US, allies prepare to defend Israel as Netanyahu says country already engaged in 'multi-front war' with Iran

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel is already engaged in a multi-front war with Iran and its proxies, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday at a cabinet meeting, as the United States and its allies prepared to defend Israel against an expected counterattack and prevent an even more destructive regional conflict.

Tensions have risen after nearly a decade of war in Gaza and the assassination last week of a senior Hezbollah official in Lebanon and a Hamas political leader in Iran. Iran and its allies blame Israel and threaten retaliation. Hamas has said it has begun talks to choose a new leader.

Netanyahu said Israel was prepared to deal with any scenario. Jordan's foreign minister made a rare trip to Iran as part of diplomatic efforts. “We want the escalation to stop,” Ayman Safadi said, while the Pentagon moved significant assets to the region.

“We are doing everything we can to prevent this situation from escalating,” White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer told ABC. In Israel, some have prepared bomb shelters and recalled Iran’s unprecedented direct military attack in April, after a suspected Israeli strike killed two Iranian generals. Israel has said nearly all of the drones and ballistic and cruise missiles have been intercepted.

A stabbing attack near Tel Aviv on Sunday left a woman in her 70s and a man in his 80s dead, according to Israeli emergency services Magen David Adom and a nearby hospital, and two other men were wounded. Police said the attack was carried out by a Palestinian militant, who was neutralized.

In Gaza, the Israeli military said it struck Hamas command centers in two Gaza City schools, Al-Nasr and Hassan Salamah. A doctor at al-Ahli hospital, Fadel Naeem, told the AP that they received eight bodies while others were taken to Sheikh Radwan clinic.

Israeli strikes killed at least 18 people. One hit a tent camp for thousands of displaced Palestinians in the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, killing four people, including a woman, and wounding others, the Gaza Health Ministry said. An Associated Press reporter filmed men rushing to the scene to retrieve bodies while trying to put out the fire.

The Israeli military said it targeted a Palestinian militant in the strike, which triggered secondary explosions, “indicating the presence of weapons in the area.”

Deir al-Balah hospital is the main medical facility operating in central Gaza, as many other facilities in the territory are no longer functioning. Another strike on a house near Deir al-Balah killed a girl and her parents, the hospital said.

Another strike destroyed a house in northern Gaza, killing at least eight people, including three children, their parents and their grandmother, according to the Health Ministry. Three others were killed in a strike on a vehicle in Gaza City, according to Civil Defense first responders operating under the Hamas-led government.

Palestinian militants in Gaza fired at least five projectiles at Israeli villages near the border, causing no casualties or damage, the army said. The army then ordered residents of parts of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis to evacuate.

An Israeli strike hit a school converted into a shelter in Gaza City on Saturday, killing at least 16 people and wounding 21 others, according to the Health Ministry, which announced the toll on Sunday. The Israeli military, which regularly accuses Palestinian militants of sheltering in civilian areas, said it struck a Hamas command center.

The war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, which killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostage.

Israel's massive offensive in response to the war has left at least 39,580 Palestinians dead, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. The airstrikes and massive ground operations have caused widespread destruction and displaced the vast majority of Gaza's 2.3 million people, often multiple times.

Since the start of the war, Hezbollah and Israel have continued to exchange fire along the Lebanese border, and the violence has escalated in recent months. Lebanon's National News Agency said an Israeli strike targeted a house in Beit Lef, and Lebanon's Health Ministry said two people were seriously injured.

Hezbollah says its aim is to relieve pressure on its Iran-backed ally Hamas. A growing number of countries, including the United States, are encouraging their citizens to leave Lebanon after the assassination of a senior official last week.

___

Magdy reported from Cairo.

The story continues

© Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos