Israel continues airstrikes on Gaza; Blinken: ‘This is on Hamas’
RAFAH, Gaza Strip — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CBS’ “Face the Nation” that Hamas was responsible, not just for its brutal rampage in southern Israel, but for the deaths of civilians in Israel’s attacks on Gaza. “It knew that in Israel’s necessary response, civilians would be caught in that crossfire,” he said.
He said Hamas terrorists were operating among the civilian population and its tunnels were buried under hospitals and schools. “What does anyone expect Israel to do?” he said.
“This is on Hamas.”
Israeli warplanes struck targets across Gaza, two airports in Syria and a mosque in the occupied West Bank that Israel alleges was used by terrorists, as the 2-week-old war with Hamas threatened to spiral Sunday into a broader conflict.
Israel has traded fire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah terrorist group since the war began, and tensions are soaring in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces have battled terrorists in refugee camps and carried out two airstrikes in recent days.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told troops in northern Israel that if Hezbollah launches a war, “it will make the mistake of its life. We will cripple it with a force it cannot even imagine, and the consequences for it and the Lebanese state will be devastating.”
For days, Israel has seemed to be on the verge of launching a ground offensive in Gaza following Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7 rampage, which killed more than 1,400 Israelis, with tanks and troops massed at the border.
Israel’s military spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, said the country had increased airstrikes across Gaza to hit targets that would reduce the risk to troops in the next stage of the war.
Hamas said it fought with Israeli forces near Khan Younis in southern Gaza and destroyed a tank and two bulldozers. The Israeli military said it had no information about the claim.
On Saturday, 20 trucks entered Gaza in the first aid shipment into the territory since Israel imposed a complete siege two weeks ago. Egypt’s state-run media reported 17 more trucks crossing Sunday, but the United Nations said none had crossed.
“Until now, there is no convoy,” said Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees.
Associated Press journalists saw seven fuel trucks head north from the border, but Touma and the Israeli military said those trucks were taking fuel that had been stored on the Gaza side of the crossing deeper into the territory, and that no fuel had entered from Egypt.
In a sign of how precarious any movement of aid remains, the Egyptian military said in a statement that Israeli shelling hit a watchtower on Egypt’s side of the border, causing light injuries. The Israeli military apologized, saying a tank had accidentally fired and hit an Egyptian post, and the incident was being investigated.
Syrian state media, meanwhile reported that Israeli airstrikes hit the international airports in the capital, Damascus, and the northern city of Aleppo, killing one person and putting the runways out of service.
Israel has carried out several strikes in Syria since the war began. Israel rarely acknowledges individual strikes, but says it acts to prevent Hezbollah and other terrorists from bringing in arms from Iran, which also supports Hamas.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah said six fighters were killed Saturday, and the group’s deputy leader, Sheikh Naim Kassem, warned that Israel would pay a high price if it invades Gaza. Israel struck Hezbollah in response to rocket fire, the military said.
Israel also announced evacuation plans for another 14 communities near the Lebanon border.
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Magdy reported from Cairo and Nessman from Jerusalem. Associated Press journalists Amy Teibel in Jerusalem; Samya Kullab in Baghdad; Bassem Mroue in Beirut; Ashraf Sweilam in el-Arish, Egypt, and Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed to this report.