Description
Added on the 01/08/2013 18:47:58 - Copyright : France 24 EN
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is disappointed by an Israeli parliament vote against the creation of a Palestinian state, his spokesman says. "You can't vote away the two-state solution so the secretary-general is very disappointed by the decision of the Knesset," said spokesman Stephane Dujarric. SOUNDBITE
The United States warns against an "escalation" in Lebanon after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned of an operation, saying conflict would only harm Israeli security. "We don't want to see that escalation of the conflict which would just lead to further loss of life from both Israelis and the Lebanese people and would greatly harm Israel's overall security and stability in the region," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters. SOUNDBITE
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receives US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Jerusalem. Blinken reiterated US opposition to an Israeli assault on the crowded Gaza city of Rafah in talks with Netanyahu, who has vowed to press ahead, a US official said. IMAGES
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says a "full-scale invasion" of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip by Israeli forces "would be a mistake." SOUNDBITE
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Israeli President Isaac Herzog in Jerusalem during a Middle-East tour to push for a ceasefire as the Gaza war enters its fifth month. IMAGES
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will leave Thursday on a trip to five Arab countries, the West Bank, Turkey and Greece, in addition to a previously announced stop in Israel, the State Department says. Blinken among other issues will "discuss immediate measures to increase substantially humanitarian assistance to Gaza," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller tells reporters. SOUNDBITE