May 22, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

Colombian President Gustavo Petro speaks in Mariquita, Colombia on February 14.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the opening of an embassy in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said Wednesday.

Murillo told reporters the move is part of the foreign policy objective Petro is promoting together with other governments to recognize a Palestinian state.

“Colombia had already recognized Palestine as a state in previous governments, in the government of President (Juan Manuel) Santos, and President Petro has given the instruction that we install the Colombian embassy in Ramallah, the Colombian representation in Ramallah. That is the next step we are going to take,” he said.

The announcement was made hours after Spain, Ireland and Norway said they would recognize a Palestinian state, and weeks after Petro announced that Colombia would break diplomatic relations with Israel over its actions in Gaza.

Murillo reiterated Wednesday that Colombia condemns the aggressions of Hamas, but rejects Israel’s response. He also argued that the intention to open an embassy in Ramallah is not a measure against Israel but rather in favor of the two states.

“More and more countries are going to recognize Palestine, and this is nothing against Israel or the people of Israel or the Jews, but rather the United Nations agreed, in the context of the Oslo Accords, to create a two-state solution. And so, if you need two states, you obviously require that Palestine be recognized as a full state,” he said. 

It’s unclear when a Colombian embassy in Ramallah would open and what steps would need to be taken to do so.

CNN has reached out to the Israeli embassy in Colombia for comment.

Spain, Norway and Ireland on Wednesday announced plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the countries of supporting terror and Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered the immediate recall of its ambassadors from those countries.

The recognition will come into force on May 28.

Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin said Ireland’s decision followed “growing impatience” with Israel’s lack of political will for a two-state solution. 

Here’s what else you should know:

More on the Palestinian recognition announcement

Newly released hostage footage

More Palestinian deaths:

Other developments in the United States

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this afternoon and they are working to coordinate a date for the Israeli leader to give a joint address to Congress.

“Our formal letter will go out this week. And I’m happy to tell you that I think Chuck Schumer will be co-signing the letter that’s been a long time awaited, we’ve been awaiting that for since mid-March. But I think he’ll sign on now. And then we’ll find a time that’s convenient for the prime minister and we’re happy to host him,” Johnson told reporters. 

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering further diplomatic steps against Norway, Ireland and Spain after they declared their intention to recognize a Palestinian state, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Steps under consideration include canceling visits by officials from these countries to Israel and revoking visas from the countries’ diplomats, which would limit their ability to visit areas in the West Bank under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

Israel is also considering reaching out to the United States to seek diplomatic support in providing clarification from Norway, Ireland and Spain on their intended decision, and to ask the US to try and convince other countries not to follow suit.

Smoke rises as ann Israeli raid on the West Bank city of Jenin stretched into a second day on Wednesday, May 22.

An Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin killed at least 11 Palestinian people, according to an updated death toll from officials.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah said Israelis killed 10 Palestinians, adding that 25 people have been injured, with four of them injured seriously.

In addition, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said crews recovered one more dead person from Haifa Street in Jenin after receiving a report of injuries.

The PRCS said the victim was taken to the hospital and that the area around Haifa Street site was being searched for other possible victims.

Since October 7 of last year, 517 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and Jerusalem, according to Palestinian officials.

Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheál Martin speaks during a press conference outside the Government Building in Dublin, Ireland, on Wednesday May 22.

Ireland’s decision to formally recognize a Palestinian state came amid “growing impatience” with Israel’s lack of political will for a two-state solution, the country’s Foreign Minister Micheál Martin said Wednesday. 

“The integrity of that two-state solution has been undermined in recent years by the strategy of the Israeli government and, particularly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has declared opposition to it,” Martin told CNN’s Richard Quest.

Martin also said that Netanyahu “hasn’t really dealt with the violent settlers” in the West Bank, who continue to attack Palestinians. 

“There is a growing impatience with the lack of any political will on behalf of Israel toward a political track and toward realizing that in our view, a two-state solution is the only way that Israelis and Palestinians can live in harmony side by side,” he added. “There cannot just be a military solution to such a complex issue.”

Martin acknowledged however, that within the European Union “there are different perspectives on this, some for historic reasons,” but “there are a lot of like-minded states within the European Union that have been engaged on this issue.” 

Alongside Ireland, Spain and Norway also announced plans on Wednesday to formally recognize a Palestinian state next week.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson meets with reporters following a Republican strategy session, at the Capitol in Washington D.C., on May 22.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson is set to speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, days after the International Criminal Court announced it is seeking an arrest warrant for the Israeli leader.

Ahead of the call, Johnson said he spoke with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and agreed to sign the invitation for Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress. 

Johnson said House Republican leaders are getting down to the “fine points” on how to respond to the ICC. Johnson confirmed Monday they were looking at sanctions in response to the decision.

“Very clearly, this is a great threat to the international community and to our allies, and to us, ultimately, as explained earlier, so we’re getting down to the fine points of that. And hopefully it will be a bipartisan bill and that everybody will be able to stand together on that. I think we need to start to send a strong message to the world that this is completely, wildly inappropriate, and we’re not going to stand for it,” Johnson said.

Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Michael McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, said he plans to speak with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday about legislation to sanction the international tribunal.

