Hamas official says group ready for a truce if Israel honours it
Senior Hamas official Bassem Naim says the Palestinian group would accept a ceasefire if it receives a proposal that Israel honours.
Speaking to the AFP news agency, Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, called on the incoming administration of US President-elect Donald Trump to push Israel to “end the aggression”.
“Hamas informed the mediators it is in favour of any proposal submitted to it that would lead to a definitive ceasefire and military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, allowing the return of displaced people, a serious deal for a prisoner exchange, the entry of humanitarian aid and reconstruction,” Naim said.
While campaigning for president, Trump promised to end the war quickly but also expressed wholehearted support for Israel’s far-right government. Since winning the November 5 election, Trump has named several prominent pro-Israel hawks to his administration, including former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee – who once said “there’s really no such thing as a Palestinian” – to be ambassador to Israel.
Priority is halting Israeli aggression: Lebanese PM
The Lebanese government has released a statement after the meeting between Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Iran’s Ali Larijani, an adviser to the country’s supreme leader.
During their meeting, Mikati stressed: “What is required is to support the position of the Lebanese state in terms of implementing international Resolution 1701.”
It’s also important to support national unity and not to take positions favouring one group at the expense of the other, he said. Mikati stressed that the priorities for his government are halting Israeli aggression and reaching a ceasefire.
UN Security Council Resolution 1701, introduced in 2006, called for an end to hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel and a permanent ceasefire based on the creation of a buffer zone.
According to the resolution, Lebanese armed forces and UN peacekeepers should be the only military presence between the border with Israel and the Litani River, 30km (18 miles) to the north.
Israel’s Dahiyeh Doctrine on full display as Iran’s Larijani visits Lebanon
For the third time today, the Israel’s forced evacuation orders were issued and then, about 20 minutes later, air strikes began in the southern district of Beirut in Dahiyeh. Dahiyeh has been targeted intensely. There have been hundreds of air strikes in the past 46 days and they’re still coming. This is the fourth consecutive day of air strikes coming in.
What we’ve been hearing from political and military analysts, particularly on the Israeli side, is that this may very well be a showing of the full force of the Dahiyeh Doctrine. The doctrine was brought into place by the Israelis after the 2006 war. It basically looks to destroy as much civilian infrastructure and cause as much damage as possible to drive a wedge between Hezbollah and the rest of the populace.
What we do know is there’s widespread destruction taking place, not just Hezbollah infrastructure as Israel says, but people’s homes and businesses.
The attacks are coming amid a solidarity visit by Ali Larijani from Iran, who said Iran stands by the Lebanese people and will not abandon Lebanon in its time of need. The timing is crucial because the Americans have now given a ceasefire proposal to Hezbollah and they are looking at it.
