As the news portal Axios reported on Sunday night, citing an unidentified Israeli source and a Qatari official, Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that a new agreement would now be more difficult. The statements were reportedly made during a meeting between Al Thani and relatives of Israeli hostages in Doha.
Qatar and Egypt have recently worked to restart negotiations between Israel and Hamas over the release of more hostages. The terrorist organization kidnapped around 240 people in the Gaza Strip in its bloody October 7 attack. Since then, 105 hostages have been released in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel. The Israeli army estimates that around 135 people are currently detained in the Gaza Strip.
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Tense situation after Hezbollah attack
Hamas leader Aruri was killed in an explosion in the Lebanese capital, Beirut, last Tuesday. The Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, an ally of Hamas, suspects that Israel is behind the action. Following his death, concerns arose about a further escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. This was reinforced on Sunday with a large-scale rocket attack on Israel, which Hezbollah described as an “initial response” to Aruri’s murder.
Jordan as a “crucial partner”
Like EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, US Secretary of State Blinken is also on a mediation trip to the region to speak to several countries in the region about the de-escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Before traveling to Qatar, Blinken met King Abdullah II of Jordan for the first time in Amman on Sunday.
“Jordan is a key partner in helping prevent the conflict from spreading in the region,” Blinken spokesman Matthew Miller wrote on X (Twitter) upon Blinken's arrival in Amman. Jordan calls on the US to pressure Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
As the Jordanian palace announced, the US must play an important role here, said King Abdullah II Blinken in Amman. Abdullah also warned of “catastrophic consequences” if Israeli military operations continued in Palestinian territory. The United States is grateful to the kingdom, which borders Israel, for its leading role in providing aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, Blinken's spokesman said.
Dense program
After meetings with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi and King Abdullah II, Blinken wanted to travel to Qatar on Sunday. In Doha, her program included talks with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Before arriving in Jordan, the US Secretary of State visited Turkey and the Greek island of Crete on Saturday. According to Blinken spokesperson Miller, the US views Turkey, in particular, as playing a crucial role in addressing regional security issues. This also includes preventing the conflict in Gaza from spreading. In the coming days, Blinken also plans to visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank and Egypt.
“Fire risk”
Blinken's visit comes amid a broader diplomatic offensive by the West to prevent the crisis from escalating and explore ways to resolve it. German Foreign Minister Baerbock is traveling to the region for the fourth time since the start of the war in Gaza. The first stop on Sunday was Jerusalem – in the coming days the program includes, among other things, the Palestinian West Bank, Egypt and a visit to Lebanon.
Baerbock was also concerned that the danger of a regional conflagration had not yet been averted – especially given the aggressive behavior of two anti-Israel militias in Lebanon and Yemen who are allies of Iran: “The situation in the Middle East is extremely dangerous with missiles coming from two other directions: those of Hezbollah and those of the Houthis.” This threat makes a diplomatic solution even more urgent.
debate
Middle East: What will the future of the region be like?
Hope for “cornerstone for peace”
Baerbock also called on Israel to show more consideration for the civilian population living in the Gaza Strip and also in the West Bank. Barbock once again advocated resolving the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians through a two-state solution – that is, through the establishment of a separate Palestinian state alongside Israel.
“As distant as it may seem at this moment, Israelis and Palestinians will only be able to live side by side in peace if the security of one means the security of the other,” explained Baerbock. This “will only be successful if everyone sees each other’s suffering,” she continued. “The region must break out of the eternal cycle of violence,” said Baerbock, who added: “It is time to finally lay the foundations for sustainable peace and security.”
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Killed after battle in the West Bank
Sustained attacks
There were no signs of a slowdown in the conflict area three months after Hamas's radical Islamic attack on Israel on October 7 – on the contrary: Israel continued its attacks on the Gaza Strip, and Hamas also spoke of attacks in the south on the cities of Gaza. Khan Yunis and Rafah. The Shiite Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, which is allied with Hamas, launched a massive attack in northern Israel on Saturday.
ORF Analysis: Current situation in the Gaza war
ORF correspondent Tim Cupal reports from Tel Aviv, Israel. He reports how close Israel came to its goal of destroying Hamas, three months after the start of the war.
Netanyahu sets war goals
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled on Sunday the war objectives set by Israel in the military operation in the Gaza Strip. In addition to eliminating Hamas, these include the return of all hostages and ensuring that the Gaza Strip no longer poses a threat to Israel.
“The war must not end before we have achieved our objectives,” Netanyahu said on Sunday at the start of his weekly cabinet meeting. “I say this to both our enemies and our friends,” he added.
Netanyahu and his war cabinet are ultimately pushing for a quick resolution to the tense situation on the northern border. According to their own statements, they prefer a diplomatic agreement, but, on the other hand, they threaten a military option. According to the Washington Post, a warning about such a “significant escalation” comes from the USA. According to the report, there are concerns among US government officials that an escalation between the Mediterranean neighbors could be even bloodier than the last war between Israel and Hezbollah in 2006.