Israeli army says it used small munitions in Rafah airstrike, and fire was caused by secondary blast

Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike where displaced people were staying in Rafah, Gaza Strip, on May 27, 2024. (AP)
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Updated 28 May 2024
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Israeli army says it used small munitions in Rafah airstrike, and fire was caused by secondary blast

  • Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, said Tuesday that the military fired two 17-kilogram munitions that targeted two senior Hamas militants
  • He said the military is looking into the possibility that weapons were stored in the area

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip: The Israeli military says an initial investigation into a strike that sparked a deadly weekend fire in a tent camp in the southern Gaza city of Rafah has found the blaze was caused by a secondary explosion.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesman, said Tuesday that the military fired two 17-kilogram (37-pound) munitions that targeted two senior Hamas militants. He said the munitions would have been too small to ignite a fire on their own and the military is looking into the possibility that weapons were stored in the area.
Palestinian health officials say at least 45 people, around half of them women and children, were killed in Sunday’s strike. The fire also could have ignited fuel, cooking gas canisters or other materials in the densely populated camp housing displaced people.
The strike caused widespread outrage, including from some of Israel’s closest allies. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was the result of a “tragic mishap.”
New strikes in the same western Tel Al-Sultan district of Rafah that was hit Sunday killed at least 16 Palestinians, the Palestinian Civil Defense and the Palestinian Red Crescent said Tuesday. Residents reported an escalation of fighting in the southern Gaza city once seen as the territory’s last refuge.
An Israeli incursion launched in early May has caused nearly 1 million to flee from Rafah, most of whom had already been displaced in the war between Israel and Hamas. They now seek refuge in squalid tent camps and other war-ravaged areas.
The United States and other allies of Israel have warned against a full-fledged offensive in the city, with the Biden administration saying that would cross a red line and refusing to provide offensive arms for such an undertaking. On Friday, the International Court of Justice called on Israel to halt its Rafah offensive, an order it has no power to enforce.
Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead, saying Israeli forces must enter Rafah to dismantle Hamas and return hostages taken in the Oct. 7 attack that triggered the war.
Israel says it is carrying out limited operations in eastern Rafah along the Gaza-Egypt border. But residents reported heavy bombardment overnight in Tel Al-Sultan.
“It was a night of horror,” said Abdel-Rahman Abu Ismail, a Palestinian from Gaza City who has been sheltering in Tel Al-Sultan since December. He said he heard “constant sounds” of explosions overnight and into Tuesday, with fighter jets and drones flying over the area.
He said it reminded him of the Israeli invasion of his neighborhood of Shijaiyah in Gaza City, where Israel launched a heavy bombing campaign before sending in ground forces in late 2023. “We saw this before,” he said.
Sayed Al-Masri, a Rafah resident, said many families have been forced to flee their homes and shelters, with most heading for the crowded Muwasi area, where giant tent camps have been set up on a barren coastline, or to Khan Younis, a southern city that suffered heavy damage during months of fighting.
“The situation is worsening” in Rafah, Al-Masri said.


Libya’s unity government, Turkiye strengthen military cooperation with agreement in Ankara

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Libya’s unity government, Turkiye strengthen military cooperation with agreement in Ankara

  • Deal outlines cooperation in military fields to enhance Libyan army’s readiness, professionalism
  • Libya’s undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense met Yasar Guler, Turkey’s minister of national defense

LONDON: Libya and Turkiye signed an agreement on Thursday to enhance the Libyan army’s military capabilities through advanced training and logistical support.

The National Unity Government based in Tripoli said that Abdulsalam Al-Zoubi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense, visited Ankara to work on strengthening military cooperation between Libya and Turkiye. During his visit, he met Yasar Guler, the Turkish minister of national defense, as well as the undersecretary of the ministry of defense.

The agreement outlines cooperation in military fields to enhance the Libyan army’s readiness and professionalism. Al-Zoubi said that the cooperation is part of Tripoli’s plan to develop the Libyan army, praising the strategic relationship with Ankara. He said cooperation with Turkiye is a key priority for the Ministry of Defense’s institutional development program.

Turkiye has reaffirmed its commitment to support Tripoli’s defense capabilities, highlighting its strategic partnership, the statement added.


