The wrangling over a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip continues. It is about crucial details, according to Washington. Meanwhile, Israel is continuing the fight against its enemies on other fronts.
While fighting between Israel’s army and the Islamist Hamas continues unabated in the Gaza Strip, mediators are continuing their efforts to achieve a ceasefire. On Thursday, there were “constructive” talks in the Egyptian capital Cairo, which will continue over the course of this weekend, said John Kirby, communications director of the US National Security Council. He dismissed media reports that the negotiations were on the verge of failure as false. The process is moving forward. Kirby did not want to go into details of the talks.
According to the White House, US President Joe Biden spoke again on the phone with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. They discussed “the urgency” of concluding a ceasefire as part of the “comprehensive bridging proposal” on the table.
An agreement should lead to the release of the hostages held by Hamas, provide life-saving aid to the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip and reduce regional tensions. The White House said they discussed the upcoming talks in Cairo and efforts to remove the remaining obstacles to an agreement.
USA continues to hope for agreement
The US, Egypt and Qatar are mediating between Israel and Hamas, as the two conflicting parties are not negotiating directly with each other. They hope to maintain the momentum in the coming days, Kirby said. It’s all about the finer details.
Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan told the German Press Agency that they had not yet been officially informed by the mediators about the latest status of the talks. They would only respond afterwards.
“It’s important that everyone is willing to move forward on these details,” Kirby said. Regarding the potential threat from Iran, he reiterated the US’s support for Israel. The focus is on being able to defend itself and Israel in the event of an attack.
After the killing of two high-ranking enemies of Israel in the Iranian capital Tehran and the Lebanese capital Beirut around three weeks ago, Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia threatened massive retaliatory strikes against Israel. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are closely allied with Iran.
Israel reports renewed shelling from Gaza
After repeated rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army is planning a new military operation – and has therefore called on residents of several districts in the north of the coastal region to flee. People should go to places of refuge west of the city of Gaza, said an army spokesman in an appeal published in Arabic. Because of the ongoing shelling from the area, the military wants to take action against Hamas and other terrorist organizations there.
According to the army, two missiles were fired from northern Gaza in the direction of the Israeli border town of Sderot in the early evening. One was intercepted and the other landed in open terrain. There were initially no reports of injuries.
Conflict between Hezbollah and Israel continues
Since the beginning of the Gaza war, there have been daily military confrontations between the Israeli army and Hezbollah and other groups in the border region between Israel and Lebanon. In Aita al-Jabal in southern Lebanon, a seven-year-old child and another person were killed in renewed attacks, according to the Health Ministry in Beirut. Israel’s military said it had killed a “significant Hezbollah terrorist” there. It said it registered dozens of missiles fired from Lebanon towards Israel.
In another attack on the town of Tayr Harfa, not far from the Israeli border in southern Lebanon, three people were also killed, according to the Ministry of Health. According to Lebanese security sources, these were Hezbollah fighters. The Shiite militia declared a total of seven of its fighters dead. Hezbollah usually does not provide further details about when, where and how its members die.
The Israeli military announced that it had attacked and “eliminated” a “terrorist cell” in Tayr Harfa. It had fired missiles into Israeli territory. According to the army, several Hezbollah fighters were killed in further attacks in the Lebanese towns of Mais al-Jabal, Aitaroun and Tyre. Hezbollah said it had attacked Israeli army military sites in the border area.
After heavy shelling from Lebanon, there were initially no reports of injuries in Israel. Some of the more than 90 shells were intercepted, others landed in open areas, the Israeli army said. According to Israeli media, fires broke out near the northern Israeli city of Safed as a result of the impacts.
Deaths also reported in Syria
Meanwhile, in Syria, according to human rights activists, three members of pro-Iranian militias were killed in an Israeli attack. Ten others were injured, reported the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syria’s state agency Sana reported that seven civilians were injured in the attacks in the center of the country. Videos supposedly showing the attacks showed large explosions and clouds of smoke.
Israel does not usually comment on such attacks. However, the country has repeatedly attacked positions of militias supported by Iran in Syria. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, Israel has increased these attacks.
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.
