Wednesday morning news: May 29th, 2024

EU countries recognize Palestinian state » Spain, Norway and Ireland have formally recognized a Palestinian state against the strong objections of Israel.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez:

SANCHEZ:  This is a historic decision that has a single goal: to contribute to achieving peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Israel reacted strongly today. Foreign Minister Israel Katz said Sánchez’s government was “being complicit in inciting genocide against Jews and war crimes.”

But Sanchez countered:

SANCHEZ: The recognition of Palestine is not against anyone, least of all Israel, a friendly nation that Spain values and holds in high regard and with whom we aim to foster the strongest possible relationship.

No major Western power has yet recognized a Palestinian state. The White House supports a so-called two-state solution, but says it has to happen with Israel at the negotiating table, rather than trying to force the issue.

Israeli investigation into Rafah incident » Meantime, Israel says it has preliminary results of an investigation into what caused a massive fire at a tent camp that ignited after an Israeli airstrike in the city of Rafah.

Military spokesman Daniel Hagari:

HAGARI:  We are looking into all possibilities, including the option that weapons stored in a compound next to our target, which we did not know of, may have ignited as a result of the strike.

He says preliminary results of the investigation show that it was a secondary explosion that killed at least 40 civilians. The probe reportedly found that the military fired two smaller munitions that targeted two senior Hamas militants and that those munitions were too small to ignite the fire on their own.

Hagari said Israel is operating in Rafah in “a very targeted and precise way.”

Biden administration reaction » U.S. State Dept. spokesman Matthew Miller says Washington is watching that investigation closely.

MILLER:  We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life in Rafa over the weekend.

He said  Israel has the obligation to do everything possible to minimize civilian harm. But he also added …

MILLER:  As we have said before, Israel has a right to go after the Hamas terrorists responsible for the cold blooded murder of civilians, as appears to have been Israel's aim here, and Hamas should stop hiding behind civilians in Gaza.

The White House has opposed a large-scale military operation in Rafah, but so far it says Israel has not carried out the expected major ground incursion.

Trump trial » A jury in Manhattan heard closing arguments Tuesday as Donald Trump’s business fraud trial nears its conclusion.

Prosecutors accused the former president of business fraud ahead of the 2016 election as he tried to silence an alleged extramarital affair.

Trump’s attorneys argued that he did nothing wrong and told jurors that the prosecution’s star witness Michael Cohen had lied to them.

And the former president made his closing argument to reporters at the courthouse.

TRUMP:  This is all election hunting, election interfering. It's going after Joe Biden's political opponent because he can't do it himself and they're helping out and we have a judge who is highly conflicted. He happens to be corrupt.

The jury is set to begin deliberating today, and jurors could hand down their verdict by the end of the week.

Trump gag order denied in documents case » Meanwhile, a federal judge in a separate case against Trump has rejected prosecutors’ request to place a gag order on the former president. WORLD’s Mark Mellinger has more.

MARK MELLINGER: Judge Aileen Cannon is overseeing a case accusing Trump of mishandling classified documents.

Special counsel Jack Smith wanted Cannon to bar Trump from making inflammatory comments about law enforcement officials involved in the case.

The request came after Trump criticized the FBI for having the ability to use deadly force when it raided his Mar-a-Lago resort home in 2022, with his campaign claiming in some fundraising emails that he “nearly escaped death.”

But the policy is standard FBI protocol for searches… and was also in place during classified document searches of President Biden’s homes and offices.

It actually limits agents’ use of deadly force… unless they or someone else is in imminent danger of death or serious physical harm.

The judge rejected Smith’s request, saying he should have made a meaningful effort to work it out with Trump’s lawyers before seeking the gag order.

For WORLD, I’m Mark Mellinger.

Australia PM on Papua NG tragedy, fears of 2nd slide, disease » Villagers in Papua New Guinea digging through mud trying to recover the bodies of those buried by Friday’s massive landslide.

The UN estimates close to 700 villagers died, while Papua New Guinea’s government thinks more than 2,000 were buried alive.

And now, Nicholas Booth of the UN Development Program says there are fears a second landslide could be coming.

BOOTH: This was not only a very significant landslide, but the terrain is continuing to move. So my team that were actually at the site yesterday, they said they could even feel the ground moving under them and the ground moving around them.

Another concern is the possible outbreak of disease as rubble and rot mix with the area’s water supply.

Papua New Guinea’s nearest neighbor, Australia, is helping with evacuations and recovery efforts.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: Highlights from the Libertarian National Convention on Washington Wednesday. Plus, World Tour.

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