Remember: The ICC is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders: Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, the leader of the Al Qassem Brigades who is better known as Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political leader.

CNN’s Morgan Rimmer, Ivana Kottasová, Madalena Araujo and Lauren Fox contributed to this post.

This post has been updated with additional information.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, Wednesday.

A top White House aide acknowledged concern on Wednesday about Israel’s potentially growing diplomatic isolation amid its latest spat with several European countries after they moved to recognize a Palestinian state. 

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that the situation raises concern for Israel’s security.

“I think it’s a fair question. As a country that stands strong in defense of Israel in international forums like the United Nations, we certainly have seen a growing chorus of voices, including voices that had previously been in support of Israel drift in another direction,” Sullivan said. “That is of concern to us because we do not believe that that contributes to Israel’s long term security or vitality.”

Sullivan, who travelled to Israel and other countries in the Middle East this past weekend, said that it was an issue that he discussed with the Israeli government. 

“That’s something that we discussed with the Israeli government and something that we believe that a strategic approach to defeating Hamas, protecting civilians surging humanitarian assistance, and then pursuing that vision of regional integration I just talked about, will put Israel in the best stead to engage countries around the world and revitalize a lot of the partnerships and friendships that have been a source of great strength for Israel overtime and can be again,” Sullivan said.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide rejected Israel’s characterization that the decision to recognize Palestinian statehood rewards Hamas.

“We’re a friend of Israel. We want to remain a good partner with Israel, but we also make our own decisions based on what we think is right,” Eide told CNN’s Becky Anderson during an interview Wednesday. 

The recognition of a Palestinian state will come into force in Norway, along with Ireland and Spain, on May 28.

Eide called remarks from Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz — who said the decision awards “a gold medal” to Hamas — “absolutely wrong.”

“We are sending the opposite signal,” Eide said. “We are supporting the Palestine Authorities which spring out of the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization], who renounce violence and who many decades ago promised to leave the violent struggle behind and work for peaceful settlement with Israel—a promise they have kept by the way.”

The foreign minister also called the move “an anti-Hamas measure.”

“What we are strengthening are the forces in the region and in Palestine who believe in peace with Israel and who detest the work of Iran and its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis,” he added. 

A ship is pictured off the coast of Gaza near a temporary floating pier anchored by the United States on May 16.

The White House rejected criticism of US humanitarian efforts amid reports that aid from a US-build pier off the coast of Gaza hasn’t been delivered to the broader Palestinian population. 

“No, it’s not a failure of planning,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said. “Yes, it is an indication this is a dynamic environment we need to continue to refine. But aid is flowing, it is not flowing at the rate that any of us would be happy with because we always want more, but we are actually seeing good cooperation between the US, the IDF, the UN and other humanitarian organizations to ensure that aid goes from that pier to innocent people in need.”

Sullivan added that while there has been challenges, about 695 metric tons of food has been delivered through the pier and about two thirds of that either has gone or is on the way toward Palestinian civilians. 

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan criticized Israel for withholding funds for the Palestinian Authority after several European nations moved to recognize a Palestinian state. 

“I think it’s wrong. I think it’s wrong on a strategic basis because withholding funds destabilizes the West Bank; it undermines the search for security and prosperity for the Palestinian people, which is in Israel’s interest,” Sullivan told reporters on Wednesday. 

“And I think it’s wrong to withhold funds that provide basic goods and service to innocent people,” he said.  

He also called on Israel to release the funds. 

“From our perspective, those funds should continue to go with all of the necessary safeguards, but they should continue to flow,” he said. 

Sullivan also noted earlier that the US position remains clear and that the Biden administration does not agree with unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

“President Biden believes that a two-state solution that guarantees Israel’s security, and also a future of dignity and security for the Palestinian people, is the best way to bring about long-term security and stability for everyone, Israeli and Palestinian,” he said.  

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is “horrified by the video showing the abduction” of Israeli Defense Forces field observers.

The families of the seven female Israeli soldiers captured by Hamas during the October 7 attacks released the graphic footage of their abduction to pile pressure on Netanyahu to secure their release. Five of the seven remain in captivity.

The prime minister said Israel will “continue doing everything to bring them home” and the “cruelty of Hamas terrorists only enhances my determination to fight forcefully until the destruction of Hamas, to ensure that what we’ve seen this evening will not happen ever again.”

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz said the video made his “stomach turn,” adding that the “responsibility of leaders is not only to look reality in the eye — it is to create a different reality even when it comes to difficult decisions. And that is our responsibility.”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a post on X that five of the Israeli soldiers were taken from a lookout post in southern Israel “are all still in Hamas captivity and we are fighting to bring them home as well as all other hostages.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on Wednesday.

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Egypt a “critical partner” in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas — but he did not comment specifically on CNN’s reporting that Egypt ultimately scuttled a deal by quietly changing the terms of the proposal.

“I can’t comment on the details of the negotiations,” said Blinken in response to a question from Democratic Rep. Grace Meng at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing about the reporting.

“The bottom line though is that Hamas has not said yes to what I think was a good proposal that was put on the table,” Blinken added.

The top US diplomat said that while Egypt is also a “critical partner” in getting humanitarian assistance into Gaza, he does have “deep concern” about the closing of the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza that was recently seized by Israel.

“It’s important, I think, politically, for the Egyptians to show that they are a critical actor in providing assistance,” Blinken said, adding that it would still be challenging to reopen the crossing “because of combat activities … near and around the gate.”

Egypt’s response: In response to a request for comment from the Egyptian government, a senior Egyptian source told CNN, “Some parties play a game of accusing the mediators, blaming and accusing them of bias in order to evade making the required decisions. Egypt is surprised by the attempts of some parties to deliberately insult the Egyptian efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.”

Diaa Rashwan, the head of Egypt’s State Information Services, then issued a lengthy response calling the story “wrong” and “devoid of any information or facts,” without offering specifics.

“The ongoing attempts to cast doubt and insult the Egyptian mediation efforts and roles, with allegations that contradict reality, will only lead to further complicating the situation in Gaza and the entire region, and may push the Egyptian side to take a decision to withdraw completely from their mediation role in the current conflict,” Rashwan said in a statement.

CNN’s Michael Callahan contributed reporting to this post.

This post has been updated with Egypt’s response to CNN’s story.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused European countries that plan to formally recognize a Palestinian state next week of supporting terror.

“The intention of a number of countries in Europe to recognize a Palestinian state is a reward for terror,” he said in a statement released by his office.

Ireland, Spain and Norway earlier Wednesday announced plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state, which will come into effect on May 28.

“This will be a terror state, which will attempt to perpetrate the onslaught of October 7th time and again, and to that we shall not agree,” Netanyahu said, adding that “this evil must not be given a state.”

“A reward for terror will not bring about peace - and also will not stop us from winning over Hamas,” Netanyahu continued.

Screengrab from a Hamas video showing female Israeli soldiers abdudcted on October 7, 2023

Families of seven female Israeli soldiers captured by Hamas during the October 7 attacks have released graphic footage of their abduction as they pile pressure on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to secure their release.

The video shows the women — all Israel Defense Forces personnel — lined up against a wall, with their hands tied up. The faces of some of the women are bruised and bloodied.

The footage was previously released by Hamas, according to the Hostage and Missing Families Forum. The campaigning group obtained it from the IDF, which had previously edited the video to exclude the most disturbing scenes.

“Every new testimony about what happened to the hostages echoes the same tragic truth – we must bring them all back home, now,” the forum said in a press release Wednesday.

The kidnapped women were working as IDF observers, a role that involves monitoring Israel’s border security.

Video of the ordeal has been made public as pressure mounts on Netanyahu to secure the release of the Israelis still held by Hamas, which his government has made a key goal of the Gaza offensive. Numerous attempts to strike a hostage-for-ceasefire deal with Hamas have faltered in recent months, infuriating those in Israel campaigning for the return of the captives.

Keep reading about the footage.

Spain, Norway and Ireland have announced plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state, a decision that has angered Israel, prompting the country to immediately recall their ambassadors from each country — with the embassy in Ireland saying it shows “terrorism pays.”

The recognition will come into force in all three countries on May 28, Irish foreign minister Micheál Martin said, with the prime ministers of the countries hailing the decision as an “important step” toward “peace” in the region.

Here’s how some nations are reacting:

Meanwhile in Gaza and the West Bank:

In Iran:

Officials from Russia, India and Turkey are starting to arrive at the funeral of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. 

Iran is expected to host 60 delegations from different countries for the funeral, according to semi-official Mehr News Agency, citing Mohsen Mansouri, Iran’s vice president of executive affairs and the head of the funeral planning committee.

Here are some of the officials attending:

Special envoys were also sent by Oman, Kuwait, Jordan and Syria. 

Those in attendance also included representatives from Iran-backed armed groups in the Middle East, including: 

Some context: Tehran wields significant influence on several militias closely tied to the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran-backed groups in Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen have carried out dozens of attacks on US forces and Israel since the war in Gaza began on October 7. 

This post has been updated with additional officials.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks during a press conference at Israel's Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, Israel, on on December 18.

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday rescinded orders barring Israelis from parts of the northern West Bank, paving the way for the reestablishment of Israeli settlements there that were evacuated and demolished in 2005.

Gallant’s move, which he hailed as “historic,” follows through on the Israeli parliament’s repeal last year of a 2005 disengagement law, which barred Israelis from entering the area of four former settlements in the northern West Bank. Israelis can now enter the area of all four former settlements without military restrictions.

“The Jewish hold on Judea and Samaria (Israel’s name for the West Bank) guarantees security, the application of the law to cancel disengagement will lead to the development of settlement and provide security to the residents of the area,” Gallant said in a statement.

Israeli settlements in that area would still need government approval, but Gallant’s decision could make it easier for settlers to establish illegal settlement outposts, which have flourished in recent years. All Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, echoed Gallant’s comments, saying it was a “historic moment of historical correction” and “necessary” for Israel after the October 7 Hamas attacks. 

“The State of Israel today corrected in a state and official manner the injustice and folly of the deportation from northern Samaria,” Dagan said. 

He further congratulated Gallant for the “worthy and valuable” decision for Israel and Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox for signing this “important amendment.

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Floral tributes and images of those kidnapped or missing following an attack on Israel by Hamas left outside the Israeli Embassy in Dublin, Ireland, on November 7.

