G7 countries endorse new Gaza truce plan, urge Hamas to accept

The G7 group of developed countries on Monday said it stood behind a Gaza peace deal endorsed by US President Joe Biden, and called on Hamas to accept it.

"We, the Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7), fully endorse" the truce plan "that would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian assistance for distribution throughout Gaza, and an enduring end to the crisis, with Israel's security interests and Gazan civilian safety assured," read the statement.

The G7 countries are the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

"We call on Hamas to accept this deal, that Israel is ready to move forward with, and we urge countries with influence over Hamas to help ensure that it does so," it continued.

The United States on Monday announced a draft Security Council resolution supporting the Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan outlined by US President Joe Biden last Friday, urging Israel and Hamas to accept it.

"Numerous leaders and governments, including in the region, have endorsed this plan," said US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

The three-phase proposal – which Biden presented as an Israeli initiative – is intended to end the conflict, free all hostages and lead to the reconstruction of the Palestinian territory without Hamas in power.

It begins with a six-week complete ceasefire that would see Israeli forces withdraw from all populated areas of Gaza.

Hamas on Friday said it viewed Biden's outline "positively", but has since made no official comment on stalled negotiations, while mediators Qatar, Egypt and the United States have not announced any new talks.

'Devastating' impact

Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt issued a statement on Monday backing the latest diplomatic effort.

UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland Tuesday urged all parties to reach an agreement after he visited Gaza and "witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of the hostilities. The scenes of destruction & suffering of people are heart-wrenching".

"There is a serious proposal on the table – outlined by President Biden – and I urge all parties to reach an agreement immediately to achieve a ceasefire and return the hostages. There is no alternative – and any delay, every day simply costs more lives," he posted on social media platform X.

Israeli government spokesman David Mencer earlier quoted Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that the outline Biden presented was only "partial", and that under the plan fighting would only stop temporarily "for the purpose of returning the hostages".

Netanyahu, a hawkish veteran leading a fragile hard-right coalition government, is under intense domestic pressure from multiple sides.

Relatives and supporters of hostages have staged mass protests demanding a truce deal – but his far-right coalition allies are threatening to bring down the government if he agrees to that.

Ongoing strikes

Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued early Tuesday, particularly in Bureij in central Gaza where local hospital sources reported several deaths.

In northern Israel, firefighters and troops were battling forest blazes after rocket fire from neighbouring Lebanon, with the border area the scene of near-daily exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and the Hezbollah militant group, an ally of Hamas, since the start of the war in Gaza nearly eight months ago.

Israel's military on Monday announced the deaths in Gaza of four hostages seized during the 7 October Hamas attack on Israel, naming them as Chaim Perry, Yoram Metzger, Amiram Cooper and Israeli-British citizen Nadav Popplewell.

Their bodies were still in the hands of Hamas, it added.

(with AFP)