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Manila Bulletin devider World devider Leaders of France, Germany and Britain endorse push for ceasefire in Gaza

Leaders of France, Germany and Britain endorse push for ceasefire in Gaza

Published Aug 13, 2024 02:10 am

CEASEFIRE PHOTO.jpg

NOWHERE TO GO – A displaced Palestinian woman flees from Hamad City, following an evacuation order by the Israeli army to leave parts of the southern area of Khan Younis, Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

 

The leaders of France, Germany and Britain, in a joint statement, have endorsed the latest push by mediators United States, Qatar, and Egypt to broker an agreement to end the 10-month Israel-Hamas war. 

They also called for the return of scores of hostages held by Hamas and the “unfettered” delivery of humanitarian aid.

Mediators have spent months trying to get the sides to agree to a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the remaining hostages captured in its Oct. 7 attack in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and Israel would withdraw from Gaza. Talks have been expected to resume Thursday.

The statement was signed by French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. 

It also called on Iran and its allies to refrain from any retaliatory attacks that would further escalate regional tensions after the killing of two senior militants last month in Beirut and Tehran.

 

UNSC meeting 

The U.N. Security Council is set to meet Tuesday to discuss Gaza in the wake of this weekend’s Israeli airstrike on a school that was being used as a shelter, and the world body’s leader is calling the strike “devastating.”

Secretary-General António Guterres made that remark and condemned “the continued loss of life in Gaza” in a post Monday on the social media platform X.

Algeria called for the urgent Security Council meeting after missiles hit the school Saturday. Gaza’s Health Ministry said at least 80 people were killed, without saying whether any were fighters. Israel says 31 were militants.

 

Do not attack Israel

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday called on Iran not to attack Israel during a 30-minute phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

“The Prime Minister said that he was deeply concerned by the situation in the region and called on all parties to de-escalate and avoid further regional confrontation,” his office said in a statement. “He called on Iran to refrain from attacking Israel, adding that war was not in anyone’s interests.”

Starmer also emphasized his commitment to an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza, adding that the parties should focus on diplomatic negotiations to achieve these goals.

He also called on Iran to give necessary medical care to any foreign detainees.

The two leaders agreed that constructive dialogue between the UK and Iran was in both countries’ interests. Starmer said this could only happen if Iran stopped “destabilizing actions, including threats against individuals in the UK,” and did not provide further aid to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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