Jerusalem: Israeli extremist ministers have urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ignore US President Donald Trump’s advice and press ahead with plans to occupy Gaza and the West Bank.
According to international media reports, two far-right ministers representing illegal settler groups insisted that listening to Washington would only strengthen the idea of a Palestinian state, something they openly oppose.
The situation has further escalated after Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, and the Netherlands imposed sanctions on Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, barring them from entering their countries. The sanctions were introduced in response to their aggressive and extremist policies toward Palestinians.
President Trump, during a recent meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu, had advised against expanding Israel’s occupation in the West Bank, warning that such a move could spark greater instability in the region. However, the hardline ministers have dismissed his concerns and are calling for a continuation of the campaign.
Meanwhile, tensions remain high as violence in Gaza continues. Protests across Europe and strong international criticism have put increasing pressure on Israel, but Netanyahu’s government faces mounting influence from extremist factions within his cabinet who are determined to push forward with controversial expansionist plans.
Moreover, The United Nations on Saturday restored an arms embargo and a range of sanctions against Iran, in a step led by Britain, France, and Germany after accusing Tehran of breaching its obligations under the 2015 nuclear deal.
The sanctions, initially imposed between 2006 and 2010, officially returned into force at 8pm EDT (0000 GMT Sunday), after weeks of negotiations at the Security Council. Plans to defer the reimposition fell apart during the UN General Assembly meeting in New York.
Iran, which denies having any interest in nuclear weapons, rejected the decision vehemently. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, in a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, called on the UN not to reinstate mechanisms like the Sanctions Committee or the Panel of Experts.
We call on you to avoid any move to restore the sanctions mechanisms,” Araqchi wrote in the letter, subsequently published on X. “Tehran will not accept any move to extend, restore, or impose UN sanctions.”
Tehran further said that it was calling back its ambassadors from Britain, France, and Germany for consultations, marking a sharp increase in tensions.
[SRC] https://minutemirror.com.pk/israeli-hardliners-urge-defiance-of-trump-on-gaza-west-bank-442719/
