Gaza hospital blast sparks regional unrest in Middle East, alarms US allies

In the wake of the Gaza hospital blast that was reported to have claimed the lives of hundreds widespread protests erupted Demonstrators expressed anger over leaders for failing to stop the carnage by pelting stones at Palestinian security forces in the occupied West Bank and clashing with riot police in neighbouring Jordan stated a report in The Associated PressIn response to this crisis President AbdelFattah elSissi of Egypt King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas all of whom are traditionally regarded as friends of the United States and often welcome meetings with American presidents decided to cancel a scheduled summit with Joe Biden As a result Bidens visit will now be confined to IsraelUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken had dedicated a significant portion of the past week to meeting with Arab leaders in an effort to alleviate tensions However these efforts now hang in the balance following the hospital blast the AP report elaboratedDecades of Palestinian suffering which had been somewhat concealed by USbrokered normalisation agreements between Israel and Arab states have resurfaced potentially leading to broader unrestAccording to the report King Abdullah expressed concern over the situation warning that the ongoing conflict could push the region into an unimaginable catastrophe King Abdullah is considered one of the Western worlds closest allies in the Middle EastGazas Health Ministry which is under the control of Hamas reported that an Israeli airstrike on the hospital resulted in hundreds of casualties Israel on the other hand asserted that the explosion was caused by a rocket misfired by Palestinian militants presenting aerial photos and other evidence to support its claimsUpon his arrival in Tel Aviv President Biden commented that the explosion seemed to have been caused by the other team rather than Israel but acknowledged that there was uncertainty among the public regarding the incidentDespite the doubts raised in some quarters the Arab protesters who gathered in several countries on Tuesday were unequivocal in their condemnation of what they perceived as an Israeli atrocity the report saidIn the Israelioccupied West Bank which has been under lockdown since a violent rampage by Hamas militants triggered the conflict on October 7 protests turned violent Demonstrators clashed with Palestinian security forces and called for the removal of President AbbasIsrael and the Western world have traditionally seen Abbas as a partner in efforts to reduce tensions but his Palestinian Authority is widely viewed by Palestinians as a corrupt and autocratic collaborator in Israels military occupation of the West BankIn Jordan which has long been considered a bastion of stability in the region mass protests have broken out in recent days On Tuesday proPalestinian demonstrators attempted to storm the Israeli Embassy One protester voiced the frustration of many told AP They are all normalizing Arab rulers none of them are free the free ones are all dead Arab countries are unable to do anythingEgypt the first Arab country to establish peace with Israel in the late 1970s witnessed thousands of students rallying at universities to condemn Israeli airstrikes on Gaza Demonstrators in Cairo Alexandria and other cities chanted slogans against Israel and expressed support for AlAqsa a contested holy site in Jerusalem In Cairo a smaller protest occurred near the US Embassy a rare sight given Egypts history of suppressing dissent the report statedHowever concerns are growing in Egypt that the combination of Israel potentially pushing Gazas population into Egypts Sinai Peninsula and skyrocketing consumer prices due to rampant inflation could lead to a volatile situation in the countryProtests also flared in Lebanon where Hezbollah has engaged in confrontations with Israeli forces along the border raising the possibility of the militant group entering the conflict with its substantial arsenal of rocketsBadr alSaif a history professor at Kuwait University emphasized the growing voice of the Arab street He stated The Arab street has a voice That voice may have been ignored in the past by governments in the region and the West but they cannot do this anymore People are on fireJust a few weeks ago the regional landscape appeared vastly different Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had proudly referred to the Abraham Accords a series of agreements in which four Arab states normalized relations with Israel in 2020 as a pivot of history heralding a new era of peace These agreements were struck with autocratic leaders willing to set aside the Palestinian issue to secure their own benefits from the US the report readThe United Arab Emirates sought advanced fighter jets Morocco gained US support for its claims in Western Sahara and Sudan had longstanding US sanctions lifted Saudi Arabia the potential crown jewel in these normalization efforts had sought a US defence pact aid for a civilian nuclear program and an undisclosed substantial concession to the PalestiniansShimrit Meir a former diplomatic adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett noted that the impact of the ongoing conflict on normalisation efforts remains uncertain She suggested that in the short term these efforts may face challenges especially in achieving a breakthrough with Saudi Arabia However in the long run Israels appeal to these countries hinges largely on its military strength and the need to restore its deterrenceDespite highlevel diplomacy ordinary Arabs and Muslims continue to express strong solidarity with the Palestinian cause even during events like last years World Cup soccer tournament when Palestinian flags were prominently displayed despite the absence of the Palestinian national team The recent devastation in Gaza has rekindled those sentimentsAmmar Ali Hassan an Egyptian political scientist affirmed that Arab governments face significant constraints when it comes to establishing ties with Israel during their actions against the Palestinians citing the strong sentiments of the Arab people He stated The Arab people wont accept such a move Even the rulers wouldnt benefit from such ties at this time