Middle East conflict - Israeli army: Air strike against Hezbollah position
The Israeli Air Force, according to its own statements, has once again attacked a position of the Iranian-backed Shiite militia Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Military infrastructure of Hezbollah was targeted in the attack, the Israeli army announced. There was no information given on casualties. The statements could not be independently verified at first. Israel has been engaging in daily gunfire with Hezbollah in the border area with Lebanon since the start of the Gaza war.
Hezbollah declared that Israel must fully end the war in Gaza against the Hamas it is allied with before it stops firing on Israel. The intensity of the fighting has recently increased significantly. It is feared that a possible open war between Israel and Lebanon could expand into a regional conflict.
Israeli forces continue offensive against Hamas positions in Gaza Strip
Israeli forces have continued their offensive in Shejaiya, a neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, on Sunday. The troops have reportedly eliminated several terrorists from the Islamic Hamas militia, found weapons, and carried out targeted attacks on fortified positions booby-trapped with explosives, according to the Israeli army.
Palestinians in Shejaiya are reportedly trapped, according to the news portal "aljazeera.com," citing eyewitnesses. They have been under artillery fire and air raids for days and cannot find food. Some people were injured but rescue services could not reach them. The statements of all parties could not be independently verified.
Israeli forces, according to the army's statement, also went against Hamas in the southern city of Rafah on the border with Egypt. In the last few days, the troops have eliminated several fighters there and destroyed tunnel outlets. At least six Palestinians were reportedly killed in an Israeli air raid on a house in the western part of Rafah on Sunday morning, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing local sources. These statements could not be independently verified.
The trigger for the Gaza war was the unprecedented massacre committed by terrorists from Hamas and other groups in Israel on October 7 last year, killing over 1,200 people. Israel responded with massive air raids and a ground offensive to crush Hamas and its allies. Facing the high number of civilian casualties and the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, Israel is increasingly criticized internationally.
UN removing relief supplies from pier area in Gaza
Due to the weather-related closure of the provisional US port in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations is relocating thousands of tons of relief supplies away from the pier area. Workers have been there since Friday to store the relief supplies - mainly foodstuffs - in warehouses, said the spokesperson for the World Food Programme (WFP), Abeer Etefa, to the German Press Agency.
The cargo should therefore be distributed at a later time. When the transport would be completed depends on how easily one can move within the coastal enclave, added Etefa. The provisional pier constructed by the US military at the Gaza coast was put into operation in mid-May to serve as a hub for the delivery of relief goods to the largely isolated coastal strips. Several times since then, the pier had been out of order due to bad weather.
On Friday, the pier was dismantled again due to rough seas. According to the US Defense Ministry, the pier was to be towed to Ashdod, about 30 kilometers along the Israeli coast. When the pier could be put back into use was uncertain. The WFP had recently halted distribution due to a massive Israeli military operation near the pier.
- People in various parts of the Middle East, including Gaza and Lebanon, are closely following the escalating conflict between Israel and its adversaries.
- Saudi Arabia, a key player in the region, has expressed concern over the potential expansion of the conflict from the Gaza Strip to South Lebanon.
- The Israeli Air Force, in a series of air attacks, has targeted various positions affiliated with Hezbollah in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
- On Sunday, the Air Force conducted an air attack in the Schedschaija neighborhood in Gaza City, reportedly eliminating several militants from Hamas.
- Gazan civilians trapped in the conflict are struggling to access food and medical aid, with rescue services unable to reach many injured individuals.
- The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has taken a toll on both Israeli and Palestinian territories, leading to an Exchange of fire in areas like Tel Aviv and Beirut.
- The ongoing Army operation in the Gaza Strip has resulted in a significant number of casualties, with both sides incurring losses.
- The latest air raid in the Gaza Strip, carried out by Israel's Air Force, reportedly resulted in several Palestinian deaths in Rafah, according to local sources.
- Analysts and regional observers are warning of the risks of the conflict escalating into a full-scale war, with potential consequences for the entire Middle East.
- Peace talks between Israel and its adversaries have stalled in recent years, with each side accusing the other of perpetuating the violence and instability in the region.
- Despite the intense hostilities, both Israel and Hezbollah have maintained their commitment to their respective ideologies and prowess, exacerbating the existing tensions in the Middle East conflict.
