US President Joe Biden expressed hope that Iran would stand down despite its threat to avenge the assassination of Hamas' leader in Tehran, as concerns grew that Israel's war against Palestinian militants in Gaza could escalate into a broader Middle East conflict. Regional tensions have surged following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' top leader, on Wednesday, a day after an Israeli strike in Beirut killed Fuad Shukr, a senior military commander from the Lebanese group Hezbollah, which, like Hamas, is backed by Iran. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for Haniyeh's killing, and they, along with Hezbollah, have vowed revenge. Israel has neither claimed nor denied responsibility.
Asked by reporters whether Iran would stand down, Biden responded on Saturday to a shouted question, "I hope so. I don't know." In response to threats from Israel's adversaries, the Pentagon announced on Friday that it would deploy additional fighter jets and Navy warships to the region. Haniyeh's death is part of a series of killings of senior Hamas figures as the Gaza war approaches its 11th month, raising fears that the conflict is evolving into a wider Middle East war. Hamas has initiated a "broad consultation process" to select a new leader three days after Haniyeh's assassination, who was the face of the group's international diplomacy.
The U.S. and its international partners, including France, Britain, Italy, and Egypt, continued diplomatic efforts on Saturday to prevent further regional escalation. The U.S. urged its citizens in Lebanon to immediately start planning their departure, while the British government advised its nationals to "leave now." Canada warned its citizens to avoid all travel to Israel, citing the regional armed conflict as a threat to security. Violence continued on Saturday in the Palestinian territories. An Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering displaced persons in Gaza City killed at least 15 Palestinians, hours after two strikes in the occupied West Bank killed nine militants, including a local Hamas commander, according to Hamas.
The Israeli military stated that the first of two West Bank airstrikes targeted a militant cell in a town near Tulkarm, which it said was en route to carry out an attack. Hamas confirmed that one of those killed was a commander of its Tulkarm brigades, while its ally Islamic Jihad claimed the other four men as its fighters. A second airstrike in the area targeted another group of militants who had fired on troops, the Israeli military said, during a counterterrorism operation in Tulkarm. Palestinian news agency WAFA reported four deaths in that strike, and Hamas stated that all nine killed in the two Israeli attacks in the West Bank were fighters. According to Gaza health officials, at least 39,550 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, triggered by a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7 that resulted in 1,200 deaths and 250 abductions, according to Israeli figures.
A high-level Israeli delegation made a brief visit to Cairo on Saturday in an attempt to resume Gaza ceasefire negotiations, according to Egyptian airport authority sources. The Israeli officials returned to Israel hours later, as reported by Israeli media. The prospects for a breakthrough appear slim following the recent incidents in Lebanon and Iran. Israel has not confirmed or denied its involvement in Haniyeh's assassination. However, Netanyahu stated earlier this week that Israel had recently dealt crushing blows to Iran's proxies, including Hamas and Hezbollah.
