The forces will begin to arrive in the region in the coming months to replace the departing USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, reports Asian Lite News
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of additional ballistic missile defence destroyers, fighter squadron and tanker aircraft, and several B-52 long-range strike bombers to the Middle East region.
Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement on Friday that the deployments are in line with the US’ commitments to the protection of its citizens and forces in the Middle East, the defence of Israel, and de-escalation through “deterrence and diplomacy”.
The forces will begin to arrive in the region in the coming months to replace the departing USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, he said.
“These deployments build on the recent decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system to Israel as well as DoD (Department of Defense)’s sustained Amphibious Ready Group Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) posture in the Eastern Mediterranean,” he said, adding that these movements demonstrate the “flexible nature of US global defence posture and US capability to deploy world-wide on short notice to meet evolving national security threats”.
The Pentagon Press Secretary said that Defence Secretary Austin “continues to make clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people”.
The forces will begin to arrive in the region in the coming months to replace the departing USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, reports Asian Lite News
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the deployment of additional ballistic missile defence destroyers, fighter squadron and tanker aircraft, and several B-52 long-range strike bombers to the Middle East region.
Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement on Friday that the deployments are in line with the US’ commitments to the protection of its citizens and forces in the Middle East, the defence of Israel, and de-escalation through “deterrence and diplomacy”.
The forces will begin to arrive in the region in the coming months to replace the departing USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, he said.
“These deployments build on the recent decision to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile defence system to Israel as well as DoD (Department of Defense)’s sustained Amphibious Ready Group Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) posture in the Eastern Mediterranean,” he said, adding that these movements demonstrate the “flexible nature of US global defence posture and US capability to deploy world-wide on short notice to meet evolving national security threats”.
The Pentagon Press Secretary said that Defence Secretary Austin “continues to make clear that should Iran, its partners, or its proxies use this moment to target American personnel or interests in the region, the United States will take every measure necessary to defend our people”.
As Israel marked this sombre anniversary, Hamas attempted another rocket attack on Monday, but Israeli forces intercepted, preventing major damage….reports Asian Lite News
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant commemorated the one-year anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack, labelling the group as “satanic killers.”
The attack, which occurred during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. It led to the deaths of 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of over 100 hostages by Hamas.
In a post on X, Gallant described the past year as one of “hard and continuous war,” as Israel continues its efforts to bring hostages home and defend the nation.
“A flourishing and prosperous region was harmed by satanic killers with only one thing in their eyes – the destruction and destruction of Israel,” he said.
Israel has consistently pushed for the release of these hostages, emphasising that the world must remember the atrocities committed during the October 7 massacre.
Gallant assured that it is his duty “to do everything to return the abducted home, support the wounded in body and soul, and remember the fallen and the story of their lives and deaths, the story of our just war.”
He emphasised the resolve of Israeli forces, stating, “We will continue as long as it takes until we achieve our goals,” reflecting the ongoing battle against Hamas. He also expressed hope for the recovery and rebuilding of affected areas in Israel.
Buildings lie in ruin as Palestinians carry their belongings following Israeli strikes on residential buildings at the Qatari-funded Hamad City, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip December 2, 2023. REUTERS/Ahmed Zakot
Hamas fires rockets
As Israel marked this sombre anniversary, Hamas attempted another rocket attack on Monday, but Israeli forces intercepted the threat, preventing major damage.
However, four rockets were launched, with three intercepted and one landing in an open area.
Ahead of the anniversary, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) set up an exhibition displaying items captured from Hamas militants, including vehicles, weapons, and intelligence findings used in the attack.
The exhibition, intended to expose the militants’ methods to the world, will continue throughout the week, with diplomats, international researchers, and foreign reporters expected to visit.
According to the IDF, about 70,000 pieces of loot, including anti-tank missiles, RPGs, charges, and unmanned aerial vehicles, have been confiscated since the fighting began as part of the effort led by reservists in the loot removal unit.
Hamas ex-leader assures victory
Hamas’ former leader Khaled Mashaal said what is happening in Gaza is a “holocaust” in a speech he delivered on Monday morning.
Mashaal said the Oct. 7. attacks happened because all political horizons were closed and has achieved “strategic results” since. Arab News reported.
He thanked Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran for supporting Hamas and called on Arab countries to provide financial support to Gaza.