Israeli drone strike kills one in southern Lebanon as tensions grow with UNIFIL

Lebanese army soldiers inspect wreckage of a car which was targeted by an Israeli drone attack on a street in southern Lebanon.
Updated 3 min 3 sec ago
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Israeli drone strike kills one in southern Lebanon as tensions grow with UNIFIL

  • The new attack on UNIFIL forces intercepted planned joint patrol with the Lebanese Army
  • Local media reports suggest Hezbollah is restructuring itself internally

BEIRUT: UNIFIL forces were attacked on Thursday by residents in the town of Aitat, south of the Litani River. The assailants claimed that the patrol had entered the Wadi Jilou area without being accompanied by a Lebanese Army unit.

According to footage captured by eyewitnesses, a group of individuals blocked the patrol’s way, demanding that it return with a Lebanese Army escort. The patrol reportedly refused to turn back, leading to direct confrontations.

In response, UNIFIL personnel threw smoke and tear gas grenades to disperse the crowd. No injuries were reported.

The attack is merely the latest in a series of assaults targeting UNIFIL forces and carried out by civilians in strongholds.

These incidents aim to prevent UN peacekeepers from entering private property to conduct inspections, a key component of their official mandate.

The most recent renewal of UNIFIL’s mission in southern Lebanon included an amendment granting the force greater freedom of movement within its area of operations, in coordination with the Lebanese Army.

The tensions peaked on Thursday, when a resident of the town of Hallousiyeh–Deir Qanoun an-Naher hit a UNIFIL soldier during a patrol. The incident was widely condemned by political leaders, and a judicial investigation was launched.

The UN Security Council is scheduled to meet at the end of August to consider the Lebanese government’s request to extend UNIFIL’s mandate in the south.

In response to the attack, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti said that a patrol of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon was blocked and pelted with stones by “a group of individuals in civilian clothes” in the southern village of Wadi Jilu.

“The group attempted to obstruct the patrol using aggressive means, including throwing stones at the peacekeepers,” he said.

“The LAF was promptly informed and arrived on the scene shortly thereafter. The situation was quickly brought under control,” Tenenti added, referring to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Tenenti confirmed that the activity of the patrol was coordinated in advance with the LAF, in support of Lebanon’s implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701. The situation was initially calm, but individuals soon began throwing stones at the peacekeepers.

“In response, UNIFIL personnel employed non-lethal measures to ensure the safety of both the patrol members and those present,” he said.

“Freedom of movement is a core requirement for the implementation of UNIFIL’s mandate. This includes the ability to operate independently and impartially, as outlined in UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Any restriction on this freedom — while conducting operational activities with or without LAF — constitutes a violation of that resolution.”

Tenenti urged Lebanese authorities to “take all necessary measures to ensure that its peacekeepers can carry out their duties without obstruction or threat.”

The UNIFIL spokesperson confirmed that the international forces will continue to monitor and report breaches of Resolution 1701 impartially, in accordance with the Security Council's mandate and the request of the Lebanese government.

UNIFIL’s mandate shall “confirm the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, restore international peace and security, and assist the Government of Lebanon in ensuring its effective authority in the area.”

US Envoy Thomas Barrack concluded his two-day visit to Lebanon, which began on Monday, to discuss a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah and withdrawing illegal weapons south and north of the Litani River.

He inspected the area south of the Litani River by air after meeting with Army Commander Gen. Rodolphe Haikal. At a press conference in Beirut, he praised the Lebanese Army and the key role it plays.

The attack on the UNIFIL patrol drew widespread condemnation from Lebanese political figures. MP Bilal Abdallah underlined the importance of the peacekeeping mission, stating that “there is a major national interest in preserving its role.”

MP Ashraf Rifi condemned the attack, saying: “Hezbollah is once again attacking UNIFIL. How can this be reconciled while pretending to accept the Resolution 1701 and evacuating south of the Litani River?”

He urged the state to hold “the aggressors accountable” and move to a new phase where there is “zero tolerance” for those who violate international legitimacy and expose Lebanon to grave dangers.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces continued targeting Hezbollah operatives. On Thursday, an Israeli drone struck a motorcycle on Mansouri Road in the Tyre district, killing one person and injuring two, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.

At dawn, an Israeli drone launched an airstrike on a cafe and an aluminum workshop in the town of Yohmor al-Shaqif, in the Nabatieh District. The site had previously been targeted in a similar strike.

