G7 calls on Hamas to accept Gaza ceasefire proposal

Leaders of countries attending the G7 Summit in Fasano, southern Italy on June 13, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)

Speaking at the G7 Summit in Italy, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the UN Security Council had supported the plan and the important issue now was for the parties involved to implement it. “That is why we call on the Hamas Islamist movement to give the necessary approval so that the plan can be implemented,” said Mr. Scholz.

Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is chairing the G7 Summit, has announced her support for the US mediation proposal to establish an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. According to Ms. Meloni, the G7 countries, including the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the US, are calling for "the release of all hostages and a significant increase in humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza".

On May 31, US President J. Biden proposed a three-phase proposal for a comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip in exchange for the release of hostages. However, the prospect of reaching an agreement remains dim due to Hamas's demand that "any ceasefire agreement must ensure a permanent end to the war" - something Israel has firmly rejected.

In a statement released on June 13, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that while attending the Summit in Italy, US President Joe Biden will call on G7 leaders to support ceasefire negotiations and encourage Hamas to accept the proposal supported by Israel.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of G7 leaders in southern Italy, Mr. Sullivan said the world community needed to urge the Hamas Islamist movement to accept the proposal and avoid pushing the situation in Gaza into a stalemate.

Israel is backing a proposal to end the eight-month war in the Gaza Strip, Mr. Sullivan said. The international community’s current goal is to close the gap between Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement soon. The White House National Security Adviser said Hamas has proposed changes to the ceasefire agreement. However, only a few of the changes are feasible while others are not in line with the roadmap laid out by President J. Biden or accepted by the United Nations Security Council.

“Our goal is to try to bridge the remaining gaps and reach an agreement,” Sullivan said, adding that discussions would continue with Qatar and Egypt involved to push Hamas to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.

Mr. Sullivan emphasized that Israel played a role in the ceasefire proposal that President J. Biden made in his speech on May 31 and that he had not heard any Israeli leader object to this agreement.

Palestinians stand amid rubble in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. (Photo: Abed Khaled/Reuters).

More than eight months have passed since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on October 7, 2023, and people in the Gaza Strip are still suffering dire consequences. According to updated figures released by Gaza's health authorities, the conflict that has lasted for several days in Gaza has left at least 37,232 people dead, most of them civilians.

However, as the international community has increased its calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, the conflict continues and threatens to spread. AFP news agency quoted several witnesses as saying that on May 13, Israeli helicopters continued to attack Rafah. Tensions have also increased on Israel's northern border, with multiple attacks by the pro-Hamas Hezbollah movement targeting Israeli military positions. Meanwhile, Lebanon has just announced that a civilian was killed in an Israeli attack./.

Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/the-gioi/tin-tuc/nhom-g7-keu-goi-phong-trao-hamas-chap-nhan-de-xuat-ngung-ban-o-gaza-667306.html