Queen Rania of Jordan hits out at Western ‘double standards’ over war in Gaza

Jordan's Queen Rania on Saturday hit out at Western double standards on Israel’s war on Gaza, which she said have contributed to a "loss of faith in the rules and moral standards meant to govern our world." (X/@Ambrosetti_)
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Updated 07 September 2024
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Queen Rania of Jordan hits out at Western ‘double standards’ over war in Gaza

  • Speaking at a conference in Italy, she says the result of this is ‘loss of faith in the rules and moral standards meant to govern our world’
  • People deserve a ‘system they can trust, free of prejudice, moral loopholes and deadly blind spots’ and ‘trust in that system has become intrinsically tied’ to fate of Palestinians, she adds

LONDON: Jordan’s Queen Rania on Saturday criticized what she described as Western “double standards” regarding the war in Gaza, which she said are contributing to a “loss of faith in the rules and moral standards meant to govern our world.”

Speaking at the 50th European House Ambrosetti Forum, an annual economic conference in Cernobbio, Italy, the queen said that in the aftermath of global wars and other bloody conflicts in Europe during the 20th century the international community established a number of global institutions with the aim of preventing similar violence.

“The people of the world deserve a global system they can trust, free of prejudice, moral loopholes and deadly blind spots. And trust in that system has become intrinsically tied to the fate of the Palestinian people,” she said as she urged European countries to weigh their responses to the conflict in Gaza against their proclaimed values.

“From the United Nations to the International Court of Justice to the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the world came together to establish norms for a future better than its past, a future based on the values of the UN Charter: peace, justice and human rights,” she said.

However, many people around the world are struggling to maintain their belief in the integrity and impartiality of these norms, Queen Rania added.

“Looking at Israel’s war in Gaza, they see a glaring double standard or, worse yet, a seeming abdication of any standards at all,” she said.

Over the past 11 months, the Gaza Strip had been hit by an estimated 70,000 tonnes of bombs, the queen continued, which is “more than all bombs dropped on London, Hamburg and Dresden throughout all of the Second World War.”

She noted that almost the entire population of Gaza is facing acute food insecurity, and denounced Israeli obstruction of humanitarian aid deliveries while Palestinian children are starving.

She also highlighted other ways in which the war is taking a high toll on Gaza’s children, pointing out that the conflict has resulted in more child amputees than any other.

“Doctors describe the horror of amputating on children too young to walk,” Queen Rania said. “According to Save the Children, over 20,000 children are estimated to be lost, detained, buried under the rubble or in mass graves.”

She said it has been nearly eight months since the highest court in the world, the International Court of Justice, ruled it was “plausible” that Israel is committing acts of genocide in Gaza, and noted that authorities in the country also recently launched a wide-ranging military assault on the West Bank.

“For decades, beginning before last October, Palestinians have been subjected to a crushing, criminal occupation,” she said. “Palestinians, too, have the right to live in security and peace. And yet, here we are, still.

“Is the world saying that Israel’s security is more important than anyone else’s and, therefore, nothing is off-limits in its pursuit? That no level of Palestinian suffering is too high a price to pay?

“This devaluation of life must be called out for what it is: anti-Palestinian racism. This failure cannot stand.”

The queen said that Europe has long positioned itself as a champion of international law and human rights, adding: “What is the Global South supposed to think when they see the West stand up for the people of Ukraine while leaving innocent civilians in Gaza to unprecedented collective punishment? What conclusions are people to draw about who matters, who doesn’t, and why?

“More than hypocritical, the double standard is dehumanizing. It is cruel. And if it isn’t racist, I don’t know what is. That’s why rejecting double standards, demanding accountability, and finding a common path to peace are necessary to create the future that Palestinians, Israelis and all of us deserve.”

Queen Rania went on to highlight a number of basic, “indisputable” principles that could provide a shared foundation for the warring parties to build on, and which must be upheld to achieve a mutual, sustainable peace.

They included the respect for international law and basic human rights, the countering of extremist voices in debates surrounding Israel and Palestine, and the need to ensure human dignity at all times.

