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Gaza: Arab FMs meet in Riyadh

Attendees included UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry, and Jordan’s Ayman Al-Safadi….reports Asian Lite News

The foreign ministers of the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan convened in Riyadh for consultations on the situation in Gaza Strip amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

Attendees included UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry, and Jordan’s Ayman Al-Safadi.

The ministers were welcomed at King Khaled International Airport by Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji.

In their meeting, the ministers emphasized the need to end the war on the Gaza Strip, reach an immediate and complete ceasefire, ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and lift all restrictions that impede the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave.

They expressed their support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), urging all its supporters to play their role in supporting humanitarian missions for Palestinian refugees.

They also stressed the importance of taking irreversible steps to implement the two-state solution and recognize the state of Palestine on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant international resolutions, reiterating that Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and expressing their categorical rejection for all forced displacement operations.

Peace deal with Saudi Arabia

Israel President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday afternoon met at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is visiting Israel and the region.

President Herzog thanked Blinken and the Biden Administration for their support saying, “President Biden has been a longstanding friend of the State of Israel, he cares for its security, and is following in the footsteps of giants such as President Harry Truman, in understanding that the bond between Israel and the United States serves both nations and serves the national interests of the United States of America. And I’m very grateful and honoured to repeat our gratitude again.”

Herzog went on to describe the current situation faced by Israelis held hostage in Gaza as “dire” and that, “clearly Hamas is violating every rule of human behaviour in this respect.”

“We do not have a war with the citizens of Gaza, added Herzog. “We have a war with Hamas.”

Herzog also said that he hopes there is a “ray of hope” there will be normalization of ties between Israel and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Secretly Blinken responded that he “very much” appreciates Israel’s emphasis on the “imperative of protecting civilians and providing humanitarian assistance to those in need” in Gaza.

On the Arab world, Blinken said that from his visits to various countries he believes there is “a very positive, powerful future that is possible, that genuinely integrates Israel into the region and addresses its most profound security needs to be able to live in peace and genuine security.

UAE maritime hospital sails to aid Gazans

The UAE has set sail a fully integrated maritime hospital for Al Arish, Egypt, to provide necessary medical support to the Palestinian people.

This initiative aligns with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to provide all forms of support and assistance to the people of the Gaza Strip, as part of the Gallant Knight 3 humanitarian operation.

The hospital, which sailed from Khalifa Port and is being established in cooperation with the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) and AD Ports Group, includes a medical and administrative staff of 100 people from various specialities, including anaesthesia, general surgery, orthopaedics, and emergency medicine, as well as nurses and paramedics.

The hospital has a capacity of 100 beds, as well as operating and intensive care rooms, a radiology unit, a laboratory, a pharmacy, and medical warehouses, in addition to an evacuation helicopter, a medical evacuation boat, and ambulances equipped with the latest medical equipment.

The maritime hospital is an additional step complementing the operations of the 200-bed UAE field hospital, which was inaugurated on 3rd December, 2023, with a medical staff of 64 volunteers from 17 nationalities, including 48 men and 16 women. The UAE field hospital has performed more than 555 major and delicate surgeries, and has treated over 4,038 cases during the past months.

ALSO READ: UAE welcomes 10th group of wounded Palestinians

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Biden in Michigan amid rising Arab-American rage

This development carries potential significance for Biden, especially in swing states like Michigan, crucial for the upcoming November election …reports Asian Lite News

US President Joe Biden’s recent visit to Michigan, a pivotal swing state, highlighted growing discontent within the Arab-American community regarding his policies on the Israel-Hamas conflict. The trip followed a notable snub to the Democratic incumbent’s campaign manager in Dearborn, home to the largest concentration of Arab Americans in the country.

This development carries potential significance for Biden, especially in swing states like Michigan, crucial for the upcoming November election where he is anticipated to face a rematch with former President Donald Trump.

The White House emphasised that Thursday’s visit was strictly part of the campaign trail, focusing on engaging with members of the influential United Auto Workers (UAW) union, who recently endorsed Biden. This move is strategic, given Michigan’s status as a hub for the US auto industry.

However, Biden must navigate the Arab-American community’s dissatisfaction as the Israel-Hamas conflict persists. Nearly five months after Hamas’ October 7 assault on southern Israel, Biden’s unwavering support for Israel has strained relations with Muslim and Middle Eastern communities traditionally aligned with the Democratic Party.

