Israel-Hamas war

USA på helspänn – skickar Patriot till Mellanöstern

USA at full throttle - sends Patriot to the Middle East The US is increasing its military readiness in the Middle East. The Pentagon is sending the air defense systems THAAD and Patriot to the region and at the same time ordering the systems already in place to be activated, writes AFP. In addition, the defense headquarters announces that more soldiers may be sent to the Middle East.  

The heightened tone is a response to a series of attacks aimed at US military personnel and bases in Syria and Iraq, among others, writes Reuters. The US assesses that the escalation is a consequence of the war between Israel and Hamas. There is also concern over Iran's warning that Israel's attacks on Gaza could lead to the conflict spreading.  

"After extensive discussions with President Joe Biden about the latest escalations by Iran and its proxy forces in the Middle East, I am taking another step to strengthen the Department of Defense's position in the region," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin wrote in a statement.  

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Analysis: The US is dangerously close to being drawn into Middle East war 

 Red warning lights are flashing across the Middle East as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas, writes CNN's Ben Wedeman.  

The United States has deployed US Navy forces in the Eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran and its allies Syria and Hezbollah from establishing new fronts against Israel. The Pentagon has also announced that it is sending air defense systems to the region and President Joe Biden has pledged military support to Israel. 

According to Wedeman, this all means that the US is approaching the "very real risk" of direct involvement in a possible regional war. “The United States is trying to respond to events that are largely beyond its control. And in this dangerous terrain, the vulnerabilities of the American military presence in the Middle East are suddenly apparent," he writes. 

Reuters' Parisa Hafezi writes that Iran probably does not want to risk its position of power in the Middle East by "waiting on the sidelines". 

"Yet any major attack against a US-backed Israel could pose a major risk to Iran, which is already mired in an economic crisis." 

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Several countries and media draw the same conclusion: Israel was not behind the explosion  

Several countries and media have carried out their own investigations into the explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital in Gaza. So far, the analysis has concluded that Israel is unlikely to be blamed for the incident. Canada's Ministry of Defense is now also drawing that conclusion. "The attack was more likely caused by a misdirected rocket fired from Gaza," the ministry writes in a statement.  

Both CNN and the AP news agency have reviewed footage, live broadcasts and satellite images to find clues about what happened. The media's analyzes also point them towards the fact that it is a rocket that went wrong.  

The experts CNN spoke to agree that the available evidence of the damage at the site is not consistent with an Israeli airstrike. CNN points out at the same time that it is not possible to draw any definitive conclusion without access to the place where the explosion occurred. 

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Israel intensifies attacks - Hamas: 55 dead last night  

At least 55 people have died in Israeli attacks on Gaza last night, according to Hamas.  

Israel's military said on Saturday that it was intensifying attacks on Gaza, while urging civilians in the city to "move south" to avoid being in absolute danger.  

At the same time, tens of thousands of Israeli troops stand ready along the border with the Gaza Strip, awaiting the go-ahead for an expected ground invasion.

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Israel warns Lebanon: "A very, very dangerous game"  

Israel warns that Hezbollah's border attacks risk "dragging Lebanon into a war", AFP reports. 

- Hezbollah is playing a very, very dangerous game. They escalate the situation. We are seeing more and more attacks every day, says Israeli army spokesman Jonathan Conricus.  

Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel have been targeting each other almost daily since the war began, resulting in injuries and deaths on both sides.  

Lebanon's Prime Minister Najib Mikati says on Sunday that diplomatic efforts are underway to "stop Israeli attacks on Lebanon" and prevent the war from "spilling over" to his country.