Israel’s finance minister has said that the West Bank town of Huwara should be “wiped out”.
Asked on stage at a business conference why he liked a tweet earlier in the week that called for the Palestinian village to be destroyed, Bezalel Smotrich responded: “Because I think the village of Huwara needs to be wiped out.
“I think the State of Israel should do it, not, God forbid, private individuals.”
Mr Smotrich, a controversial far-right politician, is one of the most senior members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government – as well as finance minister he is also a minister in the defence ministry and in charge of civilian affairs in the West Bank.
His words have been criticised by the former prime minister Yair Lapid as “incitement to war crimes”.
In response, US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said “I want to be very clear about this. – these comments were irresponsible. They were repugnant. They were disgusting. And just as we condemn Palestinian incitement to violence, we condemn these provocative remarks that also amounts to incitement to violence.”
Huwara was the scene of heavy rioting on Sunday night as hundreds of Israeli settlers carried out revenge attacks after two Jewish men were murdered there earlier in the day.
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Cars and homes were burnt, and one Palestinian killed during the rampage.
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) commander in charge of the area, Major General Yehuda Fuchs, has since admitted his forces were taken by surprise and described the settler violence as a “pogrom”.
There has been widespread international condemnation of the rioting and many moderate Israelis have also spoken out against it.
Image: Israeli security forces at the site of a shooting attack in Huwara last month. Pic: AP
Protesters demonstrating against the government in Tel Aviv on Wednesday confronted police and asked where they were while the rioting was happening in Huwara on Sunday and an online crowd-funding site has raised more than £300,000 for the victims.
On Wednesday, Israeli police also arrested a further six settlers suspected of being involved in the weekend’s violence. One has since been released.
Separately, Israeli forces say they have captured the gunmen suspected of killing an Israeli-American man in the West Bank on Monday.
IDF forces raided a refugee camp on the outskirts of Jericho on Wednesday afternoon and detained three people – two surrendered and a third was shot while trying to escape. He later died.
The operation was carried out as the victim, 26-year-old Elan Ganeles, was being buried in the central Israeli city of Ra’anna.
A manhunt for those responsible is currently ongoing, with police facing a “race against time” to retrieve the jewels before they are dismantled.
Here’s all you need to know.
How the heist unfolded
The heist took place at roughly 9.30am (8.30am UK time), half an hour after the Louvre had opened its doors to the public.
The thieves used a crane that was mounted on the back of a small truck to smash an upstairs window and enter the Galerie d’Apollon.
Image: Police officers work by a crane believed to have been used by thieves. Pic: AP
This is an enormous room on the upper floor of the Petite Galerie, which houses the French Crown Jewels as well as the royal collection of hardstone vessels, paintings, tapestries and medallions, the museum’s website says.
The thieves smashed two display cases and fled on motorbikes. No-one was hurt in the incident.
Guards were alerted to the scene by alarms that went off when the cases were smashed, but the thieves had already left.
It is not clear if the gang brought any or all of the equipment they used with them, as construction work is taking place along the River Seine side of the building where the break-in occurred.
The entire theft took between six and seven minutes.
What was stolen?
A total of nine objects were targeted in the heist, and eight were actually stolen. The thieves dropped the ninth one, the crown of Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie, during their escape.
Officials have described the stolen items as having “inestimable” historical value.
The following pieces remain missing:
What will happen to the jewellery?
Art detective Arthur Brand described the heist as “the theft of the decade” – adding that in order to recover the “priceless” items, police will need to find the culprits within the week.
“These crown jewels are so famous, you just cannot sell them,” Mr Brand told Sky News. “The only thing they can do is melt the silver and gold down, dismantle the diamonds, try to cut them. That’s the way they will probably disappear forever.”
He continued: “They [the police] have a week. If they catch the thieves, the stuff might still be there. If it takes longer, the loot is probably gone and dismantled. It’s a race against time.”
Image: The tiara (top), necklace (middle) and one earring were taken from the Queen Marie Amelie sapphire set. Pic: Louvre
Tobias Kormind, managing director of Mayfair-based 77 Diamonds, agreed, saying it is “unlikely” the jewels will ever be seen again.
