US hopes Gaza ...
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In Tehran and other Iranian cities, daily activities continue as normal, indicating that despite a possible Iranian attack on Israel, a major war is not expected to break out.
Mehdi Rouhani, a businessman in Tehran, mentioned that business activities are proceeding without fear, and there is a general consensus among the public that Haniyeh was a respected guest of Iran, and Israel committed a war crime by targeting him—one that necessitates a response. Prominent human rights activist, Niloufar Taqvai, stated that had the international community imposed sanctions on Israel for its crimes, the Iranian public might have had differing opinions on retaliating against Israel. However, the United Nations and Western powers’ leniency toward Israeli aggression against Iran has closed the door on avoiding conflict.
Before the Doha negotiations began on Thursday, Hamas had rejected some Israeli proposals regarding the practical implementation of the cease-fire and insisted on including its own proposals in the agreement.
Since the Israeli aggression in Gaza, there has only been a week-long cease-fire in November 2023, after which mediation efforts have repeatedly stalled. At that time, Hamas had released dozens of Israeli prisoners in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails. A Hamas official stated that they continue consultations with mediators, having previously demanded the implementation of a proposal put forward by US President Joe Biden on May 31, rather than holding further talks. President Biden had suggested a phased plan that would begin with a six-week complete cease-fire, the release of some Israeli prisoners from Gaza, and an increase in humanitarian aid to the besieged area, followed by talks on a permanent end to the fighting.
Secretary of State Tony Blinken had recently informed several Middle Eastern counterparts that a cease-fire agreement in Gaza was of utmost importance and that efforts must be made as continued tension is in no one’s interest.
This latest mediation attempt comes at a time that Hamas’s leader and cease-fire negotiator Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran, escalating regional tensions. Western leaders have urged Tehran to refrain from attacking Israel in response to Haniyeh’s assassination. This incident occurred just hours after the assassination of a senior Hezbollah commander, an ally of Hamas, in an Israeli attack in Beirut. A question arises: Will progress in the Gaza cease-fire talks reduce the intensity of Iran’s retaliatory attacks? Biden hopes that the prospects of a cease-fire will temper Iran’s anger. However, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani has stated that Tehran rejects Western demands to refrain from taking strong action against Israel, which violated its sovereignty. Last week, Iran’s mission to the United Nations expressed hope that retaliatory actions would not undermine a potential ceasefire in Gaza.