Capitals: Agencies
Kamala Harris, US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate, said that the United States is doing everything necessary to clarify its position on the need to end the war on Lebanon and Gaza, according to Cairo News Channel, in a breaking news.
Harris continued, a very large number of innocent Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and this war must end.
She stressed that Israel has the right to defend itself, but the way in which it achieves this must be taken into account
For his part, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on all parties in the Middle East to exercise restraint and stay away from the brink of the abyss.
Starmer said in a speech before the British House of Commons reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) last night that the human losses among Palestinian civilians are truly catastrophic, with more than 41,000 Palestinians killed, tens of thousands orphaned, and nearly two million displaced, facing disease, hunger and despair without proper medical care or shelter. They are living a real nightmare, and it must end, stressing his support for all innocent victims in Israel, Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and elsewhere. Starmer stressed that the Middle East cannot bear another year like last year, adding that civilians on all sides have suffered greatly, and all parties must step back from the brink and show the courage to exercise self-restraint. There is no military solution to these challenges, so we must renew our diplomatic efforts. He indicated that his country will continue to work in the coming weeks on political solutions to the conflict, focusing on three axes, explaining that the first axis is Lebanon, as the security of British citizens there is a priority for him. He added that 430 British citizens have been evacuated from Lebanon to the United Kingdom on chartered flights, and that there are preparations to carry out further evacuation efforts if necessary, while urging his country's citizens to leave Lebanon immediately.

Starmer confirmed that work is currently underway to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Lebanon, as his country provided 10 million pounds in vital humanitarian aid last week, in addition to 5 million pounds to UNICEF.

He pointed out that his country will continue to call for an immediate ceasefire and a return to the political plan for Lebanon based on Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls on Hezbollah to withdraw and return to the north of the Litani River, and to stop firing rockets so that residents on both sides of the border can return to their homes.

Regarding the second axis, Starmer said that efforts must be renewed to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, with the need to exert more efforts to provide relief to the civilian population without waiting until this is achieved. He called on Israel to open more crossings, allow the flow of essential aid, and provide a safe haven for humanitarian workers, many of whom have lost their lives, urging Israel to take action now so that aid can be increased before winter sets in.

Speaking about the third axis, the British Prime Minister pointed to the need to develop long-term solutions to break the cycle of violence, with the two-state solution as the ultimate goal, as it is the only option that provides security and stability, and a political path must be built towards this solution.

He added that this requires support for the Palestinian Authority to fill the vacuum in Gaza, and requires international efforts to support reconstruction and guarantees for Israel’s security.

He continued, “The key to all of this is a ceasefire in Gaza now, the unconditional release of detainees, and the unhindered flow of aid. These are the first essential steps to change the course in the region.” According to the Middle East News Agency, which added, "This speech comes on the first anniversary of the events of October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, and the spread of the war contagion to Lebanon, where Israel launched air strikes on the Lebanese Hezbollah group and assassinated its leader Hassan Nasrallah, so Iran responded with a missile attack on Israel, which it said was in response to the killing of the Hezbollah leader as well as the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by Israel earlier during his visit to Tehran.