UNITED NATIONS, September 5. /TASS/. Israel is using hostage release and Gaza Ceasefire talks with Hamas as a smoke screen to continue hostilities in the Palestinian enclave, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky said.
"It is obvious for us that each day of the Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip minimizes hostages’ chances for survival. The Security Council is unanimous in the understanding that the remaining hostages, both Israelis and foreigners, cannot be released by military means and that there is no alternative to talks. Israeli society understands it too," he said at a UN Security Council meeting on the Middle East. "But regrettably, the Israeli leadership is still using talks as a smoke screen to distract the attention of the international community from the force solution to the Palestinian problem."
He stressed that there are no indications that the Israeli authorities are ready to change this policy. "Nearly all the members of the Security Council are determined to act in compliance with the UN Charter and push the countries toward implementing UN Security Council resolutions. The Council possesses relevant instruments and only political will and unity on this matter are needed. Regrettably, we cannot reach it because of our American colleagues who continue backing Israel’s actions, supplying it with weapons and encouraging it to continue its force operation in Gaza," he said.
Another round of Gaza ceasefire and hostage release consultations was held in Doha on August 15 and 16. The leaders of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States said in their joint statement after the talks, which was released by Fahmy, that the talks had been held in a positive atmosphere.
The next round was held in Cairo on August 25. The Israeli delegation included Mossad intelligence service director David Barnea, Shabak (Israeli Security Agency) chief Ronen Bar, and the coordinator for the Israeli hostages in Gaza file, Nitzan Alon. Hamas refused to take part in the consultations but agreed to visit Cairo to learn about the results of this round. According to Hamas spokesman Izzat al-Risheq, Hamas once again demanded that Israel fulfill the terms Hamas had agreed upon on July 2. Working groups of mediators met in Doha again on August 28.
On Wednesday, a US administration official told a special online briefing on Gaza ceasefire talks that the United States’ new 18-paragraph plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has been 90% agreed.