- Blinken discusses Gaza post-conflict strategy in Middle East
- Heavy fighting near al-Shifa hospital; Israeli airstrikes continue
- U.S. aims for Palestinian Authority control, seeks lasting peace
The United States secretary of state has embarked on a mission in the Middle East to deliberate on a post-conflict strategy for the administration and protection of Gaza.
What the United States refers to as “an architecture for lasting peace” will be the focus of Antony Blinken’s discussions with Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia and Egypt (first).
According to eyewitness accounts, Israeli forces intensified their operation in the vicinity of the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, executing several airstrikes.
The Israeli military previously reported that it had eliminated ninety militants in the region since Monday.
Concurrently, indirect deliberations between Israel and Hamas regarding the release of hostages and a cessation of hostilities are ongoing in Qatar. However, little suggests that a resolution is imminent.
Wednesday afternoon, on his sixth visit to the region since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict, Mr. Blinken arrived in Jeddah for a meeting with the Saudi leadership.
Officials awaited him as he descended from the aircraft just before sunset; Mazin al-Himali, a representative of the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, cordially received Mr. Blinken.
Wednesday evening, he is scheduled to meet with Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, at the royal palace.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated that the parties would increase aid deliveries to Gaza and discuss efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement, in addition to issuing additional dire warnings about the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
This week, a food security assessment endorsed by the United Nations reported that 1.1 million Gaza residents were facing catastrophic hunger and starvation and that a famine caused by humans in the region’s north was imminent by May.
Mr. Miller further stated that the agenda would encompass coordination regarding post-conflict preparations for Gaza, which would entail establishing a framework for enduring peace and security in the region and guaranteeing the Palestinian people a political trajectory with security guarantees from Israel while also ensuring that Hamas is unable to govern or replicate the October 7 attacks.
Mr. Blinken will depart for Cairo on Thursday to confer with Egyptian leaders.
The United States is currently engaged in efforts to finalize a significant agreement that would reinstate the Palestinian Authority (PA), which is recognized internationally, to Gaza for the first time since Hamas expelled it seventeen years ago.
Although no agreement has been reached as of yet, rumours have it that Arab nations could provide support on the ground, and all parties, including Israel, would be obligated to pursue a two-state solution — the long-established international formula for peace.
Saudi Arabia, the principal Arab sponsor, proposed that Israel and the United States normalize relations in exchange for access to advanced US weapons and a civilian nuclear power programme supported by the United States.
However, US officials concede that even if such a multifaceted plan could be agreed upon, its implementation will probably not be possible for some time.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, meanwhile, has rejected the notion of PA control over Gaza on multiple occasions. This matter will probably serve as an additional source of contention in an already tense rapport with President Biden.
Some individuals with knowledge of the strategy acknowledge that it appears audacious in light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis, the failure to reach a ceasefire agreement, and the fractured trust between Israel and Palestine. Nonetheless, the United States administration endeavours to seize the opportunity.
Friday, Mr. Blinken will be in Israel for his current journey. As per Mr. Miller’s statement, he intends to engage in dialogue with Israeli leaders regarding the captive negotiations and the imperative to safeguard the civilian populace while guaranteeing Hamas’ defeat, including in Rafah.
A “mistake” has been ascribed to Israel by President Joe Biden in regards to initiating an offensive in the southern city of Rafah, which is currently providing shelter to over a million displaced civilians.
Mr. Netanyahu, on the other hand, stated on Tuesday that Israel was “certain to finish eliminating [the Hamas] battalions in Rafah, and this can only be accomplished through a ground incursion.”
Gaza has lost over 31,900 lives since the outbreak of hostilities, according to the health ministry of Hamas, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians.
Israeli tallymasters estimate that approximately 1,200 people were slain and 253 others were taken hostage on October 7 during Hamas’ attacks on southern Israel, which marked the beginning of the conflict.
Heavy fighting persisted for a third day on the ground in Gaza on Wednesday, encircling al-Shifa hospital as the Israeli military operation there continued.Tanks previously stationed around the hospital complex have been relocated eastwards along al-Wahda Street.
Additionally, a substantial surge in the frequency of aerial bombardments was documented in Gaza City and other northern regions.
“From around al-Shifa hospital, the ceaseless sounds of explosions can be heard,” said Osama Tawfiq, who resides 700 metres (2,300 feet) from the complex. “Since Monday morning, we feel like as if the war has just begun.”
As per the testimonies of the witnesses, the residences of Hamas members who had been designated to function as “emergency committees” instead of the armed organization’s police force were the targets of the assaults.
Amjad Hathat, along with eleven other emergency committee members, was reportedly slain Tuesday evening at the Kuwait roundabout in Gaza City while ensuring the distribution of humanitarian aid.
Mr Tawfiq stated that the situation in his region had deteriorated since the withdrawal of Israeli forces in mid-January, following a period of relative calm.
We are confronted not only with bombings but also with an imminent supply crisis.
During the previous Ramadan, fasting was permitted with sustenance. However, at present, it is difficult to locate anything other than water that tastes and smells like seawater, sewerage, and mediocre bread. My children are afflicted with malnutrition.
According to a food security assessment endorsed by the United Nations, 1.1 million Gaza residents are facing catastrophic hunger and starvation, and a famine that is artificial and is expected to occur in the northern portion of the territory by May is imminent.
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The Israeli military announced on Wednesday morning that its forces had questioned 300 suspects and slain approximately 90 gunmen during what it termed the “precise operation” in and around al-Shifa.
The military initially conducted an assault on the hospital in November, alleging that it served as a “command and control centre” for Hamas. Hamas and hospital officials refuted this accusation.
The military stated that “senior Hamas terrorists have regrouped inside… and are using it to command attacks against Israel”; thus, the most recent operation was initiated on Monday.
Hamas acknowledged the death on Monday of a senior commander of its internal security force in the region but stated that he was coordinating the delivery of humanitarian assistance. It was stated that patients and displaced civilians seeking refuge there comprised the remaining fatalities.
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