17/05/2025

SATURDAY | MAY 17, 2025

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Aid entry minimum condition for talks: Hamas

First day of Istanbul peace talks ended ISTANBUL: The first day of renewed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine concluded in Istanbul on Thursday, marking their highest-level of direct contact since 2022. While trilateral talks are planned between the United States, Ukraine and Turkiye, as well as between Russia, Ukraine and Turkiye, it remains unclear whether a four-party meeting will take place. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is set to host US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and Russian presidential aide Vladimir Medinsky. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Ankara on Thursday for talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan before deciding on Kyiv’s participation in the renewed negotiations. Following the meeting, Zelensky confirmed Ukraine’s involvement in the Istanbul talks. “Despite the rather low level of the Russian delegation, out of respect for US President Donald Trump, for the high-level Turkish delegation and Erdogan, and wishing to attempt at least the first steps toward de-escalation and an end to the war, I decided to send our delegation to Istanbul, although not in full.” Zelensky praised Turkiye’s “multifaceted” role in peace efforts and described his visit as beginning with “a meaningful conversation at the highest level”. The Russian delegation, led by Medinsky, arrived at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace, where the negotiations are being held. Medinsky said his team holds full authority to negotiate and considers the meeting a continuation of the 2022 Istanbul process. “The goal of direct negotiations with the Ukrainian side is to achieve long-term peace,” he said, calling for a constructive approach. Erdogan reaffirmed Turkiye’s readiness to facilitate dialogue and said Ankara is open to hosting talks between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders when the time is right. He described the talks as a historic opportunity for peace and stressed the urgency of finding common ground to prevent further loss of life. After leaving the informal Nato foreign ministers’ meeting in Antalya, Fidan travelled to Istanbul and met with the Russian delegation at Dolmabahce Palace. Trump, speaking in Abu Dhabi, said he would “probably” return to Washington yesterday but left open the possibility of a visit to Istanbul. – Bernama-Anadolu

GAZA: Palestinian rescuers reported 120 people killed on Thursday in Israeli strikes on blockaded Gaza, where a US-backed organisation said it intends to begin distributing aid by the end of the month. Aid to Gaza has been cut off since March 2, a tactic Israel said is intended to force concessions from Hamas, but the group insisted on Thursday that the restoration of humanitarian assistance to the war-ravaged territory was “the minimum requirement” for talks. It also warned that Gaza is not “for sale” hours after US President Donald Trump, on a visit to the region, again floated taking over the territory and turning it into “a freedom zone”. Israel’s aid blockade preceded a resumption of military operations on March 18, ending a ceasefire that had largely halted hostilities since mid-January. For weeks, United Nations (UN) agencies have warned that supplies of everything from food and clean water to fuel and medicines are reaching new lows. The World Health Organisation said the last hospital in Gaza providing cancer and cardiac care had stopped functioning after an Israeli attack on Tuesday left it “severely damaged and inaccessible”. Following the latest deaths, Hamas called on the international community to hold Israel to account for what it described as a “barbaric escalation”. Israel said its aid stoppage and military pressure are meant to force Hamas to free the remaining hostages. However, senior Hamas official Basem Naim said the entry of aid into Gaza was “the minimum requirement for a conducive and constructive negotiation environment”. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it would begin distributing humanitarian aid in Gaza this month after talks with Israeli officials. But the UN on Thursday ruled out o ‘Gaza integral part of Palestinian land, not real estate for sale’

Palestinians struggling to get food rations outside a crowded distribution centre in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday. – AFPPIC

involvement with the initiative. “As we have stated repeatedly, this particular distribution plan does not accord with our basic principles, including those of impartiality, neutrality, independence, and we will not be participating in this,” said UN spokesman Farhan Haq. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged the criticism of the plan and said Washington was “open to an alternative if someone has a better one”. Trump said he wanted the United States to “get involved” in Gaza. “I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good. Let the United States get involved and make it just a freedom zone,” he said on the Qatar leg of a Gulf tour, adding that he would be “proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone”. The comments echoed a widely condemned idea he floated in February for

the United States to “take over” the devastated territory and redevelop it into “the Riviera of the Middle East”. Naim said: “Gaza is an integral part of Palestinian land. It is not real estate for sale on the open market.” The UN estimated that 70% of Gaza is now either an Israeli-declared no-go zone or under evacuation order. The Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory said 2,876 people have been killed since Israel resumed strikes on March 18. In the occupied West Bank, raids were ongoing and roads blocked after Israel’s military chief vowed to find the perpetrators of an attack that killed a pregnant Israeli woman. In the northern village of Tammun, Israeli troops killed five Palestinians in a raid that the military described as targeting buildings suspected of being used to plan attacks. – AFP