More than three months after the war between Israel and Hamas began in Gaza, American diplomatic chief Antony Blinken called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Tuesday to spare the trapped Palestinian civilians in the small besieged territory.
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During his fourth trip to the Middle East since the war began, Mr. Blinken reiterated to Mr. Netanyahu “(American) support for Israel's right to prevent a repeat of the October 7 attacks and stressed the importance of preventing further harm.” “Civilians and protection of civilian infrastructure in Gaza,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The war between Israel and Hamas was sparked by a bloody Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7 that killed about 1,140 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP count based on Israeli figures.
A new report released Tuesday said a total of 185 soldiers have been killed since the ground offensive began on Oct. 27, including nine on Monday.
The attacks by the Israeli army, which has vowed to destroy Hamas, considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, have left more than 23,210 dead, mostly women and minors, according to a latest Hamas report on Tuesday.
The Israeli army continued its bombings against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, prompting Mr. Blinken to pay another visit to Israel to prevent the conflict from spreading to the region.
An AFP correspondent reported heavy bombing overnight in Khan Younes and Rafah, major cities in the south of the besieged Palestinian territory where thousands of people have taken refuge since the war began on October 7.
The Israeli army, for its part, said its forces had killed around 40 militants in the last 24 hours as part of “expanded ground operations, including air strikes” in Khan Yunis and that its troops had confiscated weapons.
In a speech in Doha on Tuesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh called on Muslim countries to “support” the movement in its war against Israel in the Gaza Strip by providing “weapons.”
Fears of a regional escalation of the conflict between Israel and its other enemies, an informal alliance of Iranian-backed armed groups in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen, continue to grow.
Israeli attacks and exchanges of fire with the Iran-backed Islamist movement Hezbollah occur almost daily. On Monday, Hezbollah announced the death of Wissam Hassan Tawil, one of its “commanders,” in an Israeli attack.
In retaliation, Hezbollah announced on Tuesday that it had used several suicide drones to attack an Israeli army command center in the north of the country. The latter confirmed that “an enemy aircraft had fallen on its base” without causing injuries or damage.
“Very difficult moment”
Two other key Hamas figures have been killed in attacks in recent days: one, Hassan Akasha, on Monday in Syria, and the other, Saleh al-Arouri, who was killed in Lebanon in early January.
On Tuesday morning, a small group of protesters demanding the release of hostages kidnapped in the Oct. 7 attack gathered outside the Kempinski Hotel in Tel Aviv, where Mr. Blinken met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, AFP reported. “Bring her back now,” they shouted.
During his meeting with Mr. Herzog, Mr. Blinken spoke about the “very difficult moment” Israel is going through while saying the country has “real opportunities” for integration with its Arab neighbors.
He said on Monday evening that he had spoken about normalizing relations with Israel during a visit to Saudi Arabia. Normalization negotiations with Israel were suspended a week after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
On Monday, US President Joe Biden said he was “working discreetly with the Israeli government to get them to reduce the presence of their troops in Gaza.”
“Declared policy” of starvation
In Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, visiting his German counterpart, regretted that the Israelis had “made no real effort to prevent the expulsion of the Palestinians.” International organizations are warning of the ongoing health crisis in the area, where 85% of the population has been displaced and humanitarian aid is pouring in.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, the largest Muslim civil rights organization in the United States, joined the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem on Monday in condemning an “open policy” of starvation in Gaza led by Israel.
At the same time, the Israeli army announced a new phase of the war in Gaza. Army spokesman Daniel Hagari told the New York Times there would be fewer troops and fewer airstrikes, adding that troop deployments would be reduced starting in January.
“Although there are still terrorists and weapons in the north, they no longer operate within an organized military framework,” he said during a news conference, adding that troops “operate differently in this area now.” He also recalled that fighting would continue in 2024.
The conflict has also caused violence in the occupied West Bank to reach levels not seen in nearly two decades.
And since the war began, cross-border hostilities have left more than 180 dead in Lebanon, including more than 135 Hezbollah fighters, according to an AFP count. According to the authorities, nine soldiers and five civilians were killed on the Israeli side.