JERUSALEM: The Israeli military said Thursday it was reinforcing the country’s northern border with infantry troops “in accordance with the situational assessment.”
The announcement comes after Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group threatened to retaliate for a strike earlier this week that killed one of its fighters near Damascus International Airport. The airstrike, which also killed four other foreign fighters, was widely attributed to Israel.
Iran-backed Hezbollah has vowed in the past to retaliate for any fighter that Israel kills in Syria. The group fired a barrage of anti-tank missiles into Israel on Sept. 1 last year after two of its fighters were killed in an Israeli airstrike near Damascus days earlier.
That prompted a reprisal of heavy Israeli artillery fire in a rare burst of fighting between the bitter enemies. Hezbollah and Israel fought a 34-day war in 2006 that ended in a draw.
Israel did not comment on this week’s strike and generally refrains from discussing its activities in neighboring Syria. But it is believed to have carried out hundreds of strikes against pro-Iranian forces during the nearly decade-long civil war.
Tehran has sent thousands of Iran-backed fighters in the past years to fight alongside Syrian government forces.
Israel views Iran as a regional menace and has vowed to prevent any permanent Iranian military buildup in Syria, particularly near its frontier.
Israel reinforces Lebanon border after Hezbollah threats
https://arab.news/zh7er
Israel reinforces Lebanon border after Hezbollah threats
- Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group threatened to retaliate for a strike earlier this week
- Israel did not comment on this week’s strike and generally refrains from discussing its activities in neighboring Syria
Gaza death toll surges to 71,548 as Israeli aggression continues
- The administration of President Donald Trump earlier in the week said the US-drafted ceasefire plan for Gaza was now moving into its challenging second phase, which includes the new Palestinian committee in Gaza
GAZA: The death toll from Israeli attacks has risen to 71,548 Palestinians, with 171,353 reported wounded, since the beginning of the offensive on Oct. 7, 2023, according to medical sources.
One new fatality was reported at a Gaza hospital in the past 24 hours, along with six new injuries, sources said.
Several victims remain trapped under rubble or lying in the streets, with ambulance and civil defense crews unable to reach them due to the widespread destruction and lack of supplies.
Since the ceasefire came into effect on Oct. 11, the number of fatalities has increased to 464 along with 1,275 injuries, while 712 bodies have been recovered from beneath the rubble.
Earlier on Saturday, a 27-day-old baby died because of severe cold, bringing the number of child deaths caused by extreme winter conditions since the start of the season to eight.
The administration of President Donald Trump earlier in the week said the US-drafted ceasefire plan for Gaza was now moving into its challenging second phase, which includes the new Palestinian committee in Gaza, deployment of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas, and reconstruction of the war-battered territory.
But Israel’s government is objecting to the White House announcement of leaders who will play a role in overseeing the next steps in Gaza.
Israel says the Gaza executive committee “was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy,” without details.
Saturday’s statement also said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has told the Foreign Ministry to contact Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The White House-announced committee announced on Friday includes no Israeli official but does include an Israeli businessman.
Other members announced so far include two of US President Donald Trump’s closest confidants, a former British prime minister, an American general, and a collection of top officials from Middle Eastern governments.
The White House has said the executive committee will carry out the vision of a Trump-led “Board of Peace,” whose members have not yet been named.
The White House also announced the members of a new Palestinian committee to run Gaza’s day-to-day affairs, with oversight from the executive committee.
The committee’s members include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Trump’s deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel.
