The prospect of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah without a similar deal with Hamas in Gaza has left Palestinians feeling abandoned and fearful that Israel will focus squarely on its onslaught in the enclave.
The Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel in October of 2023, triggering the Gaza war.
Hostilities in Lebanon have drastically escalated in the last two months, with Israel stepping up airstrikes and sending in ground forces to Lebanon's south and Hezbollah sustaining rocket fire on Israel.
Now Israel looks set to approve a U.S. plan for a ceasefire with Hezbollah when its security cabinet meets on Tuesday, while Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed hope that a ceasefire would be reached by Tuesday night.
While diplomacy focuses on Lebanon, Palestinians feel let down by the world after 14 months of conflict which has devastated the Gaza Strip and killed more than 44,000 people.
"It showed Gaza is an orphan, with no support and no mercy from the unjust world," said Abdel-Ghani, a father of five who only gave a first name.
"I am angry against the world that has failed to bring one solution to the two regions," Abdel-Ghani. "Maybe, there will be another deal for Gaza, maybe."
An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire without a deal for Gaza would be a blow to Hamas, whose leaders had hoped the expansion of the war into Lebanon would pressure Israel to reach a comprehensive ceasefire. Hezbollah had insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition.
"We had high hopes that Hezbollah would remain steadfast until the end but it seems they couldn't," said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman, who like most Gazans has been displaced from his home. "We are afraid the Israeli army will now have a free hand in Gaza."
Months of efforts by Arab mediators, Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have so far failed to conclude a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that would end the war in Gaza, and see the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas as well as Palestinians jailed by Israel.
The war erupted when Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages.
Earlier in November Qatar told Hamas and Israel it would stall its efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until they show "willingness and seriousness" to resume talks.
The White House said U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk would be in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss using a potential Lebanon ceasefire as a catalyst for a deal to end hostilities in Gaza.
Following the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his successor at the hands of Israel, some commanders within the group may remain in their positions as part of a potential Lebanon deal.
"We hoped the expansion of the war meant one solution for all, but we were left alone in the face of the monstrous (Israeli) occupation," said Zakeya Rezik, 56, a mother of six.
"Enough is enough, we are exhausted. How many more had to die before they stopped the war? Gaza war must stop, the people are being wiped out, starved, and bombed every day."
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Hundreds of people gathered for a second consecutive week at Tel Aviv’s Hostages Square, on Friday (12 December), to support the family of Master Sgt. Ran Gvili, the last remaining Israeli hostage whose body is believed to be held in Gaza.
Torrential rain has swept across Gaza, flooding hundreds of tents and homes sheltering families displaced by years of conflict, raising concerns that the fragile ceasefire may be cracking as authorities struggle to manage the growing humanitarian crisis.
Israel’s position that phase two of the Gaza ceasefire cannot begin without the final hostage being returned is intended to pressure Hamas rather than halt the U.S. plan, analyst Nuno Wahnon Martins tells AnewZ.
The names of world leaders who will serve on the Gaza Board of Peace is expected to be announced early next year according to U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (10 December).
Japan has lifted a tsunami advisory issued after an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the country's northeastern region on Friday (12 December), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said. The JMA had earlier put the earthquake's preliminary magnitude at 6.7.
Iran is preparing to host a multilateral regional meeting next week in a bid to mediate between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The United States issued new sanctions targeting Venezuela on Thursday, imposing curbs on three nephews of President Nicolas Maduro's wife, as well as six crude oil tankers and shipping companies linked to them, as Washington ramps up pressure on Caracas.
The resignation of Bulgaria's government on Thursday (11 December) puts an end to an increasingly unpopular coalition but is likely to usher in a period of prolonged political instability on the eve of the Black Sea nation's entry into the euro zone.
An extratropical cyclone has caused widespread disruption across Brazil’s São Paulo state, with powerful winds toppling trees and power lines, blocking streets and leaving large parts of the region without electricity.
Britain’s King Charles III said on Friday, 12 December, that his cancer treatment is expected to be reduced in the coming year, using a televised address to urge people across the country to take part in cancer screening programmes, officials confirmed.
Talks aimed at ending the war between Ukraine and Russia are set to continue in Berlin this weekend, with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and senior European leaders, a U.S. official said.
Türkiye’s Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Friday that discussions in Washington with U.S. officials have strengthened efforts to expand bilateral trade, moving closer to a $100 billion target.
Lebanon is prepared to demarcate its border with Syria, President Joseph Aoun said on Friday, while noting that the dispute over the Shebaa Farms could be addressed at a later stage.
Greek farmers blocked the Port of Thessaloniki on Friday (12 December) as part of nationwide protests demanding delayed European Union subsidies and compensation for rising production costs and livestock losses.
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