European nations say Hamas must have no role in Gaza
More from the UN Security Council meeting on post-war Gaza.
French diplomat Jay Dharmadhikari, speaking on behalf of France, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece and Slovenia, told reporters after the closed-door meeting that the final plan for Gaza should neither allow Hamas to continue governing the Strip nor displace the Palestinians who live there.
“We are clear that any plan must have no role for Hamas, must ensure Israel’s security, must not displace Palestinians from Gaza,” he said.
It should also “support the unity of the West Bank and Gaza under the Palestinian Authority’s mandate”, he said, referring to the body that partly controls the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and is run by Hamas rivals, Fatah.
Dharmadhikari noted that Arab League countries who met in Cairo had called on Tuesday to unite Palestinians under the Palestine Liberation Organization, which does not include Hamas.
European countries are ready to support and further develop those plans, he said.
European nations urge Israel to facilitate ‘massive, unhindered aid’ into Gaza
We’ve been covering the UN Security Council’s latest meeting on Gaza. Following the closed-door meeting, the five European nations on the council issued a statement urging Israel to “immediately let humanitarian aid flow into the Gaza Strip”.
‘Catastrophic’ Gaza situation as Israel prevents all aid from entering
France, Germany and the UK have described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic” and urged Israel to ensure the “unhindered” delivery of desperately needed aid.
South Africa said Israel’s restriction of aid into Gaza amounted to using starvation as a weapon of war.
“We lack drinking water. People are complaining of lack of water in general. We cannot get rid of the waste, which affects the groundwater,” said Abu Hammam al-Hasanat, a 34-year-old who lives in the Gaza Strip.
The first phase of Gaza’s ceasefire ended on Saturday, and Israel has since imposed a total blockade on all goods entering Gaza, demanding Hamas release remaining captives without beginning the negotiations to end the war.
Fuel to run sewage treatment plants is fast running out in Gaza.
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