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Hamas’ highest-ranking leader has died in an Israeli strike on a tunnel located underneath a refugee camp in Gaza. Last week, Marwan Issa was targeted in the tunnel, making one less target on the Israeli’s most-wanted Hamas leaders list.
Marwan Issa is well-known for his leadership amongst Hamas members. Hamas’ death following the death of Saleh al-Arouri earlier on 2nd January, 2024. As Israeli forces seek national security advisors from the US, multiple Hamas members have been successfully investigated and consequently killed for their involvement in terrorist activities.
It is at this point that US President Joe Biden has expressed his deep sympathy for the people of Gaza. The increasing number of deaths have been well-documented by the US government, with an alarm being raised regarding a potential political conversation to be had between President Joe Biden and Benjamin Netanyahu – the Prime Minister of Israel.
Biden has expressed this growing concern over the war in Gaza, and with a statement denoting Hamas as a terrorist organisation, Biden has manoeuvred himself into a position calling for a potential ceasefire. Perhaps prompting other Western countries to act, the US government has been actively involved in proceedings in Gaza, with their condemnation of both the actions of the Israeli military and the terrorist acts of Hamas in the kidnapping of civilians on October 7th at the Re’im music festival in Israel.
With a call for an end to the war from the US, both President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu has reportedly been in talks with a common goal to find Hamas leaders, along with seeking an active solution amidst the latest developments of the war. Upcoming political elections in the US puts a significant amount of pressure on the actions of the US President, with votes looming on his impending decisions in regard to the war.
Consequently, the US is seeing increased involvement of Senior Democrats, who are becoming increasingly critical of the actions of Prime Minister Netanyahu. Currently, talks of a formal meeting between President Biden and Mr Netanyahu may be a pivotal moment in a delay of military action in Gaza, aligning similar goals of releasing hostages taken by Hamas earlier last year.
The conflict in Gaza is reaching into its sixth month, and it is at this point that political conversations between world leaders and the imperative of seeking an active solution for a ceasefire in Rafah, the Southern crossing in Gaza into Egypt.
The victims of the onslaught of violence that proceeded the events of October 7th are now in shelters in the last number of hospitals left in the region. It has been reported that Prime Minister Netanyahu is close to initiating discussions with Qatar for a possible ceasefire. The United States has also taken actions in the hope of mediating a new set of political motivations. In the coming months, there may be hope for an end to the ongoing political conflict that has taken countless innocent lives.
Edited By: Ayantika Ghosh
