Air Force launches attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon

//

Lerato Khumalo

21:05: Israel’s Defense Minister Joav Galant does not consider a war against the Shiite Hezbollah militia in Lebanon to be desirable, but believes his army is prepared for one. “We are working on a political solution. That is always the better option,” the minister said during a visit to troops near Israel’s border with Lebanon, Israeli media reported. “We are not looking for war, but we are prepared for one.”

If Hezbollah chooses war, “we know what we will do,” he adds. “If they choose peace, we will respond accordingly.” Since the beginning of the Gaza war, there have been daily exchanges of fire between the Israeli army and Hezbollah in the border area between Israel and Lebanon.

On Friday, the pro-Iranian militia fired 25 missiles and three drones at Israel, according to the Israeli military. No one was injured. However, some of the rockets sparked forest fires. Israel’s army said it fired at several Hezbollah launching positions. Recently, the fighting has become significantly more intense. Several countries, including Germany, have again called on their citizens to leave Lebanon.

20:49: The temporary pier erected by the US military on the coast of the Gaza Strip has been dismantled again due to rough seas. The facility will be towed to Ashdod on the Israeli coast, said Sabrina Singh, deputy spokeswoman for the US Department of Defense. Singh did not specify a date when the pier could be put back into operation – this depends on the circumstances. “We will continue to monitor environmental and weather factors,” said the spokeswoman, who announced that she would provide further information on the situation.

The pier had already been temporarily moved to Ashdod due to rough seas to prevent structural damage. The temporary structure was damaged shortly after it was put into operation in May due to high waves and stormy seas. The Israeli city of Ashdod is a good 30 kilometers from Gaza. There have also been repeated problems with the distribution of aid supplies. According to Singh, there are still undistributed aid supplies in the pier area on the beach in Gaza. Although there is still space, the area is “almost full.” Talks are being held with the World Food Program (WFP) to coordinate further action. The WFP recently stopped distribution due to a massive Israeli military operation near the pier, during which several hostages were also freed.