Joe Biden sends advisors to the Middle East for more talks. US officials hope for a humanitarian pause before Ramadan. Netanyahu against hostage deal “at any price.”
Four months of war in the Middle East: almost 30,000 people have died so far Photo: Ariel Schalit/ap/dpa
US officials hope for ceasefire before Ramadan
Meanwhile, U.S. officials are optimistic about a humanitarian pause in the Gaza war before the holy month of Ramadan. There are “high hopes” for an early deal on the release of hostages held by Hamas in exchange for a pause in fighting, two US Democratic senators told Reuters after talks with Israeli leaders in Jerusalem and King Abdullah of Jordan.
Arab countries, led by Jordan, have expressed concern that Israel's sustained offensive against Hamas during the holy month of Ramadan could further inflame tensions in the war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously said that Israel was not willing to pay any price for the release of the hostages. The way to free the hostages is to increase military pressure on the Gaza Strip and defeat Hamas. (rtr)
Biden sends Middle East advisers to talks on Rafah, hostage release
US President Joe Biden's Middle East adviser will travel to the region for consultations this week, according to the White House. Brett McGurk will visit Egypt on Wednesday and Israel on Thursday, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday. McGurk will hold talks “to see if we can still close this hostage deal.”
In an effort to achieve a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages from Hamas control, a new round of negotiations began last week in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. So far, talks mediated by the United States, Egypt and Qatar have yielded no results.
Additionally, the adviser will reiterate Biden's concerns about a planned Israeli offensive on the southern Gaza city of Rafah without adequate protection for civilians, Kirby continued. Around 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge in the city, many of whom are staying there in makeshift tents. “Under current conditions, without adequate consideration of refugee safety, we continue to believe that an operation in Rafah would be a disaster,” Kirby said.
The spokesman also defended Tuesday's U.S. veto in the U.N. Security Council of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territory. “I think most people would like to see these hostages home with their families,” Kirby said. “And if we just voted for this resolution, the chances of that happening would be greatly reduced.” (afp)
Netanyahu and Smotrich against the hostage agreement “at any price”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich are against a hostage deal at any price. When asked about the 134 hostages still in Gaza, Smotrich told Kan Radio that their return was “very important” but that they could not be freed “at any price.” The way to free them is to increase military pressure on the Gaza Strip and defeat the radical Islamic group Hamas. Shortly after the radio interview, Netanyahu's office issued a statement reiterating Smotrich's position.
“There is a lot of pressure on Israel inside and outside the country to end the war before we achieve all our objectives, including an agreement to release the hostages at any cost,” Netanyahu said. “We are not willing to pay any price, especially the delusional price that Hamas asks us to pay, which would mean the defeat of the State of Israel. (rtr)
The United States and its allies shoot down drones over the Red Sea
The United States and its allies have once again shot down several drones over the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. US Central Command (Centcom) said US and allied air forces and warships shot down ten drones off the coast of Yemen between Monday and Tuesday afternoon.
On Tuesday, a US destroyer neutralized an anti-ship missile that was fired in its direction. The US military also destroyed a drone and a rocket launcher in Yemen on Monday, according to the Centcom statement.
The French Navy destroyed two drones over the Red Sea. The two French frigates stationed there detected “several drone attacks from Yemen” on Tuesday night and then shot down two drones, the Defense Ministry in Paris reported. “These actions contribute to maritime security from the Suez Canal to the Strait of Hormuz.”
France has deployed two frigates in the region: the “Languedoc” and the “Alsace”. According to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in December Languedoc had already shot down two drones over the Red Sea in self-defense.
But Western allies cannot defend themselves against all attacks. On Monday, two anti-ship missiles hit the Greek-flagged cargo ship M/V Sea Champion, owned by an American company, causing minor damage. A drone also hit the cargo ship “M/V Navis Fortuna”, also American-owned and sailing under the flag of the Marshall Islands.
The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen has been regularly attacking ships in the Red Sea since the war between Israel and the radical Palestinian Islamic organization Hamas began in October. The Houthis see themselves as part of the self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance” directed against Israel, which includes Hamas and the Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Since December, warships from an international coalition led by the United States have been trying to secure the route along the Yemeni coast, which is important for global trade. On Monday, EU foreign ministers also decided on a naval deployment to protect the important trade route. (afp)
UN Security Council: US vetoes Gaza ceasefire resolution
The United States has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The text presented by Algeria received 13 votes in favor, one against and one abstention from Great Britain on Tuesday in New York. The text called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” that “must be respected by all parties.” It also included the release of all hostages, but did not condemn the unprecedented attack by Islamist Hamas against Israel on October 7.
“We cannot support a resolution that would jeopardize the delicate negotiations,” said Washington's ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield. Instead, she advocated for an alternative resolution drafted by the United States. Among other things, she advocates for a “temporary ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip “as soon as feasible.”
The vote came as Israel prepares to launch an operation in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah in its fight against Hamas. In Rafah, on the border with Egypt, around 1.4 million Palestinians have sought refuge from the fighting. For this reason, several countries, including the United States, Israel's closest ally, are calling for the offensive to be abandoned.
The war between Israel and Hamas was triggered by the Palestinian Islamist organization's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7. Fighters from Hamas, classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the US, invaded Israel at the time and committed atrocities there, mainly against civilians. According to Israeli information, about 1,160 people were killed and about 250 were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
In response to the Hamas attack, Israel has stated that its goal is to destroy Hamas. According to the latest Hamas figures, which cannot be independently verified, more than 29,100 people were killed in the massive military operation in the Gaza Strip. (afp)