“What President Joe Biden wants to do is to avoid a further escalation to a greater war. That is the effort here,” U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein emphasized during his visit to Beirut, following heightened cross-border hostilities between Israeli forces and Hezbollah militants.
Hochstein was dispatched to Lebanon immediately after a brief trip to Israel, underlining the severity of the situation. The conflict, linked to the Gaza war ignited on October 7, saw Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israeli forces exchanging significant fire. Notably, Hezbollah launched its largest volleys of rockets and drones in eight months after an Israeli strike killed a senior militant commander.
In 2022, Hochstein played a pivotal role in brokering the first-ever Israel-Lebanon maritime boundary accord, showcasing his diplomatic experience in the region. However, Hezbollah has declared that it will continue its attacks on Israel unless a ceasefire is established in the Gaza Strip.
On Tuesday, Hochstein urged Hamas to accept a U.S.-backed truce proposal. He argued that a ceasefire in Gaza, or an alternative diplomatic solution, could de-escalate the conflict along the Lebanon-Israel border, facilitating the return of displaced Lebanese and Israeli civilians.
Despite these efforts, a ceasefire in Gaza seems distant. The Israeli military released footage on Tuesday showing its operations in Rafah, claiming efforts to eliminate remaining Hamas brigades and recover hostages. The conflict erupted when Hamas militants stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 and taking over 250 captives, according to Israeli figures. Israel's subsequent retaliation has resulted in over 37,000 deaths in Gaza, as per Palestinian health ministry statistics.
Earlier this month, Israeli special forces executed a daring rescue operation, freeing four hostages who were subsequently airlifted to Israel. The military released a video of one of the pilots discussing his conversation with the newly freed Shlomi Ziv, highlighting the emotional moments following the rescue.
While this operation brought joy to some, Palestinians in Gaza continue to face dire circumstances. At a hospital in Khan Younis, residents mourned those killed in an Israeli airstrike on a commercial street. Umm Mohammed Daloul, an aunt of one of the deceased, lamented the loss of innocent merchants, emphasizing the lack of safety and the indiscriminate nature of the attacks.
Funerals were held in the Nuseirat refugee camp on Tuesday for 17 individuals killed in airstrikes, further highlighting the human toll of the ongoing conflict.
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