Middle East crisis live: UK says peace process should lead to Palestinian state; US pick for UN affirms rightwing view on West Bank

Palestinian officials have criticised the decision by the US president, Donald Trump, to lift sanctions on violent Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, following a spate of recent attacks. As we reported earlier, Trump rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals for allegedly committing violence against Palestinians. “Lifting sanctions on extremist settlers encourages them to commit more crimes against our people,” the Palestinian foreign ministry said in a statement. Even before Trump’s decision had been made public, Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian villages of Al-Funduk and Jinsafut in the north of the West Bank on Monday night, AFP reported. About 50 people set fire to homes and shops, destroyed vehicles and “terrorised unarmed civilians”, resulting in at least 21 people injured in attacks that took place “under the supervision and protection of the Israeli army and political leadership,” the Palestinian ministry said. The Israeli military confirmed the incidents had taken place, saying it had “dispersed riots” in the vicinity of Al-Funduk and that Israeli civilians had “thrown stones and attacked the security forces”.

France needs ‘clearer’ rape laws that include consent, report finds

France should update its rape law to add a clear reference to consent, a parliamentary report has found, months after French society was shaken by the trial of 51 men over the repeated drugging and rape of Gisèle Pelicot. The report, to be presented on Tuesday, said action must be taken urgently to update the law. “Almost 10 years after the start of the #MeToo movement, and as the [Pelicot] trial showed once again, the fight against rape culture must be a priority: the fight against rape culture needs a law that is clearer,” it found. Two MPs – Véronique Riotton from Emmanuel Macron’s centrist group, Ensemble pour la République, and Marie-Charlotte Garin, a Green who is part of the left alliance, New Popular Front – have worked since 2023 to produce recommendations for adding a consent-based definition of rape to French law. Their work began before the biggest rape trial in French history in which Gisèle Pelicot’s ex-husband, Dominique Pelicot, and 50 other men were found guilty in December after she was drugged and raped while unconscious in her home. The MPs proposed that a consent-based definition of rape be added to the existing wording of the French law, which defines rape as any penetrative act committed against someone using “violence, coercion, threat or surprise”. It makes no clear mention of the need for a partner’s consent. The MPs said they wanted a bill to be brought before parliament that would change the law – keeping the current wording but adding in a reference to any “non-consenting” penetrative act. Their report said stereotypes still existed in society of supposedly “good victims” and “real rape” and too many of those accused were able to say they “didn’t know” the person they assaulted had not consented. Consent-based rape law already exists in Sweden, Germany, Spain and more than a dozen other European countries. During the Pelicot trial, the court heard how Dominique Pelicot, a 72-year-old retired electrician and estate agent, had crushed sleeping tablets and anti-anxiety medication into his wife’s food and invited dozens of men to rape her while she was unconscious over a nine-year period from 2011 to 2020 in the village of Mazan in Provence. Dozens of the accused men denied rape in court, despite video evidence against them, saying they thought it was a game and that she had consented. One man said he had learned what “consent” meant only when he was in prison awaiting trial. Others said they thought they had obtained consent, by means of Gisèle Pelicot’s husband. In Gisèle Pelicot’s final statement to the criminal court in Avignon before judges began deliberating, she said: “It’s time that the macho, patriarchal society that trivialises rape changes … It’s time we changed the way we look at rape.” The parliament report said there should be an acknowledgment that consent was specific to an act, given freely and could be withdrawn at any moment. The report said lack of consent must also be considered within the broader circumstances of an alleged rape, in order to focus more on the accused than the victim. The MPs said a “climate of impunity” persisted in France in terms of sexual violence. While a change to the wording of the law would “not be enough on its own” to combat the difficulties of victims in getting a case prosecuted and obtaining justice, they said, it could be one of the building blocks in a “paradigm shift” being called for by feminist groups, professionals and public opinion. There must also be more resources put into the legal system and into the “fight against rape culture”, the MPs said. During the Pelicot trial, there was debate in France on adding the notion of consent to French rape laws. Some in the legal system argued against it, saying that what was instead needed was better funding and training in the justice system. Some said that adding the notion of consent could put the focus and scrutiny on victims’ actions and words, not attackers. In recent years, several French ministers have spoken in favour of adding the notion of consent to French law. “I totally understand that consent should be enshrined [in the law],” the president, Emmanuel Macron, told a women’s right group last year. Gisèle Pelicot’s daughter, Caroline Darian, this week stepped up her campaign to raise awareness on drugging and drug-facilitated rape with her organisation Don’t Put me Under (#MendorsPas). “I realised very quickly that the scourge of chemical submission was a major concern in society and a major health issue that was invisible,” she told France 2 TV before the broadcast on Tuesday night of a documentary she took part in. The film interviewed several survivors who spoke of their experiences of blackouts after being drugged and assaulted. “There are no statistics on the number of victims, but it’s probably thousands – and not just in festive places [bars or festivals] but mostly in the domestic sphere and within families,” Darian said. Testimony in the film includes a 15-year-old girl who was drugged and abused by her father, who crushed medication into the fruit yoghurt she would eat before bed. Analysis of her hair was able to show the drugging had continued for years. Darian said drugging happened “in all walks of life”, and survivors had to fight to produce proof. She said she was now campaigning to improve prevention of the crime, and to encourage survivors to speak out.

