Israel has intensified its offensive in the Gaza Strip ahead of the upcoming ceasefire talks, carrying out attacks with warships and artillery, the British newspaper "Guardian" wrote today, pointing out that this is one of the deadliest and most intense bombings in the devastated Palestinian enclave in months.
However, the newspaper specifies that despite the new wave of violence in Gaza, hopes for a ceasefire have grown after US President Donald Trump's statement on Tuesday that Israel has accepted the terms of a potential deal with the Palestinian Islamist movement "Hamas". According to "Guardian" The deal will include a 60-day pause in hostilities, a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the release of some hostages still being held by Hamas.
Analysts told the newspaper that Israel's success in a brief war with Iran last month has strengthened the political position of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is now less dependent on the support of far-right coalition partners who oppose any deal with Hamas. C. "Guardian" cites polls showing that the Israeli public wants the war to end and the remaining hostages to return home.
Another British newspaper, "The Telegraph", wrote that Israeli warplanes participating in missions against Iran have dropped unused bombs and missiles over the Gaza Strip before landing. According to the publication, this means that Israel has largely managed to maintain the intensity of its air strikes in Gaza, although the main focus of the IDF has shifted to Iran. Optimism has emerged in Israel and the Palestinian territories that a ceasefire agreement and the release of the hostages could be announced within days, the "Telegraph" notes.
The publication specifies that although the details are not clear, it is possible that the White House has put pressure on Israel to offer a more solid commitment to discussing an end to the war this time. If this happens, formal negotiations, which will likely be led by Qatar or Egypt, could take at least a week, the newspaper explains.
The American newspaper "Washington Post" points out that Trump's decision to bomb Iran has exposed cracks among his supporters. Now the US president is pushing for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but it is unclear whether Israel is ready to commit to peace, the publication writes.
According to "Washington Post", in theory, Netanyahu has more leverage to agree to a peace agreement despite the objections of far-right members of his cabinet. Netanyahu's popularity has risen after the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which polls show have the support of 82% of Israeli Jews, the newspaper said.
The newspaper quoted Hesham Youssef, a former Egyptian diplomat, as saying that Hamas may feel it has "no choice" but to agree to the deal with the US.
"The Arab world is weak and does not support Hamas, so the movement cannot afford to strive for anything better, and the suffering of civilians has become unbearable. And of course, because the movement has become much, much weaker," Youssef told the newspaper. "Washington Post".
"From a political perspective, Netanyahu will have no better opportunity than the one he got after the success over Iran, which will fade with time", said Israel Ziv, a former head of the Israeli army's operational unit.
Another American newspaper, "The New York Times", focuses on another topic related to the situation in the Middle East.
While the United States insists on a ceasefire between Israel and "Hamas", the movement's decision will largely depend on its new military leader in the Gaza Strip. According to three Israeli defense officials, Commander Izz ad-Din Haddad took over its military wing in the Palestinian enclave after Israeli forces killed Mohammed Sinwar.
According to the "New York Times" he is firmly opposed to Israeli efforts to remove "Hamas" from power, suggesting that he could block any attempt to free all remaining hostages before the final end of the Gaza war and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
"He is drawing the same red lines as those before him," said Michael Milstein, a former Israeli military intelligence officer who specializes in Palestinian affairs.
The European edition of the magazine "Politico" draws attention to the fact that former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell accused the European Commission and the EU Council of failing to take action in relation to "crimes committed by American mercenaries in the Gaza Strip". On the other hand, the current High Representative of the bloc for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaia Kallas initially adopted a more pragmatic approach to the region after taking over from her predecessor Borrell, who is an outspoken critic of Israel, "Politico" commented.
However, since Israel began blocking humanitarian aid to the civilian population in the Gaza Strip, Kallas has strengthened her position, and the EU recently stated that Israel is guilty of human rights violations and plans to review its association agreement with that country.