Eight Arab and Muslim nations have accused Israel of violating the Gaza ceasefire, citing continued strikes and stalled troop withdrawals more than nine months after the U.S.-mediated truce took effect. Israel says Hamas is rearming and has refused to complete its own pullback until Hamas disarms, leaving the deal's second phase in doubt. Elsewhere, Hezbollah has opened an unprecedented channel to Syria as Washington presses Damascus to help disarm the group.
Eight Arab and Muslim countries have accused Israel of violating the Gaza ceasefire, saying Israeli strikes are still hitting the territory more than nine months after the U.S.-mediated truce took effect. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia jointly condemned Israeli attacks on civilians, healthcare facilities and other infrastructure.
Gaza health authorities say more than 1,200 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks since the October ceasefire began. Israeli forces have also returned to areas they had agreed to withdraw from, and humanitarian aid remains below the levels required under the deal.
Israel points to Hamas rearming
Israel, however, points to violations of its own. It says Hamas has rebuilt tunnels, recruited fighters and rearmed, and it has refused to complete its withdrawal until Hamas disarms. As a result, the ceasefire's second phase — under which Hamas would disarm and Israeli forces would leave Gaza — appears impossible now that the first phase has failed.
Hezbollah reaches out to Syria
Hezbollah has publicly offered talks with Syria for the first time, complicating U.S. efforts to draw Damascus into disarming the group. The outreach is a hedge against President Trump's push, raised earlier this month, for Syria to intervene against Hezbollah.
Syria has rejected military intervention but supports Lebanese state control over weapons, and would likely back stepped-up interceptions of arms shipments to Hezbollah. Washington pressed Damascus last year to move against Hezbollah, but that risked destabilizing both countries and reigniting Sunni-Shia tensions the Islamic State could exploit.
Damascus and Beirut instead seem to be expanding intelligence cooperation against Hezbollah, seen as more valuable over the long term. Syria views the Islamic State as the more immediate threat at home, leaving Damascus little incentive to open another front against Hezbollah inside Lebanon.
Source: Oilprice.com
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