The Israeli embassy in Ireland has slammed the decision by Ireland, Spain, and Norway to recognize Palestinian statehood, saying it “sends a message” that “terrorism pays.”  

“We are disappointed by the Irish government’s decision on recognition, which follows worrying initiatives and statements in recent months,” the embassy in Dublin said in a statement on Wednesday. 

On Tuesday, the Israeli foreign ministry posted a video on its social media channels, warning Ireland that it risked becoming a “pawn” of Hamas and Iran if went ahead with plans to recognize the Palestinian state.

Responding to the announcement from Ireland, Norway and Spain on Wednesday, the Israeli embassy said their decision “brings more questions than answers.” 

The embassy alleged recognizing Palestinian statehood in the wake of the October 7 attacks carried out by Hamas “sends a message” that “terrorism pays.” It also warned that such a move “jeopardizes” any possibility of Hamas releasing the hostages still being held in Gaza. 

Tensions have been mounting between the Israeli ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich and the Irish government for weeks. In April, Irish foreign minister, Micheál Martin rebuffed an accusation from Erlich that recognizing Palestinian statehood would amount to a “reward” for terrorism, describing her remarks as an “absurd and unacceptable assertion.” 

Michael Roth, the chair of the German parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee has questioned Spain, Ireland and Norway’s decision to recognize Palestinian statehood.  

“I’m not convinced that the recognition of Palestine as a sovereign state is an appropriate measure after the horrific massacres (by) Hamas (on) October 7 last year. Another victory for brutal and cynical terrorists,” Roth said on X. 

Germany’s position has long been to advocate for a two-state solution. In April, its foreign ministry said in a statement posted on X that “Germany is not a party in the conflict in the Middle East” and added: “to the contrary, Germany is working day and night for a two-state solution.”

A foreign office spokesperson reiterated that view and cautioned this required a process of dialogue, during a regularly held government news conference on Wednesday, according to Reuters.  

Three European countries’ plan to formally recognize a Palestinian state may not have any meaningful impact on the ground, but it carries political and symbolic weight.

Spain, Norway and Ireland on Wednesday pledged to join more than 140 other nations that have recognized Palestinian statehood. That recognition however is unilateral and does not mean a Palestinian state will be recognized by the United Nations, where the Palestinian state only has observer status.

“For individual Palestinians on the ground in the Occupied Territories, it’s not going to mean anything at all in the short term, perhaps in the medium term,” H.A. Hellyer, scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies in London, told CNN. “It is obviously political recognition by states that don’t have a presence on the ground.”

The planned recognition does, however, add pressure on Israel as it fights a controversial war in Gaza. Most of the international community considers the enclave, the West Bank and East Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian territory.

If more nations join, Israel could find itself further isolated on the world stage as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to reject the prospect of an independent Palestinian state as a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hellyer said the Jewish state risks becoming an “international pariah” given that Western nations are now beginning to recognize a Palestinian state. While many countries recognize Palestinian statehood, few Western nations do — with the exception of some European Union states that had granted recognition when they were part of the Soviet Union. 

“Western support for Israel is the bedrock of Israel’s security architecture,” Hellyer said. “It is deeply, deeply linked.” 

The majority 193-member UN General Assembly has previously voted in favor of granting the state of Palestine full membership in the UN. Israel’s US ally has however blocked Palestine’s bid for membership during the Security Council vote in April. 

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store

Europe has struggled over the Middle East for a very long time.

The decision by Ireland, Spain and Norway to recognize a Palestinian state tells us more about the domestic politics of those countries than anything else.

Obviously, the decision of three European nations to take this step is newsworthy and will have repercussions diplomatically, perhaps putting pressure on their allies to take a firmer stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

However, it is also reasonable to say that thus far, no amount of pressure from even the US has had a major impact on the thinking of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Israel responded by recalling the ambassadors of Ireland and Norway, accusing them of supporting terror.

Conversations about what recognition of statehood practically means and how helpful it is to the Palestinian cause in the long run are all entirely valid. But the reality is that the stakes are quite low for the majority of European countries when it comes to issues relating to Israel and the Palestinians.

In Ireland, Spain and Norway, support for a Palestinian state chimes with the broader electorate and is unlikely to receive any political blowback. That isn’t necessarily the case in other European countries. While supporting a peaceful two-state solution in the long-term, Germany has been consistent in its support for Israel, as have Hungary, Poland, the UK and others.

Read more about what the recognition of a Palestinian state might achieve here.

US President Joe Biden addresses Morehouse College graduates during a commencement ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 19.

The Biden administration pushed back against a move from Spain, Norway, and Ireland Wednesday to recognize a Palestinian state, reiterating that while the US president backs a path to a two-state solution, it would continue to pursue one through diplomatic negotiations between the two parties.

“The president is a strong supporter of a two-state solution and has been throughout his career,” a National Security Council spokesperson told CNN Wednesday. “He believes a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations between the parties, not through unilateral recognition.”

Over the weekend, President Joe Biden said he supported a two-state solution in remarks at Morehouse College’s commencement, calling it “the only solution where two people live in peace, security, and dignity.”