Libyan general arrested in Turin on ICC warrant for alleged war crimes

A Libyan general wanted for alleged war crimes and violence against inmates at a prison near Tripoli has been arrested in the northern Italian city of Turin. Osama Najim, also known as Almasri, was detained on Sunday on an international arrest warrant after a tipoff from Interpol, a source at the prosecutors office for the Piedmont region confirmed. Italy’s justice minister, Carlo Nordio, is evaluating the transmission of the ICC’s request to Rome’s attorney general. Najim was reportedly chief of Libya’s judicial police and director of Mitiga prison, a facility close to Tripoli condemned by human rights’ groups for the arbitrary detention, torture and abuse of political dissidents and migrants and refugees. It is not clear whether he is still in either role. The arrest warrant was issued by the international criminal court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as alleged rape and murder. The general was in Turin for a football match on Saturday between Juventus and AC Milan accompanied by other Libyans, according to the Italian press. They reported he was arrested at a hotel in the city. The NGO Mediterranea Saving Humans wrote on X that the arrest “came after years of complaints and testimonies from victims, sent to the international criminal court, which conducted a difficult investigation”. Nello Scavo, a journalist on the Italian newspaper Avvenire, wrote about the general in his book, Le Mani sulla Guardia Costiera, in which he described him as being “among the figures capable of blackmailing Italy and Europe with boats”. In the book, Scavo alleged that Najim illegally transferred migrants “from both unofficial and official places of detention in Tripoli to the Mitiga facility, for the primary purpose of using them for forced labour as a form of slavery”. The Libyan judicial police reportedly condemned what they described as Najim’s “arbitrary detention”, calling his arrest an “outrageous incident” on Facebook. The arrest puts the spotlight on a controversial pact between Italy and Libya, signed in 2017 and renewed every three years. The deal, approved by the European Council, involves Italy funding and equipping the Libyan coastguard to prevent boats of refugees leaving the north African country. Humanitarian groups have criticised it for pushing people back to detention camps where they face torture and other abuses. In November 2022, the European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), a German NGO, filed a criminal complaint at the ICC against several high-profile European politicians for allegedly conspiring with Libya’s coastguard to illegally push back people trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea in search of refuge in Europe. Scavo told the Guardian that many testimonies from migrants and refugees presented to the ICC had provided evidence for the investigation into Najim. “It would be a turning point if a trial could be opened before the ICC, but I fear that many countries are afraid of what he might say, because these are representatives of authorities who have relations with Italy, with Malta and in general with Europe,” he said. The hardline immigration policies of Georgia Meloni’s government, including a similar deal with Tunisia, are at least partly credited for the sharp decrease in refugees crossing from north Africa in 2024.

