Today's Edition
ISIDORA CIRIC (ABU DHABI)
The assassination of a Palestinian faction leader in Tehran on Wednesday, along with Tuesday's incident in Beirut, the attack in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and an Israeli air strike on Yemen’s Hodeida port, have drawn global attention to the growing tensions in the Middle East. World leaders are urging all sides to exercise restraint, emphasising that a ceasefire in Gaza is crucial to preventing a wider conflict.
In response to the fears that the war in Gaza would spread into neighbouring regions, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expressed hope that a broader war in the Middle East is not inevitable.
"I don't think war is inevitable. I maintain that. I think there's always room and opportunities for diplomacy," Austin told reporters during a visit to the Philippines.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the importance of reaching a ceasefire, warning that the growing escalation is closely “tied to what's happening in Gaza right now.”
"A big key to trying to make sure that that doesn't happen, and that we can move to a better place, is getting the ceasefire," Blinken added, speaking at a forum in Singapore on Wednesday.
Russia also called for restraint on Wednesday, expressing concern about “the growing threat of a sharp escalation of the situation in the Middle East against this background.”
"We urge all parties involved to exercise restraint and abandon any steps that could lead to a dramatic degradation of the security situation in the region and provoke a large-scale armed confrontation," Andrei Nastasin, deputy spokesman of Russia's foreign ministry, added.
Egypt and Qatar, both key mediators in ceasefire negotiations, have echoed the frustration over the recent escalations.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani criticised the targeting of civilians and negotiators in a post on X, questioning how mediation could succeed under such conditions.
“Peace needs serious partners and a global stance against the disregard for human life,” his post added.
Egypt's foreign ministry also condemned Israel's "dangerous escalation policy", asserting that it undermines efforts to broker peace and undermines efforts to “put an end to the human suffering of the Palestinian people.”
“The coincidence of this regional escalation with the lack of progress in the ceasefire negotiations in Gaza increases the complexity of the situation and indicates the absence of Israeli political will to calm it down,” the Egyptian ministry’s statement added.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called for maximum restraint to avoid plunging the region into chaos.
"The central issue now is to prevent a regional conflagration and not plunge the entire region into chaos," Baerbock said on Wednesday.
Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles warned of the "profound" risks associated with further escalation, stressing the global desire for an end to the ongoing catastrophe in the Middle East.
"I think all of us look at what's occurring in the Middle East and want to see an end to the catastrophe that is playing out," Marles added.
