Tel-Aviv: An Israeli airstrike cut off a main road linking Lebanon to Syria. The airstrike closed a road near the Masnaa border crossing, from where tens of thousands of people fleeing the war in Lebanon have crossed into Syria in the past two weeks.
Masnaa border crossing
The attacks came as Israel carried out a ground incursion into Lebanon and at the same time carried out attacks in Gaza. The Israeli military said nine soldiers have been killed so far in the conflict in southern Lebanon.
Iran’s foreign minister, who is in Beirut and is expected to discuss the war between Israel and Hezbollah with Lebanese officials, days after Iran launched at least 180 missiles at Israel.
President Biden’s Statement
President Biden said he does not expect Israel to retaliate immediately against Iran and rejects the suggestion that the United States would grant permission for such an attack.
The Israeli military said Friday that an attack in Beirut the day before killed Mohammed Skafi, head of Hezbollah’s communications division.
The military said in a statement that Skafi was “a senior Hezbollah terrorist who was responsible for the communications unit since 2000” and was “closely affiliated” with senior Hezbollah officials.
Khamenei’s statement
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was leading Friday prayers and was to deliver a rare public sermon in the Iranian capital, Tehran, which was being watched for signs of what Iran might plan next.
In a 40-minute speech, he praised Tuesday’s missile bombardment of Israel as a brilliant job by the Iranian military.
“It will be done again in the future if necessary,” he said.
Previously there was a commemoration ceremony for the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Most high-ranking Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian and top generals of the Revolutionary Guard, attended the ceremony.
The airstrike came a day after an Israeli military spokesman said Hezbollah has been trying to transport military equipment through the border crossing.
Hezbollah is believed to have received much of its weaponry from Iran through Syria. The group has a presence on both sides of the border, a region where it has been fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces.
Japan evacuates its citizens
Japan is preparing to evacuate its citizens from Lebanon. The government is also urging those in Iran to leave as soon as possible, while commercial flights continue to operate.
Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters on Friday that Japan’s embassy in Iran this week renewed its security advisory to Japanese citizens after Iran fired missiles at Israel.
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