Strike Houthis while Iran is weak, UN-backed Yemeni government urges west

The west should seize the opportunity to target the Tehran-backed Houthi leadership in Yemen while the Iranian government is weakened, the vice-president of the UN-backed government in Aden has said. Aidarus al-Zoubaidi said that Iran’s reverses in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza had left the country “massively weakened”. “They have one remaining domain and that is Yemen,” Zoubaidi told the Guardian. “Now is the time to counter the Houthis and push them back into their position.” He said Yemen ground forces should work in cooperation with western airstrikes as part of a multi-pronged strategy. Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos, he also called on the new US administration to designate the Houthis a foreign terrorist organisation, and praised Donald Trump for showing “decisive leadership”. His remarks suggest that the Presidential Leadership Council, based in the Yemeni city Aden, regards the weakening of Iran and the return of Trump as an opportunity to launch a joint military offensive against the Houthis, including the potential use of ground forces. He predicted: “Iran will not give up on the Houthis, but on the contrary double down on its support for the Houthis as the last remaining component of its chain of proxy forces. So this is the right time for us also to double time and push them to the maximum”. Iran says the Houthis are an independent political force. Zoubaidi said the Aden government was willing to provide intelligence advice to all those mounting attacks on Houthi positions. “We are willing to work with everyone on this”, he said, in remarks that suggest some cooperation could take place even with Israel. He said the attacks mounted so far largely by the US and the UK on the Houthis “had not been effective because it’s not targeting the Houthi leadership, or their main locations or headquarters. It’s not joined-up, or comprehensive. It’s just airstrikes. Joined-up means also a military operation on the ground”. The US attacks have been designed to deter the Houthis from firing on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, attacks the Houthis say have been acts of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The group gained control of the capital of Yemen, Sana’a, in 2014. The Houthi leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said on Monday that during the Gaza ceasefire, Houthi forces would only attack shipping directly linked to Israel, meaning British- or US-owned ships would be spared. The Houthis say they are in talks to release the crew of the Galaxy Leader, who have been held hostage by the group since November 2023. Zoubaidi said the social structure of Houthi support was different from that of Hezbollah and Hamas, so simply going after its leadership would not be enough. He also criticised the Biden administration for “a lack of assertiveness”, highlighting the decision to lift the foreign terrorist designation in favour of a lesser classification. Zoubaidi, who is also the president of the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), said “the decision had given the Houthis space in which to work and to do what they have done”. Overall his remarks were a sign that the year-old diplomatic roadmap for peace was no longer seen as a viable option. The STC enjoys support from the United Arab Emirates, and it is not clear whether Zoubaidi’s call for a tougher military approach has the support of Saudi Arabia or the new US foreign policy team.

