Saturday 21 / December / 2024
Washington DC: The United States has reiterated the need to finalise the the ceaseifre deal in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, and said Washington will continue to engage with its partners in the region to push for a final agreement.
United States State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the Palestinian people, who are suffering the "terrible effects of this war," cannot afford to wait any longer.
Further, the statement noted that the people of Israel and Palestine are suffering the effects of the ongoing conflict and cannot afford to wait.
"It is time to finalize that deal. The people of Israel cannot afford to wait any longer. The Palestinian people, who are also suffering the terrible effects of this war, cannot afford to wait any longer. The world cannot afford to wait any longer," Miller said in the daily press briefing on Tuesday (local time).
"Over the coming days, the United States will continue to engage with our partners in the region to push for a final agreement." he added.
Miller also stated that the US has made progress in talks and emphasized that success depends on both parties seeking solutions rather than focusing on reasons to reject a deal.
"During talks last week, we made progress on dealing with the obstacles that remain, but ultimately, finalizing an agreement will require both sides to show flexibility. It will require that both sides look for reasons to get to yes, rather than reasons to say no," said Miller.
The US State Department also stressed the demand for justice for the six hostages including that of an Israeli-American who were killed recently and their bodies were found in Gaza Strip.
"We grieve for all of them, and we demand justice for all of them," said Miller.
The captives, including an Israeli American, were among the more than 200 people taken by Hamas into Gaza following their deadly cross-border rampage on October 7, CNN reported.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said their bodies were found in a Hamas-run tunnel under the city of Rafah, and that they were "brutally" murdered "a short while" before troops were able to reach them.
This incident sparked massive outrage, as Israelis have taken to the streets in large numbers, demanding a ceasefire deal and the return of captives held by Hamas, Al Jazeera reported.
The protesters chanted "Now! Now!" and demanded that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reach a ceasefire deal with Palestinian group Hamas to bring the remaining captives home.
Scuffles between the protesters and security forces were reported on Sunday night. Many protestors even blocked roads in Tel Aviv and demonstrated outside Netanyahu's office in West Jerusalem.
