(VOVWORLD) - Israeli media on Monday night cited two unnamed US officials as saying that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has assured US President Joe Biden that Israel’s counterattack after Iran fired ballistic missiles at Israel on October 1 will not target nuclear or oil facilities.
The attack will not negatively affect Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris in the US presidential election next month and will take place before the election on November 5. Neither Israeli nor US officials have commented on the news report.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is considering a plan to blockade northern Gaza, including blocking humanitarian aid, to crush Hamas militants, the government said Monday. The plan will give Palestinians one week to leave the north, including Gaza city, before declaring it a closed military zone and cutting off food, water, medicine, and fuel. Palestinians who choose not to abide by the order will be considered combatants.
Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy said Monday that the EU condemns all attacks on UN missions as serious violations of international law and completely unacceptable.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said UN peacekeepers will stay in their positions in Lebanon despite Israel’s request that they leave because of the escalation of hostilities between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. Five UN blue berets have been wounded in recent days.
On Monday, for the first time, Israeli warplanes bombed targets in the predominantly Christian northern region of Aitou, killing at least 18 people and injuring dozens more.