Israel celebrates Holocaust Remembrance Day at the Yad Vahim Memorial Museum in Jerusalem to honor the Jewish victims of World War II. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke at the commemoration, claiming that Jews will never be defenseless again, that Israel will fight to defeat Hamas, and that no international institution can stop Israel from "defending itself".
For Netanyahu, Israeli military operations have resulted in a large number of civilian deaths in Gaza, condemned by most countries around the world. At this point, there is no room for Netanyahu to retreat. "Breaking the jar and breaking it", instead of shouting a pause in the middle of it, it is better to directly bet on the political future, and perhaps be able to win the honor of the great hero of the frontier and leave a strong mark in the history of Israel.
But for Netanyahu to achieve his ambitions, it is not just Hamas that stands in the way, but also the United States. Two Israeli officials told the media that the U.S. government had suspended shipments of U.S.-made ammunition to Israel.
This year's U.S. presidential election will be held, and Biden's headache is the Gaza conflict, as the pro-Palestinian demonstrations and protests led by American college students continue and have swept through more than 60 colleges and universities in the United States. Under the ballot system, Biden's election will inevitably be seriously affected. In addition, there is a growing number of countries that have committed atrocities against Israeli forces in Gaza. Colombia announced that it would sever diplomatic relations with Israel on the 2nd. If Biden continues to favor Israel without a bottom line, it will continue to damage the international reputation of the United States. Biden's shouting that the so-called United States leads the world may become a joke for everyone.
From a strategic point of view, the United States is in full swing to launch the "Aukus" expansion plan, and the strategic focus is shifting to the Asia-Pacific region. Something in the Middle East is obviously not in the strategic interests of the United States, so it is necessary to put a little pressure on Israel to make Netanyahu give up attacking Rafah and turn the big thing into a small one to avoid the spillover of the Gaza conflict.
Although Hamas is a skirmish, its top brass is remarkable in its ability to assess the situation. On April 29, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Hamas to accept Israel's offer of a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible. However, Hamas has not compromised on the basis of petty profits. A senior Hamas official said Hamas would not accept a ceasefire that "fails to completely end the conflict in Gaza" and accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of obstructing a deal for "personal gains."
Hamas's top brass also appears to be betting that the United States will continue to press Israel for a ceasefire for various reasons. Therefore, the top Hamas leadership adheres to the core requirements and tries to get the most out of the negotiations with Israel.
In order to force Hamas to agree to a ceasefire agreement, the United States is pressuring Qatar to use the closure of Hamas's office in Doha, the capital of Qatar, as a bargaining chip to promote ceasefire negotiations.
"Carrots and sticks" are a common tactic used by the United States to pressure its competitors, and it is now being used against its allies. In the end, whether the desired result can be achieved through a series of interest exchanges is not only related to the interests of the United States itself, but also concerned about the survival of millions of refugees in Rafah. In many cases, the lives of civilians are often the victims of the game, and the lives of millions of refugees hang by a thread.
(Text/Woo Tsai)