The USA has been supporting Israel in its fight against the Islamist Hamas since the beginning of the war, including by supplying weapons. But there are tensions behind the scenes.
Just over three months after the start of the Gaza war, there are signs of increasing frustration on the part of the US with Israel’s conduct of the war. During US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had just “discussed intensively about the transition to low-intensity operations,” US National Security Council Communications Director John Kirby told CBS. It is now time to do this. Meanwhile, Iran demanded that the US work to end the war. Meanwhile, the security situation in Israel continues to deteriorate.
Increasing frustration with Biden
For weeks, Washington has been urging Israel to move from the intensive phase of heavy bombing to more targeted strikes against the Islamist Hamas. The news portal Axios now reported, citing four US officials, that US President Joe Biden is “increasingly frustrated” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rejection of most of the US government’s recent requests on the Gaza war.
According to Biden and his advisors, Israel is not doing enough in terms of humanitarian aid for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip. The Washington Post wrote that the Biden administration – Israel’s closest ally and main arms supplier – appears unable or unwilling to have meaningful influence over how the Israeli military conducts the war.
Guterres worries about escalating war
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed great concern about the Gaza war spreading to the wider region. “I am deeply concerned by what is unfolding,” Guterres said in New York. “It is my duty to deliver this simple and direct message to all sides: Stop playing with fire on the blue line, de-escalate and bring the violence to an end.”
The blue line marks the border between Israel and Lebanon. Since the beginning of the Gaza war, there have been repeated confrontations at the border between the Israeli army and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah. It is allied with Hamas, but is considered significantly more powerful. In addition to an immediate ceasefire, Guterres also reiterated calls for the release of all hostages and an investigation into the sexual violence committed by Hamas and others in the October 7 massacre.
With regard to the Gaza Strip, Guterres called for better conditions for the delivery of humanitarian aid. Too often, supplies are currently hindered primarily by a lack of access.Iran: USA must stop the Gaza war
Iranian Foreign Minister Hussein Amirabdollahian said in Tehran that his country, through Switzerland, had “pointed out and warned the United States of the need to end the war in Gaza.” Switzerland represents US interests in Iran; the two countries have not had diplomatic relations for more than 44 years. Amirabdollahian also warned the US about attacks on targets of the militant Islamist Houthi movement in Yemen.
According to US information: Houthi attack on freighter again
According to US information, the Yemeni Houthis have again attacked a container ship in the Red Sea. The responsible regional command of the US military announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the rebels had fired an anti-ship ballistic missile at the M/V Gibraltar Eagle. It was therefore shot down from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. According to the information, the ship was a US freighter flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. There were no injuries or damage.
In the early afternoon, the US military said it had already registered an attempted attack in the Red Sea. A missile was fired at shipping routes in the southern Red Sea. However, the rocket hit land in Yemen.
The Iran-backed Houthis did not initially comment. A spokesman told the German Press Agency that they would continue to attack ships in the Red Sea that were heading towards Israel or whose countries of origin supported Israel.
Sunak: “We remain prepared”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has justified airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen and threatened new actions if ships in the Red Sea continue to be attacked. “The threat to shipping must stop,” Sunak said in Parliament in London. “Illegally detained ships and crews must be released. And we remain prepared to put our words into action.”
On Friday night, the USA and Great Britain, with the support of allies, carried out a military strike against the Houthis in Yemen – in response to the Houthis’ repeated attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.
Sunak spoke of self-defense. The attacks were limited and no civilian casualties were reported. “I can report to Parliament today that our initial assessment is that all 13 planned targets have been destroyed,” Sunak said.
One dead and injured after attack near Tel Aviv
A woman was killed and more than a dozen people were injured in an attack near the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv. The 70-year-old woman died from her serious injuries, the local hospital said. According to the Magen David Adom emergency service, at least 17 people were injured in Raanana. The Israeli police initially put the number of injured at 13. According to media reports, police commander Avi Bitton spoke of a “very serious terrorist attack”.
According to reports, two suspected Palestinian residents of the city of Hebron were arrested. The two suspects are said to have rammed people in several places with stolen cars. According to paramedics, people with stab wounds were also treated. The Times of Israel, citing a children’s hospital, reported that seven children and young people were among the injured. They are currently receiving medical treatment. A 16-year-old is in serious condition.
Initially, no group claimed responsibility for the attack. The Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip described it as a response to the “ongoing aggression” against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Gaza war was triggered by the terrorist attack by Hamas and other extremist groups on Israel on October 7th. More than 1,200 people were killed and around 250 others were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip. Israel responded to the attack with a closure of the Gaza Strip, massive air strikes and a ground offensive.
According to the Hamas-controlled health authority, more than 24,000 people were killed and more than 60,000 injured. The information could not initially be independently verified. Aid organizations speak of a humanitarian catastrophe for the 2.2 million Palestinians as a result of the war. From their point of view, the Gaza Strip has become uninhabitable due to the great destruction.
West Bank: Two Palestinians killed near Hebron
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, a man and a woman were killed during an Israeli military operation in the West Bank. Another ten people are said to have suffered injuries in the clashes in the town of Dura, near the city of Hebron.
The Israeli army announced that a violent riot broke out in Dura, during which around 100 Palestinians hurled incendiary devices and stone blocks at Israeli soldiers. The army confirmed the death of a Palestinian who was said to have thrown a Molotov cocktail.
The soldiers used both non-lethal weapons and firearms. Several people in the crowd were hit. In this context, we also became aware of the death of a woman, the statement said. The incident is still being investigated.
Families of Israeli hostages hope for negotiations
Meanwhile, relatives of Israeli hostages with German backgrounds urged efforts for their release during a visit to Berlin. “We hope that negotiations will lead to an agreement very soon,” said Efrat Machikawa, whose uncle Gadi Mozes was abducted, at a news conference at the Israeli embassy. She wants to ask Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at an upcoming meeting to thank the Gulf Emirate of Qatar for its mediating role. There are currently no concrete prospects of further releases.
In November, during a ceasefire, 105 hostages were released in return for 240 Palestinian prisoners. Israel estimates that more than 130 people are still being held in the Gaza Strip, although 25 of them are believed to be no longer alive.
Israeli professional soccer player returns from Türkiye after arrest
Meanwhile, Israeli professional soccer player Sagiv Jehezkel is set to return to Israel after his temporary arrest in Turkey. This was announced by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. “Turkey has become a dark dictatorship that works against humanitarian values and the values of sport,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said. Jehezkel was arrested after his public commemoration of the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel in the Turkish Süperlig. The player from the first division club Antalyaspor was accused of sedition, the state news agency Anadolu had previously reported.