Category: 2. World

The websites of both the UK and Canadian embassies in Israel have come under criticism after references to “Palestine” were added to their addresses.

Global Affairs Canada updated its site to describe its Tel Aviv embassy as being located in “Palestine”, according to the Toronto Sun. The page initially listed “Israel and Palestine” before later being corrected.

The UK Foreign Office faced similar scrutiny after the website of its Consulate General in Jerusalem added “Palestine” at the bottom of the address. The location had previously been described as “East Jerusalem”.

Read More: Muslim leaders reject Gaza displacement

The changes quickly spread across social media, drawing thousands of views and comments.
“This is nuts, and of note, they’re doing it all on Rosh HaShanah when a large portion of the Jewish community is offline,” wrote X user Dan Levy.

In Canada, Liberal MP Anthony Housefather said he had contacted Global Affairs, and a correction was made “a few hours later”.

In the UK, Alex Hearn, director of Labour Against Antisemitism, said: “The UK government erased Israel’s capital even on the Jewish new year.”

Also Read: US allies’ support for Palestinian statehood puts Trump’s Israel policy to test

France has also faced criticism after changing the address of its consulate in West Jerusalem to list “Palestine”.

Canada’s Tel Aviv embassy was briefly listed as “Tel Aviv, Israel, Palestine”. Hearn described this as “geographically incoherent”, adding: “This geographically incoherent address is a political statement, showing they have decided all of Israel is Palestine ‘from the river to the sea’.”

LONDON: Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called for an end to the war in Gaza and condemned Israel’s “expansionary plans,” in a virtual address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday.

He demanded “intervention” to stop Israel’s war in Gaza and settler violence in the West Bank, warning that plans for a “Greater Israel” would encroach upon the territory of other Arab states.

Gaza is “a war of genocide, destruction, starvation, and displacement,” Abbas said, adding that more than 220,000 Palestinians — the majority of them women, children and the elderly — have been killed or injured in the enclave since October 2023.

He accused Israel of starving more than 2 million people, and of destroying 80 percent of Gaza’s buildings.

“What Israel is carrying out isn’t merely an aggression. It’s a war crime and a crime against humanity that’s both documented and monitored,” he said.

“And it will be recorded in history books and the pages of international conscience as one of the most horrific chapters of humanitarian tragedy in the 20th and 21st centuries.”

Abbas said Israel’s settlement plans in the West Bank, including the E1 project, would make a two-state solution unviable and contravene international law and several UN Security Council resolutions. 

He noted the unchecked, violent behavior of settlers in the West Bank, saying: “They burn homes and fields. They uproot trees and attack villages, and attack unarmed Palestinian civilians. In fact, they kill them in broad daylight under the protection of the Israeli occupation army.”

Abbas cited recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about a “Greater Israel,” and the recent Israeli strikes in Qatar, as reasons for concern for the broader Arab world, calling them “an escalation that’s a grave and a blatant violation of international law, which requires a decisive intervention and deterring procedures and measures.”

He was equally unequivocal in condemning the Hamas attack on Israel of Oct. 7, 2023, demanding the immediate release of all remaining hostages in Gaza and the disarming of the group.

“These actions don’t represent the Palestinian people, nor do they represent their just struggle for freedom and independence,” he said.

“We’ve affirmed, and will continue to affirm, that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the state of Palestine, and that we’re ready to bear full responsibility for governance and security there. 

“Hamas won’t have a role to play in governance. Hamas and the other factions will have to hand over their weapons to the Palestinian Authority as part of a process to build the institutions of one state, one law and one legal security forces. We reiterate that we don’t want an armed state.”

Abbas added that though the Palestinian people “are still living the tragedies of the Israeli aggression and occupation,” progress is being made on an independent Palestinian state following high-level diplomatic efforts led by Saudi Arabia and France at a meeting on Sept. 22. 