Mashaal said Israel opened the war front in Lebanon after failing to achieve its goals in Gaza and claimed that Israel is conspiring against Jordan and Egypt.
A year after Oct. 7, Israel has opened a new front in Lebanon against Hezbollah, which has traded fire with Israel since the war in Gaza began.
“Israel is defeated although it has achieved accomplishments against Iran and Hezbollah,” added Mashaal.
Mashaal concluded by asking the people of Gaza not to despair and promised them victory soon, it was reported
Lebanon raids continue
The Israeli military said Sunday that its Air Force in northern Israel’s Western Galilee region has intercepted “numerous” explosive drones fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory.
The military stated in a release that it has also intercepted two surface-to-surface missiles launched from Lebanon towards the Carmel and Haifa areas in northern Israel, as well as most of the 25 rockets from Lebanon targeting Western Galilee.
The remaining rockets aimed at Western Galilee landed in open areas, with no injuries reported, it noted.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah claimed in a statement that it attacked a maintenance and rehabilitation base south of Haifa on Sunday afternoon with “a squadron of attack drones,” accurately hitting its targets.
The militant group stated that the attack was carried out to support the Palestinian people in Gaza, defend Lebanon and its citizens, and respond to “the barbaric Israeli invasion of cities, villages, and civilians.”
Also on Sunday, the Israeli military announced that its ground troops continued their campaign in southern Lebanon, accompanied by airstrikes from its Air Force, resulting in the deaths of 98 Hezbollah militants.
Israeli ground troops directed aerial strikes at Hezbollah’s infrastructure and weapons storage facilities, while Israeli warplanes struck about 150 Hezbollah targets, including anti-tank missile launch posts, command centres, underground infrastructure, and additional weapons storage sites.
The Iranian envoy also mentioned that India has a big responsibility on its shoulder.
Iranian ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, said on Saturday that New Delhi can play a constructive role in the peace process and can convince Israel to stop genocide in Gaza.
“We believe that India can play constructive role despite India has good relations with Israel, so it can convince Israel to stop genocide in Gaza, to stop escalation in the region,” Ilahi told ANI.
The Iranian envoy also mentioned that India is an emerging and big power that has big responsibility on its shoulder.
“India is founder of NAM. India claims autonomous Strategy And recently India raised the flag of voice of the south So, this puts some responsibility on the shoulder of India,” he added.
When asked about the peace process roadmap, Ilahi said,”The only solution is that the rights of Palestinian as a deprived nation, as oppressed nation, be given to them. The whole world, United States, Arab states, different countries give and recognize their rights to have a state, their rights to have homeland, their rights to have prosperity, their rights to have their own sovereignty. This is the main solution. It’s clear.”
As per Ilahi, Iran’s narration of October 7 categorically differs from the narration of many countries.
“We believe that Oct 7 did not happen suddenly, it has roots, and it has backgrounds. We should study the history of the region and the history of Israel- how it was established. It was established in the lands of Palestinian and one by one they occupied the houses of the Palestinians, fired and burnt the farms and obliged them to leave their homeland. In our discourse, Palestinians are defending and resisting their homeland, despite all the propaganda,” the Iranian envoy said.
On October 7, hundreds of Hamas militants burst into Israeli borders, killing over 1200 people and taking over 250 hostages, out of which 100 continue to be in captivity.
Israel launched a massive counteroffensive in Gaza, targeting Hamas units. However, the mounting civilian death toll, especially women and children has raised humanitarian concerns regarding the escalating conflict.
According to Gaza health ministry, more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in this war. The war has spiralled into the region lately, with Houthi rebels in Yemen also targeting Israel and other countries in the Red Sea.
Israel has also continued striking Hezbollah in Lebanon to counter the ‘threats’. As the conflict heads towards escalation, all major countries have called for a ceasefire and hostage deal, while also stressing for a two-state solution as a means to achieve durable and sustainable peace in the region. (ANI)
Notably, India has backed a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict….reports Asian Lite News
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday that India is “very much” concerned at the possibility of broadening of the conflict in the Middle East.
Speaking at the conversation at the Carnegie Endowment in the US, he called Hamas’ attack on Israel a “terrorist attack,” and added that Israel had a need to respond and added that India believes that any response by any country has to take into account international humanitarian law.
