ATHENS – Austria on Monday condemned Israel’s latest move to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.
“Austria condemns Israel’s designation of 13 outposts as new settlements in the West Bank, further undermining the prospects for a two-state solution,” Austria’s Foreign Ministry posted on X.
“We urge Israel to reverse this decision and end its illegal settlement policy, which violates international law,” it added.
On Sunday, Israel’s Security Cabinet approved a plan to separate 13 settlement outposts from neighboring communities in the occupied West Bank and legalize them.
Palestinian reports estimate that by the end of 2024, approximately 770,000 illegal Israeli settlers were living in 180 settlements and 256 outposts across the occupied territory.
The United Nations considers all Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories illegal under international law and warns that continued expansion threatens efforts for a two-state solution.
Israeli airstrikes destroy buildings at Gaza Strip
JERUSALEM – The Israeli army acknowledged on Monday evening that its forces had fired on a building belonging to the Red Cross in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
In a statement, the military explained that its forces operating in Rafah fired on the building earlier in the day “after identifying suspects and sensing a threat to the force.”
No injuries were reported, though the building sustained minor damage, it added.
“After examination, it turned out that the identification was incorrect and the building belonged to the Red Cross,” the army admitted, adding that the incident will be investigated.
The attack came just days after Israeli forces striking a UN building, killing one employee and injuring five others.
Over the course of Israel’s offensive on Gaza since October 2023, aid workers from various groups have been hit numerous times.
While in this latest strike the army claimed its troops were unaware of the building’s affiliation, the International Committee of the Red Cross countered on X that its Rafah office sustained damage from an “explosive projectile despite being clearly marked and notified to all parties.”
No staff were harmed, the group said, but the attack “has a direct impact on the ICRC’s ability to operate.”
The Red Cross “strongly decried” the strike, stressing that international humanitarian law “affords special protection to humanitarian relief and medical personnel, medical facilities, and objects used for humanitarian relief operations.”
“They must be respected and protected in all circumstances to ensure the continuity of care,” it added.
The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing at least 730 people and injuring nearly 1,200 others despite a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.
More than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 113,200 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
