MOSCOW, November 30. /TASS/. Yemen believes that the peace process between Palestine and Israel should be given a chance, the country's Ambassador to Russia Ahmed Salem Al-Wahishi told TASS.
"To open a chance for peace process, where international legitimacy will be implemented, including establish Palestinian state in Gaza and West Bank with Eastern Jerusalem as a capital, side by side, based on the two-state solution, both living next to each other in security and peace," the diplomat said.
The ambassador pointed out that Yemen had participated in the latest Arab-Islamic summit held in Saudi Arabia on November 11. "There was a unanimous position of all the Islamic and Arab countries, supporting to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, which also reiterated the majority position in the General Assembly of the UN, which was adopted to call for a ceasefire and make an end to the war there," Salem Al-Wahishi pointed out.
He also recalled that a committee comprising a number of foreign ministers from Arab countries - Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others - as well as from Asian countries such as Indonesia, as well as African countries, had attended the summit. "This group, they visited Moscow recently. Ministers of foreign affairs met with honorable minister Lavrov, and they also visited other countries, permanent members of the Security Council to urge for a ceasefire and to also give a chance for the humanitarian assistance to enter to Gaza for the people - food, energy, water, and to change the detainees in Gaza or Israeli jails."
The Hamas movement announced on November 22 that an agreement on a four-day humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip had been reached through the mediation of Qatar and Egypt. The agreement stipulates the release of 50 women and children under the age of 19 who are held in Gaza in exchange for the release of 150 women and children under the age of 19 from Israeli prisons. The Gaza ceasefire took effect at 5:00 a.m. GMT (7:00 a.m. local time) on November 24, when the first group of hostages was released. On November 27, the parties agreed to extend the truce for two more days under the same conditions. This means that three Palestinian prisoners will be released every day in exchange for each released Israeli hostage. The deadline expired at 5:00 a.m. GMT (7:00 a.m. local time) on Thursday.
The Israel Defense Forces announced Thursday the extension of the truce in the Gaza Strip less than 20 minutes before the latest ceasefire expired.