Israel is finding it difficult to take its foot off the accelerator in the Gaza war despite pressure from the United States, which through its Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, considers the daily death toll in the strip “too high.” In total there are more than 23,000; more than a hundred in the last 24 hours. Again. But the relatives of the hostages still in the hands of Hamas continue with their mobilizations, which are daily and massive, yesterday with thousands of people in Jerusalem at the Wailing Wall. They drive changes. And something moves, or at least the words and gestures change.
Last night, the Israeli war cabinet met to discuss a new ceasefire proposal pushed by Qatar. According to the local press, it would be based on the agreement to deport the Hamas leaders from the strip, release all the hostages and begin the effective departure of the Hebrew army from the Palestinian enclave. An Israeli delegation is at the same time in Egypt discussing a possible agreement on those same hostages.
The absolute silence that political leaders maintain in public indicates that there is something, or at least something is being attempted. Also because regional pressure for a new truce increases. Egyptian President Abdul Fatah al-Sisi said yesterday that providing more aid to Palestinians in Gaza requires a “decisive stance” from the international community to push for a ceasefire. He said this after meeting King Abdullah of Jordan in Aqaba. And both after meeting with the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmud Abbas. Arab leaders also unanimously rejected “any Israeli plan” to separate Gaza from the West Bank. Before, Abbas urged Blinken face to face in Ramallah to take “tangible steps” in creating the Palestinian state.
It’s all suspicions, and many respond to the words of the most extreme members of Beniamin Netanyahu’s government. But there is unanimity in calling for changes in Gaza, pacts and solutions. Even Saudi Arabia is open to resuming the normalization of its relations with Israel if there is progress.
On the other side of the scale are the Houthi rebels, who do not give up in their attempt to condition the Red Sea. Yesterday they launched 21 drones and three missiles against a “United States” vessel, according to its leader. They were neutralized by the US and British Navy without causing damage or injuries. It was, however, its largest attack since the start of hostilities in support of Hamas in Gaza in November. And the Houthis say they will continue to target the strait through which 15% of the world’s maritime traffic passes until the war is ended. Many shipping companies are already rerouting their routes around the African continent and tripling their costs.
In Israel, in the Middle East, every movement always has a regional edge, and the many actors involved in any solution to the war know each other. Blinken added in Bahrain that “Iranian” support for the Houthis must end.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza, meanwhile, is not breathing, and the World Health Organization yesterday denounced the cancellation of six humanitarian missions in the strip due to the “lack of access.” “We have the supplies, equipment and plans in place, but our requests were rejected and we were not provided with a guarantee of safe passage,” he criticized. The Red Crescent, for its part, reported that four of its members died in the last 24 hours due to an Israeli attack on one of its ambulances near Deir al Balah, in the center of the enclave. Here and in the south is where the offensive advances.
Unless there is a surprise, this Sunday will mark one hundred days of the conflict in Gaza.
