeronautics to produce jet engines for Indian aircraft in India and the sale of U.S.-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones.
A joint statement at the conclusion of Blinken and Austin’s visit to New Delhi on Friday said the two sides reaffirmed their roadmap for defense industrial cooperation to strengthen India’s capabilities, enhance its defense production, facilitate technology-sharing, and promote supply chain resilience.
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Associated Press writer Matt Lee contributed to his story.
French President Macron hosts Gaza aid conference and appeals to Israel to protect civilians
BY SYLVIE CORBET
PARIS (AP) — Western and Arab nations, international agencies and nongovernmental groups stressed the urgent need for aid for Gaza civilians at a Paris conference Thursday, held as the humanitarian crisis in the besieged territory worsens amid Israel’s massive air and ground campaign against Hamas.
The gathering ended a few hours before the White House said Israel has agreed to put in place four-hour daily humanitarian pauses in Gaza, starting on Thursday.
The French presidency said the participants’ pledges reached over 1 billion euros ($1.07 billion) in additional funding, stressing that the global amount still remained to be finalized.
French President Emmanuel Macron opened the conference with an appeal for Israel to protect civilians, saying that “all lives have equal worth” and urging for pauses in the fighting to allow deliveries of desperately needed aid.
“In the immediate term, we need to work on protecting civilians,” he said. “To do that, we need a humanitarian pause very quickly and we must work towards a cease-fire.”
The conference brought together officials from over 50 countries, the United Nations and humanitarian organizations as the Gaza Strip is being pounded by Israel in its war against Hamas, sparked by the militants deadly Oct. 7 incursion into southern Israel.
Israeli authorities were not invited but have been informed of the talks, Macron’s office said. There was no immediate comment from Israel on the conference.
More than 1.5 million people — or about 70% of Gaza’s population — have fled their homes, and an estimated $1.2 billion is needed to respond to the crisis in Palestinian areas.
Macron said that since the Oct. 7 attack, Hamas “shouldered the responsibility for exposing Palestinians to terrible consequences,” and again defended Israel’s right to defend itself.
“Fighting terrorism can never be carried out without rules. Israel knows that. The trap of terrorism is for all of us the same: giving in to violence and renouncing our values,” he added.
Longer term, Macron said diplomatic work must resume on bringing peace to the Middle East, with a two-state solution. “We must learn from our errors and no longer accept that peace … always be pushed back to later.”
French President Emmanuel Macron, centre, speaks during a meeting with officials from Western and Arab nations, the United Nations and nongovernmental orgnizations at the Elysee Palace, in Paris, Thursday, Nov.9,2023. Macron has opened a Gaza aid conference with an appeal for Israel to protect civilians, saying that ” all lives have equal worth” and that fighting terrorism ” can never be carried out without rules.” Photo : Ludovic Marin via AP
Several European countries, the United States and regional powers such as Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf Arab countries attended the conference, as did Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who urged the international community to “put an end to the war.”
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry stressed that Israel had only allowed limited quantities of humanitarian aid through the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza and urged “the entire international community, and donor countries in particular, to continue supporting the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
“The aid that has already entered Gaza is not enough to meet the needs of the entire population, and the voluntary and deliberate complications imposed by Israel on the delivery of aid only lead to a further deterioration of the situation,” Shoukry said.
Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides outlined his plan for a humanitarian sea corridor to Gaza “to provide continued rapid, safe and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid” and said the plan is being discussed “with all parties concerned, including Israel.” The plan provides options for the short, medium and longer term, with aid shipments possibly from the Cyprus port of Larnaca, 370 km (230 miles) from Gaza, he said.
The initiative includes the collection, inspection and storage of humanitarian aid in Cyprus, it’s later transfer by ship possibly from Larnaca port and finally it’s offloading and distribution in Gaza.
French officials said they are also considering evacuating the wounded to hospital ships in the Mediterranean Sea off the Gaza coast. Paris sent a helicopter carrier, now off Cyprus, and is preparing another with medical capacities on board.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said his country sent a hospital ship that is en route to Cyprus before deploying as close as possible to the conflict zone.
