War in the Middle East, day 395: UNRWA denounces its ban in Israel, Hezbollah shots

► The cancellation of the agreement between Israel and UNRWA formalized

Israel officially informed the UN on Monday, November 4, of the cancellation of the agreement with the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), voted by the Israeli Parliament, according to a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“On the instructions of Foreign Minister Israel Katz, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has notified the UN of the cancellation of the agreement between the State of Israel and UNRWA”adds the press release.

UNRWA said its ban in Israel could provoke “the collapse” of the aid system in the Gaza Strip, ravaged by more than a year of war. “If this law is implemented, it risks causing the collapse of the international humanitarian operation in the Gaza Strip, an operation of which UNRWA is the backbone,” according to Jonathan Fowler, a spokesperson for the organization.

► Israel announces having “eliminated” a Hezbollah commander

The Israeli army announced that it had “eliminated” a local Hezbollah commander in southern Lebanon, where it is leading a campaign of intense bombings and ground incursions against the Lebanese Islamist movement.

The army “struck and eliminated Abou Ali Rida, the commander of the Baraachit region, in southern Lebanon”she said in a press release.

Abu Ali Rida “was responsible for planning and carrying out rocket and anti-tank missile attacks against Israeli troops and oversaw Hezbollah terrorist activities in the region”added the army.

► Hezbollah launched a salvo of rockets into northern Israel

Lebanese Hezbollah announced that it had launched “a large salvo of rockets” on the town of Safed, in northern Israel.

The pro-Iranian movement has been in open war since the end of September against Israel, which killed its leader, Hassan Nasrallah, and is carrying out intensive airstrikes and a ground offensive against Lebanon.

► Iran denounces the “destabilizing presence” of the United States in the Middle East

The Iranian Foreign Ministry denounced the “destabilizing presence” of the United States in the Middle East, after Washington’s announcement of the deployment of B-52 strategic bombers in the region to defend Israel, sworn enemy of the Islamic Republic.

“We always believed that the American presence in the region was a destabilizing presence”declared the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaïl Baghaï, during his weekly press conference.

On Saturday, the Pentagon announced the arrival in the Middle East of American B-52 fighter jets, the day after the Pentagon announced new military deployments for “defend Israel”close ally of the United States, and warn Iran.

► Netanyahu threatens Hezbollah with a “firm response”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the border with Lebanon on Sunday where he threatened Hezbollah with “firm response” in the event of an attack on Israel, which is currently leading an offensive against the movement, according to a statement released by his office late in the day.

“I want to be clear: with or without a (ceasefire) agreement, the key to restoring peace and security in the north (of Israel) is first and foremost to keep Hezbollah beyond the Litani River , to react to any attempt at rearmament on its part and to retaliate firmly to any operation against us”declared Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting with Israeli soldiers.

► Hezbollah says it fired missiles at Haifa military base

Lebanese Hezbollah said it fired missiles at a military base in Haifa, the main city in northern Israel, on Sunday.

In a statement, the pro-Iranian formation indicated that its fighters had targeted “for the first time, the Haifa technical base, affiliated with the Israeli Air Force (…) with a salvo of missiles”. The group, which launches projectiles daily towards Israel, also claimed responsibility for an explosive drone attack against another military base located about twenty kilometers southeast of Haifa.