Ceasefire push, war aid talks on cards as G7 summit begins today in Italy

The wording by the G-7, specifically name-checking Biden, appears designed to corner PM Benjamin Netanyahu into formally accepting the cease-fire proposal on which he's also been equivocating

By Donato Paolo Mancini

Group of Seven leaders will call on Hamas to accept the cease-fire deal outlined by US President Joe Biden, according to a draft statement seen by Bloomberg.
 

In the communique they issue at the end of their annual meeting, taking place this week, the allies will also urge Israel to de-escalate from a “full-scale military offensive” in Rafah — and may include language that urges those steps to be in line with provisional measures ordered by the International Court of Justice. 
 

The wording by the G-7, specifically name-checking Biden, appears designed to corner Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into formally accepting the cease-fire proposal on which he’s also been equivocating. The language used in the communique says Israel “is ready to move forward” — a way to add public pressure on the country’s leader.
 

 

Civilians have been sheltering in Rafah, where the United Nations has described conditions as catastrophic, and the US and other Israeli allies have voiced their concern over the scale of ground operations there.
 

“We urge countries with influence over Hamas” to help ensure it accepts a cease fire, the leaders of the G-7 will say. Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the US and European Union.
 

Another item in the draft that has yet to receive unanimous agreement relates to the recognition of the Palestinian state as part of a two-state peace process. “We note that the recognition of a Palestinian state, at the appropriate time, would be a crucial component,” reads the provisional language.
 

G-7 allies will condemn moves by Israel to order the evacuation of the East Jerusalem offices of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA. Some governments, including Italy, which holds the G-7 presidency this year, have resumed funding the agency after Israel alleged some of its staffers collaborated with Hamas. The UN is continuing its own investigations on UNRWA.
 

The war between Israel and Hamas has exacerbated relatively dormant fronts like the border between Israel and Lebanon, where Tehran’s key proxy Hezbollah operates. Though individual nations have expressed support for an Arab League-led peacekeeping force to control Gaza once the war ends, the draft made no mention of such an initiative in its Wednesday iteration.
 

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni will host leaders in Southern Italy starting Thursday, with topics on the agenda including the future of the war in Ukraine and trade tensions with China.