Israeli army spokesperson Avichay Adraee said that “the strike targeted a Hezbollah military command center allegedly operating within a civilian building,” accusing the group of using the local population as “human shields” to facilitate attacks against Israel.

Sky News quoted an Israeli security source saying that as long as Hezbollah maintains a military wing, operations in Lebanon will persist.

“Every Hezbollah operative is a legitimate target. The Radwan Forces — Hezbollah’s elite unit — will be dismantled, whether by Hezbollah or by us. Their infrastructure, weaponry, and fighters remain targets throughout Lebanese territory,” the source told Sky News.

The Israeli security source noted that “Hezbollah’s efforts to return south of the Litani River appear limited” and praised what he described as “significant efforts by the Lebanese army to dismantle the group’s weapons infrastructure.”

On Tuesday night, the Israeli army claimed that a drone strike killed Hussein Ali Mezher in the town of Babliyeh, north of the Litani River.

In an official statement, the army claimed that Mezher was overseeing rocket fire in the Zahrani sector as part of Hezbollah’s Badr unit. He was reportedly responsible for launching attacks on Israeli territory and was involved in efforts to rebuild the group’s artillery capabilities in southern Lebanon.

Media reports on Thursday in Lebanese outlets suggested that Hezbollah has begun implementing a new organizational strategy aimed at consolidating several of its jihadi and executive units, along with institutions that share similar functions.

This internal restructuring effort, according to reports, is intended to adapt to current realities, with the group reportedly seeking to streamline its operations, rationalize expenditures, and optimize its structure in response to evolving circumstances.

The Israeli army announced on Wednesday the launch of “special, targeted” ground operations in southern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah infrastructure in Jabal al-Blat and al-Labbouneh.

Forces from the 300th and 9th brigades reportedly dismantled weapons depots and missile launch sites belonging to the group, aiming to prevent Hezbollah from “reestablishing itself in the area,” the army said.

A Lebanese security source told Arab News that “the operations took place over the past two weeks, targeting sites in valleys and hills under Hezbollah’s security control, areas that remain inaccessible to the Lebanese army.”

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam confirmed last month that the Lebanese army had dismantled more than 500 weapons sites and depots in the area south of the Litani River.


Rescuers save four more survivors from Houthi-struck ship in Red Sea

This image released by Houthi Media Office in Yemen shows the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Eternity C is seen as it sinks.
Updated 10 July 2025
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Rescuers save four more survivors from Houthi-struck ship in Red Sea

  • Houthis are believed to be holding six of the Eternity C’s complement of 22 crew and three guards, maritime security sources said

ATHENS/LONDON: Rescuers pulled three more crew members and a security guard alive from the Red Sea on Thursday, maritime security sources said, a day after Houthi militants sank the Greek ship Eternity C and said they were holding some of the crew still missing.
It was the second Greek bulk carrier sunk this week by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia, shattering months of relative calm off Yemen’s coast, the gateway to the Red Sea and a critical route for oil and commodities to the world.
Many shipping companies have suspended voyages due to the fear of attack. The Houthis are believed to be holding six of the Eternity C’s complement of 22 crew and three guards, maritime security sources said.
“These are blameless victims who were simply doing their job,” the UK-based Seafarers’ Charity association said.
“Seafarers should be able to work safely at sea. Instead, they are being unfairly forced into the firing line.”
Eternity C was first hit on Monday with sea drones and rocket-propelled grenades fired from speed boats. Four people are believed to have been killed in the attacks, maritime security sources say. If confirmed, the deaths would be the first fatalities in the area since June 2024.
Following a second attack on Tuesday morning, the crew were forced to jump into the water. Rescuers have been searching for survivors since Wednesday morning. The vessel’s operator, Cosmoship Management, has not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment.
A total of 10 survivors from the Eternity C have been rescued so far — eight Filipino crew members, one Indian and one Greek security guard. The four people rescued on Thursday morning had spent nearly 48 hours in the water.
“This fills us with more courage to continue to search for those missing, as the Greek vessel operator requested, and shows that our search plan was correct,” said Nikos Georgopoulos, an official at the Greece-based maritime risk firm Diaplous.
Another 11 people are still missing.
The United States’ Mission in Yemen has accused the Houthis of kidnapping crew members and has called for their immediate, unconditional release.
On Wednesday, the Houthis’ military spokesperson said in a televised address that the Yemeni navy had “responded to rescue a number of the ship’s crew, provide them with medical care, and transport them to a safe location.”
Fraught passage
The Eternity C sank on Wednesday, days after Houthis hit and sunk the Magic Seas, reviving a campaign launched in November 2023 that has seen more than 100 ships attacked in what the group said was solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza war.
Both of the vessels hit this week flew Liberian flags and were operated by Greek companies. All crew from the Magic Seas were rescued before it went down.
Some of their sister vessels in the respective fleets had made calls to Israeli ports in the past year, an analysis of shipping data showed.
Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi fighters, reiterated in a televised address on Thursday the group’s ban on companies transporting goods related to Israel through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
He said this week’s attacks were part of that ban, which has been in place since 2023.
“It was never stopped or canceled, and it is a valid decision,” he said. “What was discovered (this week) was the violation by some companies of the decision.”
The insurance cost of shipping goods through the Red Sea has more than doubled since this week’s attacks, with some underwriters pausing cover for some voyages, industry sources said on Thursday.
The number of daily sailings through the narrow Bab Al-Mandab strait, at the southern tip of the Red Sea and a gateway to the Gulf of Aden, was 32 vessels on July 9, down from 43 on July 1, Lloyd’s List Intelligence data showed.
Several ships on Thursday broadcast messages referring to Chinese crew and management or armed guards on board, according to MarineTraffic data. One vessel broadcast that it had no relation with Israel.