“Professional crews often break down and re-cut large, recognizable stones to evade detection, effectively erasing their provenance,” he said.
Image: Emerald necklace and earrings from the parure of Empress Marie-Louise. Pic: The Louvre
Authorities have said forensic teams are currently reviewing CCTV from the Denon wing and the riverfront of the museum, inspecting the crane used to reach the gallery and interviewing staff who were on site when the museum opened.
Who was behind the heist?
According to French media, there were four perpetrators: two dressed as construction workers in yellow safety vests on the lift, and two others who had a scooter each.
French authorities have not confirmed these details; however, one yellow vest has been recovered from the scene.
Culture Minister Rachida Dati told French news outlet TF1 that footage of the theft showed the masked robbers entering “calmly” and smashing display cases containing the jewels. No one was injured in the incident.
Image: A window believed to have been used in the robbery. Pic: Reuters
She described the thieves as seemingly being “experienced” with a well-prepared plan.
Paris Prosecutor Laure Beccuau told BFM TV that the robbers were unarmed but threatened guards with angle grinders.
The group also tried and failed to set fire to the crane they used to enter the Louvre.
A key question that remains is whether the robbers had inside assistance, authorities said.
French interior minister Laurent Nunez said the specialised police unit, which has a high success rate in cracking high-profile robberies, is leading the investigation.
Ms Beccuau added that investigators were keeping all leads open, but authorities were “looking at the hypothesis of organised crime”.
She said the thieves could have been working for a buyer, or seeking to get access to jewels that can be useful to launder criminal proceeds.
Questions over security
Big questions are now being asked about the security in place at the Louvre, and how effective it is.
Earlier this year, officials at the Louvre requested urgent help from the French government to restore and renovate the museum’s ageing exhibition halls and better protect its countless works of art.
Image: Police officers near the pyramid of the Louvre museum. Pic: Reuters
French justice minister Gerard Darmanin said on Monday that the heist gave a very negative image of France as it implied a failure of security services.
“There are many museums in Paris, many museums in France, with priceless values in these museums,” Mr Darmanin said in an interview with French radio station France Inter.
“What is certain is that we failed,” he said, adding the police will eventually arrest the authors.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X that everything was being done to recover the stolen jewellery and bring the perpetrators to justice.
While culture minister Rachida Dati said the issue of museum security was not new.
“For 40 years, there was little focus on securing these major museums, and two years ago, the president of the Louvre requested a security audit from the police prefect. Why? Because museums must adapt to new forms of crime,” she said.
A football derby in Tel Aviv between Hapoel and Maccabi has been cancelled after “violent riots”, according to Israeli police.
Nine people were arrested on Sunday night at Bloomfield Stadium, a venue shared by both clubs. Hapoel were the home team for the game.
A statement from Israeli police said the game was called off “following disturbances and violent riots” in which 13 civilians and three officers were injured by pyrotechnic devices.
“These are very serious incidents that posed a real danger to the lives of police officers and civilians,” the statement added.
But Hapoel Tel Aviv Football Club released a statement with a very different perspective on policing at the match.
“From the preliminary discussions prior to the match, it appears that the police were preparing for war rather than a sporting event,” a spokesperson said.
Image: Outside the stadium, mounted police attempt to control crowds. Pic: Israeli police
Image: Footage released by Israeli police shows a flare or firework landing near officers. Pic: Israeli police
They added: “Most of the injuries from the event were caused by brutal police violence at the end of the game, as a direct result of the scandalous decision to cancel the event.
“Everyone saw the disturbing videos of children being trampled by horses and police officers indiscriminately beating fans.”
Israeli police have not yet responded to the allegations from Hapoel.
A Maccabi statement read: “Following the police’s decision, it was determined that the Tel Aviv derby will not take place tonight.”
Footage shared by the police shows projectiles and flares being thrown on to the pitch, as well as unrest outside the stadium and arrests being made.
Image: What looked like smoke canisters were seized by officers. Pic: Israeli police
Maccabi ban criticised
On Thursday, Maccabi supporters were told they are not allowed to attend November’s Europa League game against Aston Villa in Birmingham next month after a decision by Birmingham’s Safety Advisory Group (SAG).