He thanked the two countries for their efforts, as well as a raft of other governments that have recently recognized Palestinian statehood or announced plans to do so, including the UK, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Portugal and others. “Our people won’t forget this noble position,” Abbas said.

“We highly appreciate all the peoples and organizations around the world who protested in support of the rights of the Palestinian people to freedom and independence, and to stop the war, destruction and starvation,” he said.

“We reject confusing the solidarity with the Palestinian cause and the issue of antisemitism, which is something that we reject based on our values and principles.”

Abbas reaffirmed the need for aid to be allowed to flow freely into Gaza through the UN, an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands, the release of prisoners on both sides, and an end to aggression at religious sites.

He said it is essential that the people of Gaza not be displaced from their land, that Israel release confiscated taxes to help in the reconstruction of the Occupied Territories, and called for support for the PA to hold nationwide elections within a year of the end of hostilities.

“We want a modern and democratic state that abides by international law, the rule of law and multilateralism, and the peaceful transition of power,” he added.

“We declare that we’re ready to work with US President Donald Trump, and with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France, the UN, and all partners to implement the peace plan that was approved in the conference that was held on Sept. 22.”

Abbas said: “Peace can’t be achieved if justice isn’t achieved, and there can be no justice if Palestine isn’t freed.

“We want to live in freedom, security and peace — like all other people on Earth — in an independent sovereign state on the borders of 1967 with East Jerusalem as our capital, in security and peace with our neighbors.

“We want a modern civilian state that’s free of violence, weapons and extremism, one that respects law, human rights and invests in people, development, technology and education, not in wars and conflict.”

He added: “Palestine is ours. Jerusalem is the jewel of our heart and our eternal capital. We won’t leave our homeland. We won’t leave our lands. Our people will remain rooted like the olive trees, firm as the rocks.

“We’ll rise from under the rubble to rebuild, and to send from our blessed and holy land the messages of hope and the sound of truth and right, and build the bridges of a just peace for the people of our region and the entire world.”

The Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on Thursday against Houthi military sites in Yemen’s capital Sanaa, in response to the Iran-backed group’s repeated attacks on Israel, including a drone attack on Eilat a day prior.

The Israel Defense Forces said it struck seven targets belonging to the Houthis’ “security and intelligence apparatus” and army, including a top military headquarters. Defense Minister Israel Katz said the “powerful” strikes killed “many dozens of Houthi terror operatives, and destroyed stockpiles of UAVs and weaponry.”

Hours later, the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that set off sirens across central Israel, sending hundreds of thousands of people to bomb shelters.

The military said it successfully intercepted the missile. There were no immediate reports of impacts or injuries.

The Houthis’ Al-Masirah television reported that the “Israeli aggression” on Sanaa came moments before it began broadcasting a weekly pre-recorded speech by the terror group’s leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

The Houthis said the strikes killed at least eight people and wounded more than 140.

On Wednesday, the Houthis launched an explosive-laden drone that evaded Israeli air defenses and struck the resort city of Eilat in the south, wounding 22 people, including two men in serious condition. Israel vowed to respond to the attack, claimed by the Iran-backed group.

According to the military, dozens of Israeli Air Force aircraft, including some 20 fighter jets, along with spy planes and refuelers, participated in the strikes on Thursday.

متداول لغارات اليوم على صنعاء pic.twitter.com/As3i4pe13R

— يمن مونيتور (@YeMonitor) September 25, 2025

Thursday’s strike marked the 19th time that Israel has attacked the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen. Most of the strikes have been carried out by Israeli Air Force fighter jets and drones, though some have been conducted by Israeli Navy missile boats.

The 20 fighter jets dropped more than 65 munitions on the seven Houthi targets, marking the highest number of munitions used in a single IAF strike in Yemen, according to the military.

Aerial refueling was also conducted during the operation, during which the fighter jets flew approximately 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) to reach their targets in Sanaa.

In all, seven targets were struck, including five military headquarters where Houthi operatives were gathered, and two weapon storage facilities, the IDF said.

