BEIRUT – Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel reached a new height as Hezbollah, the Lebanese militia, fired numerous rockets into northern Israel. The strike was triggered by the targeted killing of Saleh Arouri, the deputy political leader of Hamas, presumed to be at the hands of Israel, in a Hezbollah stronghold south of Beirut.
Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah had warned that retaliation was imperative to protect Lebanon from further Israeli attacks. The group claimed to have hit an Israeli air surveillance base on Mount Meron, scoring direct hits, and two army posts near the border. Israel confirmed the rocket attack but did not acknowledge hits on its base, stating that it struck the Hezbollah cell responsible.
The escalation occurred as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken embarked on an urgent Middle East diplomatic tour, his fourth since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted three months ago. In Gaza, the death toll surpassed 22,000, with the majority being civilians. International criticism against Israel grows, prompting the U.S. to call for increased efforts to prevent harm to civilians.
Blinken’s tour aims to garner regional support, starting in Turkey, where he seeks assistance for post-war Gaza plans and potential involvement in a multinational force. The trip includes stops in Greece, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Israel, the West Bank, and concludes in Egypt.
Simultaneously, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, visited Beirut, expressing a commitment to jump-start a European-Arab initiative for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Borrell plans to visit Saudi Arabia to further diplomatic efforts.
By AP
