As tensions escalate in the Middle East, international leaders are calling for de-escalation and stability in the region to prevent the outbreak of all-out war. Leaders from countries in Europe, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, have endorsed a plan to end the 10-month Israel-Hamas war. The plan includes the release of hostages held by Hamas and the delivery of humanitarian aid, among other measures. Mediators have been working tirelessly to get both sides to agree to a three-phase plan that would involve the release of hostages and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The joint statement mediated by the US, Qatar, and Egypt also calls on Iran and its allies to refrain from further escalating tensions in the region. Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has stated that Israel is prepared and vigilant against potential retaliatory strikes from Lebanon and Iran. Gallant defended Israel’s operations in Gaza, emphasizing the importance of creating conditions for the safe return of hostages. So far, thousands of people in Gaza have died since the war began, and many more have been wounded, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
To address the rising tensions in the region, the US has deployed a guided-missile submarine and rotated an aircraft carrier to the Middle East. The USS Abraham Lincoln, carrying F-35 fighter jets and F/A-18 aircraft, has been sent to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier strike group. The USS Georgia submarine is also being sent to the region to enhance the US presence and deter potential retaliatory strikes from Iran and Hezbollah. The US and its allies are working to prevent further violence in the region following the recent assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and a senior Hezbollah commander.
In response to Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, a hospital in southern Gaza has received the bodies of 13 individuals, including a child, who were killed in the attacks. Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate southern Gaza following Israeli orders to leave the area due to ongoing rocket attacks by Palestinian militants. The Israeli Defense Force has been conducting military operations in Gaza to target militants launching rockets. The situation in the region remains tense as international efforts continue to seek a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
