Israel-Hamas War Day 16: Key Syrian Airports Targeted, Israel Plans More Evacuations Along Lebanon Border as Threat of Regional War Looms

Israeli forces reportedly struck airports in the Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo early Sunday, as plans were made to evacuate another 14 communities along the Israel-Lebanon border, signaling fears of a possible regional escalation in fighting.

Meanwhile, reports said that a second convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid was allowed into Gaza, but the United Nations disputed the arrival of the sorely-needed supplies.

The developments came on the 16th day of war since Hamas terrorists invaded Israel.

The initial attacks killed over 1,400 people in Israel. Under intense retaliatory airstrikes, at least 4,651 people have since been killed in Gaza.

17 Trucks With Aid Delayed at Rafah Crossing

Seventeen trucks with much-needed humanitarian aid were left in limbo after Palestinian aid teams who’d been scheduled to meet the trucks didn’t show up, the head of a human-rights group told The Messenger. 

Ahmed Salem, the executive director of the Sinai Foundation of Human Rights, was present during the scheduled delivery. He said the 17 trucks did move into the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing on Sunday. 

But the Palestinian teams scheduled to accept the delivery did not immediately move to middle ground to do so, Salem said. News of the delay comes one day after the Rafah crossing briefly opened, allowing truckloads of aid to come into the war-torn Gaza Strip.

Secretary of State Fears UN Call for Ceasefire Would Embolden Hamas

Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Sunday that he fears that a call for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza by the United Nations would only embolden Hamas to orchestrate another attack.

"Israel has to do everything it can to make sure this doesn't happen again," Blinken said in an interview on CBS's "Face the Nation."

"Freezing things in place where they are now would allow Hamas to remain where it is and to repeat what it's done sometime in the future," he added. "No country could accept that."

Israel Behind Airport Strikes: Syrian Media

Airstrikes rocked international airports in the Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo early Sunday, killing one person, Syrian media reported, attributing the attacks to the Israel Defense Forces.

The airports were struck by the Israeli military from both the south and the west, Syrian state media reported, citing an anonymous military official. The reports said that one airport employee was killed in Damascus, and another wounded, with runways at both airports taken out of commission.

The Israeli military had no immediate comment.

Since the war against Hamas began, Israel has carried out several strikes in Syria including one on the Damascus airport and two on Aleppo’s airport, in an apparent attempt to prevent arms shipments from Iran to militant groups backed by Iran.

Plans for More Evacuations Near Lebanon

Israeli officials say they are planning to evacuate another 14 communities close to the Lebanese border, amid increased fighting along the line, according to the Times of Israel.

The residents will be taken to state-funded safehouses.

Last week, officials began to evacuate 28 communities within about 1.2 miles of the border, as well as the city of Kiryat Shmona.

The flight comes as combat between Israel Defense Forces and Hezbollah terrorists based in Lebanon continues to escalate, raising the specter of a possible second front of fighting.

Delay Gaza Ground Invasion: US to Israel

The United States is reportedly pressing Israel to hold off on a ground incursion into Gaza to allow for more time for hostage negotiations.

"The [administration] pressed Israeli leadership to delay because of progress on the hostage front," a person familiar with the U.S.-Israel talks told CNN, according to a Sunday report.

Hamas released two American hostages on Friday, mother and daughter Judith and Natalie Raanan, but another 10 Americans are still believed to be held in Gaza.

Delaying a ground incursion would also give time for humanitarian aid to be moved into Gaza, which has weathered numerous Israeli airstrikes in the wake of the terror attacks.

Reports of More Gaza Aid, but UN Disputes

State-run Egyptian media reported Sunday that another 17 trucks carrying desperately-needed humanitarian aid crossed into Gaza via the Rafah border crossing, but the United Nations said no trucks had crossed.

“Until now, there is no convoy,” said Juliette Touma, a spokesperson for the U.N.'s agency for Palestinian refugees.

Touma contradicted earlier Egyptian reports that indicated another 17 trucks had entered Gaza, one day after an initial 20 trucks entered at Rafah carrying food and medicine — as well as coffins.

The supplies arrived Saturday as millions of people crammed into southern Gaza face a dire need for food, clean water, medicine and fuel amid an Israeli blockade established after the Hamas terror attacks.

The border remains closed, however, to people seeking to leave Gaza, including the hundreds of U.S. nationals stranded there.

India Adds to Waiting Gaza Supply Cache

India has shipped over 7 tons of medical supplies and 35 tons of assorted disaster relief aid toward Gaza, adding to a trove that has largely sat in Egypt while awaiting clearance.

The supplies were sent via plane from India to Egypt, the Times of India reported Sunday.

They join a massive backlog of supplies that have been largely at a standstill in Egypt while awaiting approval to enter Gaza via the Rafah border crossing.

An initial 20 trucks were allowed in on Saturday, two weeks after Israel's blockade of Gaza began.

Gaza Death Toll Rises to 4,651

The death toll in Gaza rose Sunday to 4,651, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

More than 14,245 people have been wounded, the agency said.

Gaza has been under persistent Israeli airstrikes, as well as a tight blockade restricting access to humanitarian supplies since the October 7 terror attacks.

Terrorist Had Cyanide Device Plans: Report

A Hamas terrorist killed during the attacks on Israel was carrying a USB drive containing instructions for making a “cyanide dispersion device,” according to a report.

The discovery “points to an intention by Hamas to use chemical weapons” during its incursion from Gaza, potentially on Israeli citizens, Israel’s Foreign Ministry alleged in a classified cable obtained by Axios, which also cited two anonymous Israeli officials in their Saturday report.

The file — which dates to a 2003 Al-Qaeda manual — did not make clear whether Hamas had any serious plans to deploy chemical weapons or had attempted to produce them, the outlet reported.

With Associated Press