Hamas refutes Blinken's accusation of hindering ceasefire in Gaza

Hamas on Friday rebuked U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken for accusing the group of obstructing a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

Blinken said after the G7 meetings on the Italian island of Capri that, "The only thing standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is the Hamas movement, which rejects tempting offers from Israel."

Hamas said in a statement that Blinken's words betrayed "the blatant bias of the U.S. administration," and were "distortions of reality."

The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip said that the Israeli army killed 42 Palestinians and wounded 63 others during the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 34,012 and injuries to 76,833 since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

It noted that some victims remain under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of rescue crews.

The Israeli army said that its forces cleared and destroyed more than 100 structures over the past week and eliminated more than 40 "terrorists" in face-to-face battles and through airstrikes.

Middle East countries voice concern

Countries in the Middle East have voiced their concern over military escalation in the region after Israel on Friday allegedly struck sites near the city of Isfahan, central Iran, in what appeared to be its military response to Iran's recent attack.

In a statement, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry called on the two sides to exercise the utmost restraint and to fully comply with the rules of international laws and the UN Charter, warning against widening the conflict and instability in the region.

Egypt stressed that it will continue to intensify communications with all concerned and influential parties to contain the ongoing escalation and tension.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the ministry "is constantly monitoring the tension in the region," expressing its deep concern about the attack targeting Isfahan.

The ministry said that the escalation must not distract attention from the destruction and loss of innocent lives in the Gaza Strip, renewing its call on the international community to perform its duties and work to stop the suffering of the Palestinian people.

Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi on Friday stressed the need to reduce the dangerous escalation in the region and reiterated that, "Jordan will not allow it to be turned into an arena of conflict between Iran and Israel, and to endanger its security and the safety of its citizens."

Safadi, who also serves as the Jordanian foreign minister, added on social media platform X that the current escalation only serves to divert attention away from the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and stopping it must be the priority.

'Disappointed by veto'

Countries in the Middle East have expressed their disappointment over a U.S. decision to use its veto on Thursday to deny Palestine's full membership in the UN.

"It is regrettable that veto is used to impede an obvious international willingness to accept Palestine's full membership to the UN," Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said on social media platform X.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry also voiced its regret, saying that recognizing the Palestinian state and approving its full membership at the UN is an inherent right of the Palestinian people who have suffered from the Israeli occupation for more than 70 years.

The obstruction of the full membership isn't consistent with the legal and historical responsibility placed on the international community towards ending the occupation and reaching a final and just solution to the Palestinian issue, it added.

Disappointed by the result, the Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants called on the international community to translate words into action by accepting the two-state solution and recognizing Palestine as an independent, full-fledged state.

Noting that the Israeli military operation on the Gaza Strip has led to "the worst humanitarian disaster" the world has ever witnessed in the 21st century, the Qatari Foreign Ministry expressed its deep regret at the failure of the Security Council to adopt the resolution.

In an official statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry accused the United States of hindering the Security Council's duty to uphold the Palestinian people's legitimate rights.

(With input from Xinhua)