It is difficult for Israel to lift its foot on the accelerator in the Gaza war, despite pressure from the United States, which, according to the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, considers the daily death toll in the Gaza Strip to be “too high”. strip 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 their daily, massive mobilizations, yesterday with thousands of people in Jerusalem at the Wailing Wall. They drive change. And something moves, or at least 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 leaders of Hamas from the strip, release all the hostages and start the effective exit of the Hebrew army from the Palestinian enclave. An Israeli delegation is at the same time in Egypt discussing a possible deal regarding these same hostages.
The absolute silence that political leaders maintain in public indicates that something is up, or at least something is being attempted. Also because the regional pressure for a new truce is increasing. Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sissi said yesterday that providing more aid to the Palestinians in Gaza requires a “decisive stance” by 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, moreover, rejected in unison “any Israeli plan” to separate Gaza from the West Bank. Earlier Abbas hastened face to face in Ramallah Blinken to take “tangible steps” to create the Palestinian State.
All are suspicions, and many respond to the words of the most extremist members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s Government. But there is unanimity in calling for changes in Gaza, pacts and exits. Even Saudi Arabia is open to resuming the normalization of relations with Israel if there is progress.
On the other side of the scale are the Houthi rebels, who are not giving up in their attempt to condition the Red Sea. Yesterday they launched 21 drones and 3 missiles against a vessel “from the United States”, as claimed by their leader. They were neutralized by the United States and British Navy without causing damage or injury. It was, however, the 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 ends. Many of the shipping companies are already rerouting the routes around the African continent and tripling the costs. In Israel, in the Middle East, any movement always has a regional tip, and the many actors involved in any solution to the war know many of them. Blinken added to Bahrain that is why “Iranian” support for the Houthis must stop.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza, meanwhile, is not breathing, and the World Health Organization denounced this Wednesday the cancellation of six humanitarian missions in the strip due to “lack of access”. “We have the supplies, the equipment and the plans established, but our requests were rejected and we were not provided with a guarantee of safe passage,” he criticized. The Red Crescent denounced, for its part, that four of its members have died in the last 24 hours due to an Israeli attack on one of the ambulances near Deir al-Balah, in the center of the enclave. Here and to the south is where the offensive advances. Barring any surprises, this Sunday will mark one hundred days of the conflict in Gaza.
