2023-10-16 23:04:00
During the night from Monday to Tuesday, the Israeli army struck Hezbollah “terrorist” targets in Lebanon. For its part, Iran warned of possible “preventive action” against Israel “in the coming hours”. A meeting of the UN Security Council is expected to begin shortly, the first since the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel. Follow the situation in the Middle East hour by hour.
Published on: 10/17/2023 – 01:04 Modified on: 10/17/2023 – 01:49
3 mn
1:43 a.m.: Bogota urges Israeli ambassador to leave the country, before walking back his comments
As part of tense exchanges, Colombian Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva urged Israeli Ambassador Gali Dagan on his X account (ex-Twitter) to “apologize and leave”, qualifying his remarks towards the president Gustavo Petro of “insane rudeness”.
A few hours later, however, he clarified – still on X – that his message only asked for “respect” for President Petro. “Understand. I did not say that the Israeli ambassador had been expelled,” he added.
Understand. I have not said that the Israeli ambassador is expelled. He only aspires and indicates that the sanity of words and respect for President Petro @petrogustavo They are mandatory in diplomatic relations. That’s how it should be.
— Álvaro Leyva Durán (@AlvaroLeyva) October 16, 2023
Gustavo Petro has published numerous messages on social networks since Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, notably comparing Israel’s retaliation against Gaza to the persecution of Jews by the Nazis. Publications which sparked bitter exchanges with the Israeli ambassador on social networks.
1:09 a.m.: Tehran threatens Israel with imminent “preventive action”
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned Monday of possible “preventive action by the axis of resistance” against Israel “in the coming hours.” Tehran has repeatedly warned that a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip would lead to a response on other fronts, raising fears of a regional conflagration.
This statement follows the meeting between the Iranian Foreign Minister and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Saturday. On Monday, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian affirmed that this “axis of resistance” – the informal name for states and organizations that are enemies of Israel and the West – would not allow the Jewish state “to do what it wants in Gaza.” .
12:42 a.m.: Israel strikes Hezbollah “terrorist” targets in Lebanon, army announces
“The Israeli army is striking military targets of the terrorist organization Hezbollah on Lebanese territory,” the Israeli armed forces said in a statement published overnight from Monday to Tuesday.
Since the start of the war triggered by the unprecedented attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7, the clashes on the Israel-Lebanon border have left around ten people dead on the Lebanese side, mostly combatants but also a Archyde.com journalist and two civilians. On the Israeli side, at least two people were killed.
The international community fears a spillover of the conflict between the pro-Iranian Lebanese Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, and the Israeli army.
The Israeli army said that 199 people were captured by Hamas during the bloody attack on October 7, according to a latest report. The Palestinian Islamist movement, for its part, declared that nearly 2,800 Gazans were killed by Israeli strikes.
On Monday, Israel affirmed that no truce was in progress to allow the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, where, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), a “real humanitarian disaster.
1697500777
#Israel #strikes #Hezbollah #terrorist #targets #Lebanon #army #announces