Situation at a glance: Biden: Gaza agreement could deter Iran from attack

According to US President Joe Biden, Iran could refrain from its threatened retaliatory strike against Israel in the event of a breakthrough in the negotiations for a ceasefire in the Gaza war. In response to a question from reporters, Biden replied: “That is my expectation, but we will see.” This Thursday, at the urging of the US, Qatar and Egypt, which are mediating in the war between Israel and Hamas, a potentially decisive round of talks on an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages is planned, probably in Qatar’s capital Doha. Unlike Israel, the Islamist Hamas has so far refused to take part in these. They will “not negotiate under fire,” the dpa learned from Hamas circles.

The indirect negotiations would continue even if Hamas did not participate, the Wall Street Journal quoted Arab mediators as saying. In that case, the Islamist organization would be informed of the conditions discussed for an agreement, they said. In a message from Gaza to the Arab mediators on Monday evening, Hamas leader Jihia al-Sinwar said that if Israel wanted to negotiate seriously and include Hamas, it would first have to stop its military action in the Gaza Strip, the newspaper reported. Sinwar is suspected to be in Hamas’ extensive network of tunnels under the sealed-off coastal strip.

Biden: I will not give up

“We want everyone to show up on Thursday, roll up their sleeves and get to work,” said US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby in Washington. “And at the same time, we are watching very, very closely what Iran and its proxies might do this week.” According to media reports, the White House is concerned that an attack by Iran and Hezbollah on Israel would sabotage ceasefire negotiations and derail a potential agreement. “It’s going to be difficult,” Biden said. “We’ll see what Iran does, and we’ll see what happens if there’s an attack. But I’m not going to give up.”

After the killing of a Hezbollah military commander in Lebanon and the Hamas foreign chief in the Iranian capital Tehran, it is still unclear whether and when Iran and Hezbollah will carry out the threatened retaliatory strikes. “Iran and Hezbollah do not know what to do. There are many plans, but no decisions yet,” a US official told the news portal Axios. The USA, as Israel’s most important ally, has deployed additional military forces to the region as a deterrent and to protect Israel and its own soldiers. There are fears that a retaliatory attack against Israel will lead to a larger war in the Middle East.

US government approves billion-dollar arms deal with Israel

Meanwhile, the US government approved new arms sales to Israel on a large scale. Congress has been informed of the impending sale worth more than 20 billion US dollars (around 18 billion euros), the US State Department announced. This includes more than 50 F-15 fighter jets, tank ammunition and tactical military vehicles. Fulfilling such contracts is a years-long process. Delivery of the tank ammunition is not scheduled to begin until 2027, and that of the fighter jets until 2029. This is about the long-term equipment of the Israeli military, not its equipment in the current war with Hamas in Gaza.

The US, Qatar and Egypt, as mediators, recently used forceful language to urge Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement. Both sides were called upon to resume talks on Thursday “to close all remaining gaps and begin implementing the agreement without further delay,” said a joint statement. They were prepared to present a final bridging proposal if necessary that would resolve the remaining implementation issues in a way “that meets the expectations of all parties.” They would try to be “creative and assertive to get this over the finish line,” Kirby said.

At the end of May, Biden presented a draft deal that initially provides for a complete and unrestricted ceasefire of six weeks. During this period, a certain group of hostages would be released. In return, Palestinians imprisoned in Israel would be released. After that, the fighting would stop permanently and the remaining hostages would be released. In a final phase, the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip would begin. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected allegations that he had set new conditions.

US government: Ben-Gvir’s visit to Temple Mount “unacceptable”

Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition partners, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, recently threatened to collapse the government if Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire on terms they rejected. Ben-Gvir provoked a visit to the Temple Mount, the third holiest site in Islam. The US government sharply criticized him. “Let me say clearly that the United States is firmly committed to preserving the historical status quo with regard to the holy sites in Jerusalem,” said US State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel.

“Any unilateral action that threatens this status quo is unacceptable,” said Patel. The US is “paying close attention” to actions that “contribute to greater insecurity and instability in the region.” Ben-Gvir’s action falls under this category and distracts from bringing the negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza war “over the finish line” and ultimately achieving a two-state solution. “We know how important the holy site is,” said Patel. “We therefore call on all sides to respect the status quo.”

Ben-Gvir had demanded that Jewish prayers be permitted at the Temple Mount. The site is also holy to Jews because two Jewish temples used to stand there. The Palestinians fear that Israel wants to expand its control of the holy site. Netanyahu’s office announced after Ben-Gvir’s visit that Israel’s policy on this matter had not changed. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later welcomed this clarification and stressed that the Israeli government was expected “to prevent similar incidents in the future.”