Israel announced Tuesday, November 12, the opening of a new crossing point for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, which is still insufficient according to eight NGOs. Meanwhile, the country led by Benjamin Netanyahu continues its strikes on Lebanon, particularly south of Beirut, the capital, where according to Israel there are members of the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah. A dawn strike this Wednesday, November 13 left at least six dead according to an initial report. The Israeli army again called for the evacuation of several areas of southern Beirut in the morning.
Information to remember:
⇒ Israeli strikes on south Beirut cause deaths and injuries
⇒ IAEA chief visits Iran for crucial nuclear talks
⇒ Israel opens new humanitarian aid crossing point in Gaza
11:15 a.m.
Islamic Jihad releases new video of Israeli hostage held captive in Gaza
Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian group allied with Hamas, released a new video on Wednesday of a man appearing to be one of the Israelis taken hostage on October 7, 2023. The video shows a young bearded man identifying himself as Sacha Trupanov. He alludes to the Israeli military offensive in Lebanon launched in the second half of September and Israeli air raids against Iran in late October, and calls on Israelis to intensify demonstrations aimed at putting pressure on the government for the release of hostages held captive in the Gaza Strip.
10:05 a.m.
A controversial gala under tension in Paris
The “Israel is Forever” gala, an event in support of this country organized by far-right Franco-Israeli personalities, is to be held Wednesday evening in Paris on the eve of the France-Israel football match and a week after the violence in ‘Amsterdam. This event is presented by its organizers as “the mobilization of French-speaking Zionist forces in the service of the power and history of Israel”. The location has not been made public.
Pro-Palestinian associations, unions and French left-wing parties rebelled against the holding of this event and the announced presence of the far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich who embodies, according to them, “the figure of the most fanatical religious Zionism” but also “racism and hatred”. A spokesperson for the Israeli minister told AFP on Tuesday that “no trip to Paris was planned.” It is not excluded that he will participate virtually.
Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez has not banned this gala, which does not present any “significant” risks of public order disturbances, he said this morning on RTL.
09:55
Israeli army calls for evacuation of several areas of southern Beirut
For the third time in 24 hours, the Israeli army called on Wednesday to evacuate several areas of southern Beirut. “You are near Hezbollah-affiliated facilities and interests, against which the Israeli army will act in the near future,” an army spokesperson said, calling on residents of two neighborhoods in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital to be evacuated, in a message on the social network
09:10
New Israeli strikes on south Beirut in Lebanon
The Lebanese National Information Agency (Ani) indicated on Wednesday that an Israeli strike had hit the south of the capital Beirut, causing injuries and at least six deaths, according to an initial report from the Lebanese Ministry of Health. “Israeli warplanes launched a dawn attack on an apartment in a building in the Dawhet Aramoun neighborhood, causing injuries,” Ani added. The town of Aramoun is outside the bastions of the Hezbollah armed movement regularly shelled by Israel. The ministry added in a statement that in addition to the six dead, “human remains” had been found on site.
The media The Orient By Day counted eight strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Late in the evening, a strike targeted the southern suburbs of Beirut, after an evacuation order given by the Israeli army to the population, noted AFPTV, whose images showed fire and smoke in this area. The evacuation order was posted on “with force very soon”.
At least 29 people were killed Tuesday in Israeli strikes that targeted several regions across Lebanon, including the southern suburbs of Beirut, a Hezbollah stronghold, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
08:00
IAEA chief expected in Iran for crucial nuclear talks
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, is expected in Iran this Wednesday for crucial discussions on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, as the room for maneuver for negotiations shrinks according to him.
His visit comes two days after statements by the new Defense Minister of Israel – Iran’s sworn enemy – who warned that Tehran was “more exposed than ever to strikes on its nuclear installations”. Israel has for years accused Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons, which Tehran vigorously denies.
The two enemies have exchanged missile fire in recent months in a context of high tensions in the Middle East due to the war waged by Israel in Gaza against Palestinian Hamas and in Lebanon against Hezbollah, two Islamist movements allied with Iran.
07:30
Russia asks Israel to refrain from strikes near its base in Syria
Russia calls on Israel to refrain from carrying out airstrikes near its air base in Syria in its war against Lebanese Hezbollah, as was the case in October, Alexander Lavrentiev, Russia’s envoy, said on Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin for the Middle East, in an interview with the RIA Novosti news agency. Official Syrian media reported in mid-October an Israeli airstrike on the port city of Latakia, one of the strongholds of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a supporter of the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah, and himself supported by the Russia in the war in its country. The city is close to the Russian Hmeimim air base, very close to Latakia airport. “Our military obviously notified Israeli officials that such acts likely to endanger the lives of Russian soldiers there were unacceptable,” the spokesperson continued.
07:00
Israel opens crossing point in Gaza Strip, not enough for NGOs
Israel announced the opening on Tuesday of a new crossing point for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip, just before a deadline set by the United States for the increase in this aid which NGOs still consider insufficient. While the war between Israel and Hamas, which has lasted for more than a year, has plunged Gaza into a serious humanitarian crisis, the United States had given the Israeli authorities until mid-November to allow the increase in aid to the population of the territory threatened with famine according to the UN.
As part of this effort, the “Kissoufim crossing point was opened today for humanitarian aid trucks,” the Israeli army said on Tuesday. The World Food Program “announced to us today that it had sent the first aid convoy” through Kissoufim, said the UN chief’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, reporting 15 trucks transporting packages food and flour. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) and eight international NGOs estimated on Tuesday that aid entering Gaza was still insufficient.