Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), said today that the pause in fighting agreed to in Gaza must lead to a sustained ceasefire.
‘A pause of a few days is not enough time to address the immense needs after six weeks of fighting, bloodshed, and destruction,’ said Egeland in a statement, adding that the pause ‘must pave the way for a lasting ceasefire.’
He stressed that ‘a sustained ceasefire is needed to prevent further civilian deaths and provide safety for people in need of vital humanitarian assistance,’ explaining that NRC ‘will do all that we can to provide relief to those in need in Gaza during the four-day humanitarian pause,’ but needs unfettered access to humanitarian aid and security guarantees throughout Gaza to support a long-term recovery.
Egeland warned that with winter looming, ‘it will be a disaster to reignite this conflict. Small shelters have housed scores of people, with little food and water and mounting health hazards. Children are traumatized, and ma
ny face a future without their parents and siblings. They need urgent, long-term help. This can only happen through a sustained ceasefire.’
Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA
Prime Minister Najib Mikati received at his residence this evening Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, with whom he discussed bilateral relations and the situation in Lebanon and Gaza.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister underlined “the need to intensify efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire and stop the Israeli aggression against Gaza, and then move to search for a sustainable peaceful solution.”
He also called on “influential countries to exert pressure on Israel to stop its aggression against southern Lebanon and to stop targeting civilians and journalists in particular.”
In turn, Minister Abdollahian said: “The four-day truce in Gaza is a good thing, but what is more important is working to reach a permanent ceasefire.”
He stressed, “If there is no sustainable ceasefire, things will get worse, and the region will not return to what it was before the war.”
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon
