The UN Security Council is to hold emergency talks today after Israel’s plan for a complete military takeover of Gaza sparked international condemnation.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, claimed the session was initiated by the UK – and he hit out, insisting that Downing Street would not ‘sit idly by’ if it was 50 British citizens still being held captive by Hamas terrorists.
Of the 50 remaining hostages taken by Hamas fighters during their attack on October 7, 2023, it is believed only 20 are still alive.
The UN meeting was announced as US special envoy Steve Witkoff met Qatar‘s prime minister in Spain to discuss a new proposal to end the war.
Egypt and Qatar are preparing a new ceasefire framework that would include the release of all the remaining hostages in one go, in return for the end of the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
A joint statement by nine countries, including Germany, Britain, France and Canada, said that they ‘strongly reject’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s decision for a large-scale military operation in Gaza, saying it will worsen the ‘catastrophic humanitarian situation’, endanger hostages and further risk mass displacement.
They also said that any attempts at annexation or settlement in Gaza violate international law.
A separate statement by more than 20 countries, including Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates, called Israel‘s decision a ‘dangerous and unacceptable escalation’. Russia said it will aggravate the ‘already extremely dramatic situation’.
The Israeli security cabinet’s decision to take full control of Gaza has also been met with fury by the families of the remaining hostages, who called the decision a ‘death sentence’ for them.
Hostage Matan Zangauker’s mother Einav said: ‘The living will be murdered, and the dead will disappear for ever. I will finish with a direct call to the prime minister: If you conquer parts of Gaza and the hostages are murdered, we will pursue you.
‘Your hands will be stained by the blood of the kidnapped.’
The plan has also caused a rift between Israel’s security cabinet and defence leaders.
Israel Defence Forces chief Eyal Zamir reportedly warned against the proposal, telling ministers that the hostages’ lives ‘will be in danger if we proceed with a plan to occupy Gaza’.
He added: ‘We have no way to guarantee they won’t be harmed. If that is what you’re aiming for, I suggest you drop the return of the hostages as one of the war’s objectives.’
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron of making it harder to achieve a ceasefire with their intention to recognise a Palestinian state.
Yesterday, hospital officials in Gaza said that, in the past 24 hours, 11 Palestinians seeking aid were shot dead and 11 adults died of malnutrition-related causes.
