DOHA/GAZA – Qatari mediators have held urgent calls to try to negotiate freedom for Israeli women and children seized by the militant group and held in Gaza in exchange for the release of 36 Palestinian women and children from Israel’s prisons, a source briefed on the talks told Reuters.
Qatar’s foreign ministry confirmed to Reuters its involvement in mediation talks with Hamas and Israeli officials, including over a possible prisoner swap.
Hezbollah
Hezbollah in a statement on Monday said it had fired rockets and mortars on two Israeli military posts in the Galilee. The Israeli military said it identified a number of “launches” from Lebanon into Israel, without any injuries. It said it was responding with artillery fire on Lebanon.
Hezbollah said in consecutive online statements that three of its members had been killed in Israel’s “aggression” on southern Lebanon on Monday afternoon. Two Lebanese security sources told Reuters two more Hezbollah members were killed.
Guarantee
This development is taking place despite reports that the Lebanese government has been promised that Hezbollah will not intervene in the Hamas-Israel war,
Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib made the announcement
The minister told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, in remarks published Monday, that Hezbollah would only intervene if Israel started the war.
The interview took place in Washington before Hezbollah carried out an attack Sunday “in solidarity” with Hamas, which launched a surprise assault on Israel the day before. Hezbollah fired on Israeli positions in the contested Shebaa Farms border area and Israel retaliated and warned Hezbollah against getting involved in the fight on its southern flank with Hamas.
On Monday, caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati stressed that the government’s priority is to maintain security in south Lebanon.
The PM met with Bou Habib and the latter said after the meeting that “we want Lebanon to avoid the war.”
Hezbollah made similar guarantees but, didn’t keep its promise in 2006
Update 2: Israeli Channel 14 said: “Initial reports of an anti-tank missile being launched towards Israeli territory from Lebanon.”
Update : 3 TheLebanese Army Command announced, “On October 9, 2023, border areas in the south were bombed by the Israeli enemy. A number of mortar shells fell in the courtyard of a Lebanese army center outside the town of Rmeish, resulting in an officer being slightly injured.”
Update 3 : Schools in south Lebanon to close on Tuesday
The Minister of Education in the caretaker government, Abbas Al-Halabi, announced the suspension of lessons tomorrow, Tuesday, in public and private schools in the south due to the deteriorating security conditions.
(Reuters)/ YA LIBNAN
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