Putin and Xi hold video call in show of unity hours after Trump inauguration

The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, held a video call with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, in a symbolic display of unity just hours after Donald Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the US. Speaking from his Novo-Ogaryovo residence outside Moscow, Putin highlighted the close ties between the two countries, stating that their relations were based on “shared interests, equality, and mutual benefit“, calling Xi his “dear friend”. Moscow has grown increasingly reliant on China as a trade partner and a crucial diplomatic ally amid its escalating conflict with the west after launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago. In turn, Beijing has capitalised on Russia’s isolation from the west to secure preferential access to its resources and markets. The two countries declared a “no-limits” partnership in February 2022 when Putin visited Beijing just days before he sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine. The two leaders have since then frequently visited each other’s capitals and have become indispensable allies in their shared goal of reshaping the global order in opposition to the west. Although neither leader directly mentioned Trump in the televised segment of their call, the timing of their conversation may indicate that Putin and Xi are hoping to coordinate their approach to engaging with the new US administration. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs and other measures against China in his second term, while he has also hinted at ways the two rival powers could cooperate on issues such as regional conflicts and curbing the export of substances used in the production of fentanyl. Trump has vowed to swiftly end the war in Ukraine, a move that will probably involve China, given Russia’s growing dependence on Beijing. There was no official readout from the Putin-Xi call, but the Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov stated that they discussed talks with Trump and the prospects for a potential peace deal to end the war in Ukraine. Ushakov added that Moscow was “ready for serious dialogue” with the Trump administration over Ukraine and was awaiting concrete proposals that could serve as the foundation for talks between the leaders. Ushakov’s remarks were the latest in a series of comments from Russian officials indicating their willingness to discuss the war in Ukraine with Trump, although a clear path to peace remains elusive. Putin, who is yet to talk to Trump, congratulated him on taking office on Monday in televised remarks during a video call with officials and welcomed his intention to open a dialogue with Moscow. Asked about the war in Ukraine shortly after his inauguration, Trump said he would meet Putin “very soon” and that his Russian counterpart was “destroying Russia” by refusing to negotiate a ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump also told reporters that the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had told him he wanted to make a peace deal and voiced hope that Putin would follow suit. “I think Russia is in big trouble,” Trump said, claiming that 1 million Russian soldiers had died in the war in Ukraine and saying the conflict was taking a severe toll on the Russian economy.

Israel’s top general resigns, citing ‘terrible’ 7 October security failures

Israel’s top general has resigned, citing the “terrible failure” of security and intelligence related to Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza. Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, the chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), is the most senior Israeli figure to resign over the security breakdown when thousands of Hamas-led militants carried out a land, sea and air assault into southern Israel, rampaging through army bases and nearby communities for hours. The Israeli opposition leader, Yair Lapid, said he saluted Halevi’s decision and also called on the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his government to resign. “Now, it is time for them to take responsibility and resign – the prime minister and his entire catastrophic government,” he said. Halevi, who has been targeted for criticism by far-right members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition, will formally step down in March as the first stage of Israel’s ceasefire deal with Hamas in Gaza comes to an end. He had been widely expected to resign and said he would complete the IDF’s own inquiries into the events of 7 October 2023. It was not immediately clear who would replace him. Senior Israeli political figures, including Netanyahu, have resisted the establishment of a state commission of inquiry despite polling that suggests an overwhelming majority of Israelis back such a move. Maj Gen Yaron Finkelman, the head of Israel’s Southern Command, which oversees operations in Gaza, also tendered his resignation on Tuesday. Israeli political analysts have long suggested that Netanyahu planned to blame Halevi for the failures of 7 October. It is unclear whether Halevi will now back calls for a state inquiry. In a statement shared with media, Halevi said the failures of 7 October would stay with him for the rest of his life. “On the morning of October 7, under my command, the IDF failed in its mission to protect Israel’s citizens,” he said. “The state of Israel paid a heavy and painful price – in lives lost, in hostages taken, and in those wounded both physically and emotionally. The courageous acts of many – security forces personnel, IDF soldiers and commanders, and brave civilians – were not enough to prevent this great disaster. “My responsibility for this terrible failure accompanies me every day, every hour and will remain with me for the rest of my life.” Underlining Halevi’s unpopularity with the far right, Itamar Ben-Gvir, the leader of Jewish Power, who quit as national security minister over the ceasefire deal, welcomed Halevi’s resignation, insisting the next IDF chief must “defeat Hamas”. About 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack and 250 were abducted. More than 90 of those taken captive are still in Gaza, about a third of whom are believed to be dead. In his letter of resignation, Halevi said the military under his command had “failed in its mission to defend the state of Israel”. He said his resignation would take effect on 6 March, having begun what was meant to be a three-year term in January 2023. Netanyahu said in a statement issued by his office that he had spoken to Halevi to thank him for his service, which had “led to great achievements” for Israel. The pair are expected to meet in the coming days. Halevi was seen as being in broad agreement with the former defence minister Yoav Gallant, whom Netanyahu fired in November, but he appeared to be at odds with Gallant’s replacement, Israel Katz, over the direction of the war. Halevi has indicated he believes Israel has accomplished most of its goals, while Katz has echoed Netanyahu’s vow to keep fighting until “total victory” over Hamas. The far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who has threatened to bring down Netanyahu’s government over the ceasefire deal, suggested on Monday that the IDF needed a new chief of staff. He told Army Radio that Israel would not be able to win in Gaza with Halevi at the helm. “We need to occupy the strip and establish a military government there. I want a chief of staff who understands that this is his goal, stands behind it and is going to realise it,” he said.

