RELENTLESS Israeli attacks continue with more than 80 Palestinians, including 71 aid seekers, killed since dawn across the Gaza Strip.
Gaza hospitals record seven new deaths from “famine and malnutrition” raising the total hunger-related death toll to 154 since October 2023.
Meanwhile, Canada has joined several Western countries in announcing its intention to recognise a Palestinian state amid the continuing Israeli atrocities unfolding in Gaza.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney made the announcement on Wednesday.
He explained that Ottawa had been hoping that a two-state solution could be achieved through a negotiated peace process, but that approach was “no longer tenable”.
“Canada intends to recognise the state of Palestine at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2025,” Carney told reporters.
The move follows a similar announcement by the United Kingdom and France earlier this month.
But it is not clear how such recognitions would impact Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza and the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, the two territories that would form a Palestinian state.
Carney said the recognition is predicated on promises of reform from the Palestinian Authority and President Mahmmoud Abbas and a commitment to hold general elections in 2026.
He stressed that Hamas can play no role in the future of Palestine and would not be allowed to take part in future elections, a condition that some argue could taint any democratic process.
“Preserving a two-state solution means standing with all people who choose peace over violence or terrorism,” Carney said.
Also, Belgian prosecutors refer a war crimes complaint against two Israeli soldiers to the International Criminal Court following allegations they participated in atrocities in Gaza.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 60,138 people and wounded 146,269 others. An estimated 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack and more than 200 taken captive.