Prospect of Lebanon ceasefire leaves Gazans feeling abandoned

CAIRO - The prospect of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah without a similar deal with Hamas in Gaza has left Palestinians feeling abandoned and fearful that Israel will focus squarely on its onslaught in the enclave.

The Iran-backed Hezbollah began firing missiles at Israel in solidarity with Hamas after the Palestinian militant group attacked Israel in October of 2023, triggering the Gaza war.

Hostilities in Lebanon have drastically escalated in the last two months, with Israel stepping up airstrikes and sending in ground forces to Lebanon's south and Hezbollah sustaining rocket fire on Israel.

Now Israel looks set to approve a U.S. plan for a ceasefire with Hezbollah when its security cabinet meets on Tuesday, while Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib expressed hope that a ceasefire would be reached by Tuesday night.

While diplomacy focuses on Lebanon, Palestinians feel let down by the world after 14 months of conflict which has devastated the Gaza Strip and killed more than 44,000 people.

"It showed Gaza is an orphan, with no support and no mercy from the unjust world," said Abdel-Ghani, a father of five who only gave a first name.

"I am angry against the world that has failed to bring one solution to the two regions," Abdel-Ghani. "Maybe, there will be another deal for Gaza, maybe."

An Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire without a deal for Gaza would be a blow to Hamas, whose leaders had hoped the expansion of the war into Lebanon would pressure Israel to reach a comprehensive ceasefire. Hezbollah had insisted that it would not agree to a ceasefire until the war in Gaza ends, but it dropped that condition.

"We had high hopes that Hezbollah would remain steadfast until the end but it seems they couldn't," said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman, who like most Gazans has been displaced from his home. "We are afraid the Israeli army will now have a free hand in Gaza."

Months of efforts by Arab mediators, Qatar and Egypt, backed by the United States, have so far failed to conclude a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that would end the war in Gaza, and see the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held by Hamas as well as Palestinians jailed by Israel.

The war erupted when Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities on Oct. 7 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizing more than 250 hostages.

Earlier in November Qatar told Hamas and Israel it would stall its efforts to mediate a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal until they show "willingness and seriousness" to resume talks.

The White House said U.S. Middle East envoy Brett McGurk would be in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss using a potential Lebanon ceasefire as a catalyst for a deal to end hostilities in Gaza.

While a Lebanon deal could leave some Hezbollah commanders in place after Israel killed the heavily armed group's veteran leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and his successor, Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas completely.

"We hoped the expansion of the war meant one solution for all, but we were left alone in the face of the monstrous (Israeli) occupation," said Zakeya Rezik, 56, a mother of six.

"Enough is enough, we are exhausted. How many more had to die before they stopped the war? Gaza war must stop, the people are being wiped out, starved, and bombed every day."

(Editing by Michael Georgy and Ros Russell)