Why Hamas stayed out of the latest Gaza conflict

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A ceasefire between Israel and the PIJ on Gaza that went into effect Sunday at 11:30 p.m. local time (4:30 p.m. ET) appeared to be holding nearly 24 hours later. The conflict led to the death of at least 44 militants and civilians in Gaza, according to information from the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Fifteen of the dead were children. Israel insists that most of those killed were militants and that several civilians were killed by missed rocket fire.
Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza, expressed his support for the actions of the PIJ. But it kept its much larger and more powerful rocket arsenal out of the equation, while the IDF made it clear from the start that it was focusing solely on PIJ targets.

This prevented the conflict from escalating into a larger and more dangerous confrontation, and closer to what happened during the 11-day war in May 2021.

So why not get involved? According to Israeli analysts and officials, one of the reasons is the fact that only 15 months remain since the Conflict of 2021 which caused extensive damage and death in Gaza. Palestinians are still rebuilding their homes there and Hamas is rebuilding its arsenal.

The Israeli government also believes its campaign of economic incentives – increasing the number of permits granted to Gazans to enter Israel to work – is a success.

Israel and Egypt have imposed a closure on Gaza since 2007, limiting access to the territory by land, air and sea, including strict restrictions on the movement of residents and the movement of goods.

If rockets are fired, Israel closes the border and thousands of Gazans with permits cannot work in Israel or be paid.

On Monday, a senior Israeli diplomat said Hamas was “an enemy, not a partner…but there is cooperation we can do, mainly through Egypt, to improve the situation in Gaza.” .

For showing restraint, Hamas will expect to be rewarded.

Lapid’s first major safety test

The weekend dispute was also the first major military test for caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid. Unlike his predecessor Naftali Bennett, Lapid is not known for his military combat experience. But like US President Joe Biden’s visit last month, it was another moment for Lapid to look like a real prime minister – images Lapid likely hopes Israelis will remember as they did at the polls in November. .

The conflict has also resulted in another breakthrough, albeit on a somewhat smaller scale: the former prime minister, now leader of the opposition Benjamin Netanyahu met Lapid on Sunday to receive a security briefing on the operation. It was his first security briefing since leaving office, even though the law is supposed to be standard practice. Until this weekend, Netanyahu had boycotted the meetings.

After the meeting, Netanyahu said he supported the operation and gave his “full support to the government, the IDF and the security forces”.

Parts of Gaza are once again in ruins and mourning continues for the lives lost, but for ordinary Israelis and Gazans the conflict has not brought about a substantial change in the political situation on the ground.

The summary

Russian envoy to Iran nuclear talks says they are ‘going in the right direction’

Ambassador Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia’s chief negotiator in Vienna for talks to revive the Iran nuclear deal, told media on Sunday: “I cannot guarantee [anything]but the impression is that we are moving in the right direction.” He said there were “minimal” unresolved issues, “only 3 [or] 4.”

  • Background: Tehran has accelerated uranium enrichment at a pace not seen since signing the 2015 nuclear deal. Former US President Donald Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018. In June, Iran withdrew from the deal. turns off surveillance cameras used by the International Atomic Energy Agency to monitor activity at major nuclear facilities in the country. Sunday marked the fourth day of this latest round – the ninth – of the Iranian nuclear talks.
  • why is it important: The talks broke down earlier this year because of Tehran’s insistence that the United States remove the Revolutionary Guards from its list of terrorist organizations, which the United States has refused to do. The United States, however, sent special envoy for Iran Rob Malley to Vienna for the new round of talks, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last Monday that the United States was “ready to go from forward on the basis of what has been agreed”, but it is not clear whether Iran is ready to do the same.

Putin and Erdogan agree to start partial ruble payment for Russian gas

Bilateral talks in Sochi between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan included an agreement to pay Russia in rubles for partial gas deliveries. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said that the two presidents had reached agreements on the creation of a financial banking bloc “to allow commercial companies, Russian citizens, to pay during tourist trips and exchange money. ‘silver”.

  • Background: Russia tried to force its customers to pay for energy in rubles. President Vladimir Putin signed a decree in March requiring buyers of natural gas from “hostile countries” to hold accounts at Gazprombank – Russia’s third-largest bank – and settle contracts in roubles.
  • why is it important: Russia is on a mission to prove that it is not as isolated as the United States would like. Closer relations between Putin and Erdogan could provide Russia with ways to ease the pressure of Western sanctions on the country. The ruble crashed to a record high following the invasion, but it is the best performing currency in the world this year, according to Reuters. The central bank has policies in place to prevent investors and businesses from selling the currency and other measures that force them to buy it.

Iranian city hits 53 degrees Celsius, world’s hottest temperature this year

Abadan, Iran recorded a high temperature of 53.0C (127.4F) on Friday – the highest temperature recorded in the world in 2022, according to weather historian Maximiliano Herrera.

  • Background: Many places across Iran, Iraq and Kuwait exceeded 50 degrees Celsius on Friday. Temperatures are expected to drop back closer to average after the weekend, with highs in the mid to high 40s Celsius. The highest temperature ever recorded in the world was 56.7°C (134.1°F) in Death Valley, California on July 10, 1913.
  • why is it important: Heat of this caliber raises major concerns for heat-related illnesses, especially for those without access to water and adequate shelter and is likely to strengthen the case for action against climate change.

What is the trend

Kuwait: #Wage_rise_is_a_public_demand

Citizens of one of the richest Arab countries are demanding higher wages.

Kuwaitis have taken to Twitter to express their frustration with the country’s economic situation, blaming official corruption and greed for alleged wage inequality.

Kuwaiti citizens are a minority in the country of 4.2 million, accounting for barely 30% of the population, according to world population review. Most depend on government jobs to earn a living.

“It is inconceivable that a rich country like Kuwait, which has a small population and the strongest currency in the world [wouldn’t raise wages]”, tweeted Mohammed Al Huwaishel. “The demands of the people must be met without conditions.

Many Kuwaitis accept government jobs – where the salary can be up to 28% higher than the private sector — either because they lack the skills to work in the private sector, or because some of these jobs are considered menial, depending on the Middle East Institute.
Due to the benefits offered in government jobs, the private sector finds it difficult to attract Kuwaitis. According to the International Monetary Fund, salaries and benefits make up a third of the state budget. The government has set aside $72 billion spent for its latest budget.

The World Bank warned in December that the government’s wage bill was unsustainable, saying that if the situation persisted, the country’s financial reserves would be depleted. The nation has made the least progress among oil-rich Arab Gulf countries in reforming its wage bill and has even increased hiring, he said.

Another hashtag on Twitter called for the government to write off citizens’ debt, which is not unprecedented. After the end of the 1991 Gulf War, the government wrote off almost all consumer debt.

By Mohamed Abdelbary

Photo of the day

Iraqi Shia Muslims take part in a mourning ritual in Sadr City, eastern Baghdad, late August 7 to mark Ashura, a 10-day period commemorating the murder of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson, the Imam Hussein, during the battle of Karbala in 680. A D.

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