Cause of explosion in Lebanese capital currently unknown.

Al Arabiya has reported that the mysterious explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, occurred in a Hezbollah weapons storehouse.

In the wake of Ofer Yankelevich's visit to Samaria in which she said sovereignty over Judea and Samaria was a question of not "if" but "when" and given Benny Gantz' opinion that the Jordan Valley is the eastern border of Israel, it is clear that the Blue and White party also favors sovereignty.This is the conclusion reached by Yehudit Katzover and Nadia Matar who head the Sovreignty Movement."We do not represent any political party," the movement leaders said. "We dialogue with every Zionist party when it comes to extension of soverignty over Judea and Samaria."The leaders registered their dismay at the pronouncement of the prime minister at a Likud meeting that he was waiting for a signal from the White House before moving forward In the soverignty issue."To claim in a Likud meeting that they are waiting for a green light from the Americans is absurd," the leaders insisted. "The Americans say that this is Israel's decision and that's the way it should be. Israel needs to act in her own interests."

A cartoon in the leftist Haaretz newspaper has been widely condemned.Minister of Diaspora Affairs Ofer Yankelevich (Blue and White) asked: "How can I demand of the European Union that they ban anti-Semitism in the media when we are guilty of depicting Jews in such a denigrating way?"The cartoon pictures an ultra-orthodox Jew who has come from abroad leaving Ben Gurion Airport with a train of coronavirus figures trailing behind him.Betzalel Smotrich (Yamina) reacted as follows: "The Nazi newspaper Der Sturmer could not have published a more anti-Semitic cartoon."

Yisrael Beytenu Chairman MK Avigdor Liberman responded In Twitter to reports that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu plans to transfer 400 million shekel ($117,060,720) to yeshivas."The additional 400 million shekel for the haredi parties at this time is not a budget for yeshivas, but a surrender to [Interior Minister Aryeh] Deri (Shas) and [Housing Minister Yakov] Litzman (UTJ), and election fraud," Liberman tweeted.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed his support for Lebanon following Tuesday's explision."Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon," he tweeted. "As always, Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary. Stay strong, Lebanon."

Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly seeks to convince haredi parties not to oppose new elections with new funding for yeshivas.

The shock waves from Tuesday afternoon's explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, were felt in neighboring Cyprus as well, Cypriot media reported.