The undisclosed location of Biden’s visit in the Detroit area took an unexpected turn as pro-Palestinian demonstrators, expressing anger over the president’s stance on the Israel-Hamas war, gathered near the UAW hall.

Biden’s commitment to providing full backing to Israel and seeking additional military aid from Congress to combat Hamas in the Gaza Strip has left many feeling betrayed. Critics accuse the president of sacrificing civilians in Gaza, contributing to a humanitarian crisis.

The Gaza health ministry, run by Hamas, reported over 27,000 casualties in the fighting, a figure disputed and including 10,000 Hamas militants, according to Israel. The United Nations has warned of significant displacement among the enclave’s 2.3 million residents.

While the White House acknowledged Biden’s concern for the suffering of innocent Palestinians, his decision to impose sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians coincided with his Michigan visit. As the president treads carefully in this complex geopolitical landscape, his approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict continues to shape domestic sentiments and impact key electoral dynamics.

Hamas leaders in Cairo

 A delegation of senior leaders of Hamas, led by its political head Ismael Haniyeh, has reached the Egyptian capital of Cairo for peace talks to end the ongoing war with Israel in Gaza strip.

The delegation, also comprising senior leaders Moosa Abu Marzook and Khalil al Hayya, reached Cairo on Thursday and held meetings with the Egyptian officials led by its intelligence chief, Major General Abbas Kamel.

The discussions, according to sources in Egypt, are centered around the peace talks that have been underway at Paris during last week in which Qatar, Egypt, the US and Israeli officials had participated.

According to the Paris discussions, a broader framework for release of hostages in the custody of Hamas has been agreed under which 35 hostages would be released in the first step that include old, sick and women prisoners. While the Hamas wanted a permanent stoppage of the war, Israel had rejected the proposal outrightly.

The Israel side, according to sources in Israel Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), has agreed for a six week truce in the first step wherein 35 hostages would be released.

While Hamas wanted a large number of Palestinians in Israel prisons to be exchanged for the Israeli hostages, Israel has not agreed.

Israel, according to officials, has said that it would release three times the number of Israeli hostages who will be released.

In a one week peace truce between Israel and Hamas from November 24 to December 1, 105 hostages held by Hamas were released.

A total of 324 Palestinian prisoners, including women and children ,were released from Israeli prisons as exchange for the Israeli hostages.

ALSO READ: GCC banks set to thrive in 2024, UAE, Saudi lead: S&P

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Sheikh Mohammed tours Arab Health 2024

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed also highlighted public-private partnerships as a major contributor to the enhanced efficiency of the country’s healthcare sector….reports Asian Lite News

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai today toured the 49th edition of Arab Health, the largest healthcare exhibition in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

During the tour, His Highness said that a comprehensive medical system and collaboration between local and federal government entities in the UAE, as also the private sector, have ensured that citizens and residents alike enjoy access to the best healthcare services.

His Highness also highlighted public-private partnerships as a major contributor to the enhanced efficiency of the country’s healthcare sector, bolstering its overall competitiveness and supporting its growth with cutting-edge technologies, advanced facilities and highly qualified personnel. These advancements contribute to the overall well-being of society, ensuring the best of health and quality of life for one and all.

Sheikh Mohammed said that providing best-in-class healthcare services ranks high among the UAE’s development priorities along with the happiness and wellbeing of its people, with these plans serving not only UAE residents but people from all around the region and, indeed, every corner of the world. Arab Health provides an ideal platform to share successful experiences and practices in this regard, His Highness said welcoming exhibitors and attendees who have flocked to Dubai to share ideas and learn about the latest advancements in the medical field.

Being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 29 January until 1 February 2024, the exhibition features over 3,400 exhibitors, more than 40 international pavilions, and over 180 participating countries. Visitors to the event have an incomparable opportunity to network, learn about cutting-edge healthcare technology and new medical insights, and strike up meaningful business connections.

His Highness visited pavilions of Siemens Healthineers, Cleveland Clinic, Canon, and Pure Health where he was briefed about the latest services and products offered by the companies. He also visited the Italian pavilion at the exhibition.

