CAIRO: The prospect of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah without a similar deal with Hamas in Gaza has left Palestinians feeling abandoned and fearful that Israel will focus squarely on its onslaught in the enclave.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel in October of 2023, triggering the Gaza war.
Hostilities in Lebanon have drastically escalated in the last two months, with Israel stepping up airstrikes and sending in ground forces to Lebanon’s south and Hezbollah sustaining rocket fire on Israel.
Now Israel looks set to approve a US plan for a ceasefire with Hezbollah when its security cabinet meets on Tuesday, while Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed hope that a ceasefire would be reached by Tuesday night.
While diplomacy focuses on Lebanon, Palestinians feel let down by the world after 14 months of conflict which has devastated the Gaza Strip and killed more than 44,000 people. “It showed Gaza is an orphan, with no support and no mercy from the unjust world,” said Abdel-Ghani, a father of five who only gave a first name.
“I am angry against the world that has failed to bring one solution to the two regions,” Abdel-Ghani. “Maybe, there will be another deal for Gaza, maybe.”
An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire without a deal for Gaza would be a blow to Hamas, whose leaders had hoped the expansion of the war into Lebanon would pressure Israel to reach a comprehensive ceasefire. Hezbollah had insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition.
“We had high hopes that Hezbollah would remain steadfast until the end but it seems they couldn’t,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman, who like most Gazans has been displaced from his home. “We are afraid the Israeli army will now have a free hand in Gaza.”
While a Lebanon deal could leave some Hezbollah commanders in place after Israel killed the heavily armed group’s veteran leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas completely.
“We hoped the expansion of the war meant one solution for all, but we were left alone in the face of the monstrous (Israeli) occupation,” said Zakeya Rezik, 56, a mother of six.
“Enough is enough, we are exhausted. How many more had to die before they stopped the war? Gaza war must stop, the people are being wiped out, starved, and bombed every day.”
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Prospect of Lebanon ceasefire leaves Gazans feeling abandoned
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Prospect of Lebanon ceasefire leaves Gazans feeling abandoned
Trump, Erdogan discuss Syria and Gaza in call
WASHINGTON/ ANKARA: Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed developments in Syria and Gaza with US counterpart Donald Trump in a telephone call on Tuesday as Syria’s Turkiye-backed government announced a ceasefire with US-allied Kurdish forces after days of clashes.
Turkiye separately weighed if Erdogan should join the US leader’s “Board of Peace” initiative.
“President Erdogan stated that Turkiye was closely following developments in Syria, that Syria’s unity, harmony and territorial integrity were important for Turkiye,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
Earlier Trump said he had a “very good call” with Erdogan, without elaborating.
Syria’s government seized swathes of territory in the northeast this week, and gave the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces four days to agree on integrating into the central state.
The SDF’s main ally, the United States, said the partnership with the group had changed nature after Syria’s new government emerged.
The Turkish presidency added that Erdogan and Trump also discussed the fight against the Islamic State militant group and the “situation” of its prisoners in Syrian jails.
Turkiye deems the SDF a terrorist organization linked with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has mounted a four-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
In its peace process with the PKK, Ankara has called for the group and its affilites to disband and disarm.
Ankara, the main foreign backer of Syria’s new government, has praised Damascus’ advances against the SDF and repeatedly called for it to integrate with the Syrian state apparatus.
ERDOGAN THANKS TRUMP FOR ‘BOARD OF PEACE’ INVITE
Erdogan told Trump Turkiye would continue to coordinate with Washington on Gaza, the Turkish presidency said.
“President Erdogan thanked US President Trump for the invitation to the Gaza Board of Peace,” it added.
A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the “Board of Peace” and countries working with it to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza.
In October, a fragile ceasefire began in Gaza under a Trump plan on which Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas had signed off.
Earlier on Tuesday, Turkiye said Erdogan would decide soon on joining the initiative. Turkiye has been critical of Israel’s assault on Gaza, casting it as genocide, while Israel has repeatedly opposed a Turkish role in Gaza.
More than 460 Palestinians, more than 100 of them children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed since the Gaza truce began.
Under Trump’s Gaza plan, the board was meant to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance. Later Trump said it would be expanded to tackle conflicts around the world.
Many rights experts say that Trump’s chairing of a board to supervise a foreign territory’s affairs would resemble a colonial structure.
Diplomats fear such a board for global issues could harm the work of the United Nations.
Among those the White House has named to the board are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
Turkiye separately weighed if Erdogan should join the US leader’s “Board of Peace” initiative.
“President Erdogan stated that Turkiye was closely following developments in Syria, that Syria’s unity, harmony and territorial integrity were important for Turkiye,” the Turkish presidency said in a statement.
Earlier Trump said he had a “very good call” with Erdogan, without elaborating.
Syria’s government seized swathes of territory in the northeast this week, and gave the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces four days to agree on integrating into the central state.
The SDF’s main ally, the United States, said the partnership with the group had changed nature after Syria’s new government emerged.
The Turkish presidency added that Erdogan and Trump also discussed the fight against the Islamic State militant group and the “situation” of its prisoners in Syrian jails.
Turkiye deems the SDF a terrorist organization linked with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has mounted a four-decade insurgency against the Turkish state.
In its peace process with the PKK, Ankara has called for the group and its affilites to disband and disarm.
Ankara, the main foreign backer of Syria’s new government, has praised Damascus’ advances against the SDF and repeatedly called for it to integrate with the Syrian state apparatus.
ERDOGAN THANKS TRUMP FOR ‘BOARD OF PEACE’ INVITE
Erdogan told Trump Turkiye would continue to coordinate with Washington on Gaza, the Turkish presidency said.
“President Erdogan thanked US President Trump for the invitation to the Gaza Board of Peace,” it added.
A UN Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorized the “Board of Peace” and countries working with it to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza.
In October, a fragile ceasefire began in Gaza under a Trump plan on which Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas had signed off.
Earlier on Tuesday, Turkiye said Erdogan would decide soon on joining the initiative. Turkiye has been critical of Israel’s assault on Gaza, casting it as genocide, while Israel has repeatedly opposed a Turkish role in Gaza.
More than 460 Palestinians, more than 100 of them children, and three Israeli soldiers have been reported killed since the Gaza truce began.
Under Trump’s Gaza plan, the board was meant to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance. Later Trump said it would be expanded to tackle conflicts around the world.
Many rights experts say that Trump’s chairing of a board to supervise a foreign territory’s affairs would resemble a colonial structure.
Diplomats fear such a board for global issues could harm the work of the United Nations.
Among those the White House has named to the board are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Britain’s former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
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