Fouad Shukr

The US Central Command announced that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to expedite its deployment to the Middle East, reflecting growing concerns over a potential regional conflict amidst the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, the Pentagon reported on Sunday.

Yesterday, Israel warned that it would eliminate the new leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, as the war in the Gaza Strip with the Palestinian Islamist movement, now in its eleventh month, threatens to spread across the Middle East.

Hezbollah Drone Attacks The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah announced that it launched a series of drone attacks on military targets today in Galilee, northern Israel.

Israel would consider a pre-emptive strike on Iran if it had solid evidence that Tehran was preparing to launch an attack against it, Israeli media reported after Benjamin Netanyahu meets with Israel’s security chiefs this afternoon on Sunday.

Israel is on high alert, anticipating retaliation from Iran and its allies following the funerals of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders in Tehran and Beirut.

Tehran has informed the Security Council of its intention to act within the framework of legitimate self-defense. Concerns about Iranian retaliation are growing, with conflicting reports intensifying the unease.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has strongly condemned the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, according to Reuters. Following Haniyeh's death, which Hamas attributes to an Israeli attack on his residence, Palestinian nationalist and Islamic groups have called for a general strike and mass protests.