France Relays Israeli Threats to Hezbollah in Lebanon 

An Israeli army soldier stands atop the turret of a Merkava battle tank as a column of tanks is amassed in the upper Galilee in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on October 11, 2023. (AFP)
An Israeli army soldier stands atop the turret of a Merkava battle tank as a column of tanks is amassed in the upper Galilee in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on October 11, 2023. (AFP)
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France Relays Israeli Threats to Hezbollah in Lebanon 

An Israeli army soldier stands atop the turret of a Merkava battle tank as a column of tanks is amassed in the upper Galilee in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on October 11, 2023. (AFP)
An Israeli army soldier stands atop the turret of a Merkava battle tank as a column of tanks is amassed in the upper Galilee in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on October 11, 2023. (AFP)

Israel has told the Lebanese Hezbollah party that it “is not interested in the war, but ready to wage it if it is imposed on it,” political sources told Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

It also made unprecedented threats, explaining that the war will not be waged according to “Hezbollah’s agenda, and will witness several strategic shocks.”

Israel informed the party, through France, that if the party joined the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, it would “resort to American power to suppress Hezbollah,” as well as confront and overthrow the Syrian regime, including President Bashar al-Assad’s personal security.

Military sources told the newspaper that the decision announced by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to bring the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald Ford closer to the region was part of this threat.

The huge modern battleship carries 38 F-35, F-15, and F-16 fighter planes, and has a stockpile of 1,000 tons of weapons. It is accompanied by four small warships, a ship carrying missiles, and four nuclear war submarines, and is ready for combat.

Military sources who spoke to the newspaper said Israel held talks with the administration of US President Joe Biden and requested Congress’ approval to allow US forces to participate in a possible campaign against Hezbollah.

According to media leaks, a number of extremist ministers in the Israeli government are calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to wait for Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah to make a move. Rather he must exploit the war to launch a preemptive strike on the party. Netanyahu has been cautious and thrown the ball in the Israeli army’s court.

Army officials believe it was not wise for Israel to open the northern front, but they have stressed that if Hezbollah provocations persist, then “we will respond to them appropriately.”

Israeli military intelligence has been warning for several months against possible war with Hezbollah, pointing to several indications of unusual movements by its members, and saying Nasrallah has adopted a hardline.

On Saturday, an Israeli minister warned that the Hamas attack was just a ruse by Iran and would be followed by a surprise assault by Hezbollah.

“Iran is behind everything that is happening in our region... It pushed [Hamas] into war, and... will push [Hezbollah] to launch a second war,” the minister was quoted as saying.

The Israeli army announced on Oct. 5 that it was preparing “to conduct the largest massive training exercises to train on launching a broad, multi-front war” next November.

It added that these exercises will focus on the air force, with the unusual participation of the German, American, Italian, Greek and French air forces. Britain canceled its participation at the last minute and decided to send observers.



Aid to Gaza 'Facing Total Collapse', Warn 12 NGOs

 A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)
A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)
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Aid to Gaza 'Facing Total Collapse', Warn 12 NGOs

 A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)
A Palestinian boy looks through a hole in the wall into a damaged room after an Israeli strike on a school housing displaced Palestinians in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on April 17, 2025. (AFP)

The humanitarian aid system in Gaza is "facing total collapse" because of Israel's blockade on aid supplies since March 2, the heads of 12 major aid organizations warned Thursday, urging Israel to let them "do our jobs".

Israel has vowed to maintain its blockage on humanitarian aid to the war-ravaged territory, saying it is the only way to force Hamas to release the 58 hostages still held there.

"Every single person in Gaza is relying on humanitarian aid to survive," the chief executives of 12 NGOs, including Oxfam and Save the Children, wrote in a joint statement.

"That lifeline has been completely cut off since a blockade on all aid supplies was imposed by Israeli authorities on March 2," they said, adding that "This is one of the worst humanitarian failures of our generation."

A survey of 43 international and Palestinian aid organizations working in Gaza found that almost all have suspended or drastically cut services since a ceasefire ended on March 18, "with widespread and indiscriminate bombing making it extremely dangerous to move around", the NGOs said.

"Famine is not just a risk, but likely rapidly unfolding in almost all parts of Gaza," they said. "Survival itself is now slipping out of reach and the humanitarian system is at breaking point."

"We call on all parties to guarantee the safety of our staff and to allow the safe, unfettered access of aid into and across Gaza through all entry points, and for world leaders to oppose further restrictions."

Israel's renewed assault has killed at least 1,691 people in Gaza, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, bringing the overall toll since the war erupted to 51,065, most of them civilians.

Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.