The Times of Israel is liveblogging Tuesday’s events as they unfold.
Denmark’s Copenhagen airport reopens after drones disrupted flights
Copenhagen airport, the busiest in the Nordic region, has reopened after drone sightings halted all take-offs and landings for nearly four hours, the airport says.
Delays and some cancelled departures would persist and passengers should check with their airlines, it adds.
Police said that two or three large drones had been seen flying in the area, leading to all traffic at Denmark’s biggest airport in Copenhagen being closed.
Luxembourg, Malta and Andorra declare recognition of Palestinian state
Luxembourg, Malta and Andorra follow France and other countries in recognizing Palestinian statehood during a conference at UN headquarters in New York.
US says Rubio, Sharaa discussed Israel-Syria relations during meeting on UNGA sidelines
Syrian President Ahmaed al-Sharaa and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed Israel-Syria relations during their meeting Monday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, according to a State Department readout.
The US is hoping to broker a security deal between Israel and Syria to help ease tensions along the border and move toward an eventual normalization deal. While there had been speculation that a deal could be reached in the coming days, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated Sunday that more time would be needed to reach an agreement.
During his meeting with Sharaa, Rubio “underscored this opportunity for Syria to build a stable and sovereign nation following President Trump’s historic announcement earlier this year on sanctions relief for the Syrian people,” the US readout says.
“They discussed ongoing counterterrorism efforts, efforts to locate missing Americans, and the importance of Israel-Syria relations in achieving greater regional security,” it adds
Egypt says it will host Gaza reconstruction conference once ceasefire reached
Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly says that his country will host a Gaza reconstruction conference as soon as a ceasefire has been reached in the devastated territory.
“Egypt will, as soon as we reach a ceasefire, host an international reconstruction conference on the Gaza Strip to mobilize the necessary funding for the Arab-Islamic reconstruction plan,” he says at a conference on the two-state solution at the United Nations.
Belgium says its Palestinian statehood recognition to take effect once hostages freed, Hamas removed from power
Belgium Prime Minister Bart De Wever follows through on his country’s pledge to recognize a Palestinian state once the hostages have been released and Hamas is removed from power in Gaza.
“The recent declarations of a number of Israeli ministers, including the prime minister himself, that no state of Palestine will ever exist is an additional reason for reaffirming the right and the need of the Palestinians having their own state,” De Wever says in his address at the UN two-state solution conference.
“Therefore, Belgium is giving out a strong political and diplomatic signal to the world today by joining the group of countries that announces the recognition of the State of Palestine in the margin of this high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly,” he continues.
“However, this step cannot be a reward for Hamas,” he clarifies. “Conscious of the trauma suffered after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, Belgium will proceed to the legal recognition of the State of Palestine once all hostages have been released and all terrorist organizations such as Hamas have been removed from the governance of Palestine.”
“The active conduct of diplomatic relations with the new State of Palestine, including the opening of Belgian embassy and the conclusion of international agreements, will be carried out once the objectives of the New York Declaration have been achieved, notably the full demilitarization of Hamas and subsequent the renewal of governance based on presidential and parliamentary elections, giving the Palestinians a democratic, strengthened and renewed authority,” the Belgium leader adds.
Belgium’s stance stands out from other countries, whose recognitions of a Palestinian state in recent days haven taken immediate effect. French President Emmanual Macron did, however, say earlier Monday that Paris’s embassy in Palestine will only be opened after the hostages are released and a ceasefire has been reached in Gaza.
Spanish PM urges full UN membership for Palestinian state
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, an outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza, calls for a state of Palestine to be admitted to the United Nations after a French-led summit on recognition.
“This conference marks a milestone but it’s not the end of the road. It’s only the beginning,” Sanchez says. “The state of Palestine must be a member.”
US privately cautioned against annexation, but Israel doesn’t think conversation is over — official
The Trump administration has privately cautioned Israel against annexing the West Bank in response the decision by numerous Western countries to recognize a Palestinian state, a senior Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
However, Jerusalem does not feel that the warning marked “an end to the discussion” and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to discuss the matter with US President Donald Trump during their White House meeting next Monday, the Israeli official says.
To date, the Trump administration has avoided taking a public stance regarding potential Israeli annexation of the West Bank and has argued that Western countries are to blame for Jerusalem considering the step due to their decisions to recognize a Palestinian state.