Asked about the escalating violence in the Middle East and India’s approach towards Israel’s policy and wider conflict possibilities, Jaishankar said, ” If one looks at the current situation, I think it would be right to start off with October 7th. We regard October 7th as a terrorist attack. We understand that Israel had a need to respond, but we also believe that any response by any country has to take into account international humanitarian law, that it must be careful about any damage or any implications for civilian populations. And that given what has happened in Gaza, it is important to have some kind of international humanitarian effort out there.”
“And we are very much concerned at the possibility of a broadening of the conflict, not just what happened in Lebanon, but also, you know, I referred earlier to the Houthis and the Red Sea, and, you know, to some extent, everything that happens between Iran and Israel. So again, it’s one thing to be concerned. I’m sure you can say that for a lot of countries. If as part of that concern, we can end up doing something about it, you know, then don’t underestimate the importance of communication in difficult times. If there are things to be said and passed on and passed back, I think those are all contributions that we can make and we do,” he added.
Notably, India has backed a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. PM Narendra Modi was one of the first global leaders to condemn the terror attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7. However, India has repeatedly expressed concerns over the deteriorating situation in Gaza.
In October last year, Israel launched a counter-offensive against Hamas after hundreds of Hamas terrorists burst into Israeli borders, killing over 1200 people and taking over 250 hostages, out of which 100 continue to be in captivity.
The war has spiralled into the region lately, with Houthi rebels in Yemen also targeting Israel and other countries in the Red Sea. Israel has also continued striking Hezbollah in Lebanon. As the conflict heads towards escalation, all major countries have called for a ceasefire and hostage deal, while also stressing for a two-state solution as a means to achieve durable and sustainable peace in the region.
In a major escalation in the raging conflict in the Middle East, Iran on Tuesday launched a missile attack on Israel on Tuesday. In a statement, the IDF said all Israeli civilians are in bomb shelters as rockets from Iran are fired at Israel.
Hezbollah is upset that the IDF exposed their plans to massacre Israelis, so they decided to target innocent civilians by firing a barrage of rockets, the IDF further said.
102 missiles have been launched towards Israel, according to the Jerusalem Post. Sirens continue to sound across Israel amid the attack, the Times of Israel reported. According to the IDF, around 10 million civilians are the targets of Iranian projectiles. Iran’s state media has also confirmed the Iranian attack towards Israel. (ANI)
After almost a year of war against Hamas in Gaza, Israel is shifting its focus to its northern frontier, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of its ally Hamas….reports Asian Lite News
The United States is sending a small number of additional troops to the Middle East given escalating tensions between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, the Pentagon said, declining to specify the precise number or mission of the deployed forces.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional U.S. military personnel forward to augment our forces that are already in the region,” Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters.
After almost a year of war against Hamas in Gaza, Israel is shifting its focus to its northern frontier, where Hezbollah has been firing rockets into Israel in support of its ally Hamas.
Israel’s military struck Hezbollah in Lebanon’s south, eastern Bekaa valley and northern region near Syria in its most widespread strikes. An Israeli strike on Monday evening on the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital targeted senior Hezbollah leader Ali Karaki, the head of the southern front, a security source told Reuters.
President Joe Biden’s administration has been seeking to contain the conflict to Gaza and has repeatedly called for the Israel-Lebanon border crisis to be resolved through diplomacy. That call for diplomacy has been underscored by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in daily calls with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Experts question whether Iran would stay on the sidelines if Lebanon’s Hezbollah’s existence were threatened and say US troops could also find themselves targeted throughout the Middle East, if a regional war breaks out.
In their call on Sunday, Austin suggested that no outside actors should intervene in the conflict.
“The Secretary made clear that the United States remains postured to protect U.S. forces and personnel and determined to deter any regional actors from exploiting the situation or expanding the conflict,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
Those US capabilities include the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group, fighter aircraft and air defenses.
“We have more capability in the region today than we did on April 14th when Iran conducted its drone and missile attack against Israel,” Ryder said.
“So all of those forces combined provide us with the options to be able to protect our forces should they be attacked.”
Ryder referred to Iran’s attack by more than 300 missiles and drones, which caused only modest damage inside Israel thanks to air defense interceptions from the United States, Britain and other allies in the region. The April 14 strikes were Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel.
