Biden’s New Proposal… Hamas Declares: No Prisoner Exchange Without Ending the War and Full Withdrawal / Yemen Establishes Unilateral Control Over the Red Sea Following the Withdrawal of U.S. Ships

September 04, 2024

Albinaa’ Newspaper Headlines

 The political editor wrote

White House and National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby announced that President Joe Biden is collaborating with Egyptian and Qatari intermediaries on a new proposal aimed at bridging the negotiation gap that has prevented an agreement to secure a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. This development follows statements from Biden that seemed critical of the occupying entity’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which were echoed by critical responses from Egypt and Qatar. The reference to a negotiation gap alludes to Hamas’s rejection of what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described after his meeting with Netanyahu two weeks ago as the American proposal. It was later revealed that this proposal was merely Netanyahu’s demands, which Washington adopted at the expense of its original initiative – an initiative that Hamas had agreed to. This new American proposal suggests a further U.S. commitment to avoiding a return to Biden’s original plan, which Hamas had accepted, and instead attempts to craft a middle-ground text between Biden’s proposal and Netanyahu’s demands, exerting pressure on Hamas to accept it. Washington continues to refer to this as a ceasefire agreement rather than an end to the war, and speaks of hostage release rather than a prisoner exchange.

Hamas responded to this new proposal through senior leader Osama Hamdan, who stated that what is needed is not new proposals, but rather pressure on Netanyahu to accept the initiative President Biden presented as an Israeli proposal at the end of May – an initiative that Netanyahu rejected after Hamas accepted it on July 2nd. Hamdan emphasised that Hamas’s position is clear: there will be no release of prisoners without an agreement that ensures the end of the war and a full withdrawal from Gaza.

In support of Gaza, the Lebanese front continues its strikes on the occupying entity’s military positions, while significant developments have occurred on the Red Sea front. Yemen has asserted its control over the Red Sea, as evidenced by a series of strikes on ships over the past few days – one ship per day – amid reports from various sources. Reuters confirmed the withdrawal of U.S. warships from the Red Sea, noting that the U.S. decision to abandon its mission there was unexpected, given the reputation it has tried to build over decades regarding its naval strength. This move reflects shifting power dynamics and the onset of a different era.

In a report published this week, Reuters stated, “In a measure of the need to make tough choices, however, Washington has scaled back forces it had kept in the Red Sea since late 2023, when the USS Eisenhower carrier battle group spent months knocking down drones and rockets fired by…the Houthis” as Reuters terms them. The report also corroborated recent claims by the American news site Axios that the Red Sea is now devoid of U.S. warships, a situation previously confirmed by the British newspaper The Telegraph, which noted that British ships had also left the region. Reuters further highlighted that the Eisenhower “battle group used up more Tomahawk land attack missiles than the U.S. military purchased in the whole of 2023”.

Despite this, Yemen attacks continued, and U.S. warships are no longer present. Reuters added that “With much merchant shipping now avoiding the Red Sea, the idea that the world’s pre-eminent naval force, the U.S. Navy, might largely abandon its campaign there would once have been unthinkable”. Reuters added that the fact that the U.S. has done so points to a “ feeling that the United States now faces a very different era”.

These developments are a testament to the success of Yemeni armed forces in imposing new realities, ending U.S. naval dominance, and forcing the United States to reconsider its approach after failing to curb Yemen’s operations in support of Gaza.

In Lebanon, a significant event has captured public attention: the Public Prosecutor issued a precautionary detention order for former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh for four days, following years of anticipation and questions regarding the legal cases against him. Public reactions ranged from celebrating the bold decision and hoping for steps that would reveal the fate of stolen depositors’ funds and reclaim those that were smuggled out, to cautious optimism amid fears that the move might be temporary and that Salameh could later be released on bail or a residence guarantee due to interventions. There is concern that the black box of information Salameh possesses might be uncovered. Others are even more cautious, questioning whether this step was taken in anticipation of an international arrest warrant issued by a European country via Interpol, which would compel Lebanon to extradite him. Salameh’s detention by the Lebanese judiciary might place his cases and trial under Lebanese jurisdiction, potentially preventing extradition requests.