The US said that it wants to lower the ‘temperature’ in the Middle East region and secure the ceasefire deal in Gaza that will also see hostages released from the war-ravaged coastal enclave.
US envoy to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council on Wednesday that an all-round conflict in the region is ‘not inevitable’ as Israel remains on high alert following threats from Iran of retaliation for the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, for which it blames Israel.
US President Joe Biden also told reporters in New Orleans that he believes a ceasefire deal could help stave off the threat of an Iranian attack on Israel.
Pro-Iran militias, part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance”, met in Tehran last month to discuss coordinated action meant to deter Israel but avert all-out war.
“A broader regional conflict is not inevitable. The United States’ overall goal remains to turn the temperature down in the region, deter and defend against any future attacks, and avoid regional conflict. That starts with finalising a deal for an immediate ceasefire with hostage release in Gaza. We need to get this over the finish line,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield said.
Palestine accused the UNSC for not doing enough to stop Israel. “Stop finding excuses. Stop imagining that you can reason with the Israeli government so it stops killing civilians by the thousands, imposing famine, torturing prisoners, colonising and annexing our land, all while you appeal to them, call on them, demand them to stop,” Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said.
Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan also lashed out at the UNSC for not condemning Iran for threatening his nation with war.
“As we speak here now, millions of Israelis are preparing for a direct Iranian attack, just as they did in April. Iran’s aggression threatens the entire region with war,” Erdan said.
’Gaza Ceasefire May Deter Iran’
US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a ceasefire deal in Gaza could deter Iran from attacking Israel in retaliation for the killing of a Hamas leader that sent regional tensions soaring.
Asked if a truce between Israel and Hamas could stave off an Iranian assault, Biden said: “That’s my expectation”.
He told reporters in New Orleans that while negotiations were “getting hard” he was “not giving up”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also expected to attend the new round of ceasefire talks scheduled to take place in either Doha or Cairo on Thursday, UK broadcaster BBC said.
Hamas, according to reports by Sky News and the New York Times, will not take part in the talks.
The Gaza war began with Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel which resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Militants also seized 251 people, 111 of whom are still held captive in Gaza, including 39 the military says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has killed at least 39,929 people, according to a toll from the territory’s health ministry, which does not provide a breakdown of civilian and militant deaths.
Visiting Envoy Hochstein In Beirut
Visiting US envoy Amos Hochstein warned Wednesday the clock was ticking for a Gaza ceasefire that could also help end 10 months of cross-border exchanges between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel.
His Lebanon trip comes a day before ceasefire negotiations between Hamas and Israel are set to resume.
Hochstein told a Beirut news conference that he and parliament speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, discussed “the framework agreement that’s on the table for a Gaza ceasefire, and he and I agreed there is no more time to waste and there’s no more valid excuses from any party for any further delay”.
“The deal would also help enable a diplomatic resolution here in Lebanon and that would prevent an outbreak of a wider war,” Hochstein said.
“We have to take advantage of this window for diplomatic action and diplomatic solutions. That time is now.”
(with inputs from AFP)
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