The ceasefire could secure Israel recognition from Saudi Arabia

2024-05-03 15:30:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The United States is working on a plan to release the hostages and achieve a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. As Voice of America correspondent Linda Gradstein reports, if achieved, this could help establish diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The plan comes amid tensions between the US and Israel over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's insistence that he will attack Rafah, the city on the southern edge of the Gaza Strip.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his recent visit to Israel confirmed that the government of this country has responded to US requests to increase the amount of aid reaching Gaza. He acknowledged, however, that there are still disagreements between Washington and Israel over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's intention to attack Rafah, on the southern edge of Gaza.

"We will not support a major military operation in Rafah in the absence of a plan to ensure that civilians are not harmed. We have yet to see such a plan. In our judgment, the best way to Dealing with Hamas is not through a major military operation in Rafah," says Mr. Blinken.

Prime Minister Netanyahu insists Israel must intervene in Rafah to strike the last four Hamas battalions, where Yahya Sinwari, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, is believed to be hiding. This would increase the pressure for the release of the hostages. President Biden has made it clear that he is against an operation in Rafah unless Israel can guarantee the safety of the more than one million civilians sheltered there. "Biden says Israel should not go to Rafah, the town on the border between Israel and Egypt and the only remaining refuge for Hamas. But the threat to go to Rafah is the only way to convince Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, to accept the agreement on the release of the hostages", says Eytan Gilboa, professor of political science at Bar Ilan University.

A ceasefire in the Gaza war is also seen by the United States as a precondition for normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. This normalization agreement was suspended with the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, but the United States is making intensive efforts to revive it.

"The normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia could have a transformative impact on the entire Middle East. This would strengthen America's allies and weaken the United States' enemies, mainly Iran and its allies," says Jonathan Rynhold, an expert on US-Israel relations at Bar Ilan University.

Professor Rynhold says that Israel would benefit from Saudi Arabia's recognition to soften tough international attitudes.

"Israel would greatly strengthen its diplomatic and military positions. Diplomatically, this would make it much more difficult for those seeking to undermine Israel's legitimacy through boycotts and sanctions if the most prestigious Muslim state in the region, and perhaps the world, normalizes its relations with Israel," says Professor Rynhold.

Some announcements in Israel say that Saudi Arabia is so interested in reaching a defense pact with the United States that it can normalize relations with Israel even without a cease-fire in Gaza./ Voa