Israel-Gaza war live: UN security council postpones Gaza vote to give countries more time to meet US objections-ZoomTech News

Hamas is downplaying the invention by Israel of a tunnel near a key border crossing in Gaza Metropolis, insisting it was performed with it anyway.

A Hamas official on Monday stated the tunnel had “efficiently” completed its mission, in line with AFP.

The information company quoted Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, telling a media briefing in Beirut:

The publishing of photos of the lengthy tunnel… 72 days after the beginning of the [Israeli] aggression, got here too late. Due to this tunnel, the mission that we wished to perform has been carried out efficiently.

He didn’t elaborate on what the mission was.

On Sunday the Israeli military confirmed photos of what it stated was the most important Hamas tunnel uncovered up to now underneath the Gaza Strip, close to the Erez crossing between the Palestinian territory and Israel.

The military stated the subterranean passage had shaped a part of a wider branching community that stretched for greater than 2.5 miles (4km), and was being utilized by Hamas in a marketing campaign of terrorism.

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Julian Borger

John Kirby, the White Home nationwide safety spokesperson, has been speaking about Israel, and particularly the chance of the battle spreading to the northern border with Lebanon, the place the trade of fireplace between the Israel Protection Forces (IDF) and the Hezbollah militia has been escalating.

The Biden administration is reported to have rebuked Israel for firing on Lebanese military positions, however the IDF says Hezbollah has been utilizing these positions to fireside rockets throughout the border. Kirby stated:

The continued assaults throughout that border are of concern to us. We don’t wish to see the battle widened. We don’t wish to see a northern entrance opened up.

We wish to hold this battle centered, because it rightly must be, on Hamas within the wake of October 7. And so we’re in energetic discussions with our Israeli counterparts in regards to the actions occurring up there on the northern border.

Clearly Israel has a proper to self protection however we don’t wish to see a full on battle between Hezbollah and in Israel. And naturally the assaults which have occurred on the Lebanese Armed Forces are additionally deeply regarding since [they] should not half and parcel of this battle, nor do they wish to be.

Speaking to reporters by Zoom, Kirby additionally spoke of the taking pictures dying of a mom and daughter within the Holy Household parish in Gaza Metropolis on Saturday, allegedly by Israeli snipers:

Sadly, it seems that on this case a mom and a daughter misplaced their lives. And our hearts exit to the households who’re grieving their family members.

We’ve raised our considerations about this explicit incident with the Israeli authorities, in regards to the want for individuals who have accidents or had been wounded, to have the ability to be safely evacuated so that they obtain applicable medical remedy.

The Israel Protection Forces (IDF) seems to be denying accountability for the deaths of two Christian ladies on the Holy Household Parish church advanced on Saturday, which we reported earlier.

The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, the Catholic authority within the Holy Land, stated the 2 ladies, named as Nahida Khalil Anton and her daughter Samar, had been shot lifeless contained in the compound by an Israeli sniper.

On Monday, a spokesperson for the IDF issued what CNN said was a “fastidiously worded”” assertion through which it admitted a dialog with the church on Saturday about blasts within the space, however the church had not reported fatalities:

In the course of the dialogue between the IDF and representatives of the group, no reviews of successful on the church, nor civilians being injured or killed, had been raised. A overview of the IDF’s operational findings assist this.

Earlier Monday, the US raised considerations with Israel in regards to the deaths, White Home spokesperson John Kirby telling a media briefing: “We’ve been very clear that we imagine each effort potential have to be made to forestall civilian casualties”.

It’s 10.30pm in Gaza Metropolis and Tel Aviv. Right here’s a recap of the most recent developments:

• The UN safety council has postponed a vote calling for a sustainable cessation of hostilities in Gaza to offer extra time to fulfill US objections to the wording of the draft decision. The vote was due on Monday mid afternoon in New York however the US stated it couldn’t assist a reference to a cessation of hostilities, however may settle for suspension of hostilities.

• The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, has held talks with Israeli officers together with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defence counterpart, Yoav Gallant, in Tel Aviv on Monday. The discussions centered on Israel shifting away from large-scale aerial and floor operations within the Gaza Strip to a brand new phrase within the battle centered on the exact concentrating on of Hamas leaders, the US official stated.

