After a long period of persuasion to Israel, the USA now wants to provide more aid in Gaza itself. The effect is uncertain – as is the prospect of an imminent ceasefire. The events at a glance.
After the deadly disaster involving an aid convoy, the USA wants to supply the civilian population in the embattled Gaza Strip with aid supplies from the air. US President Joe Biden announced on Friday (local time) in the White House that they would join forces with Jordan and others in the coming days and drop more food and aid supplies from the air. However, given the large number of people in need in the sealed-off coastal area, the effect is likely to quickly evaporate, according to UN organizations.
Meanwhile, Israel’s indirect negotiations with Hamas over a temporary ceasefire and the release of hostages held by the Islamists are facing new difficulties, according to media reports. Israel does not want to take part in a new round of talks brokered by Egypt, Qatar and the USA until Hamas presents a list of the hostages still alive, the news portal “Axios” reported on Friday evening.
Biden: Aid for Gaza is far from enough
Biden emphasized that they would insist that Israel provide more trucks and more routes “so that more and more people can get the help they need.” Because the help that is currently reaching the coastal area is not enough. The US government has been denouncing the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza for weeks. The now announced drop of aid from the air is a sign that Biden cannot persuade Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do more for the suffering Palestinians, wrote the portal “Politico”.
White House National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby announced that food would be dropped first. He didn’t name a day for it. Jordan has been dropping aid deliveries from the air since November, as has Egypt for a few days. The flights are coordinated with Israel. The US is also considering trying to deliver aid from the sea, as Kirby explained.
Israel’s military: Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon attacked again
Meanwhile, the Israeli military is not only continuing the fighting against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, but has also said it has once again attacked military installations belonging to the Shiite militia Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The army announced on Friday evening that warplanes and artillery had attacked two Iranian-backed militia facilities in the Ramyah area. “A number of terrorists” left one of the military installations, whereupon they were attacked and killed. The information could not be independently verified. According to a report by the Israeli news site Ynet, Hezbollah once again claimed responsibility for firing rockets into Israeli territory again.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war after the massacre by Hamas and other extremist groups in Israel on October 7th, there have been repeated confrontations between Israel’s army and the Hezbollah militia in the Israeli-Lebanese border region. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant announced a few days ago that he would continue to increase military pressure on the militia in response to their daily attacks on Israel’s northern border until Hezbollah had completely withdrawn from the border with Israel. Hezbollah is allied with Hamas in Gaza, but is considered significantly more powerful.
Prospect of ceasefire in Gaza war uncertain
Meanwhile, the White House made it clear that it would continue to work on an agreement on a ceasefire in the Gaza war. But the prospects for this remain uncertain. The Wall Street Journal, citing Egyptian sources, reported that Hamas had frozen its communications with mediators on Thursday because of the deaths of more than 100 Palestinians when aid arrived in northern Gaza. According to “Axios”, Israel does not want to take part in a new round of talks for the time being because Hamas has not yet given an answer to the number of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons proposed by the mediators, which Israel would offer in return for the release of a certain number of hostages freedom would be released. A next round of negotiations should take place in Cairo next week.
According to media reports, according to the proposal from mediators Egypt, Qatar and the USA, a six-week ceasefire should, if possible, come into force before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which begins around March 10th. During this time, 40 Israeli hostages were to be exchanged for around 400 Palestinian prisoners. Hamas still holds 134 hostages that it took to the Gaza Strip along with other extremist groups during an attack on southern Israel on October 7th. According to Israeli estimates, around 100 of them are still alive.
