International
The Israeli Parliament votes “as a principle” of a Palestinian state
The Knesset (Israeli Parliament) voted this morning “as a principle” against the establishment of a Palestinian State, in the midst of a growing debate about it in the international community for the war in the Gaza Strip.
The resolution that denies the possibility of a Palestinian State, co-sponsored by parties of the right-wing coalition of Benjamin Netanyahu and other parties of the same tendency as the opposition, passed with 68 votes in favor and 9 against.
The center-right National Unity party, of former war cabinet minister Benny Gantz – now in the opposition -, also voted in favor of the resolution, which rejects a Palestinian state even as part of a negotiation with Israel.
“National Unity is committed, in whatever future political scenario that arises, to preserve the Jewish and democratic identity of the State of Israel, and insist on its historical rights and security interests,” said a statement from the formation.
The legislators of the centrist “Hay Futuro”, the head of the opposition and former prime minister, Yair Lapid, left in the middle of the Knesset before the vote to avoid supporting the measure, despite the fact that he has spoken out in favor of the solution of the two States.
The only formations that were in favor of a Palestinian state were the Labour party and the Arab formations Raam and Hadash-Taal.
The initiative went ahead a few days before Netanyahu’s planned visit to the United States to address a joint session in Congress, on July 22, and also meet with President Joe Biden, a meeting that could be affected after the US ruler tested positive for COVID-19.
Already in February, the Knesset approved a resolution, proposed by Netanyahu himself, rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, but that motion specifically addressed the unilateral establishment of that state in the face of statements by several countries that were considering recognizing a Palestinian state in the absence of a peace agreement with Israel.
Eight countries have unilaterally recognized the Palestinian State in 2024, driven by the lack of diplomatic exit to the war in Gaza: Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the Bahamas, Spain, Ireland, Norway, Slovenia and Armenia.
The joint recognition of the three EU countries – Spain, Ireland and Norway – caused great anger in Israel, which called for consultations with its ambassadors and summoned the three European representatives for a reprimand.
A total of 145 countries of the 193 that are part of the United Nations have recognized the Palestinian State, a dozen of them belong to the European Union (EU).
“Israel’s Knesset is firmly opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state in the west of Jordan. The establishment of a Palestinian State in the heart of the Land of Israel will pose an existential danger to the State of Israel and its citizens, perpetuate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and destabilize the region,” says the resolution adopted on Thursday.
“It will only be a matter of a short time before Hamas takes over the Palestinian State and turns it into a radical Islamic terrorist base, in coordination with the axis led by Iran to eliminate the State of Israel,” he adds.
The resolution considers that promoting the idea of a Palestinian State at this time is “a reward for terrorism and will only encourage Hamas and its supporters to see this as a victory thanks to the massacre of October 7, 2023, and a prelude to the seizure of power by jihadist Islam in the Middle East.”
Although he achieved the co-sponsorship of several right-wing parties, the resolution was initially proposed by the right-wing New Hope party – a split of Netanyahu’s Likud – whose leader, Guideon Saar, stated that its purpose is to “express general opposition among the Israeli people to a Palestinian state, which would endanger the security and future of Israel.”
“It is a message to the international community that the pressure to impose a Palestinian state on Israel is useless,” he said.
International
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed on Wednesday that the death toll from recent rains and floods across several central states has risen to 66, while the federal government has activated air bridges and prioritized assistance in 191 isolated communities.
“Unfortunately, 66 people have died, and 75 remain missing,” the president said during her morning press conference. She added that the official death toll will be updated later in a new report.
As of Tuesday, authorities had reported 64 fatalities. Sheinbaum also announced the creation of a public information center to centralize official data on the deceased, missing persons, damaged homes, and cut-off communities.
According to the president, the number of missing persons has decreased thanks to coordination with state authorities.
“Through calls to phone line 079, 103 people who had been reported missing have now been located,” she explained.
Priority Municipalities
The president noted that the federal government has classified 191 communities as ‘priority’, a designation based mainly on the percentage of homes affected.
International
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Ecuadorian authorities are investigating two explosions that occurred early Wednesday, one on a road in the southern part of the country and another under a bridge in Guayas province. These incidents follow the car bomb explosion in the coastal city of Guayaquil, also in Guayas, which occurred the day before and left one person dead and 30 injured.
Press reports indicate that one person was injured and several vehicles were damaged in the explosion on the Cuenca-Girón-Pasaje road in the south.
“Besides yesterday’s explosion in Guayaquil, we have received reports of explosives placed on bridges along the Guayaquil-Machala and Machala-Cuenca routes to disrupt traffic,” said Roberto Luque, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport (MIT).
On his X social media account, Luque reported that authorities have been deployed to the sites to assess the damage and determine the current condition of the structures.
“What they haven’t achieved with their call for a strike, some are trying to achieve through terrorism,” he stated, referring to the 24 days of protests organized by the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities (Conaie) against rising diesel prices and other demands.
The protests, called at a national level, have Imbabura province as their epicenter. Roadblocks have also been reported in the northern part of Pichincha province, whose capital is Quito, while activities in the rest of the country continue normally.
International
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Ecuador’s Armed Forces carried out an operation on Monday — including airstrikes — against illegal mining in the town of Buenos Aires, in the country’s north, Defense Minister Gian Carlo Loffredo reported.
The mountainous, gold-rich area has been a hotspot for illegal mining since 2017, located in the Andean province of Imbabura.
In 2019, former president Lenín Moreno deployed around 2,400 soldiers to the region in an attempt to curb the illegal activity. “The operation began with mortar fire, followed by gunfire and bombing runs by Supertucano aircraft,” Loffredo said in a video released by the Defense Ministry.
He added that the operation would continue on Tuesday with patrols across the area to locate possible members of “irregular armed groups that may have crossed from the Colombian border.”
The Armed Forces stated on X that the intervention focused on the “complete elimination of multiple illegal mining tunnels” in the areas known as Mina Nueva and Mina Vieja.
The operation coincided with the deployment of a military and police convoy into Imbabura, which has been the epicenter of protests against President Daniel Noboa since September 22, following his decision to scrap the diesel subsidy.
Mexican government prioritizes 191 communities after deadly floods
New road and bridge explosions raise alarm amid indigenous protests in Ecuador
Armed forces target illegal mines in Northern Ecuador with bombing raids
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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