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Following the deaths of key leaders Ismail Haniyeh and Fuad Shukr in Israeli strikes, tensions have escalated in the Middle East, raising fears of a full-scale war as Iran and Tehran-backed groups vow revenge.
Demonstrators hold a mock coffin with a picture of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh who was killed in Iran, during a protest against his killing, in Beirut. (Photo: Reuters)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 3, 2024 23:16 IST
Days after the killing of Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh in an Israeli strike in Iran, fears of a full-blown war between Israel and Iran are growing as Iran and Tehran-backed groups vow revenge. Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday vowed a "severe" revenge for Haniyeh's killing and blamed the "terrorist Zionist regime" of Israel for his death.
The possibility of an Israel-Lebanon war also looms as tensions soar following the killing of Hezbollah military commander Fuad Shukr by Israel. The recent killing of 12 children and teenagers in an alleged Hezbollah rocket attack on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights had already worsened the situation.
Countries, including India, the US, the UK, France, Poland and others, have issued warnings to their citizens in Israel and the Middle East in the wake of these latest developments. Israel and its allies have reportedly started strengthening their military arsenal in the region.
MIDDLE EAST ON THE BRINK OF WAR - LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which released more details of Haniyeh's killing on Saturday, vowed "severe revenge". Their statement said the retaliation against the "terrorist Zionist regime" of Israel will be "severe and at an appropriate time, place, and manner".
The Revolutionary Guards on Saturday stated that Haniyeh was killed by a "short-range projectile" fired "from outside the accommodation area" where he was staying. “The action was designed and carried out by the Zionist regime and supported by the US,” the statement added.
Tehran said it expects Lebanon's Hezbollah to strike deeper inside Israel and not limit its response to military targets. Iran's mission to the United Nations indicated that the killing of Hezbollah’s Shukr has changed the scenario. "We expect... Hezbollah to choose more targets and strike deeper in its response. Secondly, that it will not limit its response to military targets,” the mission stated. they still can."
The Pentagon has announced that the US will move additional warships and fighter jets to the Middle East and maintain an aircraft carrier in the region, to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran and its proxies, and also safeguard US troops.
"Austin has ordered adjustments to U.S. military posture designed to improve US force protection, to increase support for the defense of Israel, and to ensure the United States is prepared to respond to various contingencies," the Pentagon said in a statement.
Israel has already stepped up strikes in Lebanon. Lebanese security sources told AFP that a Hezbollah member was killed in an "Israeli drone" strike in southern Lebanon on Saturday. Additionally, Israel carried out strikes on a convoy of trucks entering Lebanon from Syria on Friday night.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to seize the chance for a ceasefire with Hamas. Biden observed that Haniyeh’s killing had “not helped” efforts to negotiate an end to the war.
As Netanyahu maintains that the aim is to eliminate Hamas, the Israeli army pushed further into Gaza and the West Bank on Saturday. An airstrike on a school sheltering displaced persons in Gaza City killed at least 15 Palestinians on Saturday. This follows two strikes in the West Bank, which killed nine people, including a local Hamas commander.
Simultaneously, ceasefire negotiations are taking place in Egypt. An Israeli delegation led by Mossad chief David Barnea arrived in Cairo on Saturday. The talks are expected to focus on the humanitarian corridor along the border with Egypt and the Rafah crossing point.
The United States and the United Kingdom advised their citizens on Saturday to leave Lebanon on "any available ticket." Meanwhile, Sweden on Saturday said it was shutting its embassy in Beirut and urged its nationals to leave the country "while they still can".
The death toll inside Gaza is nearing 40,000. At least 39,550 Palestinians have been killed in the nearly 10 months since Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack on Israel triggered their latest war.
Published On:
Aug 3, 2024
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