Morning Briefing: Feb. 18, 2024

By Necva Tastan

ISTANBUL (AA) – Here’s a rundown of all the news that you need to start your Sunday, including thousands protesting in Europe for a Gaza cease-fire, Egyptian President Sisi’s “categorical rejection” of the displacement of Palestinians to Egypt, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Israel will not “succumb to international dictates” on his country’s attacks on Gaza.

TOP STORIES

• Hundreds of thousands protest in European capitals for Gaza cease-fire

Hundreds of thousands of people marched in major European cities to call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza as the death toll in the Palestinian enclave nears 30,000 due to relentless Israeli attacks since Oct. 7.

In London, the march was one of the biggest pro-Palestinian marches since Oct. 7, and included Jewish protesters. There were also large protests in the Irish capital Dublin as well as Madrid, Amsterdam, and Munich, Germany, the site of a high-profile security conference.

G-7 foreign ministers on Saturday also expressed deep concern over possible Israeli military action in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, according to an official statement.

"They called for urgent action to address the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly the plight of 1.5 million civilians sheltering in Rafah and they expressed deep concern for the potentially devastating consequences on the civilian population of Israel’s further full scale military operation in that area," Italy’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement, following a meeting held at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

The foreign ministers stressed the need for "full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access in all its forms to the Gaza Strip," the statement said.

• Sisi’s ‘categorical rejection’ of displacement of Palestinians to Egypt

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi affirmed his country’s “categorical rejection of the displacement of Palestinians to Egypt in any way or form, a position that enjoys full international consensus,” according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency.

The remarks came in Sisi’s telephone call with French President Emmanuel Macron amid Israel’s escalation in Rafah and international warnings against pushing Palestinians toward Egyptian territories.

The presidency said Sisi spoke on the call to discuss “ongoing efforts aimed at reaching a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, exchanging captives, and delivering humanitarian aid.”

• Netanyahu says Israel will not 'succumb to international dictates' on Palestine

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday that Tel Aviv would not agree to Hamas' demands for a cease-fire and hostage swap as he again threatened to launch a military offensive on the city of Rafah.

Netanyahu told a news conference in Jerusalem: “Hamas' demands are insane. They want to achieve one goal, which is the defeat of Israel.”

Netanyahu also said that “Israel will not succumb to international dictates” on a possible settlement with the Palestinians.

NEWS IN BRIEF

• The situation in Libya poses a significant risk to the North African nation's unity, the UN's special representative to the country warned.
• The G-7 nations support the creation of a Palestinian state, Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said, underlining that the process for this must begin with the suspension of the fighting in Gaza.
• The five-state veto power at the UN Security Council has "no place in the 21st century" and its misuse is an "anachronism," said the Irish foreign minister.
• Africa's leadership converged on the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa for the annual African Union summit to address the continent's challenges, including ongoing armed conflicts, recent coups, and mounting regional tensions.
• Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called on the African Union Summit to push for stopping the war on the Gaza Strip and halt Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
• Rwanda implored the UN not to support a regional force deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo to fight armed groups, questioning the mission's neutrality.
• Gaza’s Health Ministry said that Israeli soldiers detained a number of people, including hospital administrators and health personnel, at the Nasser Hospital, which has been under Israeli blockade and was raided on Feb. 15.
• Egypt announced that it is beginning to establish a logistics center in Rafah to facilitate humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, which is under attack and occupation by Israel.
• Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said that an independent Palestinian state is a "prerequisite" to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, according to Saudi TV.
• Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday that Tel Aviv's normalization efforts with Saudi Arabia would be "a gain against Hamas."

SPORTS

• Bayer Leverkusen extends gap on top of German league with away win

Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen, who are enjoying a dream season in Germany, extended the gap in the Bundesliga after they won 2-1 on Saturday at Heidenheim.

Leverkusen, unbeaten in the German league, scored the opener in the 45th minute when Dutch right-back Jeremie Frimpong finished in the penalty area for the Werkself.

Moroccan winger Amine Adli doubled the lead in the 81st minute.

BUSINESS & ECONOMY

• Japan successfully launches new H3 rocket after failure last year

Japan successfully launched its flagship new H3 rocket on Saturday after a failed attempt last year.

According to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, the second H3 was launched from Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan at 9.22 am local time (0022GMT).

"It was confirmed that the rocket flew as planned, injecting the second stage vehicle into the designated orbit, and separating CE-SAT-IE approximately 16 minutes and 43 seconds after launch," the agency said in a statement.