Hezbollah risks dragging Lebanon into war, says Israeli military
Israel’s military said Iran-backed Hezbollah risked dragging neighbouring Lebanon into war, as the Lebanese militia continued to fire rockets across the border.
It also warned that aerial strikes would be stepped up on Gaza in preparation for the “next stage” of Israel’s operations, likely to be a ground invasion.
Hezbollah is a militant group and political party that controls southern Lebanon and acts as a proxy for Iran.
The group has been behind a number of deadly terror attacks around the world and has been declared a terrorist organisation by Australia, the US, Israel, the European Union and several countries in the Arab world.
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Photos from Melbourne’s pro-Palestine rally
Photographer Chris Hopkins was on the ground for Melbourne’s pro-Palestine rally today and captured these images:
Thousands of people attended the rally in Melbourne.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Feliz Arf was among those who turned up at the State Library of Victoria today in a show of support for Palestinians.Credit: Chris Hopkins
Melbourne’s rally is similar to many others that have been held across the world in recent weeks.Credit: Chris Hopkins
More than 50 Palestinians killed in Gaza airstrikes
It’s just gone 7.30am on Sunday in Israel and Gaza, so we’re starting to get updates about what’s occurred overnight.
More than 50 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip overnight, Gaza medical sources said on Sunday.
Israeli forces have killed a fifth Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, bringing the number of deaths to 90 since October 7, the Palestinian health ministry said.
Reuters
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Australians could see higher petrol prices
Australians could face greater pain at the bowser as the conflict in the Middle East drags on.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the war between Israel and Hamas has broader economic consequences.
“What we’ve seen in recent months already was an increase in global oil prices because of decisions taken by suppliers,” he said on Sunday.
“The conflict in the Middle East risks making that worse, and that would have consequences for Australians at the petrol bowser.”
Chalmers added he expected the upward pressure on global oil prices and petrol prices would play a bigger role in inflation figures due on Wednesday.
AAP
Israel attacks Damascus, Aleppo airports, puts them out of service: Syrian state media
An Israeli missile attack targeted Damascus and Aleppo international airports early on Sunday, killing one civilian worker and putting the airports out of service, Syrian state media reported.
Scheduled flights to and from Damascus and Aleppo airports were diverted to Latakia International Airport, according to the Ministry of Transportation. Reuters
Sydney council blocks proposal to light up Town Hall in Israeli colours
By Michael Koziol
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore will block a proposal to fly the Israeli flag outside Town Hall and light the building in blue and white, saying it would be divisive, harmful and counter to the city’s values of harmony and inclusion.
Liberal councillor Shauna Jarrett has listed a motion for Monday’s council meeting to illuminate Town Hall in the colours of the Israeli flag “as a mark of respect from the City of Sydney for Israel and the Jewish community”.
Several other Sydney councils are grappling with competing calls for gestures of goodwill regarding the Israeli-Hamas conflict, including Randwick, where a councillor is trying to undo a previous commitment to fly the Palestinian flag next month.
Australians in Lebanon wanting to leave should do so
Australians in Lebanon who wish to leave have been urged by the federal government to do so on the first available flights.
The current travel advice is “Do not travel” to Lebanon, the highest risk level.
“Daily military action is occurring in southern Lebanon and could escalate quickly. This could affect your ability to move to safety. Avoid areas where military activity is ongoing,” the government’s SmartTraveller website notes.
Advice for Israel and Palestinian areas remains at “Reconsider your need to travel”.
So far, the government has helped hundreds of Australians return home, but many still remain.
‘It’s horrible what’s happening to Palestinians’: Melburnians march
By Najma Sambul
As rain falls down on the protesters in Melbourne, onlookers are yelling “intifada”, which means uprising in Arabic.
One onlooker, a lawyer named Emily, just moved to Melbourne from Newcastle and observed the protest from the street with her partner Michael. “We support this protest,” she said “It’s horrible what’s happening to Palestinians.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters at the Melbourne Rally for Palestine.Credit: Chris Hopkins
A sign reads, “Albanese you’re complicit, genocide is illicit”.
The protest is now in La Trobe Street heading back to State Library.
Keith Langford, 74, said his humanity brought him out to march today.
“I think the Palestinian cause is one for all human beings to get behind because it is so unjust. You just can’t see Palestinians suffering. Their land shouldn’t have been taken away from them in the first place.”
“I’m very upset because Israel has launched a war of genocide against the people of Gaza and killing them en masse.”
US sending additional air defence systems to Middle East
The US will send a Terminal High Altitude Area Defence system and additional Patriot air defence missile system battalions to the Middle East, the Pentagon said on Saturday, in response to recent attacks on US troops in the region.
It has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in recent weeks, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and about 2000 marines.
A US missile defence system called Terminal High Altitude Area Defence is seen in Seongju, South Korea.Credit: AP
Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war.
“Following detailed discussions with President [Joe] Biden on recent escalations by Iran and its proxy forces across the Middle East region, today I directed a series of additional steps to further strengthen the Department of Defence posture in the region,” Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Saturday (US time).
Austin said he was placing additional troops on prepare-to-deploy orders, but did not say how many. The Pentagon has already placed some 2000 troops on a heightened state of readiness in case they need to deploy to the region.
“These steps will bolster regional deterrence efforts, increase force protection for US forces in the region, and assist in the defence of Israel,” Austin added.
Reuters
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Where we stand on Sunday afternoon
By Laura Chung
Good afternoon, I am Laura Chung and I will be taking you through the events of this afternoon.
It’s been a busy morning. Here are some of the key events:
Two Palestinians are reported to have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on a mosque in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank early on Sunday. The Israel Defence Forces and security agency Shin Bet say the attack was on a Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist compound under the Al-Ansar Mosque.
Thousands of Palestinian supporters are rallying at the State Library Victoria calling for an end to the war on Gaza.
World leaders at a Cairo peace summit failed to reach a consensus.
About 100,000 people rallied in London at pro-Palestinian protests.
