Civilians caught between the fronts – renewed attacks in Gaza

Israel’s defense minister warns Iran and its allies against a violent counterattack. Can a new round of negotiations on a ceasefire in the Gaza war bring a breakthrough?

Israel continues to prepare for a retaliatory strike by Iran and its allies following the killing of a Hamas leader. Israeli Defense Minister Joav Galant warned Tehran and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia of a strong counterattack. “Anyone who harms us in a way that has not been done in the past will probably be hit in a way that has not been done in the past,” Galant said.

“I hope they think this through and do not get to the point where they force us to inflict significant damage and increase the likelihood of war breaking out on other fronts,” the Israeli defense minister continued. “We do not want that, but we must be prepared.”

After the killing of a Hezbollah military commander in Lebanon and a leader of the organization’s Islamist ally Hamas in Tehran, Iran and Hezbollah announced massive retaliation. Hamas’ foreign affairs chief, Ismail Haniya, was killed in an explosion in an Iranian government guesthouse at the end of July. Iran blames Israel. The country has not yet commented on the matter. Israel, in turn, claimed responsibility for the targeted killing of the Hezbollah military commander.

The US military is continuing to increase its presence in the Middle East. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of the nuclear-powered submarine “USS Georgia,” and the aircraft carrier “USS Abraham Lincoln” and its escort ships are to speed up their transit to the region, the Pentagon said. The aircraft carrier with its F-35 fighter jets is in addition to the “USS Theodore Roosevelt” aircraft carrier group already in the region.

In a conversation with his Israeli counterpart Galant, Secretary Austin reiterated the United States’ commitment to “take every possible step to defend Israel” in light of “escalating regional tensions,” the Pentagon said.

The US military’s 300-meter-long aircraft carriers, which are also powered by nuclear reactors, are each equipped with dozens of combat aircraft, and their fleets also include destroyers and other warships. The 110-meter-long submarine “USS Georgia” can be equipped with up to 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles, according to a US military website.

While Iran and its allies have not yet carried out their major counterattack against Israel, the attacks between Israel’s army and the Hezbollah militia continue. The Israeli military said that around 30 projectiles were fired from Lebanon in the night of Monday towards the town of Kabri near the coastal city of Nahariya. There were no injuries. Some of the projectiles hit open ground. According to local media, Hezbollah said the attack with Katyusha rockets was aimed at a military base.

On Thursday, there will be a round of negotiations for the first time in a long time to achieve a ceasefire in the ten-month Gaza war and the release of the hostages still held by Hamas.

Both Israeli delegates and representatives of Hamas have been invited to the indirect talks. The next round is to take place in Cairo or Doha. It is still unclear whether a team from the Islamist organization will take part. In a statement, the group had previously called on the mediators to draw up a plan to implement the existing proposal for a ceasefire agreement, “instead of going to further rounds of negotiations” or submitting further drafts.

The US, Egypt and Qatar are mediating in the indirect talks, which have been slow for months. Since May, they have been revolving around a multi-stage plan by US President Joe Biden, which ultimately envisages a permanent ceasefire. In addition, the hostages held by Hamas are to be exchanged for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

With the aim of regional de-escalation, the time has now come to finalize the agreement on the release of the hostages and a ceasefire, said Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) in a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a government spokesman in Berlin.

According to Israeli estimates, Hamas is still holding 115 hostages in the Gaza Strip, many of whom are already dead. The family of a young female soldier has received a sign of life from the woman, the Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” reported. “She and her friends, all four of them, are alive,” the mother of the kidnapped woman was quoted as saying. The family does not know the soldier’s condition or where exactly she is being held.