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Israel Strikes Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon Foes after Attacks

Smoke rises from a building hit by an Israeli strike in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on July 20, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
Smoke rises from a building hit by an Israeli strike in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on July 20, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
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Israel Strikes Gaza, Yemen, Lebanon Foes after Attacks

Smoke rises from a building hit by an Israeli strike in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on July 20, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
Smoke rises from a building hit by an Israeli strike in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip on July 20, 2024, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)

The Middle East was reeling Sunday from deadly violence with Israel bombing Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen in quick succession in response to attacks from Iran-backed militant groups.
Despite Washington's top diplomat asserting a deal is near the "goal line" to end more than nine months of devastating war between Israel and Gaza rulers Hamas, the Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired from Yemen, as it pressed on with its offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory, Agence France Presse reported.
Dozens have been killed since Saturday across the Gaza Strip, the civil defense agency said, including in strikes on homes in the central Nuseirat and Bureij areas and displaced people near southern Khan Yunis.
Residents said a major operation was underway in the district of Rafah in the south, reporting heavy artillery and clashes.
The deadly strikes in Gaza came hours after Hezbollah and its ally Hamas said they fired at Israeli positions from south Lebanon, while Yemen's Houthi group vowed to respond to Israeli warplanes hitting a key port.
The fire left raging by the strikes on Hodeida port "is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said.
Detailing the first strikes claimed by Israel in Yemen, Gallant warned of further operations if the Houthis "dare to attack us" after a Houthi drone strike killed one in Tel Aviv on Friday.
In Hodeida three people were killed and 87 wounded, health officials said in a statement carried by Houthi media.
Netanyahu travels to Washington
The trio of militant groups has vowed to keep up attacks on Israel until a truce ends the violence in Gaza, which lies in ruins, with most residents forced to flee their homes.
The Gaza war was triggered by Hamas's October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,195 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
The militants also seized 251 hostages, 116 of whom are still in Gaza, including 42 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel's military retaliation to wipe out Hamas has killed at least 38,919 people, also mostly civilians, according to data from the health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza.
The war has also unleashed hunger and health crises in Gaza, with Israel and the United Nations trading blame for vital aid supplies failing to reach those in need.
After the detection of poliovirus in Gaza sewage, though no individual cases, the World Health Organization said there were "monumental" constraints to mounting a timely response.
WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier said Friday the agency believes many more diseases are "spreading out of control" inside Gaza.
The premier is due to address US lawmakers Wednesday in Washington, where he will be under pressure to reach a ceasefire with Hamas.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday a truce was within reach.
"I believe we're... driving toward the goal line in getting an agreement that would produce a ceasefire, get the hostages home, and put us on a better track to trying to build lasting peace and stability," he said.

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Arab World

Aoun Wants Formation of ‘Consensual’ Lebanese Govt Representing All Components

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
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Aoun Wants Formation of ‘Consensual’ Lebanese Govt Representing All Components

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun is advocating the formation of a government of “consensus” that includes representatives from all political factions.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam has requested that parliamentary blocs submit non-partisan nominees for ministerial positions, emphasizing that they must not belong to any political party.

Aoun stressed on Tuesday that all components of society have the right to be represented in the government, parliament and public administration, as this is already practiced in the army.

“We have significant opportunities that we hope to seize by uniting all elements of Lebanese society—civil, spiritual, and political. Together, we can rebuild our nation,” he declared.

Highlighting the importance of meeting international expectations, Aoun hoped for the rapid formation of a government to achieve political, economic, and security stability, which would allow citizens “to live with dignity, not merely in relative comfort.”

During meetings with professional delegations at the Presidential Palace, Aoun said: “We are at a crossroads. Either we take advantage of the current circumstances and rise above sectarian, religious, and political divisions, or we head in a different direction and bear full responsibility for failing to fulfill our duties.”

Negotiations between Aoun, Salam, and political factions over the formation of a government are ongoing. The discussions, which kicked off last week, have reportedly made progress, with efforts directed toward expediting the government formation process, issuing decrees, preparing a ministerial statement, and securing its vote of confidence from lawmakers.

While the Shiite duo of Hezbollah and the Amal Movement appear to have finalized their proposed nominees for the government, disagreements over the ministerial statement remain.

MP Waddah Sadek, who is backed by the opposition, firmly rejected the inclusion of the “Army, People, Resistance” term in the statement. He declared: “No ‘blocking third’ in the government, and no unconstitutional gimmicks. The slogan of the new phase in Lebanon should be: the ‘Army, People, and State.’”

The Kataeb Party echoed this stance, stressing that Lebanon, emerging from a devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel, must align with the Aoun’s inaugural speech and Salam’s remarks by ensuring the ministerial statement exclusively underscores the state’s monopoly over arms and the defense of the nation.

“The government must act decisively, dismantle militias, strictly enforce the ceasefire, and uphold its provisions across all Lebanese territory,” it demanded.

The Kataeb Party also urged Aoun and Salam to resist the “great extortion” by Hezbollah and Amal to secure specific ministries or positions, in violation of the inaugural speech, calling instead for the application of uniform standards to ensure the government’s success.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah adopted a more confrontational tone.

MP Hussein Hajj Hassan, a member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, commented: “To those betting on Hezbollah’s weakness or the weakness of the Hezbollah-Amal alliance, what will you say when the government is formed? What will you say when you realize the strength of Hezbollah, the alliance, and the resistance’s supporters across all segments of Lebanese society? What will you say when you see the unwavering determination and unity of the resistance at every critical juncture?”