Israel’s head of government is heating up tensions with its US ally with a video. And this while fears of a war with Hezbollah are growing. The news at a glance.
A new feud between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the US government is complicating efforts to de-escalate the conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, according to a media report.
Netanyahu’s video from last Tuesday, in which he harshly attacked the US government over a withheld arms shipment, is causing a rift between the allies and undermining Israel’s deterrent power in the region, reported the US news portal “Axios” citing several US officials. Netanyahu’s video was “stunning to say the least,” “deeply disappointing” and “infuriating,” said the communications director of the National Security Council, John Kirby.
Netanyahu follows up
After Kirby’s comments, Israel’s head of government doubled down: “I am prepared to endure personal attacks as long as Israel receives the ammunition it needs from the US in the war for its existence,” Netanyahu said, according to his office. “There is nothing better than telling Hezbollah that the US is withholding weapons from Israel, which is wrong, to make it feel emboldened,” Axios quoted a senior US official as saying.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had stressed the fighting spirit of his Shiite militia the previous evening: “If they (the Israelis) force a war on Lebanon, the resistance will strike back without restrictions, rules and borders.” At the same time, the militia’s secretary general stressed that Lebanon was not seeking a large-scale war with Israel.
Israel and Hezbollah have been constantly firing at each other for more than eight months. Recently, the intensity of the fighting has increased significantly. There are fears that an open war between the two sides could escalate into a regional conflict, in which the USA, as Israel’s most important ally, would also be drawn in.
There have been major disagreements between Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu and the government of US President Joe Biden in recent months. Biden and other high-ranking US government officials have repeatedly made it unusually clear that they do not agree with Netanyahu’s actions in the Gaza war. Criticism has been expressed in particular because of the high number of civilian casualties and the humanitarian distress in the sealed-off area.
Blinken emphasizes US commitment to Israel’s security
The fact that Netanyahu has now harshly attacked the US government over a withheld arms shipment is further fueling tensions. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has already firmly rejected Netanyahu’s criticism and stressed that there is only one paused shipment from the US to Israel. This concerns the delivery of certain bombs, which has been held up for the time being because the US government is concerned that they could be used in a densely populated area such as Rafah in southern Gaza.
Despite the resentment, Blinken met with Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi and Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer in Washington yesterday, a US State Department spokesman said. Blinken reaffirmed the US’s unconditional commitment to Israel’s security, it said.
At the same time, he stressed the need to take further steps to increase humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip and to draw up plans for the future administration and reconstruction of the area after the war. It is also important to avoid further escalation in Lebanon and to find a diplomatic solution.
Netanyahu also under increasing pressure in his own country
Previously, Israel’s army spokesman Daniel Hagari had also emphatically called for a political vision for the future of the Gaza Strip. “Hamas is an idea, it is a party. It is rooted in the hearts of the people. Anyone who thinks we can eliminate Hamas is mistaken,” Hagari told Israeli broadcaster Channel 13. An alternative to Hamas must be found at the political level to replace it in the Gaza Strip. Otherwise, the Islamist terrorist organization will continue to exist. Talking about the destruction of Hamas is misleading the public.
With his statements, Hagari raised doubts about the declared war goal of the Netanyahu government: to end Hamas’ rule in the Gaza Strip and destroy its military capabilities. The Prime Minister’s Office rejected the army spokesman’s comments.
The army is “of course obliged to do this,” said a statement. Meanwhile, thousands of people in Israel once again took to the streets on Thursday evening to protest against Netanyahu’s government. According to Israeli media, the largest rally took place in front of Netanyahu’s private home in the city of Caesarea.
New protests against Israel’s government
The demonstrators again demanded new elections and the release of the hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip. According to media reports, hundreds of people also gathered for a rally in Jerusalem. There have been repeated violent protests against the government in Israel for months.
The demonstrators accuse Netanyahu of bowing to the demands of his extremist coalition partners and therefore of thwarting a deal to release the hostages held by Hamas. Some ministers are against an agreement with the Islamists because it would also provide for a ceasefire and the release of Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prisons.
For months, the mediators USA, Qatar and Egypt have been trying to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire and Hamas to release the remaining 120 people abducted from Israel – so far without success. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that the number of abductees still alive could be as low as 50.
US pier on Gaza beach back in operation
Meanwhile, the temporary pier built by the US military off the coast of the Gaza Strip has resumed operations after a break of several days. The responsible regional command (Centcom) anchored the pier on the beach again on Wednesday, said Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder.
The transfer of aid supplies from Cyprus has resumed. At the end of last week, the US military announced that the pier had to be temporarily towed to Israel’s coast due to rough seas. The distribution of aid also proved difficult. Ryder stressed that there was no end date for the project.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
