what to remember from Wednesday, December 20

The United Nations Security Council vote was postponed for the second time in two days to reach an agreement on humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Negotiations that last for a long time. The UN Security Council did not vote as planned on Wednesday, December 20, regarding the improvement of humanitarian aid to Gaza. While the Palestinian enclave continues to be stormed by the Israeli army, in retaliation for the attacks and kidnappings of October 7 by various Islamist groups including Hamas, diplomatic negotiations are continuing in order to avoid a possible veto by the States -United, allies of Israel in this conflict. Franceinfo returns to the latest developments in this war.

A new hope for a truce looms

The United States has confirmed that negotiations are continuing to establish a possible new truce between Hamas and Israel. “We hope they will succeed”said John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, on Wednesday. “It’s something we’ve been working on since the previous break ended.”, he added. The previous humanitarian pause had enabled the release of 105 Hamas hostages and 240 Palestinian prisoners. She had also suspended the massive bombings by the Israeli army, while the latest report given by Hamas shows more than 20,000 dead.

Benjamin Netanyahu refuses any ceasefire

The negotiations are still far from being concluded. The Israeli Prime Minister continues to rule out any end to fighting with the Palestinian movement. “Those who think we are going to stop are out of touch with reality”, the leader said in a video. The head of Hamas’s political wing, Ismail Haniyeh, arrived in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss the situation in Gaza with Egyptian officials.

A convoy of 750 tonnes of food aid arrived in Gaza

The sending of these 46 trucks, organized by the World Food Program and a Jordanian humanitarian NGO, required “weeks of coordination with all parties”, explains the UN agency in a press release. The convoy passed through the Kerem Shalom border crossing, on the border between Israel and the Gaza Strip, recently reopened.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), half of Gaza’s population suffers from extreme or severe hunger, and 90% are regularly deprived of food for an entire day. “Without the clean water, food and sanitation that only a humanitarian ceasefire can provide, child deaths from disease could exceed those killed in the bombings,” warned UNICEF.

Emmanuel Macron criticizes Israeli methods

“We cannot allow the idea to take hold that fighting effectively against terrorism would mean razing everything in Gaza or indiscriminately attacking civilian populations and causing civilian victims”, said the head of state on France 5 on Wednesday evening. All in “recognizing Israel’s right to protect itself”the French president asked the Jewish state to stop this response deemed unsuitable, “because all lives are equal and we defend them”.