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WORLD NEWS Friday 2 august 2024
Hezbollah leader says war with Israel has entered ‘new phase’

after killings of top militant figures

By ABBY SEWELL and KA- Ismail Haniyeh will be killed war, but outside diplomacy Shams in the Golan. and moved on the street
REEM CHEHAYEB in Iran and Iran will remain reined in the two sides. He- “We have the courage to toward Azadi Square in
Associated Press silent?” he said of the Israe- zbollah faces strong pres- take responsibility for where Tehran and people throw-
BEIRUT (AP) — Hezbollah’s ing flowers at it.
leader warned Thursday Haniyeh’s remains are to
that the conflict with Is- be transferred to Qatar for
rael has entered a “new burial Friday.
phase,” as he addressed Haniyeh came to Tehran
mourners at the funeral of to attend the inaugura-
a commander from the tion of Pezeshkian. Associ-
group who was killed by an ated Press photos showed
Israeli airstrike this week in the Hamas leader seated
Beirut. alongside leaders from the
Meanwhile in Tehran, Iran’s Palestinian Islamic Jihad
supreme leader prayed militant group and Hez-
over the body of Hamas’ bollah, and Iranian media
political leader, who was showed him and Pezesh-
killed in a presumed Israeli kian hugging. Haniyeh had
assassination. met earlier with Khamenei.
The back-to-back killings Hours later, he was killed in
have increased fears of an a strike that hit a residence
escalation into a wider war, Haniyeh uses in Tehran. Ira-
leaving the region wait- nian authorities said the at-
ing to see how Iran and tack is under investigation
ally Hezbollah will respond. but haven’t provided de-
Iran has vowed retaliation tails.
against Israel for the strike Israel had pledged to kill
that killed Hamas’ Ismail In this photo released by an official website of the office of the Iranian supreme leader, Supreme Haniyeh and other Hamas
Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, center, leads a prayer over the coffins of Hamas leader Ismail
Haniyeh on Wednesday in Haniyeh and his bodyguard who were killed in an assassination blamed on Israel on Wednesday, leaders over the group’s
the Iranian capital of Teh- during their funeral ceremony at the Tehran University campus, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Aug. 1, Oct. 7 attack on southern
ran. 2024. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian prays at center right. Israel that sparked the war
Israel has not claimed re- Associated Press in Gaza. On Thursday, Is-
sponsibility for Haniyeh’s as- rael said it had confirmed
sassination, but comments lis. Addressing Israelis who sure not to draw Lebanon we strike, even if it’s a mis- that the head of Hamas’
by Israeli military spokes- celebrated the two killings, into a repeat of the militant take. If we made a mistake, military wing, Mohammed
man Rear Adm. Daniel he said, “Laugh a bit and group’s 2006 war with Is- we would admit and apol- Deif, was killed in a July 13
Hagari stopped short of an you will cry a lot.” rael, which wreaked heavy ogize,” he said, adding, airstrike in Gaza. Hamas,
outright denial. But as he often does, Nas- death and destruction in “The enemy made itself the which earlier said Deif sur-
“There was no additional rallah kept his comments the country. judge, jury, and execution- vived the blast, did not im-
airstrike, not a missile and vague, vowing a “very-well Israel and Iran risked plung- er without any evidence.” mediately comment.
not an Israeli drone, in the studied retaliation” without ing into war earlier this year An unusual relative calm U.S. Secretary of State Ant-
entire Middle East that saying what form it would when Israel hit Iran’s em- prevailed Thursday on the ony Blinken said “all par-
night,” he said Thursday, take. He said only that Isra- bassy in Damascus in April. Lebanon-Israel border. He- ties” in the Middle East must
fueling speculation that Is- el “will have to wait for the Iran retaliated, and Israel zbollah claimed no rocket avoid escalatory actions
rael could have used other anger of the region’s hon- countered in an unprece- launches into Israel during that could plunge the re-
means to kill Haniyeh. orable people.” dented exchange of strikes the day. gion into further conflict.
Israel did confirm it carried “The enemy and the one on each other’s soil, but The Lebanese state news Speaking Thursday in the

out the strike Tuesday in who is behind the enemy” international efforts suc- agency said a strike hit the Mongolian capital of
Beirut that killed Hezbollah an apparent reference to ceeded in containing that house of a Syrian family in Ulaaanbataar, Blinken ap-
commander Fouad Shu- Israel’s chief ally, the United cycle before it spun out of a southern Lebanese town, pealed for countries to
kur, along with an Iranian States “will have to wait for control. killing at least four people “make the right choices in
military adviser and at least our coming response,” he In Beirut’s southern suburbs, and wounding several oth- the days ahead” and said
five civilians. Israel said Shu- said. the biggest Shiite district ers. a cease-fire between Is-
kur was behind a rocket International officials have in the capital, hundreds Nasrallah said Hezbollah’s rael and Hamas in Gaza
attack days earlier that hit been scrambling to avert a of black-clad mourners fighters would also return was the only way to begin
a soccer field in the Israeli- cycle of retaliation before packed the auditorium, to military operations Fri- to break the current cycle
held Golan Heights, kill- it spirals into a greater war. many of them holding He- day, ending the period of of violence and suffering.
ing 12 children. Hezbollah Since the Gaza war began zbollah flags or photos of mourning for Shukur, but Blinken did not mention
denied being behind that in October, Hezbollah and Shukur. An escort of red- that the renewed strikes Israel, Iran or Hamas by
strike, a denial that Nasral- Israel have traded fire al- capped fighters carried would be unrelated to the name in his comments.q
lah reiterated. most daily across the bor- Shukur’s coffin, also draped retaliation for his killing.
In a speech via video link der in exchanges that have in a Hezbollah flag, down Earlier Thursday in Tehran,
to mourners gathered with caused deaths and the the aisle to the backing of Iranian supreme leader
Shukur’s coffin at an audi- evacuation of tens of thou- a military band. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
torium in a Beirut suburb, sands from their homes. But In his speech, Nasrallah prayed over Haniyeh’s cof-
Hezbollah leader Hassan they have also stayed with- praised Shukur as a veteran fin in a ceremony at Teh-
Nasrallah said, “We … have in limits. commander and denied ran University, with the new
entered a new phase that Several times, strikes that that Hezbollah carried out president, Masoud Pezesh-
is different from the previ- appeared to cross red the deadly strike on the kian, next to him. State
ous period.” lines raised fears of an ac- soccer field in the main- television later showed the
“Do they expect that Hajj celeration into full-fledged ly Druze town of Majdal coffin placed in a truck facebook.com/arubatoday/