Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday (October 19, 2024) accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of attempting to assassinate him, at a time when the Center East is already in suspense after Israel promised retaliation for a bombing of Iranian missiles.
Netanyahu’s workplace mentioned a drone was launched towards his residence within the central metropolis of Caesarea, however he and his spouse weren’t residence on the time and there have been no accidents.
“The try by Hezbollah, Iran’s proxy, to assassinate me and my spouse at the moment was a critical mistake,” Netanyahu mentioned in a press release.
“Anybody who tries to hurt the residents of Israel can pay a excessive worth,” he mentioned in feedback directed at Tehran and “its proxies,” which embody Lebanon’s Hezbollah, a gaggle with which Israel has been at battle since late September.
The Lebanese group, armed and financed by Iran, didn’t acknowledge the assault, however on Saturday evening the Iranian United Nations mission mentioned “this motion was taken” by Hezbollah.
Israeli emergency employees attend the scene after a drone fired from Lebanon reportedly hit a construction on October 19, 2024 in Caesarea, Israel. | Photograph credit score: Getty Photos
Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari mentioned a drone “crashed right into a constructing in Caesarea, whereas trying to assault the prime minister.”
Caesarea is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the Haifa metropolis space, which Hezbollah has commonly attacked.
Whereas preventing a battle on two fronts, in Lebanon and Gaza, Israel has additionally vowed to reply to Iran’s Oct. 1 missile barrage with a “lethal, exact and shocking” strike, in response to Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant. .
Hamas ‘a actuality’
Iran mentioned it fired 200 missiles at its archenemy in response to the assassination of an Iranian normal and Hezbollah chief, Hassan Nasrallah.
Gaza’s civil protection company mentioned Saturday {that a} wide-ranging Israeli army operation has killed greater than 400 individuals in two weeks within the territory’s north.
Hamas ally Hezbollah has vowed to step up assaults on Israel and on Saturday launched volleys of rockets into northern Israel, the place rescuers mentioned one man was killed by shrapnel.
Hamas, Hezbollah and allied teams backed by Iran within the area have vowed to maintain preventing after Israeli troops killed Palestinian motion chief Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Wednesday, greater than a 12 months into the battle sparked by the Hamas assault. on October 7, 2023 towards Israel.
“Hamas is a actuality in Palestine that nobody can ignore, nobody can destroy,” Iranian Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi instructed state tv on Saturday after assembly with a Hamas consultant in Istanbul.
‘Unspeakable horrors’
Israel, vowing to forestall Hamas militants from regrouping in northern Gaza, launched a serious air and floor assault on October 6, intensifying its siege of the war-torn space and inflicting tens of hundreds of individuals to flee.
Civil protection company spokesman Mahmud Bassal mentioned “we’ve recovered greater than 400 martyrs from the varied focused areas within the northern Gaza Strip,” together with Jabalia and its refugee camp, because the operation started. Israeli.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli army mentioned it was investigating civil protection company reviews from Gaza, together with that an in a single day airstrike on Jabalia killed 33 individuals.
“It has been greater than a 12 months and on daily basis our blood is shed,” displaced Gazan Nasser Shaqura mentioned exterior a hospital in Deir el-Balah, the place victims of an Israeli airstrike had been taken.
“Every single day, each hour, there’s a bloodbath,” he mentioned. “That is what our lives have develop into.”
Palestinians are experiencing “unspeakable horrors” within the northern Gaza Strip, performing UN humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya mentioned in X.
‘Unspeakable horrors’
The violence has dashed hopes that Sinwar’s demise might finish the battle or result in the fast launch of 97 hostages nonetheless held by militants in Gaza, together with 34 the Israeli army says are useless.
On the newest rally in Tel Aviv urging a deal to free the captives, Iris Shahar-Lavi, aunt of captive Israeli soldier Naama Levy, mentioned Sinwar’s demise “makes us each very anxious about his destiny, but additionally very hopeful that possibly that is the chance to shut a deal.”
The battle was sparked by Hamas’ unprecedented assault final 12 months that killed 1,206 individuals, principally civilians, in response to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
Israel’s marketing campaign to crush Hamas and get well hostages has killed 42,519 individuals in Gaza, principally civilians, in response to information from the Ministry of Well being within the Hamas-run territory, figures the UN considers dependable.
The director of the Indonesian Hospital in northern Gaza mentioned Israeli forces had been shelling the power and Gaza’s Well being Ministry mentioned two sufferers had died. He blamed the Israeli siege and an absence of medical provides.
The army reported that troops had been working close to the power, however mentioned “no intentional fireplace” had been directed at it.
The Israeli army mentioned two troopers “fell in fight in northern Gaza” on Saturday, elevating the demise toll amongst troops in Gaza because the begin of the bottom offensive in late October 2023 to 357.
Assaults on Lebanon
Protection ministers from the rich G7 nations (Italy, France, Germany, Britain, Japan, Canada and the USA) known as on Iran to cease supporting Hamas and Hezbollah.
In a press release after a gathering in Italy, additionally they expressed concern about “the danger of additional escalation” within the Center East, in addition to “threats” to the safety of UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.
In Lebanon, the place Israel final month stepped up airstrikes and deployed floor forces after almost a 12 months of cross-border exchanges with Hezbollah, state media and the Well being Ministry reported extra lethal assaults on Saturday.
Israel mentioned its air power had struck “Hezbollah weapons storage services” and an intelligence heart within the group’s stronghold south of Beirut. Floor forces continued “focused” raids in southern Lebanon.
Because the finish of September, the battle has left a minimum of 1,454 useless in Lebanon, in response to an AFP rely primarily based on figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Well being.
Printed – October 20, 2024 02:47 am IST
