After the toughest exchange of blows between Hezbollah and Israel since the war began, there are fears of further escalation. A ceasefire in Gaza is seen as the key to calming the situation.
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. Intensive mediation talks in Cairo have not yet produced a breakthrough. According to the US government, however, working groups will continue talks on open detailed issues in the Egyptian capital in the coming days. The prospects of a quick success are considered slim, however.
The Hezbollah militia, which is allied with Iran, fired numerous rockets and drones from Lebanon at Israeli targets on Sunday morning. However, Israel’s army said it had recognized “the immediate danger” to its citizens and had already begun attacking targets in southern Lebanon with 100 fighter planes.
Israel and Hezbollah continue mutual attacks
The army announced that 90 percent of the rockets fired by Hezbollah were fired from civilian areas and facilities. Around 230 missiles and 20 drones reached Israeli territory. On Monday, Israel and Hezbollah again attacked each other. However, the feared major escalation did not occur. Since the Gaza war began almost eleven months ago, the conflicting parties have fired at each other almost daily. Civilians have been killed in both Israel and Lebanon, and tens of thousands have fled the border area because of the fighting.
Iran and Qatar call for Gaza ceasefire
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Qatari colleague 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 support.
Egypt, Qatar and the USA are mediating between Israel and Hamas because both 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 arms 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 the US team on the ground continues to view the talks as constructive. Kirby explicitly contradicted the portrayal that the talks had failed.
On the contrary, the talks had “progressed to the point where the next logical step was to set up working groups at lower levels” to work out the details. This included the release of the hostages held by Hamas and the release of Palestinian prisoners by Israel. Egyptian security sources said that the talks in Cairo had reached a “difficult stalemate”.
Iran’s Chief of General Staff: Revenge on Israel is certain
The visit of the Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister is the first high-level reception by the new government in Tehran. After the recent killing of Hamas’ foreign chief Ismail Haniya in the Iranian capital, the government threatened Israel with retaliation. Since then, concerns have grown that the conflict will spread to other countries in the Middle East.
Iran’s Chief of General Staff Mohammed Bagheri said 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 expected 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-Aqsa hospital, one of the few health facilities still functioning in the coastal strip. According to the city administration, around 250,000 people have left their homes in Deir al-Balah in the past few days.
One of the army’s calls stated that the military would “take strong action against Hamas and the terrorist organizations in the area” in Deir al-Balah. Civilians should move west 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 Khan Yunis 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 agency UNRWA announced that due to the ongoing military operations in Deir al-Balah, only three of 18 wells were still functioning. This resulted in a water shortage. “The people of Gaza not only live in constant fear for their lives, but are struggling to meet basic needs,” said an X-post from UNRWA.
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.
