Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington Monday for an important trip, as the assault in the southern Gaza city of Khan Yunis heated up this week.
Netanyahu called the trip ‘very important’, particularly at a time of ‘immense political volatility,’ given Biden not standing for re-election and continued America pushing for a ceasefire with Hamas.
Thus, Netanyahu’s working visit to the United States includes a meeting with President Biden which will take place on Tuesday, and a speech before the US Congress on Wednesday. He is departing Israel under a lot of pressure domestically to chalk out a ceasefire deal and free the hostage situation in Gaza.
Ongoing Conflict in Gaza
The conflict which has already stretched to nine months reviewed its hu and innocent and continued on monday with equal passion as before. Resistance fighters and some families have been forced out from eastern Khan Yunis by the Israeli military and fresh military operations. Eyewitnesses and activists have stated severe shelling in the city with Medics at the Nasser Hospital documenting 26 killed since morning while the health ministry stated it as 14 early in the day.
The Israeli military stated that remaining in the region is unsafe because of ‘serious violence and attacks from Gaza militants and rockets launched at Israel’ and compelled the residents to go to the Al-Mawasi humanitarian zone.
Humanitarian Challenges
This fact referring to the Al-Mawasi, region that already was densely populated due to the prior displacement episodes, failed to cope with the new waves of refugees. Youssef Abu Taimah from Al-Qarara said his family found no space in the zone: The intent of the plan is to safeguard the country’s economy by opening up the zone. “The sidewalks are also packed with people and tents Every day, we are tired and angry Finally, this constant force is getting displaced,” he noted.
Ahmed al-Bayouk, a local resident, expressed his despair: “We had just got down when the army comes, bombs, uproot and destroys. Where are we? Every place is a potential bombing ground. ”
Strained US-Israel Relations
It has been found that the conflict has affected the diplomatic relation between Israel and the United States of America. Israeli Prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has ignored the cease-fire appeals by the United States by launching a massive ground operation in Rafah area in the Gaza strip early this year. This is according to Middle East specialist Steven Cook who said that “the relations which existed between this White House and the Israeli prime minister have never been this bad”.
**Regional Violence with Extremists and Hostage Situation.
Hence the Gaza conflict has also encouraged regional conflict. Israel hit back at Yemen for a drone attack on Tel Aviv by the Huthi rebels and engaged with further aggression against Lebanon’s Hezbollah over the weekend.
The war started after Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 has led to the death of 1,195 people majorly non-combatants. Each of the following categories has been taken hostage by Hamas: 251 numbers of them, out of which 116 belong to Gaza and among which are 42 who are expected to be dead.
The retaliatory strikes by Israel over the years have killed at least 3,980 Palestinians in Gaza that are also majority civilians. While Washington calls for a ceasefire Netanyahu continues to ramp up pressure on Hamas through the military, but he assumes that this will produce a fresh deal in the end.
Sunday further his office declared that a new delegation will be sent for the negotiation of the truce although its location has not been said. Previous attempt to negotiate a cease fire deal between Israel and Hamas which was facilitated by Egypt, Qatar and the US has not borne fruit.