The United States on Thursday sent its top military commander in the Middle East to Israel, after President Biden declared that despite recent friction, American support for Israel “is unequivocal.” ” in case of attack by Iran.
Iran's leader has repeatedly vowed to punish Israel for its crimes April 1st strike in Syria killed several high-ranking Iranian commanders. Israel has put its military on alert and Biden said Wednesday that Iran was threatening a “significant” attack.
According to the officials speaking above, General Michael E. Kurilla, the American commander, will coordinate with Israel on what is widely expected to be imminent retaliation by Iran, as well as discuss the war against Hamas in Gaza and humanitarian aid operations there. condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel acknowledged on Thursday that Israel is facing “challenging times,” noting that “amid the war in Gaza,” his country “has also been preparing for scenarios related to challenges in other areas”.
“We have determined a simple rule: Whoever harms us, we will harm them,” he said. Visit the air force baseuses language that in recent days has been used to refer to the word threat Iran and its proxiesincluding Hamas.
Active fighting in Gaza has been drops to the lowest point since November. Israeli withdrawal from southern Gaza over the weekend, but said the army would remain in other parts of the territory to preserve “freedom of action and the ability to conduct operations based on accurate intelligence.” .
Netanyahu said a date had been set for a ground assault on Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than a million displaced Palestinians have sought shelter – an operation that US officials have warned would be fatal. disaster for civilians. Some analysts said his threat was boastful or trying to gain leverage in ceasefire negotiations.
The Biden administration has called on Netanyahu to shelve invasion plans and focus on “Alternative approaches target key elements of Hamas.”
President Biden has increasingly criticized Netanyahu's conduct of the war in Gaza, even making threats conditions for US support about Israel doing more to protect civilians. But he emphasized Wednesday that American support for Israel in the face of danger from Iran and its allied militias, such as Hezbollah, is unconditional.
“As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel's security in the face of threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad,” he said. said at a press conference.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken also “made clear that the United States will stand with Israel against any threat from Iran and its proxies” when he spoke by phone Wednesday with Israel's Defense Minister , Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
In Israel, General Kurilla conducted an assessment of the situation and reviewed “regional security challenges” with the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the Israeli army's chief spokesman, said.
“We are extremely vigilant and ready to face many different situations,” Admiral Hagari said in a televised news conference, adding that any attack from Iranian territory would is a clear escalation in the area.
As Iran and Israel have trade new threats In recent days, diplomats have tried to ease tensions and prevent a wider regional war.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke with her Iranian counterpart “about the tense situation” in the Middle East on Thursday, according to her office.
“Avoiding further escalation in the region must be in everyone's interest,” her office said in a statement. “We call on all parties in the region to act responsibly and with utmost restraint.”
The diplomatic efforts came as the Israeli military announced on Thursday that it had carried out a new operation that killed at least one member of Hamas in Gaza.
The Israeli military said on Thursday that its forces carried out a “precision, intelligence-based operation” in central Gaza overnight with warplanes and ground forces to “eliminate the terrorist activities and attacks on terrorist infrastructure”.
“Of course, the goal of this operation is to destroy the ability of Hamas to restore itself in the region,” Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a spokesman for the Israeli military, said in a briefing on Thursday night. Year. “We continue to fight in Gaza and are preparing for future operations.”
On Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza killed three sons of Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of Hamas's political wing in exile. Hamas-affiliated media reported that three of Mr. Haniyeh's grandchildren were also killed in the attack.
The Israeli military said the three sons – Amir, Mohammad and Hazem – were all active in Hamas military operations, with Amir as a cell commander and his brothers as lower-ranking operatives. The Israeli military said one of the brothers was also involved in taking hostages in Gaza, without specifying who. The military provided no further details and its statement could not be verified.
The military's emphasis on the accuracy of the attack announced on Thursday follows accusations that Israel's bombing was indiscriminate, caused avoidable civilian casualties, and in the context of There is growing criticism of the impending famine in Gaza.
It also comes as international negotiators work to broker a ceasefire in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the enclave, in exchange for the release of Palestinians held in the enclave. Israeli prison. Those talks have stalled over disagreements over details, with a senior Hamas official saying Wednesday that the group There are no 40 hostages left alive who meet the criteria for exchange under the proposal under discussion.
While Mr. Haniyeh is one of Hamas's most senior officials, analysts say his sons may not be as involved in the group's activities as the Israeli military has suggested.
“His son's name is often not mentioned when you talk about seniority in Hamas, even though it is the political wing,” said Tahani Mustafa, a senior analyst at International Crisis Group, a think tank. or military”.
Bilal Saab, an associate in the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, said the attack on the sons may have been aimed at placating a domestic audience in Israel or giving the Israelis leverage in negotiations.
“It was more of a political victory for Israel than anything else,” Mr. Saab said of the killing.
Mr. Haniyeh said Wednesday that Israel “is delusional if it thinks that by killing my children we will change our position” in the negotiations.
