The Times of Israel is liveblogging Wednesday’s events as they happen.
US reaches deal to extend military presence at Qatari air base — source
WASHINGTON — The United States has reached a deal to extend its military presence at a base in Qatar for another 10 years, a source familiar with the matter tells Reuters.
The base in question is the Al Udeid Air Base, which is located in the desert southwest of Doha and hosts the largest US military facility in the Middle East, the source says, asking to not be identified.
The development was reported first by CNN. The US Department of Defense doesn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The tiny Gulf state has played a key role in mediation talks with Hamas and Israeli officials in relation to the war in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages captured by the Palestinian Islamist terror group in its devastating October 7 cross-border attack on Israel, in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 240 taken hostage.
US President Joe Biden has regularly spoken with the emir of Qatar since October 7 on securing the release of hostages held by Hamas and on boosting aid to Gaza, where Israel’s assault since the Hamas attack has killed over 22,000 Palestinians, according to Hamas health authorities. The figure, which doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants, cannot be verified independently and is also believed to include Gazans killed by errant rockets launched by terrorists in the Strip.
There has also been criticism of Qatar by some in the US Congress over Hamas’s presence in the country. A bipartisan group of 113 US lawmakers on October 16 sent a letter to Biden asking him to put pressure on countries who support Hamas, including Qatar.
Qatar is also a major non-NATO US ally, a designation granted by the United States to close, non-NATO allies that have strategic working relationships with the US military.
Macron speaks with Gantz, urges Israel to avoid escalation, ‘particularly in Lebanon’
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Israel to avoid escalation, “particularly in Lebanon,” following a strike attributed to Israel that killed Hamas’s deputy leader in Beirut, the Elysee Palace says.
Macron, who spoke by telephone with the Israeli minister and war cabinet member Benny Gantz, says “it is essential to avoid any escalatory attitude, particularly in Lebanon” and that France would continue to pass on these messages to all players directly or indirectly involved in the area,” according to the French presidency.
2 soldiers said lightly hurt in Hezbollah anti-tank missile attack
Two soldiers are lightly wounded in a Hezbollah anti-tank missile attack on a military position near the community of Menara, close to the Lebanon border, according to Hebrew-language media reports.
There is no confirmation from the military.
Hezbollah claims 10 attacks on Israel over past day, including 4 in last hour
The Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon has claimed responsibility for ten separate attacks on northern Israel today, four of them in the last hour.
In statements, Hezbollah claims to have launched missiles and drones at army positions along the border. In some of the attacks, however, projectiles hit Israeli communities in northern Israel.
There are no immediate reports of injuries.
The last four attacks carried out by the terror group follow the alleged Israeli assassination of deputy Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut.
Hezbollah has vowed to respond to the deadly airstrike, although it has already been carrying out daily attacks on the north since October 8.