World leaders are calling for a redoubled push to end the Israel-Hamas war and for the hostages to be brought back home after Israel said it killed Hamas’ October 7 mastermind in Gaza.
Lebanon PM rejects Iranian interference over UN Resolution 1701
Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati, criticized Iranian interference in his country after Iran’s parliament speaker suggested Tehran could negotiate with France over UN Resolution 1701.
The resolution aims, among other things, to keep southern Lebanon’s border to Israel peaceful by creating a buffer zone where the only armed personnel are Lebanese troops. It also calls for the disarming of Hezbollah and other militias in Lebanon.
Mikati stressed negotiations to implement it was a matter for Lebanon alone.
“We are surprised by this position, which constitutes a blatant interference in Lebanese affairs and an attempt to establish a rejected guardianship over Lebanon,” he said.
Israel claims the UN and the UNIFIL peacekeepers in Lebanon have failed to enforce Resolution 1701 by keeping Hezbollah militants out of southern Lebanon, contributing to the current conflict.
Netanyahu to hold security meeting after Hamas leader’s death
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to hold a meeting with ministers and heads of security agencies following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, according to Israeli media outlets.
The Haaretz newspaper reported that the meeting would examine how Sinwar’s death might affect negotiations on releasing hostages still held captive in Gaza.
Israeli allies, including the US, expressed hope that Sinwar’s death could pave the way for an end to the conflict.
However, in a speech yesterday announcing the killing, Netanyahu stated, “our war is not yet ended.”US President Joe Biden is expected to renew calls for a cease-fire in Gaza on Friday as he meets with key European allies in Berlin — a day after Israel said it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Biden landed in the German capital on Thursday night local time ahead of talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Before leaving Washington, Biden said: “There is now the opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
He said Sinwar, who Israel holds responsible for orchestrating the October 7 terror attacks, had been an obstacle to a cease-fire and hostage deal in Gaza, and called his death a “good day.”
Chancellor Scholz, speaking in Brussels on Thursday, said: “There is a proposal from President Biden and others as to what such a ceasefire could look like and we fully support that.”
Germany’s Foreign Ministry on Thursday evening issued a statement after reports of Sinwar’s death, calling for the immediate release of hostages held by Hamas and for the militant group to “lay down its weapons.”
“The suffering of the people in Gaza must finally end,” it added.
Some 100 hostages abducted on October 7 are still thought to be held in Gaza.
