On July 29, 2024, US President Biden delivered a speech at the Lyndon Johnson Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, USA, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Civil Rights Act.
Elisabeth Franz | Reuters
US President Joe Biden said he still wants Iran to step down despite its threats to avenge the assassination of Hamas leader in Tehran, as fears grow that Israel's war against Palestinian militants in Gaza could escalate into something more serious. Widespread Middle East Conflict.
Hamas's top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli attack in Beirut that killed Hezbollah's top military commander, Fouad Shukr. Fuad Shukr, a group that, like Hamas, is backed by Iran.
Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of killing Haniyeh and, along with Hezbollah, have vowed revenge. Israel has not claimed or denied responsibility.
Asked by reporters whether Iran would step down, Biden said Saturday in response to a loud question, “I hope so. I don't know.”
To bolster defenses in the Middle East against threats from Israel's enemies, the Pentagon said on Friday it would deploy more fighter jets and Navy warships to the region.
As the war in Gaza approaches its 11th month, Haniyeh's death is one of a series of killings of senior Hamas figures, fueling concerns that the conflict in Gaza is evolving into a broader Middle East war.
Hamas said it had begun “extensive consultations” to choose a new leader, three days after Haniyeh's assassination.
The United States continued diplomatic contacts with international partners including France, Britain, Italy and Egypt on Saturday to prevent further escalation of regional tensions.
The United States has urged citizens wishing to leave Lebanon to start making plans immediately, and the British government has advised its nationals to “leave immediately.” Canada warned citizens to avoid traveling to Israel and said regional armed conflict jeopardized security.
Violence in Gaza and the West Bank
Violence continued in the Palestinian territories on Saturday.
Hamas said an Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza City killed at least 15 Palestinians on Saturday, hours after two airstrikes in the occupied West Bank killed several Palestinians including Palestinians. Nine militants, including Commander Maas, died.
The Israeli military said the first of two airstrikes in the West Bank hit a car in a town near the city of Tulkarem, targeting an armed group it said was carrying out attacks.
Hamas' statement said one of the dead was the commander of its Tulkarem brigade, while its ally Islamic Jihad claimed the other four men killed in the attack were its fighters.
The Israeli military said a second airstrike in the area hours later targeted another group of militants who fired on troops in what it said was a counterterrorism operation in Tulkarem.
Palestinian news agency WAFA said the attack killed four people, while Hamas said all nine people killed in two Israeli attacks in the West Bank were militants.
At least 39,550 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military operation in Gaza, according to Gaza health officials. The offensive was triggered by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7 that left 1,200 people dead and 250 abducted, according to Israeli statistics.
A high-level Israeli delegation paid a brief visit to Cairo on Saturday in an attempt to revive Gaza cease-fire talks, Egyptian Airports Authority sources said. Israeli media said Israeli officials returned to Israel a few hours later.
After recent events in Lebanon and Iran, the likelihood of a breakthrough appears low. Israel has not revealed whether it was behind Haniyeh's assassination. But Netanyahu said earlier this week that Israel had recently dealt devastating blows to Iranian proxies including Hamas and Hezbollah.