Israel is escalating its bombardment of targets in the Gaza Strip ahead of an expected ground invasion against Hamas militants. The war is rapidly raising the death toll in Gaza, and the U.S. fears could the fighting could spark a wider conflict in the region.
BEIRUT — A prominent Lebanese Christian politician allied with Hezbollah said Tuesday that Lebanon would not initiate a war with Israel but would defend itself if attacked.
The comments by Gebran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement of former President Michel Aoun, came as sporadic clashes continue on the Lebanese border with Israel between Hezbollah and armed Palestinian groups in Lebanon on one side and Israeli forces on the other. “No one can drag us into war unless the Israeli enemy attacks us, and then we will be forced to defend ourselves,” Bassil said after a meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, another Hezbollah ally. Bassil also spoke by phone to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Monday. “All the Lebanese agree that they do not want war, but that does not mean that we should allow ourselves to be attacked without a response.
There has been widespread speculation as to whether and under what circumstances Hezbollah and its arsenal of an estimated 150,000 rockets and missiles would fully enter the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The ongoing clashes on the border and anxieties about a wider conflict have internally displaced 19,646 people in Lebanon, according to the International Organization for Migration.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Live blog: Israel kills 400 Palestinians in Gaza in one dayAt least 4,651 Palestinians, including 1,873 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while the figure stands at more than 1,400 people in Israel on the 17th day of the war.
Read more »
Israel-Hamas war live updates: Israeli warplanes strike Palestinians in Gaza ahead of expected ground offensiveIsraeli warplanes are striking targets across Gaza ahead of an expected ground offensive in the besieged Hamas-ruled territory. Fears of a widening war have grown as Israel struck targets in the occupied West Bank, Syria and Lebanon and traded fire with Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group.
Read more »
Israel-Hamas war live updates: Aid heads into Gaza; Israel steps up airstrikesThis is additional taxonomy that helps us with analytics
Read more »
Israel Bombs South Gaza After Ordering Over 1 Million Palestinians to Flee ThereThe situation is catastrophic, catastrophic, catastrophic,' said the director of a UNRWA shelter in Khan Younis.
Read more »