On a call with reporters Tuesday, an official said the process is “still very much underway” to reconcile what exactly the post-conflict, two-state phase looks like once the fighting is over as the US discusses these ideas with other Arab capitals and Israel.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian holds a press conference in Tehran, Iran on October 23.

The body of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will be buried in a shrine south of Tehran on Thursday, according to state media IRNA.  

A funeral ceremony will be held at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Tehran at 9 a.m. local time on Thursday morning. Later on Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian will be buried at the Shah Abdol-Azim Shrine in Rey, south of Tehran, according to IRNA. 

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel's finance minister, attends a news conference at the Knesset in Jerusalem, on February 5.

Israel’s far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich is asking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to approve “harsh punitive measures” against the Palestinian Authority for seeking statehood unilaterally.

The six steps laid out by Smotrich on X include seeking the approval of ten thousand housing units in settlements in the West Bank, the approval of a settlement for every country that recognizes Palestine as a state, and canceling permits for officials from the Palestinian Authority seeking to use crossings in the occupied West Bank.

“At the last cabinet meeting, many ministers, including myself, raised an unequivocal demand for harsh punitive measures to be taken against the Palestinian Authority for its unilateral actions against Israel, Smotrich said.

The measures, Smotrich said, are a response to the Palestinian Authority’s “pursuit of unilateral recognition as a nation and within the framework of bilateral agreements with a number of countries and the legal battle it is waging against the State of Israel, at the tribunals in the Hague in order to bring the war to a halt.”

The controversial minister is also seeking to cancel Norway’s role as a facilitator and freeze the transfer of funds from the taxes collected by Israel from Palestinians and bound for the Palestinian Authority.

“Norway was the first to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state today and it cannot be a partner in anything related to Judea and Samaria. I intend to stop transferring the funds to her and demand the return of the funds already transferred,” Smotrich said.

Israel withdrew its ambassadors to Norway, Spain and Ireland following a decision Thursday by the three countries to recognize the Palestinian state. 

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne speaks during a press conference at the Pine Palace, in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 28.

France has said now is not the “right time” for it to join its European Union neighbors, Ireland and Spain, in recognizing Palestinian statehood.  

The country’s Foreign Minister Stephane Séjourne stressed that his government’s “position is clear” that the recognition of Palestinian statehood is “not a taboo” for France. His remarks come after Ireland, Spain and Norway all announced their plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state on May 28.  

“This decision must be useful, in other words, it must enable a decisive advance to be made on the political front,” Séjourne said in a foreign ministry statement on Wednesday.  

“France does not consider that the conditions have yet been met for this decision to have a real impact on this process. … With this in mind, it must come at the right time, so that there is a before and an after,” he added. 

The foreign minister stressed that such a decision is not merely a “symbolic issue or a question of political positioning” but rather a “diplomatic tool” in the service of the two-state solution in the Middle East.   

Ireland’s Prime Minister Simon Harris told a news conference earlier Wednesday that he was “confident” that “more countries will join us” in recognizing Palestinian statehood in the near future.  

On Tuesday, France broke away from its Western allies and expressed support for the International Criminal Court after the court announced its decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, as well as Hamas leaders.

Mourners attend the funeral of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, in Tehran, Iran, on May 22.

Hundreds of thousands of people turned out on the streets of Tehran on Wednesday to participate in the funeral procession and bid farewell to Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, both killed in a helicopter crash this week. 

Crowds of mourners were seen wearing black marching through the Iranian capital carrying Iranian flags, and holding photographs of the deceased President Raisi, Amir-Abdollahian and other officials who were killed in Sunday’s helicopter crash. 

On Tuesday, the bodies of the victims were transferred to the holy Shiite city of Qom, where many of the clerics who make up Iran’s theocratic elite are trained. Later on Tuesday evening, the bodies were returned to the capital to lie at Tehran’s Grand Mosallah (prayer hall).

Mourners attend the funeral procession of Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi, in Tehran, Iran, on May 22.

A truck was seen to be moving through the crowds with loudspeakers playing verses from the Quran through Tehran.

Mourners told CNN they were very “shocked” and “sad” at the news of Raisi’s death and were seen waving flags with a black background which say Raisi was a “martyr of God.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz speaks to the press during a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers at the EU Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on January 22.

The Israeli foreign minister has ordered the recall of the country’s ambassador to Spain following Madrid’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state. 

Israel Katz also summoned the ambassadors of Norway and Ireland for “reprimand talks,” during which they will watch stark video taken during Hamas’ October 7 attacks, the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.  

“History will remember that Spain, Norway and Ireland decided to award a gold medal to the murderers and rapists of Hamas who raped teenage girls and burned babies,” Katz said. 

“Israel will not let it stand - their step will have serious consequences,” Katz added.

Norway, Ireland and Spain’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state has been welcomed by Hamas, who has urged other countries to follow suit.

“We welcome the announcement by Norway, Ireland and Spain to recognize of the State of Palestine, and we consider it an important step on the path to establishing our right to our land and establishing our independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” a Hamas statement said.

“We call on countries around the world to recognize our legitimate national rights, support the struggle of our people for liberation and independence, and end the Zionist occupation of our land.” 

Earlier on Wednesday, Palestinian Authority also welcomed the decision of the three European nations to recognize a Palestinian state and similarly urged other countries to follow their lead.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a meeting in the West Bank city of Ramallah on October 24.