• Not less than 19,453 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza for the reason that begin of the battle, in line with the most recent tally by the territory’s well being ministry on Monday. 52,286 individuals have been injured, it stated. In the meantime, four Palestinians have been killed on Monday within the Faraa refugee camp, south of the West Financial institution metropolis of Tubas, in an Israeli army raid, the Palestinian well being ministry stated.

• The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, has launched a video of three aged Israeli males being held hostage in Gaza. One man stated he was being held in harsh circumstances with different aged hostages struggling persistent diseases. Israel Protection Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated the video was “atrocious terror” that “reveals the cruelty of Hamas in opposition to aged civilians.”

• The Qatari prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, met the heads of the CIA and Israel’s Mossad spy company on Monday to debate a possible new deal to safe the discharge of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, in line with reviews. However a Palestinian supply accustomed to the talks advised the BBC that negotiations over a brand new non permanent ceasefire “haven’t begun but”.

• The US has raised considerations with Israel after a mom and daughter had been allegedly killed by an Israeli army sniper in a church compound in Gaza Metropolis, the White Home stated. The 2 ladies had been killed contained in the Holy Household parish in Gaza Metropolis on Saturday, in line with the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Most of Gaza’s Christian households have taken refuge within the compound for the reason that begin of the battle. Essentially the most senior Catholic cleric in England stated the taking pictures was a “chilly–blooded killing” that did “nothing to additional Israel’s proper to defend itself”.

• Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of committing a battle crime by ravenous individuals within the Gaza Strip who continued to face relentless assaults within the battle with Hamas militants. “The Israeli authorities is utilizing hunger of civilians as a way of warfare within the occupied Gaza Strip,” HRW stated in a report. “World leaders must be talking out in opposition to this abhorrent battle crime.”

• BP has halted all shipments of oil and gasoline by the Purple Sea after a step-up in assaults on cargo ships by Houthi militants. The British oil firm stated it had paused delivery within the area indefinitely, citing a “deteriorating safety state of affairs” amid tensions within the Center East. BP turns into the primary oil firm to straight halt its personal delivery, after 5 large delivery corporations stopped their vessels passing by the waters between Asia and Africa that join Asia and Europe.

• The UK Labour chief, Keir Starmer, has joined the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, in calling for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, because the political rhetoric continued to shift away from unqualified assist for Israel’s assault in keeping with strikes from the US and others.

UN safety council postpones Gaza vote

Patrick Wintour

The UN safety council has postponed a vote calling for a sustainable cessation of hostilities to offer extra time to fulfill US objections to the wording of the draft decision.

The vote was due on Monday mid afternoon in New York however the US stated it couldn’t assist a reference to a cessation of hostilities, however may settle for suspension of hostilities.

The Arab international locations negotiating the textual content stated that they had been inspired by the US strategy which advised the White Home was looking for some wording that they might assist as opposed merely to vetoing resolutions, the place it adopted on a humanitarian pause on 18 October and on an pressing humanitarian ceasefire on 9 December.

Divisions inside the US administration have been rising with some officers saying the US is misunderstanding the dimensions of disillusionment within the World South over US perceived hypocrisy in calling out Russian battle crimes in Ukraine, however discovering a mess of causes to justify the massive scale killings of Palestinians in Gaza.

A spread of US diplomats have visited Jerusalem to induce the Israeli authorities to undertake totally different army ways, however with solely restricted success, and a US assist for a suspension of hostilities on the UN, if it occurred, can be a sign of US frustration with the Israeli authorities.

The US has additionally beforehand rejected cessation of hostilities resolutions on the 15 sturdy safety council as a result of absence of clear criticism of Hamas for its killing of greater than 1,000 Israelis, together with many ladies and kids on 7 October. The newest draft ready by the United Arab Emirates merely condemns all acts of terrorism, and requires all hostages to be launched unconditionally.

Stress has been constructing on the US after the UN basic meeting on 12 December voted by 153 to 10 with 23 abstentions to name for an pressing cessation of hostilities. Everlasting members of the safety council can’t apply their veto on the Normal Meeting votes as they will on these held on the safety council.