The conference in Cernobbio brought together Italian and international decision-makers to examine and discuss geopolitical, economic, technological and social scenarios.

Other officials and heads of state that participated included Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell.


Dua Lipa, public figures urge UK to end Israel arms sales

Updated 29 May 2025
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Dua Lipa, public figures urge UK to end Israel arms sales

  • Actors, musicians, activists appeal to PM to ‘end Britain’s complicity in horrors in Gaza’

LONDON: Pop star Dua Lipa joined some 300 UK celebrities in signing an open letter on Thursday urging Britain to halt arms sales to Israel, after similar pleas from lawyers and writers.

Actors, musicians, activists, and other public figures wrote the letter calling on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to “end the UK’s complicity in the horrors in Gaza.”

British Albanian pop sensation Dua Lipa has been vocal  about the war in Gaza and last year criticized Israel’s  offensive as a “genocide.”

Other signatories include actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, and Riz Ahmed, as well as musicians Paloma Faith, Annie Lennox, and 
Massive Attack.

“You can’t call it ‘intolerable’ and keep sending arms,” read the letter to Labour leader Starmer, organized by Choose Love, a UK-based humanitarian aid and refugee advocacy charity.

Sports broadcaster Gary Lineker, who stepped down from his role at the BBC after a social media post that contained anti-Semitic imagery, also signed the letter.

Signatories urged the UK to ensure “full humanitarian access across Gaza,” broker an “immediate and permanent ceasefire,” and “immediately suspend” all arms sales to Israel.

“The children of Gaza cannot wait another minute. Prime Minister, what will you choose? Complicity in war 
crimes, or the courage to act?,” the letter continued.

Earlier this month, Starmer slammed Israel’s “egregious” renewed military offensive in Gaza and promised to take “further concrete actions” if it did not stop — without detailing what the actions could be.

Last September, the UK government suspended 30 out of 350 arms export licenses to Israel, saying there was a “clear risk” they could be used to breach humanitarian law.

Global outrage has grown after Israel ended a ceasefire in March and stepped up military operations this month, killing thousands of people in a span of two months, according to figures by the Health Ministry.

The humanitarian situation has also sparked alarm and fears of starvation after a two-month blockade on aid entering the devastated territory.
Over 800 UK lawyers, including Supreme Court justices, and some 380 British and Irish writers warned of Israel committing a “genocide” in Gaza in open letters this week.

Israel’s military offensive launched in response to the October 2023 attack has killed 54,084, mostly civilians, in Gaza according to its health ministry, displaced nearly the entire population and ravaged swaths of the besieged strip.


Lebanon takes border measures in coordination with Damascus to curb smuggling

Updated 29 May 2025
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Lebanon takes border measures in coordination with Damascus to curb smuggling

  • Discussed developments on the Lebanon-Syria border and ways to enhance cooperation to control it and prevent smuggling operations
  • UNIFIL commander says situation along the Blue Line is tense as ‘violations’ continue

BEIRUT: Lebanese and Syrian delegations met in Damascus this week to discuss procedures for controlling cross-border smuggling, especially drug trafficking.

The Syrian Interior Ministry announced that both sides discussed developments on the Lebanon-Syria border and ways to enhance cooperation to control it and prevent smuggling operations.

It said that Maj. Gen. Ahmed Latouf, assistant minister for police affairs, on Tuesday evening met with a Lebanese army delegation headed by Brig. Gen. Michel Boutros.

Chief of the Syrian army’s general staff, Maj. Gen. Ali Al-Naasan and Boutros had previously held a meeting to enhance military coordination between the two countries.

In a statement released by the Syrian Arab News Agency, the interior ministry said the meeting between Naasan and Boutros was part of a series of ongoing discussions between them.

According to the release, the chief of operations in Syria also attended the talks.

A Lebanese military source said that the Lebanese army was enhancing its presence along the land border with Syria and maintaining strict control over areas known for smuggling, noting that similar measures were being taken on the Syrian side.

Two days ago, Hamish Cowell, the UK ambassador to Lebanon, said on X that he had visited the eastern border of Lebanon with Syria the previous week. During his visit, he observed how the Lebanese army’s new forward operating bases supported counter-smuggling efforts and improved border security.