Arab Health 2024 features nine distinct sectors, namely Medical Equipment Devices, Disposables Consumer Goods, Orthopaedics Physiotherapy, Imaging Diagnostics, Healthcare General Services, IT Systems Solutions, Healthcare Infrastructure Assets, Wellness Prevention and Healthcare Transformation.

Arab Health advances healthcare sustainability

The Smart Hospital and Interoperability Zone at Arab Health 2024 began this morning with a high-level panel discussion on environmental sustainability in Middle Eastern healthcare. This pivotal session brought together industry leaders and experts to explore strategies for integrating sustainability into the region’s healthcare systems.

In 2023, the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), the regulatory authority for healthcare in the Emirate, set out ambitious healthcare sustainability goals. These objectives aim to reduce carbon emissions by 20 percent by 2030 and achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. The initiative aims to establish a clear roadmap for sustainable healthcare progress, fostering alignment across the ecosystem.

During the session, Jacqui Rock, Chief Commercial Officer of the National Health Service (NHS) England, said, “It is about working hand in hand with innovative suppliers, and embracing the phenomenal MedTech out there. While the new technology coming out is mind-blowing, we must always ask how this technology will affect sustainability and the greener agenda. This is something in the NHS we are pushing hard for.”

Con McGarry, Senior Consultant, Arcadia Health, said, “How do you demonstrate to people that the actions they are putting in have a visible impact? We should be collecting all the data into a central performance management system to enable meaningful conversations about what we are doing and whether we are doing it correctly and taking the correct actions.”

Richard Cantlay, Global Healthcare Leader, Mott MacDonald, stated, “This is a cycle that needs to be broken. When you stand back and think about the narrative, which is that health systems are leading to climate change, which is giving people poor health, which is, in turn, increasing demand – it is obvious that healthcare systems need to deal with the issue of sustainability.”

The organisers of Arab Health, Informa Markets, have made several additions to the exhibition to make it more sustainable, including utilising renewable electricity, notably decreasing the event’s carbon footprint. Additionally, a range of eco-friendly practices have been introduced, such as endorsing public transportation through marketing channels and implementing digital solutions like digital badges and paperless registration to minimise material waste. The introduction of the Better Stands programme has further incentivised exhibitors and partners to embrace reusable stand structures.

Arab Health 2024, which continues until Thursday 1st February 2024 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, will showcase groundbreaking technologies at the Smart Hospital and Interoperability Zone, offering immersive demonstrations highlighting the seamless integration of cutting-edge medical equipment and various technologies. Partnering with Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, the Zone features four demonstration rooms spotlighting advancements in labour and delivery, intensive care, and more.

Among the innovative exhibitors at the Zone is e4life, a joint venture between Italian ELT Group and Australian Lendlease, showcasing a device that protects against respiratory viruses with over 90 percent efficacy by instantly sanitising the surrounding area. Additionally, CareCloud is showcasing a therapy solutions suite that streamlines the entire therapy workflow, enhancing patient engagement and boosting operational efficiency.

Arab Health 2024 anticipates a global audience with over 3,450 exhibitors and over 110,000 healthcare professional visitors from 180 countries.

The event is supported by various government entities, including the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention, the Government of Dubai, the Dubai Health Authority, the Department of Health, and the Dubai Healthcare City Authority.

ALSO READ: ‘Systematic campaign’ against UNRWA: Arab League

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Israel Must Respect International Law: Saudi FM

The Saudi official said that Saudi Arabia, along with other Arab states, will continue to exert pressure to protect the Palestinian people, Xinhua news agency reported….reports Asian Lite News

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud has urged Israel to respect international law.

He made the remarks on Sunday during a joint press conference with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry in Cairo, in which both called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and aid to reach those in need, according to Saudi state-owned Al Arabiya News channel.

The Saudi official said that Saudi Arabia, along with other Arab states, will continue to exert pressure to protect the Palestinian people, Xinhua news agency reported.

Speaking of Israel’s rejection of the ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, he stressed that international laws and international humanitarian laws should be as applicable to Israel as to others.

The ICJ on Friday ordered Israel to take all possible measures within its power to prevent genocide acts against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The orders, according to the court, are legally binding.

The court, however, did not order Israel to suspend its military operations in Gaza, one of the main requests submitted by South Africa, while also calling on Hamas to release all Israeli hostages.

