Politics After Hezbollah attack on Israel: focus on Gaza ceasefire
Following the exceptionally violent mutual attacks between the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah and the Israeli army, efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza war are once again coming to the fore.
27.08.2024, 04:59
SDA
Intensive mediation talks in Cairo have not yet achieved a breakthrough. However, according to the US government, working groups will continue talks on outstanding details in the Egyptian capital in the coming days. However, the prospects of rapid success are considered slim.
On Sunday morning, the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militia launched numerous rockets and drones at Israeli targets from Lebanon. According to Israel's army, however, it had recognized "the immediate danger" to its citizens and began attacking targets in southern Lebanon with 100 fighter jets in advance.
Israel and Hezbollah continue to attack each other
The army announced that 90 percent of the rockets fired by Hezbollah had been launched from civilian areas and facilities. Around 230 missiles and 20 drones were fired into Israeli territory. On Monday, Israel and Hezbollah again attacked each other. However, the feared major escalation failed to materialize. Since the beginning of the Gaza war almost eleven months ago, the parties to the conflict have been firing at each other almost daily. Civilians have been killed in both Israel and Lebanon and tens of thousands have fled the border region because of the fighting.
Iran and Qatar call for Gaza ceasefire
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Qatari counterpart Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The Islamic Republic welcomes the Qatari mediation, said the Iranian chief diplomat according to the state agency Irna. He assured the Islamist Hamas of his backing.
Egypt, Qatar and the USA are mediating between Israel and Hamas because the two sides are not negotiating directly with each other. One of the biggest points of contention is Israel's demand to permanently control the southern border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt in order to prevent weapons smuggling. The Islamist terrorist organization Hamas, on the other hand, is demanding a complete withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.
The communications director of the US National Security Council, John Kirby, said that the US team on the ground continues to regard the talks as constructive. Kirby expressly contradicted the statement that the talks had failed.
On the contrary: the talks had "progressed so far that the next logical step was to set up working groups at lower levels" to work out the finer details. These included the release of hostages held by Hamas and the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel. Egyptian security circles had reported that the talks in Cairo had resulted in a "difficult stalemate".
Iran's chief of staff: revenge against Israel is certain
The visit by the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister is the first high-ranking reception by the new government in Tehran. Following the recent killing of Hamas foreign chief Ismail Haniya in the Iranian capital, the government threatened Israel with retaliation. Since then, concerns about the conflict spreading to other countries in the Middle East have increased.
Iran's Chief of General Staff Mohammed Bagheri said that his country would decide for itself when to take revenge. "This event must not be forgotten, and revenge (...) is certain," he said.
Meanwhile, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in Saudi Arabia for a two-day visit. He wanted to meet with the crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. The talks were also to focus on efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.
Numerous people leave combat zone in the center of the Gaza Strip
Meanwhile, fighting and Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip continue. Following a new evacuation order from the Israeli army, numerous people have left their homes in the town of Deir al-Balah in the center of the Gaza Strip. According to reports from Gaza, the order also affected the Al-Aksa Hospital, one of the few remaining functioning health facilities in the coastal strip. According to the city administration, around 250,000 people have left their homes in Deir al-Balah in recent days.
One of the army's appeals stated that the military would "take strong action against Hamas and the terrorist organizations in the area" in Deir al-Balah. Civilians should move westwards for their own safety. The affected area in Deir al-Balah is a "dangerous combat zone".
The military announced that Israeli troops had "eliminated dozens of terrorists and found large quantities of weapons" in Chan Junis in the south of the Gaza Strip and in the outskirts of Deir al-Balah. The information could not initially be independently verified.
The UN Palestinian Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) announced that only three of 18 wells in Deir al-Balah were still functioning due to the ongoing military operations there. As a result, there is a water shortage. "The people of Gaza are not only living in constant fear for their lives, but are struggling to meet basic needs," said an UNRWA X-Post.
