US Says Hamas Solely to Blame for Resumption of Gaza Hostilities

 Dorothy Shea, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, addresses a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)
Dorothy Shea, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, addresses a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)
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US Says Hamas Solely to Blame for Resumption of Gaza Hostilities

 Dorothy Shea, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, addresses a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)
Dorothy Shea, United States Ambassador to the United Nations, addresses a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, March 18, 2025. (Reuters)

Responsibility for the resumption of hostilities in Gaza lies solely with Hamas, and the United States supports Israel in its next steps, the acting US ambassador to the United Nations said on Tuesday.

Ambassador Dorothy Shea made the statement to a United Nations Security Council briefing after Palestinian health authorities said Israeli airstrikes pounded Gaza and killed more than 400 people, ending weeks of relative calm after talks to secure a permanent ceasefire stalled.

"The blame for the resumption of hostilities lies solely with Hamas," Shea said, charging that the group had refused every proposal and deadline to extend the ceasefire and allow time to negotiate a framework for a permanent ceasefire.

Shea said US President Donald Trump had made clear that Hamas must release the hostages it is holding immediately or pay a high price.

"We support Israel in its next steps," she said, while rejecting allegations that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were conducting indiscriminate attacks.

"The IDF is striking Hamas positions," she said. "It is well known that Hamas continues to use civilian infrastructure as launching pads, and the United States condemns this practice as should others."



US Urges Baghdad, Erbil to Carry Out ‘Constructive Dialogue’

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of Baghdad, Iraq, August 11, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of Baghdad, Iraq, August 11, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
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US Urges Baghdad, Erbil to Carry Out ‘Constructive Dialogue’

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of Baghdad, Iraq, August 11, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of Baghdad, Iraq, August 11, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo

The United States has urged Baghdad and Erbil “to resolve their issues through constructive dialogue consistent with their constitutional responsibilities” after rising tension over the payment of salaries in the Kurdistan region.

Tensions have escalated between Iraq’s central government in Baghdad and the semiautonomous Kurdish region in the country’s north in a long-running dispute over the sharing of oil revenues.

The central government has accused the Kurdish regional authorities of making illegal deals and facilitating oil smuggling. Baghdad cut off funding for public sector salaries in the Kurdish region ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday. Kurdish authorities called the move “collective punishment” and threatened to retaliate.

“Resolving the salaries issue quickly sends a signal that Iraq is creating an environment in which US companies would want to invest,” US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Tuesday.

“Successful resolution would also send a positive signal on broader cooperation for the benefit of all Iraqis, such as reopening the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline and additional energy exploration, including with US companies,” Bruce said.

“US support for a strong and resilient Iraqi Kurdistan Region remains a crucial element of our relationship with Iraq,” she added.

Her remarks, which were seen as supportive of Baghdad, came as Sulaymaniyah - a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region – witnessed demonstrations on Wednesday over the delay in the payment of public sector salaries.

Employees in several departments announced an open-ended strike, saying they will not return to work unless the authorities pay them their wages.

The employees called on Erbil and the Baghdad government to assume their legal and humanitarian responsibilities, saying their living conditions require action.