Israel war: US says army has achieved "important goals" in Lebanon
Israel/Lebanon/Gaza - In the war between the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and Israel, the USA is acting as a mediator to stop the mutual attacks and achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible.
According to media reports, US mediator Amos Hochstein plans to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz today, Thursday.
According to Lebanese security circles, the US proposal envisages Israel and Hezbollah initially suspending their attacks for 60 days. The Israeli army would then withdraw and the Lebanese army would be stationed on the border.
Meanwhile, the US Senate voted by a large majority against blocking the delivery of certain weapons systems to Israel.
Israel's army once again bombed targets near the coastal city of Tyre in Lebanon. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, at least nine people were killed and 65 others injured.
Further east, Israel's ground troops continued their offensive and, according to media reports, advanced towards the village of Kafrschuba in the border area. The village is located near the strategically important village of Chiam, where there have reportedly been skirmishes between Israeli troops and Hezbollah fighters for days.
All developments on the war in Gaza, Lebanon and Israel can be found here in the TAG24 news ticker.
November 21, 6:12 am: 36 dead after Israeli attack in Palmyra
According to Syrian reports, 36 people have been killed in an Israeli attack on the city of Palmyra.
The state news agency Sana also reported that more than 50 people were injured in the attack. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights even spoke of 49 dead after the attack.
Among the dead were fighters from pro-Iranian militias, the Observatory's activists reported. The Israeli air force had attacked three targets in the industrial area in the oasis city. Among them was a warehouse for weapons. It was inhabited by families of pro-Iranian fighters.
The Israeli military did not comment initially.
November 21, 6:22 a.m.: Israel has apparently achieved important goals in Lebanon
According to the US government, it assumes that Israel has achieved important goals in the fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon and that an end to the war could therefore be near.
Israel's army has "really effectively eliminated" the militia's infrastructure near the border, said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller in Washington. The hope is therefore "that we can now find a diplomatic solution".
This would have to enable the Lebanese armed forces to patrol the border area in order to prevent Hezbollah from returning there.