Any momentum in recent ceasefire talks mediated in Qatar was again overshadowed by Israel’s weekend strikes on Iran and continued killings in Lebanon and Gaza, with the toll in northern Gaza in particular shocking the United Nations.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the plight of Palestinian civilians trapped in northern Gaza is “unbearable”, as hundreds have been killed just in the past few weeks, while more than 60,000 others have been forced to flee yet again.
The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Monday that at least 43,020 people have been killed since October last year.
“The secretary-general is shocked by the harrowing levels of death, injury and destruction in the north, with civilians trapped under rubble, the sick and wounded going without lifesaving healthcare, and families lacking food and shelter amid reports of families being separated and many people detained,” Dujarric said in a statement.
“The secretary-general underscores that the parties to the conflict must respect and protect civilians, including humanitarian workers and first responders whose vital work must be facilitated and protected — not impeded and jeopardized. In the name of humanity, the secretary-general reiterates his calls for an immediate cease-fire.”
The statement came just as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up a weeklong Middle East trip, a last-ditch effort by the Joe Biden administration to secure a cease-fire deal before US elections next week, but which ended in vain.
Jawaid Iqbal, chairman of the Department of West Asian and North African Studies at Aligarh Muslim University in India, told China Daily, “The Palestinian resistance factions have laid out clear conditions for any negotiations: a permanent cease-fire, full withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, lifting the siege, rebuilding Gaza and establishing a serious prisoner exchange deal.”
However, these demands threaten Israel’s control over Gaza, which is why Israel insists on maintaining control of Gaza’s southern border with Egypt and setting up numerous checkpoints, he said.
On Sunday, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi proposed a two-day cease-fire in Gaza, Ahram Online reported. The initiative would involve the exchange of four Israeli captives for a number of Palestinian prisoners.
El-Sisi said negotiations would then proceed within 10 days to finalize measures in the Gaza Strip aimed at achieving a complete cease-fire and ensuring the entry of aid. The plan was announced in Cairo alongside Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Seeking justice
Meanwhile, Nasser Abu Bakr, a member of the Arab Parliament, said on Sunday that the Arab Parliament had approved a proposal to establish a parliamentary team that will approach the International Criminal Court to file lawsuits against Israel, WAFA reported.
The General Secretariat, represented by Deputy Speaker Ahmad al-Jabouri, will work with the Palestinian delegation to determine the process and content of the complaint.
On Oct 22, the Arab League, in an emergency meeting, issued a statement calling for more punitive measures against Israel. The bloc reiterated its support for a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, along with arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. It also criticized US military aid to Israel.
Responding to Israel’s attack over the weekend, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that Iran “will use all available tools to deliver a definite and effective response to the Zionist regime (Israel)”.
The nature of Iran’s response depends on the nature of the Israeli attack, Baghaei added, without elaborating.
Reuters contributed to this story.