The ambassador commended the soldiers of the Land Border Regiment for their efforts in defending Lebanon, emphasizing that UK support is ongoing.

The UK had previously provided watchtowers to help secure the borders.

The Lebanese army command had clarified to the Syrian side that the watchtowers were to monitor the border, prevent the infiltration of terrorists, and control the smuggling of people, drugs, weapons, and contraband from and into Lebanon.

The army added that equipment installed in the towers was exclusively connected to the Lebanese military command and that cameras were aimed to monitor Lebanese rather than Syrian territory.

The purpose was to observe the movement of people and vehicles outside official border crossings and to prevent infiltration and smuggling activities on the Lebanese side of the border.

Lebanon shares a border with Syria that extends over 350 kilometers, threading through towns, villages, rugged terrain, and mountainous areas.

Much of this border is unmarked, allowing for the smuggling of people, goods, fuel, weapons, ammunition, wanted individuals, and stolen vehicles.

Hezbollah manages dozens of crossings, because the areas around these crossings are supportive environments for the party.

The Lebanese government has identified 136 illegal border crossings between Lebanon and Syria, a number that increased during the Syrian war. In comparison, there are only six official border crossings between the two countries, which are in the northern and eastern regions.

The Army Command announced on Thursday, the day after the Damascus meeting, that it had thwarted an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of drugs and fuel in the area between Yahfoufa and Baalbek. Nine suspects were arrested.

Army units detained 26 Syrians illegally present in the Bekaa region, along with a Lebanese citizen in the Arsal-Baalbek highlands who was trying to smuggle fuel and other materials.

On Lebanon’s southern border, Israeli breaches of Lebanese sovereignty continued.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said on his X account that an air force aircraft struck the Mount Shaqif area, eliminating a Hezbollah operative in southern Lebanon.

The operative was reportedly attempting to reconstruct a site that had previously been used by Hezbollah for fire control and defense.

He said such activity at the site constituted a violation of the understanding between Israel and Lebanon and has been targeted several times in recent weeks.

Adraee said that the army would continue to act to eliminate any threat to Israel.

The warning came as the Lebanese Ministry of Health confirmed the death of “a martyr in an Israeli drone strike … in Nabatieh Al-Fawqa.”

Maj. Gen. Aroldo Lazaro Saenz, the head of mission and force commander of UNIFIL, said that the situation along the Blue Line is tense as a result of ongoing violations and significant risks, and any mistake could lead to serious consequences.

On International Day of UN Peacekeepers, he said: “We welcome the calm that has prevailed since November, but weapons still roar and the challenges remain significant.”

Israeli forces, which still occupy five hills in the Lebanese border area, advanced on Monday night toward Mays Al-Jabal in a serious land breach and set up earthen barriers in the area.

The Lebanese army contacted the five-member committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement and then the next day proceeded to remove the newly erected barrier.


Israel says intercepts missile from Yemen after air raid warning

Updated 29 May 2025
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Israel says intercepts missile from Yemen after air raid warning

  • “A missile launched from Yemen was intercepted,” the army said
  • It comes two days after Israel it intercepted a missile and another projectile

JERUSALEM: The Israeli army said it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen on Thursday after air raid sirens sounded in the center of the country, with explosions heard over Jerusalem.

“Following the sirens that sounded a short while ago in several areas in Israel, a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted,” the army said in a statement.

It comes two days after Israel’s military said it intercepted a missile and another projectile fired from Yemen, which Iran-backed Houthi militants said they had fired.

The Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones targeting Israel since the Gaza war broke out in October 2023 following the Hamas attack on Israel.

The Yemeni militants, who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians, paused their attacks during a two-month Gaza ceasefire that ended in March, but began them again after Israel resumed its military campaign in the territory.

While most of the projectiles have been intercepted, one missile fired by the group in early May hit the perimeter of Ben Gurion international airport near Tel Aviv for the first time.

Israel has carried out several strikes in Yemen in retaliation for the Houthi attacks, including on ports and the airport in the capital Sanaa.


