Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Saturday warned that if the war between Israel and Hamas spreads to other countries in the region it will affect the flow of oil to international markets. Al-Sudani was apparently referring to Iran-backed militias that have started launching attacks against US bases in Iraq and Syria and have warned they will step in if Hamas is threatened. Al-Sudani told an international summit held in Egypt that Baghdad rejects the emptying of the Gaza Strip because “the Palestinians have no other place but their land.” He called for an immediate cease-fire and an exchange of prisoners to end the current conflict. Al-Sudani said that the situation would not have reached this point had UN Security Council resolutions been respected, an apparent reference to Israel’s settlement policies in the West Bank. He warned that the current conflict “will impact global security, escalate regional conflict, jeopardise energy supplies, exacerbate economic crises, and invite further conflicts.” ‘Don’t force Palestinians into Egypt’Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has reiterated his government’s rejection of forcing Palestinians in Gaza to flee into his country's Sinai Peninsula.He said that the Palestinian cause won’t be settled through forcing the Palestinians to leave their homes, and “end the statehood dream”. “The whole Egyptian people won’t accept the liquidation of the Palestinian cause ... and will never happen on the expanse of Egypt,” el-Sissi said. Speaking at a summit his government is hosting on Saturday, the Egyptian leader set out a roadmap to end the ongoing war which included ensuring the flow of aid to Gaza, negotiating a cease-fire, and embarking on peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians to establish a Palestinian state based on the borders before the 1967 Mideast war. “We are facing an unprecedented crisis that requires full attention to avert expanding the conflict,” he said. UN calls for protection of civiliansThe United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Hamas’ “reprehensible assault” on Israel “can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people”. He called for protection of civilians and the sparing of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and UN premises, from the bombardment.Speaking at a summit Egypt is hosting on the Israel-Gaza war, Guterres pointed to the “the wider context” of war, saying that the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “the only realistic foundation for a true peace and stability.” He said, “Israelis must see their legitimate needs for security materialized, and Palestinians must see their legitimate aspirations for an independent state realised.” He said the UN is working around the clock with all parties to ensure a sustainable delivery of aid to Gaza, following the crossing of a first 20-truck convoy on Saturday. “But the people of Gaza need a commitment for much, much more — a continuous delivery of aid to Gaza at the scale that is needed,” he said. Israel urged to delay Gaza offensiveWhile hundreds of tanks and armed soldiers await a green signal from the political and military leadership for a potential ‘ground offensive’ near the Gaza border, the US and Europe are discreetly urging Israel to delay the operation, The Times of Israel reported. Citing senior diplomatic sources, The Times of Israel reported that both governments acknowledge a high probability of a ground invasion by Israel. They are not advising against launching one altogether but rather suggesting a temporary delay to explore the potential success of additional diplomatic initiatives.British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo on Friday and noted the need for aid to be allowed into Gaza and for Hamas and Israel to avoid civilian casualties in their conflict. During the talks Sunak stressed the imperative of avoiding a wider regional conflict and preventing any further unnecessary loss of civilian life, his office said.Israel’s fresh travel warningMeanwhile, Israel urged its citizens to immediately leave Egypt and Jordan, the national security council said on Saturday as regional tensions flared over the war in Gaza.“Israel’s National Security Council raises its travel warnings for Egypt (including Sinai) and Jordan to level 4 (high threat): recommendation not to travel to these countries and for those staying there to leave... as soon as possible,” it said in a statement.The notice comes just days after Israel recalled its diplomats from Turkey as a security precaution following an earlier request for its citizens to leave as well. The evacuation calls came after days of protests across the Middle East over Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip.Trucks carrying aid roll into GazaTrucks carrying humanitarian aid from Egypt started rolling into war-torn and besieged Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing on Saturday (October 21), a...
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani on Saturday warned that if the war between Israel and Hamas spreads to other countries in the region it will affect the flow of oil to international markets. Al-Sudani was apparently referring to Iran-backed militias that have started launching attacks against US bases in Iraq and Syria and have warned they will step in if Hamas is threatened. Al-Sudani told an international summit held in Egypt that Baghdad rejects the emptying of the Gaza Strip because “the Palestinians have no other place but their land.” He called for an immediate cease-fire and an exchange of prisoners to end the current conflict. Al-Sudani said that the situation would not have reached this point had UN Security Council resolutions been respected, an apparent reference to Israel’s settlement policies in the West Bank. He warned that the current conflict “will impact global security, escalate regional conflict, jeopardise energy supplies, exacerbate economic crises, and invite further conflicts.” ‘Don’t force Palestinians into Egypt’Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has reiterated his government’s rejection of forcing Palestinians in Gaza to flee into his country's Sinai Peninsula.He said that the Palestinian cause won’t be settled through forcing the Palestinians to leave their homes, and “end the statehood dream”. “The whole Egyptian people won’t accept the liquidation of the Palestinian cause ... and will never happen on the expanse of Egypt,” el-Sissi said. Speaking at a summit his government is hosting on Saturday, the Egyptian leader set out a roadmap to end the ongoing war which included ensuring the flow of aid to Gaza, negotiating a cease-fire, and embarking on peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians to establish a Palestinian state based on the borders before the 1967 Mideast war. “We are facing an unprecedented crisis that requires full attention to avert expanding the conflict,” he said. UN calls for protection of civiliansThe United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said Hamas’ “reprehensible assault” on Israel “can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people”. He called for protection of civilians and the sparing of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and UN premises, from the bombardment.Speaking at a summit Egypt is hosting on the Israel-Gaza war, Guterres pointed to the “the wider context” of war, saying that the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “the only realistic foundation for a true peace and stability.” He said, “Israelis must see their legitimate needs for security materialized, and Palestinians must see their legitimate aspirations for an independent state realised.” He said the UN is working around the clock with all parties to ensure a sustainable delivery of aid to Gaza, following the crossing of a first 20-truck convoy on Saturday. “But the people of Gaza need a commitment for much, much more — a continuous delivery of aid to Gaza at the scale that is needed,” he said. Israel urged to delay Gaza offensiveWhile hundreds of tanks and armed soldiers await a green signal from the political and military leadership for a potential ‘ground offensive’ near the Gaza border, the US and Europe are discreetly urging Israel to delay the operation, The Times of Israel reported. Citing senior diplomatic sources, The Times of Israel reported that both governments acknowledge a high probability of a ground invasion by Israel. They are not advising against launching one altogether but rather suggesting a temporary delay to explore the potential success of additional diplomatic initiatives.British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Cairo on Friday and noted the need for aid to be allowed into Gaza and for Hamas and Israel to avoid civilian casualties in their conflict. During the talks Sunak stressed the imperative of avoiding a wider regional conflict and preventing any further unnecessary loss of civilian life, his office said.Israel’s fresh travel warningMeanwhile, Israel urged its citizens to immediately leave Egypt and Jordan, the national security council said on Saturday as regional tensions flared over the war in Gaza.“Israel’s National Security Council raises its travel warnings for Egypt (including Sinai) and Jordan to level 4 (high threat): recommendation not to travel to these countries and for those staying there to leave... as soon as possible,” it said in a statement.The notice comes just days after Israel recalled its diplomats from Turkey as a security precaution following an earlier request for its citizens to leave as well. The evacuation calls came after days of protests across the Middle East over Israel's bombardment of the Gaza Strip.Trucks carrying aid roll into GazaTrucks carrying humanitarian aid from Egypt started rolling into war-torn and besieged Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing on Saturday (October 21), a...