US bolsters Israeli defence ahead of Gaza truce talks; Iran vows to punish Israel for Hamas leader’s death

Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, reiterated the country’s determination to punish Israel for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in particular.

Israel Aerospace Industries is proceeding with a plan to establish a presence in Abu Dhabi, where it will convert Emirates aircraft into freighters, highlighting how the United Arab Emirates remains committed to building ties with Israel even as tensions rise in the region.

US beefs up Middle East forces ahead of Gaza truce talks

The US shored up naval and air forces in the Middle East to help Israel fend off any major attack from Iran or Lebanon’s Hezbollah, ahead of a resumption of Gaza ceasefire talks planned for later this week.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to speed up its arrival in the region and also dispatched the guided-missile submarine USS Georgia, according to a readout from a call with Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant on Sunday.

The move bolsters Israeli defences and may deter Iran, which — along with its Hezbollah proxy — has vowed reprisals for the back-to-back assassinations of top militants in Beirut and Tehran almost two weeks ago.

Read more: Israel bolsters infrastructure defence amid Iranian threats

Iran’s acting foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, reiterated the country’s determination to punish Israel for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in particular. Washington is keen to avoid a major flare-up three months before a presidential election. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for Haniyeh’s death.

The US, Qatar and Egypt last week called for a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks on 15 August, an effort to resolve long-deadlocked negotiations between Israel and Hamas more than 10 months into their war. Hamas has pushed back against the proposal, saying discussions should centre on implementing previous plans.

France, Germany and the UK endorsed the plan for talks on Monday and urged Iran to refrain from attacks.

Israel has agreed to attend the talks. One Israeli official said they would take place in Doha with a focus on whether Hamas might relent on truce terms. Another Israeli official said the Arab mediators would confer with Hamas afterwards. Israel has not yielded on its main terms, said the officials, who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the issue.

Hamas militants attacked Israel on 7 October, with Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Yemen-based Houthis engaging in rocket-fire battles in solidarity. All three groups are sponsored by Iran and designated terrorist organisations by the US.

Read more: How Iran extends its power via allied militant groups: QuickTake

Austin and Gallant discussed “efforts to deter aggression by Iran, Hezbollah and other Iran-aligned groups across the region” and progress towards securing a ceasefire and the release of hostages held in Gaza, according to the statement from the US Department of Defense.

Gallant’s office played up the “inter-operability” of Israeli and US military systems, indicating the allies would fight as a united front.

Previous rounds of ceasefire talks have been held up in part by Israel’s determination to resume fighting after any pause to ensure Hamas is destroyed. Hamas has demanded a total Israeli withdrawal from the coastal Palestinian territory it has run since 2007, now partially destroyed by months of war.

Other sticking points include the number of hostages Hamas is prepared to release and when, and which Palestinian prisoners would be offered in return.

A deal that offers Hamas a reprieve could be enough to persuade Iran and its proxy groups to hold off on their promised attacks. But Israeli media has speculated a retaliation for the assassinations could come before the truce talks are scheduled to start.

Israel’s military campaign against Hamas continues, with a deadly strike on Gaza City attracting international condemnation at the weekend. The Israeli military said the attack, which Hamas authorities said killed about 100 people, was aimed at a Hamas “command and control centre” embedded within a school and adjacent mosque and that at least 31 fighters were among the dead.

“These are fateful days,” Israel’s Maariv newspaper quoted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as telling his Cabinet members, adding that he instructed them not to discuss the stand-off in public. Netanyahu’s office had no comment on the report.

But a rift still opened up in high office, after the Ynet news site quoted Gallant as speaking dismissively, during a closed-door parliamentary session, of the concept of “total victory” which has been Netanyahu’s rallying cry.

Gallant’s spokespeople declined to comment on the report, which drew a rebuke from Netanyahu. “When Gallant adopts the anti-Israel narrative, he harms the chances of reaching a hostage-release deal,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

Israel Aerospace to set up freighter shop in Abu Dhabi

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is proceeding with a plan to establish a presence in Abu Dhabi, where it will convert Emirates aircraft into freighters, highlighting how the United Arab Emirates remains committed to building ties with Israel even as tensions rise in the region.

The aviation arm of IAI, which provides maintenance repair and overhaul services for aircraft, is set to reconfigure 10 Boeing 777s from Emirates’ fleet into cargo freighters at two hangars starting in October, said Shmuel Kuzi, the executive vice-president of the division.

The Israeli company had signed a deal with the airline to convert four aircraft in 2021, which at the time marked one of the first outcomes for aviation companies from the normalisation of relations between the UAE and Israel.

Relationships between Israel and several nations across the Middle East have been strained since October, when the Israel-Hamas war erupted in Gaza. Turkey halted trade with the state, while US-led efforts to get Saudi Arabia and Israel to formally recognise each other have stalled. The UAE, meanwhile, has pledged to stick with its decision to recognise Israel, though it has frequently criticised the country for continuing its war in Gaza and has called for a ceasefire.

“The situation is very, very sensitive,” said Kuzi, referring to talks with airlines and leasing companies that are current or future customers. “Aviation is always influenced by the political issues, but today I’m able to say that hangars are full.” DM

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