[ad_1]
Tensions have risen since Israel launched a nearly 10-month war in Gaza and last week’s killing of a Lebanese Hezbollah commander and Hamas’ top political leader in Tehran. Iran and its allies have blamed Israel and threatened retaliation, while Hamas said it had begun discussions about a new leader.
Netanyahu said Israel was ready for any scenario, and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi made a rare visit to Iran as part of diplomatic efforts to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
As the Pentagon sends a large number of troops to the region, Safadi said: “We hope that the escalation will end.”
“We are doing everything we can to prevent this situation from getting worse,” White House deputy national security adviser John Feiner told ABC.
The Gaza war began after Hamas invaded Israel in October, following a massive military offensive that has killed at least 39,580 Palestinians, most of them civilians. Intense air strikes and ground operations have caused horrific destruction and displaced the vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
Since the outbreak of the Gaza war, Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement and Israel have continued to exchange fire on the Lebanese border.
Hezbollah says the goal is to ease pressure on Iran-backed Hamas as a growing number of countries, including the United States, call on their citizens to leave Lebanon.
[ad_2]
Source link
