Israel is using diplomatic channels to offer humanitarian aid to Lebanon following a devastating blast in Beirut Tuesday that killed at least 60 people and injured thousands more, according to reports.
“Pursuant to his approval of humanitarian and medical assistance to Lebanon, Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu has instructed NSC head Ben-Shabbat to speak with UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (Nickolay) Mladenov in order to clarify how Israel can further assist Lebanon,” the prime minister’s office said on Twitter.
The move was echoed by other Israeli authorities and agencies, including the nation’s defense forces, the foreign ministry, and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who also took to Twitter.
“We share the pain of the Lebanese people and sincerely reach out to offer our aid at this difficult time,” Rivlin wrote.
“This is the time to transcend conflict,” Israeli Defense Forces said in yet another tweet.
Israel has long been in conflict with Lebanon and considers the country an “enemy state.”
Lebanese army soldiers stand while a helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon’s capital Beirut.AFP via Getty ImagesLebanese authorities have not determined the cause of the blast, which leveled the port of the country’s capital early Tuesday, sending a mushroom cloud high into the sky, damaging several buildings and shattering windows in others.
Intelligence sources told Fox News that investigators were eying the Shia Muslim movement Hezbollah in the explosion but no determination has been made.
