View the world·Middle East situation｜Israel vows to remove Sinwar, and airlines from many countries adjust their flight plans
2024-08-10
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Beijing, August 9 (Xinhua) -- The situation in the Middle East continues to deteriorate. On August 7, the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) appointed Yahya Sinwar as the new leader of the Political Bureau, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran, the capital of Iran. On the same day, Israeli Defense Forces Chief of Staff Hezi Halevy issued a "death threat" to Sinwar.
Given that Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon and other regional armed forces may launch retaliatory actions against Israel at any time, airlines from Britain, Egypt, the United States and other countries have adjusted their flight plans in the region to reduce security risks.
On August 4, Israel's Iron Dome air defense system intercepted a rocket fired at the Galilee region in northern Israel. Xinhua News Agency/APIsrael vows to purge Sinwar
Hamas announced on the 6th that Sinwar would be the new leader of the Hamas Political Bureau. The mainstream faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah), and Lebanon's Hezbollah welcomed the decision. Israel threatened to "physically eliminate" Sinwar.
Sinwar, 61, is the head of Hamas' military forces and is known for his "iron-fisted" approach. According to Israeli media reports, Sinwar was the main planner of Hamas's raid on Israel last October and is believed to have been hiding in tunnels in the Gaza Strip for a long time to avoid being hunted down by the Israeli army.
Sinwar's predecessor, Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran on July 31. Hamas and Iran both accused Israel of the assassination, which Israel neither admitted nor denied. A day before Haniyeh was assassinated, a senior military commander of Hezbollah in Lebanon was killed in an Israeli airstrike.
This is Yahya Sinwar (file photo) taken in Gaza City on May 1, 2017. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Wissam Nassar)After the assassination, Iran and regional armed forces including Hamas and Hezbollah vowed to launch retaliation against Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on the 7th that Israel is determined to "defend itself" and is ready "both on the defensive and offensive levels."
Despite threats of retaliation from Iran and Hezbollah, Israel has not slowed down its military operations in the Gaza Strip. On the 7th, the Israeli army issued evacuation notices to residents in Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya in the north of the Gaza Strip, asking them to evacuate to Gaza City in the north of the Gaza Strip.
In addition, the Israeli army continued to strike Hamas targets in Khan Yunis and Gaza City on the 7th, killing at least 13 people. AFP quoted Israeli Chief of Staff Halevy as saying on the 7th that the Israeli army will "find Sinwar and strike him", forcing Hamas to face the situation of leadership change again.
On August 6, in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, Hezbollah leader Nasrallah delivered a televised speech at an event commemorating Hezbollah's senior military commander Fuad Shukur. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Bilal Jaweshi)Airlines from many countries avoid flying over Iraqi airspace
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Iran and Israel to avoid "a new round of retaliation" on the 7th. Iranian President Masoud Pezerhchiyan said that if Western countries really want to prevent war, "they must immediately stop arms sales and support to Israel."
According to U.S. media reports, in recent years, the United States has provided billions of dollars in arms support to Israel each year. After the outbreak of a new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October last year, the Biden administration has quietly approved and fulfilled more than 100 arms sales orders to Israel, providing precision-guided munitions, artillery shells, etc., of which only two transactions have been made public.
The tense situation in the Middle East has affected the air routes of many countries. On the 7th, the British government asked the country's airlines to avoid Lebanese airspace. Data from the "24-hour Flight Radar" website, which tracks flight status, confirmed that there are currently no flights from the UK to Lebanon.
On August 1, in Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, Hezbollah members attended the funeral of Fuad Shukur, a senior military commander of Hezbollah. Photo by Bilal Jaweshi, Xinhua News AgencySingapore Airlines also flew around Iranian airspace on the 2nd. According to information from the international aviation consulting agency Flight Operations Group, Egyptian airlines have been avoiding Iranian airspace recently. The Egyptian Civil Aviation Department issued a statement on the 7th that Iran will conduct military exercises in its airspace from 11:30 to 14:30 local time on the 7th and from 4:30 to 7:30 on the 8th. Egypt has issued a flight ban on its airlines for security reasons.
Many US airlines have also adjusted their flight routes. United Airlines previously announced the suspension of flights to Tel Aviv, a city in central Israel, for safety reasons, and announced on the 7th that it would continue to implement the suspension measures. Delta Airlines also extended the suspension of flights between New York and Tel Aviv until the 31st of this month. (Wang Yijun)
