UNITED NATIONS, US: The UN Security Council heard fears of a further escalation in Israeli-Palestinian violence in the Gaza Strip during emergency talks Friday despite a failure to agree a joint statement on deadly clashes.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also called for an “independent and transparent investigation” and reaffirmed “the readiness” of the world body to revitalize peace efforts, a spokesperson said.
Kuwait requested the meeting to discuss the unraveling situation in Gaza, where Palestinians said Israeli fire killed 16 people in the conflict’s deadliest single day since the 2014 Gaza war.
“There is fear that the situation might deteriorate in the coming days,” said assistant UN secretary general for political affairs, Taye-Brook Zerihoun, urging maximum restraint.
Britain and the United States expressed regret that the timing of the meeting — the first night of Passover — meant Israeli officials could not attend. Leading ambassadors sent deputies in their place.
“It’s vital that this Council be balanced in its approach,” a US diplomat told the meeting. “We should have found an arrangement for all parties to participate tonight,” he added.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life today,” the diplomat added. “Bad actors who use protests as a cover to incite violence endanger innocent lives,” he added.
“The risk of escalation is very real,” the French representative said. “There is the possibility of a new conflict in the Gaza Strip.”
In a written statement before the meeting, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, blamed Hamas for the violence.
The violence broke out as tens of thousands of Gazans marched near the Israeli border to demand that the right of return for Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled since the creation of Israel.
Israeli troops used tear gas and live fire to force back Palestinians who approached the heavily fortified border fence.
Israeli tank fire and an air strike also targeted three Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip after what the military said was an attempted shooting attack against soldiers along the border that caused no injuries.
The health ministry in Gaza said 16 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and more than 1,400 were injured, including 758 by live fire, with the remainder hurt by rubber bullets and tear gas.
Palestinians accused Israel of using disproportionate force. The Israeli military said the protests were used as cover by militants to either break through the border or carry out attacks.
UN chief calls for independent investigation into Gaza deaths
UN chief calls for independent investigation into Gaza deaths
Israel’s Supreme Court suspends govt move to shut army radio
- Israel’s Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending a government decision to shut down Galei Tsahal, the country’s decades-old and widely listened-to military radio station
JERUSALEM: Israel’s Supreme Court has issued an interim order suspending a government decision to shut down Galei Tsahal, the country’s decades-old and widely listened-to military radio station.
In a ruling issued late Sunday, Supreme Court President Isaac Amit said the suspension was partly because the government “did not provide a clear commitment not to take irreversible steps before the court reaches a final decision.”
He added that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supported the suspension.
The cabinet last week approved the closure of Galei Tsahal, with the shutdown scheduled to take effect before March 1, 2026.
Founded in 1950, Galei Tsahal is widely known for its flagship news programs and has long been followed by both domestic and foreign correspondents.
A government audience survey ranks it as Israel’s third most listened-to radio station, with a market share of 17.7 percent.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had urged ministers to back the closure, saying there had been repeated proposals over the years to remove the station from the military, abolish it or privatise it.
But Baharav-Miara, who also serves as the government’s legal adviser and is facing dismissal proceedings initiated by the premier, has warned that closing the station raised “concerns about possible political interference in public broadcasting.”
She added that it “poses questions regarding an infringement on freedom of expression and of the press.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz said last week that Galei Tsahal broadcasts “political and divisive content” that does not align with military values.
He said soldiers, civilians and bereaved families had complained that the station did not represent them and undermined morale and the war effort.
Katz also argued that a military-run radio station serving the general public is an anomaly in democratic countries.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid had condemned the closure decision, calling it part of the government’s effort to suppress freedom of expression ahead of elections.
Israel is due to hold parliamentary elections in 2026, and Netanyahu has said he will seek another term as prime minister.