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed Ireland, Norway and Spain’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state, urging other countries to follow their lead. 

The president’s office said Madrid’s decision “reflects Spain’s keenness to support the Palestinian people and their inalienable and legitimate rights to their land and homeland,” according to a statement cited by Palestinian news agency Wafa. 

“Spain’s decision, in these times, comes as a contribution from countries that believe in the two-state solution as an option that represents international will and legitimacy, in saving this solution, which is being systematically destroyed as a result of Israeli policies, especially through the continuation of the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip.” 

Abbas said Norway and Ireland have “steadfastly supported the rights of the Palestinian people over the past years and voted in favor of these rights in international forums.”

“This initial decision is a culmination of these positions and is consistent with the principles of international law that recognize the right of peoples to get rid of colonialism and oppression and to live in freedom, justice and independence.” 

The presidency called for other countries to “follow the example of Norway, Ireland and Spain, which chose the path of supporting the achievement of peace and stability and consolidating the rules of international legitimacy, and international law.” 

Norway's Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide, left, and Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store announce that Norway will recognize a Palestinian state from May 28.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said Wednesday that the “world community now needs progress” in the process of seeking peace in Gaza.

Norway, Spain and Ireland have announced plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state. Israel responded to the announcement by ordering the immediate recall of its ambassadors to Ireland and Norway. 

When asked by a reporter whether the Norwegian government risks side-tracking the peace process, Eide said:

“This is a clear signal to both moderate forces on the Palestinian side and the Israeli side that the world community now needs progress in this process, and that is what we will continue to work for.”

“We want to maintain both close diplomatic and other relations (with Israel). There are many links between Norway and Israel, and what they do is up to them,” he said. 

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announces that the country's council of ministers would recognise an independent Palestinian state during a plenary session of the lower house of the Spanish parliament, in Madrid, Spain, on May 22.

The prime ministers of Ireland, Spain and Norway have hailed their decision to recognize a Palestinian state as an “important step” toward “peace” in the region.  

All three stressed the role of Palestinian statehood in enforcing the two-state solution in the Middle East.  

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the Spanish parliament that Spain had chosen to “recognize the state of Palestine for peace, coherence and justice.”  

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris called the move an “important step” toward “permanent peace,” speaking to journalists in Dublin.  

 “Recognition is an act of powerful political and symbolic value. It is an expression of our view that Palestine holds and should be able to vindicate the full rights of a state including self-determination, self-governance, territorial integrity and security,” Harris said.  
“It is a decision being taken on its merits. But we cannot ignore the fact that we are taking it as Palestinians in Gaza are enduring the most appalling suffering, hardship and starvation. A humanitarian catastrophe unimaginable to most and unconscionable to all is unfolding in real time.”

Harris acknowledged that although there will be “reaction” and “interpretations” of the decision’s implications, it was important to “not lose sight” that children in Gaza and Israel both “deserve peace.” 

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre told reporters in Oslo that “there can be no peace in the Middle East unless Palestinians and Israelis have their own state, and that there is a two-state solution.”

“There cannot be a two-state solution without a Palestinian state, and in other words, peace in the Middle East requires a Palestinian state,” Støre said.

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store speaks during a press conference announcing that Norway recognises Palestine as an independent state from 28 May, in Oslo, Norway, on May 22.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said he is ordering the immediate recall of Israel’s ambassadors to Ireland and Norway following those countries’ decision to recognize a Palestinian state. 

“I am sending a clear message today — Israel will not hold back against those who undermine its sovereignty and endanger its security,” Katz said in a statement released by the ministry. 
“Ireland and Norway intend to send a message to the Palestinians and the whole world today: Terrorism pays. After the terrorist organization Hamas carried out the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, after it committed the most horrific sex crimes the world has seen, these countries chose to give a reward to Hamas and Iran and recognize a Palestinian state.” 

Spain was also among the three countries that announced plans Wednesday to formally recognize a Palestinian state starting May 28.

Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris, center, Foreign Minister Micheal Martin, right, and Environment Minister Eamon Ryan hold a press conference at the Government Buildings in Dublin, Ireland, on May 22.

Spain, Norway and Ireland have announced plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state, in a move that is likely to bolster the global Palestinian cause but strain relations with Israel.

“Today, Ireland, Norway and Spain are announcing that we recognize the state of Palestine. Each of us will now undertake whatever national steps are necessary to give effect to that decision,” Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris told a press conference in Dublin.  

The recognition will come into force in all three countries on May 28, Irish foreign minister Micheál Martin said.

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said the war in Gaza has “made it clear that achieving peace and stability must be predicted on resolving the Palestinian question.”

“In the midst of a war, with tens of thousands killed and injured, we must keep alive the only alternative that offers a political solution for Israelis and Palestinians alike: Two states, living side by side, in peace and security,” Støre said.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said: “We will recognize the state of Palestine for peace, coherence and justice.”

“This recognition is not against the people of Israel and certainly not against the Jews. It’s not in favor of Hamas. It’s in favor of co-existence.”

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Hamas' top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, visits Tehran, Iran in March.

Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh attended funeral ceremonies for Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran on Wednesday.