(240731) — GAZA, July 31, 2024 (Xinhua) — Palestinians return to the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis after the Israeli army withdrew from the eastern part of the city, on July 30, 2024.
The Palestinian Civil Defense stated on Tuesday that the bodies of 42 Palestinians were recovered from the rubble in the east of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, following the Israeli army’s withdrawal.
Local sources and eyewitnesses informed Xinhua that the Israeli army left behind extensive destruction in homes, residential buildings, mosques, and cemeteries.
Following the withdrawal, dozens of families returned to their homes from which they had been displaced, according to sources and witnesses. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
‘Gazans enduring darkest chapter in modern history’
Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa warned UN member states on Monday that his people in Gaza “are enduring one of the darkest chapters in modern history.”
Palestinians have embraced the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, “pursuing a transformative plan of action based on human dignity and shared prosperity,” he said.
But he cautioned that Palestinians face a worsening humanitarian crisis due to Israel’s illegal occupation.
“For nearly a year now, Israel’s genocidal war (in Gaza) has caused unprecedented loss and suffering and humanitarian catastrophe,” said Mustafa.
“At the same time, our people in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continue to face systemic threats,” he added.
“For over 76 years, our people have been forced to endure multiple man-made catastrophes that have directly undermined our efforts to achieve justice, peace and prosperity,” Mustafa said.
“Despite long years of oppression and occupation, our people remained steadfast. We firmly believed that human capital is our greatest asset.”
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, waves to journalists at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Oct. 23, 2022. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei/IANS)
China FM slams indiscriminate attacks on civilians
China’s top diplomat Wang Yi expressed support for Lebanon and condemned what he termed “indiscriminate attacks against civilians,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
Meeting his Lebanese counterpart in New York, Wang said: “We pay close attention to developments in the region, especially the recent explosion of communications equipment in Lebanon, and firmly oppose indiscriminate attacks against civilians.”
Last week, a series of coordinated communications device blasts across Lebanon killed 39 people and wounded almost 3,000.
And on Monday, Israeli air strikes killed 492 people, including 35 children and 58 women, and wounded 1,645 others in the country, according to Lebanon’s health ministry.
Wang acknowledged the strikes, saying China “strongly condemns any violation of the basic norms governing international relations.”
“No matter how the situation changes, we will always stand on the side of justice, on the side of our Arab brothers, including Lebanon,” Wang told Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib.
“Armed force does not represent truth, and might only undermines peace,” Wang said.
“Countering violence with violence will not solve the problems in the Middle East and will only lead to an even greater humanitarian disaster,” he added.
China also urged its citizens to leave Israel on Sunday as tensions with Lebanon grew.
China has repeatedly called for peace talks to resolve the crisis in Gaza.
In July, the country brokered a “national unity” deal between Hamas, Fatah, and other Palestinian organizations to rule Gaza together after the war.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix warned against making assumptions about how regional actors will behave…reports Asian Lite News
A broader regional war in the Middle East where conflict already rages between Hamas and Israel remains a “significant risk,” the head of the UN peacekeeping force warned Friday.
Speaking to reporters in Brussels, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix warned against making assumptions about how regional actors will behave.
“The perception could exist that there are certain rules that neither parties want to trespass and therefore that we are in a situation that is more stable than one could think,” Lacroix said on the sidelines of an EU defense ministers’ meeting.
“There is still a very significant risk of escalation at the regional level,” he said, adding: “We are still very much in a very, very dangerous type of situation.”
Tensions have risen since the October start of Israel’s war in Gaza, with Hezbollah supporting the Palestinian armed group Hamas with operations in southern Lebanon, including daily exchanges of fire with Israeli troops.
Hundreds of Hezbollah fighters have been killed in cross-border fighting, while around 100,000 people on both sides of the border have been displaced.
Lacroix warned of the risk of an “unintended” escalation or a “misunderstanding.”
“One of the risks, in particular in southern Lebanon, is both parties not exactly understanding where the other is in terms of calculus,” he said.
On Sunday, Hezbollah carried out a major drone and rocket attack against Israel, in retaliation for the death of one of its military leaders, Fuad Shukr, killed in an Israeli strike near Beirut on July 30.
In response, Israel launched air strikes into Lebanon the same day.
Amid escalating tensions, the UN Security Council extended the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon — numbering around 10,000 — for a year.
