Page 6 - aruba-today-20240930

A6 WORLD NEWS
Monday 30 SepteMber 2024
Europeans, Arab and Muslim nations launch a new initiative for an

independent Palestinian state

By Edith M. LEderer the U.N. Security Council on
Associated Press Friday that his country, the
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Euro- joint Islamic-Arab ministerial
pean, Arab and Islamic na- committee, Norway and the
tions have launched an ini- European Union launched
tiative to strengthen support the alliance “because we
for a Palestinian state and feel responsible to act to
its institutions, and prepare change the reality of the
for a future after the war in conflict without delay.”
Gaza and escalating conflict He told the assembly Satur-
in Lebanon, Norway’s foreign day that the coalition aimed
minister said Friday. “to promote the two-state
Espen Barth Eide told The As- solution,” calling on all coun-
sociated Press that “there is a tries to join the group and to
growing consensus in the in- recognize the Palestinians as
ternational community from an independent state.
Western countries, from Arab EU foreign policy chief Josep
countries, from the Global Borrell urged all countries to
South, that we need to es- take practical measures “to
tablish a Palestinian Authori- bring about the free Pales-
ty, a Palestinian government, tine next to a secure Israel.”
a Palestinian state — and the First meetings will be in Saudi
Palestinian state has to be Arabia and Belgium
recognized.” Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide speaks during a Security Council meeting at United Borrell said on X that the first
Eide said many issues need Nations headquarters, Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File) meetings of the alliance
to be addressed, including would be in Riyadh, Saudi
the security interests of Israel of the U.N. General Assem- final settlement and an in- General Assembly, stressing Arabia, and Brussels. Borrell
and the Palestinians, recog- bly’s current gathering of dependent Palestinian state that “while cease-fires in asked rhetorically of anyone
nition and normalization of world leaders. He and Saudi — which led to Norway’s de- Gaza and Lebanon are most who opposes a two-state so-
relations after decades of Arabia’s foreign minister co- cision in May to recognize a urgently needed, ending lution: What is the solution,
conflict and the demobiliza- chaired the session to launch Palestinian state. hostilities must not be con- and can it be implemented?
tion of Hamas as a military “The Global Alliance for the Now, 149 of the U.N.’s 193 fused with lasting solutions.” He stressed that work on this
group. Traction with Netan- Implementation of a Pales- member nations have rec- He again called on the 44 initiative will move ahead
yahu is unlikely tinian State and a Two-State ognized a Palestinian state. U.N. member nations that quickly.
But even if the puzzle is com- Solution.” Eide urged all countries “to haven’t done so to recog- Eide said this new effort is
pleted, it's unlikely to gain Norway is the guarantor contribute to universal rec- nize the state of Palestine built on the 2002 Arab Peace
traction with Prime Minister of the 1993 Oslo Accords, ognition” and strengthen and allow it to become a Initiative, “but updated to to-
Benjamin Netanyahu. Still, hailed as a breakthrough in Palestinian institutions so full member of the United day’s reality.”
Eide believes that after de- the decades-long conflict they live up to the expec- Nations. The 2002 initiative, endorsed
cades of failed or stalled between Arabs and Jews, tations of people in the West And he called on “everyone by the Arab League and the
negotiations, “we need to which created the Palestin- Bank and are prepared to who can, to help to build 57-member Organization of
take a new approach” to ian Authority and set up self- return to Gaza: “We want Palestine’s institutions, and Islamic Cooperation, offered
achieving an independent rule areas in the Palestinian one Palestine, not different on regional actors to help Israel normalized relations in
Palestinian state. Authority. Eide said more Palestines,” he said. embed a political settle- exchange for a full withdraw-
To accelerate work on these than 30 years later, Israel’s Eide brought up the alliance ment in a broader regional al from territories captured in
issues, Eide said almost 90 “occupation” is continu- again Saturday during his ad- framework.” 1967. He said efforts started
countries attended a meet- ing, and there there are no dress to the annual meeting Saudi Foreign Minister Prince long ago to build the institu-
ing Thursday on the sidelines negotiations leading to a of world leaders at the U.N. Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud told tions of a Palestinian state.q

Iran Revolutionary Guard general died in Israeli
strike that killed Hezbollah leader, reports say

died in an Israeli airstrike over sanctions crushing its the right to retaliate under
that killed Hezbollah lead- economy. international law.
er Hassan Nasrallah in Bei- Nilforushan, 58, was killed Nilforushan served as the
rut, Iranian media reported Friday in the strike in Leb- deputy commander for
Saturday.The killing of Gen. anon in which Nasrallah operations in the Guard, a
Abbas Nilforushan marks died, the state-owned role overseeing its ground
the latest casualty suffered newspaper Tehran Times forces. What he was do-
by Iran as the nearly year- reported. Ahmad Reza ing in Lebanon on Friday
In this photo provided by Fars News Agency, Iranian long Israel-Hamas war in Pour Khaghan, the dep- wasn't immediately clear.
Revolutionary Guard Gen. Abbas Nilforushan addresses a the Gaza Strip teeters on uty head of Iran’s judi- The Guard's expeditionary
meeting in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 5, 2024. Nilforushan died in an the edge of becoming a ciary, also confirmed Nil- Quds Force for decades
Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah regional conflict. His death forushan's death, describ- has armed, trained and
in Beirut, Iranian media reported Saturday. further ratchets up pressure ing him as a “guest to the relied on Hezbollah as part
(Elaheh Javan, Fars News Agency via AP)
on Iran to respond, even as people of Lebanon," the of its strategy to rely on re-
By Jon Gambrell ates (AP) — A prominent Tehran has signaled in re- state-run IRNA news agen- gional militias as a coun-
Associated Press general in Iran's paramili- cent months that it wants cy said. Khaghan also re- terbalance to Israel and
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- tary Revolutionary Guard to negotiate with the West portedly said that Iran had the United States.q