Gaza ceasefire deal 'now is in sight', US envoy tells UN Security Council

A Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal "now is in sight", the US envoy to the United Nations told the Security Council, urging members to press Palestinian resistance group Hamas to accept a bridging proposal agreed to by Israel.

Months of on-off talks have discussed reaching an agreement.

US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said a bridging proposal put forward last week by the US, Qatar and Egypt was consistent with a plan outlined by President Joe Biden in May and endorsed by the Security Council in June.

"Israel has accepted the bridging proposal. Now Hamas must do the same," she told the council. "As members of this council, we must speak with one voice, and we must use our leverage to press Hamas to accept the bridging proposal."

However, few details have been released about the so-called bridge proposal put forth by the three mediators.

Hamas has previously announced that it accepted the US ceasefire proposal but called the latest proposal a reversal of their agreement, terming it a “green light” for Israel to continue its war on Gaza. They said that the US is yielding to new conditions from Israel.

Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan said the Palestinian resistance group will adhere to the ceasefire plan that was previously proposed by US President Joe Biden. Hamdan accused Washington of buying time for Netanyahu to "continue its genocide" in Gaza.

The US is "merely buying time for Israel to continue its genocide," Hamdan said.

"The Israelis have retreated from issues included in Biden’s proposal. Netanyahu’s talk about agreeing to an updated proposal indicates that the US administration has failed to convince him to accept the previous agreement," Hamdan told Al Jazeera.

UN: Israel's 'wanton destruction' fuels suffering, violence

The UN on Thursday voiced concerns over the escalating crisis in Gaza, saying that the "wanton destruction of civilian infrastructure is fuelling suffering and violence".

"The war in Gaza with all of its human tragedy, the serious risk of regional escalation, and the unresolved Israeli-Palestinian conflict and continued occupation are combining to create a combustible situation in the Middle East," Tor Wennesland, the UN special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, told a UN Security Council session.

Wennesland warned that "any spark or miscalculation could set off a series of uncontrollable escalations — embroiling millions more in conflict".


He emphasised the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza, as well as diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions and revive the peace process.

Wennesland highlighted the devastating impact of Israeli air strikes on civilian infrastructure, including schools and mosques, in Gaza, saying that the "wanton destruction of civilian infrastructure is fuelling suffering and violence, which is reverberating throughout the broader region".

He stressed that many Palestinians in Gaza feel they have "nowhere safe left to turn".

Despite the challenges, Wennesland praised UN agencies and humanitarian organisations for their ongoing efforts to deliver life-saving assistance.


Saying that the UN estimates nearly 40 million tons of debris have been generated by the conflict, Wennesland said: "The scale of destruction is immense and will take years, if not decades, to recover."

He warned that the UN's aid efforts are being "jeopardised by unsafe conditions on the ground", leading to a breakdown of law and order that further hinders humanitarian operations in Gaza.