US cancels high-level meeting with Israeli officials after Netanyahu blames Biden

Israeli airstrikes and confrontations between troops and Palestinian militants rocked Gaza on Wednesday, while Israel’s army signaled its readiness for an “offensive” against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The army confirmed that plans for an offensive in Lebanon had been approved. Simultaneously, Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned of Hezbollah’s potential destruction in a “total war,” as U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein visited the region to advocate for de-escalation.

In Syria, state media reported an Israeli strike on military sites in the south killed an army officer on Wednesday, a claim that Israel has not commented on.

In Gaza, the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, allied with Hamas, reported its fighters were clashing with Israeli troops amidst shelling in western Rafah. Witnesses observed Israeli military vehicles entering the Saudi neighborhood of the city, followed by nighttime gunfire.

Central Gaza also saw overnight fighting, with reports of artillery shelling and heavy gunfire in Gaza City’s Zeitun neighborhood.

During the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, U.S. President Joe Biden urged the implementation of a ceasefire plan he proposed last month. Hochstein indicated that the plan aimed to end the Gaza conflict and reduce tensions between Israel and Hezbollah.

However, U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian mediation efforts have been stalled for months since a one-week truce in November, which facilitated the release of hostages and increased aid to Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing growing criticism at home for his management of the Gaza war and hostage crisis, with regular protests led by relatives of captives and anti-government activists. Thousands gathered in front of parliament in Jerusalem on Tuesday night, calling for early elections and the resumption of truce talks.

Netanyahu, in a video message, criticized Washington for “withholding weapons and ammunition to Israel,” a statement the White House has denied. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that aside from “one particular shipment of munitions” under review, “there are no other pauses.”

Reports from Axios and Israeli media indicated that Washington had canceled a high-level meeting with Israeli officials on Iran following Netanyahu’s comments.

Netanyahu is scheduled to address the U.S. Congress next month. He, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders have pending arrest warrants requested against them at the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A U.N. report released Wednesday detailed six “indiscriminate and disproportionate” Israeli strikes that killed at least 218 people in the first two months of the war. The report suggested these strikes involved heavy bombs, a shipment of which the United States had paused in May over concerns about their use in Rafah.

The U.N. rights office stated that these strikes targeted densely populated areas, including refugee camps, a school, and a market, making the use of heavy bombs likely to constitute a prohibited indiscriminate attack.

U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk commented that Israel’s bombing campaign consistently violated the requirement to minimize civilian harm. He noted that more than six months after the attacks, there is still no clarity or steps toward accountability.