Israeli media show the Star of David flag raised in the village of Maroun al-Ras, a symbol of the ground operation launched by Tel Aviv in southern Lebanon. The maneuvers were expanded with the sending of the first division of IDF reservists to the southwest of the country. The announcement came after the IDF ordered the evacuation of dozens of towns and villages in the area, including the coastal city of Naqoura, where United Nations peacekeeping forces are based. Precisely the situation of the Unifil mission, which includes numerous Italian soldiers, was at the center of a telephone conversation between the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani, and his Israeli colleague, Israel Katz. The head of Farnesina reiterated the “Italian request to guarantee maximum protection to the Unifil contingent”, obtaining guarantees “in this regard”.
The news came as satellite photographs cited by Al Jazeera showed around forty IDF military vehicles near the Unifil base in Maroun al-Ras. Speaking to LaPresse, Unifil spokesperson Andrea Tenenti clarified that the Israeli vehicles “for days” were a few meters from the “Irish base” before moving. Hezbollah, for its part, announced that it killed and injured several enemy soldiers crossing the border near the al-Labouneh forest, close to a UN position. The “Party of God” continues to respond to the Israeli offensive by launching dozens of rockets towards the north of the Jewish State. More than 100 attacked the Haifa area; the majority – the IDF reported – were intercepted. The coastal capital has been openly threatened by the Iranian media, along with Tel Aviv, in view of the expected Israeli retaliation against the Islamic Republic. “Even before Israeli planes travel the distance of 2 to 3 hours to reach Iranian airspace”, the cities of Haifa and Tel Aviv would be “destroyed” in “less than ten minutes”, warned the ultra-conservative newspaper Kayhan.
A new chapter in tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv risks being written in terms of retaliation. According to Axios, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan asked Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer for “clarity and transparency” about the retaliation plans because they will have implications for American forces and interests in region. The Biden administration is apparently losing confidence in the Israeli government’s assurances also regarding the Lebanese dossier: US officials interviewed by CNN expressed fears about the possibility that Tel Aviv, despite promises of a limited operation, could move towards a large-scale war. With frequent attacks on Beirut, Israel decapitated Hezbollah, killing historic leader Nassan Nasrallah. His designated successor, Hashem Safieddine, may be dead. Israel has eliminated “Nasrallah’s successor and his replacement”, announced Benjamin Netanyahu, probably referring to Safieddine himself.
Source: IL Tempo
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.