Welcome
World
middle East
War between Hamas and Israel
The United Nations Security Council vote was postponed for the second time in two days to reach an agreement on humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.
Published on December 20, 2023 11:50 p.m
Reading time: 2 minutes
Residents of Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, search the rubble of a mosque after an attack by the Israeli army, December 20, 2023. (MOHAMMED ZAANOUN / MIDDLE EAST IMAGES / AFP)
Negotiations that take a long time. The UN Security Council did not vote on improving humanitarian aid to Gaza as planned on Wednesday, December 20. As the Palestinian enclave continues to be stormed by the Israeli army in retaliation for the October 7 attacks and kidnappings by various Islamist groups, including Hamas, diplomatic negotiations continue to address a possible veto by Israel-aligned states and the United States to avoid in this conflict. Franceinfo returns to the latest developments in this war.
A new hope for a ceasefire is emerging
The United States has confirmed that negotiations on a possible new ceasefire between Hamas and Israel are continuing. “We are confident they will be successful,” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday. “We have been working on this since the end of the last break,” he added. The previous humanitarian pause had allowed for the release of 105 Hamas hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners. It had also stopped the Israeli army's massive bombing campaign, while Hamas's latest report said more than 20,000 deaths.
Benjamin Netanyahu rejects any ceasefire
The negotiations are far from over. The Israeli prime minister continues to rule out an end to fighting with the Palestinian movement. “Those who think we will stop are out of touch with reality,” the leader said in a video. The head of Hamas's political wing, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Gaza with Egyptian officials.
A convoy carrying 750 tons of food aid arrived in Gaza
The shipment of these 46 trucks, organized by the World Food Program and a Jordanian humanitarian NGO, required “weeks of coordination with all parties,” the UN agency explains in a press release. The convoy passed through the recently reopened Kerem Shalom border crossing on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), half of Gaza's population suffers from extreme or severe hunger and 90% regularly go without food for an entire day. “Without the clean water, food and sanitation that only a humanitarian ceasefire can provide, child mortality from disease could exceed the number of children killed by the bombings,” UNICEF warned.
Emmanuel Macron criticizes Israeli methods
“We cannot allow the idea to prevail that an effective fight against terrorism would mean razing everything in Gaza or indiscriminately attacking the civilian population and causing civilian casualties,” the head of state said on France 5 on Wednesday evening. While Recognizing “Israel's right to self-protection,” the French president called on the Jewish state to stop what it considered an inappropriate response, “because all lives are equal and we defend them.”