Orientul Mijlociu

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel killing at least 1,200 people and kidnapping at least 240 men, women, and children. In response, Israel declared war on Hamas and launched a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and other Hamas leaders watched the attack unfold from Haniyeh’s office in Doha, Qatar. Qatar joined with Saudi Arabia and Iran in blaming Israel for the October 7 Hamas attack. According to a Qatari government statement, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs held Israel “solely responsible for the ongoing escalation due to its ongoing violations of the rights of the Palestinian people, the latest of which was the repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli police.” That night, Qatari officials claimed they had begun mediation talks to convince Hamas to release captive women and children for Palestinian security prisoners in Israel. Israel denied negotiations were underway. On October 20, Hamas freed two hostages—an American mother and daughter pair—after Qatari intervention. Hamas said it released the hostages for “humanitarian reasons.” On October 24, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani accused Israel of receiving an “unconditional green light and free license to kill” in Gaza. As of November 14, Hamas had released four hostages—two Americans and two Israelis—because of Qatari mediation. That day, the Qatari government renewed its call on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement on releasing hostages, but Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari also blamed the “deteriorating” situation in Gaza for hindering mediation efforts. (Sources: Hamas Telegram Channel, Associated Press, Reuters, Daily Mail, Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hill, Reuters, Al Jazeera, Associated Press, NPR, NPR, Agence France-Presse)

On November 21, 2023, the pro-Hizbullah Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar published an article titled, “Sanaa Warns the Enemy And Allies: The Price Of Escalation Is a Complete Blockade of Navigation.” According to the article, the Defense Ministry threatened that any action against Yemen as a result of the November 19 takeover of the shipping vessel, Galaxy Leader, in the Red Sea would lead to a complete blockade of the Red Sea and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait shipping lane.[1]

Al-Manar TV (Hizbullah-Lebanon) aired a news report on November 26, 2023 from the Galaxy Leader, a commercial ship which was hijacked by Yemeni-Houthi forces, who claimed it was an Israeli ship. Al-Manar TV’s correspondent boarded the ship and spoke to the Yemeni citizens who had boarded the ship to celebrate the hijacking. The citizens chanted: “Allah Akbar! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curses upon the Jews! Victory to Islam!” Yemeni Navy Captain Shawqi Qabati said that any Israeli ship sailing in the Red Sea will be hauled to the Yemeni shore. The Galaxy Leader was sailing under a Bahama flag and is owned by Ray Shipping, an Israeli-owned shipping company.

Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage and Tourism and retired IRGC General Ezzatollah Zarghami said on a November 20, 2023 show on IRIB Ofogh TV (Iran) that Iran has supplied Hamas with Fajr-3 rockets. He said that Iran helps both Shiite Hizbullah and Sunni Hamas. Zarghami claimed to have traveled to the region to deliver the rockets and provide instructions on operating them. He claimed to have been inside the Hamas tunnels.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Al-Jazeera Network (Qatar) on November 24, 2023, that he has spoken with Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Doha, as well as leaders in Hamas and PIJ (Palestinian Islamic Jihad) in Beirut, who said that only 10-12% of their capabilities have been used in Gaza. He explained that the factions still have not used approximately 90% of their forces and weapons in confronting the “Israeli entity.”

Now that truce has been arrived at between Israel and Hamas for a period of four days and with the release of a few hostages from both sides, there is hope that truce could be further extended and the intensity of war would become significantly less. This likely ” truce period” gives an opportunity for the sworn supporters and bitter opponents of Hamas as well as Israel and the observers around the world to introspect on the happenings and whether this war could have been avoided.

Pretending the two terrorist groups are the same will only make it harder to protect Israel and end the war.

Shortly after the horrific attacks of October 7th, when Hamas terrorists brutally killed more than 1,400 men, women and children, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that “Hamas is ISIS.” It’s a comparison that has been reinforced by numerous Israeli and American officials, including U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who, while visiting Israel shortly after the attack, commented that what Hamas did was “worse than ISIS.”

Since the Hamas raid on Israel on Oct. 7, the Islamic State (IS) has been attempting to exploit the resulting conflict to inspire its followers to commit acts of terrorism. Working through its central command apparatus, branches, and affiliates, as well as its legions of online supporters, IS seeks to capitalize on hostile sentiments stirred up throughout the Muslim world by Israel’s assault on Hamas in Gaza, launched in response to an attack that killed over 1,400 in Israel.

Iran and other members of its “axis of resistance” differ in their political circumstances and strategic calculations, complicating Tehran’s response to the Israel-Hamas war.

Iran sees the “axis of resistance” as a tool to achieve gains from the Mideast crisis while avoiding direct conflict with the United States.

The Israel-Hamas war presents Jordan’s leadership with more risks to stability than virtually any other Arab government.

Jordan’s population is majority Palestinian, many of whom resent King Abdullah’s close alignment with the United States, which has refused to back a ceasefire in Gaza.

The government is trying to reflect popular sentiment while at the same time preserving the peace treaty with Israel and close relationships with the United States.