US Special Envoy for Middle East Humanitarian Issues David Satterfield pointed out that Washington has no indications that Lebanon would slip into the raging conflict in Gaza but warned that the risk exists as long as fire exchanges across the southern border with Israel continue.
Speaking at an online press conference on Thursday, Satterfield said, “There is no indication on any side that there is an intent to precipitate a conflict, but it is essential that there will be no provocative actions undertaken by Iran or Hezbollah.”
“The US does not believe that this type of conflict (involving Hezbollah and Iran) is inevitable. However, the character of the exchanges that Hezbollah has launched across Israel’s northern border always raises the potential for miscalculation, and they need to stop.”
The former ambassador accused Hamas of jeopardizing the lives of civilians in Gaza by being deeply entrenched “in, around, and under” the densely-populated tiny enclave, home to more than 2 million people.
“We wish to see Israel able to end the threat that this terrorist group poses to Israelis, as well as the threat that they have posed to the civilians of Gaza, for whose welfare they do not care.”
He argued that the fact that Hamas is heavily embedded in Gaza increases the complexity of Israel’s campaign to eliminate it enormously.
Satterfield, a former ambassador to Lebanon, said the US is currently focused on channeling humanitarian aid to south and central Gaza, noting that the daily four-hour humanitarian pause announced by Israel on Thursday will allow a safe passage for civilians from northern Gaza to the south.
“We have moved the level of assistance up from zero three weeks ago to around 100 trucks a day today into south Gaza. Much more than that is needed, but we had to make a start, and we hope to build and expand on it,” he added.
On the future of Gaza, the US envoy said his country does not support the displacement of Gaza’s population, stressing that “those in the south must have the ability to return to the north when it is safe.”
He added, “We see a future in Gaza that is determined by Palestinians, with no separation between Gaza and the West Bank. We also believe that the two-state solution is the only ultimate guarantor of a peaceful future for Israel as well as for the Palestinians.”
However, he underlined that “two things must not happen” at the end of the ongoing conflict, notably “an Israeli occupation of Gaza and Hamas remaining in power.”
