00:01Israel has given final approval for a controversial settlement project in the occupied West Bank,
00:08in a significant blow to the prospects of Palestinian statehood.
00:12The project would effectively cut the West Bank in two, dividing the cities of Ramallah and Bethlehem,
00:19contributing to an increasingly dire reality for Palestinians there.
00:23There have been marked increases in attacks by settlers on Palestinians,
00:27evictions from Palestinian towns, Israeli military operations and checkpoints that choke freedom of movement.
00:35The Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal under international law,
00:41and the move was therefore condemned by the UN as well as several European nations, including Britain and Germany.
00:48Meanwhile, heavy explosions were heard over northern Gaza overnight as the Israeli military says
00:53it has begun the first stage of its planned offensive to seize Gaza City.
00:59It comes as negotiators scramble to strike a ceasefire to end the war in Gaza,
01:04now nearing its two-year mark.
01:06Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have rallied for a ceasefire,
01:11and rights groups warn that an expanded assault could deepen the crisis of displacement and starvation in Gaza.
01:16Israel has yet to respond to a ceasefire proposal that Hamas accepted earlier this week.
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