By Athena Papakosta

At a time when US media are reporting that the Biden administration is asking Israel to delay its ground operation in the Gaza Strip to buy a little more time for the hostage negotiations, Monday night two of them are released.

They are Nurit Cooper, 79, and Jocsved Lifsic, 85. Their release was achieved after the mediation of Cairo and Doha with the representative of the Palestinian organization, Hamas, stressing that they were released “for humanitarian and medical reasons”. It was preceded by the release of Judith Ranan and her daughter, Natalie.

The fate of the remaining approximately 220 hostages remains in question. Among them are many Americans, with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken saying over the weekend that the US is making “relentless efforts” to return them “by every means, partnership and relationship” at its disposal.

As reported by foreign news networks on Monday night, feverish negotiations were underway for the release of an additional 50 hostages with dual citizenship. However, the American newspaper Wall Street Journal underlined that the talks are leading to an impasse due to the non-delivery of fuel through the Rafah crossing.

With the start of the ground operation looking like a “hostage” until the hostages are freed, the so far Israeli aerial aggression is further intensified. The Israeli army announced last Saturday that it would intensify its operations in the Gaza Strip. The suffocating Palestinian enclave in just 24 hours counts at least 436 dead, while in the last two weeks a total of 5,087 civilians have been killed. Among them are 2,055 children, 1,119 women and 217 elderly. At the same time, entire residential blocks have been leveled, including places where Palestinians sought refuge. Most of Gaza is covered in debris, rubble and rubble.

On the one hand, the Israelis deny reports that Washington is advising them to delay the ground operation but for many it is not so much advice as dictation. On the other hand, there is no doubt that the land operation will begin. After all, according to Israel, this is the only way to eliminate, as it has repeatedly emphasized, Hamas and its infrastructure. Yesterday’s statements by US President Joe Biden, who rejected calls for a ceasefire, stressing “the hostages should be released and then we can talk”, are also indicative.

At the moment the situation in Gaza seems to have entered a pattern of airstrikes. However, the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas threatens to spread to the north of the country on the border with southern Lebanon. In particular, cross-border firefights along the Blue Line between the Israeli army and Hezbollah have increased dramatically, with around 20,000 people forced to flee their homes.

Going into the 18th day of the war, Washington chooses to send a new message to Iran. The spokesman for the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, recalled that the United States is strengthening its military capabilities in the Middle East and warned Iran and those who wish to escalate in the region “not to do it.”

It’s a statement Washington has been repeating for the past two weeks. This time, however, Tehran responded. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian who stressed that “in the last two weeks the US has demonstrated that it is intensifying and expanding the war in Gaza, the West Bank and against Palestinian women, children and civilians by sending thousands of arms shipments and showing full support for the Zionist regime. So I would like to say to Mr. Biden: ‘Stop the hypocrisy!'”