Amid growing concerns about the Gaza war spreading to the wider region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel for a visit. Meetings in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, including with his new Israeli colleague Israel Katz, will likely focus on how the conflict can be prevented from spreading to neighboring states – especially Lebanon. In Lebanon, a key commander of the Shiite militia Hezbollah, Wissam al-Tauil, was killed in a suspected Israeli drone strike on Monday.
The question of what could happen next in the Gaza Strip after the end of the war is also likely to be discussed in Tel Aviv. “We want to work together and coordinate our efforts to help Gaza stabilize and recover, chart a political path for the Palestinians and work toward long-term peace, security and stability,” Blinken said earlier, according to a report in The Times of Israel Saudi Arabia. There, Blinken held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday evening as part of his Middle East mediation trip.
The Gaza war was triggered by the horrific terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas and other extremist Palestinian groups on October 7th. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, 23,084 people have been killed in Gaza since then.
Israel: Hamas rocket expert killed in Syria
The Israeli army said it killed a rocket expert from the Islamist Hamas in Syria on Monday. The army said Hassan Hakascha was responsible for rocket fire into Israel from Syria in recent weeks. He directed Hamas terrorist cells that fired rockets into Israeli territory from the neighboring country to the north.
Hakasha was killed in the town of Beit Jinn, southwest of Damascus, near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel will not tolerate terrorism from Syrian territory and will hold Syria responsible for all activities originating from its territory, the army further stressed. Israel normally does not comment on attacks on opponents abroad.
Habeck visits Oman, Baerbock in Egypt
During a trip to several countries in the Middle East, Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) also wants to support the dialogue process in the region in view of the Gaza war. “There must be peace again. The Palestinian population needs a clear perspective towards a two-state solution,” said Habeck before departing for Oman. “Israel needs protection and has the right to defend itself. But above all, the killing must stop now,” he demanded.
After Oman, Habeck also wants to visit Saudi Arabia, Israel and the West Bank. The trip is scheduled to end on Thursday. In Israel, Habeck reportedly wants to hold talks with government representatives in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In Ramallah in the West Bank he is scheduled to meet Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtaje and local business representatives. Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is also continuing her trip to the region. This Tuesday she is in Egypt.
Health Authority: Three Palestinians Killed
Israeli soldiers killed three young men during an operation in the area of the town of Tulkarm in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Authority. The victims, aged 22, 23 and 24, were sitting in a car when the soldiers opened fire. The victims were members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party, the Palestinian organization said. It was not said whether they also belonged to Fatah’s armed group, the Al-Aqsa Brigades. When asked, the Israeli army said it was examining the reports, but initially did not provide any further information.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war, 326 people have died in Israeli military operations in the West Bank.
UN demands accountability for crimes against Israelis
United Nations experts called on Monday for the perpetrators of brutal killings, kidnappings and sex crimes against Israelis on October 7, 2023 to be held legally accountable. “The growing body of evidence supporting reports of sexual violence is particularly distressing,” said UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Jill Edwards and Morris Tidball-Binz, UN Special Rapporteur on Arbitrary Executions. They pointed to alleged gang rapes as well as mutilations and gunshot wounds to the genital area. These are not only sexual torture and war crimes, but possibly also crimes against humanity.
“Ceasefire now”: Biden interrupted by protesters
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden was interrupted during a campaign speech in the state of South Carolina by demonstrators demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. He understands their passion, Biden said on Monday in a church in the city of Charleston. He is working “quietly” with the Israeli government and wants to ensure that Israel significantly reduces its military presence in the Gaza Strip. Previously, around a handful of demonstrators had shouted: “Ceasefire, now”. They were eventually escorted out of the church.
What will be important on Tuesday
While US Secretary of State Blinken is holding talks in Israel as part of his Middle East mediation trip, Federal Economics Minister Habeck is visiting the Gulf state of Oman for talks on economic relations. His Green Party colleague Foreign Minister Baerbock is continuing her Middle East visit to Egypt.