The war in Gaza erupted after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,199 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory military campaign has killed at least 40,602 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
Israel this week also pressed a large-scale military operation in the occupied West Bank, despite UN concerns it is “fueling an already explosive situation.”
Meanwhile, Israel’s army on Saturday announced the first death of a soldier during its ongoing raid in the occupied West Bank that began four days ago.
An army statement said 20-year-old Elkana Navon “fell during operational activity” on Saturday and that another soldier was “severely injured” in the same incident, without providing details.
Since Wednesday at least 22 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army, most of them militants, in simultaneous raids in several cities in the northern West Bank.
Since Friday, soldiers have concentrated their operations on the city of Jenin and its refugee camp, long a bastion of Palestinian armed groups fighting against Israel.
Violence has surged in the West Bank since Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on southern Israel triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.
The United Nations said on Wednesday that at least 637 Palestinians had been killed in the territory by Israeli troops or settlers since the Gaza war began.
Twenty Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during army operations over the same period, according to Israeli official figures.
During a visit to Jenin on Saturday, Israeli army chief of staff Herzi Halevi said Israeli forces “have no intention of letting terrorism (in the West Bank) raise its head” to threaten Israel.
“Therefore the initiative is to go from city to city, refugee camp to refugee camp, with excellent intelligence, with very good operational capabilities, with a very strong air intelligence envelope… We will protect the citizens of Israel just like that.”
Of the 22 Palestinians reported dead since Wednesday, Hamas and its ally Islamic Jihad have said at least 14 were members of their armed wings.
Earlier on Saturday, Hamas issued a statement saying one of its fighters carried out an “ambush” using “a highly explosive device” in the Jenin refugee camp “which led to the deaths and injuries of members of the advancing (Israeli) force.”
2 dead in West Bank ‘shooting attack’
Israel’s medical emergency service said a “shooting attack” Sunday in the occupied West Bank killed two people and critically wounded another, as violence surges in the Palestinian territory days into major Israeli raids.
Emergency service provider Magen David Adom said its paramedics had “pronounced dead a male and a female, both approximately 30 years old, and are evacuating a man in his 50s, in critical condition” from the scene of the attack east of Tarqumiya checkpoint near the city of Hebron.
Egyptian president warns ongoing escalation in Middle East may lead to regional war…reports Asian Lite News
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi warned that the continuation of the current escalation in the Middle East is putting the region at risk of a possible regional war.
Sisi made the remarks during a phone call with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, the Egyptian Presidency said in a statement.
During the phone conversation, the two leaders discussed the situation in the Middle East and the Gaza Strip, according to the statement.
Sisi reviewed the latest developments pertinent to the Egyptian efforts to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and provide humanitarian aid, stressing the need to end the tragedy that the Palestinian people face immediately.
He added that it was important for the international community to undertake a decisive role in the international recognition of the Palestinian state in a way that supports peace in the region and the two-state solution.
For his part, the Bulgarian president expressed appreciation for the Egyptian efforts to calm the situation in the region and his willingness to continue coordination and consultation with Sisi with the aim of contributing to restoring security and peace in the region.
Muslims cause
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called on Muslim states to take joint actions to force Israel to stop its “crimes and genocide” in Gaza.
He made the appeal during talks with visiting Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Tehran, according to a statement by his office.
“Muslim states and all those countries that are committed to international law and frameworks stand together and, through taking joint actions, manage to force the supporters of Israel into reining it in and stopping its crimes and genocide in Gaza,” said Pezeshkian.
Applauding Qatar’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, he said that while all legal international regulations were constantly being violated in Gaza, the countries “claiming to be advocating human rights” chose to remain silent in the face of those “crimes” and even supported the ones perpetrating the violence.
Tensions in the region have been heightened recently as Iran and its allies vowed to take revenge for the killings of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and Hezbollah’s military commander Fouad Shokor last month.
Haniyeh, who was in Iran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Pezeshkian, was killed on July 31 along with his bodyguard when their residence in Tehran was attacked, one day after the death of Shokor in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut.
Hezbollah unleashed hundreds of missiles and drones against Israel early Sunday morning in vengeance for the killing of Shokor while Israel claimed conducting a series of “preemptive airstrikes” targeting Hezbollah’s rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.
Iran has not made its retaliation yet, but a response to the assassination of Haniyeh will be “definitive, measured and well calculated,” Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said on X on Sunday night.
