Tensions have risen in the region after Iran blamed Israel for killing Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran. Israel has not commented on whether it had a role in the death…reports Asian Lite News
David Lammy is reportedly planning an imminent trip to Israel amid high tensions with Iran, in an attempt to help avert an escalation of war in the Middle East.
The foreign secretary will meet Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, and Israel Katz, the foreign minister, along with Stéphane Séjourné, the French foreign minister, Sky News reported.
A Foreign Office source did not confirm the report and said Lammy’s official travel arrangements would be set out in the usual way. However, the Tottenham MP issued a statement on Thursday welcoming the restart of negotiations for a ceasefire and return of hostages in Gaza.
He said it was a “crucial moment for global stability” and that the “coming hours and days could define the future of the Middle East”.
“As the UK made clear at the UN security council this week, the situation in Gaza is devastating,” Lammy said. “The strike on the al-Tabeen school demonstrated that Palestinians in Gaza have nowhere safe to turn.
“These talks are an opportunity to secure an immediate ceasefire that protects civilians in Gaza, secures the release of hostages still cruelly held by Hamas and restores stability at a dangerous moment for the region.”
He added: “The UK will continue to use every diplomatic lever to bring about a ceasefire. In the last week, I have spoken with partners from across the region on the urgent need to bring this conflict to an end and the prime minister has spoken to his US, French and German counterparts, as well as the Iranian and Egyptian presidents.
“It’s clear from these conversations that a ceasefire would not only protect civilians in Gaza, but also pave the way for wider de-escalation and bring much-needed stability for the Middle East.”
Tensions have risen in the region after Iran blamed Israel for killing Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, in Tehran. Israel has not commented on whether it had a role in the death.
The official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday that Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said the west’s silence about “unprecedented inhumane crime” in Gaza, and Israeli attacks elsewhere in the Middle East, was “irresponsible” and encouraged Israel to put regional and global security at risk.
On Thursday, the UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, said a “grim milestone” had been marked with the news that the death toll in Gaza had passed 40,000.
‘Recognition of unified Palestine key to peace’
Without the international recognition of a unified Palestine, there won’t be peace, solidarity and prosperity in the region, said Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday during his visit to Turkey’s Ankara.
After meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday, the Palestinian President made a speech in the Turkish Parliament for the first time since the Gaza conflict erupted in October last year.
During the speech, he noted that the international society should not remain silent over the conflict in Gaza. He pointed out that the US had used its veto power three times in the UN Security Council to block resolutions concerning Gaza, and that the resolutions passed regarding the Palestinian issue had not been implemented.
The Palestinian President said the recognition of the state of Palestine is the key to the peace, solidarity and prosperity of the region. Unless the Palestinian people achieve national unity, it could be difficult to gain the final victory, he added.
Currently, the Palestinian state is recognised by 145 UN member states but it is still an observer of the UN, instead of a member. During his speech, the Palestinian President announced that he would go to Gaza, saying his life is no more valuable than the children there.
Abbas’s visit to Ankara came as the Palestinian death toll in Gaza from the ongoing Israeli attacks has surpassed 40,000. There is also a growing concern over a potential regional escalation following the assassination of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
The Iranian government has repeatedly vowed that it would retaliate Israel which it accused of carrying out the assassination.
Israel to build new Jewish settlements
Meanwhile, Israel is planning to build the first West Bank settlement since 2017, announced the Israeli Civil Administration, the country’s governing body that operates in the West Bank, local media reported.
Nahal Heletz, the new settlement, will cover approximately 148 acres southwest of Jerusalem, near the Palestinian city of Bethlehem. The construction is likely years away since obtaining the zoning plans and construction permits would take time.
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