May 22, 2024 Israel-Hamas war

Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered the opening of an embassy in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said Wednesday.

Murillo told reporters the move is part of the foreign policy objective Petro is promoting together with other governments to recognize a Palestinian state.

“Colombia had already recognized Palestine as a state in previous governments, in the government of President (Juan Manuel) Santos, and President Petro has given the instruction that we install the Colombian embassy in Ramallah, the Colombian representation in Ramallah. That is the next step we are going to take,” he said.

The announcement was made hours after Spain, Ireland and Norway said they would recognize a Palestinian state, and weeks after Petro announced that Colombia would break diplomatic relations with Israel over its actions in Gaza.

Murillo reiterated Wednesday that Colombia condemns the aggressions of Hamas, but rejects Israel's response. He also argued that the intention to open an embassy in Ramallah is not a measure against Israel but rather in favor of the two states.

“More and more countries are going to recognize Palestine, and this is nothing against Israel or the people of Israel or the Jews, but rather the United Nations agreed, in the context of the Oslo Accords, to create a two-state solution. And so, if you need two states, you obviously require that Palestine be recognized as a full state,” he said. 

It's unclear when a Colombian embassy in Ramallah would open and what steps would need to be taken to do so.

CNN has reached out to the Israeli embassy in Colombia for comment.

Spain, Norway and Ireland on Wednesday announced plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the countries of supporting terror and Foreign Minister Israel Katz ordered the immediate recall of its ambassadors from those countries.

The recognition will come into force on May 28.

Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin said Ireland's decision followed "growing impatience" with Israel's lack of political will for a two-state solution. 

Here's what else you should know:

More on the Palestinian recognition announcement

• The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering further diplomatic steps like canceling visits by officials from these countries to Israel and revoking visas.
• Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide rejected Israel's characterization that the decision to recognize Palestinian statehood rewarded Hamas. Eide called the move "an anti-Hamas measure" instead.
• A top White House aide acknowledged concern about Israel’s potentially growing diplomatic isolation amid its latest spat with the three countries. Also, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan criticized Israel for withholding funds for the Palestinian Authority after the announcement.

Newly released hostage footage

• Families of seven female Israeli soldiers captured by Hamas during the October 7 attacks have released graphic footage of their abduction as they pile pressure on Netanyahu's government to secure their release.
• The prime minister and other Israeli leaders said they were horrified by the video. Netanyahu said Israel will “continue doing everything to bring them home."

More Palestinian deaths:

• An Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin killed at least 11 Palestinians, according to an updated death toll from officials.

Other developments in the United States

• House Speaker Mike Johnson said he spoke with Netanyahu on Wednesday and lawmakers are working to coordinate a date for the Israeli leader to give a joint address to Congress.
• The Biden administration rejected criticism of US humanitarian efforts amid reports that aid from a US-build pier off the coast of Gaza hasn’t been delivered to the broader Palestinian population. 
• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called Egypt a "critical partner" in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas — but he did not comment specifically on CNN's reporting that Cairo ultimately scuttled a deal by quietly changing the terms of the proposal.
• Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, in a call with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, reiterated the US's objections to the International Criminal Court seeking arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. He also "encouraged the Israeli government to conclude talks with Egypt to reopen Rafah Crossing and resume the flow of aid from Egypt through Kerem Shalom,"according to a readout from the Defense Department.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said he spoke to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this afternoon and they are working to coordinate a date for the Israeli leader to give a joint address to Congress.

“Our formal letter will go out this week. And I'm happy to tell you that I think Chuck Schumer will be co-signing the letter that's been a long time awaited, we've been awaiting that for since mid-March. But I think he'll sign on now. And then we'll find a time that's convenient for the prime minister and we're happy to host him,” Johnson told reporters. 

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considering further diplomatic steps against Norway, Ireland and Spain after they declared their intention to recognize a Palestinian state, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Steps under consideration include canceling visits by officials from these countries to Israel and revoking visas from the countries' diplomats, which would limit their ability to visit areas in the West Bank under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

Israel is also considering reaching out to the United States to seek diplomatic support in providing clarification from Norway, Ireland and Spain on their intended decision, and to ask the US to try and convince other countries not to follow suit.

An Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin killed at least 11 Palestinian people, according to an updated death toll from officials.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah said Israelis killed 10 Palestinians, adding that 25 people have been injured, with four of them injured seriously.