“We do not fear escalation, yet do not seek it,” he added.
Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Mohammad Baqeri also vowed on Monday that the revenge is “definite,” semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.
Baqeri said Iran would decide about its revenge for Haniyeh’s assassination itself, and the resistance axis, as was seen on Sunday, would act separately and independently.
He described the “cowardly” assassination of the Hamas chief in Tehran as an “unforgettable” incident, saying Iran would not fall into the trap of the enemies’ media “provocations.”
During talks with Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Charles Brown on Monday, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “Iran’s aggression has reached an all-time high”
To counter this, Israel and the United States “must work together to achieve and project groundbreaking capabilities in all arenas,” a readout of his office quoted Gallant as saying. ■
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Suicide Drones
Hezbollah claimed that it targeted Israeli “spy equipment” at the Ramyah site in northern Israel with a suicide drone, achieving a direct hit.
“In support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and their resistance, our fighters targeted the spy equipment at the Ramyah site with a suicide drone, hitting it directly,” the Shiite group stated.
Military sources in Lebanon, speaking anonymously, told Xinhua that Israeli drones and warplanes carried out 12 airstrikes on border towns and villages in southern Lebanon on Monday. The strikes targeted a car and two motorcycles, causing only material damage.
They added that an Israeli drone fired two air-to-ground missiles at a vehicle traveling on the main road in the Abra area, setting the car on fire. The driver, reportedly a leader of a Palestinian faction, survived the attack.
Israeli artillery shelled 16 border towns in southern Lebanon, destroying 11 homes and damaging around 24 others, with no casualties reported.
Since early Sunday morning, Israeli and Hezbollah forces have engaged in extensive exchanges of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border, marking a significant escalation in their conflict.
Hezbollah has announced it launched hundreds of missiles into Israel in retaliation for the killing of its commander, Fouad Shokor, in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut last month. In response, Israel reported conducting numerous preemptive airstrikes targeting Hezbollah’s rocket launchers in southern Lebanon.
Tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border have intensified since Oct. 8, 2023, when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in solidarity with Hamas’ attack on Israel the day before.
On The other hand, Egypt denounced the Israeli Finance Minister’s claim that there is a moral justification for starving Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip…reports Asian Lite News
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi spoke by phone with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer. President El-Sisi expressed that Egypt looked forward to further enhancing cooperation between the two countries, particularly in the economic and investment fields, as well as increasing trade between the two countries.
The call also touched on the international and regional situations. President El-Sisi explained Egypt’s vision for restoring security and stability in the Middle East, which is currently experiencing a phase of ongoing escalation. President El-Sisi reviewed Egypt’s efforts to end the war in the Gaza Strip and to exchange captives. The President also emphasised the priority of allowing access to humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza, alleviating their suffering, and advancing a political path based on the two-state solution.
The Spokesman for the Presidency, Dr. Ahmed Fahmy, pointed out that the British prime minister noted Egypt’s role and affirmed his commitment to maintaining intensive coordination with Egypt, within the framework of joint efforts to ensure security and stability in the region and to overcome the critical phase the Middle East is currently going through.
On The other hand, Egypt denounced the Israeli Finance Minister’s claim that there is a moral justification for starving Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Egypt considers such shameful statements to be unacceptable both in form and substance, representing a clear violation of international humanitarian law and the four Geneva Conventions. These laws impose an obligation on Israel, as the occupying power, to ensure a safe life and provide basic living necessities for the Palestinian people under occupation.
Egypt reminded all parties in the international community that the foundations of international humanitarian law have been developed over the past decades to combat and prevent practices that violate human dignity.
It called for an effective international effort to address the tragedies faced by civilians in the Gaza Strip, ensuring the preservation of minimum legal and moral standards in times of conflict.
Egyptian President El-Sisi stressed that regional developments should not overshadow efforts to allow access to relief aid to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip….reports Asian Lite News
Middle East is going through a very delicate and dangerous juncture that requires exercising the highest levels of self-restraint and upholding the voice of reason and wisdom, said Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
El-Sisi yesterday met with Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan and his accompanying delegation, in the presence of Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Badr Abdel-Aty and the Turkish Ambassador in Cairo.
The Spokesman for the Presidency said the Turkish foreign minister conveyed to the President the greetings and appreciation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which was valued by the President.
