The US is actively preparing for a potential attack by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region, following an Israeli strike in Damascus that killed Iranian commanders. Senior US officials believe an attack by Iran is inevitable, with discussions on the matter between the US and Israeli governments. The Biden administration is concerned about the possibility of a direct strike on Israel by Iran, fearing it could escalate into a wider conflict in the Middle East. Recent drone attacks near US facilities in Syria have heightened tensions and caution in the region.
An Israeli airstrike targeted Iran's consulate in Damascus, Syria, killing a senior Iranian military adviser and several others. The strike marks an escalation of Israel's ongoing targeting of Iranian military officials in Syria. Syrian state media reported the incident, while Israel made no comment. Iranian Ambassador condemned the attack and vowed revenge. Iran stated that the consulate building housed the ambassador's residence and was completely leveled by the strike. Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria recently, targeting Iran-allied militant groups like Hezbollah. Similar previous strikes have killed Iranian advisers in Syria.
President Joe Biden's upcoming call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will showcase the contradiction in US policy towards the conflict in Gaza. While expressing frustration over civilian casualties and demanding changes, the US remains staunch in supporting Israel, planning an $18 billion F-15 warplane sale. Fears of regional escalation due to Israeli actions, including a strike in Syria attributed to Israel by the US, add pressure to the call. Biden faces domestic pressure to end the conflict before the election, while Netanyahu may seek to prolong it to avoid potential losses in elections.
Israel has recently carried out some of its largest and deadliest strikes on Syria, targeting Iranian forces and senior military commanders in Damascus. Israel's frequent air strikes on Syria have been ongoing for over a decade, taking advantage of the country's chaos post-civil war. With various factions controlling different parts of Syria, Israel continues to exploit the situation to launch attacks. The strikes have intensified since 2017 to combat rising Iranian and Hezbollah influence. Iran, Lebanon's Hezbollah, and Syria are allied against Israel and the United States, leading to heightened tensions and escalations in the region.
Iran promises a response following a suspected Israeli missile attack on its consulate in Damascus, killing seven people including top commanders Mohammad Reza Zahedi and Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi of the IRGC's Quds Force. This attack marks the first targeting of the embassy compound itself by Israel, a country known for targeting Irans military installations and proxies in Syria. Iran's Ambassador to Syria mentioned that Tehrans response would be decisive, with Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian calling it a violation of international obligations and blaming Israel for the attack.
Israel announced measures to ease aid flows into Gaza, including authorizing its southern port of Ashdod to receive aid and opening the Erez crossing into the northern Gaza Strip. This move is seen as a significant shift in Israel's approach and comes after a tense call between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Biden-Netanyahu relationship is strained, with the US expressing difficulty in supporting Israel. These changes mark a potential turning point in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
President Biden reevaluated his approach towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct of the war in Gaza after the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen workers prompted a shift. Secretary of State Antony Blinken outlined specific steps Biden wanted Israel to take, such as opening land crossings for aid deliveries. The U.S. policy on Gaza will depend on Israel's immediate actions. Consideration is being given to placing conditions on military aid to Israel.
The Biden administration is facing criticism over its approach towards Israel, with calls for Hamas to surrender amid ongoing conflict. The White House has engaged with intermediary countries like Qatar and Egypt to facilitate this, emphasizing the need for Hamas to lay down arms. President Biden and officials have reiterated the stance that the conflict could end if Hamas surrenders, highlighting the delicate balance the administration seeks to achieve in the Middle East. Despite pressure on Israel, the White House maintains efforts towards a Hamas surrender.
The US reaffirms its commitment to Israel's security while expressing concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza, defending arms transfers to Israel. Critics argue that the transfers violate US laws against aiding countries involved in rights abuses. The Biden administration faces criticism for its policy of arming Israel, with concerns raised over the lack of transparency about the weapons transfers. The administration insists on Israel's right to self-defence and emphasizes the need for compliance with international humanitarian law.
The Biden administration has approved a weapons package for Israel, including over 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, amidst concerns over a potential military operation in southern Gaza. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. stated that Israel has not received all requested military arms. The decision has sparked criticism and calls for aid conditions. President Biden faces protests over U.S. support for Israel despite acknowledging Arab Americans' pain. The U.S. authorized billions worth of arms transfers to Israel, prompting backlash and an internal rift on U.S.-Israeli relations.
