Israeli president Isaac Herzog said during a briefing Tuesday with foreign ambassadors that Israel is “ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release of hostages.”
Quick Read
- Israeli President’s Statement on Hostages: Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, stated Israel’s readiness for another humanitarian pause and more aid to facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas.
- Blame on Hamas Leadership: Herzog holds Yehya Sinwar, the top leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, responsible for the situation.
- Hamas’ Stance: Hamas demands a permanent end to Israel’s military actions and the release of all detained Palestinians for the release of the hostages.
- Presidential Briefing Instead of New Year Reception: Herzog conducted a briefing with foreign ambassadors, replacing the traditional New Year’s reception, due to the presidency’s ceremonial role in Israel.
- Gaza Father’s Loss: Mahmoud Zoghroub lost his two young children in an Israeli airstrike and bid farewell to them from his hospital bed.
- Details of the Airstrike: The family was hit in their ground-floor apartment during an airstrike, resulting in 27 deaths, many from the extended Zoghroub family.
- U.N. Negotiations on Cease-Fire Resolution: The U.N. Security Council is negotiating a resolution for humanitarian aid and a pause in hostilities, aiming to avoid another U.S. veto.
- Security Council’s Previous Actions: A previous resolution called for humanitarian pauses, aid delivery, and the release of all hostages, with the U.S. abstaining from the vote.
- Challenges in Resolution Language: Efforts are being made to modify the resolution’s language to ensure U.S. support or abstention.
The Associated Press has the story:
Israeli President indicates readiness for pause in Gaza fighting if it free hostages
Newslooks- JERUSALEM (AP)
Israeli president Isaac Herzog said during a briefing Tuesday with foreign ambassadors that Israel is “ready for another humanitarian pause and additional humanitarian aid in order to enable the release of hostages.”
Herzog stressed that “the responsibility lies fully with Sinwar and the leadership of Hamas,” referring to Yehya Sinwar, Hamas’ top leader inside the Gaza Strip.
Hamas and other militants are still holding an estimated 129 captives. Hamas officials have said they would refuse anything less than a permanent end to Israel’s military offensive in Gaza and the release of all Palestinians detained by Israel in exchange for any release of hostages.
This year, instead of the president’s traditional New Years reception, Herzog held a briefing with ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of more than 80 countries. The presidency is largely a ceremonial role, meant to be seen as a unifying figure in Israel.
A GAZA FATHER’S TEARFULL GOODBYE AFTER LOSING 2 YOUNG KIDS TO AN ISRAELI AIRSTRIKE
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Mahmoud Zoghroub said farewell to his dead children, 17-day-old daughter Aisha and 2-year-old son Ahmed, from his hospital bed.
Wounded in the airstrike that killed his children, Zoghroub grimaced with effort as he pulled himself up to cradle Ahmed, wrapped in a white burial shroud. Zoghroub then wept and fell back again. Aisha, also bundled in white cloth, was placed next to him on his other side. At one point he tapped his heart, seemingly too exhausted to speak.
Aisha’s grandmother, Suzan, said the infant was born on Dec. 2.
The extended family was asleep when an Israeli airstrike hit their apartment building before dawn Tuesday, Suzan Zoghroub said. She said two of her sons had apartments on higher floors, but the family stayed together on the ground floor amid fears of airstrikes.
In all, 27 people were killed in the strike, hospital officials. Suzan Zoghroub said many were members of her extended family.
“They removed us from under the rubble and brought us here,” she said from the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah.
She lashed out at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has said Israel will not stop its air and ground offensive in Gaza until the Islamic militant group Hamas has been dismantled.
“I want to send a message to Netanyahu,” Zoghroub said. “Does he think that by killing these children, he will achieve something? Have they succeeded now? Has he achieved what he wants? No, he hasn’t achieved what he wants.”
Dozens of mourners held a funeral prayer Tuesday morning outside the hospital in Rafah, before taking those killed in the strike for burial in a nearby cemetery.
DIPLOMATS AT THE UNITED NATIONS RUSH TO FIND COMPROMISE ON CEASE-FIRE RESOLUTION
UNITED NATIONS — U.N. Security Council members are in intense negotiations on an Arab-sponsored resolution to spur desperately needed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza during some kind of a halt in fighting, trying to avoid another veto by the United States.
U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told reporters Tuesday morning that negotiations were still underway. Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh of the United Arab Emirates, the Arab representative on the 15-member council, said she hoped the council could vote on a resolution early Tuesday afternoon.
The council had scheduled a vote late Monday afternoon but it was postponed until Tuesday morning to try to get the U.S. to support the resolution or abstain.
The U.S. vetoed a Security Council resolution s backed by almost all council members and dozens of other nations demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. The 193-member General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a similar resolution on Dec. 12 by a vote of 153-10, with 23 abstentions.
In its first unified action on Nov. 15 with the U.S. abstaining, , the Security Council adopted a resolution calling for “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses” in fighting, unhindered aid deliveries to civilians and the unconditional release of all hostages.
The draft resolution on the table Monday morning called for an “urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities,” but this language is expected to be watered down in a final draft, possibly to a “suspension” of hostilities or something weaker to get U.S. support, diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations have been private.
Security Council resolutions are important because they are legally binding, but in practice many parties choose to ignore the council’s requests for action. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, though they are a significant barometer of world opinion.
