Middle East conflict - Mass protests in Israel against the government
At mass protests in Israel against the government, a woman who was freed from the Gaza Strip has made her first public appearance with an appeal against hate. "We all wish for peaceful and quiet days, days where we are surrounded by family, friends, and good people. The most important thing is that we learn to love and not to hate," said Noa Argamani on Saturday evening in a video message. The 26-year-old Israeli woman was freed three weeks ago during a dramatic operation by the Israeli military in Gaza with three other hostages. "Even though I am back home, we cannot forget the hostages who are still being held by Hamas," said the student. "We must do everything possible to bring them home."
Israel responds to Iran's threat
Meanwhile, the verbal saber-rattling in the Lebanon conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed Shia militia Hezbollah continues. The Iranian UN representation in New York warned on Saturday morning on the platform X that if Israel were to launch a comprehensive military aggression against Lebanon, "it will lead to a devastating war." Israel's Foreign Minister reacted to this on Saturday evening with the words: "If Hezbollah does not stop its fire and withdraws from South Lebanon, we will take decisive action against it, until security is restored and the residents can return to their homes," wrote Israel Katz on the same platform and added: "A regime that threatens destruction deserves to be destroyed."
Saudi Arabia calls on citizens to leave Lebanon
Saudi Arabia has called on its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately. The reason for this could be fears of a war between Israel and Hezbollah. The Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Saturday that the embassy in the Lebanese capital Beirut had appealed to its citizens to leave the country "immediately." In addition, Saudi Arabians were advised not to travel to Lebanon. Recently, for example, Canada had also called on its citizens to leave. The German Foreign Office has been warning Germans against traveling to Lebanon for a long time. German nationals are urged to leave the country. "An escalation of the situation and the expansion of the conflict cannot be ruled out."
Israel continues bombardment in Gaza
Since the start of the Gaza War almost nine months ago, Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah have been clashing nearly daily, especially at the border. The intensity of the fighting has recently increased significantly. The Schiitenmilitia demands that Israel stop fighting against the Hamas, which is allied with it, in the Gaza Strip. But the Israeli army continues to act there. According to Palestinian reports, at least twelve people were killed by attacks in parts of the city Gaza in the northern part of the besieged coastal strip on Saturday. The Israeli army reported that the air force had bombed targets in the eastern part of the city. Ground troops had found large quantities of weapons and ammunition.
Still at the beginning of the year, Israel had considered the northern part of the Gaza Strip as largely secured and had labeled Hamas there as significantly weakened. However, it appears that Hamas has regrouped in the region. The trigger for the war was an unprecedented massacre committed by Hamas and other terror groups in Israel on October 7. In this attack, they killed 1200 people and abducted an additional 250 as hostages into the Gaza Strip, including the young student Argamani and her friend. Argamani is still being held by the terrorists.
"It's a great privilege to be here after 246 days in Hamas captivity," Argamani said in her video, which was played at the protest rally against the government in the metropolis Tel Aviv on Saturday evening.
Protests against Israel's Prime Minister
According to Israeli media reports, clashes occurred between the protesters and the police. The participants of the recently grown protests on Saturday evenings accuse Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of not seriously advancing indirect negotiations with Hamas. They believe that Netanyahu is not acting because he is considering his ultrareligious and right-wing coalition partners. Netanyahu's political survival, against whom a corruption trial has been ongoing for years, depends on these partners. Argamani's family's greatest concern during her lengthy captivity was for her, she said in her video.
The fate of the young woman abducted by the Nova Music Festival touched people in her homeland and around the world. Recordings of her being abducted on a motorcycle by terrorists and crying out for help have been circulating in social media for months. According to Israeli media, she learned good Arabic during her time as a hostage. She became a kind of "representative" of other female hostages with whom she had been held captive for a short time, it was reported.
The military operation to free her was marked by intense fighting with armed Palestinians, according to the Israeli army. According to reports from the health authority controlled by Hamas, 274 Palestinians were killed in the process. Since her release, Argamani has been actively involved in caring for her mother in the hospital, according to recent media reports. The woman is from China and has advanced-stage cancer.
- Noa Argamani, freed from the Gaza Strip, urged for peace in New York, emphasizing the importance of love over hate during a mass protest against the Israeli government.
- Hezbollah, backed by Iran, is engaged in verbal conflicts with Israel over Lebanon, threatening a devastating war if Israel launches a comprehensive military aggression.
- Israel's Foreign Minister responded to Hezbollah's threats, stating that decisive action will be taken against the militia if it does not stop firing and withdraw from South Lebanon.
- Saudi Arabia has advised its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately due to fears of a potential war between Israel and Hezbollah.
- Continuous clashes between Israel and Hamas, an Iran-backed group in Gaza, have resulted in significant casualties and increased intensity of fighting in the region.
- Hamas, allied with Hezbollah, has been fighting against Israel in the Gaza Strip, despite the Israeli army's continued bombardment and ground operations.
- Palestinian reports indicate that at least twelve people were killed due to attacks in the northern part of Gaza on Saturday, while the Israeli army reported bombing targets in the eastern part of the city.
- Argamani, who was abducted by Hamas in a massacre, made a public appearance in Tel Aviv, expressing her gratitude for being freed after 246 days in captivity.
- Protesters in Tel Aviv have been criticizing Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his lack of action in indirect negotiations with Hamas, accusing him of prioritizing coalition partners over peaceful resolutions.
- The ongoing Middle East conflict in the Palestinian territories, such as the recent war in Gaza and Mass protests in Israeli cities, continue to affect the lives and safety of countries like Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.