“We have come from Gaza to pay our condolences to the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Haniyeh told crowds.

Haniyeh lives in Qatar.

Iran-backed militant groups Hamas, the Houthis, and Hezbollah have sent condolences to Tehran over Raisi’s death. 

Mourners hold posters of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during a funeral ceremony in Tehran for him and others who were killed in a helicopter crash.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei led prayers in Iran’s capital Tehran on Wednesday in funeral ceremonies for the late President Ebrahim Raisi and others killed in a helicopter crash.

The funeral, broadcast on Iranian state TV, saw large crowds gathered to pay final respects to the late president.

The death of ultraconservative Raisi and other high-ranking officials comes at a delicate time for a country that faces unprecedented challenges at home and from abroad.

Nine people died in the helicopter crash on Sunday, including Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Imam Mohammad Ali Alehashem, Governor Malek Rahmati, along with two pilots, a chief crew and two security staff.

Authorities are investigating what caused the crash on a remote mountainside in foggy weather.

Raisi’s death has raised questions about who will eventually succeed Iran’s 85-year-old Supreme Leader Khamenei, the most powerful man in the country ruled under a strict theocracy.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the charges from the International Criminal Court brought against him and his defense minister as “beyond outrageous” in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.

Last week, Israel’s defense chief Yoav Gallant called on Netanyahu to publicly rule out Israeli governance over Gaza, warning that he opposes Israeli rule in the Palestinian enclave.

When asked by Tapper if he would rule out the Israeli occupation of Gaza, Netanyahu said that “resettling” the Palestinian territory was out of the question.

“You mean resettling Gaza? Yeah. It was never in the cards, and I said so openly (and) some of my constituents are not happy about it, but that’s my position.”

He also said he is “not concerned” about traveling abroad after the arrest warrant.

Watch Tapper ask Netanyahu if Israel could have done anything to prevent innocent deaths:

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00:55 - Source: cnn

Here are the latest developments in the region:

A rescue team works following the crash of a helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, in Varzaqan, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran, on May 20.

The chief of staff for the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has revealed new details about the hours after the presidential helicopter went missing.

Gholam Hossein Esmaili was in one of three helicopters returning from a dam inauguration ceremony on Iran’s border with Azerbaijan, he said in an interview with IRINN state TV, and reported by Iran’s semi-official news agency Mehr News on Tuesday.

The helicopter carrying nine people ran into inclement weather on the way back and went missing, prompting an hours-long overnight search in the mountainous region.

On the return flight on Sunday, three helicopters took off at around 1 p.m. local time Sunday “while weather conditions in the area were normal,” Esmaili said, as cited by Mehr News.

He said the weather conditions in the mountainous region in Varzeghan — where the crash happened — were perfect at the start of the flight. 

“After 45 minutes into the flight, the pilot of President Raisi’s helicopter, who was in charge of the convoy, ordered other helicopters to increase altitude to avoid a nearby cloud,” Esmaili said. 
“However, the president’s helicopter, which was flying between the two others, suddenly disappeared,” Esmaili added, as cited by Mher news.

Roughly 30 seconds into flying above the clouds, Esmaili said his pilot noticed the helicopter in the middle had disappeared. The pilot circled around to search for the president’s helicopter, he said.

Esmaili said several attempts were made to contact the president’s helicopter through radio devices before their helicopter continued its flight and landed at a nearby copper mine. Esmail said the pilot of the helicopter he was flying in was unable to decrease altitude because of the clouds. 

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and the head of the president’s protection unit, who were in the same chopper as Raisi, did not respond to repeated calls after the helicopter went missing, Esmaili said.

“Pilots of the two other helicopters had contacted Captain Mostafavi, who was in charge of the president’s helicopter,” he said.

One person alive for three hours: Tabriz’s Friday prayer Imam, Ayatollah Mohammad Ali Alehashem, was able to answer the pilot’s phone and said the helicopter had crashed into a valley and he was in critical condition, Esmaili added.

Esmaili said after they found the location of the crashed helicopter, it was clear from the condition of the bodies of Raisi, Abdollahian and others that they “had died instantly.” 

Alehashem was alive for at least three hours after the crash and was able to speak to officials multiple times before he died, Esmaili said.  

Israeli officials presented their latest thinking about a potential Rafah incursion during a meeting with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, in which the US side asked a lot of “hard questions,” according to a senior administration official.

The official noted that the two sides will continue those discussions, but that Israelis have been incorporating US feedback and concerns as they continue to work through those plans and that both sides share the joint goal of destroying Hamas.

As part of the US discussions with the Israelis, US officials also made a series of “specific requests” with regard to humanitarian aid that they have agreed to implement, according to the official.

One of these requests included helping facilitate aid distribution by getting the Israelis to agree to allow aid scanned in Cyprus to be sent directly to the Israeli port of Ashdod, bypassing Egypt.

“I thought the the conversations were, were quite constructive and now we’re looking to see some of what was agreed unfold here over the coming days,” the official said.

Just today, over 370 pallets of aid were distributed in Gaza, according to the official.

Following the discussion, it’s also clear the process is “still very much underway” to reconcile what exactly the post-conflict, two-state phase looks like once the fighting is over as the US discusses these ideas with other Arab capitals and Israel, the official said.

