Israeli and U.S. negotiators have withdrawn from ceasefire talks with Hamas.
U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of not “acting in good faith” in negotiations.
A spokesperson for Hamas told media the group wanted to “continue negotiations” towards a permanent ceasefire.
It comes amid growing international criticism of Israel’s restrictions on aid entering Gaza, with the head of the World Health Organisation accusing the Israeli Government of causing “man-made... mass starvation.”
Ceasefire talks
Witkoff took a ceasefire deal to Israel and Hamas last month.
Under the proposed 60-day ceasefire, 10 living and 18 dead hostages would be released in exchange for an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners.
During this period, all Israeli military operations would “cease” and humanitarian aid would be “sent into Gaza... through agreed upon channels” including the UN.
However, Israel and the U.S. announced their withdrawal from official ceasefire talks in Qatar overnight.
Hamas says it is seeking a permanent ceasefire. It’s called for Israel to recall its troops in exchange for the release of the remaining hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023.
Israel says it wants Hamas to give up its arms and its power in Gaza.
The Associated Press reports another point of negotiations is the possibility of Israeli troops re-invading Gaza after a ceasefire.
Since Israel’s decision to withdraw its negotiators from talks in Qatar, Israeli media have reported the Government will continue negotiations from within Israel.
Starvation
Earlier this week, the UN reported the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to access food.
The UN said the majority were killed by IDF troops near aid distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S-Israel backed organisation. The figures are still being verified.
According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, 10 Palestinians starved to death in one night this week. The WHO also said this week that 21 children under the age of five had died of malnutrition so far this year.
Global response
The International Criminal Court has an active arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
It’s accused Netanyahu of crimes against humanity, including “using starvation as a method of warfare”.
UN human rights experts and independent body Human Rights Watch have accused Israel of genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza.
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Genocide is defined under international law as killing members of a “national, ethnical, racial, or religious group,” or making their survival impossible.
UN Relief Works Agency head Philippe Lazzarini quoted his colleague in Gaza as saying people are so starved they are “walking corpses,” and are fainting from hunger.
Media organisations have also raised concerns about the health of their staff in Gaza this week. Independent groups Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists say Israel has killed nearly 200 journalists since October 2023.
In a statement overnight, the BBC, Reuters, the Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse said they were “deeply alarmed” about “the threat of starvation” to their reporters.
Albanese
This week, Australia joined 27 other countries in condemning Israel’s aid model and killing civilians.
In a statement on Friday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “Israel’s denial of aid and the killing of civilians, including children, seeking access to water and food cannot be defended or ignored.” Albanese reiterated calls for “a two state solution”.
The Coalition criticised the PM’s statement for failing to “place any blame on Hamas, a listed terrorist organisation, for the delays in aid reaching the people of Gaza.”
Leaders in the UK and Canada also issued statements on Friday.
Canadian PM Mark Carney accused Israel of deliberately withholding humanitarian aid, and called for “international organisations” to be allowed to distribute food.
UK PM Keir Starmer said there was a “pressing need for Israel to change course and allow the aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza,” but stopped short of condemning Israel.
France
Earlier on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced France would move to officially recognise the State of Palestine.
France follows other European nations Spain, Norway, and Ireland, and will be the first in the powerful G7 bloc and the UN Security Council to do so.
Macron said there was “no alternative” way to achieve peace in the region.
The French leader will formalise the recognition in front of the UN General Assembly in September.
Israel's response
Responding to Macron’s announcement, Netanyahu accused France of “rewarding terror”.
Israel continues to deny accusations that it is deliberately blocking the flow of aid to Gaza.
In a post to X, an IDF spokesperson accused the UN of delaying distributing 950 trucks of aid, which the spokesperson said Israel had allowed into Gaza.
The IDF has also rejected claims it intentionally targets humanitarian aid trucks.
