At the Edge of War (Versión en castellano, 'click' aquí).

by Sergio Yhani. Friday, 14 July 2006.
Sergio Yahni is citizen of Israel and member of A.I.C. , Alternative Information Center. (Jerusalem/Bethelem).

As Israeli attacks in Lebanon escalated on Thursday with the killing of over 50 civilians, the destruction of infrastructure in Lebanon and Israel’s Operation “Summer Rain” in the Gaza Strip, continue.

In a second day of strikes in Lebanon, Israel attacked the Beirut airport and blocked Lebanese ports, imposing sea and air blockades on the country.

Hezbollah retaliated by attacking Israel’s northern towns and cities, including the beach town of Naharia. Rockets fell on Haifa, a major Israeli industrial center, but Sheik Naim Khaled, Hezbollah’s number two, said in a press conference Thursday night that the Hezbollah was not responsible for the attack on Haifa. He added, “Haifa will be attacked only if Beirut is attacked, and we will have no problem taking full responsibility for it."

Early Thursday, Israeli war planes bombed the office of the Palestinian Foreign Ministry in Gaza, destroying part of the building and causing widespread damage in the area. The pre-dawn raid destroyed the third and fourth floors of the Foreign Ministry building, damaged nearby houses and vehicles and wounded more than 13 civilians, including six children.

The Israeli army, which accuses Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar of having known in advance of the soldier’s capture, confirmed that it carried out the air strike, arguing that the Foreign Ministry is “led by Hamas.”

Zahar had stated earlier that negotiations were the only way to end the crisis.

In a separate attack, an Israeli air strike killed an Islamic Jihad fighter and wounded another early Thursday in an incursion in southern Gaza.

On Wednesday, Israel killed more than 25 Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including nine members of one family whose Gaza City house was hit by an Israeli missile. It was the highest number of Palestinians killed in a single day since Israeli troops entered the Gaza Strip on 28 June.

Last Updated ( Friday, 14 July 2006 )