“How it ultimately looks, I just don’t want to get ahead of it because there’s so many different ideas. That’s one reason this is so complex. There are different ideas in Israel there are different ideas in different Arab capitals. But I do think we are kind of homing in on the concept that appears to be viable. And that kind of meets the interests and views of many different constituencies here,” they said.

In reference to the US-Saudi deal, the official said that they’re getting to the point where the “full package is very clear” but that the ongoing conflict in Gaza needs to recede to “open up space for this.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denied allegations that he was starving Palestinians in Gaza as a method of war, saying an arrest warrant application under review in the International Criminal Court (ICC) is based on a “pack of lies.”

The accusations against Netanyahu include “causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict,” according to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan.

With hostages still believed to be held in Gaza, pressure has been growing for a deal that would see hostages released in exchange for a ceasefire.

But when asked about public polling showing that a majority of Israelis believe freeing hostages is a higher priority than military action, Netanyahu said you could not have one without the other.

“Military action that we take against Hamas is in fact the way to get these hostages because without military pressure, basically, without, you know, squeezing them, Hamas is not going to give up anything,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Tuesday.

Netanyahu is deeply unpopular in Israel, where he is also facing an ongoing corruption trial. Critics have accused the prime minister of being beholden to members of his far-right coalition and prolonging the war to maintain his grip on power.

Speaking to Tapper, Netanyahu likened himself to US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, claiming the arrest warrants were like putting Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on the docks alongside the American wartime president who oversaw the US’s mobilization during World War II.

Read the full story.

CNN's Jake Tapper interviews Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, May 21.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he has a “very clear plan” for the future in Gaza following the war there.

He told CNN’s Jake Tapper Tuesday that Israel’s first goal is to eliminate Hamas, before implementing “sustained demilitarization of Gaza” and finally reconstructing Gaza.

Resettling Gaza, however, was “never in the cards,” Netanyahu said.

“Some of my constituents are not happy about it, but that’s my position,” he told Tapper.

Read the full story.

Palestinians grab aid from a truck that is being delivered into Gaza through a US-built pier, seen from central Gaza, on May 18.

None of the aid that has been unloaded from the temporary floating pier the US constructed off the coast of Gaza has been delivered to the broader Palestinian population, as the US works with the United Nations and Israel to identify safe delivery routes inside the enclave, the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

Several desperate Gazans intercepted trucks delivering aid from the pier over the weekend, leading the UN to suspend the delivery operations until the logistical challenges are resolved. CNN reported the group did not trust that the aid was actually meant for the Palestinian people. 

“I have doubts,” Mounir Ayad, a Gaza resident, told CNN near the pier.

“I don’t understand this floating pier or what it indicates and what its purpose is. They say it’s for aid, but people are apprehensive. Is this aid or something else? We know that the US has never supported the Palestinian cause, so it’s implausible that it’s giving us aid without something in return.”

The US is working with Israel and the United Nations to establish “alternative routes” for the safe delivery of the 569 tons of aid transported to Gaza since last week, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Tuesday. 

Asked if any of the 569 tons of aid has been delivered to the people of Gaza, Ryder said “as of today, I do not believe so.”

He added that aid had been held in an assembly area on shore, but as of Tuesday had begun getting moved to warehouses for distribution throughout Gaza as alternative routes have been established.  

A US official told CNN that the Defense Department and UN are still working to determine the capacity of the staging area in Gaza and how much aid can be held there at any given time.

The amount of aid getting to the Gaza shoreline from its initial staging area in Cyprus has also fallen short of initial Pentagon estimates. 

The last humanitarian airdrop announced by US Central Command was conducted on May 9.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is interviewed by CNN's Jake Tapper on Tuesday, May 21.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blasted the charges brought by the International Criminal Court against him and his defense minister as “beyond outrageous” in an interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper.

The Israeli leader’s comments come after the chief prosecutor of the ICC on Monday announced that he was seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and senior Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes.

ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan said the charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include “causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict.”

Netanyahu described Khan as a “rogue prosecutor that has put false charges, that are both dangerous and false.”

By applying for the arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas leaders in the same action, Khan received a ferocious reaction from Israel and sharp criticism from the US, a close ally. Rights groups have hailed the decision, however.

A panel of ICC judges will now consider Khan’s application for the arrest warrants. Neither Israel nor the United States are members of the ICC.

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Egyptian intelligence quietly changed the terms of a ceasefire proposal that Israel had already signed off on earlier this month, ultimately scuttling a deal that could have released Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, and set a pathway to temporarily end the fighting in Gaza, according to three people familiar with the discussions.

The ceasefire agreement that Hamas ended up announcing on May 6 was not what the Qataris or the Americans believed had been submitted to Hamas for a potential final review, the sources said.

The changes made by Egyptian intelligence, the details of which have not been previously reported, led to a wave of anger and recrimination among officials from the US, Qatar and Israel, and left ceasefire talks at an impasse.

CIA Director Bill Burns, who has spearheaded the US efforts to broker a ceasefire agreement, was in the region when word reached him that the Egyptians had changed the terms of the deal.

He was angry and embarrassed, the same person said, believing it made him look like he wasn’t in the loop or hadn’t informed the Israelis of the changes.

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