An aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Sunday that Israel had accepted a framework deal for winding down the Gaza war now being advanced by U.S. President Joe Biden, though he described it as flawed and in need of much more work.

In an interview with Britain’s Sunday Times, Ophir Falk, chief foreign policy advisor to Netanyahu, said Biden’s proposal was “a deal we agreed to – it’s not a good deal but we dearly want the hostages released, all of them.”

“There are a lot of details to be worked out,” he said, adding that Israeli conditions, including “the release of the hostages and the destruction of Hamas” have not changed.

Biden, whose initial lockstep support for Israel’s offensive has given way to open censure of the operation’s high civilian death toll, on Friday aired what he described as a three-phase plan submitted by the Netanyahu government to end the war.

The first phase entails a truce and the return of some hostages held by Hamas, after which the sides would negotiate on an open-ended cessation of hostilities for a second phase in which remaining live captives would go free, Biden said.

That sequencing appears to imply that Hamas would continue to play a role in incremental arrangements mediated by Egypt and Qatar – a potential clash with Israel’s determination to resume the campaign to eliminate the group.

Biden has hailed several ceasefire proposals over the past several months, each with similar frameworks to the one he outlined on Friday, all of which collapsed. In February he said Israel had agreed to halt fighting by Ramadan, the Muslim holy month that began on March 10. No such truce materialized.

The primary sticking point has been Israel’s insistence that it would discuss only temporary pauses to fighting until Hamas is destroyed. Hamas, which shows no sign of stepping aside, says it will free hostages only under a path to a permanent end to the war.

In his speech, Biden said his latest proposal “creates a better ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power.” He did not elaborate on how this would be achieved, and acknowledged that “there are a number of details to negotiate to move from phase one to phase two.”

Falk reiterated Netanyahu’s position that “there will not be a permanent ceasefire until all our objectives are met.”

Netanyahu is under pressure to keep his coalition government intact. Two far-right partners have threatened to bolt in protest at any deal they deem to spare Hamas. A centrist partner, ex-general Benny Gantz, wants the deal considered.

Hamas has provisionally welcomed the Biden initiative.

“Biden’s speech included positive ideas, but we want this to materialize within the framework of a comprehensive agreement that meets our demands,” senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan told Al Jazeera on Saturday.

Hamas wants a guaranteed end to the Gaza offensive, withdrawal of all invading forces, free movement for Palestinians and reconstruction aid.

Source(s): CGTN

President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has welcomed the decision to grant Palestine membership in the World Health Organisation (WHO) with its status in the United Nations (UN) and expand Palestinian rights.

The WHO has granted Palestine membership. The historic decision at the World Health Assembly ended with a vote that included the Maldives. It will give Palestine many rights that it has never had before.

In a post on social media, President Dr. Muizzu said that the Maldives is among the 101 countries that voted to grant Palestine membership in the 77th World Health Assembly. He said that it is a sign of growing international support for recognition of Palestine as an independent state. He also welcomed the decision.

Additionally, President Dr. Muizzu said that the people of the Maldives fully support Palestine’s rights and full membership in international organisations. He said that it is why the Maldives supported the decision to grant Palestine membership in the WHO. He also said that the decision is an important step towards establishing peace.

Meanwhile, Vice President Hussain Mohamed Latheef also welcomed the decision. He said the Maldives’ support shows that the country is committed to the rights of Palestinians.

The Maldives has cosponsored the proposal to grant Palestine membership in the World Health Assembly. Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer said the decision was a sign of the world’s support for Palestinian rights. In a social media post he said that the decision will give Palestine the right to make statements, submit proposals and co-sponsor issues at the WHO.

Additionally, Minister Zameer said that the Maldives fully supports the recognition of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state and the recognition of East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. He also said that the Maldives will support the country in its efforts to become a member of international organisations.

Source(s): PsmNews

Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) has reported a surge in international airlines to the nation within the first four months of the year. This was indicated through the monthly statistics reports of MMA.

The report outlines that the international airlines flying to the Maldives have significantly increased within the first for months of the year in comparison to the same duration in 2023. As such, a total of 5,982 flights scheduled have travelled to Velana International Airport (VIA) during these for months. Meanwhile, reports show that in 2023, the flight movement was notably low for the same period, with only 5,841 flights. This year, the general flight movement was recorded to be 604.

Furthermore, the reports of MMA sheds light on the increasing tourist arrivals within the first for months of the year. While over 700,000 tourists have flocked the country as tourists, a total of 5,449 bed nights were recorded. During this period, a total of 175 resorts actively operated, and the occupancy rate was 72.7%. This is a notable increase from the occupancy rate of 2023 during this period, which was 69.5%.

Source(s): PsmNews