Israeli military also published new evacuation orders on Saturday for two neighbourhoods on the north edge of Gaza City, saying it was a “dangerous combat zone”. In a statement, Gaza’s Hamas-run interior ministry urged residents not to relocate.
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah militants erupted one year ago when the Iranian-backed group began launching rockets at northern Israel in support of Hamas, at the start of the Gaza war.
Women walk by cars destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in the Lebanese capital Beirut.Credit: AP
Israel has intensified its military operations in recent weeks, bombing southern Lebanon, Beirut’s southern suburbs and the Beqaa Valley, killing many of Hezbollah’s top leaders, and sending ground troops across the border. Hezbollah for its part has fired rockets deeper into Israel.
Israel’s expanded operation has displaced more than 1.2 million people, according to Lebanon’s government, which says more than 2100 people have been killed and 10,000 wounded in over a year of fighting. The toll does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but includes scores of women and children.
The Middle East remains on high alert for further escalation, awaiting Israel’s response to an Iranian missile barrage on October 1, which was in retaliation for Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Syed Hassan Nasrallah.
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US officials believe Israel has narrowed down targets to military and energy infrastructure, NBC reported on Saturday.
There is no indication that Israel will target nuclear facilities or carry out assassinations, the report said citing unidentified US officials, adding that Israel has not made final decisions about how and when to act.
US and Israeli officials said a response could come during the current Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, NBC reported.
In a sign of a spreading conflict, a Syrian security source said the US-led coalition in Syria had targeted Iran-linked sites near northeastern Syria’s Deir el-Zor airport on Friday night.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq said in a statement on Sunday that it had targeted a military site in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights with drones as part of its support of the Palestinian people and Lebanon. It said it would continue escalating attacks against Israeli strongholds.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said on Saturday a third peacekeeper was wounded in an Israeli strike when he was hit by gunfire on Friday, adding that the man was stable after undergoing surgery to remove the bullet.
The UNIFIL statement also said its position in the southern Lebanese town of Ramiya sustained significant damage due to explosions after nearby shelling, but did not specify who was responsible for either attack.
Two UN peacekeepers were wounded by an Israeli strike near their watchtower at the UNIFIL’s main base in Naqoura in southern Lebanon on Friday. UNIFIL has more than 10,000 personnel, with Italy, France, Malaysia, Indonesia and India among the biggest contributors.
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US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, in a call with Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, expressed “deep concern” about reports that Israeli forces had fired on UN peacekeeping positions in Lebanon in recent days and urged Israel to ensure safety for them and the Lebanese military, the Pentagon said.
Austin also “reinforced the need to pivot from military operations in Lebanon to a diplomatic pathway as soon as feasible,” according to the Pentagon statement.
Israel has rejected calls by the United States and other allies for a ceasefire in Lebanon and Gaza.