China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has deployed six warships in the Middle East, including a guided-missile destroyer, amid escalating tensions in the region because of the ongoing war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, reports said.
The warships, including the Zibo, a Type 052D guided-missile destroyer, the frigate Jingzhou, and the integrated supply ship Qiandaohu, were part of the PLA’s 44th naval escort task force, were part of the PLA’s 44th Naval Escort Task Force that recently took part in a joint military exercise with Oman, according to the South China Morning Post.
The recent move comes at a time when the US has sent USS Gerald R Ford, its most advanced carrier, along with a battle group to the West Asia region. On the other hand, Israel’s military has warned that Iran-backed Hezbollah risks dragging neighboring Lebanon into war and said anti-tank missiles were fired from Lebanon Sunday.
Israel’s military said it would embark on the next phase of the Gaza campaign, without giving a timeframe for its widely expected ground invasion against Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the US and EU.
More than 4,300 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry. That includes the disputed toll from a hospital explosion.
Meanwhile, Syrian state media reported that Israeli airstrikes have targeted the international airports in the capital, Damascus, and the northern city of Aleppo and a mosque in the occupied West Bank earlier on Sunday allegedly used by militants, as the two-week-old war with Hamas threatened to spiral into a broader conflict. It said the strikes killed one person and damaged the runways, putting them out of service.
The mosque compound belonged to Hamas and Islamic militants who had carried out several attacks in recent months and were planning another one, the Israeli military said.
Israel’s military has said it is attacking Hamas members and installations but does not target civilians. It also confirmed that 212 people are being held hostage in Gaza, adding that Israeli strikes overnight killed dozens of Palestinian fighters, including the deputy chief of Hamas rocket forces.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in a briefing that on the northern front, Israel has been attacking fighters trying to fire missiles in across the Lebanese border and struck a site in Lebanon from where a missile was fired at an Israeli aircraft.
Sunday’s fatalities carried the death toll in the West Bank to 91 Palestinians since the battle broke out on October 7, according to the Health Ministry. Most seem to have been killed during war with Israeli forces or violent protests.