In a statement, the military said that the targets included a headquarters of the Houthis’ general staff; compounds belonging to security and intelligence apparatus; the headquarters of the Houthis’ propaganda department; and other military camps where weapons were stored and operatives were gathered.

The IDF said the Houthis’ security and intelligence apparatus “takes part in terror activities and directly contributes to military actions against the State of Israel that undermine stability in the Middle East” and is “also involved in repressing regime opponents through the use of political prisons and torture.”

The military camps that were struck “are used by the Houthi terror regime to store weapons and to plan and carry out terror attacks against the State of Israel,” the IDF added.

The IDF also vowed to “conduct additional offensive operations” against the Houthis “in the near future,” adding that it “remains determined to remove any threat posed to the civilians of the State of Israel, at whatever distance is required.”

Air Force fixes fault that led to failed interception in Eilat

Shortly after the strike in Yemen, the IDF announced that it had identified the issue that caused the Iron Dome short-range air defense system to fail to intercept the Houthi drone that struck Eilat a day earlier.

According to an Israeli Air Force investigation, the drone was detected relatively late, though the Home Front Command still activated sirens to warn civilians of the attack, “according to protocol,” the military said.

Footage posted to social media shows the moment a Houthi drone from Yemen hit Eilat in southern Israel, September 24, 2025. (Screenshots/Social media: used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law

Attempts to intercept the drone with two Iron Dome missiles “were unsuccessful,” the IDF said, adding that “the reason for this was identified and corrective measures were implemented.”

Because of the late detection, the IAF did not have enough time to dispatch helicopters or fighter jets to shoot it down.

IAF chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar, meanwhile, instructed “several additional steps to strengthen readiness, detection and interception capabilities” in the Eilat area, which will “provide an enhanced defensive response,” the military added.

The Houthis have frequently carried out attacks targeting Eilat, including the incident last week in which a drone struck a hotel entrance, causing damage but no injuries. That drone had been identified by the IAF, but attempts to intercept it failed, according to the military.

Israeli security forces at the scene after a drone from Yemen hit Eilat, September 24, 2025. (Flash90)

A Houthi attack earlier this month also hit Ramon Airport outside the city, causing damage and lightly wounding one person. That drone was detected, but was not classified as a threat due to a human error, an IAF probe found.

The Houthis — whose slogan calls for “Death to America, Death to Israel, [and] a Curse on the Jews” — began attacking Israel and maritime traffic in November 2023, a month after the October 7 Hamas massacre.

The Houthis held their fire when a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Hamas in January 2025. By that point, they had fired over 40 ballistic missiles and dozens of attack drones and cruise missiles at Israel, including one that killed a civilian and wounded several others in Tel Aviv in July 2024, prompting Israel’s first strike in Yemen.

Since March 18, when the IDF resumed its offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis in Yemen have launched nearly 90 ballistic missiles and at least 41 drones at Israel. Since the beginning of the war, the Houthis have launched over 150 drones at Israel, the vast majority of which were intercepted.

Last month, an Israeli strike on Sanaa killed the prime minister of Yemen’s Houthi government and several other ministers, with Israel warning that the attack on the group’s upper echelons was “just the beginning.”

Kayleen Devlin
BBC Verify senior journalist

BBC Verify is working to find about more about the man suspected of yesterday’s shooting at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Dallas, Texas, in which one detainee was killed and two others were wounded.

The suspect, Joshua Jahn, 29, was named by acting ICE director Todd Lyons, according to the BBC’s US news partner CBS – confirming a name posted earlier on social media by a New York Post/Fox News columnist.

Our team has been reviewing Jahn’s digital footprint including social media profiles that are linked to him or his relatives.

Using SkopeNow, an open-source intelligence platform that finds and aggregates public data, we found Texas criminal records for a Joshua Jahn on a 2016 drug-related charge, as well as two other unspecified charges from 2016 and 2022, both of which were dismissed.

