Middle East updates: Netanyahu faces pressure over hostages

Slovenia's ambassador to the United Nations said patience is running out among Security Council members over a cease-fire deal in Gaza.

Samuel Zbogar, who is also the Security Council's president for September, said the 15-member body would likely consider taking action if a cease-fire cannot be brokered soon between Israel and militant group Hamas.

"There is a rising anxiousness in the council that it has to move one way or the other — either there is a ceasefire or that the council then reflects on what else we can do to bring the ceasefire," Zbogar told reporters.

"I'm pretty sure that in September it will have to go... one way or the other, not because we want (it to), but because I think the patience is out."

US officials said Tuesday a new Gaza cease-fire proposal is being worked on in cooperation with Egyptian and Qatari mediators. 

Pressure for a deal has been mounting on the Israeli government, both at home and abroad, especially since the recovery of six hostages who Israel says were killed hours before their bodies were found.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the "executions" of the six hostages by Hamas, including one dual American citizen, "underscores the sense of urgency" during the talks.

"We believe we can close this" truce deal, Kirby said.

Meanwhile, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said it was time to "finalize" a deal to end the war, adding that Washington would work in the coming days with Cairo and Doha "to push for a final agreement."

"There are dozens of hostages still remaining in Gaza, still waiting for a deal that will bring them home. It is time to finalize that deal," Miller said.

"The people of Israel cannot afford to wait any longer. The Palestinian people, who are also suffering the terrible effects of this war, cannot afford to wait any longer. The world cannot afford to wait any longer."

The statements came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday dimmed hope for an imminent truce, saying he would not "give into pressure" on concessions for a cease-fire with Hamas. 

Netanyahu particularly stressed on Monday that Israeli forces would not withdraw from the so-called Philadelphi corridor on Gaza's border with Egypt.

Hamas has insisted Israel's withdrawal was a precondition for any deal.

Asked about this particular sticking point, Kirby said that Israel had already agreed to pull its troops from densely populated areas, including the Philadelphi Corridor, as part of the first phase of a cease-fire deal.

"That's the proposal that Israel had agreed to," he said.

When asked on Monday whether he thought Netanyahu was doing enough to secure a hostage deal, US President Joe Biden answered "no," without elaborating. 

Protesters took to the streets in Tel Aviv for the third night in a row, calling for a cease-fire that would allow the return of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in central Tel Aviv, as pressure grows on the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to negotiate a cease-fire deal.

On Monday night, Netanyahu said he would "not give in to pressure" during indirect negotiations with Hamas.

The latest protests was ignited by the recovery of the bodies of six hostages whom Israeli forces said were killed hours before they were reached.

Protesters argue that time is running out to rescue the remaining hostages held in Gaza who are still alive. Over 100 hostages are believed to still be held in Gaza. 

Three people were killed on Tuesday during an ongoing large-scale Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank, including a 16-year-old girl, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

The stated aim of the Israeli "counterterrorism" operation, which started roughly a week ago, is to fight Iran-backed militants in the West Bank.

The Palestinian health ministry in the occupied West Bank said 30 people in total have been killed during the operation, which has centered on the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm. 

The Israeli military said it was looking into reports of the three deaths. 

Jenin's streets were empty and its shops were closed on Tuesday, a correspondent for the French AFP news agency said, adding that Israeli armored vehicles and army bulldozers were among the few vehicles on the road.

The correspondent said paved streets had been overturned by Israeli bulldozers in several areas, which the army has said is a way to detonate explosive devices hidden under roads.

The Jenin city council, meanwhile, said 70% of roads and streets have been destroyed since the raid started last Wednesday.

Paramedic officer Murad Khamayseh from Jenin, who works with the disaster unit in the Palestinian Red Crescent, told the Reuters news agency his unit had been distributing bread and water as well as milk, medical supplies and diapers.

"You are talking about seven days in a row, people were not ready for such a raid, aside from the fact that no one knows how long the raid will be," he said.

Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp are considered militant strongholds, and Israel frequently carries out military operations there.

The UN's human rights chief Volker Turk called for an "independent, impartial and transparent investigation" into the murder of six Israeli hostages by "Palestinian armed groups" in Gaza.

"We are horrified by reports that Palestinian armed groups summarily executed six Israeli hostages, which would constitute a war crime." 

He called for the perpetrators to be held to account. 

The bodies of the slain hostages were found by the IDF last Saturday during a military operation in Rafah in the southern Gaza strip. The military said they were shot dead shortly before being found by troops. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that the hostages had been "executed." 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the UK's decision to suspend 30 arms export licenses to Israel out of 350 such licenses in total.

"This shameful decision will not change Israel's determination to defeat Hamas," Netanyahu posted on his official X account, adding that the UK's decision would "embolden" the militant group.

UK Foreign Minister David Lammy said his country stands by Israel's right to defend itself.

However, he added that the UK government had concluded there is a "clear risk" some items could be used to "commit or facilitate" a violation of international law.

The World Health Organization said Tuesday that its mass polio vaccination campaign for children in the Gaza Strip was proceeding ahead of schedule.

WHO spokesman Rik Peeperkorn told reporters that over 161,000 children under the age of 10 in central Gaza had received shots in the first two days of the campaign, surpassing the target of 150,000.

"Up until now things are going well," he said. "These humanitarian pauses, up until now they work. We still have 10 days to go."

The Lufthansa Group said Tuesday that its airlines would resume flights to Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport in Israel starting this Thursday, September 5. 

However, its airlines' flights to Beirut in Lebanon will remain suspended until at least the end of the month, Lufthansa said. 

Besides the German flag carrier, Lufthansa Group's other subsidiary airlines include Swiss Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings. 

Lufthansa also recently halted flights to Amman in Jordan and to Irbil in Iraq, but resumed these services on August 27.

The UK government will stop 30 of its 350 arms export licenses to Israel, cabinet ministers have confirmed.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer had concluded there was a "clear risk" the items could be used to "commit or facilitate a serious violation of international humanitarian law."

He added that the decision wasn't "a determination of innocence or guilt" about whether Israel had broken international law.

The items in question include parts for military planes, helicopters and drones as well as parts used for ground targeting. The UK is one of several countries facing mounting pressure to cease arms exports to Israel amid rising civilian casualties and humanitarian crises in Gaza.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said his government was "deeply disheartened" by the decision.

His British counterpart, John Healey, said the decision would not have a "material impact" on Israeli security.

Late Monday, US President Joe Biden met with American negotiators who are working alongside Qatar and Egypt to try and secure a truce between Israel and Hamas that would see the release of the remaining Israeli hostages in Gaza.

Asked by reporters if he thought Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was doing enough to secure a deal for the release of hostages, Biden replied: "No."

His statement came two days after Israel saw massive protests demanding that Netanyahu do more to free the 101 remaining hostages. On Monday, many sectors of the Israeli economy were brought to a standstill by a general strike called in opposition to Netanyahu's policies regarding the hostages held by Hamas.

es/lo (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)