However basic meeting votes are expressions of world opinion and would not have the power of legislation supposedly hooked up to safety council resolutions. In observe many resolutions are ignored.

The sense of US isolation on the Normal Meeting was a mirror picture of the isolation Russia skilled on the Meeting final 12 months over the invasion of Ukraine.

In a bid to win over the British overseas secretary, Lord Cameron, the draft decision as ready on Monday had known as for a sustainable ceasefire, matching the wording he had utilized in a weekend article collectively penned along with his German counterpart. The wording was designed to make it simpler for the UK to maneuver from an abstention, the UK place the final time the difficulty was debated on the Safety Council, to a constructive vote in favour.

The UK has once in a while on Center East points voted positively for resolutions initially opposed by the US, notably in January 2009 when Gordon Brown instructed the UK envoy to again a UN ceasefire decision after 13 days of preventing between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The UK stance helped power the US transfer from opposition to abstention.

A UN name for a suspension of hostilities would along with different elements of the decision put strain on Israel to permit humanitarian help into Gaza at scale, and by land sea and air. A monitoring course of can be established to beat blockages to help reaching Gaza.

The armed wing of Hamas, the al-Qassam Brigades, has launched a video of three aged Israeli males being held hostage in Gaza.

The video, shared on Telegram, reveals Chaim Peri, 79, who was kidnapped on 7 October, Haaretz reported. His spouse, Channa Peri, was launched by Hamas on 24 November.

The opposite hostages proven within the video are Yoram Metzger, 80, and Amiram Cooper, 84, the outlet reported. Each males’s wives have additionally been launched.

Keir Starmer has joined Rishi Sunak in calling for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza, because the political rhetoric continued to shift away from unqualified assist for Israel’s assault in keeping with strikes from the US and others.

Some senior Conservatives had been much more express. Ben Wallace, a former defence secretary, stated Israel’s “killing rage” risked it dropping worldwide assist, and Alicia Kearns, who chairs the Commons overseas affairs committee, stated she believed Israel had damaged worldwide humanitarian legislation.

The Labour chief stated there was a necessity “to get to a sustainable ceasefire as shortly as potential”, starting with a pause within the preventing throughout which the remaining hostages seized by Hamas on 7 October might be freed and help can enter Gaza. He stated:

It should be a political course of, to a two-stage answer which, in the long run, is the one approach that that is going to be resolved.

The prime minister earlier stated Israel had a proper to defend itself following Hamas’s bloodbath of Israeli civilians, however “it should try this in accordance with humanitarian legislation”. “It’s clear that too many civilian lives have been misplaced and no one desires to see this battle go on a day longer than it has to,” Sunak stated.

And that’s why we’ve been constant – and I made this level in parliament final week – in calling for a sustainable ceasefire, whereby hostages are launched, rockets stopped being fired into Israel by Hamas and we proceed to get extra help in.

Bethan McKernan

The US defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, has held talks with Israeli officers about shifting away from large-scale aerial and floor operations within the Gaza Strip to a brand new phrase within the battle centered on the exact concentrating on of Hamas leaders.

“Hamas ought to by no means once more be capable of undertaking terror from Gaza into Israel. That is Israel’s operation; I’m not right here to dictate timelines or phrases,” Austin advised reporters after assembly with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his defence counterpart, Yoav Gallant, in Tel Aviv on Monday. He added that defending Palestinian civilians in Gaza was “each an ethical obligation and a strategic crucial”.

Austin was the most recent in a gentle stream of senior figures within the Biden administration to go to Israel for the reason that unprecedented assault by Hamas on 7 October through which 1,140 individuals had been killed and one other 250 had been seized as hostages. The journey to Israel is a part of a wider Center East tour, because the battle in Gaza threatens to spill over right into a regional conflagration.

Washington, Israel’s closest ally, has offered intense army and diplomatic cowl for the battle in Gaza, the place the dying toll is approaching 20,000, however final week Joe Biden warned that Israel was dropping worldwide assist due to its “indiscriminate bombing”.

Austin and Netanyahu mentioned plans for Israel to transition to extra surgical, intelligence-led operations aimed toward killing Hamas leaders, destroying tunnels and rescuing hostages, as a way to stem the lack of civilian life, the US official stated.