Trump Urges End To Gaza War 'Immediately'

KABUL (Pajhwok): US President Donald Trump has told the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) that the war in Gaza must stop immediately, while rejecting recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by Western countries.

“We have to stop the war in Gaza immediately,” Trump told world leaders in New York on Tuesday, adding that he has been“deeply engaged” in efforts to secure a ceasefire, Al Jazeera reported.

He reiterated his call for the captives taken from Israel and being held in Gaza to be returned home.

“We have to get it done. We have to negotiate peace. We have to get the hostages back. We want all 20 back,” he said, referring to the 20 of the 48 remaining captives still believed to be alive.

Those who support peace should unite in demanding the release of the captives, he told the UNGA, while rejecting the recent recognition of Palestinian statehood by some Western countries.

“As if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognise the Palestinian state. The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists, for their atrocities,” Trump said.

His remarks contrasted with those of UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who said at a meeting on the two-state solution on Sunday that statehood for Palestinians“is a right, not a reward”.

Trump blamed Hamas, which governs Gaza, for repeated breakdowns in ceasefire negotiations, insisting that the group“has repeatedly rejected reasonable offers to make peace”.

By contrast, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has continually been accused of stalling ceasefire talks since the beginning of Israel's war.

This month, Israel targeted Hamas leaders in the Qatari capital, Doha, as Palestinian leaders met there to discuss the latest US-backed truce proposal.

Netanyahu broke the last ceasefire with Hamas in mid-March and imposed a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, leading to famine and deaths from starvation in the enclave.

On Tuesday, Hamas denied any responsibility for the failure to reach a ceasefire deal.“We have never been an obstacle to reaching an agreement,” the group said in a statement.

This month, Netanyahu ordered the seizure of Gaza City, launching a ground invasion that has killed hundreds of Palestinians and displaced thousands more.

More than 65,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war, which a UN commission has described as amounting to genocide.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, the US president also met leaders from Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates to discuss the conflict.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan described the meeting as“very fruitful”, adding that a joint declaration would be published.

PAN Monitor/sa

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