Image Author:- The Gaurdian
Live updates on the conflict between Israel and Gaza
Gaza, The USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer of the US Navy, was in the northern Red Sea early last Thursday morning when its radar spotted three cruise missiles reportedly launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The rockets’ intended target was unknown, but because they were travelling north, it was “potentially” Israel. The Carney had obliterated them all in a matter of minutes.
In the present war, these were the first rounds fired by the US in support of Israel. Brig Gen Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, subsequently informed reporters that the operation was carried out “to send a strong message intended to deter a wider conflict” and “regional escalation.”
The crew of the USS Carney is not alone in their goal. Since Hamas terrorist strikes murdered 1,400 Israelis two weeks ago, prompting response that has resulted in the deaths of at least 4,385 Palestinians in Gaza, according to local officials, a great number of individuals have been working extremely hard to keep the hostilities under control. The motivations and tactics of presidents, prime ministers, priests, humanitarians, demonstrators, influencers, spies, diplomats, and many others differ, but many are motivated by a very genuine dread of the repercussions of failure for all of us.
One option is that Israel conducts a ground invasion into Gaza, doubling or worsening the existing civilian death toll. Tensions in the Middle East have reached a new high, spilling over into countries far outside the area. As the humanitarian situation worsens, Israel ignores global criticism and continues on until Hamas is reduced to a shattered rabble after suffering enormous losses.
Iran’s hardliners decide to act, so they direct their most powerful proxy force, Hezbollah, to launch a full-scale attack from its strongholds in southern Lebanon. Thousands of missiles hit major Israeli objectives, knocking down important infrastructure and causing massive losses, while Hezbollah ground forces amass. Then, as Ryder may put it, things escalate regionally. The threat to Israel today appears to be existential.
In the eastern Mediterranean, two newly arriving US carriers start strikes on Hezbollah soldiers and bases, halting the group’s onslaught but sparking additional attacks and a new wave of massive protests that regional governments are struggling to handle. Israel has threatened Iran with direct strikes. We have now reached global levels of escalation. Oil costs have skyrocketed. The stock market has crashed. Terrorism has returned to Europe’s cities as organisations like Isis and al-Qaida attempt to exploit unrest and divisiveness. Suddenly, a globe bruised and polarised by consecutive crises is confronted with what may be its largest crisis in decades.
It’s no surprise that de-escalation is the current buzzword in this fight. The fact that this indicates just a relative decrease in violence, at least initially, is a sobering reminder of how far we have gone in such a short period of time.
De-escalation attempts have been many and diverse. The most visible have been high-level trips to Israel by leaders from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Despite open declarations of solidarity, these have all been geared at minimising violence.
These friends’ diplomatic policy has been to keep any criticism of Israel secret, and even then, to frame it in the mildest of tones. The reasoning is that the Israelis would, just maybe, listen to someone they consider a friend. In this hour of pain and dread, they will not even listen to anyone who may be considered as lacking understanding. According to the officials, a firm embrace may also constrain.
“I see what you’re saying. “Many Americans understand,” Biden told Israelis on Wednesday as he concluded his brief visit to Tel Aviv. “You can’t look at what has occurred here… and not shout for justice… But here’s a word of caution: don’t let your wrath overtake you… We were outraged in the United States after 9/11. And, while we sought and received justice, we also committed mistakes.”
Biden arrived in Israel as hundreds of millions of people were receiving the first hurried news of last Tuesday’s explosion at a hospital in northern hamas, which Israel has ordered evacuated. Between 100 and 471, the total number of deaths reported by health officials in the Hamas-ruled enclave, according to US intelligence sources.
The explosion, which Hamas claims was triggered by an Israeli airstrike, disrupted an important section of Biden’s visit. Meetings with Jordan’s King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were unexpectedly cancelled. “The Palestinian people are suffering greatly as well, and we mourn the loss of innocent Palestinian lives like the entire world” Biden stated during a visit to Israel.