Europe and Canada Issue Ultimatum to Israel to End the War Now
The UK, France, and Canada demand Israel halt Gaza operations and threaten action if ignored, while pushing for a Palestinian state after October 7th.
The attacks against Israel from Hezbollah continue. Just yesterday, 15 rockets were fired from Hezbollah into Israel, injuring three Arab Israelis in the Western Galilee region. The day prior, a direct rocket strike destroyed an Israeli dining hall. And on Saturday, over 70 rockets and projectiles were fired into Israel from enemy forces.
These attacks come even as progress is reportedly being made in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hezbollah. A senior Israeli diplomatic official told Israel Hayom that there has been a “significant breakthrough” in the negotiations, describing the proposed agreement as “highly advantageous” to Israel’s strategic interests. However, the official cautioned that final deals remain pending, and emphasized that the Israel Defense Forces will retain operational freedom to respond to any security threats from the northern border.
Israel’s Channel 12 News reported that Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer is scheduled to travel to Washington to finalize the ceasefire arrangements. Meanwhile, the IDF’s Chief of Staff has approved an expansion of ground operations inside Lebanon to keep pressure on Hezbollah.
Qatar is kicking Hamas out
The election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president appears to be having an immediate impact on the region. Qatar, which has long hosted leaders of the Hamas terrorist group, is now kicking them out of the country. This follows a letter from 12 U.S. senators to Secretary of State Antony Blinken calling for the extradition of Hamas officials from the capital city Doha.
Qatar has served as a mediator between Israel and Hamas in recent years, facilitating ceasefires and hostage releases. However, a Qatari spokesman stated that the country would stall its mediation efforts if an agreement was not reached in the last round of talks. With those talks failing, Qatar now seems to be distancing itself from Hamas.
Analysts say the U.S. should have exerted more pressure on Qatar sooner to stop supporting Hamas. Richard Goldberg of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies argued that “No Hamas leader should be allowed to walk freely out of Qatar,” and called for their arrest and extradition to either Israel or the United States.
Source Notes:
https://www.jns.org/hezbollah-rocket-wounds-three-in-western-galilee/
https://www.jns.org/us-uk-hit-houthi-targets-in-yemen/
https://www.jns.org/significant-progress-reported-in-lebanon-ceasefire-talks
