Israel’s worsening conflict with Hamas threatens to spill over into neighbouring regions

Agencies | Gaza                                               

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Fears of an escalation of Israel’s conflict with Hamas beyond Gaza and into the surrounding region loomed in the news yesterday, as Israel intensified attacks on Gaza, traded fires with Hezbollah at the Lebanon border, and struck two main airports in Syria out of service.

A news report yesterday morning said at least 55 people died in overnight bombings by Israel. During the night itself, five persons were reported dead on the Israel-Lebanon border as the Israeli army traded fire with Hezbollah. In the afternoon, Iran’s foreign minister warned Israel and the United States that the situation could spiral out of control in the Middle East if the attacks on Gaza do not stop.

“I warn the US and its proxy (Israel)... that if they do not immediately stop the crime against humanity and genocide in Gaza, anything is possible at any moment and the region will go out of control,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was quoted as saying by the AFP in Tehran.

Shortly after, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hezbollah will be making “the mistake of its life” if it starts a war with Israel. The US joined in by evening, warning that it won’t hesitate to act if the conflict escalates.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said if any group or any country is looking to widen the conflict and take advantage, the US won’t hesitate to take appropriate action, AFP reported. China said it believes “force is not a way to resolve” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and called for a ceasefire.

Immediate ceasefire

China’s envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun sought an immediate ceasefire and an end to the fighting as quickly as possible. Pope Francis yesterday pleaded to end the conflict and called for more humanitarian aid to be allowed into Gaza.

“War is always a defeat, it is a destruction of human fraternity. Brothers, stop! Stop!” the 86-year-old pontiff said. All news that came out yesterday on the Gaza situation was not negative. In the morning, India announced that it has sent 38.5 tonnes of humanitarian aid for Gaza. An Indian air force Boeing C-17 transport plane carrying nearly 6.5 tonnes of medical aid and 32 tonnes of disaster relief material has departed for Egypt’s El Arish airport, India’s foreign ministry said.

By afternoon, 17 trucks carrying aid entered the war-torn Gaza through the Rafah border passage from Egypt. As per a UN estimate, around 100 trucks per day are needed to meet the needs of Gaza, which houses over 2.3 million Palestinians. Hong Kong’s flagship carrier Cathay Pacific announced yesterday that all flights between Hong Kong and Tel Aviv have been cancelled for the rest of the year due to the ongoing situation in Israel.