- Thirteen hostages held by Hamas have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, the militants have claimed.
- Israel previously said as many as 150 people were being held hostage by Hamas militants.
- the UK defence secretary, told the News agency earlier that Britons were “very likely” to be among the hostages.
- Hezbollah ‘ready’ to contribute to confrontations against Israel.
- Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite group, has long aligned itself with the Palestinian cause.
- Israel will receive its second aircraft from the US today, which will send a “strong message” to both allies and enemies.
Thirteen hostages held by Hamas have been killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, the militants have claimed. Those who died include foreigners, the group said.
Israel previously said as many as 150 people were being held hostage by Hamas militants, with many hidden in underground tunnels.
Grant Shapps, the UK defence secretary, told a News agency earlier that Britons were “very likely” to be among the hostages. Hamas has threatened to kill hostages if civilian homes are bombed by Israel without warning. Israel has repeatedly bombarded the Gaza Strip in response to the Hamas attacks on Saturday. It says it is targeting Hamas militants who are hiding rather than civilians.
The powerful Iran-backed group Hezbollah has said it is “ready” and will “contribute” to confrontations against Israel. There had been fears Hezbollah could become involved in the war – despite foreign powers warning it to stay on the sidelines. Israel has been moving armour towards its northern border in preparation for a possible attack.
Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite group, has long aligned itself with the Palestinian cause. The international correspondent of news agencies describes it as “armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons” and “well-trained”.
Hezbollah, which means “Party of God” in Arabic, was forged in Lebanon in 1982 to fight and kill invading Israeli forces. It openly calls for the destruction of the “Zionist regime in Palestine” and is deemed a terror organisation by most Western powers.
Hezbollah and Israel have been fighting a shadow war for many years since 2006 – when a 34-day war broke out between the two. The shadow war is carried out primarily in Syria. Hezbollah is aligned with the militant group Hamas, which operates in the Gaza Strip and was behind the recent attacks on Israel.
Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, says his US counterpart has been briefed today on “strategic developments in our region”. “Defence cooperation and US support… ensure freedom of operation,” he tells the news briefing.
Israel will receive its second aircraft from the US today, he says, which will send a “strong message” to both allies and enemies. He describes Hamas as an “organisation enjoying the Iranian payroll”, saying he “cannot let the world forget” what happened.”This is a war on the existence of Israel,” he says. He continues: “We will keep fighting and we will win this war.”
(With inputs from agencies)
