Netanyahu wants to ‘pull the Americans in directly’ in case of regional conflict
Israel wants to claw back some of the deterrents that it has lost and recalibrate the shift in the balance of power in the region back towards itself, according to Daniel Levy, president of the US/Middle East Project.
“If it can do that without full-blown war, that would be the preference because for Netanyahu, the dangers of full-blown war are significant, including that they can turn to a real push to de-escalate and lead to a ceasefire while Netanyahu wants an open-ended war, especially in Gaza,” he told Al Jazeera.
According to Levy, if there is a major escalation, then the key for the Israeli prime minister would be “to pull the Americans in directly”.
Levy said the Iran-led “axis of resistance” is trying not to “fall into this trap” while maintaining its credibility by using “relatively calibrated responses”. He said this was evident in Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah’s emphasis that the group is targeting military installations even as Israel kills civilians in Lebanon and Gaza.
“This further sends the message to the rest of the region that it is Israel that is ready to destroy everything,” he said, adding that the axis is allowing Israel – as the superior military power – to make the mistakes and also suffer an economic downturn.
Iran supports any Gaza deal approved by Hamas: Araghchi
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has received Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, in Tehran, where the two leaders discussed the Gaza ceasefire talks.
Iran welcomed Qatar’s efforts to establish a ceasefire and “will support any agreement that our friends in the Palestinian resistance and Hamas approve”, Araghchi said, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
The Qatari prime minister reportedly delivered a report of the latest developments and efforts towards achieving a deal and ensuring regional stability. He is scheduled to meet with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian soon.
Iran’s Pezeshkian says world must unite to stop Gaza ‘genocide’
In a meeting with Qatar’s prime minister in Tehran, Iran’s president has said that human rights and international laws are being violated in the Gaza Strip every hour.
Masoud Pezeshkian said countries that claim to defend human rights “are not only staying silent against these crimes but also support the perpetrator of these crimes and genocide”, according to his website.
He expressed hope that “all Islamic countries and all other countries who are committed to international laws and frameworks will stand together and are able to take united action to force the backers of the Zionist regime to contain its crimes and genocide in Gaza”.
White House says continuing progress in Gaza talks
The United States says Gaza ceasefire talks in Cairo made progress and were expected to continue at a working level for several days despite an exchange of attacks between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
“There continues to be progress, and our team on the ground continues to describe the talks as constructive,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. The exchange of fire between Israel and Hezbollah over the weekend has not had an impact on the talks in Cairo, he added.
Central issues in talks mediated by the US, Egypt and Qatar include an Israeli presence in the Philadelphi Corridor, a narrow 14.5km-long (9-mile) stretch of land along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt.
Last week in Cairo, Hamas’s delegation demanded that Israel be bound by what was agreed upon on July 2, in accordance with a plan laid out by US President Joe Biden and a UN Security Council resolution.
Hamas has stressed the need for any agreement to include a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
What is the progress the US keeps alluding to. Nobody seems to know.
