After more than two months of conflict in Gaza, of which there is no end in sight, the first significant cracks emerge between Israel and its iron ally, the United States. It is Joe Biden who photographs an increasingly complicated relationship with Benyamin Netanyahu, who does not take a step back from the line of all-out war against Hamas. “He doesn’t want a two-state solution,” denounced the American president, observing that “Israel is losing the support of the world”. A warning that comes not by chance as the UN General Assembly votes on a new resolution for a ceasefire in the Strip amid the growing international isolation of the Jewish State (and Washington). Biden spoke about Israel at a campaign event in Washington. Therefore in an environment, that of the democrats, more sensitive to the suffering of the Palestinian population under the bombs. But the American president’s message sounded peremptory, and above all very harsh towards Netanyahu, as never happened before. “This is the most conservative government in the history of Israel”, underlined Biden, reminding the Israeli leader of the need for a “difficult decision to make”: that is, “strengthening and changing” his executive to find a long-term solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Biden did not say it clearly, but he is evidently thinking of the ultra-right hawks who support the settlers, for whom there can be no agreement between equals with the Palestinians.
Netanyahu himself, however, reiterated for the umpteenth time that his position does not change. “Gaza will not be a Hamastan or even a Fatahstan,” he explained, dismissing any possibility of future control of the Strip by the PNA. To the point of condemning the 1993 agreements between Rabin and Arafat from which the first embryo of Palestinian self-government was born: «I will not allow Israel to repeat the mistake of Oslo», his warning. The continuation of the conflict in Gaza continues to worry the entire international community, which met in a general assembly at the UN at the request of a group of Arab countries. On the agenda is a non-binding resolution, but one with undoubted political value, which calls first and foremost for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire”. A text along the lines of that which arrived in the Security Council last Friday – and rejected due to of the United States veto – which in fact aims to strengthen pressure on Israel and the Americans. In the draft Austria inserted an amendment to the paragraph calling for the unconditional release of all hostages, in which the quote was added “detained by Hamas and other groups”. An amendment which Italy and Germany have expressed their support for. While a ceasefire is being discussed at the UN, the entire Strip remains a theater of war. In the south the Israelis have continued to strike Khan Yunis, hunting Hamas leaders Sinwar and Deif: according to the Wall Street Journal, the army has started pumping sea water into the vast Hamas tunnel complex. The raids, according to Palestinian media, have gone as far as Rafah , resulting in the deaths of 12 people including six children. In the north, the Palestinian faction’s Ministry of Health reported that the enemy had attacked the Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City. In the chaos of the conflict, the humanitarian situation only worsens. The head of the UN refugee agency Philippe Lazzarini, after a visit to Gaza, spoke of “hell on earth”, where “people live on the streets and need everything”. About 18 percent of all structures in the Strip have been damaged since the start of the war, the UN reported based on satellite images. While the victims would have exceeded 18,400. The effects of military operations in Gaza are also continuing to be seen in the West Bank, with six Palestinian deaths in clashes between militiamen and the army in turbulent Jenin. And in addition to Hamas, Iran’s allies also continue to put pressure on Israel. The Houthis, who have been targeting cargo ships of Israel’s allies in the Red Sea for weeks, claimed responsibility for a missile attack that hit a Norwegian-flagged oil tanker on Monday. American and French military ships intervened in the area.