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Why did Jared Kushner and Witkoff go to Israel?
Two US envoys, businessman Steve Witkoff and (the untrustworthy) Jared Kushner, have arrived in Tel Aviv for a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the center of the discussions: the fate of Hamas fighters trapped in the network of tunnels under the territory of Gaza now occupied by the Israeli army, as well as other issues related to the so-called "ceasefire", which Israel has systematically violated, with 241 Palestinians killed since it came into effect.
While clarification is awaited on the possibility of transferring control of humanitarian aid to Gaza to the United States, the most pressing issue remains that of Hamas militias.
According to Arab sources, Hamas leaders and mediators have proposed a plan to allow trapped fighters to leave unharmed, a proposal aimed at avoiding the collapse of the ceasefire.
The fear is that, desperate and with no way out, the fighters could emerge from the tunnels and clash with Israeli troops, ultimately dashing any hope of calm.
According to a report by Israeli media outlet Walla, “ Washington has promised Hamas safe passage in exchange for the return of the body of a slain Israeli hostage, Lieutenant Hadar Goldin ,” whose remains were handed over yesterday.
In anticipation of new developments and the establishment of an "Arab-Islamic stabilization force" that would guarantee the security of Gaza, a project that, in theory, enjoys the agreement of both sides, Hamas and Israel - Tel Aviv continues its aggressive course: bombings in Lebanon and systematic violence in the West Bank.
Lebanon, between pressure to disarm Hezbollah and Israeli ambitions for waters
The Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, which have caused civilian casualties (whom Israel calls "terrorists", as always), are intended to force the Beirut government to disarm Hezbollah, without withdrawing itself from the strategic areas that the Israeli army controls in southern Lebanon, up to the Litani River, about 20 kilometers from the border.
The last ceasefire agreement between the two countries had foreseen a partial disarmament of Hezbollah in the south of the Litani, but not total disarmament, a demand that Tel Aviv, with American support, is now pushing as a condition for "peace."
Such an action would, in fact, leave Lebanon defenseless in the face of Israeli demands and ambitions for control of the waters and natural resources of the southern area, where offshore gas reserves are also located. It is precisely for these resources that, in 2022, Israel and Hezbollah were on the verge of a new conflict, which was stopped only after a temporary compromise.
This effort to weaken Hezbollah, according to many analysts, is part of Netanyahu's strategy to force Lebanon to join the "Abraham Accords," pacts signed by several Arab countries that normalize relations with Israel and place it in the position of a regional hegemonic power.
Essentially, it is the old project of “Greater Israel,” an old messianic dream that Netanyahu has embraced and uses as a platform for his geopolitical and personal ambitions.
West Bank, violence that is becoming normalized
Meanwhile, the situation in the West Bank remains explosive. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz, in its latest editorial, recalls that since the beginning of the year, over 1,500 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians have been recorded, while describing the last weekend as "again bathed in blood."
“The Israeli army continues to stand by and does not intervene to stop the violence or protect the Palestinians. In many cases, the aggressors are uniformed soldiers themselves, part of the settlement security forces, who use their weapons to attack Palestinian villagers who are simply working their land,” writes Haaretz. / Adapted from “Inside Over”
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