Netanyahu delays UN trip for 2nd time

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu postponed his departure to New York for the second time amid unprecedented attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon that threaten to spark a full-scale war.

Originally scheduled to leave on Monday, Netanyahu’s trip has been rescheduled for Wednesday, according to Israel’s Army Radio.

The Prime Minister is expected to address the 79th session of the UN General Assembly on Friday.

Should the security situation with Lebanon deteriorate further during his stay, Netanyahu will return to Israel immediately after his speech, instead of Saturday evening as initially planned, the broadcaster said.

In the event that Netanyahu does not travel, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, or Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon are expected to deliver the speech on his behalf, according to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

The delay follows intensive airstrikes launched by Tel Aviv on large and heavily populated swathes of Lebanon which killed nearly 500 people.

Tension has mounted between Hezbollah and Israel following a deadly airstrike on Friday that killed at least 45 people, including children and women, and injured dozens in Beirut’s southern suburb.

Hezbollah confirmed that at least 16 of its members, including senior leader Ibrahim Aqil and top commander Ahmed Wahbi, were killed in the Israeli strike.

The attack came two days after at least 37 people were killed and over 3,000 others injured in two waves of wireless communication device explosions across Lebanon.

While the Lebanese government and Hezbollah hold Israel accountable for the explosions, Tel Aviv has chosen not to speak on the matter that has been widely condemned as an act of state terrorism.