Middle East ceasefire ‘never more urgent’: Wong

[Pelican Press 0]

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Middle East ceasefire ‘never more urgent’: Wong

A ceasefire in the Middle East has never been more urgent, the foreign minister says, as US officials described negotiations as entering a “decisive moment”.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong has held talks with her US counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken during AUSMIN – the meeting between *********** and ********* foreign and defence ministers – in Annapolis, Maryland.

Senator Wong said the discussions were taking place “in the shadow of a deteriorating situation in the Middle East”, reiterating calls for a peace deal in the region.

“The ceasefire has been urgent for months, it’s never been more urgent than it is now,” she told reporters following the meeting.

Endorsing Mr Blinken’s comments, Senator Wong urged all parties to de-escalate the situation.

“Australia also underlines the risk to all in the region of escalation and of escalation.”

The meetings came as ****** announced Yahya Sinwar would be the group’s new leader, after its previous head Ismail Hanniyeh was assassinated in July.

Mr Hanniyeh was ******* while in Iran, which ratcheted up tensions further in the region, leading to fears of retaliation and the conflict spreading into nearby Lebanon.

Mr Blinken said any outcome surrounding a ceasefire depended on Mr Sinwar.

“It is really on him to decide whether to move forward with a ceasefire that manifestly will help so many Palestinians in desperate need,” he said.

“This is the decisive moment, the negotiations have reached their final stage, and we believe strongly that they should come across the finish line very, very soon.

“That, besides changing everything for people in Gaza, bringing the hostages home, giving us an opportunity to build a more enduring peace for Gaza also opens up other possibilities, other prospects, more broadly, in terms of de-escalating tensions and bringing real security and stability.”

US officials have told Iran and ******* not to escalate the conflict further amid fears Iran would launch retaliatory strikes after the ****** of Mr Hanniyeh.

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