Israel Agreement in the Gaza war hangs by a thread
As Israel's most important ally, the USA wants to do all it can to prevent the difficult negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza war from failing.
22.08.2024, 04:29
SDA
In a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Joe Biden once again emphasized the urgency of an agreement that includes the release of hostages held by the Islamist Hamas. He had spoken with Netanyahu about "upcoming talks" in the Egyptian capital Cairo "to remove all remaining obstacles", Biden subsequently wrote on Platform X.
One of the biggest points of contention is Israel's demand for permanent control of the southern border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt by Israeli security forces. The office of the Israeli Prime Minister denied a media report in the evening that Netanyahu had agreed to Israel withdrawing from the so-called Philadelphi Corridor. Israel insists "that all its war aims, as defined by the security cabinet, will be achieved", it said. This includes "that the Gaza Strip will never again pose a security threat to Israel. This requires securing the southern border."
Hamas accuses Israel of blocking negotiations on an agreement by refusing to withdraw from the approximately 14-kilometer-long Philadelphi Corridor on the border with Egypt. The Islamists are demanding a complete withdrawal of the Israeli military from the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu, on the other hand, is demanding that the army continue to control the corridor even after a ceasefire, for example to prevent weapons smuggling. During a visit to the area a few days ago, Israel's Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said that the army could maintain control there even without a permanent presence and with only sporadic advances.
Israel declares Hamas brigade in Rafah defeated
During a visit to the border area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant announced that he had defeated the Hamas brigade there. "The Rafah Brigade has been defeated and more than 150 tunnels in this region have been destroyed," said Galant. He had instructed the troops to concentrate on destroying the remaining tunnels on the border between the coastal strip and Egypt in the coming period.
Despite massive international criticism, Israel's army had advanced to Rafah in May in order to destroy the remaining Hamas forces there. Around one million refugees, who according to estimates had crowded into the city, left again. The Israeli troops also captured the Rafah border crossing to Egypt and the Philadelphi Corridor.
The dispute over control of this area is one of the obstacles mentioned by Biden in the negotiations over a ceasefire and the release of the hostages. According to a recent report by the US news portal "Politico", which cites two Israeli and two US officials, an agreement is on the verge of collapse with no clear alternative.
Concerns about escalation in the Middle East
In view of the growing pessimism, Biden once again put pressure on Netanyahu in a telephone call. US Vice President Kamala Harris, who wants to succeed Biden after the presidential election on November 5, was also present during the conversation, the White House announced.
Prior to this, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had once again been in Israel, Egypt and Qatar for talks in order to help the negotiations achieve a breakthrough. Together with the USA, the two Arab states are mediating between Israel and Hamas, as they do not negotiate directly with each other. According to Israeli journalist Barak Ravid, the next top-level meeting of the mediators in Cairo is due to take place this weekend.
"We have to get the agreement on a ceasefire and the release of hostages across the finish line," Blinken said on his departure from Qatar. Time is of the essence because the lives of the hostages are in greater danger with each passing day.
If the mediation efforts fail, there are fears of a major escalation in the Middle East. Following the killing of two high-ranking enemies of Israel in the Iranian capital Tehran and the Lebanese capital Beirut almost three weeks ago, Iran and the Hezbollah militia threatened massive retaliatory strikes.
Against this backdrop, Biden and Netanyahu also discussed ongoing US efforts to support "Israel's defense against all threats from Iran, including its proxy terror groups Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis", according to the White House.
The USA has further strengthened its military presence in the region. As the US regional command Centcom announced on Platform X, the aircraft carrier "USS Abraham Lincoln" and its escort ships have now arrived in the Middle East after US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered to speed up the journey to the region. The aircraft carrier with its modern F-35 fighter jets complements the aircraft carrier "USS Theodore Roosevelt", which is already stationed in the region.
The Gaza war was triggered by the worst massacre in Israel's history, with more than 1,200 dead, carried out by terrorists from Hamas and other extremist groups on October 7 last year. More than 250 hostages were taken from Israel to Gaza. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 40,000 people were killed and almost 93,000 others injured in the subsequent Israeli offensive in the sealed-off coastal strip. The figures, which cannot be independently verified, do not distinguish between fighters and civilians.
