Jalaa MAREY
Following the recommendations of the United States and the United Kingdom, France on Sunday (4) asked its citizens to leave Lebanon immediately, due to fears of a military escalation between Iran and its allies and Israel, after the assassination of the Hamas leader and the military commander of Hezbollah.
In the last few hours, a knife attack left two dead in a suburb of Tel Aviv and the Lebanese movement Hezbollah launched dozens of rockets into northern Israel, mostly intercepted by the Israeli anti-aircraft system.
Iran, the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas and Hezbollah have blamed Israel for the killing on Wednesday of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh at a Revolutionary Guards building in Tehran.
Israel has not commented on the killing, which came just hours after a bombing – this one claimed by the Hebrew state – that killed the Lebanese group’s military commander, Fuad Shukr, near Beirut on Tuesday.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei threatened Israel with a “severe punishment” and Hezbollah leader Hasan Nasrallah cited an “inevitable response.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country “is at a high level of preparation for any scenario, both defensive and offensive.”
The government of the United States, Israel’s main ally, announced on Friday a reinforcement of its military apparatus in the Middle East to, among other things, “increase support for Israel’s defense.”
The
war in Gaza, which began on October 7 with the Hamas attack on Israeli territory, has provoked hostilities between Israel and Iranian-linked armed movements in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
Faced with fears of a worsening situation, Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Jordan have in recent days asked their citizens to leave Lebanon immediately.
France’s Foreign Ministry on Sunday called on the French to leave Lebanon “as soon as possible” and “temporarily leave” Iran.
Canada, which recommended in late June that its citizens leave Lebanon, appealed on Saturday for Canadians to “avoid travel to Israel.”
Several airlines have temporarily suspended flights to Beirut, such as Lufthansa, Air France and Transavia. Kuwait Airways will halt flights from Monday and Qatar Airways has canceled overnight flights to Beirut until Monday.
Lufthansa has also suspended flights to Tel Aviv until August 8.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Hezbollah has exchanged fire almost daily with the Israeli army along the Israeli-Lebanese border. Shukru’s death further increased the tension.
On Saturday night, Hezbollah announced that it had fired dozens of rockets for the first time at the northern Israeli town of Beit Hillel. The Israeli army responded with shelling in southern Lebanon.
Iran’s U.N. representation said it hoped Hezbollah would attack Israeli territory “in depth” and not limit itself to military targets.
– Sixteen dead in Gaza – Almost
10 months after the start of the war in Gaza, the Israeli army continues its offensive against the besieged, devastated and threatened Palestinian territory
The Palestinian Red Crescent and Civil Defense said 16 people were killed in Israeli shelling in Jabaliya in the north and Deir al Balah in the center.
Five people were killed after a drone attacked the tents of displaced people in the courtyard of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al Balah, according to a hospital source.
The land, sea and air attacks also targeted Gaza City (north). The shelling hit Al Bureij and Nuseirat (center), as well as Rafah (south), according to witnesses.
The war began on October 7, when Islamist militiamen killed 1,197 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapped 251 in southern Israel, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data.
Israel estimates that 111 people remain in captivity in Gaza, including 39 who are believed to be dead.
In response, Israel launched an offensive that has killed 39,583 people in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Health Ministry of the Palestinian territory, ruled by Hamas since 2007.
