International mediators continued their negotiations on Wednesday to extract a truce agreement from Israel and Hamas in Gaza, where death and hunger are now the daily lot of the civilian population after five months of war. Meeting in Cairo, the United States, Qatar and Egypt hope to obtain an agreement before Ramadan in the devastated and besieged territory.
Faced with this devastating war which enters its sixth month on Thursday, the United States, Israel’s main ally, is increasingly demanding a truce before the holy month of Muslim fasting which begins next week. “It’s in the hands of Hamas,” US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday, who at the same time called on Israel, which controls the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, to let “more aid” in. .
Information to remember
⇒ Three dead in new ship attack by Houthis in Yemen
⇒ The war in Gaza is “a shame for civilization”, according to the head of Chinese diplomacy
⇒ The situation “must change” says David Cameron on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza
Yemen: three dead in new ship attack by Houthis
Three members of the crew of a merchant ship were killed Wednesday in the Gulf of Aden by a missile from Yemen, according to the US military, in what appears to be the first direct deadly attack by Houthi rebels in the off Yemen. These Yemeni insurgents, close to Iran, have increased attacks in recent months in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, major maritime passages for world trade. Saying they are targeting ships they consider linked to Israel or its allies, particularly American and British, they claim to be acting in support of Gaza, a Palestinian territory bombed and besieged by Israel.
On Wednesday, around 0830 GMT, an anti-ship ballistic missile was launched from Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen towards the True Confidence, a Barbados-flagged bulk carrier controlled by Liberian interests, the US command for the Middle East (Centcom) in a press release. “The missile hit the ship and the crew reported three deaths, at least four injuries, three of whom are in critical condition, and significant damage,” the army added.
Earlier in the day, maritime security agencies reported that an attack had targeted and damaged this bulk carrier off the coast of Aden, south of Yemen, the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula, at war for nearly a year. decade.
The war in Gaza is “a shame for civilization”, according to the head of Chinese diplomacy
Wang Yi, Chinese Foreign Minister, said Thursday that the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the war in Gaza was a “disgrace to civilization”, and reiterated Beijing’s call for an “immediate ceasefire”. “The fact that today, in the 21st century, this humanitarian catastrophe cannot be stopped is a human tragedy, even more, it is a shame for civilization,” he said during a conference of press in Beijing.
“No reason can justify the continuation of the conflict,” Wang Yi said. “The international community must act urgently, making an immediate ceasefire and the cessation of hostilities an absolute priority,” insisted the diplomat, calling for humanitarian aid to be made “a moral responsibility.” .
The Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs also said on Thursday that he was in favor of “full” membership of a Palestinian state in the United Nations.
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza: the situation “must change” says David Cameron
The head of British diplomacy David Cameron expressed concern on Wednesday that he was “still not (seeing) any improvement on the ground” in Gaza, plunged into a humanitarian crisis with the war between Israel and Hamas, at the end of a meeting with Benny Gantz, member of the Israeli war cabinet. “This must change,” warned the British Foreign Secretary, who also indicated that the United Kingdom was “very concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah” in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) .
“During my meeting with Benny Gantz today, I clearly indicated the measures that Israel must take to increase aid to Gaza,” detailed David Cameron, referring to “difficult but necessary” exchanges with the great rival of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at a time when international pressure on Israel is intensifying. “We discussed efforts to achieve a humanitarian pause so that the hostages can return home safely, and basic necessities can be delivered to Gaza,” the foreign minister continued, urging Israel to “increase the flow of aid”.
“Famine” in Gaza: Pretoria requests emergency measures from the ICJ against Israel
South Africa on Wednesday asked the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to impose new emergency measures on Israel over what it described as “widespread famine” resulting from the Israeli offensive in Gaza . South Africa said in a document released by the ICJ on Friday that it was “compelled to return to the court in light of new facts and changes in the situation in Gaza – particularly the famine situation widespread.
Pretoria said its request could be “the last opportunity this court will have to save the Palestinian people of Gaza, already starving, and now on the brink of starvation”, citing the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Affairs humanitarians.
Italy wants to coordinate food aid to Gaza with UN agencies
Rome announced Wednesday evening the launch next Monday of an initiative, “Food for Gaza”, the objective of which is to coordinate food aid in this region with specialized UN agencies and the Red Cross.
“We must bring all the necessary food aid to the Gaza Strip,” declared the head of Italian diplomacy Antonio Tajani, quoted in a press release from his ministry. “We want to promote a coordinated humanitarian initiative […] to facilitate access to food aid, alleviate the suffering of the population and guarantee food security in the Gaza Strip,” he added.