Deadly Israeli Strikes Devastate Northern Gaza
Israel conducted more fatal air strikes on northern Gaza over the weekend, while Lebanon’s Hezbollah increased rocket attacks close to Tel Aviv, creating a second front for Israel. The UN described conditions in north Gaza as apocalyptic.
Since the end of September, Israel has been involved in a major conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, supported by Iran, while also battling against Hamas in Gaza, who initiated the war on October 7 of the previous year.
The conflict has escalated significantly following recent attacks between Israel and Iran. Iran’s top leader promised a continued reaction to assaults on Iran and its supporters.
Israeli forces have conducted a significant air and ground attack in northern Gaza, particularly in the Jabalia area, since October 6, with the goal of preventing Hamas militants from regrouping.
A joint statement by UN agency heads described the situation in north Gaza as apocalyptic.
The region has been besieged for nearly a month, with essential aid and life-saving supplies withheld as bombardment and other assaults persist, stated the leaders of humanitarian, health, and other organizations.
All Palestinians in North Gaza are in immediate danger of death due to illness, hunger, and violence.
Witnesses reported that Israeli jets bombed Beit Lahia, next to Jabalia, on two occasions during the night.
Deaths in Gaza
Israel’s military reported that numerous militants were killed in both air and ground operations near Jabalia.
Troops were also present in central Gaza and Rafah in the territory’s southern region, it was mentioned, and witnesses reported that Israeli drones and boats attacked Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza.
Healthcare workers and Gaza’s emergency responders confirmed three fatalities in an attack on Nuseirat, located in central Gaza, a day after photographs from AFP depicted the blood-soaked burial cloths of multiple individuals who died in an Israeli strike.
Following almost twelve months of retaliatory actions across Israel’s northern border, supposedly in solidarity with Hamas, Israel increased its airstrikes in Lebanon on September 23 and subsequently deployed troops on the ground.
Hezbollah has continued to launch attacks further into Israel.
There was an explosion in Israel’s Sharon region, north of Tel Aviv, that injured 19 individuals, as reported by police on Saturday morning, following the military’s announcement of three projectiles launched from Lebanon into central Israel.
The Israeli police reported that four of the injured were in a state of moderate condition.
Hezbollah reported that it had once more fired rockets towards Israel’s Glilot intelligence center close to Tel Aviv.
Pictures from AFP in Tira, a mostly Arab town located approximately 25 kilometers northeast of Tel Aviv, revealed the upper wall destroyed in what seemed to be a residential structure.
Multiple vehicles underneath were smashed.
Israel’s armed forces stated that a strike near the southern Lebanese town of Tyre resulted in the deaths of two fighters who had been accountable for launching more than 400 projectiles at Israel in the past month.
On Friday evening, the health ministry of Lebanon reported that 52 individuals had died in Israeli bombings in the eastern part of the country, without any prior warning from the Israeli army.
Israeli strikes in Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of no fewer than 1,911 individuals, as reported by AFP amidst the escalating war.
Drone attacks
Israel’s military has reported that 37 soldiers have died in Lebanon since they started ground operations on September 30th.
Israeli data shows that a minimum of 63 individuals have died in Israel since October of the previous year.
Concerns of the conflict spreading throughout the whole Middle East grew stronger as Israel and Iran engaged in retaliatory actions.
On October 26, Israel launched airstrikes on military objectives in Iran, resulting in the deaths of four soldiers, as a response to Iran’s firing of approximately 200 missiles at Israel on October 1. Iran stated that the barrage was a retaliation for the deaths of key militants and a general in the Revolutionary Guards.
“The USA and the Zionist regime must be aware that they will face a strong retaliation for their actions against Iran, the Iranian people, and the resistance movement,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated.
He was talking about groups supported by Iran, such as those in Yemen, Iraq, and Syria.
Experts suggest that Israel has caused significant harm to Iran’s air defense and missile capabilities and may still carry out further large-scale attacks on Iran.
The Israeli military reported on Saturday that it had stopped three drones flying over the Red Sea, following the announcement on Friday that seven drones had been launched from multiple areas.
Later on Saturday, Iraqi groups aligned with Iran claimed responsibility for launching a drone strike on Israel’s southern port city, Eilat.
According to a UN report released on Friday, Yemen’s Huthi rebels, backed by Iran, are evolving into a strong military group with significant external support from Iran and Hezbollah, as they continue to target commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Leading up to the US presidential election on Tuesday, American officials have been advocating for a solution to the conflict in Lebanon.
The Pentagon declared on Friday that they will be sending more resources to the Middle East, such as ballistic missile defense destroyers and long-range B-52 bomber aircraft, as a caution to Iran.
A Pentagon spokesperson stated that the capabilities are expected to start arriving “in the coming months”.
According to Israeli official figures, Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, led to the deaths of 1,206 individuals, primarily civilians, as reported by AFP.
According to data from Gaza’s health ministry, Israel’s retaliatory military operation has resulted in the deaths of 43,259 individuals, the majority of whom are civilians, a figure deemed trustworthy by the United Nations.
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