Israel is set to open new routes for humanitarian deliveries into Gaza, including the reopening of the Ashdod Port and access to the Erez Crossing. US President Joe Biden urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow more aid trucks into Gaza following the deaths of seven aid workers. The US National Security Council supports Israel's plan to increase aid flow into Gaza, emphasizing the importance of protecting civilians and aid workers. However, the timeline for opening these routes remains uncertain.
Iranian protesters are seeking revenge against Israel following a missile strike that destroyed Iran's consulate in Syria's capital, resulting in the death of seven people, including two IRGC generals. Iranian Ambassador to Syria, Hossein Akbari, has vowed to respond with equal force to Israel's attack, stating that Iran will not let the actions go unanswered. Syria's Foreign Minister condemned the attack as unjustified, marking a notable heightening of tensions between Israel and Iran.
The Biden administration is considering an $18 billion arms sale to Israel, including dozens of F-15 aircraft, amid pressure to impose conditions on arms transfers. Israeli Minister of Defense requested the sale during a visit to Washington, emphasizing the need for increased air power to counter threats from Hezbollah and Iran. This package, separate from the $14 billion aid requested by Biden, includes support services for the aircraft. While US officials expressed support for Israel's request, concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza persist. Congress must be notified of major foreign military sales agreements, and the sale may face debate.
Airstrikes in Damascus, Syria, destroyed Iran's consulate, killing Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi and his deputy, Mohammad Hadi Haji Rahimi. Israel is believed to be behind the attack, which has been condemned as a violation of international law by Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad.
Irans axis of resistance and religious leaders participate in Al-Quds Day rallies across the country following Israeli air strikes in Damascus that killed 13 people, including seven IRGC members. Commander-in-chief of IRGC promises retaliation after Israeli strikes on Irans consulate in Syria. President Ebrahim Raisi and other top officials attend rallies in Tehran. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei prays over the bodies of fallen IRGC members killed in Syria.
The White House is urging Congress to approve an $18 billion sale of F-15 fighter jets to Israel this week, despite increased criticism from the Biden administration over Israeli airstrikes. The deal includes over 50 planes, munitions, and training services, with delivery scheduled in at least five years. The US has also approved the authorization of billions of dollars worth of bombs to Israel, creating rifts and concerns among some Democrats in Congress. Washington's support for Israel has sparked calls for transparency in arms transfers and concerns over civilian casualties in Gaza.
An Israeli strike destroyed the Iranian consulate building in Damascus, Syria, resulting in casualties. Syrian state media reported smoke and dust rising from the flattened structure, next to the Iranian embassy. The toll varies from 5 to 8 people killed. Syrian and Iranian sources confirmed casualties, including a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander. Israel targeted military points near Damascus in a separate attack, injuring two civilians and causing fires at research sites. This is the 29th Israeli attack in Syria this year.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps senior commander Mohammad Reza Zahedi was killed in an airstrike on Iran’s consulate building in Damascus, Syria. Between five and seven people were reportedly killed in the attack, alleged to be an Israeli airstrike, which destroyed the building. The incident has heightened tensions in the Middle East, with Iranian officials promising a harsh response and condemning it as a breach of international conventions.
Israeli airstrikes near the Syrian city of Aleppo have resulted in casualties among civilians and military personnel, with conflicting reports on the exact numbers. The strikes coincided with drone attacks by Syrian insurgent groups on civilian targets in Aleppo and its suburbs. The Israeli strikes targeted missile depots belonging to Hezbollah in southern Aleppo, leading to dozens of soldiers being killed or wounded. Israel frequently conducts airstrikes on Iran-linked targets in Syria without public acknowledgment.
The White House is investigating reports that the Israeli army has been using an AI system named 'Lavender' to identify alleged Hamas terrorists, potentially marking them as targets for air strikes. Israeli intelligence officers admitted to classifying 37,000 Palestinians as suspected militants with this AI assistance. President Biden reportedly threatened to condition US support based on Israeli protection of civilians and aid workers. Despite Israel denying Lavender's role, the AI misidentified targets 10% of the time. The AI was trained on decades-long surveillance data of Palestinian populations.
