International newspapers and websites highlighted the ongoing negotiations regarding the besieged Gaza Strip, the chances of reaching an agreement, the ongoing Houthi attacks on Israel, in addition to the Russian presence in Libya.
The Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli and American officials as saying that the chances of reaching an agreement in Gaza before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump are slim. It continued, citing an official familiar with the negotiations, that “the Gaza talks are continuing, and that there are still some gaps that must be settled.”
“Haaretz” wrote that the continuation of the war in Gaza “leads to a manpower crisis in the Israeli army, with hundreds of regular officers recently ending their service, and the difficulty of adapting the reserve system,” noting that many reserve units confirmed that the rate of compliance with conscription orders recently decreased to 60%. .
The Israeli newspaper indicated that Major General Eyal Zamir (Director General of the Ministry of Defense) appears to be the candidate to succeed Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy.
On the other hand, “The New York Times” quoted researcher Emma Ashford as saying, “The hypocrisy of President Joe Biden’s administration was exposed through the divided screen that everyone around the world sees regarding Gaza and Ukraine.” She added that the president’s administration says that one of the two conflicts is an unacceptable war crime, while it says that The other is self-defense.
The American newspaper quoted Matt Doss, a former advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders, as saying that Biden stood by Israel unconditionally even as it did the same things that Russia did in Ukraine.
Regarding the issue of Yemen, the Wall Street Journal reported on Israel’s intensification of its strikes on the Houthis yesterday, targeting Yemen’s airport and power stations “in an attempt to deter the last Iranian-backed group that poses a direct threat to it.”
The American newspaper notes that analysts believe that the Houthis “represent a difficult challenge to Israel, whether because of their distance or because they are a relatively new enemy that Israeli intelligence has not focused on yet.”
In the same context, The Washington Post quoted – from an informed Israeli source, who spoke on condition of anonymity – that Israel informed the United States of Thursday’s attacks in Yemen before they were carried out, and an American military official said that his country’s army did not participate effectively in the strikes.
Regarding the Syrian issue, Le Figaro wrote that there are “rumors that have spread since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad regarding the possibility of strengthening the Russian presence in eastern Libya, to compensate for the possible exit from Syria.”
The French newspaper says that Russian President Vladimir Putin “maintained for years access to eastern Libya, but a permanent Russian military presence was considered taboo by the authorities.” More than a week ago – the newspaper adds – foreign observers noticed, as well as satellite images, an unusual intensity of Russian movements in Libya.