Many of his social profiles are now deleted and most have no archived copies. A LinkedIn profile lists him as a former University of Texas mechanical engineering student. He also had an old account for a site about chess which has been inactive since 2015.

Image source, Reuters

We also looked into a claim by right-wing commentator and Trump ally Laura Loomer that Jahn’s Facebook page featured antifa (anti-fascist) imagery. Her assertion centres on a cartoon image of a man with a gun which features communist memorabilia and is captioned “Glorious exposition, comrade”.

We haven’t seen any evidence linking this image to antifa. The cartoon aligns with a common “cool story, bro” meme used sarcastically online. It is also not possible to verify whether the image appeared on his Facebook page as we have not found an archived version of it.

Screenshots circulating online appear to show his mother’s Facebook page – which has now been deleted – featured a post criticising gun laws and Texas Republicans.

So far we’ve not found anything online that gives an indication of Jahn’s political views. We’re continuing to search for information available online that can help us build a picture of who Jahn was.

Hilken Doğaç Boran
BBC Turkish, in Istanbul

Image source, Getty Images

When President Erdogan arrives at the White House, he will have already achieved a major goal by shaking hands with President Trump – a first in more than six years for the Turkish leader.

Items on Erdogan’s agenda include deals on energy, defence and civil aviation.

On energy… Turkey’s energy minister recently announced that the state-owned Botas has signed a 20-year LNG deal with Mercuria to buy US liquified natural gas.

A total supply of 70 billion cubic meters (bcm) is expected to be delivered over 20 years.

Turkey inked similar deals with Western companies Exxon Mobil, Shell and TotalEnergies in the last couple of years in a bid to diversify its energy supply.

On defence… Erdogan will be pushing for the removal or relaxation of defence sanctions against Turkey.

These sanctions, triggered after Turkey’s acquisition of Russian S-400 systems, have caused Turkey to be removed from the F-35 program.

Progress on Turkey’s plan to purchase F-16 jets and modernisation kits is likely to come up during the meeting.

And on civil aviation… There are hints about the finalisation of a deal for Turkish Airlines to purchase more than 200 aircraft from Boeing.

The tête-à-tête will also present a chance for the sides to discuss issues like Ukraine-Russia talks, Israel’s involvement in Syria and Gaza.

At least 30 Palestinians, including children, have been killed in Israeli military strikes across central and southern Gaza since dawn.

One of Thursday’s strikes on central Gaza resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people, according to the territory’s civil defence spokesperson, who spoke to the AFP news agency.

“Eleven people were killed and many are missing or wounded after an Israeli air strike targeted a house … which was sheltering displaced people north of az-Zawayda in the central Gaza Strip,” spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said.

Emergency services confirmed several children were among the dead, and bodies were taken to a nearby hospital.

Israel has escalated its offensive against the devastated Palestinian territory in recent days, forcing hundreds of thousands of residents to evacuate their homes.

Many are fleeing Gaza City, as Israel intensifies its campaign to capture the Strip’s largest urban centre.

Those who are displaced face uncertainty about shelter locations and must pay inflated prices in new areas for temporary accommodation.

“We have arrived in this remote area with no tents, no facilities. We cannot get water supplies. Kids cannot find anything to eat because we are far from everyone else,” said Ahlam Aqel, a displaced woman from Gaza City.

Ahmed Salama, forcibly displaced from northern Gaza, also expressed concern about his future.

“We are going to central Gaza and we do not know where we are going to stay. The al-Mawasi evacuation zone is overcrowded with displaced people. There is no single space for anyone to move there.”

Gaza has been largely reduced to ruins, and last month a United Nations-backed organisation officially declared famine in parts of the territory.

“We lost our children, our homes and our places,” said Najia Abu Amsha, a Palestinian whose nephew was killed while waiting for aid, on Wednesday. “We became beggars and sick.”

Since October 2023, Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 65,419 people and wounded 167,160, with thousands more believed to be trapped under rubble.