France calls for punishing West Bank settlements... Israel: We will not withdraw from Gaza

France has called on the rest of the European Union to take punitive measures against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank by banning trade with them, citing the escalating attacks committed by extremist settlers against Palestinian civilians. This comes as EU member states remain divided over imposing unified trade restrictions on the settlements, despite moves by countries such as the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, and Spain to act unilaterally in this direction.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that Israeli settlements are illegal entities under international law. He added that “the European Union cannot support illegal entities through trade exchanges with them.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a visit to his troops in Gaza yesterday that Tel Aviv would not withdraw from the Palestinian territory. Speaking from the “Yellow Line,” which separates areas where Israeli forces are deployed from those under the control of the Palestinian Islamic resistance movement Hamas, Netanyahu said, “We control the area, we will not retreat, and we will remain on this line,” according to a statement issued by his office. He added, “We control 60% of the sector, and we will not stop, because we are eliminating those who threaten us, and we will continue to do so.” He continued, “We are doing everything to disarm Hamas and de-arm Gaza. Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel.” He concluded, “There is still work to be done, and we will complete it.”

In the same context, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Tel Aviv has plans to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip but is waiting for the United States to determine where they can be relocated. Speaking at a conference hosted by the website Ynet and the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Katz said, “Ultimately, there is no real solution for Gaza without this migration.” He added that the Israeli government “is ready to remove them, by sea, by air, and by every possible means.” However, he qualified this by saying, “But for this to happen, we need the United States. When will we get their approval? When it becomes clear that Hamas is not fulfilling its commitments” under the ceasefire.

On the ground, five Palestinians were injured in an Israeli military airstrike that targeted a tent for displaced persons in the city of Asdouda, west of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Gaza health authorities said in a press statement that ambulance crews managed to transport the injured to Kuwait Specialized Hospital and Nasser Hospital for treatment, describing their injuries as “critical.” Eyewitnesses reported that the airstrike caused severe damage and destroyed much of the property of displaced persons in the targeted camp. This comes as Israeli occupation forces continued to fire continuously at several displacement camps near the “Yellow Line” in the Strip.