Overview of the situation - Israel authorizes retaliation against Hezbollah
Israel's Government is preparing for a retaliation against Hezbollah in Lebanon following the devastating rocket attack on the Golan Heights annexed by the Jewish State. The Security Cabinet authorized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Joav Galant to decide on the "method, manner, and timing" of action against the terrorist organization Hezbollah, according to the Prime Minister's Office statement in the evening. Netanyahu had previously threatened the pro-Iranian militia, warning it would pay a "heavy price."
While Hezbollah reportedly prepared for a possible heavy Israeli attack, Middle East Airlines, the Lebanese airline, canceled the return of some of its flights in the evening, according to the "Wall Street Journal." US officials contacted their counterparts in Israel and Lebanon, as well as exchanged messages with Iranian embassies, to try to de-escalate the situation, the US newspaper reported, citing informed Arab and European officials. All parties indicated they were not interested in escalating the conflict, it was reported.
Reports of Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon
In Israel, there were reports in the evening from Lebanese media of air raids in the south of Lebanon. Reports from Hula indicated heavy attacks had taken place during the night. The area had been targeted by Israel's Air Force in the past few months. It was initially unclear whether these were the expected Israeli response to the rocket attack on the Golan Heights. The Israeli military had made no statements about renewed attacks in Lebanon during the night. Israel's military had already attacked several targets in the neighboring Lebanon after the rocket attack on the Golan Heights.
Israel and the USA hold Hezbollah responsible for the attack on Saturday in the Druze village of Madjal Shams, where at least twelve people aged 10 to 20 were killed. "This attack was carried out by Hezbollah. It was a Hezbollah rocket fired from a territory under its control," said Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the US National Security Council. The attack must be condemned everywhere. UN representatives called on both sides to "maximum restraint."
Hezbollah issued a statement denying involvement. According to the US news outlet "Axios," the militia told the United Nations that an Israeli defense missile caused the explosion. The Iranians also blamed Israel for the attack in Madjal Shams. Israel's Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said at the site of the strike that it was a Falak rocket from Hezbollah.
"Whoever fires a rocket into a populated area wants to kill civilians, wants to kill children," Halevi said. The Golan Heights is a strategically important plateau. The territory was captured by Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967 and annexed in 1981. This was not recognized internationally. The US government is in contact with both the Israeli and Lebanese sides, said the National Security Council spokesperson. The US support for Israel's security is ironclad and unwavering, it was reported.
USA: Working on diplomatic solution
A man is working on a "diplomatic solution along the Blue Line," which will end all attacks and allow the people on both sides of the border to safely return home, it was stated. The Blue Line refers to the United Nations demarcation line at the border between the two countries. Since the end of the second Lebanon War in 2006, a buffer zone has been established in the south of Lebanon. Since the beginning of the Gaza War in the previous October, the Hisbollah and Israel's army have been engaging in nearly daily battles. The militia, which is supported by Iran, is acting out of solidarity with the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
A rocket attack on the Golan occurred at a critical moment for the efforts to establish a ceasefire in the Gaza War. An escalation between Israel and Hisbollah could disrupt the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which have been ongoing for months and involve Qatar, Egypt, and the United States as mediators. Israel's chief negotiator David Barnea had only returned to Israel from the latest round of talks in Rome over the weekend. The talks were to continue in the coming days, the Prime Minister's Office announced without providing details.
Erdogan and Israel threaten each other
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened Israel with military intervention. "Just as we intervened in Nagorno-Karabakh, just as we intervened in Libya, we will do the same with them," Erdogan said at an event for his ruling party AKP in Rize on the Black Sea, referring to Israel. Erdogan was referring to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in which Turkey supported the conflict party Azerbaijan with drones. In the war-torn country of Libya, Ankara supports the internationally recognized government with military equipment and personnel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz warned Erdogan immediately: "Erdogan is following in the footsteps of Saddam Hussein and is threatening an attack on Israel. He should only remember what happened there and how it ended," Katz wrote late in the evening on the platform X. In 2003, US troops invaded Iraq. The military intervention led to the overthrow of the then Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Three years later, Hussein was executed for crimes against the Kurds and Shiites.
Since the beginning of the Gaza War, relations between Israel and Turkey have deteriorated dramatically. Erdogan called Hamas a "liberation organization" and compared Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler. In mid-July, Erdogan declared that Turkey would no longer approve cooperation between NATO and Israel in the future unless lasting peace was established in the Palestinian territories.
- After the rocket attack on the Golan Heights by Hezbollah, Israel's Government is planning a retaliation stroke.
- Benzion Netanyahu and Joe Galant, part of Israel's Government, have the authority to decide on the response against Hezbollah.
- Reports suggest that Hezbollah is preparing for a possible heavy Israeli attack in response to the rocket attack.
- Middle East Airlines in Lebanon has canceled some evening flights due to the potential escalation of the conflict.
- US officials have been reaching out to their counterparts in Israel and Lebanon, as well as Iranian embassies, to mediate and prevent a war.
- The UN has called for maximum restraint from both sides involved in the conflict in the Golan Heights.
- Hezbollah denies involvement in the rocket attack on the Golan Heights, but Israel's Air Force has reportedly attacked targets in Lebanon as a response.
- The United States of America supports Israel's security and considers Hezbollah responsible for the attack on the Gaza War.
- Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish President, has threatened Israel with military intervention, citing Turkey's interventions in Nagorno-Karabakh and Libya.
- Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz reprimanded Erdogan, comparing his threats to Saddam Hussein's actions and the resulting military intervention in Iraq.
- The relations between Israel and Turkey have worsened since the beginning of the Gaza War, with Erdogan frequently criticizing Israel and comparing its leaders to historical dictators.