Thursday’s discussions also included financial support for Gaza’s civilians.
Macron announced France will provide an additional 80 million euros ($85 million) in humanitarian aid for Gaza civilians, bringing France’s funding to a total of 100 million euros ($107 million) this year.
On Tuesday, the German government said it will provide 20 million euros ($21 million) in new funding, in addition to releasing 71 million euros ($76 million) already earmarked for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.
Denmark has decided to increase its humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza by 75 million kroner ($10.7 million), to be channeled via U.N. agencies and the International Red Cross.
European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also attended the conference. The 27-nation bloc is the world’s top aid supplier to the Palestinians. “We have quadrupled the humanitarian support for Gaza and the West Bank, but it’s mostly for Gaza, to 100 million euros ($107 million),” von der Leyen said.
At a news conference following the conference, rights and aid groups urged for an immediate cease-fire, which they said is crucial for them to be able to work in Gaza.
“We’re determined to do everything we can, but if the only thing we get is a day or two without fighting … that won’t be enough,” said Isabelle Defourny, president of Doctors Without Borders France.
Jean-François Corty, vice president of Doctors of the World, said the main challenge “is not so much to mobilize aid as to get it” into Gaza.
“What’s happening in Gaza is a litany of violations of international law … not seen since World War II,” said Amnesty International’s secretary general, Agnès Callamard, and denounced “indiscriminate, disproportionate, deliberate attacks.”
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Associated Press writers John Leicester in Le Pecq, France; Geir Moulson in Berlin; Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen, Denmark; Colleen Barry in Milan and Menelaos Hadjicostis in Nicosia, Cyprus, contributed to this report.
8 dead in crash after police chased a suspected human smuggler, Texas officials say
BY ACACIA CORONADO AND ELLIOT SPAGAT
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Eight people died Wednesday when the driver of a car suspected of carrying smuggled migrants fled police and smashed into an oncoming vehicle on a South Texas highway.
The crash happened around 6:30 a.m. when the driver of a 2009 Honda Civic tried to outrun deputies from the Zavala County Sheriff’s Office and attempted to pass a semi truck, the state Department of Public Safety said. The Civic collided with a 2015 Chevrolet Equinox, which caught fire.
Everyone in both vehicles was killed, according to DPS. That includes the 21-year-old driver of the Civic, who was from Houston, and his five passengers. Some of the passengers were from Honduras, department spokesman Christopher Olivarez said in a statement. The two people in the Equinox were from Georgia.
The identities of those killed will be released to their families first, Olivarez said.
It was unclear how fast the vehicles were going, but photos provided by law enforcement show both were mangled and most of the Equinox was burned.
Wednesday’s crash near Batesville — about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southwest of San Antonio — is the latest deadly vehicle crash involving migrants, marking the highest death toll since 13 people died in a collision in remote Holtville, California, in March 2021.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas has tallied 106 deaths in Border Patrol vehicle pursuits from January 2010 to June of this year. Deaths averaged 3.5 a year through 2019 but spiked in 2020, leading officials to develop a new policy for vehicle pursuits with an eye toward increasing safety.
The policy announced in January stops short of prohibiting chases but, according to CBP, “provides a clear framework for weighing the risks of conducting pursuits, such as the dangers they present to the public, against the law enforcement benefit or need.”
Local law enforcement agencies have been involved in fatal crashes as well in recent years. In June 2022, four migrants were killed in a smuggling attempt following a police chase in the South Texas city of Encinal, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southeast of Wednesday’s crash.
The Zavala County Sheriff’s Office did not respond to a request for comment.
G7 nations urge ‘urgent action’ to help civilians trapped in Gaza, including pauses in the fighting
TOKYO (AP) — Top diplomats from the Group of Seven leading industrial democracies called Wednesday for “urgent action” to help civilians trapped in an increasingly dire situation in Gaza, including pauses in the fighting to allow aid in and people out, in announcing a unified stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
In a statement following two days of intensive talks in Tokyo, the nations sought to balance the need to help Palestinians in the besieged enclave with unequivocal criticism of Hamas’ Oct. 7 cross-border attack and support for Israel’s right to self-defense. But the statement adds to pressure on Israel, which previously resisted U.S. calls for a “humanitarian pause.”
