From the Liveblog of
Thursday, August 22, 2024
US envoy tells UN: Hostage-ceasefire deal ‘now is in sight,’ Hamas must accept bridging proposal
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield urges Security Council members to press Hamas to follow Israel’s lead in accepting the bridging proposal that Washington presented last week to try and secure a ceasefire and hostage release deal.
“Israel has accepted the bridging proposal. Now, Hamas must do the same,” Thomas-Greenfield says during a Security Council meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“As members of this Council, we must speak with one voice, and we must use our leverage to press Hamas to accept the bridging proposal which includes massive and immediate benefits for the Palestinians in Gaza and incorporates a number of Hamas’ earlier demands,” she continues.
She says a ceasefire and hostage release deal “now is in sight.”
The US envoy also highlights Gaza’s first reported case of polio in 25 years and urges Israel “to continue working with humanitarian agencies to provide polio vaccinations for Palestinian civilians, particularly children, in Gaza.”
“This effort is urgent, and having a ceasefire deal will greatly facilitate the implementation of this crucial vaccination campaign,” she adds.
