UN: Paris recognizes Palestine. Hamas: "Half the hostages will be freed for a 60-day truce."

An IDF officer was killed yesterday during fighting in Gaza City, becoming the first casualty in the ongoing new offensive. The army announced the news, specifying that the victim was Maj. Shahar Netanel Bozaglo, 27, company commander of the 77th Battalion of the 7th Armored Brigade, originally from Migdal Haemek.

According to an initial IDF investigation, during the ongoing offensive in Gaza City yesterday, a Hamas officer fired a rocket launcher at one of the 77th Battalion's tanks, wounding the officer. Bozaglo was taken to the hospital, where his condition worsened until he succumbed to his wounds. He is the first soldier to be killed in the new IDF offensive against Hamas in Gaza City, launched last week.

"Any form of annexation" of the West Bank by Israel is a red line: this is the warning issued to Israel by France and Saudi Arabia—which promoted the UN conference on the recognition of the Palestinian state—in a joint statement, declaring that the release of all Hamas hostages in Gaza "is an absolute priority." "The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate with the intensification of the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza City," Riyadh and Paris denounced, "with civilians and hostages paying an unjustifiable price for the ongoing war."

At least 37 people were killed last night in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli military operation, Lebanese broadcaster Al Mayadeen reported.

Israeli artillery reportedly struck the eastern and southern neighborhoods of Gaza City, killing 30 people. The attack is part of Israel's ground offensive to regain full control of the city.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has just landed in New York. Today she will participate in the opening ceremony of the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly, while her plenary address is scheduled for September 24.

"Upon arrival," Palazzo Chigi wrote, "President Meloni and the Italian delegation were welcomed by Italy's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Maurizio Massari, Italy's Ambassador to the United States, Marco Peronaci, and Italy's Consul General in New York, Fabrizio Di Michele."

On Tuesday, September 23, President Meloni will attend the High-Level Debate at the UN Headquarters. Addresses are scheduled from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the President of the General Assembly, the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, and the President of the United States of America, followed by those of the Heads of State and Government.

On Wednesday, September 24, at 8:00 PM, Meloni will deliver her speech at the High-Level Debate, in Italian. "Several bilateral meetings with international leaders are scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday," Palazzo Chigi announced.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud called for recognition of the Palestinian state, speaking at the UN after President Emmanuel Macron announced France's recognition of Palestine. "We call on all other countries to take this historic step, which will have a major impact in supporting efforts to implement the two-state solution," the minister said, reiterating that the two-state solution is "the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace."

"We are fully convinced that the path to peace is still viable. As Pope Leo XIV said, we cannot abandon the hope of peace. The two-state solution, with the peaceful coexistence of Palestinians and Israelis, is the only viable solution to ensure a future of peace and prosperity in the Middle East," said Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking at the "Two-State Conference" currently underway at the UN.

"To achieve this goal," Tajani said, "it is essential to secure a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and the restoration of full humanitarian access. Since the beginning of the conflict, Italy has provided thousands of tons of aid to the Palestinian population. I especially thank Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and all regional partners who have collaborated in this crucial effort. We have also organized medical evacuations to treat hundreds of Palestinian children in Italy. We know this is not enough. We must break the cycle of violence."

"The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Our position is clear: Italy is opposed to the occupation of the Gaza Strip and any idea of ​​transferring its population." Likewise, Tajani recalls, Italy condemned the attacks against Doha, which "have damaged the sovereignty of a friendly country that has worked to stop the war in Gaza," and encourages Doha "to continue the crucial mediation effort, together with Egypt and the United States, to reach a ceasefire." "We deplore the Israeli government's decision to expand settlements in the West Bank," and "we also condemn in the strongest terms the recent terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against the Israeli civilian population in Jerusalem," Tajani states.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Hamas to lay down its arms and condemned the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.

In a video message to the United Nations (the United States did not renew his visa to attend in person), Abbas warned that "Hamas will have no role in the government." "Hamas and other factions must hand over their weapons to the Palestinian Authority," he insisted. "We also condemn the killings and detention of civilians, including Hamas's actions on October 7, 2023."

"France today recognizes the State of Palestine," President Emmanuel Macron announced during his speech at the UN. Macron emphasized that "recognition of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people does not detract from the rights of the Israeli people, which France has supported from day one." For the French president, "this recognition is the only solution that will bring peace to Israel."

"Israel is currently further expanding its operations in Gaza, but the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are being displaced and continue to be destroyed," said French President Emmanuel Macron, opening the Conference for the Peaceful Resolution of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. "Nothing justifies the war in Gaza anymore," he insisted, because "all lives must be saved." "Since October 7, the denial of the life of the other has prevailed. Yet a life is worth a life," he said, before citing his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian victims. "We must protect both. There is a solution to break the cycle of war and destruction," he added, calling for "recognition of the other's humanity." "Israelis and Palestinians live in a double solitude. The time has come, because the worst could yet come. Whether it's the annexation of the West Bank or the displacement of Palestinians in Egypt. We must open this path to peace today, right here. As things stand, it is possible that the Abraham Accords will be called into question by Israel's military actions," Macron added.

