War fears grow as US troops head to Mideast
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Troop reinforcements from the United States headed to the Middle East on Saturday, with fears of a WIDER CONflICT GROWING MORE THAN SIX MONTHS INTO Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
After pulling forces from the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis a week ago, Israel’s armed forces said on Saturday it was continuing to operate against the Palestinian militants in the territory’s center.
In central Gaza’s main city of Deir al-Balah, there was fire in the rubble of a destroyed mosque.
Israel’s military “demanded that the whole area be evacuated” before it was “wiped out in minutes,” witness Abdullah Baraka said.
The military said it had struck more than 30 militant targets across the territory over the previous day.
This came as violence involving Iran-backed groups around the Middle East, including in Lebanon, Yemen and Syria, increased since Israeli forces began their retaliation against Hamas fighters over their deadly attacks on southern Israel on October 7.
As talks for a ceasefire and hostage-release deal dragged on, the region braced for the retaliation that Iran has vowed after the consular strike, whose victims included two of its generals.
“We are moving additional assets to the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts and increase force protection for US forces,” said an American defense official in Washington.
The US already has tens of thousands of troops in the Middle East and provides billions of dollars worth of military assistance to its regional ally Israel.
Hamas’ October 7 attacks resulted in the deaths of 1,170 people, mostly civilians, Israeli government figures show.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 33,634 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, said the Hamas-run health ministry there.
After Iran’s retaliation threats, Israel said it was strengthening its air defenses and paused leave for combat units.
US President Joe Biden sent Gen. Michael Kurilla, head of the US Central Command, to Israel for talks.
Ways to retaliate
After meeting Kurilla on Friday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said his country and the US stood “shoulder to shoulder,” despite differences over how the war was being conducted.
“Our enemies think that they can pull apart Israel and the United States, but the opposite is true: they are bringing us together and strengthening our ties,” Gallant said.
After calls with his Australian, British and German counterparts on Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said: “Iran does not seek to expand the scope of the war.”
But he said it had no choice but to respond to the attack on its diplomatic mission in Syria’s capital Damascus.
There are several ways Iran could retaliate, and not all pose the same risk of escalation, experts said.
“What is certain is that Tehran does not want a direct war with Israel, at least at the current stage,” said Eva Koulouriotis, an independent Middle East analyst.
Also on Saturday, the Netherlands’ foreign ministry said its embassy in Iran’s capital Tehran and consulate in Iraqi Kurdistan’s capital Erbil would remain closed on Sunday “in connection with the rising tensions between Iran and Israel.”
Citing similar reasons, Germany reiterated a warning against travel to Iran.
France earlier warned its citizens against traveling to the region after the US Embassy in Israel announced it was restricting the movements of its diplomats over security fears.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who leads a coalition including religious and ultra-nationalist parties, is under pressure from anti-government protesters and relatives of the remaining Israeli hostages, who are demanding his government to get them home.
On Friday, supporters of the captives again rallied in the western city of Tel Aviv. “Hostage deal now,” said one of their signs.
The European Union on Friday imposed sanctions on the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another militant group, for the “widespread” sexual violence committed during the October 7 attacks.