THE WEEK
Amid strikes and counterstrikes, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said that Israel’s response to Hamas will ‘change the Middle East’. Netanyahu also warned Gaza civilians to get away from all Hamas sites as they are going to destroy it to ‘rubbles’.
Netanyahu was speaking to mayors of the southern border town hit by the assault on Saturday.
Meanwhile, artillery shelling and gunfire were reported at Lebanon’s southern border with Israel. According to Israeli military, gunmen who infiltrated from Lebanon were killed by the troops. Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed that infiltrators entered the nation through the Lebanon border.
Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said the country’s priority is to maintain stability along its southern border with Israel. Mikati added that Lebanon did not want to engage in a war with Israel.
Gaza health ministry had said that 560 Palestinians were killed and 2,900 were wounded in Israeli strikes. While, the death toll crossed 800 in Israel. Israel forces are conducting ‘wide-scale airstrikes’ on Hamas centers in Gaza.
UN condemns the attack
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Monday that he was “deeply distressed” by an announcement that Israel will initiate a complete siege of the Gaza Strip. Guterress condemned the ‘abhorrent attacks by Hamas and others’ against Israeli towns.
Hezbollah had claimed responsibility for firing rockets at three Israeli positions in a disputed territory along the border of Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
Also, US State department spokesperson confirmed the death of nine Americans in Israel.
The European Commission said it was putting its full portfolio of development aid to Palestinians, worth 691 million euros under review and immediately suspending all payments. EU Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said the measures include that all payments (be) immediately suspended. “All projects put under review. All new budget proposals… postponed until further notice,” he added.
EU foreign ministers are slated to meet in Muscat, Oman on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Kremlin called for a return to peace and said it was “extremely concerned” that the violence could escalate into a broader conflict in the Middle East, reported Reuters. Russia has relationships with Arab countries, Iran and Hamas as well as with Israel.
