• Washington, Tel Aviv recall delegations, blame group for not acting ‘in good faith’
• UK PM terms situation ‘unspeakable & indefensible’ humanitarian catastrophe
• UN says it can’t verify aid delivery due to lack of access as mass starvation haunts Palestinians
JERUSALEM: Israel and the United States recalled their delegations from Gaza ceasefire talks for consultations on Thursday, as Hamas blamed Tel Aviv’s “stalling” for the delay in securing peace in the besieged enclave.
A senior Hamas source told Reuters that there was still a chance of reaching a Gaza ceasefire agreement, but it would take a few days because of what he called Israeli stalling.
The source said Hamas’ response to the latest ceasefire proposal included requesting a clause that would prevent Israel from resuming the war if an agreement was not reached within the 60-day truce period.
A Palestinian official close to the talks told Reuters the latest Hamas position was “flexible, positive and took into consideration the growing suffering in Gaza and the need to stop the starvation”.
But even as Israel said it was reviewing a revised response from Hamas to a proposed ceasefire and prisoner-release deal, US and Israeli delegations withdrew from the talks, accusing Hamas of failing to act in good faith.
“While the mediators have made a great effort, Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith. We will now consider alternative options to bring the [prisoners] home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” US envoy Steve Witkoff said in a statement on X.
According to Reuters, the latest draft proposed by Hamas calls for a return to protocol agreed on Jan 19 to allow aid entry to Gaza, seeks return to old mechanism of its distribution, and includes modified maps for Israeli military deployment in the strip.
European ‘emergency call’
UK PM Keir Starmer has offered an uncharacteristically sympathetic account of the situation in Gaza, terming the starvation unfolding in the besieged enclave a “unspeakable and indefensible” humanitarian catastrophe, while calling on Israel to urgently allow in aid.
While the situation has been grave for some time, it has reached new depths and continues to worsen, he said in a statement.
“I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace.”
UN unable to verify aid
Meanwhile, two different arms of the United Nations expressed frustration over Israel’s continued denial of access for aid to Gaza.
The UNRWA has “the equivalent of 6,000 loaded trucks of food and medical supplies” waiting in Jordan and Egypt, its commissioner Philippe Lazzarini said on Thursday.
Meanwhile, UN-OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke maintained that despite repeated requests, Israel has not allowed its staff to be present at the crossings.
Laerke explained that the UN needed multiple approvals from the Israeli authorities: firstly to get aid across the border from Israel into the Gaza Strip, where it is dropped off — the trucks returning to Israel — followed by another approval to drive trucks from inside Gaza to collect it.
“We therefore cannot verify the amount of supplies currently at the crossing,” he told AFP.
According to the health ministry in Gaza, of the 113 people who died from malnutrition since October 2023, 81 were children and 32 were adults, BBC News reported.
Aid groups say there is no shortage in the supply of food, but Israel is obstructing it and making it virtually impossible for humanitarian assistance to reach millions of people who desperately need it.