"The situation in Gaza represents a devastating failure for humanity. The Israeli government must immediately remove all humanitarian restrictions. Settlement expansion and the annexation of territory are incompatible with peace, and it is clear that Hamas must lay down its weapons and release all hostages," EU High Representative for Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas said at a press conference following the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

"The time has come to stop the war, the massacre, the time for peace" in Gaza and the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron said as he opened the high-level UN conference for the two-state solution, emphasizing the "urgency" of a solution. "The time has come to free the 48 hostages held by Hamas. The time has come to put an end to the war, the bombings in Gaza, the massacres, and the fleeing population. The time has come for peace because we are one step away from no longer being able to have it," added French President Emmanuel Macron, opening the Conference for the Peaceful Resolution of the Palestinian Question and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution. "That is why we are meeting today. We cannot wait any longer," he added.

Donald Trump is convening a small group of Arab and Muslim leaders in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, to discuss how to end the war in Gaza and develop a post-war plan. According to Arab officials cited by Axios, the leaders of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey have been invited to attend.

The White House wants invited Arab and Muslim countries to participate in a post-war plan for Gaza and even send troops to a stabilization force that will replace the Israeli army, sources say. Arab leaders are expected to ask Trump to pressure Netanyahu to end the war in Gaza and refrain from annexing parts of the West Bank. The United Arab Emirates has already made it clear to the White House that Israel's annexation of parts of the West Bank could lead to the collapse of the Abraham Accords, Trump's main foreign policy achievement during his first term as president.

According to Axios, Trump is also expected to hold a separate meeting on the same day with the leaders of several Persian Gulf countries—Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait. A key issue at that meeting will be the regional countries' concerns over Israel's attack on Hamas leaders in Qatar, the first ever against a Gulf country. Arab officials say the Gulf countries want assurances from the Trump administration that such attacks will not be repeated.

Gaza's Hamas-run Ministry of Health announced that two hospitals in Gaza City have been closed due to the escalation of the Israeli ground offensive and the damage caused by ongoing bombardment. These are the Al-Rantissi Pediatric Institute, which was severely damaged by Israeli bombardment a few days ago, and the nearby eye hospital. "The occupation deliberately and systematically targets the healthcare system in the Gaza Governorate as part of its genocidal policy against the Strip," the ministry stated, emphasizing that "none of the facilities or hospitals have safe access routes allowing patients and the wounded to reach them."

Hamas wrote a letter to US President Donald Trump demanding Washington guarantee a 60-day ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the immediate release of half the hostages. The letter is currently being held by Qatar and will be delivered to Trump later this week.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have strongly condemned Israel's killing of four civilians, a father and his three children, in southern Lebanon. What Lebanese media are calling a "massacre" occurred in the past few hours in southern Lebanon, in the Bint Jbeil district. According to media reports, an Israeli drone fired two missiles at a man on a motorcycle, killing him instantly. It is unclear whether he was a Hezbollah member. Another missile hit a car carrying a man and his three children. The Israeli military, for its part, said it had opened an investigation into the incident and confirmed that the man on the motorcycle was a Hezbollah member. "He was in an area inhabited by civilians, in violation of the agreement between Lebanon and Israel," the IDF statement read yesterday evening.

Great Britain, Australia, and Canada, along with Portugal , have announced their formal recognition of the State of Palestine, while France, Belgium, and other countries are poised to do the same at the UN General Assembly , which begins today in New York. Here's an overview of the situation.

WHO RECOGNISES PALESTINE : Three-quarters of UN members fall into this category. At last count, at least 145 of the 193 UN member states do so. Following the announcements by London, Ottawa, and Canberra, Lisbon followed, and tomorrow, among others, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Malta are expected to participate during a summit on the future of the two-state solution chaired by France and Saudi Arabia. Among those who already recognize a Palestinian state—unilaterally proclaimed on November 15, 1988, by Yasser Arafat, then leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization—are Russia, along with all Arab countries, almost all African and Latin American states, and most Asian countries, including India and China. Algeria was the first to do so after Arafat's declaration. Others followed in the weeks and months that followed, and another wave of recognitions came in late 2010 and early 2011. Western and Northern European countries had hitherto been united in non-recognition, with the exception of Sweden (2014), but the war in Gaza reversed the situation, with Norway, Spain, Ireland and Slovenia following in Stockholm's footsteps in 2024.

THE NO FRONT: At least 46 countries, including Israel, the United States, and their allies, do not recognize an independent Palestinian state. Among these, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore remain outside of Asia, along with Cameroon in Africa, Panama in Latin America, and most countries in Oceania. Among those opposed in Europe are Italy and Germany.