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Roving Periscope: Amid peace efforts, rivals try to assassinate PA President Abbas in WB

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Virendra Pandit 

 

New Delhi: On the 33rd day of the war against Hamas, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) entered Gaza City, driving many civilians southward and planning to ‘reoccupy’ the Gaza Strip, while a rival terror faction tried to assassinate Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday amid international peace efforts.

Meanwhile, attempts to localize the conflict and prevent the conflagration from spreading across the Middle East and beyond continued. Iran-backed and Lebanon-based Shia militia Hezbollah, despite its dire threats, may have quietly backed out from physical invasion of Israel, although it is still shooting missiles into the Jewish state.

After initial anti-Israeli demonstrations by angry Muslims across the world, better sense seems to be prevailing now, except in poll-bound Pakistan where Islamist parties are still upping the ante and meeting and supporting Hamas leaders.

Even in India’s Jammu and Kashmir, Muslims did not react much after New Delhi banned their pro-Hamas rallies and directed clerics not to lace their sermons with the Palestinian issue, the media reported.

As immediate reactions to the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel subsided, while the IDF tried to retake the Gaza Strip amid fierce fighting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Monday. Tehran urged New Delhi to use ‘all its capacities’ to end the Israeli actions in Gaza. Raisi recalled India’s struggles against Western colonialism and its position as one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement worldwide, the media reported.

Tuesday’s assassination bid against Mahmoud Abbas, and attack on his convoy, came after a terror group called the “Sons of Abu Jandal” gave the Palestinian President 24 hours to declare a ‘global war’ against Israel, according to the media reports on Wednesday. Only on Tuesday, he had met US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in the West Bank area. The terror group later claimed responsibility for the attack.

The video of the assassination attempt of Mahmoud Abbas showed a barrage of fire unleashed on his convoy. One of his bodyguards was shot dead as the remaining men fired against the attackers.

Turkish media outlet Turkiye Newspaper said the ambush strike could have been an assassination attempt, indicating increased infighting between rival Palestinian factions.

Abbas, who is also the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) chief and governs the West Bank territory, does not endorse the rival group Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip region.  PLO lost control of the Gaza Strip to Hamas after the 2006 elections. The Abbas-led PLO governs parts of the West Bank area, where his convoy was attacked,

As part of hectic peace efforts, Blinken on Sunday suggested the Palestinian Authority under President Mahmud Abbas should retake control of Gaza. The Palestinian Authority exercises limited autonomy in only parts of the West Bank. Abbas said it could only potentially return to power in Gaza when a “comprehensive political solution” is found for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This might be the reason for the fresh attempt to assassinate him.

Meanwhile, the IDF stated that many of Hamas’ tunnels, command centers, and rocket launchers are situated near schools, hospitals, and humanitarian institutions in northern Gaza. This includes the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, which is the largest health facility in the troubled region.

Hamas has a fighting force of around 20,000 to 30,000 members, Israeli security sources said. Rear Admiral Hagari said that Israel’s objective is to target Hamas field commanders to weaken the terror outfit’s ability to launch counterattacks.

On Tuesday, US Vice President Kamala Harris also discussed the recent developments in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

With casualties in Gaza crossing the 10,000 mark, according to Palestinian health officials, Israel has come under mounting diplomatic pressure for a humanitarian ceasefire.

Japan’s top diplomat said G-7 foreign ministers issued a “unified message” on the Israel-Hamas war following a two-day meeting on Wednesday.

“I believe it’s important that the G-7 was able to put out its first unified message as a statement… regarding a humanitarian pause and a future peace process, both in terms of the responsibility the G-7 has towards the international community and for Japan as this year’s chair of the G-7,” Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa told reporters in Tokyo.

“The United States believes key elements should include: no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, not now, not after the war; No use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks; No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends,” Secretary Blinken told reporters, the media said.

White House National Security spokesperson John Kirby reiterated America’s stand that it will not try to dictate the “red lines” for Israel. His remarks came as the death toll in Gaza continued to climb as Israel expanded its military operation.

Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip have fired over 9,500 rockets at Israeli territory since they launched a multi-pronged attack on the Jewish state on October 7, according to data published by the Israeli Foreign Ministry on Tuesday.

Jerusalem said the numbers are constantly being updated. Throughout Tuesday, multiple air-raid sirens were activated in central Israel and localities near the border with Gaza.

Some 1,400 people died in the Hamas attack on Israel, while 7,198 more were wounded.