Israel strikes Lebanon as US prepares fresh Iran sanctions

Israel has resumed airstrikes against Lebanon in the past few days after scaling back its attacks in the enclave earlier this month, Reuters reported on Sunday.

A day earlier, the Israel Defense Forces stated that it killed Abu Hassan Alaa, a senior Hezbollah commander, in southern Lebanon. The Israeli strikes were the bloodiest since the sides reached a ceasefire at the start of June, with 11 fatalities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks were in retaliation for a Hezbollah attack injuring three soldiers on Saturday. Israel said on Sunday it would strike the Iranian proxy group again if threatened.

CNBC reported that US President Donald Trump’s envoys met with Egyptian, Qatari and Turkish mediators in Cairo on Sunday. These developments aim to advance the president’s Gaza peace plan, even as Israel presses on with airstrikes in the enclave. 

Hamas officials were present at some of the meetings that mediators held with Trump’s envoy and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Trump’s Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, the diplomat said.

A senior Israeli official said  Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner, and Trump’s Board of Peace envoy for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov were scheduled to meet on Monday with Netanyahu, who on August 9 said Trump’s latest roadmap for Gaza peace was ‘unacceptable.’