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African Leaders Condemn Israel's Offensive in Gaza

Outgoing chairperson of the African Union and President of Comoros Azali Assoumani (CR) congratulates the newly elected chairperson of the African Union and President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (CL) as Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed (R)and Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki (L) look on during the opening ceremony of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa on February 17, 2024. (Photo by Amanuel Sileshi / AFP)
Outgoing chairperson of the African Union and President of Comoros Azali Assoumani (CR) congratulates the newly elected chairperson of the African Union and President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (CL) as Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed (R)and Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki (L) look on during the opening ceremony of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa on February 17, 2024. (Photo by Amanuel Sileshi / AFP)
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African Leaders Condemn Israel's Offensive in Gaza

Outgoing chairperson of the African Union and President of Comoros Azali Assoumani (CR) congratulates the newly elected chairperson of the African Union and President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (CL) as Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed (R)and Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki (L) look on during the opening ceremony of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa on February 17, 2024. (Photo by Amanuel Sileshi / AFP)
Outgoing chairperson of the African Union and President of Comoros Azali Assoumani (CR) congratulates the newly elected chairperson of the African Union and President of Mauritania Mohamed Ould Ghazouani (CL) as Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed (R)and Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki (L) look on during the opening ceremony of the 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa on February 17, 2024. (Photo by Amanuel Sileshi / AFP)

Leaders at an African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Saturday condemned Israel’s offensive in Gaza and called for its immediate end.
Moussa Faki, the chair of the African Union Commission, said Israel’s offensive was the “most flagrant” violation of international humanitarian law and accused Israel of having “exterminated” Gaza’s inhabitants.
Faki spoke alongside Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who also addressed the summit.
“Rest assured we strongly condemn these attacks that are unprecedented in the history of mankind,” Faki said to applause from delegates. “We want to reassure you of our solidarity with the people of Palestine.”
Azali Assoumani, president of the Comoros and the outgoing chairperson of the African Union, praised the case brought by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice while condemning “the genocide Israel is committing in Palestine under our nose.”
“The international community cannot close its eyes to the atrocities that are committed, that have not only created chaos in Palestine but also have disastrous consequences in the rest of the world,” The Associated Press quoted Assoumani as saying.

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Hamas and Israel Blame Each Other for Ceasefire Delay

The silhouettes of a military vehicle and a soldier are seen near the Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Israel, December 16, 2024. (Reuters)
The silhouettes of a military vehicle and a soldier are seen near the Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Israel, December 16, 2024. (Reuters)
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Hamas and Israel Blame Each Other for Ceasefire Delay

The silhouettes of a military vehicle and a soldier are seen near the Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Israel, December 16, 2024. (Reuters)
The silhouettes of a military vehicle and a soldier are seen near the Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, in Israel, December 16, 2024. (Reuters)

The Palestinian group Hamas and Israel traded blame on Wednesday over their failure to conclude a ceasefire agreement despite progress reported by both sides in past days.

Hamas said that Israel had laid down further conditions, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the group of going back on understandings already reached.

"The occupation has set new conditions related to withdrawal, ceasefire, prisoners, and the return of the displaced, which has delayed reaching the agreement that was available," Hamas said.

It added that it was showing flexibility and that the talks, mediated by Qatar and Egypt, were serious.

Netanyahu countered in a statement: "The Hamas terrorist organization continues to lie, is reneging on understandings that have already been reached, and is continuing to create difficulties in the negotiations."

Israel will, however, continue relentless efforts to return hostages, he added.

Israeli negotiators returned to Israel from Qatar on Tuesday evening for consultations about a hostage deal after a significant week of talks, Netanyahu's office said on Tuesday.

The US and Arab mediators Qatar and Egypt have stepped up efforts to conclude a phased deal in the past two weeks. One of the challenges has been agreements on Israeli troop deployments.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, speaking with commanders in southern Gaza, said on Wednesday that Israel will retain security control of the enclave, including by means of buffer zones and controlling posts.

Hamas is demanding an end to the war, while Israel says it wants to end Hamas' rule of the enclave first, to ensure it will no longer pose a threat to Israelis.

ISRAEL KEEPS UP MILITARY PRESSURE

Meanwhile Israeli forces kept up pressure on the northern Gaza Strip, in one of the most punishing campaigns of the 14-month war, including around three hospitals on the northern edge of the enclave, in Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun and Jabalia.

Palestinians accuse Israel of seeking to permanently depopulate northern Gaza to create a buffer zone. Israel denies this and says it has instructed civilians to leave those areas for their own safety while its troops battle Hamas fighters.

Israeli strikes killed at least 24 people across Gaza on Wednesday, health officials said. One strike hit a former school sheltering displaced families in Gaza City's suburb of Sheikh Radwan, they added.

The Israeli military said it struck a Hamas fighters operating in the area of Al-Furqan in Gaza City.

Several Palestinians were killed and wounded in the Al-Mawasi area, an Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in southern Gaza, where the military said it was targeting another Hamas operative.

The war was triggered by Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel, in which 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza has since killed more than 45,300 Palestinians, according to health officials in the Hamas-run enclave. Most of the population of 2.3 million has been displaced and much of Gaza is in ruins.