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A two-month ceasefire in Gaza? Officials from Egypt, Qatar, the US, and Israel met in France last night to discuss a potential agreement that would see Israel halt all fighting in Gaza for about two months in exchange for Hamas releasing over 100 Israeli hostages, the New York Times reported over the weekend. CIA head William Burns, Egyptian intelligence chief Abbas Kamel, Israel’s Mossad head David Barnea, and Qatari Prime Minister Mohamed Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani attended the talks, which were “defined as constructive … [but] there are still significant gaps,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement. The talks are set to continue this week, according to the statement.
What’s next? If the meetings go well and make enough progress, the Biden administration will send Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk to the region to help finalize the agreement, the NYT said.
UN’s Palestinian refugee organization loses funding: The US — the UN Relief and Works Agency’s (UNRWA) biggest donor — along with the UK, Italy, Canada, Finland, and Australia have suspended additional funding to UNRWA over Israeli allegations that several staff members took part in the 7 October attacks. The UN has preemptively fired several employees over the accusations and is investigating the allegations.
UN calls for continued UNRWA support: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called on governments to continue supporting UNRWA. Guterres vowed to take action against any UN employee found to have taken part in the attacks, but stressed that “the tens of thousands of men and women who work for UNRWA, many in some of the most dangerous situations for humanitarian workers, should not be penalized. The dire needs of the desperate populations they serve must be met,” he added.
ICJ ORDERS ISRAEL TO PREVENT GENOCIDE-
The ICJ gives its verdict: The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordered Israel to limit harm to civilians in Gaza and prevent acts of genocide, but did not order an immediate ceasefire in a ruling (pdf) on Friday. The court also found that there is “plausible claim” of genocide that Israel must answer for.
The Foreign Ministry welcomed the International Court of Justice’s (ICJ) ruling, while calling for a resolution to “avoid further loss of life, and prevent fueling the situation,” the ministry said in a statement.
