Capitals (Union, Agencies)
The United Arab Emirates called for closed consultations with the UN Security Council next Monday against the backdrop of renewed fighting in the Gaza Strip, while Arab and international calls to extend the humanitarian truce escalated hours after the end of the ceasefire.
The UAE’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said in a message published on its official account on the “X” platform yesterday: “The United Arab Emirates called for closed consultations for the United Nations Security Council on Monday, December 4, in light of the resumption of hostilities and the continuing deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza strip”.
In a related context, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi yesterday stressed the necessity of providing the necessary protection for Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip while striving to find the appropriate political horizon to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue.
The Egyptian presidency stated in a statement that this came during President Sisi’s meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during the COP28 conference.
The statement added that Sisi and Sunak agreed on the seriousness of the current situation in the Gaza Strip, especially in light of the “uncalculated consequences” of expanding the circle of conflict on the stability of the region.
The State of Qatar also expressed its regret at the resumption of the Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.
The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed, in a statement yesterday, that negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides are continuing with the aim of returning to a state of truce. It also made clear that “the State of Qatar is committed, along with its mediation partners, to continuing the efforts that led to the humanitarian truce, and will not hesitate to do everything necessary to return to a state of truce.” Calm down. The Ministry stressed that “the resumption of bombing on the Gaza Strip in the first hours after the end of the truce complicates mediation efforts and exacerbates the humanitarian catastrophe in the Strip,” and in this context called on the international community to move quickly to stop the fighting.
In turn, the White House confirmed yesterday that the United States continues to work to extend the humanitarian truce in the Gaza Strip, with the resumption of military operations again in the Strip.
A spokesman for the National Security Council said: “We continue to work with Israel, Egypt and Qatar on efforts to extend the humanitarian truce in Gaza, and President Biden will remain engaged in efforts to free prisoners and extend the truce period in Gaza.”
In addition, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock confirmed that her country will do everything in its power to extend the truce in Gaza.
Baerbock said in a statement regarding developments in the Middle East: “In these minutes, we must do everything we can to continue the truce, for the sake of the hostages who have been in the tunnels for weeks, and for the sake of those who are suffering and are in dire need of humanitarian aid in Gaza.” French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna also called for the extension of the humanitarian truce in Gaza, expressing her deep sadness over its collapse and the return to fighting.
Colonna indicated in statements to local media yesterday that “the collapse of the humanitarian truce does not contribute to any solution, and it complicates all outstanding problems,” calling for its continuation.
She pointed out the need to extend the truce in order to continue the exchange of prisoners, deliver more humanitarian aid to Gaza and ensure its distribution to those in need. She stressed the importance of the concerned parties sitting at the negotiating table again, stressing that the two-state solution is the only possible solution to end the conflict, and that work must continue to achieve it.
In this context, the Russian presidency, the Kremlin, commented on the resumption of Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip, saying: “We wanted to see news of the extension of the humanitarian truce.”
Commenting on Israel’s resumption of its military operations in the Gaza Strip, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out that there is a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, stressing that it would have been more appropriate to extend the truce when considering the scale of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the failure to complete the process of releasing the detainees in full.
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