israel palestine

Beirut. The Lebanese Hezbollah declared that it “attacked” Israeli soldiers “on the move” near the Lebanese border on the night of Monday to Tuesday (local time) and a source close to that group specified that the soldiers were “on the border.”

Hezbollah claimed that it “attacked enemy soldiers on the move” in front of Adaiseh and Kfarkila. The United States earlier announced that Israel was conducting “limited” ground operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

US sends “a few thousand” more soldiers to the Middle East

The United States will send “a few thousand” soldiers to the Middle East to reinforce security and defend Israel if necessary, the Pentagon reported this Monday, after learning that the Israeli government has already launched limited incursions across the border with Lebanon.

The additional forces would bring the total number of troops in the region to 43,000.

The increase will include several squadrons of fighters and attack aircraft, said Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokeswoman. US officials said the total also includes a small number of additional troops to augment the presence.

The measure was adopted following the recent attacks in Lebanon and the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, which represents a significant escalation in the Middle East war, this time between Israel and Hezbollah.

Additional personnel include squadrons of F-15E, F-16 and F-22 fighters and A-10 attack aircraft, as well as personnel necessary to support them. There was supposed to be a rotation and the planes would replace the squadrons already there. Instead, existing and new squadrons will remain in the area to double the available air power.

On Sunday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that he was temporarily expanding the presence of the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and its air support in the region. A US official stated that the extension will be approximately one month. A second aircraft carrier, the Harry S. Truman, left Virginia last week for Europe. It will head to the Mediterranean, and with its presence there will once again be two aircraft carriers in the region. It is expected to take at least a week to arrive.

At the White House, President Joe Biden said Monday that “I am more aware than you might know” about reports that Israel is planning a limited ground incursion into Lebanon after nearly a year of fighting with Hezbollah, and noted who wants an immediate ceasefire. When asked about the reports, Biden responded: “I’m more aware of what you might know, and I’m fine with you stopping. “We should have a ceasefire now.”

Tel Aviv. The preventing in Gaza is anticipated to proceed no less than all through this 12 months, a senior Israeli official predicted.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationwide safety adviser has hinted that his nation will not be able to comply with a ceasefire with Hamas and trade Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages held by the militants.

“The preventing in Rafah will not be a meaningless struggle,” Tzachi Hanegbi mentioned, reiterating that the aim is to finish Hamas rule in Gaza and stop the militant group and its allies from attacking Israel.

“The military is reaching its goals, however the plan it introduced to the cupboard from the primary days indicated that the struggle could be lengthy… it has designated 2024 as a 12 months of struggle.”

Israeli tanks have mounted raids on completely different elements of Rafah for the second consecutive day this Wednesday, regardless of the order of the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice to finish their assaults within the metropolis, the place many Palestinians have taken refuge from the bombings.

The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad reported partaking the invading forces with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs, in addition to blowing up pre-planted explosive units. The Israelis retreated to positions close to the border with Egypt.

Palestinian well being officers mentioned a number of folks had been wounded by Israeli fireplace in japanese Rafah, and a number of other help shops had been set on fireplace.

Some residents reported seeing what they described as unmanned armored robotic automobiles opening fireplace from machine weapons.

The Palestinian Ministry of Well being reported that a number of hospitals in areas the place the military operated have stopped functioning.

Washington famous that the assault fell wanting a significant floor operation within the southern metropolis of Gaza, the likes of which U.S. officers have warned Israel ought to keep away from.

The Palestinian well being ministry has urged the US to stress Israel to open the Rafah crossing, which is used to usher in humanitarian and medical provides.

Israel acknowledged that its army controls three-quarters of the buffer zone on the border and that it intends to regulate it fully, to forestall Hamas from placing weapons there.

Rafah was a significant entry level for humanitarian help earlier than Israel stepped up its border offensive earlier this month and took management of the crossing.

Since help deliveries had been diminished to a minimal, malnutrition has unfold.

“There is no such thing as a indication once they wish to reopen it,” mentioned Palestinian Minister Majed Abu Ramadan.

“Nonetheless, I’d count on all our associates and the worldwide group to push arduous, particularly the US.”

He expressed that the closure of the go makes the scenario “very catastrophic certainly.”

The World Well being Group says the border closure has considerably affected the supply of medical provides to the Gaza Strip, which has been the goal of an Israeli offensive since Hamas assaults in southern Israel, the October 7.

Almost one million folks have fled bombing within the metropolis in three weeks, based on the UN company for Palestinian refugees.

The Israeli army mentioned three troopers had been killed in Rafah on Tuesday, apparently when an explosive gadget went off.

No less than 290 troopers have been killed since October, based on army figures.

The Palestinian Purple Crescent Society mentioned it had evacuated a area hospital within the Al-Mawasi space, which has been designated as a civilian evacuation zone.

A member of their workers was killed in an Israeli airstrike on the home the place he lived within the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, staff added. His demise raised the variety of society collaborators killed since October 7 to 30, of which no less than 17 died whereas finishing up their duties.

Within the metropolis of Khan Younis, an Israeli airstrike killed three extra folks in a single day, together with a former senior Hamas police officer, docs and media from the militant group mentioned Wednesday.

The Israeli army denied hitting a tent camp in a delegated civilian evacuation space final Tuesday.

Virtually eight months after the beginning of the struggle, the 2 sides stay removed from reaching an settlement on a ceasefire and trade of hostages.

Israel has delivered its most up-to-date proposal on the problem to Qatar, which might ahead it to Hamas final Tuesday, a supply reported. Hamas maintains that the talks are meaningless until Israel stops its offensive in Rafah.

© The Impartial

Translation: Jorge Anaya