Six months after a deadly Hamas attack on Israel, the ongoing conflict has led to a high death toll among Gazans, hunger in the strip, and Israeli hostages being held captive. There are no apparent winners, with Hamas possibly facing decimation and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu under pressure. The conflict has also sparked a surge in global antisemitism, causing anxiety in Europe and concerns among American Jews about safety. Anti-Muslim bigotry has also risen as a result of the strife.
Israeli Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi acknowledged a misidentification issue led to an airstrike in Gaza, killing seven aid workers from different countries, including Palestinian, British, Australian, Polish, and US-Canadian dual citizens. The World Central Kitchen employees were targeted despite travelling in marked vehicles and coordinating with the Israel Defense Forces. International leaders condemned the incident, prompting an independent investigation. Amid escalating tensions, U.S. airstrikes targeted Iranian-linked militants in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for an attack that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan.
The Greater Middle East is a political term introduced in March 2004 in a paper published by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as part of the U.S. administration's preparatory work for the Group of Eight summit of June 2004. The area denotes a vaguely defined region called the "Arab world" together with Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey with the speculation of including other Muslim-majority countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh and the Central Asian countries of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan. The paper presented a proposal for sweeping change in the way the West deals with the Middle East and North Africa.Adam Garfinkle of the Foreign Policy Research Institute defined the Greater Middle East as the MENA region together with the Caucasus and Central Asia.The future of the Greater Middle East has sometimes been referred to as the "new Middle East", first so by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who presented the second-term Bush administration's vision for the region's future in June 2006 in Dubai. Rice said would be achieved through "constructive chaos", a phrase she repeated a few weeks later during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert when the 2006 Lebanon War had broken out; the meaning of this phrase and the Bush administration's vision have been much debated since. The efforts to achieve this new Middle East are sometimes called "The Great Middle East Project".Former U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski stated that a "political awakening" is taking place in this region which may be an indicator of the multipolar world that is now developing. He alluded to the Greater Middle East as the "Global Balkans", and as a control lever on an area he refers to as Eurasia. According to Andrew Bacevich's book America's War for the Greater Middle East (2016), this region is the theater for a series of conflicts dating back to 1980, which heralded the start of the Iran–Iraq War.
Israeli authorities are blocking GPS signals across Israel to disrupt incoming missiles and drones, following rising tensions with Iran after a strike on Iran's consulate in Syria. The Israel Defense Forces are on high alert, with soldiers serving in combat units having their leave halted. Iranian response is expected, possibly on Quds Day, leading to GPS disruptions in major cities like Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Iran has vowed to retaliate for the attack on its consulate, further escalating the conflict.
The White House approved the transfer of more than 1,000 MK82 500-pound bombs and over 1,000 small-diameter bombs to Israel, despite international outrage over the deaths of aid workers in Gaza. The approval came before the Israeli airstrike that killed seven members of a food charity group. US arms transfers to Israel have faced scrutiny, with calls to restrict or condition military aid, although the Biden administration has not indicated any plans to do so. The US also authorized the transfer of nearly 2,000-pound MK84 bombs last week.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan postponed his important trip to Saudi Arabia to discuss normalizing relations with Israel after suffering a cracked rib. The injury was a result of a minor accident, not foul play. The Biden administration had been looking to broker a landmark agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel, with potential discussions on a mutual defense treaty, civil nuclear program assistance for Saudi Arabia, and Israel's commitment to a Palestinian state. The trip delay comes amidst efforts to revitalize talks following a Hamas attack in October.
Former President Donald Trump stated in an interview that Israel needs to swiftly finish its conflict with Hamas to achieve victory and regain support, criticizing the prolonged duration and negative impact on public perception. Trump emphasized the importance of ending the conflict promptly to restore normalcy and peace, highlighting concerns about Israel's public relations strategy. He also criticized the release of tapes showing buildings being destroyed, attributing Israel's loss in the public relations war to such actions. Trump's remarks come amid ongoing tensions and criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
An investigation by Al Jazeera's Sanad verification agency revealed that Israeli drones deliberately targeted three vehicles carrying World Central Kitchen aid workers in Gaza, leading to the deaths of seven people. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called the incident a grave accident, attributing it to mistaken identification of the vehicles as being overtaken by Hamas gunmen. As a result, two senior IDF officers were dismissed, with three commanders reprimanded, and potential criminal prosecution for those involved in the attack.
