WASHINGTON DC: The Pentagon on Monday sought to dispel what it said were false perceptions on social media that Israel staged part of its hostage rescue operations on the US military’s floating pier off Gaza, saying that was not true and no US personnel were involved.
Still, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Patrick Ryder acknowledged there were Israeli helicopter operations “near” the pier, which was announced by US President Joe Biden as a way to bring desperately needed humanitarian aid to Palestinians.
“It was near but I think it’s incidental. Again, the pier, the equipment, the personnel all supporting that humanitarian effort had nothing to do with the IDF rescue operation,” Ryder said, referring to the Israel Defense Forces.
In a raid in Gaza on Saturday, Israeli forces rescued four hostages held by Hamas since October. In Saturday’s operation 274 Palestinians were killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Ryder said the US military was trying to “push back on some of the inaccurate social media allegations” circulating about the pier.
“The humanitarian pier facility, including its equipment, personnel and assets, were not used in the IDF’s operation to rescue hostages in Gaza. And any such claim to the contrary is false.”
The US military’s pier operations resumed briefly on Saturday after nearly two weeks offline but have been halted against since Sunday due to bad weather. On Saturday, 492 metric tons of aid were delivered from the pier, the US military’s Central Command said.
The Israel-Hamas war has now entered its ninth month, since Hamas-led fighters killed 1,200 people and took some 250 others hostage in a rampage through southern Israel, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip has killed more than 37,000 Palestinians and reduced most of the enclave to wasteland, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Any perception that the pier could be used by Israel militarily could undermine US efforts to increase the flow of aid to Palestinians and potentially increase the threat to US troops.
Ryder acknowledged misinformation and disinformation about what US troops were doing in the Middle East. But he dismissed the idea that the current misperceptions that the pier was used by Israel increased the threat to US forces, who have air defenses installed to shield them from possible rocket attack.
“No, I don’t think it puts our forces at greater risk,” he said, without explaining how he came to that conclusion.
Pentagon says Israel’s hostage operation did not involve Gaza pier
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Pentagon says Israel’s hostage operation did not involve Gaza pier
- The US military’s pier operations resumed briefly on Saturday after nearly two weeks offline
Landmark Saudi-French peace summit signals growing international consensus for Palestinian statehood
Landmark Saudi-French peace summit signals growing international consensus for Palestinian statehood
- Global representatives are attending a conference at the UN in New York to revive hopes for a two-state solution
- Summit delegates demanded a Gaza ceasefire, unrestricted aid delivery, and accountability for Israeli attacks
DUBAI/LONDON: The first day of the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine sent a unified message: the path toward Palestinian statehood is taking shape, with international actors working to chart what France’s foreign minister described as an “irreversible political path” to a two-state solution.
Co-hosted by Saudi Arabia and France at the UN from July 28 to 30, the conference seeks to revive global momentum around Palestinian recognition — momentum that has waned amid Israel’s military campaign in Gaza triggered by the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.
“This is a historic stage that reflects growing international consensus,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a near-capacity hall on Monday, adding that the gathering aims to shift the international atmosphere decisively toward a two-state solution.
“This is not simply a political position. Rather, this is a deeply entrenched belief that an independent Palestinian state is the true keys to peace,” which he said he envisioned in the form of the Arab Peace Initiative, presented by Saudi Arabia and adopted by the Arab League in Beirut in 2002.
The conference comes days after French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to officially recognize the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September — a move that would make France the first G7 country to do so.
The US, however, declined to participate, saying in a memo that the meeting was “counterproductive to ongoing, life-saving efforts to end the war in Gaza and free hostages.”
Washington added that it opposes “any steps that would unilaterally recognize a conjectural Palestinian state,” arguing such moves introduce “significant legal and political obstacles” to resolving the conflict.
Israel, which faces mounting international pressure over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza — where the UN says starvation is taking hold — also boycotted the meeting.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the wide attendance at the conference proved “the consensus and the mobilization of the international community around the appeal for an end to the war in Gaza.” He urged participants to view the gathering as “a turning point — a transformational juncture for implementing the two-state solution.”
“We have begun an unprecedented and unstoppable momentum for a political solution in the Middle East, which is already beginning to bear fruit,” Barrot said, citing tangible steps such as “recognition of Palestine, normalization and regional integration of Israel, reform of Palestinian governance, and the disarmament of Hamas.”
While the 1947 UN Partition Plan originally proposed separate Jewish and Arab states, Israel’s far-right government continues to reject any form of Palestinian statehood, advocating instead for the permanent annexation of land and, in some cases, the expulsion of Palestinian residents.
“This conference does not promote a solution, but rather deepens the illusion,” said Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the UN, on Monday, accusing organizers of being “disconnected from reality” by prioritizing Palestinian sovereignty over the release of hostages and the dismantling of Hamas.
