Britain, Canada, France warn Israel over Gaza offensive, threaten joint action
Paris: The leaders of Britain, France, and Canada have jointly condemned Israel’s "egregious actions" in Gaza and warned of "further concrete actions" if the Israeli government does not halt its renewed military offensive and lift restrictions on humanitarian aid.
In a strongly worded joint statement issued on May 19, Prime Minister Keir Starmer (UK), President Emmanuel Macron (France), and Prime Minister Mark Carney (Canada) denounced Israel’s aid blockade and rhetoric from Israeli ministers suggesting mass displacement of Palestinians.
“We will not stand by while the Netanyahu government pursues these egregious actions,” the statement read. “If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.”
The leaders also reiterated their commitment to recognising a Palestinian state, calling it “a contribution to achieving a two-state solution.”
The warning coincided with a broader call from 22 countries, including the UK, France, and Canada, urging Israel to allow full resumption of humanitarian aid to Gaza, where the population “faces starvation.” Israel, which had imposed a total blockade since March 2, announced on Monday that a limited number of aid trucks would be allowed in.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fiercely rejected the statement, accusing the Western leaders of rewarding Hamas for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel. “By demanding a Palestinian state and asking Israel to end a defensive war, these leaders are offering a huge prize for the genocidal attack on Israel,” he said.
Netanyahu maintained that the war could end if Hamas surrenders, hostages are released, and Gaza is demilitarised. “Israel will continue to defend itself by just means until total victory is achieved,” he stated, describing the conflict as “a war of civilisation over barbarism.”
The joint statement also criticised Israeli ministers’ threats of displacement, stating that “permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law.” It further said that denial of humanitarian aid “risks breaching international humanitarian law.”
According to Gaza’s health ministry, at least 3,340 people have died since Israel resumed strikes on March 18, bringing the total death toll in Gaza to 53,486. On the Israeli side, the October 7 attack by Hamas claimed 1,218 lives, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures.
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Allahabad HC sets aside maintenance order in favour of earning wife, says she didn't tell truth
Prayagraj (PTI): The Allahabad High Court has set aside a lower court order mandating a man to pay maintenance to his estranged wife, observing that she earns her living and did not reveal the true salary in her affidavit.
Justice Madan Pal Singh also allowed a criminal revision petition filed by the man, Ankit Saha.
"A perusal of the impugned judgment indicates that in the affidavit filed before the trial court, the opposite party herself admitted that she is a post-graduate and a web designer by qualification. She is working as a senior sales coordinator in a company and getting a salary of Rs 34,000 per month," the court said in the December 3 order.
"But in her cross-examination, she has admitted that she was earning Rs 36,000 per month. Such an amount for a wife who has no other liability cannot be said to be meagre; whereas the man has the responsibility of maintaining his aged parents and other social obligations," it observed.
The high court observed that the woman was not entitled to get any maintenance from her husband "as she is an earning lady and able to maintain herself".
The man's counsel argued in court that the estranged wife did not reveal the whole truth in the affidavit.
"She claimed herself to be an illiterate and unemployed woman. When the document filed by the man was shown to her before the trial court, she admitted her income during cross-examination. Thus, it is clear that she did not come before the trial court with clean hands," the counsel submitted.
The court, in its order, said, "Cases of those litigants who have no regard for the truth and those who indulge in suppressing material facts need to be thrown out of the court."
It impugned the lower court's February 17 judgment and order, passed by the principal judge of a family court in Gautam Buddh Nagar and allowed the criminal revision petition filed by the man.
