Is the Middle East fire cooling down?

The change in the Middle East in favor of Israel is considered the basis for Tel Aviv to create a position to negotiate a ceasefire in Gaza.

Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire in November, and the situation in Syria is seen as ending the military confrontation and moving toward building a new political system. Now, attention is turning to diplomats’ efforts to leverage the momentum to push for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The plan is showing positive signs.

Israeli tanks appear near the Gaza border on December 11

Hamas gives in?

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Hamas has given in to two of Israel's main demands to reach a ceasefire, including allowing Israeli troops to temporarily station in Gaza and providing a list of hostages that will be released if Israel commits to complying with the non-attack clause.

Majority of UN members demand ceasefire in Gaza, US opposes

The issue of Israel’s military presence has long been a sticking point in previous negotiations. The fall of former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime has inflicted significant geopolitical damage on Hamas allies like Iran and Hezbollah. The latest proposal, put forward by Egyptian negotiators and supported by mediators like the United States and Qatar, builds on the momentum of the November Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.

Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza damaged on December 11

On December 11, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz spoke by phone with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin, saying that "there is now an opportunity to reach a new agreement". US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan also visited Israel yesterday, then Egypt and Qatar, with the hope of being able to finalize a ceasefire agreement before President Joe Biden's term ends. The UN General Assembly on December 11 passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unconditional release of hostages in Gaza. However, this move is likely to be purely symbolic as in previous times, when a similar resolution was opposed by the US at the Security Council last month. Before the diplomatic move made clear progress, bombs continued to fall in Gaza. Gaza health officials accused Israeli airstrikes yesterday of killing at least 35 people.

Using Syria's Leverage

Expanding political influence is seen as a key factor in gaining leverage at the negotiating table, and Israel is said to have exploited the vacuum left by the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. Al Jazeera reported yesterday that the Israeli military this week carried out airstrikes on nearly 500 targets in Syria, destroying military infrastructure that Israel said would prevent weapons from falling into the hands of opposition forces that could threaten Israel. This military move by Israel has been condemned by many countries, including Russia, but the United States is still supporting Tel Aviv.

IDF: Israel strikes 320 targets, destroying more than 70% of Syrian military capabilities

According to Reuters yesterday, this is a politically favorable time for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to finalize the ceasefire order. On December 9, the Israeli Prime Minister said that the developments in Syria are making Hamas more isolated and may consider concessions. A Palestinian official familiar with the negotiations said that there is a "negotiation fever" as the parties continue to propose ideas. For Mr. Netanyahu, asking Hamas to make concessions at this time will be more convenient, when Israel's position is rising, while Hezbollah or Syria no longer pose many significant threats.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on December 11 that a senior US military representative had arrived in Beirut, Lebanon, to oversee the first withdrawal of Israeli forces, based on the framework of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah that took effect on November 27. On social network X, CENTCOM said that the Israeli army withdrew from the town of al-Khiam, southern Lebanon, and that the Lebanese armed forces would take over the area. Since the ceasefire, Israel and Hezbollah have repeatedly accused each other of violating the agreement, but so far the ceasefire has not been broken.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lua-trung-dong-co-dang-ha-nhiet-185241213000201071.htm