The group – made up of local stakeholders, including representatives from the council, police and event organisers – said the decision was due to a high risk of violence based on “current intelligence and previous incidents”.
He insisted Aston in Birmingham cannot become a “no-go area” for Jews.
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Aston ‘can’t be no-go area for Jews’
The energy secretary also said that he “profoundly” disagrees with the “approach” taken by a local MP who started a petition calling for fans of Maccabi Tel Aviv to be banned from the Aston Villa game.
The petition states: “Their arrival in Aston – a diverse and predominantly Muslim community – poses a real risk of tensions within the community and disorder.”
Mr Miliband pushed back on that point. He said the “vast majority of Muslim people in this country would disassociate themselves” from suggestions that Maccabi Tel Aviv fans could not come to Aston Villa because it was a predominantly Muslim area.
His Tory counterpart, Claire Coutinho, was also highly critical of the petition, telling Phillips: “I think politicians need to have the courage to name some of the problems that this country is facing. And one of those problems is political Islam.”
The independent MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, Ayoub Khan, criticised those comments.
“I utterly reject the false and inflammatory characterisations… regarding my recent petition,” he said in a statement.
“The petition I launched reflected genuine and widespread concern from my constituents about public safety and community cohesion. It did not call for anyone to be ‘banned because they are Jewish’ nor did it single out any faith or ethnicity.
“To distort this into an issue of religion or antisemitism is deeply irresponsible and frankly dangerous. I have consistently condemned all forms of hatred – including antisemitism and Islamophobia – and I will continue to do so.”
The government is expecting West Midlands Police to set out early next week what they would need to police the game safely with both sets of fans present.
A cargo plane has skidded off the runway into the sea while landing at Hong Kong International Airport, killing two people on the ground.
Images taken after the crash which happened around 3.50am (8.50pm UK time) showed a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft partially submerged in water near the airport’s sea wall.
The AirACT plane, travelling from Dubai, could be seen with escape slides deployed and the nose and tail sections separated. Four crew on board survived.
Image: The nose and tail sections separated after the crash. Pic: Reuters
Image: Escape slides were deployed and all four crew survived. Pic: Reuters
Image: Rescue teams circle the partially submerged green tail of the aircraft. Pic: AP
Two security staff were killed when the aircraft struck their vehicle, shunting it into the sea, said Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at Airport Authority Hong Kong.
At a news conference, he told reporters about the rescue operation.
“Four aircraft crew on board were quickly rescued by Fire Service Department [which] also rescued two security staff from the sea.
“One was certified dead at the hospital and the other certified dead at the scene.
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“We are deeply saddened and extend our deepest condolence. We will provide the family with all necessary support and assistance.”
Image: Steven Yiu from Airport Authority Hong Kong told reporters two security staff have been killed. Pic: AP
Image: Mr Yiu showed a map of the northern runway and the crash site. Pic: AP
He explained that the security vehicle was patrolling the north runway along a road that was outside the runway fence when it was struck.
The northern runway at the world’s busiest cargo airport is closed while the south and central runways are continuing to operate.
“According to information we have at that moment, weather and the runway condition were safe and met all conditions for runway operation. An investigation is continuing.” Mr Yiu added.
Emirates said in a statement that flight EK9788 sustained damage on landing in Hong Kong on Monday and was a Boeing 747 cargo aircraft wet-leased from and operated by ACT Airlines.
“Crew are confirmed to be safe and there was no cargo onboard,” the airline said.
Man Ka-chai, chief accident and safety investigator for Hong Kong’s Air Accident Investigation Authority, confirmed air traffic control had directed the flight to land at the north runway, but added: “We didn’t receive any message requesting help from the pilot.”
ACT Airlines is a Turkish carrier that provides extra cargo capacity to major airlines. It did not respond immediately to a request for comment outside normal business hours.
Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 said the aircraft involved in the accident was 32 years old and had served as a passenger plane before being converted into a freighter.
Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department said in a statement that the aircraft had “deviated from the north runway after landing and ditched into the sea”.
Airport Authority Hong Kong said the northern runway would reopen after safety inspections were complete.