The future of Hamas and Israeli settler violence dominated discussions on the first day and are expected to remain a focus throughout the conference.
Juan Manuel Santos, the former Colombian president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, told the conference that the current Israeli government is “pursuing a greater Israel through the destruction of Gaza, illegal settlement expansion and the annexation of the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.”
He called on nations to recognize the State of Palestine, saying it would send a clear message that Israel’s “expansionist agenda will never be accepted and does not serve their true interests.”
Intervening on the issue, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa described Gaza as the “latest and most brutal manifestation” of the crisis.
“The idea that peace can come through the destruction or subjugation of our people is a deadly illusion,” he said, arguing that the Palestinian people — and not Hamas — “have demonstrated an ironclad commitment to peace in the face of brutal violence.”
Israel has defended its actions as essential to national security and has signaled its intention to maintain military control over Gaza and the West Bank after the war. But on Monday, several speakers insisted that true security cannot exist without peace.
“Just as there can be no peace without security, there can be no security without peace,” said Italian representative Maria Tripodi.
Participants proposed building an inclusive regional security framework modeled after the OSCE or ASEAN, focused on negotiations and policy rather than military control.
Qatar’s representative emphasized that while a ceasefire and increasing the flow of humanitarian aid remain the immediate goals, lasting peace requires a two-state solution, tackling root causes, protecting independent media, and countering hate speech.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo has “intensified efforts” to end the war, resume aid, and provide security training to forces that could help create the conditions for a viable Palestinian state.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza loomed large over discussions. With the territory’s health and food systems in a state of collapse, the UN has warned that famine is already unfolding in parts of the enclave, where hundreds of thousands remain trapped.
Despite mounting international pressure, Israel has maintained tight control over land access and aid convoys, increasing the allowance of humanitarian convoys entering the enclave on Sunday — efforts that humanitarian groups say are insufficient, erratic, and dangerous.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the Arab League, warned that “a new Middle East will never emerge from the suffering of Palestinians.” Peace, he said, will not come through “starvation, deportation or total suppression,” and cannot exist while occupation and apartheid persist.
Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, former UN high commissioner for human rights, urged the international community to define a clear and pragmatic plan for a new and independent Palestine.
“A vision is not for today’s emotional audit,” he said, but for a new tomorrow for both Israel and Palestine. This is why, “a two-state solution would have to be practical to gain support” and “wholesale vagueness about the end game is not strategic; it is dangerous.”
He advocated for a “cleverly designed, regionally anchored security arrangement to prevent unilateral abrogation as a first urgent transitional step” in addition to a reconstruction and rehabilitation mission with an international mandate.
Addressing delegates, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the conflict had reached a “breaking point,” and urged a shift from rhetoric to concrete action.
Nothing justifies “the obliteration of Gaza that has unfolded before the eyes of the world,” he said, listing illegal settlement expansion, settler violence, mass displacement and the annexation drive as elements of a “systemic reality dismantling the building blocks of peace.”
He called for an immediate end to unilateral actions undermining a two-state solution, and reaffirmed the UN vision of two sovereign, democratic states living side-by-side in peace, based on pre-1967 borders and with Jerusalem as a shared capital.
“This remains the only framework rooted in international law, endorsed by this Assembly, and supported by the international community,” he said. “It is the only credible path to a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. And it is the sine qua non for peace across the wider Middle East.”
Hamas must surrender Gaza control, disarm: Palestinian PM
- Mohammad Mustafa made the statement at UN conference on the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians
Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Mustafa said Monday that Hamas must disarm and give up control of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority to restore security in the war-torn territory.
“Israel must withdraw completely from the Gaza Strip and Hamas must relinquish its control over the strip and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority,” Mustafa said at a conference on the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians at the United Nations in New York.
International summit on 2-state solution ‘deepens the illusion’ of peace, says Israeli envoy to UN
- Participants are engaging in discussions ‘disconnected from reality’ instead of ‘demanding the release of the hostages and working to dismantle Hamas’ reign of terror,’ he says
- Israel and the US boycott the 2-day conference, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, which began on Monday at the UN’s HQ in New York
NEW YORK/LONDON: Ahead of an international conference on a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told reporters on Monday that the summit “does not promote a solution, but rather deepens the illusion.”
Formally titled the High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, the two-day event began on Monday at the UN headquarters in New York, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France. With humanitarian experts warning that Gaza is on the brink of famine, the summit has been described as urgent and long overdue.
But Danon said: “Instead of demanding the release of the hostages and working to dismantle Hamas’ reign of terror, the conference organizers are engaging in discussions and plenaries that are disconnected from reality.”
