Israeli police have reported that at least 19 individuals were injured by a missile strike in the city of Tira, located approximately 25 kilometers northeast of Tel Aviv. This incident occurred after the Israeli military indicated that three projectiles had been fired from Lebanon into central Israel early Saturday.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry shared videos on social media, showcasing flames and smoke emerging from a building, along with emergency responders at the scene. The ministry stated, "This is the result of a direct hit by a Hezbollah rocket on a building in the Israeli Arab town of Tira, injuring 19 civilians," emphasizing that Israel will not cease efforts until Hezbollah is dismantled.
According to the Israeli army, which communicated via the Telegram platform, some of the projectiles were intercepted.
On Friday, Israeli airstrikes targeted Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, resulting in at least 52 fatalities, injuring 72 others, and prompting families to flee their homes. Footage from the area depicted buildings reduced to rubble, with smoke rising above the skyline.
Israeli warplanes also destroyed numerous structures in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh on Friday, although no casualties were reported.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) disclosed that seven individuals were killed in northern Israel due to cross-border rocket attacks from Hezbollah.
In a statement posted on its X social media account, the IDF noted that during the night from Thursday to Friday, its fighter jets executed "precise intelligence" attacks on sites used for weapon production, as well as what it described as Hezbollah's main headquarters and other "military infrastructures" in the Beirut area.
The IDF further stated that its fighter jets targeted Hezbollah's "southern front" headquarters in Nabatiyeh, southern Lebanon. They asserted that advance warnings were issued to mitigate risks to civilians.
Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) reported that acting Prime Minister Najib Mikati condemned the overnight strikes and the "expansion of Israeli aggression," claiming Israel "rejects all efforts" aimed at achieving a cease-fire. Earlier in the week, he had expressed optimism regarding the possibility of such an agreement.
In Gaza, medical personnel and local sources reported that over 30 individuals were killed in Israeli airstrikes on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza overnight from Thursday to Friday. Officials at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah confirmed that 26 bodies were received at the facility, including 21 from the Nuseirat refugee camp. Leaders from 15 U.N. agencies and humanitarian organizations described the situation in northern Gaza as "apocalyptic," stating that "the entire region is on the edge of a precipice," with Palestinians being denied essential humanitarian aid and life-saving supplies.
The IDF announced that its forces had identified and eliminated "several armed terrorists" in central Gaza and had targeted "dozens of terrorists" in focused operations in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza. They also mentioned hitting a Hamas infrastructure site and targeting a militant in the Nuseirat area.
This escalation occurs as U.S. diplomats, including CIA Director William Burns, concluded a series of meetings in the region aimed at advocating for a cease-fire.
A senior Hamas leader, Taher al-Nunu, stated that the group has rejected the latest short-term cease-fire proposal from mediators from Egypt and Qatar, citing the absence of a lasting cease-fire.
During a news conference in Washington on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed optimism regarding efforts for peace and cease-fire on both fronts. Regarding Lebanon, he reiterated that a diplomatic resolution hinges on the effective implementation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 from 2006, which mandates Hezbollah's withdrawal from the area south of the Litani River and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.
Blinken made these remarks during a joint briefing with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who held discussions with their South Korean counterparts in Washington. When asked about a letter he and Austin sent to Israel urging increased humanitarian aid to Gaza or the possibility of restrictions on U.S. military aid, Blinken stated their teams are closely monitoring Israel's response and efforts regarding humanitarian assistance to Gaza. While he noted "progress," he emphasized that it remains insufficient.
"We're working daily to ensure Israel fulfills its obligation to deliver this assistance to those in need within Gaza," Blinken stated. "The efficient distribution of the commodities that trucks carry within Gaza is just as important as getting them into the territory."
Blinken also highlighted the World Health Organization's successful initial polio vaccination campaign for hundreds of thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza, noting that for the campaign to be completed, a second round of vaccinations must occur swiftly, urging Israel to facilitate this effort. The WHO announced that the next phase of the polio vaccination campaign will commence on Saturday, having been delayed from October 23 due to a lack of access and insufficient humanitarian pauses in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The recent conflict in Lebanon reignited late last month, nearly a year after Hezbollah initiated low-intensity cross-border fire into Israel in support of Hamas. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are classified as terrorist organizations by the United States, the U.K., and several other Western nations.
This regional conflict was sparked by a terror attack on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants killed approximately 1,200 people and captured around 250 hostages. Israel asserts that it believes Hamas is still holding 101 hostages, 35 of whom the military claims are deceased.
According to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, Israel's counteroffensive has resulted in the deaths of at least 43,259 Palestinians, with Israel contending that the death toll includes thousands of militants. The Israeli campaign has devastated much of the Gaza Strip, with fighting and evacuation orders displacing nearly 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million population.
No comments:
Post a Comment