In addition, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said crews recovered one more dead person from Haifa Street in Jenin after receiving a report of injuries.

The PRCS said the victim was taken to the hospital and that the area around Haifa Street site was being searched for other possible victims.

Since October 7 of last year, 517 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and Jerusalem, according to Palestinian officials.

Ireland's decision to formally recognize a Palestinian state came amid "growing impatience" with Israel's lack of political will for a two-state solution, the country's Foreign Minister Micheál Martin said Wednesday. 

"The integrity of that two-state solution has been undermined in recent years by the strategy of the Israeli government and, particularly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has declared opposition to it," Martin told CNN's Richard Quest.

Martin also said that Netanyahu "hasn't really dealt with the violent settlers" in the West Bank, who continue to attack Palestinians. 

"There is a growing impatience with the lack of any political will on behalf of Israel toward a political track and toward realizing that in our view, a two-state solution is the only way that Israelis and Palestinians can live in harmony side by side," he added. "There cannot just be a military solution to such a complex issue."

Martin acknowledged however, that within the European Union "there are different perspectives on this, some for historic reasons," but "there are a lot of like-minded states within the European Union that have been engaged on this issue." 

Alongside Ireland, Spain and Norway also announced plans on Wednesday to formally recognize a Palestinian state next week.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson is set to speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, days after the International Criminal Court announced it is seeking an arrest warrant for the Israeli leader.

Ahead of the call, Johnson said he spoke with Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and agreed to sign the invitation for Netanyahu to address a joint session of Congress. 

Johnson said House Republican leaders are getting down to the “fine points” on how to respond to the ICC. Johnson confirmed Monday they were looking at sanctions in response to the decision.

“Very clearly, this is a great threat to the international community and to our allies, and to us, ultimately, as explained earlier, so we're getting down to the fine points of that. And hopefully it will be a bipartisan bill and that everybody will be able to stand together on that. I think we need to start to send a strong message to the world that this is completely, wildly inappropriate, and we're not going to stand for it," Johnson said.

Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Michael McCaul, the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, said he plans to speak with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday about legislation to sanction the international tribunal.

Remember: The ICC is seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders: Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, the leader of the Al Qassem Brigades who is better known as Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political leader.

CNN's Morgan Rimmer, Ivana Kottasová, Madalena Araujo and Lauren Fox contributed to this post.

This post has been updated with additional information.

A top White House aide acknowledged concern on Wednesday about Israel’s potentially growing diplomatic isolation amid its latest spat with several European countries after they moved to recognize a Palestinian state. 

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that the situation raises concern for Israel's security.

“I think it's a fair question. As a country that stands strong in defense of Israel in international forums like the United Nations, we certainly have seen a growing chorus of voices, including voices that had previously been in support of Israel drift in another direction,” Sullivan said. “That is of concern to us because we do not believe that that contributes to Israel's long term security or vitality.”

Sullivan, who travelled to Israel and other countries in the Middle East this past weekend, said that it was an issue that he discussed with the Israeli government. 

“That's something that we discussed with the Israeli government and something that we believe that a strategic approach to defeating Hamas, protecting civilians surging humanitarian assistance, and then pursuing that vision of regional integration I just talked about, will put Israel in the best stead to engage countries around the world and revitalize a lot of the partnerships and friendships that have been a source of great strength for Israel overtime and can be again," Sullivan said.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide rejected Israel's characterization that the decision to recognize Palestinian statehood rewards Hamas.

“We’re a friend of Israel. We want to remain a good partner with Israel, but we also make our own decisions based on what we think is right," Eide told CNN's Becky Anderson during an interview Wednesday. 

The recognition of a Palestinian state will come into force in Norway, along with Ireland and Spain, on May 28.

Eide called remarks from Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz — who said the decision awards "a gold medal" to Hamas — "absolutely wrong."

"We are sending the opposite signal," Eide said. "We are supporting the Palestine Authorities which spring out of the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization], who renounce violence and who many decades ago promised to leave the violent struggle behind and work for peaceful settlement with Israel—a promise they have kept by the way."

The foreign minister also called the move "an anti-Hamas measure."

“What we are strengthening are the forces in the region and in Palestine who believe in peace with Israel and who detest the work of Iran and its proxies, Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis," he added.