Israel-Hamas war latest: Iran rejects European leaders’ call to refrain from any retaliatory attacks

Jerusalem: Iran has rejected a call by three European countries urging it to refrain from any retaliatory attacks that would further escalate regional tensions. Iran calls it an “excessive request”.

The leaders of Britain, France and Germany in a joint statement Monday had asked Iran and its allies to refrain from retaliation for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. Iran has blamed Israel.

The European leaders also endorsed the latest push by mediators from Qatar, Egypt and the United States to broker an agreement to end the Israel-Hamas war. Talks are expected to resume Thursday. And they called for the return of scores of hostages held by Hamas and the “unfettered” delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Mediators have spent months trying to get the sides to agree to a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the remaining hostages captured in its Oct 7 attack in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and Israel would withdraw from Gaza.

After more than 10 months of fighting, the Palestinian death toll is nearing 40,000 in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry there.

Here’s the latest:

UN Security Council members urge a cease-fire deal

United Nations: Several UN Security Council members clamoured Tuesday for a Gaza cease-fire deal to be sealed, with negotiations set to resume this week.

But the council, which voted in June to embrace a US proposal for a cease-fire, took no further action at Tuesday’s emergency meeting on Israel’s deadly weekend airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza.

Russia argued that council has given the US cease-fire plan more than enough time. Ambassador Dmitry Polyanskiy suggested the group consider “strengthening” its push for a cease-fire.

The US, Egypt and Qatar have been trying to get Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas to sign onto the three-phase plan. Talks have been expected to continue Thursday, but it’s unclear whether Hamas will participate.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the Security Council that her country is prepared to make “a final bridging proposal: one that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties”. She didn’t detail it.

Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan, whose country isn’t a council member, excoriated the group for convening an urgent meeting about Saturday’s airstrike at the Tabeen school. Israel says it targeted militant fighters operating from the school compound.

Security Council members voiced a range of concern and condemnation about the attack. But Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour called on them to respond to Israel’s military campaign with sanctions, not just words.

 “Israel does not care about your condemnations,” he said, twice.

President Biden expresses resolve at securing end to hostilities

Washington: US President Joe Biden said Tuesday that achieving a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas was “getting hard” but he expressed his resolve at securing an end to the hostilities.

 “We’ll see what Iran does and we’ll see what happens if there is any attack. But I’m not giving up,” Biden told reporters after arriving in New Orleans for an appearance.

Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza kill a 3-month-old boy, his uncle and at least 5 others

Deir al-Balah: An airstrike by Israeli Defense Forces killed a 3-month-old boy and his uncle and injured a number of people in Bureij Monday night, a day before another strike killed five people inside a coffee shop in the city of Deir al-Balah.

Associated Press footage showed a little girl on the ground with her injured head wrapped in a white gauze with a flower dangling down her face and her legs injured. Next to her, a dead baby laid with his eyes half open, and his small arms were crossed and placed on his stomach by person who tied them loosely together with a small piece of cloth before transferring him to the morgue to prepare him for burial.

Several people gathered out of the hospital to perform a funeral prayer for the baby and his uncle whose bodies were wrapped in white shrouds.

The Gaza Health Ministry said Tuesday that the number of infants who were born and died during the war had reached 115 infants since the aggression began in October.

On Tuesday, a separate air strike hit a coffee shop in the eastern part of Deir al-Balah, killing five men who were inside. Associated Press footage showed a small crowd of people gathering inside the morgue at Al-Aqsa hospital where all five men were placed inside white plastic bags. A young man cried loudly as he tightly hugged one of the deceased.

Qatar will try to convince Hamas to participate in peace talks

Washington: Qatar will seek to convince Hamas to participate in Thursday’s peace talks over the war in Gaza, a US State Department official said.

Hamas has so far declined to agree to take part in ceasefire negotiations, which take place amid fears that tensions between Israel and Iran could escalate following Israel’s killing of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh.

 “Our partners in Qatar have assured us that they will work to have Hamas represented,” US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said during a briefing with reporters on Tuesday.

Patel declined to respond to questions about specific demands made by either side but said American efforts are focused on preventing greater violence and ending humanitarian suffering in the region.

 “We are working around the clock every day,” Patel said of peace talks. “Everyone in the region should understand that further attacks only perpetuate conflict and instability and insecurity for everyone.”

Patel said the US continues to stand with Israel and will support its ally in the face of any Iranian retaliation for Haniyeh’s death.

 “We certainly won’t hesitate to defend Israel as well as our personnel from not just attacks from Iran but from Iranian-backed proxies as well.”

Turkiye denounces Israeli far-right minister’s visit to flashpoint holy site as a provocation

Ankara: Turkiye on Tuesday denounced a visit to a Jerusalem holy site by Israeli groups, including a far-right minister, as a “provocation” that could further escalate tensions in the region.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said the “provocative action” had shown that Israel has “no intention of reaching peace”.

The ministry once again called on the international community to take action to stop the Israeli government’s “brutality”.

On Tuesday, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir joined hundreds of mostly religious and ultra-nationalist Jews in visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and encouraged prayer there. The site is the third holiest site in Islam and the holiest for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount.

Under a longstanding, informal arrangement known as the status quo, Jews are allowed to visit the site but not pray there.

 “The storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by hundreds of radical Israelis, including ministers, under police protection is a provocation that violates the historical status of Jerusalem and will further escalate the tension in our region,” the Turkish ministry said.

When asked about the prayer, UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq said the status quo at Jerusalem’s holy sites shouldn’t be disturbed, and “this sort of behaviour is unhelpful, and it is unduly provocative”.

Iran’s UN Mission says it won’t send representatives to cease-fire talks

United Nations: Iran’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations said Tuesday that Iran is not considering sending representatives to cease-fire talks.

 “We have not engaged in the indirect cease-fire negotiations between Hamas and the regime, facilitated by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, and hold no intention for involvement in such negotiations,” the mission said.

Russia’s president meets with Palestinian leader, offers support

Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and told him Russia is deeply concerned about the suffering in the region’s crisis.

 “Of course, we are watching the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Palestine with great pain and concern. For our part, we are doing everything to support the Palestinian people,” Putin said at the opening of the meeting. “We have sent about 700 tons of various types of cargo.”

Abbas in turn thanked Putin for Russia’s support and complained that “The UN, due to pressure from the US, has failed in its mission to give one solution, to adopt one resolution that would implement, ensure the implementation of the rights of the Palestinian people.”

Israel determines Palestinian militants fired rockets from Khan Younis

Tel Aviv: Israel’s military said that they determined Khan Younis as the location from which the Palestinian militants fired rockets aimed at Tel Aviv.

Israel’s army last week had launched the last in a series of incursions into the southern Gaza city, triggering another exodus of Palestinians from the area as it resumed an air and ground offensive.

Earlier today, the army said its troops continue to operate in Khan Younis, where they “eliminated terrorists, including from Hamas’ rockets unit”.

Israel’s military says Palestinian militants have fired 2 rockets from Gaza

Tel Aviv: Israel’s military says Palestinian militants have fired two rockets from the Gaza Strip and one of them landed in the sea off central Israel. It says the other projectile did not cross into Israeli territory.

Hamas’ armed wing said it fired two rockets at Tel Aviv, located on the coast in central Israel.

Palestinian rocket fire has dramatically quieted during Israel’s 10-month offensive in Gaza, which was launched in response to Hamas’ Oct 7 attack into Israel.