PTC News Desk: As tensions in the Middle East escalated following the assassination of Hamas political director Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this week, Hezbollah stated on Saturday (local time) that it had fired dozens of rockets at Israel. US President Joe Biden hoped that Iran would 'stand down' despite its threats to strike Israel amid concerns about a regional conflict.
Hezbollah, which receives Iranian support just like Hamas, claimed that civilians were hurt by missile strikes on Israel's Moshav Beit Hillel, according to The Times of Israel. Additionally, it claimed that the attack was a reprisal for Israel's strikes on Lebanon's Kfar Kela and Deir Siriane, as well as after an Israeli strike on Beirut claimed the life of Hezbollah's senior military commander, Fuad Shukr.
According to an Axios story, three US and Israeli sources stated they had anticipated an assault on Israel by Iran as early as Monday.
ISRAEL-IRAN-HEZBOLLAH TENSIONS UPDATES:
- Israel reported that its renowned Iron Dome system intercepted most of the rockets fired by Hezbollah, with several impacts recognised near Beit Hillel. Local media reported fires in the area.
- The US, Israel's ally, announced it was increasing its military presence in the Middle East to protect its personnel and defend Israel amid rising tensions. Washington will deploy an aircraft carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln, additional ballistic missile defense-capable cruisers and destroyers, and a new fighter squadron in the region.
- When asked about Iran's threat to attack Israel, President Biden, at his beach home in Delaware, replied, "I hope so. I don't know."
- The US Embassy in Beirut advised its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately on "any ticket available," amid fears of a new war in the region. This advisory followed UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy's warning that the regional situation "could deteriorate rapidly." Other countries, including Jordan, Canada, and India, issued similar advisories for their citizens to leave Lebanon as soon as possible.
- Iran, blaming Israel for the killing of Haniyeh, stated it expected Hezbollah to strike deeper into Israel, no longer confined to military targets.
- Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups from Yemen, Iraq, and Syria are already involved in the nearly 10-month-old war between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza.
- In another development, an Israeli drone strike in Bazourieh, southern Lebanon, killed Ali Abd Ali, a prominent Hezbollah operative, The Times of Israel reported. The Israeli military described Ali as a "central terrorist" in Hezbollah's Southern Front.
- Hezbollah confirmed Ali's killing and warned of retaliation against Israel. Lebanese media reported that two people were injured in the strike.
- Violence also spread to the West Bank as Israel traded fire with Hezbollah on Saturday. Israeli strikes on a school compound in Gaza City, controlled by Hamas, killed 17 people.
- US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the Middle East situation with his French and British counterparts on Saturday, with all agreeing on the need for restraint by all sides, according to State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
Also Read: Who is astrologer Kushal Kumar, predicting World War 3 will begin today?
- With inputs from agencies