ALSO READ: Saudi: No Normalisation Without Palestinian State

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Gaza: Arab League Holds Emergency Meeting

Mariam Khalifa Al Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, headed the UAE delegation

UAE Ambassador Mariam Khalifa Al Kaabi affirmed that the UAE continues to mobilise efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip….reports Asian Lite News

The United Arab Emirates participated in an extraordinary meeting of the Arab League Council regarding Palestine, which was held in Cairo, Egypt.

Mariam Khalifa Al Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League, headed the UAE delegation.

In her speech at the Arab League headquarters, Ambassador Al Kaabi affirmed that the UAE continues to mobilise efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Al Kaabi underscored the UAE’s dedication to provide protection for civilians, extend humanitarian aid, and collaborate with partners to work towards a comprehensive peace solution.

During her address, Al Kaabi highlighted the proactive stance of the UAE’s leadership, which has engaged in numerous diplomatic and humanitarian initiatives in support of the Palestinian cause.

She emphasised the success of the UAE’s non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council, during which resolutions 2712 and 2720 were adopted.

Al Kaabi highlighted that the UAE strongly condemns Israel’s policy of collective punishment against Palestinians and reiterated the UAE’s rejection of any attempts to displace them. She stressed the nation’s unwavering focus on safeguarding civilian lives, providing essential relief and medical aid to Gaza residents, and preventing further escalation that could threaten regional stability.

The extraordinary meeting, at the level of permanent representatives of member states in the Arab League and convened at the request of Palestine with the backing of Arab countries, discussed Israeli actions against the Palestinian people. Discussions also centred on potential political, legal, and economic measures to be supported within the Arab League framework.

The meeting highlighted the escalating Israeli offenses in the West Bank, the systematic destruction of infrastructure in Palestinian refugee camps, daily raids in dozens of cities, villages, and camps, the killing and injuring of hundreds of Palestinian citizens, the demolition of homes, and the inhumane detention of thousands.

Qatar’s new peace initiatives

Qatar, the chief negotiator in the Israel-Hamas war, has said it is getting replies from both Israel and the Hamas as it engages in serious discussions with them to find a new solution to end the war that includes a two-state formula.

The war has so far killed over 20,000 Palestinians and 2,000 Israeli soldiers in a span of over 100 days.

Qatar said it’s engaged in “serious discussions” with Israel and Hamas and is receiving “constant replies” from both sides. But statements made by Israeli officials “lead to a harder mediation process”, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Majed Al-Ansari, said in a news conference on Tuesday.

“Obviously, when one side says they don’t accept the two state-solution and that they won’t stop this war eventually… it leads to a harder mediation process,” Al-Ansari pointed out.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected global calls, including from the US, for Palestinian sovereignty following talks with US President Joe Biden about Gaza’s future, suggesting Israel’s security needs would be incompatible with Palestinian statehood.

Communication breakdown and the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza has impacted the talks from yielding results, media reports said.

But mediation is in full swing with Qatar exchanging ideas between both sides, Al-Ansari said.

“Our negotiators are working around the clock to exchange these ideas, a lot of these media reports are either missing elements or completely false,” he said in response to news reports that Israel offered a two-month ceasefire to Hamas as part of a prospective hostage deal.

Meanwhile, the situation around the Khan Younis hospitals is deteriorating amid intense shelling, the United Nations said.

The UN says that the situation at hospitals in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza has deteriorated as Israeli military operations in the area have expanded, CNN reported from Gaza.

“Reportedly, Israeli forces struck the vicinity of Al-Amal hospital and the ambulance headquarters, as intense fighting continued in the area, including dozens of casualties,” the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday, adding that it estimated that “13,000 displaced people who have taken shelter in Al Amal Hospital and the PRCS [Palestinian Red Crescent Society] headquarters were unable to leave”.

OCHA cited humanitarian partners as saying that people in the vicinity and in the Al Kheir area east of Al Mawasi had lost access to the health facility, reports said.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claimed that it had surrounded Khan Younis and instructed civilians to leave several districts and move towards the coast, which it described was “safer”.

Roads leading to Al-Amal hospital were closed due to ongoing shooting by IDF in Khan Younis, the PRCS said on Tuesday. Separately, the UN relief agency in Gaza said that one of its shelters in the Khan Younis area had been hit.

