Some explosions were heard in the evening in Gaza, where the Israeli army announces to carry out air strikes.
Several explosions were heard by AFP reporters in Gaza in the evening, minutes before the Israeli army announced it was “carrying out attacks on the Gaza Strip”. AFP reporters heard at least three explosions. The attacks targeted three Hamas training camps in Gaza City and another in the center of the micro-territory controlled by the Islamist movement, a Palestinian security source said.
High voltage in the Middle East. The rain of rockets on Israel from Lebanon and Gaza threatens to inflame the Middle East. The Jewish state has accused Palestinian factions linked to Hamas of being responsible for launching 34 missiles from the Land of the Cedars towards the western Galilee. Rockets preceded by another 7, of which 5 towards Israel, fired directly from the Strip at the beginning of the day in which the Jewish Passover is celebrated. The frame of reference for this resurgence of tension is the situation on the Esplanade of the Mosques in Jerusalem, where other incidents took place yesterday after the violent ones on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday. Lebanon’s attack on Israel is considered the most serious since the 2006 conflict: a barrage of rockets that sent the inhabitants into shelters. Of the 34 – the army explained – 25 were intercepted and shot down by the Iron Dome system, 5 passed the defenses causing material damage and two injured. 4 others do not know where they fell. The commander in chief of UNIFIL, General Aroldo Lazaro, gave the sense of concern: “The situation is extremely serious”, he warned, calling for “calm and to avoid escalation”.
After the missile attack, the Italian soldiers of the Unifil contingent took cover in the bunkers of their bases. For now – despite the official Lebanese agency reporting an Israeli bombing in the afternoon – the Jewish state has specified that it has not responded to the military action from Lebanon, which in the evening also saw mortar rounds aimed at the city of Metulla. A position in stark contrast with the usual practice of the army which normally responds immediately – as it did with Hamas in Gaza – to attacks.
“As far as today’s aggressions are concerned, we will strike our enemies and they will pay a price for their every action,” Benyamin Netanyahu said. The prime minister who convened the security cabinet and defense minister Yoav Gallant – who immediately met with the top army leaders – gave a mandate to prepare “all response options”. There is talk not only of Lebanon but also of Gaza, in a pincer that requires careful examination of the moves. The army has in fact said it holds “Palestinian factions linked to Hamas” responsible for the launch, and is examining the possible “involvement” of Iran. Obviously, Lebanon is in the lead, from whose territory the attack started, with some analysts who have underlined how the scale of the action would have been unthinkable to carry out without the consent of Hezbollah.
Hamas “will not sit with folded arms” in the face of “Israeli aggression” on the al Aqsa mosque. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said that he is visiting Beirut by Hassan Nasrallah, head of Hezbollah, an ally of Iran. “All organizations must close ranks and intensify resistance against the Israeli occupation,” he added.
From the Strip, to the south, rocket fire followed fresh incidents on the Esplanade of the Mosques (the Temple Mount for the Jews). Palestinians blamed Israeli police who entered the mosque with stun grenades and shooting rubber bullets. The police responded by denouncing that dozens of young people brought stones and firecrackers into the mosque, trying to barricade themselves inside. The US has supported Israel’s right to defend itself “from any aggression” while the UN, condemning the launching of rockets, has asked for “moderation” from all parties. However, the ongoing match between the south and the north has strengthened Israel’s unity: Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz, opponents of Netanyahu on justice reform, have said that “when it comes to security, in Israel there is no distinction between government and opposition”.
“Lebanon is a fundamental junction for regional stability and for the entire Mediterranean. In these difficult times, even greater commitment is needed for regional peace and security so that the situation does not degenerate”. Thus Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, who met Prime Minister Najib Mikati in Beirut.
Lebanon “rejects any escalation from its territory”: Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati declared on Thursday evening, condemning the firing of about thirty rockets on Israel from the south of the country. In a statement, Mikati, who leads the country de facto in the absence of a head of state, added that Lebanon “refuses the use of its territory for operations that destabilize the situation”.
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