Understanding of the current scenario - Middle Eastern Regions Witness Intensification: Ceasefire Deadline Approaching Rapidly
With growing doubts, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken persists in his hard work to secure a truce in Gaza. Following discussions in Israel, he moved on to Egypt and Qatar, all playing mediator roles in indirect talks between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas group. A news article suggests that a deal might crumble without an immediate backup plan. Meanwhile, the volatile situation along Israel's northern border intensified further. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Israel's air force once again exchanged fire on each other's territories.
Blinken: Pushing for Hamas Participation
During his arrival in Doha, Blinken addressed the press: "We need to seal the agreement on a truce and hostage release swiftly." Time is of the essence, he pointed out, as the lives of Hamas captives are increasingly at risk each day. Moreover, the suffering of residents in Gaza continues daily, the U.S. Secretary of State noted. All mediators aim to prevent further escalations in the region. Qatar and Egypt are communicating directly with Hamas to reach an agreement. "In the coming days, we'll go all out to get Hamas on board with the transitional proposal," Blinken said. After that, both sides should agree on further details.
Blinken had stated on Monday in Israel that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to the latest U.S.-supported ceasefire proposal in Gaza during a "constructive meeting." It's a "transitional proposal" based on a plan presented by U.S. President Joe Biden in May. Now, it falls on Hamas to approve the proposal.
Hamas: U.S. Caving to New Netanyahu Demands
However, Hamas accused the U.S. of conceding to Israel's demands in the latest transitional proposal. As Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan told the German Press Agency, Washington is effectively tolerating new demands from Netanyahu. Hamas won't negotiate new conditions, Hamdan said. They should only focus on implementing Biden's May plan. Meanwhile, Blinken explained that the "transitional plan" merely includes "clarifications and details" around the original plan.
Biden's plan includes three stages: first, a six-week truce during which a specific group of hostages would be released. In exchange, Palestinians detained in Israel will be freed. In the next stage, fighting will be permanently halted, and the remaining hostages will be released. In the final stage, reconstruction of Gaza will begin.
At a gathering with hostages' relatives, Netanyahu reportedly stated there was no assurance of a deal with Hamas. The Prime Minister also mentioned that he wasn't prepared yet for withdrawals from the strategically significant buffer zone between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, along with the Nizarim corridor dividing the Gaza Strip into northern and southern sections. However, Hamas demands a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip as a prerequisite for a truce. Critics allege that Netanyahu is delaying a settlement due to fear of his coalition government's collapse if he makes concessions to Hamas. After his visit to Israel, Blinken met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. According to the State Information Service (SIS), al-Sisi suggested that a truce in Gaza should mark the start of broader recognition of a Palestinian state, ensuring regional stability.
A report from the U.S. news site "Politico," citing two U.S. and two Israeli sources, believes the agreement is teetering on the brink of failure, with no clear, direct alternative. In event of such a failure, a broader conflict in the region is feared. After the assassination of two senior foes of Israel in Tehran and Beirut almost three weeks ago, Iran and the Lebanese Shia militia Hezbollah had threatened significant retaliatory strikes.
The Israeli military recovered the bodies of six hostages in the Gaza Strip during the night. The remains of six men aged 35 to 80 were discovered in a tunnel in Khan Yunis, the southern coastal strip. The relatives of the hostages accused the government of failing to save their loved ones alive.
Hamas now holds 109 hostages, with 36 reported dead and 73 still alive, according to an Israeli government spokesperson.
"The days are passing, and we're losing more hostages. We must make a deal. We must. Now," Israeli opposition leader Jair Lapid wrote on the X platform.
Attacks and clashes in the Gaza Strip continue. In an Israeli attack on a school building in the city of Gaza, reportedly ten people died. According to Palestinian media reports, the target was a school building housing displaced people. The Israeli army claimed that Hamas had hidden a command center on the site, which was the target of the attack.
In intense fighting in the southern Gaza Strip, numerous militant Palestinian fighters were reportedly killed. In the area of the city of Rafah, "around 40 terrorists were neutralized in close combat and airstrikes by the Israeli military," the army announced in a statement. The military wing of Hamas claimed its fighters fired rockets at an Israeli tank and soldiers in a building filled with grenades in the area.
The Gaza conflict was initiated by a terrorist attack by Hamas and extremists from Gaza on southern Israel on October 7. Around 1,200 people were killed, and over 250 others were taken hostage into Gaza. Since then, the health authority managed by Hamas has reported that 40,173 people have been killed in the sealed-off coastal region.
New rocket salvos from Lebanon landed on Israel.
Straight from Lebanon, Israeli military sources claim that numerous rockets were launched into northern Israel yet again. The Iran-connected Hezbollah organization declared they executed an "aggressive rocket assault" towards Israeli military installations. They asserted this retaliation was in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Monday in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, which left at least eight individuals injured. The army asserted it targeted Hezbollah ammunition storage units.
Taking over the night, it appears the Israeli air force went for another round in the Bekaa Valley, as per Lebanese media reports. The Lebanese Health Ministry revealed at least one fatal casualty and sixteen more wounded individuals. Previously, Lebanese media mentioned four fatalities and two injuries from an Israeli attack in southern Lebanon, including three Hezbollah members, according to Lebanese security agencies.
Fears of a potential escalation linger, leading towards a larger confrontation. Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant commented that the "emphasis" is gradually transitioning from the Gaza Strip to the northern border.
Blinken plans to visit The Cairo next, aiming to gather support from Egypt in his quest to include Hamas in the peace negotiations.Egypt, being a key mediator, has a crucial role in persuading Hamas to approve the U.S.-supported transitional proposal for a truce in Gaza.
