LONDON: The chiefs of the American and British foreign intelligence agencies have said they are “working ceaselessly” for a truce in the Gaza Strip, using a rare joint public statement to press for peace in the region.
According to the Associated Press CIA Director William Burns and MI6 head Richard Moore said their agencies had “exploited our intelligence means to push hard for de-escalation and restraint.” In an opinion piece for the Financial Times, they said a truce in Israel’s war against Hamas “could end the suffering and terrible loss of life of Palestinians and bring home the captives after 11 months of hellish confinement.”
War on Gaza
William Burns has been deeply involved in efforts to broker an end to the war, traveling to Cario in August for high-level dialogue aimed at bringing regarding a hostage agreement and at least a temporary halt to the war.
So far there has been no deal, though US officials insist an agreement is close. US President Biden stated recently that “just a couple more problems” remain unresolved. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said reports of a breakthrough are “exactly wrong.”
Washington and London are both staunch allies of Israel, though the UK diverged from the US on Monday by suspending some weapons exports to Israel because of the risk they could be used to break global law.
Moore and Burns stressed the strength of the trans-Atlantic relationship in the face of “an unparalleled array of threats,” including an assertive Moscow, an ever-more powerful Beijing and the constant threat from global terrorism — all complicated by fast technological change.
US authorities have long accused Russia of meddling in American polls, and this week the Biden administration also seized Kremlin-run websites and charged employees of Russian television RT with covertly funding social media drives to pump out pro-Kremlin messages and sow disharmony around November’s presidential contest.
