International
On Lebanon’s line of fire, Spanish troops patrol between alerts and destruction
Early in the morning of what would be one of the most intense days in eight months of hostilities between the Lebanese Shiite group Hizbulá and the Israeli forces, a patrol of Spanish blue helmets receives the warning that a level 2 alert has been activated.
As mandated by the protocol, the group immediately goes to the position of the nearest UN peace mission in Lebanon (FINUL), something that they have to do quite often in the midst of the escalation that since October has hit their area of operations in the south of the Mediterranean country.
Another Spanish patrol arrives to take refuge at the same base, less than two kilometers from the border with Israel, where the hours go by while from the heliport you can observe in the distance the smoke of some impact on the mountain.
From time to time, you can hear the buzzing of the drones or a few distant explosions. “Another greeting,” jokes one of the military.
Well into the afternoon, eight hours after its activation, the alert that weighed on the entire East sector is lifted and the blue helmets can finally leave the facilities to continue their activities.
According to them, it was by far the most prolonged alert of that type since they arrived in Lebanon last month, when the last rotation of Spanish troops took place.
During the wait on Wednesday morning, the Israeli Army announced the arrival of at least 160 rockets to different parts of the north of the country, including the Lower Galilee region, further from the common border where its crossfire with Hizbulah is usually concentrated.
And in the previous hours the Shiite formation had lost an important commander, his loss of higher rank since the beginning of the clashes, which led him to launch a total of 19 attacks throughout the day, many of them of great magnitude, as confirmed in a series of statements.
The head of one of the Spanish patrols that took refuge at the base, Lieutenant Jesús Sánchez Burgos, explained to EFE that the frequency of the alerts does not follow any specific pattern and that “it depends on the day.”
“When we go on patrol we have (…) our area of responsibility divided into security zones, and they activate them depending on the probability of impact on those areas. When it touches level 2 or level 3, we have to welcome the nearest position,” he said.
“In this case, we were on patrol, they have touched level two and we have had to accept position 966, the position of the Serbs,” added the section chief.
Each patrol consists of two vehicles with a boss, driver, shooter and operator in each of them, which try to ensure compliance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbulah.
“Our mission here is to monitor the cessation of hostilities between the two States, support the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and we are patrolling for that (…) But the situation right now is a little complicated, so that surveillance of that cessation is a little more complicated,” Sánchez acknowledged.
Before the alert was activated, the group that EFE joined was able to develop part of its patrol through the de facto divide between the two countries, also passing through ghost towns dotted with destroyed houses or businesses, and mountains of debris, such as Kafr Kila.
In other areas of the Spanish area of operations, such as the so-called “Christian corredor”, life “is normal” and a good part of the population continues in the area despite the outsping of violence, the lieutenant explained.
In southern Lebanon, about 700 Spanish soldiers are deployed, the vast majority in this contingent part of the Eastern sector, with a total of 3,500 blue helmets of different nationalities.
Its spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel José Irisarri Antón, told EFE that the forces keep a count of the security incidents, recording the type of projectile, the weapon used and the estimate of the damage caused.
But he recalled that the main objective of the patrols is to comply with resolution 1701, that is, “to try that there are no militias or armed personnel in the area that does not belong to the Lebanese Armed Forces,” in his words.
In this sense, the lieutenant colonel stressed that, in fact, they try to make about 25% of their patrols joint with the troops of Lebanon.
“In case we locate something that may involve a missile or mortar launch point, the LAF is informed, they are responsible for controlling that there is nothing and if there is something to seize it, and then destroy it,” he concluded.
International
China calls for dialogue amid rising Iran-Israel conflict
The Chinese government emphasized on Monday the importance of “creating the conditions to return to the proper path of dialogue” between Iran and Israel, which have exchanged attacks in recent days resulting in more than 20 Israeli and over 220 Iranian deaths.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed deep concern at a press conference over the Israeli attacks on Iran and the “sudden escalation” of the military conflict.
Guo called on all parties to “take immediate measures to ease tensions and prevent the region from descending into further turmoil,” stating that “force cannot bring lasting peace.”
“If the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to intensify or even expand, the countries of the Middle East will be the first to suffer the consequences,” he added, while noting that China “will continue to maintain communication with the relevant parties, promoting peace and dialogue.”
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke last Saturday with his Iranian and Israeli counterparts to condemn the Israeli airstrike on Iranian territory, which he described as a “violation of international law” with the potential to trigger “disastrous” consequences.
In both calls, Wang reiterated China’s rejection of the use of force, defended diplomacy as the only solution to the Iranian nuclear dispute, and offered China’s mediation to prevent further destabilization in the Middle East.
International
Suspect arrested in killing of Minnesota legislator and husband, governor Says
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced on Sunday the arrest of Vance Luther Boelter, 57, the main suspect in the killing of Democratic legislator Melissa Hortman and her husband in a Brooklyn Park suburb on Friday night.
Boelter, who also reportedly shot State Senator John Hoffman and his wife early Saturday morning, was apprehended in Sibley County following an intensive manhunt involving hundreds of law enforcement officers.
In a public statement, Governor Walz condemned Boelter’s “unthinkable actions,” which resulted in the death of a woman who “shaped the core of who we are as a state.”
“We cannot become numb to this. We are a deeply divided nation,” Walz said in a statement posted on his X account.
“We move forward not with hatred or violence, but with humility, grace, and civility,” he added.
Expressing solidarity with the victims’ families, Walz said the entire state of Minnesota is in mourning. He also thanked law enforcement for their bravery and professionalism: “They have saved lives,” he emphasized.
“As we heal, we will not let fear win,” Walz concluded. “We must honor Melissa by moving forward with understanding, service, and above all, humanity.”
Throughout Sunday, police and sheriff units searched a rural area in Minnesota for Vance Luther Boelter, a security company director and preacher who, according to Governor Walz, acted out of politically motivated violence.
International
40,000 tourists stranded in Israel amid airspace shutdown over Iran conflict
Approximately 40,000 tourists are stranded in Israel following the closure of the country’s airspace amid escalating hostilities with Iran, the Israeli Ministry of Tourism reported on Monday.
The ministry has set up a virtual office to provide information via email (virtual@goisrael.gov.il) and phone (+972-53-583-5808), as well as a Facebook page called Israel Virtual Tourist Office.
Israeli Tourism Minister Haim Katz is in contact with hotels and accommodations across the country to offer support to tourists in need, the ministry added.
Many stranded travelers are considering crossing overland into Jordan or Egypt to seek flights from those countries. The Israel Airports Authority reminded the public that land border crossings remain open.
Three German tourists stranded in Jerusalem told EFE today that they have not received any assistance from their country’s embassy in Israel, and their primary option currently is to cross into Jordan to catch a flight from there.
Since early Friday morning, Israel launched operations against Iran, targeting military personnel and infrastructure, including energy and nuclear facilities, as well as numerous residential areas in Tehran.
In response, Iran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have struck various locations across the country, leaving at least 24 dead so far, according to Israeli authorities.
Iranian health officials report at least 224 deaths, mostly civilians, including at least 17 senior military officials—nine from the Revolutionary Guard—and more than a dozen nuclear scientists.
The Israeli military has warned that many more “targets” remain, while Iran’s Revolutionary Guard declared on Monday that it will continue missile attacks against Israel until its “destruction.”
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