The leaders of France, Germany and Britain in a joint statement have backed the latest effort by mediators from the United States, Qatar and Egypt to negotiate a deal.
The Secretary of Defense of the United States, Lloyd Austinhas ordered the sending of a submarine with guided missiles to the Middle East and has ordered the aircraft carrier strike group Abraham Lincoln to navigate more quickly to the area, according to information from the Department of Defense.
The measures come as the United States and other allies push for Israel and Hamas agree to a ceasefire deal that could help calm rising tensions in the region following the assassination of political leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyehin Tehran, and commander of Hezbollah not Beirut Fuad Shukr. Israel strictly refuses to stop attacks on Gaza.
Another call to Israel for a ceasefire
The leaders of France, Germany and Britain in a joint statement have backed the latest effort by mediators the United States, Qatar and Egypt to negotiate a deal to end the war on Gaza. They also ask for the return of dozens of hostages held by Hamas and the “unrestricted” delivery of humanitarian aid.
Mediators have spent months trying to get the sides to agree to a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the remaining hostages captured in its Oct. 7 attack in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel and Israel would withdraw from Gaza. Talks are expected to resume on Thursday.
The declaration was signed by the French president Emmanuel Macronthe German chancellor Olaf Scholz and the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. He also called on Iran and its allies to refrain from any retaliatory attacks that could further escalate regional tensions after the killing of two high-ranking militants last month in Beirut and Tehran.
Additional sources • Enrique Barrueco (Voice-over)
