Hamas wants Russia to mediate; US drops aid to Gaza Strip

RIA Novosti news agency reported that the leader of the moderate wing of the Hamas movement, Musa Abu Marzuk, declared that Russia should play the main role in resolving the Palestine-Israel conflict instead of the US as it is currently doing.

“We want Russia to become a major player in countering the US and Israel,” the Hamas representative stated.

Accordingly, Hamas proposed that Russia should be supported by some countries in the process of resolving the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Mr. Musa Abu Marzuk emphasized that Hamas is trying to achieve a balance in resolving the conflict.

Chiến sự Israel – Hamas ngày 3/3/2024: Hamas muốn Nga trung gian hòa giải; Mỹ thả hàng cứu trợ xuống Dải Gaza

Hamas wants Russia to participate in the conflict resolution process instead of the US as it is now. Photo: Getty

Israel has now made concessions in talks with Hamas over the release of hostages. Tel Aviv is considering the possibility of releasing Palestinians convicted of terrorism in exchange for some of the hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.

In connection with the conflict, Lebanon has received information that Israel will soon break the ceasefire that has existed between the two countries.

At a session of the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya, Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdalla Bu Habib stated: “We have sent many messages through the Western powers… We have asked for a ceasefire, but Israel replied that they do not want this.”

Mr. Abdalla Bu Habib stressed that the issue of reconciliation with Lebanon's Hezbollah movement is almost impossible and Israel knows this: "We are now at a crossroads. Yes, we are scared, but do not let Israel think that they can come to Lebanon as a picnic and start their war. This war, if it breaks out, will spread to the entire region."

However, the Lebanese foreign minister pointed out that Israel had expressed a desire to discuss the border situation during recent talks.

US officials are now concerned about the possibility that the Israeli Defense Forces could cross the Lebanese border again, with such a military move expected to begin in late spring or early summer 2024.

Meanwhile, the US military has begun dropping aid into the Gaza Strip as the region nears a humanitarian disaster due to the months-long Israel-Hamas war.

US C-130 military transport aircraft dropped more than 38,000 meals along the Mediterranean coast of the Gaza Strip. Jordanian military forces also participated in the operation. "We are planning further aid drop missions if they are able to be deployed," the US military said.

A US Central Command (CENTCOM) official said the operation took place in the southern Gaza Strip with three C-130s participating. The US military also confirmed that the meals were religiously compliant and did not contain pork, which is prohibited under Islamic law.

The plan to airdrop supplies to Gaza was announced by US President Joe Biden on March 1, after Israeli soldiers were accused of opening fire on Palestinian civilians waiting for aid in the Gaza Strip. Currently, the land aid route is considered the main “lifeline” for Palestinian refugees trapped in the Gaza Strip. Jordan and France are providing this support to Palestinians.

Israel is likely to launch an attack on Lebanese territory if the conflict continues. Photo: Reuters

Some US officials have expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the method, arguing that the goods could end up in the hands of Hamas instead of civilians because the US military does not have troops on the ground to control the distribution of relief goods.

This approach will have limited effectiveness and will not address the “core problem” of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Only opening the border in the Gaza Strip can prevent the humanitarian crisis in the strip from continuing.

According to the Gaza health agency, the conflict and military operations of the Israeli Army have killed 30,320 Palestinians and injured 71,533, most of whom are women and children. According to the United Nations, the war has displaced 85% of the Gaza Strip's population amid shortages of food, clean water and medicine. About 60% of the infrastructure in the area has been damaged or destroyed.

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