Gaza [Palestine], July 23: Yesterday (July 22), The Times of Israel quoted an announcement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office that the country will return to the negotiation process for the release of hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Increased risk
However, after many rounds of negotiations that progressed and then stalled, the announcement was not enough to become a possible signal for peace in the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the "tit-for-tat" situation between Israel and the Houthi forces in Yemen is showing many signs of escalation. Also yesterday, Reuters quoted Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam, in an interview with Al Jazeera TV, saying that this force will continue to attack Israel and will not follow any rules of engagement. The statement was made after Israel on July 20 raided Houthi military targets near Yemen's Hodeidah port, killing at least 6 people. This is the first time Israel has attacked a target inside Yemen. Israel's raid was in retaliation for the Houthis using drones to attack several targets in Tel Aviv on July 19.
Not only did tensions between Tel Aviv and the Houthis increase, Israel also continued to attack Khan Younis City in the Gaza Strip on July 22, causing many deaths. Meanwhile, Hezbollah forces also announced on July 22 that they had just attacked Israel.
Responding to Thanh Nien yesterday (July 22), a defense intelligence expert, a former US Army colonel who once ran a NATO military intelligence unit in the Balkans, worried: "The upcoming war in Gaza in particular and the Middle East in general will be more complicated and widespread. Israel is ready to take the necessary strong actions to suppress the Houthi forces in Yemen. The main target that Israel is aiming for is the Houthi ports and airports to prevent this force from receiving supplies."
Israel under the influence of American politics
In addition, the expert said that Israel's problem is that it has become too dependent on the US for weapons supplies. Tel Aviv will find it difficult to sustain long-term military operations without Washington's support.
Therefore, this US presidential election has a profound impact on Israel. "The Democratic Party has factions that want to prevent Israel from destroying Hamas or conducting military operations against the Houthis. This group has limited US actions against the Houthis and pressured the White House to limit providing resources for Tel Aviv to conduct military operations against Hamas and Houthis," the expert commented, saying that US President Joe Biden always attaches importance to pleasing political factions.
In contrast, according to the expert, former President Donald Trump is a strong supporter of Israel, as are the majority of Americans over the age of 30. Young American voters do not support Israel.
"Therefore, the outcome of the 2024 election will affect America's willingness and ability to support Israel. Even if Trump is elected, he must have a Republican majority in both houses of Congress to support Israel or any other US ally. That is why this election is so important for Israel. The presidential election is the one that attracts attention, but the House and Senate elections are equally important because they determine the number of representatives of each party in Congress, which is closely related to supporting or not supporting the White House's policies," the analyst said.
He added that some Republicans are considered isolationists who are no longer interested in spending money in Europe, but want to shift resources to Asia, where China's rise and many challenges exist.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper