TEL AVIV, Israel — Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Tuesday on his eleventh go to to the area for the reason that outbreak of the Israel-Hamas warfare. The U.S. hopes to revive cease-fire efforts after the killing of high Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, however thus far all of the combatants look like digging in.
Israel continues to be at warfare with Hamas greater than a yr after the militant group’s Oct. 7 assault, and with Hezbollah in Lebanon, the place it launched a floor invasion earlier this month. Israel can also be anticipated to strike Iran in response to its ballistic missile assault on Oct. 1.
Blinken landed simply hours after Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into central Israel, setting off air raid sirens within the nation’s most populated areas and its worldwide airport, however inflicting no obvious injury or accidents.
The Israeli army mentioned it intercepted many of the 5 projectiles, with one touchdown in an open space. One other 15 projectiles have been fired from Lebanon into northern Israel at across the similar time, it mentioned.
Hospitals in Lebanon concern being focused by Israel
The dying toll from Israeli airstrikes late Monday that destroyed a number of buildings going through considered one of Beirut’s important hospitals climbed to 13. Lebanon’s Well being Ministry mentioned 57 others have been wounded, together with seven who have been in crucial situation.
The Israeli army mentioned it struck a Hezbollah goal, with out elaborating, and mentioned that it had not focused the hospital itself.
Related Press reporters visited the Rafik Hariri College Hospital, the nation’s largest public hospital, on Tuesday. They noticed damaged home windows within the hospital’s pharmacy and dialysis heart, which was filled with sufferers on the time.
The pressure of the explosions additionally destroyed among the hospital’s photo voltaic panels. Employees mentioned that within the midst of their very own panic, they needed to take care of wounded sufferers streaming into the hospital within the aftermath of the strikes throughout the road.
Employees at one other Beirut hospital feared it might be focused after Israel alleged that Hezbollah had stashed a whole lot of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in money and gold in its basement, with out offering proof.
The director of the Sahel Normal Hospital denied the allegations and invited journalists to go to the hospital and its two underground flooring on Tuesday. AP reporters noticed no signal of militants or something out of the atypical.
The few remaining sufferers had been evacuated after the Israeli army’s announcement the night time earlier than. The remainder had left earlier due to repeated airstrikes within the surrounding neighborhood.
“We’ve got been dwelling in terror for the final 24 hours,” mentioned hospital director Mazen Alame. “There’s nothing beneath the hospital.”
Many in Lebanon concern Israel might goal its hospitals in the identical approach it has raided medical services throughout Gaza. The Israeli army has accused Hamas and different militants of utilizing hospitals for army functions, allegations denied by medical workers.
Hospitals can lose their safety beneath worldwide regulation if they’re used for army functions.
Blinken anticipated to give attention to Gaza
The State Division mentioned forward of the go to that Blinken would give attention to ending the warfare in Gaza, securing the discharge of hostages held by Hamas and assuaging the struggling of Palestinian civilians.
State Division spokesman Matthew Miller mentioned Blinken would underscore the necessity for a dramatic enhance within the quantity of humanitarian support reaching Gaza, one thing that Blinken and Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin made clear in a letter to Israeli officers final week.
That letter reminded Israel that the Biden administration may very well be compelled by U.S. regulation to curtail some types of army support ought to the supply of humanitarian support proceed to be hindered.
Blinken’s earlier journeys have yielded little in the best way of ending hostilities, however he has managed to extend support deliveries to Gaza up to now.
The USA, Egypt and Qatar have brokered months of talks between Israel and Hamas, attempting to strike a deal by which the militants would launch dozens of hostages in return for an finish to the warfare, an enduring cease-fire and the discharge of Palestinian prisoners.
However each Israel and Hamas accused one another of creating new and unacceptable calls for over the summer season, and the talks floor to a halt in August. Hamas says its calls for haven’t modified following the killing of Sinwar.
U.S. and Iran each step up outreach forward of anticipated Israeli strike
Blinken is predicted to satisfy with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and different high officers, and to go to plenty of Arab nations, prone to embody Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran’s Overseas Minister Abbas Araghchi has been criss-crossing the area in current days to attempt to constructed assist forward of Israel’s threatened retaliatory strike. Talking in Kuwait on Tuesday, he mentioned Gulf Arab nations had assured him they’d not permit their territory for use for any Israeli strike.
“All of the neighbors assured us that they won’t permit their lands and air for use in opposition to Iran,” Araghchi mentioned, in line with the state-run IRNA information company.
The Arab Gulf nations haven’t publicly provided such assurances.
Gulf Arab nations just like the UAE and Qatar host main army installations, and there are issues that an all-out regional warfare might draw them in. Iran has repeatedly vowed to reply to any Israeli strike.
Warfare rages in Lebanon and northern Gaza
The U.S. has additionally tried to dealer a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, however these efforts fell aside as tensions spiked final month with a collection of Israeli strikes that killed the militant group’s high chief, Hassan Nasrallah, and most of his senior commanders.
Israel is presently waging one other main operation in already-devastated northern Gaza, which has killed a whole lot of Palestinians during the last two weeks, in line with native well being authorities.
In Lebanon, Israel has carried out waves of heavy airstrikes throughout southern Beirut and the nation’s south and east, areas the place Hezbollah has a powerful presence. Hezbollah has fired a whole lot of rockets, missiles and drones into Israel, together with some which have reached the nation’s populous heart.
Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 individuals, largely civilians, and taking one other 250 hostage. Round 100 of the captives are nonetheless held in Gaza, a 3rd of whom are believed to be useless.
Hezbollah started attacking Israel the day after the Hamas assault. Each teams are backed by Iran.
Israel’s offensive has killed over 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded tens of 1000’s, in line with native well being authorities, who don’t say what number of have been combatants however say greater than half have been ladies and kids. It has additionally brought on large devastation throughout the territory and displaced round 90% of its inhabitants of two.3 million.
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El Deeb reported from Beirut. Related Press writers Kareem Chehayeb and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
