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US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pushing for a halt to fighting in Gaza and a diplomatic solution to conflict in Lebanon, but Israeli strikes on an historic Lebanese port city prove there is no respite yet.
Huge clouds of smoke billowed above residential buildings in Tyre, a UNESCO-listed port city in south Lebanon, which Israel began bombing hours after issuing an order online telling residents to flee central areas.
Tens of thousands of people have already fled Tyre as Israel steps up its campaign to destroy Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, both close allies of its arch Middle East enemy Iran.
The port is typically bustling – with fishermen, tourists and even UN peacekeepers on a break from deployments. Israel’s evacuation orders this week have for the first time encompassed swathes of Tyre, right up to its ancient castle.
Strikes hit central parts of Tyre for around an hour at midday. The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah command and control centres there, including its southern front headquarters.
There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah. Tyre Mayor Hassan Dabouq said the city’s historic sites were not hit.
In northern Israel, rockets fired across the frontier set off air raid sirens and sent people running for shelters. Smoke trails hung over the city of Haifa, which appeared to be from the interception of Hezbollah rockets. One person was badly hurt, according to Israel’s ambulance service.
In Gaza, where Israel has intensified an assault on the northern edge of the territory since killing the leader of Hamas last week, health authorities reported at least 20 people killed in fresh Israeli strikes, most in the north.
Washington has called on its ally Israel to do more to help Gazans. A failure to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza could create more insurgents, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. Israel denies blocking aid from the battle zone.
Blinken, who has travelled to the Middle East regularly during the war, is making his first trip since Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, its most-wanted enemy, whose death Washington hopes can provide an impetus for peace.
The trip is also the last major US peace push before the November 5 presidential election that could alter US policy.
Washington aims to head off a widening of the conflict in anticipation of Israeli retaliation for an Iranian October 1 missile attack. Blinken said Israel’s retaliation should not lead to greater escalation.
After Blinken left Israel, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant visited a military base and told troops that once Israel attacks Iran everyone would understand their strength.
Blinken met with Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then travelled to Saudi Arabia and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The State Department said they discussed efforts to end fighting in Gaza and Lebanon.
In Lebanon, Israel’s military said it had killed three Hezbollah commanders and some 70 fighters in the south in the past 48 hours. A day earlier it confirmed it had killed Hashem Safieddine, the militant group’s heir apparent leader after Hassan Nasrallah’s death in a September 27 Israeli air strike.
Lebanon’s government said later on Wednesday that at least 28 people had been killed by Israeli strikes in the previous 24 hours, raising the total toll since October 2023 to 2574.
The US sees Sinwar’s demise as a chance to bring peace, making it easier for Netanyahu to argue that goals have been achieved in Gaza. But since his death, Israel has intensified an assault on northern areas where it says Hamas has regrouped.
Hospitals have ceased functioning and had run out of coffins. A UN-backed polio vaccination campaign, launched after a Gaza baby was paralysed by the disease, was halted.