At least six displaced people were killed and many more injured during intense fighting around the shelter. Terrified staff, patients and displaced people are now trapped inside the few remaining hospitals in Khan Younis as heavy fighting continues,” the agency’s director, Phillipe Lazzarini, said on X.

ALSO READ: Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector attracts national talents

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‘Two-State Solution Vital for Israel-Palestine Peace’

He has also asked the Israelis that peace and stability cannot be built only by military means…reports Asian Lite News

The EU’s Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell on Monday said that Israel cannot build peace only by military means and a two-state solution is the only way forward to resolve the Palestine conflict, media reports said.

Reports said that Josep Borrell has repeated the condemnation from the United Nations of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “unacceptable” rejection of calls for a Palestinian state after the offensive in Gaza.

“What we want to do is to build a two-state solution. So let’s talk about it,” Borrell told media persons ahead of his mediatory talks with the foreign ministers of various Arab nations.

He has also asked the Israelis that peace and stability cannot be built only by military means.

“Which are the other solutions they have in mind? To make all the Palestinians leave? To kill them off?” Borrell said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has completely refused the two-state solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict proposed by various mediators.

ALSO READ-UK’s chief rabbi says Israel ‘genocide’ claims false

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South Africa files against Israel at UN court

South Africa urged the UN court to take “provisional measures” to “protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people under the Genocide Convention.”…reports Asian Lite News

South Africa filed a case on Friday in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Israel for its “genocidal” acts in Gaza.

The case claims “alleged violations by Israel of its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the ‘Genocide Convention’) in relation to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,” according to an ICJ press release.

In its application to the UN court, South Africa said that “acts and omissions by Israel … are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent … to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group.”

South Africa also said that “the conduct of Israel — through its State organs, State agents, and other persons and entities acting on its instructions or under its direction, control or influence — in relation to Palestinians in Gaza, is in violation of its obligations under the Genocide Convention.”

“Israel, since 7 October 2023 in particular, has failed to prevent genocide and has failed to prosecute the direct and public incitement to genocide” and that “Israel has engaged in, is engaging in and risks further engaging in genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” said the South African application.

South Africa urged the UN court to take “provisional measures” to “protect against further, severe and irreparable harm to the rights of the Palestinian people under the Genocide Convention.”

It also called on the ICJ for measures “to ensure Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention not to engage in genocide, and to prevent and to punish genocide.”

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It was established by the UN Charter in June 1945 and began its activities in April 1946.

ALSO READ-WHO sounds warning on Sudan health crisis

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‘Oslo Accords are now dead’

President Clinton, Yitzhak Rabin, and Yasir Arafat at the signing ceremony for the Oslo Accord, on September 13, 1993. (Photo: William J. Clinton Presidential Library)

Norwegian peace worker Jan Egeland says, 30 years later, with a new bloody war raging between Israel and Hamas in Gaza the accords were “pretty much dead”…reports Asian Lite News

The Oslo Accords, which aimed to bring “peaceful coexistence” to Israel and the Palestinians, are now dead, one of the deal’s architects, said Norwegian peace worker Jan Egeland.

The agreement produced the iconic image of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin shaking hands Sept. 13, 1993, on the White House lawn as President Bill Clinton watched.

It was the start of a delicate process: Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization mutually recognized each other and created Palestinian self-government for an interim period of five years.

The aim was to give the two sides enough time to iron out several key issues, such as the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, and the fate of Palestinian refugees — a process that struggled to make headway.

Now, 30 years later, with a new bloody war raging between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Egeland was asked whether the accords were “pretty much dead.” “Absolutely,” he said in an interview in his office in the Norwegian capital.

“The Oslo Accords are gone as an accord. Now, there will be another accord, and it will have to be led by the US, the EU, and the Arab countries.”

The accords were the culmination of 14 rounds of secret talks in Oslo, initiated and organized by, among others, Egeland, who was, at the time, a state secretary in the Foreign Ministry.

International mediation is the only viable way out of the conflict for the 66-year-old former diplomat who now heads the Norwegian Refugee Council humanitarian organization.

“It’s not possible for Israel and Hamas to negotiate the future of these lands (alone). There will be zero trust,” he said. “Israel has waged (war) to destroy Hamas. Hamas is there to eliminate Israel.”

He said the “leaderships on either side are not at all at the level they were at the time of the Oslo Accords.” Egeland said: “Those were visionary leaders, they were strong leaders, really leaders. Now we have populists on both sides.”

