Washington.-The agreement for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages is on the verge of collapse and there is no alternative plan that can be proposed in its place, two senior sources in Washington warned the Politico website.
“We don’t know if Sinwar wants the deal,” said one source, referring to the Hamas chief.
As the US pushes for a summit in Cairo on Friday, an Israeli official said: “It is not at all certain that there will be a summit. If there were, there would be nothing to talk about as long as Israel stands firm.”
The truth is that Antony Blinken, Joe Biden’s Secretary of State, had traveled to the region for the ninth time to push for the signing of a truce in Gaza, which allowed the entry of humanitarian aid and the release of hostages.
But Hamas and Israel’s “clarifications” and “additions” to the plan ended up sinking it. Blinken returned to the United States on Wednesday empty-handed.
The United States believes a ceasefire in Gaza would help prevent a regional conflagration, including a possible attack on Israel by Iran and its allies, such as Lebanon’s Hezbollah, in retaliation for the July 31 assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
However, the Iranian response to Haniyeh’s assassination that seemed imminent, escalating the war in Gaza into a much larger, dangerous regional conflict, never happened, and many are wondering why.
Three weeks after the assassination of Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Palestinian Hamas movement, tensions between Iran and the Jewish state appear to be easing somewhat. While Iran had promised severe retaliation, the Iranian regime is now showing signs of reluctance, and the Revolutionary Guards have toned down the Islamic Republic’s stance.
Initial statements by Iranian officials suggested a swift and violent response to the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh. However, the spokesman for the Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s elite army, recently qualified this position, stating that “Iran’s response may take longer” and that “our commanders do not act hastily.”
He also said the nature of the response could differ from previous ones. Last April, Iran responded to an Israeli attack by launching 300 drones and missiles at Israel.
The theocratic regime had suggested that its retaliation would target Israeli government officials.
This stance represents a significant change from the speeches made by Iranian leaders in recent weeks. Since the assassination of the Hamas chief in Tehran on July 31, Iranian authorities have issued a series of threats. Iran blames Israel for the murder, and tensions have soared since then.Clarin.
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2024-08-26 21:16:13