Jonathan Harounoff, the international spokesperson for Israel’s mission at the UN, confirmed that his country would not participate in any conference that “doesn’t first urgently address the issue of condemning Hamas and returning all of the remaining hostages.” The US also boycotted the event.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for whom the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in November in connection with its investigation into war crimes during Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, said the international conference “rewards terrorism” and accused France of helping to legitimize what could become “an Iranian proxy state.”
The UN’s humanitarian chief, Tom Fletcher, on Sunday warned that the situation in Gaza was dire, with widespread hunger, children wasting away and people risking their lives in their attempts simply to obtain food.
While recent moves by Israeli authorities to ease restrictions and allow more aid into the territory represented a step forward, he said, it was not enough. Vast quantities of aid, safe access routes, consistent supplies of fuel, efforts to protect civilians, and an immediate ceasefire are urgently needed to prevent further catastrophe, he added.
US dismisses UN Israel-Palestinian conference as ‘publicity stunt’
- US State Department labeled three-day event “unproductive and ill-timed”
NEW YORK: The US on Monday dismissed a French-Saudi-sponsored conference at the United Nations on promoting a two-state solution to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis as a “stunt.”
The US State Department labeled the three-day event “unproductive and ill-timed,” as well as a “publicity stunt” that would make finding peace harder.
The diplomatic push is a “reward for terrorism,” the statement said, also calling the promise to recognize a Palestinian state by French President Emmanuel Macron “counterproductive.”
In the statement from spokesperson Tammy Bruce, the State Department added that the conference “far from promoting peace,” would “prolong the war, embolden Hamas, and reward its obstruction and undermine real-world efforts to achieve peace.”
Bruce continued: “As Secretary Rubio has made clear, this effort is a slap in the face to the victims of October 7th and a reward for terrorism. It keeps hostages trapped in tunnels.
“The United States will not participate in this insult but will continue to lead real-world efforts to end the fighting and deliver a permanent peace. Our focus remains on serious diplomacy, not stage-managed conferences designed to manufacture the appearance of relevance.”
The statement said President Macron’s announcement about recognizing a Palestinian state was “welcomed by Hamas,” while encouraging its “obstruction of a ceasefire,” and greatly undercut US diplomatic efforts to “end the suffering in Gaza, free the hostages, and move the whole Middle East towards a brighter and more prosperous future.”
* With AFP
UN outlines humanitarian response plan during potential Gaza ceasefire, and conditions required
- It emphasizes urgent need to address life-saving needs across the territory, where experts say the population continues to face the looming threat of famine
- It identifies 11 major barriers to effective delivery of aid that must be addressed, including threats to aid workers, logistical delays, red tape and damage to roads
NEW YORK CITY: The UN has outlined a comprehensive plan to scale up humanitarian aid for Gaza should a ceasefire or pause in hostilities be agreed. However, it warned that the current conditions on the ground pose major obstacles that must be addressed to make such a response feasible.
The plan, designed for an initial 30-day period but extendable depending on conditions, emphasizes the urgent need to address life-saving needs across the territory, in which the population continues to suffer the effects of what aid organizations describe as a looming famine.
The document identifies 11 major barriers to the effective delivery of aid, ranging from threats to aid workers and logistical delays to bureaucratic restrictions and damage to roads.
Among the most urgent concerns is the threat to the safety of humanitarian staff and facilities. Escalating hostilities near humanitarian routes and designated convoy areas have severely constrained movement and delivery capacities.
At the same time, the collapse of the civilian police force has contributed to widespread insecurity, particularly at border crossings and along aid routes, which are increasingly vulnerable to looting and interference by armed gangs.
Aid convoys face significant delays as they regularly have to await approval from the Israeli army, only to be denied access after hours of waiting. This wastes time that is critical to the aid response, and ties up resources that could be used elsewhere. In southern Gaza, a single round trip to deliver supplies can take up to 20 hours.
The poor state of telecommunications compounds these issues, with local networks frequently down, satellite phones jammed, and outdated radio systems hindering coordination.
Efforts to deliver aid are undermined by the large, desperate crowds of people that intercept trucks and seize supplies before they can reach distribution points. Many of the routes approved by Israeli authorities are deemed unsafe or impractical, as they pass through heavily congested or gang-controlled areas.
Additionally, the UN reports severe shortages of warehouse space and logistical equipment such as armored vehicles, protective gear and spare parts, items that are often denied entry by Israeli authorities.
The state of the transport network poses challenges, with nearly 70 percent of roads damaged, and overcrowding in southern governorates further impedes movement.
Supply lines remain unpredictable, with crossing points from Israel, Egypt, the West Bank and Jordan frequently closed or operating on inconsistent schedules. The absence of a centralized UN-run logistics hub at key crossings complicates the management of customs and cargo.
Fuel shipments are funneled almost exclusively through Kerem Shalom in Israel, leaving northern Gaza dependent on unreliable coordinated transfers, and the latest Israeli regulations require all humanitarian deliveries of fuel to be managed by a single private company.
