MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman has welcomed and appreciated the decision made by the Republic of Slovenia to recognise the sisterly State of Palestine.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Wednesday encouraging the rest of the countries to follow suit to guarantee the right of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state and to enhance international efforts supporting the two-state solution and establishing lasting and sustainable peace in the region.
Meanwhile, Israel reiterated on Wednesday its refusal to halt the Gaza offensive for a resumption of hostage-release talks with Hamas, after mediator Qatar said it had given the Palestinian militants a US-backed truce proposal.
Efforts to wind down the almost eight-month-old war have stumbled over Israel's declared aim of eliminating Hamas as a governing and military force, while Hamas has given no sign it would step down and wants the Israeli offensive called off.
"Any negotiations with Hamas would be conducted only under fire," Gallant said in remarks carried by Israeli media after he flew abroad a warplane to inspect the Gaza front.
On a positive note, Hamas said it will deal 'seriously and positively' with any cease fire agreement that is based on the total halt of war, complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and an Israeli hostages-Palestinian prisoners swap deal, Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh said in a statement on Wednesday.
DISEASE OUTBREAKS
The Gaza Strip faces unprecedented disease outbreaks this summer caused by piles of uncollected waste rotting in the heat, fuelling further misery for residents already suffering from food shortages, according to Action Against Hunger.
Fenia Diamanti, project coordinator of emergencies at the non-governmental organisation, said that managing rubbish is one of its main concerns, since it can't be removed from the war-torn territory and nor do inhabitants have access to dumps.
"This amount of solid waste all over the strip causes multiple hygiene and sanitation problems," Diamanti said.
"We fear diseases that never appeared in the strip before are going to appear and that will affect the entire population, especially in the summer when temperatures are going to rise." Israel has laid waste to much of the Gaza Strip after a Hamas attack on October 7 killed some 1,200 people and gunmen abducted about another 250, according to Israeli tallies.
More than 36,500 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory offensive, according to Gaza health officials.
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