International
US Seeks to Ease Tensions in Middle East
The United States said it is working to ease tension in the Middle East amid growing concerns over a potential Iranian strike on Israel.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, addressed the Security Council on Tuesday, emphasizing that the US is focused on efforts to “deter and defend against any future attack and avoid regional conflict.”
This comes as fears mount that Iran may retaliate against Israel following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran this past July, an act that Israel has not claimed responsibility for.
President Joe Biden has suggested that brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza might help prevent Iran from launching an attack on Israel.
When asked by a reporter on Tuesday, he stated, “That’s my expectation but we’ll see,” adding, “We’ll see what Iran does and we’ll see what happens if there’s any attack, but I’m not giving up,” during his stop in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ceasefire negotiations are set to resume on Thursday in either Doha or Cairo, but reports from the New York Times and Sky News indicate that Hamas official Ahmad Abdul Hadi has said Hamas will not participate in the talks. In light of these developments, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has delayed his planned trip to the Middle East to focus on efforts to end the conflict in Gaza.
International mediators from the US, Egypt, and Qatar are continuing their efforts to secure a ceasefire agreement that would involve the release of Israeli hostages and the safe return of Palestinian civilians to their homes.
Concurrently, Washington has approved a $20 billion (£15.5 billion) arms sale to Israel, though it will take years for the weapons to be delivered.
During the Security Council meeting, Thomas-Greenfield urged the finalization of a ceasefire agreement. “A broader regional conflict is not inevitable,” she stated.
“The United States’ overall goal remains to turn the temperature down in the region, deter and defend against any future attacks, and avoid regional conflict. That starts with finalizing a deal for an immediate ceasefire with hostage release in Gaza. We need to get this over the finish line.”
Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, criticized the Security Council for failing to do enough to stop Israel’s military actions in Gaza. “Wake up. Stop finding excuses. Stop imagining that you can reason with the Israeli government so it stops killing civilians by the thousands, imposing famine, torturing prisoners, colonising and annexing our land, all while you appeal to them, call on them, demand them to stop,” Mansour declared.
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Israeli ambassador Gilad Erdan, on the other hand, accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields in Gaza.
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza was launched in response to an unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, which left around 1,200 people dead and 251 taken hostage.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, over 39,920 people have died in Gaza since the conflict began.
Additionally, hundreds have been killed in the near-daily clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli forces along the Israel-Lebanon border since the onset of the conflict.
As international efforts to de-escalate the situation continue, Iran on Monday dismissed calls from the UK and other Western nations to avoid retaliating against Israel for Haniyeh’s assassination. While Israel has not admitted involvement in Haniyeh’s killing, it has placed its military on high alert.
The US has also issued warnings of potential “significant attacks” by Iran or its allied forces in the coming days and has bolstered its military presence in the Middle East to support Israel’s defence.
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