Qatar PM will press for ceasefire as events in Gaza ‘cannot be accepted by any honest person’
Qatar’s prime minister says his country will continue to press for a ceasefire, despite repeated setbacks imposed by the main parties to the conflict.
Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani told Qatar Television the country had been continuing its efforts to secure a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which also involved nations such as the US and Egypt.
“We will not be exhausted as long as there is an expectation of results. We succeeded last November through a liberation and ceasefire deal and unfortunately, this was not completed,” he said. “What is happening in Gaza cannot be accepted by any honest person.”
US senator urges Biden not to send weapons to Israel
Bernie Sanders has urged President Joe Biden on Tuesday not to send weapons to Israel for its war on the Gaza. “When Congress returns, I will move Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to block offensive arms sales to Israel,” he wrote on X.
“But President Biden should act now: Israel is clearly violating U.S. and international law, using starvation as a tool of its all-out war against the Palestinian people,” he said.
His remarks came after a letter, leaked Tuesday, warned Israel to improve the humanitarian situation in Gaza in the next 30 days or risk a US arms embargo. US officials confirmed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin co-signed a letter that expressed concern about the humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Sanders introduced legislation last month to block the sale of more than $20bn in US arms sales to Israel, saying that the export of the weapons would violate the criteria laid out in the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act (AECA).
The Senate will vote on the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRD) when it reconvenes in November.
Israel reviewing letter from US urging improvement in Gaza humanitarian situation
An Israeli official in Washington, who remained anonymous, was quoted by the Reuters news agency as saying the letter is under review by the Israeli government.
“Israel takes this matter seriously and intends to address the concerns raised in this letter with our American counterparts,” the Israeli official said.
The US and Israel have been at odds frequently over the course of this yearlong conflict over the amount and type of aid allowed into Gaza.