Meanwhile, the closure of the border-crossing at Rafah has left international aid workers with limited options to rotate in and out of Gaza, and Israeli authorities are increasingly denying entry altogether.
The UN said these constraints must be resolved if a scaled-up humanitarian operation is to proceed, and proposed a series of actions to be taken before and during any ceasefire agreement. These include efforts to ensure the safety of aid workers and their facilities, the clarification of buffer zones to avoid any accidental targeting of humanitarians, and the reactivation of civilian police in some areas.
To address the threat of looting, humanitarian organizations might request security escorts in accordance with humanitarian principles. In addition, UN monitors need to be granted access to all border crossings and distribution points to ensure effective tracking and oversight.
The UN also called on Israeli authorities to expedite the deployment of essential equipment in Gaza, including satellite-communication devices, armored vehicles, power generators and prefabricated housing for staff. The resumption of telecommunications services across Gaza would be necessary for the coordination of operations, and approval for the use of tools to clear unexploded ordnance is required to ensure the safety of aid convoys.
Civilians must be allowed to move freely throughout the territory without fear of harassment, detention or violence. Israeli army checkpoints, particularly on Salah Al-Din road, need to be removed or rendered nonobstructive, and any agreed troop-withdrawal zones must be clearly marked with visible barriers to protect civilians.
In addition, humanitarian operations would require all relevant border crossings to operate at full capacity, including at weekends. The UN requested that authorities in Egypt and Jordan be allowed to send trucks directly into Gaza to offload goods, and a reduction in interference by Israeli army personnel while determining the contents of aid convoys, to speed up deliveries.
Within Gaza, key roads such as the coastal route and Salah Al-Din must be repaired and remain open from dawn to dusk. Heavy machinery and materials need to be brought in to support the reconstruction of roads, and any unexploded ordnance along main routes must be cleared.
Efforts to revive the private sector in Gaza are also considered essential, as humanitarian aid alone cannot sustain the population. Of the 600 trucks a day needed to meet basic needs, the UN estimates that 350 should carry commercial goods, 150 would contain supplies from the UN and nongovernmental organizations, and 100 would be allocated to bilateral or Red Crescent donations.
The UN stressed that aid must be able to reach all areas of Gaza, based on population size, and that fuel deliveries to the north, which are frequently denied, must be approved consistently. A larger share of deliveries will be monitored by safeguarding and protection teams to ensure equitable and safe distribution, particularly to the most vulnerable populations.
Furthermore, restrictions on key humanitarian items must be lifted. These include assistive devices, vehicle parts, medical supplies, sanitation tools and solar energy systems for health facilities and water infrastructure.
To meet the needs of hospitals, water systems and other critical infrastructure, at least 265,000 liters of diesel and 13,000 liters of benzene would be required each day. Electricity feeder lines should be reactivated immediately, and repairs to Gaza’s power plant and grid infrastructure need to be supported. Deliveries of cooking gas must also be allowed to both the north and south of the territory.
Meanwhile, dozens of UN and NGO employees who are awaiting visas so that they can provide support for operations in Gaza from Jerusalem must be granted entry, along with international medical and humanitarian personnel.
If these conditions are met, the UN plans to implement a broad humanitarian response, starting with the scaling-up of food assistance across the territory. This would include daily shipments of food and fresh ingredients, support for bakeries and kitchens preparing hot meals, and
specialized food aid for children, pregnant women and the elderly. Humanitarian partners would also work to reestablish the commercial food trade to supplement UN deliveries.
Health services would be expanded, with six hospitals, two field hospitals, and eight primary health centers resupplied and reopened. At least 150 patients a week would be referred to facilities outside of Gaza for urgent treatment, and new emergency medical teams would be deployed. Mental health and trauma services would also be strengthened.
Water and sanitation services, which currently reach only 20 percent of the population, would be scaled up to serve at least 80 percent. The UN plan includes the delivery of hygiene kits, fuel, chlorine and equipment to improve WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) services in communities and at displacement centers.
Malnutrition, particularly among children under the age of 5 and pregnant or lactating women, has reached alarming levels. The UN said it intends to launch emergency nutrition protocols, including the establishment of stabilization centers and targeted food distribution. With predictable access and sufficient partner capacities, the UN estimates that 98 percent of the target population could be reached within a month.
Finally, shelter assistance would be expanded to cover 200,000 displaced individuals through the distribution of tents, sealing kits, winter items and household essentials, prioritizing those who are living in makeshift or self-settled camps.
UN officials stressed that while their plan is technically feasible, success will depend entirely on the creation of a secure, cooperative and enabling environment. Without that, they warned, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is likely to deteriorate further, putting millions of lives at risk.
