A rights group investigation found Israeli exporters are mislabeling produce from occupied Palestine and Golan Heights as Israeli-grown to gain unlawful tax breaks in the UK and EU. Global Echo analyzed 30,000 documents, revealing a systemic issue that subsidizes settlement agriculture.
Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz stated Monday that Israel will not withdraw from occupied lands in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza, vowing to stay "indefinitely." This comes as an interim deal between Iran and the US is pending, with Iran reportedly linking the deal to a halt in Israeli attacks on Hezbollah.
A report reveals that up to 20% of Israeli-labeled agricultural products entering the EU are actually from occupied West Bank settlements and the Golan Heights, benefiting from trade advantages meant only for goods from Israel proper.
Ukraine's chief of staff stated ending the war by winter is realistic, while Kyiv faced heavy Russian attacks. France detained a Russian oil tanker, and dozens of countries denounced Russia at the UN over a drone incident in Romania.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian forces can now strike Russian logistics across occupied territories, including in the south and east, and have targeted 15 Russian oil refineries from January to May.
The sanctions — which include asset freezes and travel bans and will also target Hamas members — come amid growing international criticism of Israel’s settlement expansion and escalating violence in the occupied territories.
Ukraine has accused Israel of allowing the import of grain stolen by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territories, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warning of sanctions against companies and individuals involved. A vessel carrying the grain arrived at Haifa port, triggering a sharp exchange between Ukrainian and Israeli officials. Ukraine summoned Israel's ambassador and demanded Israel halt imports of what it calls illegally taken agricultural products.
