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Israeli ministers have expressed "hope that we are on the cusp of a deal" as talks on a Gaza ceasefire resume in Qatar, Britain's visiting Foreign Secretary has said.
David Lammy said reports from Qatar "suggest that the first day of hostage talks has gone well" as he visited Israel with his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne.
The UK and French ministers condemned a deadly attack by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, as they deliver a joint warning to the region to calm tensions.
"The time for a deal - for those hostages to be returned, for aid to get in, in the quantities that are necessary in Gaza, and for the fighting to stop - is now," Mr Lammy said at a press conference on Friday.
The Anglo-French pair met Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz and Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer.
Mr Lammy and Mr Sejourne were also visiting Palestine, marking the first joint UK-France visit to the region in more than 10 years. They have used the visit to stress “there is no time for delays or excuses from all parties on a ceasefire deal”.
Israeli strikes on Gaza - in pictures
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An injured father comforts his daughter. AFP -
The school playground, in a screengrab from video. AP -
A woman identifies a family member among the dead. AFP -
People at a Gaza city hospital carry the body of a family member killed in a strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians. AFP -
The destroyed school. Reuters -
A child at Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir Al Balah on August 10, in front of a man cradling the body one a family member, killed in an Israeli strike on their home in Nuseirat, Gaza. AFP -
An injured girl at Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital. AFP
Officials from the US, Qatar and Egypt, and an Israeli delegation, are holding ceasefire negotiations in Qatar. Hamas said it would not take part after accusing Israel of adding new demands to a previous proposal that had US and international support.
Mediating parties have been trying to secure an agreement for a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release hostages captured in the October 7 attack in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians detained in Israel.
“This is a dangerous moment for the Middle East. The risk of the situation spiralling out of control is rising," Mr Lammy said on Thursday, before travelling to the region.
“Any Iranian attack would have devastating consequences for the region. The UK and France are united in our commitment to secure a lasting peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider region.
“There can be no delays or excuses. All parties must engage seriously in negotiations on a ceasefire deal. This is a vital opportunity to secure the release of hostages and an immediate surge in aid into Gaza.
“Only with diplomacy can we end the current destructive cycle of retaliatory violence. Only with diplomacy can we deliver long-term peace and security for all. That is the message we will be taking with us to the region.”
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war on the enclave, health authorities said. More than 92,400 have been injured and at least 85 per cent of the population displaced by the Israeli bombardment.
Escalating tension has fuelled fears of all-out war in the region, as cross-border fire is exchanged regularly between Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Israeli military.
Israeli forces have attacked mosques, schools, hospitals and cemeteries in Gaza, where it claims fighters or tunnels are located. The strikes often cause civilian casualties.
“It’s never too late for peace. We must at all costs avoid a regional war, which would have terrible consequences," Mr Sejourne said. “We must secure a ceasefire agreement and the release of all the hostages. France and the United Kingdom support the efforts of the American, Egyptian and Qatari mediators to achieve this.
“We have been mobilised for several weeks to call on all parties to show restraint and responsibility. Any miscalculation in the current situation could provoke a generalised conflagration."
