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January 20, 2024Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell has accused the Israeli government of having created and funded Hamas in a bid to avoid a two-state solution. Meanwhile, Israel stepped up its attacks in the south of Gaza. DW has more.
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This is the first time the European foreign policy chief has directly accused Isarel of having financed militant group HamasImage: Hassan Ammar/AP Photo/picture allianceSkip next section What you need to knowWhat you need to know EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell accused Israel of having “financed” terror group Hamas Borrell called for a two-state solution and criticized Israel for opposing it Israel has increased attacks in south of the Gaza Strip as talks with the US continue about the future of the Palestinian territories Skip next section Israel’s Eurovision Song Contest participation draws protestJanuary 20, 2024
Israel’s Eurovision Song Contest participation draws protestIn view of the war in Gaza, calls to ban Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest of 2024are growing louder.
Some 1,400 Finnish musicians have joined pro-Palestinian artists and activists in Finland, signing a petition demanding that Israel be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest.
They state that “it is not in accordance with our values that a country that commits war crimes and continues a military occupation is given a public stage to polish its image in the name of music.”
A similar campaign was previously staged in Iceland. In Norway, according to local media reports, demonstrators from the “Aksjonsgruppa for Palestine” (Action Group for Palestine) gathered in front of the headquarters of the NRK television station in Oslo and demanded that Norway also support the exclusion of Israel.
In Ireland, a Labor MP publicly called for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest were Israel to remain in the competition.
Read the full article here.
https://p.dw.com/p/4bUNd
Skip next section Israel steps up attacks in south of GazaJanuary 20, 2024
Israel steps up attacks in south of GazaIsraeli forces have increased attacks in the south of the Gaza Strip after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed options for a post-war future for Palestinians with US President Joe Biden.
News agency AFP reported that Israeli bombardment was focused overnight on Khan Yunis, citing witnesses. Palestinian media also spoke of intense fire around Jabalia, which is in the north.
Isarel’s war on Hamas, which passed the 100-day mark this week, has killed over 24,700 Palestinians so far, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza. The ministry does not distinguish between militants and civilians in the statistics it provides on deaths.
The conflict began on October 7 after unprecedented Hamas attacks on Israel killed about 1,200 people there.
Many fear Israel-Hamas war could spread across Middle EastTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
https://p.dw.com/p/4bUNc
Skip next section Borrell calls for two-state solution, accuses Israel of having ‘created’ HamasJanuary 20, 2024
Borrell calls for two-state solution, accuses Israel of having ‘created’ HamasTop European Union Diplomat Josep Borrell has accused Israel of having “created” and “financed” the militant group Hamas — which carried out unprecedented and deadly attacks on Israel on October 7 — in a bid to weaken the two-state solution.
“We believe that a two-state solution must be imposed from outside to bring peace. Although, I insist, Israel is reaffirming its refusal (of this solution), and to prevent it they have gone so far as to create Hamas themselves,” Borrell said during a speech at the University of Valladolid in Spain.
“Hamas has been financed by the Israeli government to try to weaken the Palestinian Authority of Fatah,” the EU foreign policy head said.
EU’s Borrell accuses Israel of funding HamasTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Hamas was founded in the 1980s and has been opposed to the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the multi-party confederation of which Fatah is the dominant faction, since its inception. There have been claims by various critics that the Israeli government helped finance Hamas in its early days to build up a counterweight to the PLO — though all actors in question deny Israel played any role in establishing the organization.
Unlike the PLO, Hamas does not recognize Israel’s right to exist.
Fatah is considered a more moderate political option for Palestinians than Hamas. It currently rules the West Bank, while Hamas is in power in Gaza following a war between the two factions in 2007. The European Union, as well as the United States, Germany and several other countries, classify Hamas as a terrorist organization
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently reiterated his opposition to the two-state solution, which calls for the creation of a Palestinian state that is separate from Israel.
During his speech, Borrell warned of “a spiral of hate” happening in the region.
“If we do not intervene strongly, the spiral of hate and violence will continue from generation to generation, from funeral to funeral, as the seeds of hatred that are being sown in Gaza today flourish,” Borrell said.
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Gaza genocide case: We expect court to find suspicion To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
mk/dj (AFP, AP)
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