Israel-Hamas ceasefire talks ‘at advanced stage’
- Al Jazeera sources say negotiations, mediated by Qatar, on a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas are “progressing and at an advanced stage”.
- Only a “handful” of aid convoys have been allowed into Gaza and the situation for besieged and bombed Palestinians is spiraling out of control, says Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the UN’s Palestine refugees agency. “Gaza is being strangled.”
Heavy Israeli bombardment of Gaza as US ambassador speaks
Explosions are lighting up the sky in Gaza, as Israeli forces began a heavy bombing raid of the Palestinian enclave, just as Linda Thomas-Greenfield spoke at the UN.
While she spoke about the need for Palestinian lives to be protected, the US has been fully supportive of Israel’s bombardment.
More from the US ambassador at UNGA
“As you’ve noticed, two keywords are missing from the resolution before us. The first is ‘Hamas’. It is outrageous that this resolution fails to name the perpetrators of the October 7 terrorist attack.
“Another key word missing in this resolution is ‘hostage’. This resolution makes no mention of the innocent people, including citizens of many of you here today.”
“These are omissions of evil, and they give cover to, and they empower Hamas’s brutality, and no member state should allow that to happen.”
“That is why we have co-sponsored an amendment by Canada that corrects these glaring omissions; this amendment is straightforward and is unobjectionable.”
US ambassador to the UN addresses General Assembly
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, addressed the General Assembly ahead of an emergency vote on the conflict, here is what she said so far:
“There is no justification for terror. None whatsoever. You all know that and we must condemn Hamas’s acts of terror. Hamas’s goals are single-minded and they’re sickening; they’re determined to destroy Israel and kill Jews.”
“The lives of Palestinians must be protected – the lives of UN personnel and humanitarian workers and journalists must be protected.
“We mourn the loss of every single innocent life in this crisis, every single one. We must not look away, and we must not become numb to the pain and the suffering of people like [Al Jazeera’s] Wael Dahdouh, a Palestinian journalist whose wife, son, daughter and grandson were killed in Gaza with week.
“The United States has made clear in public and private conversations that as Israel exercises its right – and indeed its responsibility – to defend its people against the terrorist group, it must do so in line with the rules of war.”
Hamas rejects Israeli accusation of hospitals as ‘operation centres’
Hamas has rejected the Israeli military’s accusation of turning hospitals into “operation centres” to carry out its attacks on Israel.
A senior member of the Hamas political bureau, Izzat al-Rishq, said, “There’s no basis in truth in what the spokesman of the enemy army stated.”
Israel is making the claims to “pave the way for a new massacre to be committed against our people”, al-Rishq added.
‘Catastrophic’: Qatar calls for full ceasefire and prisoner release
Qatar has called for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all prisoners in the Gaza war.
“The Israeli attacks against innocent civilians have become catastrophic and could spiral in a manner that threatens the region and the world. We express deep regret of the UN Security Council’s failure to take responsibility under its charter,” said Sheikha Alya Ahmed Saif Al Thani, Qatar’s ambassador to the UN.
“We renew our calls for de-escalation, a full ceasefire, and the release of all prisoners – particularly civilians. We reaffirm our condemnation of all forms of targeting civilians, particularly women and children.”
People with disabilities not spared by Israel’s war machine on Gaza Strip
Heba Abu Jazar cannot hear the sound of the bombs exploding, but she can feel their intensity deeply.
Jazar and her two brothers were born deaf, but the magnitude of the blasts can be felt in the vibrations of the doors and windows in their home in the southern city of Rafah.
“I thank God that my parents are not deaf, so they can tell us whether we are safe or in danger and save us from death,” Jazar told Al Jazeera.
Analyst pumps the brakes on Israel-Hamas ceasefire reports
As reports emerge of a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, one analyst says it’s too soon to be sure about what is happening.
“I think we have to be careful not to raise expectations too much. The moment you speak about a ceasefire it becomes complicated,” Sultan Barakat from Hamad Bin Khalifa University told Al Jazeera.
“A ceasefire requires a monitoring mechanism, it requires a third party to verify the actions, and – very importantly – a side as a guarantor. Qatar can potentially play that role.
“They are definitely talking, but they need to come up with a formula to verify the ceasefire. It is the one conflict in the world where there is no third party coming in between.
“There has been repeated calls for UN forces to be deployed to Gaza, both to protect civilians and act as a verifier, always refused by Israel. To talk about a ceasefire in exchange for captives, we’ll have to be careful,” Barakat said.