Israeli forces arrest pro-Palestine activists near Jericho amid settlers’ attack

Updated 10 July 2025
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Israeli forces arrest pro-Palestine activists near Jericho amid settlers’ attack

  • The settlers entered Al-Auja Spring village on Wednesday and attempted to sabotage a Palestinian bedouin community’s source of livelihood

LONDON: Israeli forces detained several pro-Palestine activists with foreign nationalities north of Jericho in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday evening.

The Al-Baidar Organization for Defense of Bedouin Rights reported that activists were arrested while intervening on behalf of Palestinian residents of Al-Auja Spring village to protect the nomadic community’s cattle from an attack by Israeli settlers.

The settlers entered the village on Wednesday and released the cattle among the homes and cultivated land, sabotaging the community’s source of livelihood, the Al-Baidar human rights group said.

The Arab Al-Mlaihat clan living in the Jordan Valley relies on livestock for their income. Al-Baidar said that repeated settler attacks on this nomadic community aim to force them to leave the area.

The clan originally comes from the desert area of the Negev in Israel. However, due to political events and armed conflicts since 1948, the residents of Arab Al-Mlaihat were forced to live in different parts of the West Bank.

Dozens of Palestinian bedouin communities live in the Jordan Valley, an area that Israel has declared 45.7 percent of its northern part as military firing zones.

About 1 million Israeli settlers live in illegal settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in violation of international law. Their violence against Palestinians has escalated since 2023, prompting Western governments to sanction some of their leaders; however, Israeli authorities rarely prosecute their actions.


King of Jordan meets leaders on sidelines of Sun Valley Conference in Idaho

Updated 10 July 2025
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King of Jordan meets leaders on sidelines of Sun Valley Conference in Idaho

  • King Abdullah II emphasized the need to modernize the economy and administration to enhance Jordan’s competitiveness

LONDON: King Abdullah II met with various business and technology leaders during the Sun Valley Conference taking place this week in the US state of Idaho.

The one-day annual gathering on July 8 brought together leaders from various fields, including technology, business, media, and entertainment.

The conference, funded by the private investment firm Allen & Company, is known as the Sun Valley Media and Technology Conference and is often referred to as the “summer camp for billionaires.” Alongside politicians, several technology and media leaders attended this year’s event, including the CEOs of Apple, Disney, and OpenAI.

On the sidelines of the forum this week, King Abdullah II met with representatives from several major international and US companies operating in sectors such as industry, mining, technology, trade, transport, defence, and media, the Petra news agency reported.

He also had a meeting with Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary. King Abdullah emphasized the significance of modernizing the economy and administration to enhance Jordan’s competitiveness, attract investments, and build partnerships, Petra added.

Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan and Alaa Batayneh, the director of the king’s office, attended the meetings.