Israeli strike kills one in south Lebanon: ministry

Updated 29 May 2025
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Israeli strike kills one in south Lebanon: ministry

  • The ministry said an “Israeli enemy strike” hit a forested area in Nabatiyeh Al-Fawqa
  • The Israeli army said it stuck “a Hezbollah terrorist” in southern Lebanon

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s health ministry said an Israeli strike on the country’s south killed one man on Thursday, with Israel saying it struck a member of the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

The attack came despite a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese armed group.

The ministry said an “Israeli enemy strike” hit a forested area in Nabatiyeh Al-Fawqa, killing one man.

The Israeli army said it stuck “a Hezbollah terrorist” in southern Lebanon, alleging he was working to restore a site used to manage the group’s “fire and defense array.”

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said the man was a “municipal employee” who had been rehabilitating wells when his motorcycle was struck.

Israel has continued to bomb Lebanon despite the November truce that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, including two months of open war.

Under the deal, only UN peacekeepers and the Lebanese army are meant to operate in the south, though Israel maintains a presence in five areas it deems strategic.

Lebanon has urged the international community to pressure Israel to halt its attacks and withdraw its forces.


US says that Israel accepts Gaza ceasefire plan; Hamas cool to it

This picture taken from the Israeli side of the border with the Gaza Strip shows destroyed buildings in territory.
Updated 12 min 48 sec ago
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US says that Israel accepts Gaza ceasefire plan; Hamas cool to it

  • Deep differences between Hamas, Israel have stymied ceasefire efforts
  • US-backed aid operation expands to third site in Gaza

WASHINGTON/UNITED NATIONS/CAIRO: I srael has agreed to a US ceasefire proposal for Gaza, the White House said on Thursday, and Hamas said it was reviewing the plan although its terms did not meet the group’s demands.
As a US-backed system for distributing food aid in the shattered enclave expanded, Israeli media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the families of hostages held in Gaza that Israel had accepted a deal presented by US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Netanyahu’s office did not confirm the reports, but White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters in Washington that Israel had signed off on the proposal.
She did not detail its contents. A source briefed on the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the initial phase of the proposed deal would include a 60-day ceasefire and the flow of humanitarian aid into the enclave.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas said it was studying the proposal, and senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters the group was still discussing it.
But Abu Zuhri said its terms echoed Israel’s position and do not contain commitments to end the war, withdraw Israeli troops or admit aid as Hamas has demanded.
Deep differences between Hamas and Israel have stymied previous attempts to restore a ceasefire that broke down in March after only two months.
Israel has insisted that Hamas disarm completely and be dismantled as a military and governing force and that all 58 hostages still held in Gaza must be returned before it will agree to end the war.
Hamas has rejected the demand to give up its weapons and says Israel must pull its troops out of Gaza and commit to ending the war.

Aid effort expands
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a private group backed by the United States and endorsed by Israel, expanded its aid distribution to a third site on Thursday.
Heavily criticized by the United Nations and other aid groups as inadequate and flawed, the group’s operation began this week in Gaza, where the UN has said 2 million people are at risk of famine after Israel’s 11-week blockade on aid entering the enclave.
The aid launch was marred by tumultuous scenes on Tuesday when thousands of Palestinians rushed distribution points and forced private security contractors to retreat.
The chaotic start to the operation has raised international pressure on Israel to get more food in and halt the fighting in Gaza. GHF has so far supplied about 1.8 million meals and plans to open more sites in the coming weeks.
Witkoff told reporters on Wednesday that Washington was close to “sending out a new term sheet” about a ceasefire to the two sides in the conflict that has raged since October 2023.
“I have some very good feelings about getting to a long-term resolution, temporary ceasefire and a long-term resolution, a peaceful resolution, of that conflict,” Witkoff said then.
Israel has come under increasing international pressure, with many European countries that have normally been reluctant to criticize it openly demanding an end to the war and a major relief effort.
Israel launched its campaign in Gaza in response to the devastating Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, that killed some 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage into Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
The campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officials say, and left the enclave in ruins.