Israel’s defense minister warns Iran and its allies against a violent counterattack. Can a new round of negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza war bring a breakthrough?
Israel continues to prepare for a retaliatory strike by Iran and its allies following the killing of a Hamas leader. Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant warned Tehran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia of a strong counterattack. “Anyone who harms us in a way that has not been done in the past will probably be hit in a way that has not been done in the past,” Galant said.
“I hope they think this through and do not get to the point where they force us to inflict significant damage and increase the likelihood of war breaking out on other fronts,” the Israeli defense minister continued. “We do not want that, but we must be prepared.”
After the killing of a Hezbollah military commander in Lebanon and a leader of the organization’s Islamist ally Hamas in Tehran, Iran and Hezbollah announced massive retaliation. Hamas’ foreign affairs chief, Ismail Haniya, was killed in an explosion in an Iranian government guesthouse at the end of July. Iran blames Israel. The country has not yet commented on the matter. Israel, in turn, claimed responsibility for the targeted killing of the Hezbollah military commander.
Nuclear submarine: USA further strengthens military presence in Middle East
The US military is continuing to increase its presence in the Middle East. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of the nuclear-powered submarine “USS Georgia,” and the aircraft carrier “USS Abraham Lincoln” and its escort ships are to speed up their transit to the region, the Pentagon said. The aircraft carrier with its F-35 fighter jets is in addition to the “USS Theodore Roosevelt” aircraft carrier group already in the region.
In a conversation with his Israeli counterpart Galant, Secretary Austin reiterated the United States’ commitment to “take every possible step to defend Israel” in light of “escalating regional tensions,” the Pentagon said.
The US military’s 300-meter-long aircraft carriers, which are also powered by nuclear reactors, are each equipped with dozens of combat aircraft, and their fleets also include destroyers and other warships. The 110-meter-long submarine “USS Georgia” can be equipped with up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, according to a US military website.
New rocket attacks from Lebanon
While Iran and its allies have not yet carried out their major counterattack against Israel, the attacks between Israel’s army and the Hezbollah militia continue. The Israeli military said that around 30 projectiles were fired from Lebanon in the night of Monday towards the town of Kabri near the coastal city of Nahariya. There were no injuries. Some of the projectiles hit open ground. According to local media, Hezbollah said the attack with Katyusha rockets was aimed at a military base.
New ceasefire negotiations
On Thursday, there will be a round of negotiations for the first time in a long time to achieve a ceasefire in the ten-month Gaza war and the release of the hostages still held by Hamas.
Both Israeli delegates and representatives of Hamas have been invited to the indirect talks. The next round is to take place in Cairo or Doha. It is still unclear whether a team from the Islamist organization will take part. In a statement, the group had previously called on the mediators to draw up a plan to implement the existing proposal for a ceasefire agreement, “instead of going to further rounds of negotiations” or submitting further drafts.
The US, Egypt and Qatar are mediating in the indirect talks, which have been slow for months. Since May, they have been revolving around a multi-stage plan by US President Joe Biden, which ultimately envisages a permanent ceasefire. In addition, the hostages held by Hamas are to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.
With the aim of regional de-escalation, the time has now come to finalize the agreement on the release of the hostages and a ceasefire, said Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a government spokesman in Berlin.
Hostage mother reportedly receives signs of life from her daughter
According to Israeli estimates, Hamas is still holding 115 hostages in the Gaza Strip, many of whom are said to be dead. The family of a young female soldier has received a sign of life from the woman, the Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” reported. “She and her friends, all four of them, are alive,” the mother of the kidnapped woman was quoted as saying. However, the family does not know what condition the soldier is in or where exactly she is being held.
Hamas has footage of the kidnapping of the woman and other female soldiers, showing them frightened, injured and partly covered in blood.
More deaths in attacks in Gaza Strip
After the devastating air strike on a school building, which sparked international horror and criticism, Israel’s army says it is continuing its attacks on targets in the Gaza Strip. Five people were killed in the entire coastal strip, reported the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Israel’s military announced that it had killed terrorists in the city of Rafah in the south of the area. On Saturday alone, 30 Hamas targets were attacked. The information could not initially be independently verified.
Before a new military operation in Khan Yunis, Israel’s army called on the residents of a district in the north of the city to leave the area. Israel accuses the Islamist terrorist organization of having misused the humanitarian zone in the area for rocket attacks on Israeli towns. Khan Yunis is located in the south of the Gaza Strip.
According to Palestinian sources, dozens of people were killed in an Israeli air strike on a school building in the city of Gaza that was being used as a refugee shelter on Saturday. Israel’s military expressed doubts about these figures and spoke of a Hamas command center.
“The reports from Gaza are terrible. It is unacceptable that civilians are being killed while seeking protection. The repeated attacks by the Israeli army on schools must stop and be quickly investigated,” wrote the department of Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) on Sunday on Platform X.
The suffering of the women, men and many children seeking protection who have repeatedly fled the fighting in Gaza for months is immeasurable. They must not be allowed to continue to get caught in the crossfire, and Hamas must not use them as human shields.
According to Israeli sources, an Israeli was killed in an attack in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The military wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack.
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.