Pictures hanging on the wall behind Egeland show him shaking hands with Arafat and US President George Herbert Walker Bush.

The current conflict erupted on Oct. 7 when Hamas fighters broke through Gaza’s militarized border in an attack Israeli officials said killed about 1,200 people.

Israel’s retaliatory strikes alongside a ground offensive have killed about 15,000 people.

“After this, there will be so much bitterness and hatred on both sides that there will be more violence,” Egeland said. “It’s an illusion that Israel can bomb itself to security and peace.

“It is an illusion that by killing Israeli civilians, as (Hamas) did massively, and taking civilians as hostages (that) you can solve the problem of Israel existing.” But the international community is not up to the task, he lamented.

Iran urges permanent truce

Meanwhile, Iran on Monday called for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza to stop Israel’s “crimes” in the territory as the truce between Israel and Hamas entered its final day.

With the four-day truce is approaching its scheduled end early Tuesday, Hamas has said it is willing to extend the pause and free more hostages.

The pause that began Friday has seen dozens of hostages freed, with over 100 Palestinian prisoners released by Israel in return.

“As the Islamic Republic of Iran, we want and expect… that the crimes of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people will be stopped completely,” said Nasser Kanani, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman.

Kanani told reporters during his weekly press conference that Iran is “following” the extension of the truce “with the regional party active in this field, the state of Qatar.”

Iran’s Foreign Minster Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was on a visit to the Qatari capital Doha on Thursday.

“One of the main goals of the ongoing negotiations and efforts is to ensure that the existing temporary cease-fire takes a stable form and that the cruel aggression of the Zionist regime (Israel) against Gaza is not repeated,” he added.

But “it seems that the Zionist regime after not being able to achieve its objectives” after the offensive on Gaza, “wants to obtain a tangible victory,” he added, suggesting Israel would continue its offensive in Gaza.

Iran, which has labelled Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as a genocide, has denied any direct involvement in Hamas’s attack on Israel.

The Palestinian militant group poured across the border on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, according to Israeli officials.

In response, Israel launched a military campaign to destroy Hamas, killing nearly 15,000 people, mostly civilians and including thousands of children, according to Gaza’s Hamas government.

ALSO READ: US President Biden to Skip COP28 in Dubai

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UAE Welcomes Palestinians

The plane landed in Abu Dhabi, carrying 93 children who are in the most urgent need of medical assistance, as well as cancer patients who need extensive treatment, accompanied by 80 of their families

The third group of wounded Palestinian children and cancer patients arrived in the UAE in implementation of the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to provide medical treatment for 1,000 injured children, and 1,000 cancer patients from the Gaza Strip, in the UAE’s hospitals.

Departing from Al-Arish International Airport in the Arab Republic of Egypt, the plane landed at Abu Dhabi International Airport, carrying 93 children who are in the most urgent need of medical assistance, including those suffering from severe injuries and burns, as well as cancer patients who need extensive treatment, accompanied by 80 of their families.

Maha Barakat, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Health, said, “The third flight of the initiative, which reflects the UAE’s unwavering and continuous support for the brotherly Palestinian people, aims to assist the most vulnerable groups and the deteriorating health sector in the Gaza Strip.”

Barakat added that the UAE’s hospitals will provide all the injured and cancer patients with the highest quality of medical treatment, stressing that the support will continue to mitigate the ongoing dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza.

Since the outbreak of the crisis, the UAE immediately provided urgent humanitarian aid and supplies to the Gaza Strip. In this regard, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a directive to allocate a humanitarian aid package of US$20 million. His Highness also ordered the establishment of an integrated field hospital inside the Gaza Strip as part of the “Gallant Knight 3” operation.

Ceasefire Extended

With the four-day ceasefire expiring on Tuesday, Israel and Hamas have agreed to extend the humanitarian pause by two days, a Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed.

“The State of Qatar announces, as part of the ongoing mediation, an agreement has been reached to extend the humanitarian pause for an additional two days in the Gaza Strip,” the spokesperson said on X.

Deeming the extension as “a glimpse of hope and humanity in the middle of the darkness of war”, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: “I strongly hope that these will enable us to increase even more the humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza that (are) suffering so much.”

