The thorny talks between the Hamas and Israeli delegations in Doha, mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, are struggling to reach a new truce in Gaza. Israel is seeking the release of its hostages, while Hamas is demanding an end to the ongoing bombardments and the resumption by the UN of humanitarian aid, currently being provided by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
In an attempt to short-circuit this slow diplomacy, Donald Trump had a lengthy meeting with Benyamin Netanyahu in Washington on Monday 7 July, urging him to accept the terms of a ceasefire. The Israeli President took the opportunity to present his counterpart with a letter sent to the Nobel Committee, proposing that the American President be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. An appalling gesture, because at the same time, the two heads of state spoke of progress in their plans to move the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza out of the enclave. A plan that is unacceptable to the UN, which points out that any forced displacement of a population during a period of war is a violation of international law.
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