US, European allies press Israel to 'hold off' on Gaza ground operation

The United States, along with some European allies, are pressuring Israel to postpone its planned ground assault on the Gaza Strip. This delay is aimed at creating space for negotiations to secure the release of additional hostages held by Hamas.

Previously, Israeli forces had indicated their intention to launch a significant military operation in response to a deadly terrorist attack earlier this month. However, in response to “US pressure”, Israel has “agreed to hold off” on the ground offensive, as reported by Bloomberg.

Hamas, the Palestinian group controlling the Gaza Strip, had captured over 200 individuals during a terrorist raid in southern Israel on October 7, including several US citizens. In the weeks following the attack, discreet talks mediated by Qatar were conducted by the United States to secure the release of these captives, as revealed by Bloomberg.

Two American hostages released

On Friday, US officials confirmed the release of two American hostages, a mother and her 17-year-old daughter identified as Judith Tai Raanan and Natalie Raanan. They are now under the custody of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), who attributed their release to military “pressure” applied on Hamas.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry hailed this development as a “breakthrough,” emphasising that it followed “many days of continuous communication between all the parties involved.” The ministry expressed its commitment to maintaining dialogue with Hamas with the hope of securing the release of “all civilian hostages from every nationality.”

International Concerns and Caution

While the White House has expressed public support for Israel recently, private discussions have included warnings against a prolonged occupation of the Gaza Strip, as per officials cited by CNN.

A NATO defence minister mentioned, “We fully respect their right to go after Hamas but have only urged caution. So it’s not ‘Don’t do it,’ but it is ‘Think about what happens and have a strategy, not just a tactical manoeuvre.’ We expect Israel to act within international humanitarian law, but we understand that they’re dealing with an enemy here.”

Biden’s misunderstanding

Regarding the question of whether Israel should delay the ground operation, President Joe Biden initially responded with “Yes” on Friday. However, the White House later clarified that the president had misunderstood the question, saying that the question had sounded like, “Would you like to see more hostages released?” White House spokesperson Ben LaBolt clarified that the president wasn’t commenting on anything else.

The ongoing conflict in Israel was kicked off by Hamas’ raids into southern Israel on 7 October. The incursion, the first in Israel’s history, left over 1400 dead and some 200 were abducted and taken back to the Palestinian enclave as hostages.

Israel in response declared war on Hamas and has been since pounding the Gaza Strip in its effort to destroy the terrorist group’s capabilities. Local officials have reported over 4,100 Palestinian casualties in the Israeli air strikes, which has raised concerns from the United Nations and other human rights organisations regarding a looming humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.