“All parties must allow unimpeded humanitarian support for civilians, including food, water, medical care, fuel and shelter, and access for humanitarian workers,” said the statement, hammered out by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and foreign ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy. “We support humanitarian pauses and corridors to facilitate urgently needed assistance, civilian movement and the release of hostages.”
The G7 meeting was, in part, an attempt to contain the worsening humanitarian crisis while also keeping broader differences on Gaza from deepening. It came “at a very intense time for our countries and for the world,” Blinken said in remarks to reporters, adding that “G7 unity is stronger and more important than ever.”
The ministers noted that the G7 is “working intensively to prevent the conflict from escalating further and spreading more widely,” and also using sanctions and other measures “to deny Hamas the ability to raise and use funds to carry out atrocities.” They also condemned “the rise in extremist settler violence committed against Palestinians,” which they said is “unacceptable, undermines security in the West Bank, and threatens prospects for a lasting peace.”
As the diplomats met in downtown Tokyo, a U.N. agency said that thousands of Palestinians in Gaza are fleeing south on foot with only what they can carry after running out of food and water in the north. Israel said its troops were battling Hamas militants deep inside Gaza City, which was home to some 650,000 people before the war and where the Israel military says Hamas has its central command and a vast labyrinth of tunnels. The growing numbers making their way south point to an increasingly desperate situation in and around Gaza’s largest city, which has come under heavy Israeli bombardment.
“All of us want to end this conflict as soon as possible and meanwhile to minimize civilian suffering,” Blinken said. “But, as I discussed with my G7 colleagues, those calling for an immediate cease-fire have an obligation to explain how to address the unacceptable result that would likely bring about: Hamas left in place with more than 200 hostages, with a capacity and stated intent to repeat October 7th again and again and again.”
Looking ahead to after the war, Blinken said, “key elements should include no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. … No use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks. No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza. We must also ensure no terrorist threats can emanate from the West Bank.”
Besides the monthlong conflict in Gaza, which followed Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack in Israel in which militants killed more than 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took 242 hostage, the G7 envoys dealt with a flurry of other crises, including Russia’s war in Ukraine, North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs and China’s growing aggression in territorial disputes with its neighbors. There has also been a push for cooperation to combat pandemics, synthetic opioids, and threats from the misuse of artificial intelligence.
Since before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the G7 has held together in defense of the international order that originally emerged after the destruction of World War II. Despite some fraying around the edges, the group has preserved a unified front in condemning and opposing Russia’s invasion.
“Our steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine’s fight for its independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity will never waver,” the statement said.
In a later telephone call, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reassured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of continuing support for his country from the G7 and Japan despite the Middle East conflict. Kishida also announced plans to host a Japan-Ukraine economy and reconstruction conference in February.
Separately, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said the G7 foreign ministers “strongly condemned North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches as well as arms transfers from North Korea to Russia, which directly violate relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions.”
There have been some small cracks in the G7 over Gaza, which has inflamed international public opinion. Democracies are not immune from intense passions that have manifested themselves in massive pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel demonstrations in G7 capitals and elsewhere.
Last month in the U.N. Security Council, for instance, France voted in favor of a resolution calling for a humanitarian truce in Gaza that was vetoed by the United States because it didn’t go far enough in condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel which ignited the war. Britain and Japan abstained in that vote.
Blinken arrived in Tokyo from Turkey, the last stop on a four-day whirlwind tour of the Middle East that began with visits to Israel, Jordan, the West Bank, Cyprus and Iraq. From Japan, he will travel to South Korea and then on to India.
Storm Ciarán brings record rainfall to Italy with at least 6 killed. European death toll rises to 14
MILAN (AP) — Record-breaking rain produced floods in a vast swath of Italy’s Tuscany region as Storm Ciarán pushed into the country overnight, trapping residents in their homes, inundating hospitals and overturning cars. At least six people in Italy and one person in Albania were killed on Friday, bringing the storm’s death toll to 14 across Europe this week.