The meeting focused on the latest regional developments and warnings of the dangerous escalation in the region.
President El-Sisi stressed that defusing the escalating tension lies in the concerted efforts of the active forces and the international community to implement a ceasefire immediately in the Gaza Strip, and to provide the opportunity for political and diplomatic solutions.
The Egyptian President noted that Egypt has repeatedly warned of the danger of expanding the scope of the war, in a way that threatens regional and international peace and security, as well as the capabilities, security and stability of the peoples of the region.
During the meeting, views were aligned on the gravity of the regional scene and the Israeli escalation policies were condemned.
The two sides reviewed the latest pertinent to the ongoing intensified Egyptian efforts to reach an agreement for a ceasefire and the exchange of captives.
President El-Sisi stressed that regional developments should not overshadow efforts to allow access to relief aid to the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, who suffer from inhumane living and health conditions, and the lack of the most basic elements of life.
The meeting confirmed the necessity of advancing a fundamental and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, based on the two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, along the 1967 borders, in a manner that achieves sustainable justice, security, and stability in the region.
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh delivers a speech in Gaza City, on Jan. 23, 2018. The Islamic Hamas movement called on Tuesday for Palestinian national conference to discuss a new Palestinian strategy. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh stressed in a televised speech the need for a new strategy that addresses the U.S. and Israeli declaration aimed at striking the Palestinian issue. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar/IANS)
Iran, Jordan discuss Haniyeh assassination
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi have exchanged views on the assassination of Hamas Politburo Chief Ismail Haniyeh.
In a meeting in the Iranian capital Tehran, the two sides also discussed the improvement of bilateral relations and the developments of Gaza, according to a statement published on Sunday on the website of the Iranian President’s office.
Pezeshkian said the “cowardly” assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran was a “big mistake” by Israel, noting that Iran expected all Muslim states and the world’s free people to strongly condemn such “crimes” as reported by Xinhua news agency.
He stressed that Israel’s “audacious” action would not go unanswered, adding those who claim to defend freedom, democracy and human rights had employed all their scientific and operational capabilities to “spread terrorism” and commit “heinous crimes”.
He highlighted the necessity to strengthen solidarity among Muslim countries to stop Israel’s “aggressions and crimes against the oppressed Palestinians in Gaza”.
Pezeshkian expressed hope that negotiations between Iranian and Jordanian diplomatic delegations on the resumption of normal relations would soon come to fruition, enabling the two Islamic countries to use each another’s capacities and people in the region to benefit from “friendship and constructive cooperation” between Tehran and Amman.
The Jordanian Foreign Minister, for his part, said his country had condemned the assassination of Haniyeh, describing the action as being in line with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to widen the scope of the conflict in the region.
Safadi also conveyed Jordanian King Abdullah II’s congratulations to Pezeshkian on his election as Iran’s President, saying Jordan was seeking to resume normal relations with Iran and to work together on ensuring stability, stability, security and calm in the region.
Fire and smoke are seen following an Israeli airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis on April 7, 2023. Israel on Friday intensified airstrikes on military posts in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, in response to rockets fired from the areas at several parts in Israel, escalating tensions with Palestine over the past three days after Israeli police forcibly expelled Palestinian worshippers from the Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua)
Sonic boom causes terror in Beirut
On Monday, Israeli warplanes created a sonic boom over Beirut and southern Lebanon, intensifying fears amid escalating tensions between the Israeli military and Hezbollah. The sonic boom added to the anxiety among residents already on edge from the ongoing conflict.
Israeli jets attacked Mays Al-Jabal, killing two civilians, Mohammed Fawzi Hammadi, a paramedic with Lebanon’s Islamic Risala Scout Association, and Ali Ghaleb Shaqir, who were working in the local cemetery. Additionally, Israeli forces targeted the village of Taloussa in the Marjeyoun district with phosphorous bombs, which, while not banned under international law, are restricted and prohibited in populated areas.
Israeli soldiers also conducted a raid in Rab El-Thalathine, resulting in one person being injured and hospitalized in stable condition.
In response, Hezbollah continued its military operations following the previous day’s Israeli airstrike on Houla, which killed two of its members. Hezbollah reported launching a drone attack on the newly established 91st Brigade headquarters, targeting positions and personnel directly.
