Israel is insisting that any reconstruction projects in the Gaza Strip in the wake of May’s 11-day war be conditioned on the release of two Israeli captives — Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed — and the return of the remains of two IDF soldiers — Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin — currently being held by the US-designated Hamas terrorist organization.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday raised the matter during a meeting in New York City with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; this, after having the previous day broached the subject with US President Joe Biden while at the White House.
“We are interested in continuing to work with the UN to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, with whom we have no conflict,” Rivlin told Guterres. “However, any agreement should include steps to return our soldiers and citizens, who are held by Hamas, a terrorist organization.”
Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also discussed the issue during his first phone call since assuming office with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is spearheading efforts to broker a long-term cease-fire agreement between the Jewish state and Hamas.
Meanwhile, two Western diplomats this week told Israeli media that the Biden Administration opposes Jerusalem’s position.
Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Tuesday met in Beirut, reportedly to discuss the effects of and possible responses to last month’s 11-day war between Israel and Gaza-Strip-based terrorist groups.
Nasrallah and Haniyeh focused on learning from the latest conflict how to further cooperate and coordinate their military activities against Israel.
The two stressed “the depth of the existing relationship between Hezbollah and Hamas and its key position in this blessed axis [of “resistance” led by Iran] and in this decisive battle [against the Jewish state].”
While the terror masterminds attempted to portray strength and a unified front, many Israeli analysts viewed the meeting as a sign of “distress.” It comes at a time when Hezbollah is struggling to offset a potential total financial collapse in Lebanon, and with Hamas’ capabilities having been significantly diminished following the fighting in May.
Prior to visiting Beirut, Haniyeh headed a Hamas delegation to Egypt, Morocco and Mauritania.
Bahrain has officially appointed Khaled Yousef al-Jalahmah as the country’s first-ever ambassador to Israel. Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa three months ago issued a decree to establish a diplomatic mission in the Jewish state and tapped al-Jalahmah to head it — a move that then-Israeli foreign minister Gabi Ashkenazi approved.
At the time, Ashkenazi described the development as “another important step” in the implementation of the Abraham Accords, a Trump administration-brokered agreement that normalized relations between Jerusalem and Manama.
The United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco have also signed on.
“His Majesty, may God preserve him, congratulated Ambassador Khaled Yousef al-Jalahmah, and His Majesty expressed his lofty directives to the ambassador, wishing him success in promoting Bahrain’s noble message of peace and the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence,” official Bahraini media said in reference to the decision.
Al-Jalahmah served from 2009 to 2013 as the deputy chief of mission at Bahrain’s Embassy to the United States. He is currently the Director of Operations at Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry.
HonestReporting is pleased to inform you that it is organizing a mission to Israel from October 5-12, 2021.
The behind-the-scenes trip includes:
- 5-star accommodations at the Inbal Hotel, Jerusalem
- Exclusive briefings by political, defense and academic leaders
- Tour of the Lebanon border with an anti-terrorism expert
- Insider’s look into the complexities of the disputed West Bank
- Examination of Israel’s vibrant democracy at the Supreme Court
- Meetings with influential journalists… and much more!
For more information, please contact us.
Recommended Reading
- Hamas’ Human Rights Violations in the 2021 Gaza War (Amelia Navins and Lenny Ben-David, Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs)
- The New York Times Relies on Amnesty and HRW Sources in Misleading Gaza Video (Naftali Balanson, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies)
- Rep. Ilhan Omar Claims Jewish Colleagues ‘Haven’t Been Partners in Justice’ (Samuel Chamberlain, New York Post)
- Israel Pilots Drone Delivery Flights in Residential Areas With Sights on National Drone Network (NoCamels)
