Chair of US Joint Chiefs of Staff Makes Unannounced Trip to Middle East to Deter All-Out War

Palestinians inspect the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive (AP)
Palestinians inspect the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive (AP)
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Chair of US Joint Chiefs of Staff Makes Unannounced Trip to Middle East to Deter All-Out War

Palestinians inspect the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive (AP)
Palestinians inspect the destruction left by the Israeli air and ground offensive (AP)

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Charles Q. Brown, arrived on Saturday in the Middle East on a surprise visit to deter any type of broader escalation.

His arrival came as the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that at least 50 Palestinians were killed by Israeli airstrikes targeting the enclave.

Brown began his trip in Jordan and said he will also travel to Egypt and Israel in the coming days to hear the perspectives of military leaders.

His visit comes as the United States is trying to clinch a Gaza ceasefire-for-hostages deal between Israel and Hamas, which Brown said would “help bring down the temperature,” if achieved.

“At the same time, as I talk to my counterparts, what are the things we can do to deter any type of broader escalation and ensure we're taking all the appropriate steps to [avoid]... a broader conflict,” Brown told Reuters before landing in Jordan.

US President Joe Biden's administration has been seeking to limit the fallout from the war in Gaza between Hamas and Israel, now in its 11th month.

In addition to the ongoing conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the war triggered border clashes between Israel and Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah and sparked attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis on Red Sea shipping.

Meanwhile, US troops have been attacked by Iran-aligned militia in Syria, Iraq, and Jordan.

In recent weeks, the US military has been bolstering its forces in the Middle East to guard against major new attacks by Iran or its allies, sending the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group into the region to replace the Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group.

The United States has also sent an Air Force F-22 Raptor squadron into the region and deployed a cruise missile submarine.

“We brought in additional capability to send a strong message to deter a broader conflict ... but also to protect our forces should they be attacked,” Brown said, saying safeguarding American forces was “paramount.”

Meanwhile, Israeli military strikes in Gaza killed 50 people on Saturday, Palestinian health authorities said, with victims trapped under rubble or lying on roads where fighting continued.

The UN also said the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorated, with malnutrition soaring and polio discovered in the Palestinian enclave.

Continuing the war will worsen the plight of Gaza's 2.3 million people, nearly all of them homeless in tents or shelters among the ruins, with malnutrition rampant and disease spreading, and risk the lives of the remaining Israeli hostages.

UN humanitarian agency OCHA said in a Friday update that the amount of food aid entering Gaza in July was one of the lowest since October, when Israel imposed a full siege.

OCHA said that in July the number of children with acute malnutrition in northern Gaza was four times higher than in May, while in the more accessible south, where fighting is less severe, the number more than doubled.

The World Health Organization said on Friday that a 10-month-old baby had been paralyzed with polio, the first such case in the territory in 25 years, raising fears of a wider outbreak given the lack of proper sanitation for people living in ruins.



Lebanon: Aoun Says No Solution for Israel’s Violations Except Through Diplomacy

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
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Lebanon: Aoun Says No Solution for Israel’s Violations Except Through Diplomacy

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated commitment to dialogue to address Lebanon’s long-standing dispute with Israel’s violation and occupation in south Lebanon, saying that it can only be addressed through “diplomacy”.
He reiterated "the importance of diplomatic solutions in resolving conflicts, as the Lebanese people have grown weary of wars”, a Presidency statement quoted Aoun as saying on Friday.
Aoun’s remarks come amid support from the Higher Islamic Shiite Council for the his approach to addressing the issue of Hezbollah’s arms through dialogue.
“Diplomatic efforts may not yield immediate results, but we are working daily with international parties, away from the media spotlight, to achieve the desired outcome”, said Aoun during his visit to the Economic, Social and Environmental Council.
The Lebanese president’s comments come amid heated political debate over the future of Hezbollah’s weapons and the call to centralize arms under state authority. Last week, Aoun reiterated his determination to make sure the state has a monopoly over weapons.

Aoun’s strategy to address the issue of Hezbollah’s arms garnered the support of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council. “Let the issue be addressed through calm dialogue away from media and political exploitations. Let the decision be a unifying national one away from submissions to external demands”, said Sheikh Ali al-Khatib, vice-president of the Higher Shiite Council.
Aoun had earlier reaffirmed that communication between the presidency and Hezbollah remains active, with tangible results on the ground.

He also highlighted that he and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri are in agreement on all matters, particularly the goal of placing weapons solely under the control of the state.

Disarming Hezbollah has emerged as a key condition in ongoing discussions surrounding Israel’s potential withdrawal from the remaining five disputed points it occupies in southern Lebanon. Israeli officials have linked any pullout to assurances that Hezbollah’s military presence near the border will be curbed, citing security concerns.

For its part, Lebanon maintains that full Israeli withdrawal is a prerequisite for lasting stability, but internal divisions over Hezbollah’s role complicate negotiations. While President Joseph Aoun and others advocate for addressing the group’s arms through national dialogue, critics warn that tying disarmament to Israeli withdrawal risks prolonging the deadlock.