French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting Qatar’s prime minister and other officials from Arab nations for talks on the Middle East on Friday, his office said. It says the meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace will include, along with Qatar’s prime minister, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Saudia Arabia, and France. It says they’ll be discussing the Middle East but gave no details
Quick Read
- Macron to host talks with Arab ministers, CIA’s Burns meeting with Israelis and Qataris in Paris:
- French President Emmanuel Macron will host a meeting on the Middle East at the Elysee Palace with officials from Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and France.
- Meanwhile, CIA Director Bill Burns is in Paris for informal talks with Israeli and Qatari officials to revive hostage and cease-fire negotiations, with Egyptians mediating between them and Hamas.
- Germany has urged Israel and Hamas to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, calling the situation catastrophic and stressing the need for the release of Israeli hostages and a long-term cease-fire.
- German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the necessity for Israel to ensure the delivery of 400 to 500 truckloads of aid daily to Gaza, advocating for renewed talks leading to a two-state solution.
The Associated Press has the story:
Macron hosts talks with Qatari, Egyptian, Jordanian & Saudi ministers on Friday
Newslooks- PARIS — (AP)
French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting Qatar’s prime minister and other officials from Arab nations for talks on the Middle East on Friday, his office said.
It says the meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace will include, along with Qatar’s prime minister, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Saudia Arabia, and France. It says they’ll be discussing the Middle East but gave no details
Meanwhile in Washington, a U.S. official said CIA Director Bill Burns is meeting in Paris with Israelis and Qataris in informal talks aimed at getting hostage and cease-fire negotiations back on track, a U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the meetings.
The official gave no time for the discussions.
Burns is in close contact with Egyptian officials, the official said. The Qataris and Egyptians are serving as mediators with Hamas officials, who are not taking part in person in the talks.
GERMANY PRESSES ISRAEL AND HAMAS TO URGENTLY ALLOW MORE AID INTO GAZA
BERLIN — Germany pressed Israel and Hamas on Friday to urgently allow the entry and distribution of more humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christian Wagner said the situation in Gaza was “catastrophic and disastrous.”
“The Isreali government has stressed repeatedly that it wants to flood Gaza with humanitarian aid. Honestly speaking, that is not visible at the moment and that must urgently change,” Wagner said at a government news conference.
“For this, it is essential that more border crossings are opened,” he said. “It is also essential to secure the distribution of humanitarian assistance in Gaza. Hamas also has a responsibility here as well as the Israeli army.”
Wagner said it was important to obtain the release of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and to keep open the prospect of a political solution to the conflict.
Later Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reiterated that demand and said that “the terror organization Hamas must finally release all the remaining hostages and agree to a long-term cease-fire.”
“At the same time, Israel must finally secure humanitarian supplies for the desperate people in Gaza,” he added. “Four hundred to five hundred truckloads of aid is needed every day, and it is the responsibility of the Israeli government to ensure that these deliveries arrive.”
Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, supports a revival of talks that could lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. It has so far ruled out joining Norway, Ireland and Spain in recognizing Palestinian statehood, arguing that such a step should be part of the political process.
