LONDON: Britain could take a leading role in helping to disarm Hamas in Gaza, based on its experience of encouraging militant groups in Northern Ireland to lay down their arms, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday.
Starmer told parliament that decommissioning the enclave would be vital if Donald Trump’s ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is to last, the first stage of the US president’s 20-point framework to bring peace to the Palestinian enclave.
Starmer’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, was a chief architect of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which largely ended three decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, working alongside former prime minister Tony Blair, who has been tipped for a role in Gaza.
Three European diplomats also said the Northern Ireland case was being cited as a possible future model for Gaza, although they noted there was no comprehensive plan in place.
“Of course, this is going to be difficult, but it’s vital. It was difficult in Northern Ireland in relation to the IRA (Irish Republican Army), but it was vital,” Starmer said.
“That is why we have said that we stand ready, based on our experience in Northern Ireland, to help with the decommissioning process. I’m not going to pretend that’s easy, but it is extremely important.”
The IRA, an overwhelmingly Catholic group seeking a united Ireland, said in 2005 it would formally end its armed struggle. It refused to dispose of its weapons in public but agreed to the presence of independent monitors, who after three months said it had put its weapons beyond use.
The Northern Ireland peace deal dealt with everything from reform of the police to the early release of paramilitary prisoners, the disarmament of paramilitary groups and the “normalization” of security arrangements.
However, the IRA never governed Northern Ireland, unlike Hamas, which has been in control of Gaza since 2007 and has overseen all sectors of public life.
Powell was in Egypt on Monday for an international summit on Gaza, alongside Starmer. According to the BBC, he was there last week as the negotiations were being finalized.
Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff thanked Powell on X on Monday for his “incredible input and tireless efforts.” In Gaza, Israeli officials have said any final settlement must permanently disarm Hamas. Trump has also said he will establish a “Board of Peace” to oversee the governance of Gaza. He had initially suggested that Blair would serve on that, but he said on Sunday he needed to find out if that was an “acceptable choice to everybody.”
Britain pushes Northern Ireland as model for disarming Gaza
https://arab.news/86jb5
Britain pushes Northern Ireland as model for disarming Gaza
- Starmer told parliament that decommissioning the enclave would be vital if Donald Trump’s ceasefire between Israel and Hamas is to last
- Three European diplomats also said the Northern Ireland case was being cited as a possible future model for Gaza
94 million need cataract surgery, but access lacking: WHO
- Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision
GENEVA: More than 94 million people suffer from cataracts, but half of them do not have access to the surgery needed to fix it, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
Cataracts — the clouding of the eye’s lens that causes blurred vision and can lead to blindness — are on the rise as populations get older, with age being the main risk factor.
“Cataract surgery — a simple, 15-minute procedure — is one of the most cost-effective medical procedures, providing immediate and lasting restoration of sight,” the WHO said.
It is one of the most frequently performed surgeries undertaken in high-income countries.
However, “half of the world’s population in need of cataract surgery don’t have access to it,” said Stuart Keel, the UN health agency’s technical lead for eye care.
The situation is worst in the WHO’s Africa region, where three in four people needing cataract surgery remain untreated.
In Kenya, at the current rate, 77 percent of people needing cataract surgery are likely to die with their cataract blindness or vision impairment, said Keel.
Across all regions, women consistently experience lower access to care than men.
Of the 94 million affected, fewer than 20 percent are blind, while the rest suffer from impaired vision.
- 2030 vision -
The WHO said that over the past two decades, global cataract surgery coverage had increased by 15 percent.
In 2021, WHO member states set a target of a 30-percent increase by 2030.
However, current modelling predicts that cataract surgery coverage will rise by only about 8.4 percent this decade.
To close the gap, the WHO urged countries to integrate eye examinations into primary health care and invest in the required surgical equipment.
States should also expand the eye-care workforce, training surgeons in a standardised manner and then distributing them throughout the country, notably outside major cities.
The WHO was on Wednesday launching new guidance for countries on how to provide quality cataract surgery services.
It will also issue guidance to help support workforce development.
Keel said the main issue was capacity and financing.
“We do need money invested to get rid of this backlog, which is nearly 100 million people,” he told a press conference.
While age is the primary risk factor for cataracts, others include prolonged UV-B light exposure, tobacco use, prolonged corticosteroid use and diabetes.
Keel urged people to keep up regular eye checks as they get older, with most problems able to be either prevented or diagnosed and treated.
The cost of the new lens that goes inside the eye can be under $100.
However, out-of-pocket costs can be higher when not covered by health insurance.
“Cataract surgery is one of the most powerful tools we have to restore vision and transform lives,” said Devora Kestel, head of the WHO’s noncommunicable diseases and mental health department.
“When people regain their sight, they regain independence, dignity, and opportunity.”