On Monday, the last day of the Israel-Hamas truce which came into effect on November 24, Israel confirmed that Hamas released another 11 captives in the Gaza Strip, while 33 Palestinians released by Israel arrived early Tuesday in the West Bank town of Ramallah.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry said the 11 hostages freed by the Hamas were all dual nationals, comprising three Israeli-French citizens, two Israeli-German citizens, and six Israeli-Argentinian citizens.

They were released 52 days after being taken hostage by Hamas militants in their deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) forces are currently accompanying 11 released hostages in Israeli territory, according to an official statement.

“After they undergo an initial medical assessment, our forces will escort them until they are reunited with their families,” it added.

With Monday’s releases, the Hamas has so far freed 69 hostages, primarily women and children, since the truce came into force on November 24. Israel has freed at least 150 Palestinians from prison, mainly women and minors, till date.

ALSO READ: UAE Aid Trucks Cross Into Gaza

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US rejects Arab call for ceasefire

Foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, and a senior Palestinian official met with Blinken after holding a separate consultative meeting earlier and another with Jordan’s King Abdullah….reports Asian Lite News

A demand by Jordan and Egypt for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza was rejected by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken at an Arab foreign ministers meeting in Amman on Saturday.

Blinken said that a truce would be counterproductive, and made clear the furthest he would go was support for a humanitarian pause to allow the delivery of aid and the evacuation of civilians from the besieged enclave.

“It is our view now that a ceasefire would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on Oct. 7,” Blinken told a news conference after the talks, referring to the militant group’s attack on southern Israel that triggered the latest Gaza conflict.

Foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, and a senior Palestinian official met with Blinken after holding a separate consultative meeting earlier and another with Jordan’s King Abdullah.

The meeting was attended by Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan, along with Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan from the UAE, Qatar’s Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry, and Hussein Al-Sheikh from the Palestine Liberation Organization.

According to a Jordanian Foreign Ministry statement, the meeting reaffirmed Arab calls for an “immediate” ceasefire and “undisrupted” delivery of relief assistance as part of efforts to stop the war. Speaking at a joint press conference with Shoukry and Blinken, Safadi said that “slaughter and war crimes need to stop, and also the immunity given to Israel before the international law.”

He called for “immediate” delivery of aid into Gaza and a halt to Israeli displacement of Palestinians, and also voiced alarm at the situation in the occupied West Bank, where “settlers are permitted to kill innocent Palestinians.”

Shoukry also raised concerns over the mounting civilian toll in Gaza, describing it as “collective punishment,” and saying that “the slaughter of civilians cannot be justified in (any) terms even as self-defense.” The Egyptian foreign minister called for an “immediate ceasefire without any condition,” and said that Israel needs to end its violations of international humanitarian law.

He also highlighted “double standards” in dealing with the mounting civilian toll, saying: “Arab blood is no less worthy.” Blinken reaffirmed Washington’s support for “humanitarian pauses” to ensure civilians receive assistance.

The senior US envoy said that he agreed with his Arab counterparts on the need for aid corridors, acknowledging that what has so far entered Gaza is “inadequate.”

Asked why Washington is failing to exert pressure to stop the killing of civilians, Blinken said that “Israel has the right to defend itself, but also to take means to ensure the protection of civilians and minimize harm to them.”

He claimed Hamas “embeds itself” within the civilian population, and is using civilian infrastructure as command centers and for ammunition storage.

“But Israel has an obligation to defend civilians. This is what I told the Israelis,” he said.

Washington’s top diplomat said that he is saddened to see bodies of children pulled from the rubble in Gaza. “I am a father and I have children and I know how it feels.”

Ending the press conference, Safadi said: “Self-defense? How would you explain this term to a father who is unable to protect his children and find shelter for them, not even in a refugee camp, a hospital or a UN organization?”

Before meeting Blinken, King Abdullah told the foreign ministers “to maintain Arab coordination and speak in one voice to the international community regarding the dangerous escalations in Gaza.”

He added: “Arab states have the responsibility of pushing the international community and world powers to stop the war on Gaza, allow the uninterrupted delivery of aid, and protect civilians.”

The king warned that continued fighting would lead to an “explosion in the region,” a statement said.

The Jordanian ruler also urged constant support for international relief organizations working in Gaza, especially UNRWA. He reiterated that a political solution is needed to achieve just and comprehensive peace on the basis of a two-state solution.

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