Israeli security forces launch operation in West Bank city of Jenin

Israeli security forces have launched an operation in the West Bank city of Jenin, a day after bands of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians, smashing cars and burning property and the new US president, Donald Trump, announced he was lifting sanctions on violent settlers. At least eight Palestinians were killed and 35 people were injured, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its first responders treated seven people injured by live ammunition and that Israeli forces were hindering their access to the area. The director of Khalil Suleiman hospital in Jenin, Wissam Bakr, said that three nurses and two doctors had been injured by Israeli fire during the military operation. The operation, codenamed “Iron Wall”, took place as the Gaza ceasefire entered a third day and was described by the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, as “another step towards achieving the goal we set – strengthening security in Judea and Samaria”. He said it included police, military and the Shin Bet internal intelligence agency. “We act methodically and resolutely against the Iranian axis wherever it sends its arms – in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen and Judea and Samaria,” Netanyahu added. Jenin has been a focus of Israeli raids into the occupied West Bank throughout the 15-month war in Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry says more than 800 people have been killed in Israeli raids since Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attacks that triggered the war. The Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank, also launched its own raid into the area late last year while hoping to position itself as a serious player in governing postwar Gaza. Sources quoted in the Israeli media said the operation was expected to last several days. The Israeli government has accused Iran, which backs militant groups across the Middle East including Hamas in Gaza, of attempting to send weapons and money to militants in the West Bank. The UN Human Rights Office in the occupied Palestinian territories said that “public statements by Israeli military officials raise concern about Israel’s plans to expand and increase operations in the occupied West Bank”. The operation, called Iron Wall, has been accompanied by increased restrictions on Palestinians’ freedom of movement across the West Bank, with hundreds of checkpoints introduced in the occupied Palestinian territories. Residents said that queues in front of the checkpoints stretch for kilometres, with waits of up to eight hours, effectively confining entire communities. Reached by the Guardian, the IDF did not respond to a request for a comment about the establishments of new checkpoints in the West Bank. Israeli settlers have set vehicles and properties on fire in the Palestinian villages where dozens of prisoners, who were released on Sunday in exchange for three Israeli hostages handed over by Hamas to Israel, were returning. More than 21 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank have been injured as a result of the Israeli settlers’ attacks, including three children. Jalal Bashir, the head of Jinasfut village council, was quoted by Wafa news agency on Monday evening as saying that the attacks took place in the villages of Jinasfut and Funduq, east of Qalqilya. The Palestinian Authority has accused Trump of inciting Israeli settler violence after he on Monday rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals for allegedly committing violence against Palestinians. The White House said Trump had rescinded an executive order issued on 1 February 2024, which authorised the imposition of certain sanctions “on persons undermining peace, security, and stability in the West Bank”. In a separate development on Tuesday, Israel’s army chief, Herzi Halevi, said he would resign, citing the “terrible failure” of security and intelligence related to Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 that triggered the war in Gaza. After Halevi’s decision to quit, the Israeli opposition leader, Yair Lapid, called on Netanyahu and his government to resign. “Now it is time for them to take responsibility and resign - the prime minister and his entire catastrophic government,” Lapid said.