Germany has announced a partial arms embargo on Israel in a once-unthinkable move, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government agreed to expand the war in Gaza.
The German government will not approve weapons sales to Israel until further notice if they could be put into use in the Gaza Strip, Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Friday.
Israel’s security cabinet on Friday approved Mr Netanyahu’s plan to defeat Hamas by fully taking over Gaza, starting with a military operation to take control of Gaza city in the north and displace half the population by forcing them south.
The decision drew international condemnation, with the UN, western nations and countries in the Middle East warning that it would lead to more bloodshed and increase the suffering of civilians in the Palestinian enclave.
Mr Merz said Israel had the right to defend itself and backed the release of hostages and the disarmament of Hamas. But he said Israel’s new war plan “makes it less clear than ever to the German government how these goals are to be achieved”.
Germany has historically been Israel’s second-biggest arms supplier after the US. It has opposed boycotts and sanctions against Israel, seeing the relationship as a matter of historical responsibility as the country that perpetrated the Holocaust.
European Council chief Antonio Costa said the expansion of the war “must have consequences for EU-Israel relations”, although it would be up to the bloc’s 27 members to decide what those might be. “The situation in Gaza remains dramatic, and the decision by the Israeli government will only further worsen it,” Mr Costa said.
Mr Netanyahu said on Thursday that Israel intends to take military control of all of Gaza, with the aim of eventually handing it over to armed forces to govern the enclave.
Sources told The National that invading Gaza city would be the beginning of reoccupying the entire strip, 20 years after Israel’s “disengagement” from the Palestinian territory.
The UN, UK and Australia urged Israel to back down on its plans to occupy the enclave and displace its population.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said sending troops into Gaza city and other areas would “only bring more bloodshed”.
“This action will do nothing to bring an end to this conflict or to help secure the release of the hostages,” Mr Starmer said.
Relations between the UK and Israel have deteriorated significantly in recent weeks after Britain said it would recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel met certain conditions, including ending the “appalling situation” in Gaza.
Jordan and Saudi Arabia “strongly condemned” Israel’s military expansion plans for Gaza.
Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sufyan Qudah said the move was “an extension of the Israeli government’s extremist policy that employs starvation and siege as weapons against the Palestinian people”.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said the kingdom rejects Israel’s crimes of starvation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the decision “runs contrary to the ruling of the International Court of Justice that Israel must bring its occupation to an end as soon as possible”.
Mr Turk warned that the escalation would result in “more massive forced displacement, more killing, more unbearable suffering, senseless destruction and atrocity crimes”.
Switzerland and the Netherlands reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire and a two-state solution, saying Israel’s plan would worsen the “catastrophic humanitarian situation” in Gaza and would not help the return of hostages being held by Hamas.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Israel’s decision “would only lead to more destruction and suffering”.
Turkey decried Israel’s plan as a “new phase of its expansionist and genocidal policy in the region”.
US reaction
The US, meanwhile, has given tacit approval to Israel’s move.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended Israel’s right to occupy Gaza.
“Ultimately what Israel needs to do for Israel’s security will be determined by Israel,” Mr Rubio told EWTN, a Catholic television network.
He added that while most of the attention was being focused on the humanitarian situation in the enclave, not enough was being given to the hostages still held in Gaza or on the need for Hamas to be removed from power.
US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Hamas needed to disarm, adding that while the militant group started the Gaza conflict, the Israelis were “the only ones who are going to be able to finish it”.
“It’s a tough situation, and Israel did not start [the conflict], but it looks like they’re the only ones who are going to be able to finish it.”
The Israeli army already controls about 75 per cent of Gaza, and has displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians whose homes and towns have been reduced to ruins.
AIDA%20RETURNS
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
The five pillars of IslamCompany profile
Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
Based: Dubai
Sector: Online grocery delivery
Staff: 200
Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It’s signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of “mining” that is central to its existence.
The “miners” use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Dr Afridi’s warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Killing of Qassem SuleimaniSERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Benevento (Kick-off 11.45pm)
Saturday Crotone v Spezia (6pm), Torino v Udinese (9pm), Lazio v Verona (11.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (6pm), Napoli v Sampdoria (6pm), Bologna v Roma (6pm), Genoa v Juventus (9pm), AC Milan v Parma (11.45pm)
WHAT%20MACRO%20FACTORS%20ARE%20IMPACTING%20META%20TECH%20MARKETS%3F
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Looming%20global%20slowdown%20and%20recession%20in%20key%20economies%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Russia-Ukraine%20war%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Interest%20rate%20hikes%20and%20the%20rising%20cost%20of%20debt%20servicing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Oil%20price%20volatility%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Persisting%20inflationary%20pressures%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Exchange%20rate%20fluctuations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shortage%20of%20labour%2Fskills%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20A%20resurgence%20of%20Covid%3F%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pocketsSpecs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Racecard
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