Throughout the day, the storm brought more death and destruction as it moved eastward across the continent. In Albania, police said a motorist died when he lost control while driving a car, which slid and hit barriers. Many roads in the country were flooded, including in the capital, Tirana.
Huge waves pummeled the Adriatic shores of the Balkans, and strong winds uprooted trees and ripped off roofs. Ferries connecting Croatia’s islands with the coastline were halted.
Italian Civil Protection authorities said that 200 millimeters (nearly eight inches) of rain fell in a three-hour period, from the coastal city of Livorno to the inland valley of Mugello, and caused riverbanks to overflow. Video showed at least a dozen cars getting swept away down a flooded road.
Tuscany Gov. Eugenio Giani said that six people died in the storm, which dumped an amount of rainfall not recorded in the last 100 years.
Disaster News posted a video on their twitter/X that cars floating in flood water
Sever floods due to Ciaran strom in the Campi Bisenzio of Tuscany region, Italy 🇮🇹 (02.11.2023)
“There was a wave of water bombs without precedence,” Giani told Italian news channel Sky TG24.
Climate scientists say human-induced climate change has led to heavier rainfall during storms like Ciarán, often resulting in more severe damage.
“If the conditions are different than 20 years ago, it is obvious to everyone,’’ Nello Musumeci, the government’s minister for civil protection, told Sky TG24, noting that weather systems in Italy have become more tropical in nature.
The dead in Tuscany included an 85-year-old man found in the flooded ground floor of his home near the city of Prato, north of Florence, and an 84-woman who died while trying to remove water from her home in the same area, according to Italian news agency ANSA.
The other victims were a couple who had been missing near the town of Vinci and a person in Livorno province. Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera said Friday evening that the wife of the man whose body was found earlier in the town near Prato also perished.
At least two people were missing Friday in Tuscany, along with an off-duty firefighter reported missing in the mountains of Veneto, north of Venice. Other regions were on high-alert and authorities warned that the storm was heading toward southern Italy.
At least 48,000 utility customers were without electricity, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini said. High-speed train service between Florence and Milan as well as along smaller rail lines in Tuscany were affected.
Ciarán left at least seven people dead as it swept across Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany on Thursday. The storm devastated homes, caused travel mayhem and cut power to a vast number of people.
As the storm pushed through, it flooded at least four hospitals, including in Pisa and Mugello. Throughout Tuscany, train lines and highways were disrupted and schools were closed. Hundreds of people were unable to get home, including about 150 stranded in Prato after a train line was suspended Thursday night. Around 40,000 people were without electricity on Friday.
The mayor of Prato expressed shock at the force of the flood that devastated the city overnight. By early Friday, residents were working to clean the damage.
“A blow to the stomach, a pain that brings tears. But even after an evening and night of devastation, we are pulling up our sleeves to clean and bring our city back to normality,’’ Mayor Matteo Biffoni posted on social media.
Florence Mayor Dario Nardella told Sky TG24 that the Arno River, which runs through the center of the city, had reached the first level of alert, with the highest levels forecast for midday. Neither he nor the governor expected the river to overrun its banks.
“The psychological fear is high, considering that tomorrow is the anniversary of the 1966 flood,” Nardella said, recalling a flood that killed 101 people and damaged or destroyed millions of artistic masterpieces and rare books.
1,600 households were without electricity early Friday, the Austria Press Agency reported.
The storm receded in northern France and the Atlantic coast on Friday, but heavy rains continued in some regions as emergency workers cleared away debris from the day before. Meanwhile, Corsica in the Mediterranean faced unusually fierce winds Friday — up to 140 kph (87 mph) — and regions in the Pyrenees in the southwest were under flood warnings.
More than a half-million French households remained without electricity for a second day, mainly in the western region of Brittany. Trains were halted in several areas and many roads remained closed.
French President Emmanuel Macron traveled Friday to storm-ravaged areas of Brittany, and Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne was traveling to hard-hit areas of Normandy.
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Geir Moulson in Berlin, Angela Charlton in Paris, Llazar Semini in Tirana, Albania, and Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, contributed to this report.
