Israeli tanks approach Gaza Strip (Photo: Reuters).
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on October 29 that its fighter jets had attacked "a number of Hezbollah military targets in Lebanon." The IDF also released a video recording the airstrikes.
Israel said it destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure, including a military compound and observation posts, in air strikes.
The latest IDF attack is said to be in response to "raids from Lebanese territory over the past day".
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said on October 24 that Israel "does not desire a confrontation on its northern border with any country," but that if Hezbollah continues to take aggressive actions, Israel will "make Lebanon pay the price."
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that Lebanon would suffer dire consequences if Hezbollah entered the war in the Gaza Strip.
The Israel-Hamas conflict flared up again on October 7 after more than two years of silence. Hamas forces in the Gaza Strip fired more than 2,000 rockets toward Israel. The clashes killed thousands of people in Israel and Gaza.
Amid tensions on its southern border due to Hamas raids, Israel has also had to deal with a number of raids by Hezbollah forces in Lebanon, north of Israel.
Lebanon's Information Minister insists that the country does not want conflict with Israel, but threats from Israel are becoming increasingly frequent.
US aircraft carrier enters the Mediterranean
The Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group transits the Strait of Gibraltar on October 28 (Photo: US Navy).
The US Navy announced that the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier strike group passed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean on October 28 and will soon join the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group to "support Israel's defense and prevent conflict throughout the region."
After Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on October 7, the US military has rushed to increase its presence in the region. The Pentagon has dispatched two aircraft carriers and support ships to the area, and "activated the deployment" of THAAD and Patriot air defense systems.
Last week, the US military also announced that it was sending more than 2,000 additional troops to support Israel in its conflict with Hamas. This week, the US announced that it would deploy 900 troops to the Middle East. However, US officials stressed that no troops would be deployed to Israel, while pledging to "support deterrence efforts in the region and further enhance the defense capabilities of US forces."
The decision to send troops to the Middle East comes amid a series of attacks on US military bases in recent days.
According to the Pentagon report, US forces and allies in Iraq and Syria have been targeted at least 16 times this month, including 13 times between October 17 and October 24, with 10 incidents in Iraq and three in Syria, using a combination of drones and missiles.
Some 19 US servicemen are believed to have suffered "traumatic brain injuries" in the series of attacks.
There are growing concerns that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread across the Middle East and make US forces at bases in the region targets for attack.
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