West Asia continues to simmer, no let-up in Gaza war in sight

West Asia continues to simmer despite efforts from several quarters to put paid to hostilities between Hamas and Israel since that has become the flashpoint of larger and wider conflicts that threaten to escalate by the hour and destabilise the entire region. Most of the actors in the region have, in some way or the other, jumped into the fray already from either side.

Meanwhile, as the European Union (EU) has been pushing for a two-state solution for the Palestinian-Israel conflict—the proposal has been put forward by the US too, but Israel PM Netanyahu has summarily rejected it—EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell Tuesday said Israel could not be allowed to veto a separate state for Palestine.

“One thing is clear — Israel cannot have the veto right to the self-determination of the Palestinian people,” Borrell said at a presser in Brussels with his Egyptian counterpart. “The United Nations recognises and has recognised many times the self-determination right of the Palestinian people. Nobody can veto it,” Borrell added.

Worst Loss for IDF

Despite having suffered the worst one-day loss in which 24 IDF soldiers were slain in an anti-Hamas op in Gaza on Monday—the names of whom were released by Israel Tuesday, much to the pain of the top leadership of the country—Tel Aviv has resolved to push further and farther.

“Painfully difficult morning” was the refrain on Tuesday as Israel woke up to the worst loss of lives on IDF side in the raging war on Hamas in Gaza: 24 soldiers killed in one go.

Details still foggy, reasons still being probed. The loss of this magnitude is significant since Israel has always kept the lives of its soldiers before anything else, even in combat.

A sketchy outline of what happened suggests that IDF soldiers were operating 600-mts from the border in the Kissufim kibbutz, clearing and razing Hamas buildings when tragedy struck.

According to reports, the site that looked like the wake of a devastating earthquake became the graveyard of 21 Israeli bravehearts when explosion ripped two buildings that were being cleared even as the soldiers were inside.
The prelude was an RPG attack on a tank manning the site.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mourned the loss. In a statement he said, “I know that for these families, their lives will be changed forever.”

“The IDF has launched an investigation into the disaster. We must learn the necessary lessons and do everything to preserve the lives of our warriors. In the name of our heroes, for our lives, we will not stop fighting until absolute victory.”

Israel President Isaac Herzog wrote on X: “An unbearably difficult morning, in which more and more names of the best of our sons are added to the gravestones of heroes, when there is no war that is more just. The intense battles are taking place in an extremely challenging space, and we send strength to the soldiers of the IDF and the security forces, who are working with endless determination to realize the goals of the fighting.”

IDF Encircles Khan Younis

In latest reports, the IDF has succeeded in encircling Khan Younis, a city it believes is the primary headquarters of those responsible for the October 7 attack, including Yahya Sinwar.

“Over the past day, IDF troops carried out an extensive operation during which they encircled Khan Younis and deepened the operation in the area. The area is a significant stronghold of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade,” the military said.

“Ground troops engaged in close-quarters combat, directed (air force) strikes, and used intelligence to coordinate fire, resulting in the elimination of dozens of terrorists,” it said.

Houthi Conundrum Widens

While the Houthi terrorist on Tuesday issued threats against the UK-US axis that has launched some eight rounds of attacks on its establishments in retaliation of the former threatening the busy shipping lanes of the Red Sea that have disrupted supply chains across the world, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took matter further.

He said the strikes on Houthi targets was but just a part of the larger response to its terrorism, especially in the Red Sea.

Sunak told MPs in the House of Commons a “wider response” to the Houthi threat was being taken by his government.

He added that the UK was widening diplomatic engagements in the region to cut off supply of arms and ammunition to Iran-backed Houthis using global sanctions. He also said that UK was trying to garner more humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged people of Yemen.

In a surprise development, though, he delinked the action against Houthis from the Israel-Hamas war, but continued to add that those who stood with the Houthis were backing terrorism and would be met with “zero tolerance”.

In fresh threats from the Houthi terrorists, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) Tuesday reported to have received a report of drone activity around Yemen’s port city of Mokha. The UKMTO said authorities were lookin into the potential threat.

Hezbollah Continue to Muddy Waters

The Hezbollah Tuesday launched a barrage of missiles at Israel’s crucial Mount Meron air traffic control base. While most of the missiles were intercepted, some did pass through to hit part of the base. The Iran-backed Lebanese terror group claimed the attacks were a response to “assassinations” and frequent attacks on civilians in Lebanon and Syria.

The IDF, meanwhile, confirmed the attack. Israel forces said slight damage was caused to the base. According to the IDF, most of the Hezbollah missiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome air defence system. The sensitive base is located just eight kilometers from the Lebanon border. No injuries have been reported so far.

This was Hezbollah’s second strike on the air traffic control base. The first one had come on January 6 in the wake of Israeli assassination of Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri in a strike in Beirut. Israel had just stopped short of taking responsibility for the Beirut attack.

Israel Proposes 2-month Pause to War

Israel has suggested to Hamas, through Qatari and Egyptian mediators, a two-month ceasefire as part of an agreement to rescue all captives held in Gaza.

Reportedly, the plan would be implemented in phases, with the first including the release of women, males over the age of 60, and those in serious medical condition.

Subsequent phases would include the release of female troops, younger civilian males, male soldiers, and the remains of deceased hostages.

Officials claimed the arrangement will also result in the release of an undisclosed number of Palestinian detainees detained in Israel, but not all of them.

The plan calls for Israeli soldiers to withdraw from key Gazan cities and to progressively enable people to return to the region’s damaged north, but it makes no assurances about ending the conflict.

According to the officials, the agreement should be implemented in about two months.

Qatar foreign ministry, meanwhile, Tuesday said mediation efforts were on to strike peace in the region. On the other hand, the ministry spokesperson flagged the escalation in Red Sea to be a rather bigger danger.