By Austin Ogwuda with Agency report
Israel-Gaza latest news:
Israeli troops patrol Gaza border, claim killing Hamas’ Head of Aerial Wing
Israeli soldiers were sighted patrolling Sderot, near the border with Gaza today (Saturday).
Israel claims it has killed head of Hamas aerial wing
*Hamas vows to respond with ‘full force’Israeli and Hamas forces are still fighting after an overnight blitz that killed multiple commanders from the terror group.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said troops were still “in the field” on Saturday morning as daybreak revealed heavy destruction from overnight air strikes on the Gaza Strip.
The bombardment knocked out communications in Gaza, cutting off the 2.3 million people there from contact with the outside world, which the Palestinian Red Crescent said had held up ambulances for the wounded.
The intensified ground and air operation that began on Friday evening targeted “terror tunnels, underground combat spaces and additional underground infrastructure” and “several Hamas terrorists were killed” including the aerial and maritime commanders, the IDF said.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari of the IDF said “the forces are still on the ground and are continuing the war”, in a change of tactics from the previous nightly ground incursions which saw troops return to Israel the next morning.
*Activists are gathering ahead of Saturday afternoon’s huge march in London
Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters have gathered in central London with banners and posters ahead of the latest march.
Demonstrators have been told to stick together and not to talk or interact with the police.Protesters are already chanting “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”, despite warnings that it could amount to a hate crime.
Some 100,000 protesters are expected for the third mass pro-Palestinian march in as many weeks in the capital, along with more in other cities.
Last week’s march landed the Metropolitan Police in a major row after protesters were not arrested for chanting “jihad” and other apparently anti-Jewish remarks.
*Lebanon issues airport alert as border tensions rise
The Lebanese authorities on Saturday issued precautionary guidance for evacuating Beirut International Airport and its surrounding facilities in case of emergency, as tensions rise on the Lebanese-Israeli border.
The guidance for Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport, which lies on the southern fringe of the capital, did not indicate any immediate escalation on the border.
here have been daily but relatively contained exchanges of fire there recently between Israel and the heavily armed Lebanese group Hezbollah.In 2006, the airport’s runways were hit by Israeli airstrikes, forcing it to close, as part of reprisals following Hezbollah’s capture of two Israeli soldiers.
*Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf said he has not heard from his in-laws in Gaza as the territory comes under heavy bombardment from Israeli armed forces.
Mr Yousaf said on Saturday he had been unable to contact his wife’s mother and her husband after communications were cut off as bombing of the Gaza Strip intensified.
Writing on X, he said: “Thank you for your good wishes, I’m afraid we have not heard from my in-laws.
“My concern is for all the innocent people suffering for a crime they did not commit. If you did not vote for peace, while children are dying, then I do not know how you sleep at night.”
*Hamas ‘trying to find eight Russian-Israeli hostages
“Hamas is trying to locate eight Russian-Israeli dual citizens that were taken hostage during the Palestinian militant group’s attack on Israel in order to free them on Moscow’s request”, Russian news agency reported this Saturday morning.
Credit: AP/Russian News Agency