"The atrocity of the war in Lebanon will be ten times worse than the atrocity of the war in Gaza, and it is linked to what will happen in Gaza and what is happening with us and the arsenal we possess and the situation in the world," said former Israeli National Security Council Chairman Yaakov Amidror this evening, indicating that escalation is inevitable.
In two significant events for the first time since the beginning of the war, Hezbollah dealt a decisive blow to Tel Aviv today by downing an advanced Hermes 450 drone carrying missiles in southern Lebanon. Additionally, Israeli warplanes launched raids targeting the city of Baalbek in northeastern Lebanon, resulting in casualties and injuries.
Furthermore, an Israeli drone targeted a vehicle in the town of Majdal in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon.
Away from the battlefield, the media office of the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Defense, Elias Murr, denied what was reported by an electronic website this evening regarding a dinner gathering him with the head of the Free Patriotic Movement, Minister Gebran Bassil. Thus, the news is entirely baseless.
The media office emphasized, "As it confirms that there is no objection to a meeting between the former Prime Minister and Minister Bassil or any Lebanese figure, it clarifies that this denial is simply because the dinner did not take place."
Finance Minister Youssef Khalil in the caretaker government viewed that "the continuation of the strike poses a danger to paying the salaries of the public sector, hindering the facilitation of public facilities, and providing services to citizens. It also poses a threat to tax collection and revenue for the treasury, endangering financial and monetary stability."
Regionally, the war in Gaza entered its 143rd day amidst continued bombardment and fears of famine, while Israel affirmed its intention to postpone the Rafah operation if a prisoner exchange deal is reached.
In addition, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas approved the resignation request of the Palestinian government submitted by Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtayeh and tasked it with managing affairs temporarily until the formation of a new government.
Following his meeting with the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' political bureau, stated that Israel's procrastination is unacceptable, and the movement will not accept it under any circumstances. He emphasized that ending the siege war is of the utmost importance and should not be linked to any other issues.
On the international front, the world was preoccupied today with the news of the death of U.S. Air Force soldier Aaron Bushnell due to injuries sustained after he set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington.
Prior to his death, Bushnell called for "the liberation of Palestine" in a video recording, stating that he "will not be complicit in genocide."
It is expected that U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with the four leaders of Congress at the White House tomorrow to discuss an emergency aid package for Ukraine and Israel, in addition to avoiding a government shutdown next month.
In this context, Human Rights Watch announced that Israel is not complying with the International Court of Justice's order regarding aid to Gaza, noting a 30% decrease in the daily average of truck entry into the sector over the past few weeks.
Furthermore, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that an Israeli attack on Rafah would deal a severe blow to aid programs in Gaza, where humanitarian aid remains "woefully inadequate." He stated in a speech before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today that a comprehensive attack on Rafah "will not only be devastating for over a million Palestinian civilians who have sought refuge there but will be the final nail in the coffin for our aid program."
Meanwhile, the Armenian Foreign Ministry announced that two delegations from Armenia and Azerbaijan would hold peace talks in Berlin from Wednesday to Thursday on February 28 and 29, after the two Caucasus countries engaged in conflicts during two wars over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.
Additionally, Vasily Piskarev, Chairman of the Security Committee in the Russian State Duma, affirmed that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is using Russian-language information sources to interfere in our country's presidential elections.
