Israel's Katz says military will ‘professionally implement' Gaza policies
Netanyahu is leaning towards an expanded offensive and taking control of the entire enclave after 22 months of war against militant group Hamas, Israeli Channel 12 reported.
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Arab News
22 minutes ago
- Arab News
Hezbollah threatens to resume firing missiles at Israel if it intensifies operations in Lebanon
BEIRUT: The leader of Lebanon's Hezbollah warned Tuesday that if Israel intensifies its military operations against his group, the Iran-backed armed faction will resume firing missiles toward Israel. Naim Kassem's comments came as Lebanon's Cabinet was meeting to discuss Hezbollah's disarmament. Beirut is under US pressure to disarm the group that recently fought a 14-month war with Israel and was left gravely weakened, with many of its political and military leaders dead. Since the war ended in November with a US-brokered ceasefire, Hezbollah officials have said the group will not discuss its disarmament until Israel withdraws from five hills it controls inside Lebanon and stops almost daily airstrikes that have killed or wounded hundreds of people, most of them Hezbollah members. Israel has accused Hezbollah of trying to rebuild its military capabilities. Israel's military has said the five locations in Lebanon provide vantage points or are located across from communities in northern Israel, where about 60,000 Israelis were displaced during the war. Since the ceasefire, Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for one attack on a disputed area along the border. In a televised speech Tuesday, Kassem said Hezbollah rejects any timetable to hand over its weapons. 'Israel's interest is not to widen the aggression because if they expand, the resistance will defend, the army will defend and the people will defend,' Kassem said. 'This defense will lead to the fall of missiles inside Israel.' Since the war ended, Hezbollah has withdrawn most of its fighters and weapons from the area along the border with Israel south of the Litani river. Last week, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reiterated calls for Hezbollah to give up its weapons, angering the group's leadership. The ceasefire agreement left vague how Hezbollah's weapons and military facilities north of the Litani river should be treated, saying Lebanese authorities should dismantle unauthorized facilities starting with the area south of the river. Hezbollah maintains the deal only covers the area south of the Litani, while Israel and the US say it mandates disarmament of the group throughout Lebanon. Kassem said Hezbollah rejects a government vote over its weapons, saying such a decision should be unanimously backed by all Lebanese. 'No one can deprive Lebanon of its force to protect its sovereignty,' Kassem said. Hezbollah's weapons are a divisive issue among Lebanese, with some groups calling for its disarmament. The Israel-Hezbollah war started a day after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack against Israel from Gaza. It left more than 4,000 people dead and caused damage worth $11 billion.
Al Arabiya
22 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
South Africa urges more countries to stand up to Israel's ‘genocidal activities'
More countries must recognize a Palestinian state and stand up to Israel to stop its 'genocidal activities,' South Africa's Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola told AFP in an interview Tuesday. Pretoria has been a leading critic of Israel's actions in Gaza, bringing a case before the UN's top court in December 2023 arguing that its war in the Palestinian territory amounted to genocide. As some of Israel's allies 'are now also saying, no, this can't continue, it means that it is bringing us closer and closer to the Israel regime to stop the genocidal activities,' Lamola said. This will also boost efforts to 'allow humanitarian access to the people of Gaza' and 'to agree to go into a negotiation table to cease the fire,' he said. 'We really welcome this development, and we call for more countries to continue to recognize Palestine.' 'We welcome the intention to recognize by France, Canada, and all countries of the world. This will put the pressure so that we can end up with ceasefire,' Lamola said. South Africa's case before the International Court of Justice argues that the war in Gaza, which began with the militant group Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, breached the 1948 United Nations Genocide Convention. Israel has strongly denied that accusation. Several nations have added their weight to the proceedings, including Spain, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, Turkey, Chile and Libya. The leaders of France, the United Kingdom and Canada have meanwhile said they plan to recognize a Palestinian state in September, and urged other nations to do so. The announcements by some of Washington's closest allies have displeased US President Donald Trump. Lamola said that had the world acted when South Africa made its case at the ICJ, 'we would not be where we are'. 'It's clear starvation is emerging, famine, and all these are things we warned about in our ICJ case -- that this will lead to famine, will lead to complete cleansing of the population,' he said. 'It's rather late, yes, but it's better than never. So let them act, let them support, let them put the pressure.'
Al Arabiya
22 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Netanyahu reportedly backs full Gaza takeover
In this episode of W News, presented by Leigh-Ann Gerrans, our top story is the war in Gaza, where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly supports a full military takeover of the territory. He is expected to meet senior security officials to finalize a new strategy in the 22-month war.
