The Israeli military on Tuesday said operational plans for an offensive in Lebanon were “approved and validated” even as US special envoy Amos Hochstein visited Lebanon in a bid to de-escalate tensions amid cross-border exchanges between Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters. Read our liveblog to see how the day’s events unfolded. Source link
Israel’s army said Wednesday it took control of a vital Gaza-Egypt corridor it suspects aided weapons smuggling as the ground offensive against Hamas in the border city of Rafah intensified. A military spokesman said about 20 tunnels were found in the area of the corridor, a claim rejected by Egypt which accused Israel of using allegations of tunnels under the border as cover for its Rafah offensive. The UN Security Council was set to meet for a second day of emergency talks after a strike at the weekend ignited a fire that Gaza officials said killed 45 people and injured about 250. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was among the many leaders to voice revulsion at the bloodshed, demanding that “this horror must stop”. Read more????Live: Israeli military says it has full control of strategic Gaza-Egypt border corridor Israel’s National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said, however, that the war could go on until the year’s end. “We may have another seven months of fighting to consolidate our success and achieve what we have defined as …
The Israeli strike that killed at least 45 displaced Palestinians, many of them women and children, at a tent camp in Rafah this weekend clearly crossed Joe Biden’s “red line” over the need to protect civilians in the Gaza conflict. France’s Emmanuel Macron did not doubt what should happen next. “These operations must stop,” he posted on X. “There are no safe areas in Rafah for Palestinian civilians. I call for full respect for international law and an immediate ceasefire.” Those in Israel who believe that they still need to make an appearance of deference towards US sentiments pleaded that the whole episode was a “mishap” rather than a deliberate political insult. Mr Biden is inclined to give Israel’s forces the benefit of the doubt, and give himself wriggle room to say his line hadn’t been crossed. Despite the international outcry over Sunday’s deadly blast, Israel stepped up its military offensive on Tuesday, sending tanks into Rafah and leaving a score more civilians dead when it apparently struck a tented area. The US president defends Israel’s right to …
British surgeon Dr Omar El-Taji has been in Gaza for more than a week with medical nonprofit Fajr Scientific, working in one of Gaza’s largest remaining hospitals as Israel’s invasion of Rafah deepens. The European hospital, which was founded by Unrwa with a grant from the EU, has limited resources and fewer local staff to deal with high numbers of patients being admitted with devastating injuries. ‘These people have gone through this for six to seven months now, they cannot go through this any more,’ says El-Taji, who is currently living at the hospital after the medical team’s safe house was evacuated. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has so far rejected US pressure to hold off on a full-scale attack, claiming Rafah is the last stronghold of Hamas and that Israel can only achieve its war aims by killing militants and leaders in the city Source link
While some Palestine defenders on Wednesday welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden’s threat to withhold bombs and artillery shells from Israel if it launches a major invasion of Rafah, critics noted that an invasion is already underway and accused the American leader of walking back a previous “red line” warning against an Israeli assault on the southern Gaza city. Biden said for the first time that he’ll stop sending bombs, artillery shells, and other arms to Israel if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians forcibly displaced from other parts of the embattled Gaza Strip are sheltering alongside around 280,000 local residents. Referring to Israel’s use of U.S.-supplied 2,000-pound bombs—which can destroy an entire city block and have been used in some of the war’s worst atrocities—Biden told CNN‘s Erin Burnett that “civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers.” Even the U.S. military—which has killed more foreign civilians than any other armed force on the planet since the end of World War …
Fine brandy, a Tour de France jersey and old grudges against NATO: On his first European tour in five years, Chinese President Xi Jinping is engaging in a diplomatic dance that is seen by some as a concerted Chinese bid to stress-test the transatlantic alliance. With Washington watching warily from the sidelines, Xi’s whirlwind visit this week has taken him to France, Serbia and Hungary, with a very different tone and agenda at each stop, but with some overarching goals in common. Chinese President Xi Jinping enjoys a drink at a restaurant in the French Pyrenees on Wednesday. (Aurelien Morissard / Associated Press) Taken as a whole, the Chinese leader’s European trip is seen as both a charm offensive and a hard-nosed display of realpolitik on matters such as trade and the war in Ukraine — at the expense of a united Western front on both. During the visit, Xi has nodded to traditional European centers of power such as France and the European Union — but also laid heavy emphasis on deepening ties with …
Cardi B posted, and subsequently deleted, a video defending a foot-in-mouth moment at Monday’s Met Gala. All eyes were on the rapper as she made her way up the stairs in a giant black gown by designer Sensen Lii of Windowsen, but when it was time to tell everyone who’s fashion she was wearing, Cardi blanked. Instead of saying she forgot, the Up artist referred to Lii as “this amazing designer” who is “Asian and everything”, a move that made more than a few fashionistas cringe. One particular critic was Vogue’s former managing editor Gilbert Cheah, who remarked on Cardi’s flub in an Instagram comment. “For the record and recognition, and no thanks to Cardi B, the designer of her gown is Sensen Lii who’s Chinese,” Cheah said of the sprawling ebony design, which needed seven assistants to carry and unfurl. “The gown took two months to make,” the fashion editor noted. Ending with a dig, he said: “I personally think it’s boring and not even on theme but she chose it and should have …
President Biden said he would halt the shipment of U.S. offensive weapons to Israel if the country moves ahead with its long-planned ground invasion of Rafah. “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs,” Biden said in an interview with CNN, referring to 2,000-pound bombs supplied by the United States. Source link
President Biden on Wednesday warned he would stop supplying Israel with offensive weapons like bombs and artillery shells if Israeli forces launch an invasion of Rafah, laying down a clear line amid outcry over the conflict in Gaza. “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” Biden told CNN’s Erin Burnett in an interview. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities — that deal with that problem,” Biden added. The White House has urged Israel against sending forces into Rafah without a clear plan to evacuate civilians safely, as the war has already left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead. About a million refugees have settled in Rafah after fleeing fighting in northern Gaza. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been adamant about plans to destroy …
An Israeli army battle tank moves along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on May 7. Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images An Israeli army battle tank moves along the border with the Gaza Strip in southern Israel on May 7. Menahem Kahana/AFP via Getty Images The Gaza Strip’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt has been a key lifeline for people in the Palestinian enclave. Throughout seven months of war, this has been the only way in and out of Gaza for aid workers and people trying to flee. It is also where most food, medical supplies and fuel have entered Gaza, even as other crossings with Israel opened up. Most international aid groups serving Gaza are based in Rafah. For months, Israel has vowed to launch a Rafah military operation regardless of whether there is a cease-fire with Hamas. Here is a timeline of events leading up to its offensive in Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population had sought shelter. Oct. …
