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The Israeli military says it has launched extensive new strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, following a weekend that saw the heaviest exchanges of fire since the conflict began almost a year ago.
On Sunday, Israel said it struck around 290 targets inside Lebanon after Hezbollah launched more than 100 rockets at northern Israel.
The United Nations envoy for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, warned that the Middle East is on the brink of “imminent catastrophe”, emphasising that “there is NO military solution that will make either side safer”.
Earlier, Israel denied having any involvement in an exploding pager attack that killed dozens and injured thousands more across Lebanon and Syria.
Israeli president Isaac Herzog said he “rejects out of hand any connection” to the audacious operation carried out against Hezbollah last week.
At least 39 people were injured and 3,000 were wounded after the Iran-backed militia’s pagers and walkie-talkies simultaneously detonated across the Middle East on Tuesday and Thursday.
Israel defence minister says he briefed US’s Austin on Hezbollah strikes
Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant has spoken with US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin about the military’s latest strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
“Provided the Secretary with a situation assessment of Hezbollah threats and briefed him on [Israeli military] operations to degrade Hezbollah’s ability to launch attacks against Israeli civilians,” Gallant wrote on X.
“We also discussed the wider regional situation and the threats posed by Iran and its proxies,” he added.
Israel shuts down Al Jazeera offices in the West Bank
Below we have footage taken by Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera showing the moment the Israeli military raids its West Bank offices in the latest attempt to shut down the broadcaster’s operations in the region.
Last week, Israel’s government announced it was revoking the press credentials of Al Jazeera journalists in the country. Four months ago, they banned the channel from operating inside Israel.
The Israeli communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, confirmed the latest closure in a statement that called Al Jazeera “the mouthpiece” of Gaza’s Hamas and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah.
“We will continue to fight in the enemy channels and ensure the safety of our heroic fighters,” he said.
Al Jazeera has denounced the raid as “a criminal act”.
In pictures: Smoke billows over southern Lebanon
Israeli military says it intercepts ‘aerial target’ launched from the east
Israel’s military said on Sunday that it intercepted a “suspicious aerial target” launched from the east, and that no damage or injuries were reported.
Earlier, an official in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, a grouping of Iran-backed armed factions, said they launched cruise missile and explosive drone attacks at Israel.
Islamic Resistance in Iraq says its drones targeted Israeli base
Drones of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted the Israeli military’s Golani observation base in the occupied Palestinian territories, the pro-Iranian militant group said on Monday.
On Sunday, the group said it had launched a drone attack on a target in the Israeli-occupied Jordan Valley.
Iraqi Shia armed factions, like other pro-Iranian groups, pledged to carry out attacks in solidarity with the Palestinians after Hamas militants launched its attack on Israel on 7 October last year, triggering the war in Gaza.
Islamic Resistance in Iraq vowed to escalate its attacks.
In separate statements, the Israeli military said interceptors were launched towards an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that had been launched from Iraq and was identified crossing into Israeli territory from Syria.
No injuries were reported.
Tension in the Middle East has surged since thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies used by members of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group exploded in an attack widely blamed on Israel.
Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged some of the heaviest cross-border fire in a conflict running in parallel with the almost year-long Gaza war.
Israeli military says it is striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon
The Israeli military said on Monday it was conducting extensive strikes against targets of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.
The military gave no further details of the strikes, which come amid some of the heaviest cross-border exchanges of fire in nearly a year of conflict.
Hamas lauds Hezbollah’s rocket strikes on Israel
Hamas has praised its ally Hezbollah for launching overnight rocket strikes against northern Israel.
Hamas salutes the resistance fighters in Lebanon for their resilience and bravery in facing the Zionist war machine and for their determination to continue fighting in support of the Palestinian people and their resistance in Gaza and the West Bank.
‘Clear’ neither side wants ceasefire in Gaza war, says UN chief
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has made a stark assessment of the Gaza conflict, stating that it’s clear neither side is interested in a ceasefire.
“It is for me clear that both sides are not interested in a ceasefire. And that is a tragedy, because this is a war that must stop,” Mr Guterres told the CNN, adding that “neither the government of Israel nor the Hamas really want the ceasefire.”
Hamas lauds Hezbollah’s rocket strikes on Israel
Hamas has praised its ally Hezbollah for launching overnight rocket strikes against northern Israel.
In a statement, Hamas expressed solidarity with Hezbollah, saying: “Hamas salutes the resistance fighters in Lebanon for their resilience and bravery in facing the Zionist war machine and for their determination to continue fighting in support of the Palestinian people and their resistance in Gaza and the West Bank.”
Modi meets Palestinian president, voices concern over Gaza humanitarian crisis
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has met with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in New York, expressing “deep concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza and reaffirmed India’s continued support to the people of Palestine”, according to a government spokesperson.
“Met President Mahmoud Abbas in New York,” Mr Modi wrote on X. “Reiterated India’s support for the early restoration of peace and stability in the region. Exchanged views on further strengthening our long-standing friendship with the people of Palestine.”
During the meeting, Mr Modi conveyed India’s commitment to the Palestinian people, emphasising the need for peace and stability in the region, officials said.
This meeting took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session.
Source: independent.co.uk
