US State Department official for Israel-Palestine affairs resigns
Andrew Miller, the deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, has resigned, the Washington Post reports, citing three unnamed sources.
The media outlet said the Miller had expressed to colleagues he wanted to spend more time with his family. The report added that Miller was “skeptic of the Biden administration’s bear hug” approach towards Israel.
A handful of Biden administration officials and appointees – including a former US Army officer – have publicly stepped down over the US’s Gaza policy since the conflict began on October 7.
Qatar says ‘progress to an extent’ in truce talks with Hamas
Qatar says some progress in negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza has been made and it is continuing mediation to “bridge the gap” between Israel and Hamas.
The Gulf state, Egypt and the United States have been engaged in months of truce talks involving a captive-prisoner exchange and getting desperately needed humanitarian assistance into war-battered Gaza.
“There was progress to an extent in the situation. We have continued our efforts without interruption over the last few days,” Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said at a news conference in Madrid with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares.
Now the UN is just being naive, you need peace keeping forces on the ground. Israel is 'restoring order' in their eyes...
Israel’s ‘responsibility’ as ‘occupying power’ to restore order, safety in Gaza: UN
It is Israel’s responsibility – as the occupying power in the Gaza Strip – to restore public order and safety in Gaza so aid can be delivered, the UN’s spokesperson Farhan Haq has said.
“As the occupying power, it is incumbent upon the Israeli authorities to restore public order and safety as far as possible and facilitate safe humanitarian access so that assistance reaches civilians in need,” Haq said.
The risk of crime has “effectively prevented humanitarian access” to critical areas, including Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom), he also said.
Haq’s position was in response to the Israeli military announcing on Sunday that there would be a daily daytime pause in its attacks along a key road in southern Gaza that the UN and aid groups use to access the Kerem Abu Salem crossing from Israel.