Families of American citizens kidnapped by Hamas in Israel condemn killings of civilians in Gaza but urge international community to focus on their loved ones still in captivity. They gathered in New York, expressing concern for hostages taken by Hamas half a year ago. Amid condemnation of Israeli military strike in Gaza, President Biden highlighted Gaza's humanitarian situation to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Family members call attention to the forgotten captives amid ongoing conflict in Israel and Gaza.
An armed conflict between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militant groups has been taking place chiefly in and around the Gaza Strip since 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. After clearing Hamas militants from its territory, the Israeli military embarked on an extensive aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip followed by a large-scale ground invasion beginning on 27 October. Clashes have also occurred in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and with Hezbollah along the Israel–Lebanon border. The hostilities constitute the fifth war of the Gaza–Israel conflict since 2008 and are part of the broader Israeli–Palestinian conflict. They are considered to be the most significant military escalation in the region since the Yom Kippur War 50 years earlier.The Hamas offensive involved 3,000 militants breaching the Gaza–Israel barrier and attacking Israeli communities and military bases. During this attack, 1,139 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed, while 253 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive to the Gaza Strip. The attack was proclaimed as a response to the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, the prospect of Arab–Israeli normalization, and the plight of Palestinian refugees and prisoners. In response, Israel declared a state of war, tightened its existing blockade of Gaza and launched one of the most severe bombing campaigns in history, before commencing the ground invasion on 27 October. Israeli forces laid siege to Gaza City on 2 November and moved south to attack Khan Yunis a month later on 3 December; both sieges remain ongoing. Israel's next objective is the capture of Rafah. An estimated 6,000-12,000 militants have been killed during the conflict, and Israel has lost over 200 soldiers during its invasion. A United Nations resolution calling for a humanitarian pause passed on 15 November; the seven-day truce took effect at the end of that month.A humanitarian crisis has developed in the Gaza Strip, with healthcare in a state of collapse, shortages of food, clean water, medicine and fuel due to the blockade, electricity and communications blackouts, and potential famine conditions. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, including over 12,300 children and 8,400 women. Nearly all of Gaza's 2.3 million population have been internally displaced. The widespread civilian deaths have led to accusations of war crimes against both Israel and Hamas. In February 2024 576,000 people were "facing catastrophic levels of deprivation and starvation", stated The United Nations. More than 100 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops that opened fire when huge crowds raced to pull goods off an aid convoy.The war has had significant international repercussions. Popular protests that primarily call for a ceasefire have occurred across the world. Israel's actions have been denounced by the Islamic world and much of the Global South; South Africa launched an International Court of Justice case alleging that Israel committed genocide. Israel has however received significant support from its traditional Western allies, especially the United States, which vetoed multiple UN Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire. In response, Iran-backed militias have attacked American military bases in the Middle East, while the Yemeni Houthi movement attacked commercial ships they alleged were linked to Israel, incurring a military response from a number of countries.
The Israeli military has dismissed two officers and reprimanded three others for a mistaken attack in central Gaza that killed seven aid workers, believing they were targeting Hamas fighters. The United States-based charity World Central Kitchen (WCK) called for an independent investigation and CEO Erin Gore emphasized the need for Israel to assure the safety of humanitarian aid workers. The Israeli military accepted responsibility for the incident, attributing it to a serious failure in identification, decision-making errors, and deviation from Standard Operating Procedures. US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, stressed the importance of prioritizing civilian protection to prevent such incidents in the future.
Turkish authorities have arrested two individuals for allegedly gathering and passing on information to the Israeli spy agency. The suspects gathered data on people and companies of interest to Israel. Dozens of individuals, including private detectives, have been detained in Turkey since January on suspicion of spying for Israel. Turkey and Israel had normalized ties in 2022 but tensions rose after the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Turkish President Erdogan warned of 'serious consequences' if Israel targeted Hamas officials on Turkish soil.
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