Russian, Iranian FM's urge ceasefire in Gaza
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, repeated their support for a rapid ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
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In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian greet each other during their meeting in Tehran, Monday, Oct. 23, 2023 (Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service via AP)
During a phone discussion on Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, repeated their support for a rapid ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, according to the Russian Foreign Ministry.
According to the statement, the conversation centered around the current situation in Palestine and the officials addressed other bilateral and international concerns.
"Concern was voiced by both sides regarding the ongoing armed conflict in the Gaza Strip. The need for an immediate ceasefire and urgent assistance to the affected civilian population was emphasized."
On Wednesday, the United States voted against Russia's amendment to a Malta-drafted UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution on Gaza, which includes a call for a humanitarian truce, a Sputnik correspondent reported.
The amendment was rejected with a 1-5 vote, with nine abstentions. If passed, it would have called for an immediate, durable, and sustained humanitarian truce in Gaza.
However, the UNSC approved a resolution on Gaza, said the Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun, who presides over the UNSC during the month of November.
Amir-Abdollahian urged an immediate cessation of the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza, emphasizing that "Israel" has no possibility of winning the war.
During a meeting with the head of UN humanitarian operations in Geneva, Martin Griffiths, on Wednesday, Amir-Abdollahian stated that the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian people in Gaza only escalate the costs for Washington as an ally of "Tel Aviv".
WH denies The Post's report about a 5-day truce deal reached in Gaza
The United States said Saturday it was still working to secure a deal between the Israeli occupation and Hamas after a reported tentative agreement to free women and children held captives in Gaza in exchange for a five-day truce.
"We have not reached a deal yet, but we continue to work hard to get to a deal," White House National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said on X, in response to The Washington Post reporting a deal had been agreed.
We have not reached a deal yet, but we continue to work hard to get to a deal. https://t.co/rbSqcqfaKo
— Adrienne Watson (@NSC_Spox) November 19, 2023
The Post said a detailed, six-page agreement could mean captive releases begin within days and could also lead to the first sustained pause in the fighting between the Palestinian Resistance and the Israeli occupation forces.
Citing unnamed sources, the newspaper said Israeli occupation forces and the Palestinian Resistance would halt "combat operations" for at least five days while an initial 50 or more captives are released in smaller batches every 24 hours, with overhead surveillance monitoring movement to police the pause.
According to the report, "It was not immediately clear how many of the 239 people believed to be in captivity in Gaza would be released under the deal."
