Palestinians collect on the web site of Israeli assaults on houses and residential buildings, amid the continued battle between Israel and Hamas, in Beit Lahiya, northern Gaza Strip, on October 20, 2024. | Photograph credit score: Reuters
Israeli strikes on a number of houses within the northern Gaza Strip in a single day and on Sunday (October 20, 2024) left at the very least 87 individuals lifeless or lacking, the territory’s Well being Ministry mentioned.
He mentioned one other 40 individuals have been wounded in assaults in town of Beit Lahiya, which was among the many first targets of Israel’s floor invasion virtually a yr in the past.
Israel has been finishing up a large-scale operation in northern Gaza for the previous two weeks, claiming that Hamas has regrouped there. Palestinian officers say lots of of individuals have died and the well being sector within the north is on the point of collapse.
In the meantime, america is investigating an unauthorized launch of categorized paperwork assessing Israel’s plans to assault Iran, in response to three US officers. A fourth U.S. official mentioned the paperwork look like respectable.
The paperwork, attributed to the US Geospatial Intelligence Company and Nationwide Safety Company and marked prime secret, point out that Israel was shifting navy property to the location to hold out a navy strike in response to the US ballistic missile assault. They are going to go on October 1st.
The U.S. officers spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of they weren’t licensed to debate the matter publicly.
America is urging Israel to press for a ceasefire in Gaza following the assassination of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar final week. However neither Israel nor Hamas have proven any renewed curiosity in such an settlement, after months of negotiations that stalled in August.
Iran helps Hamas and the militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon, the place a yr of rising tensions led to an all-out struggle final month. Israel despatched floor troops to Lebanon in early October.
The Lebanese military mentioned three of its troopers have been killed in an Israeli assault on their car in southern Lebanon. There was no rapid remark from the Israeli navy on the assault on Sunday (October 20, 2024).
Lebanon’s navy has largely stayed out of the struggle between Israel and Hezbollah. The military is a revered establishment in Lebanon, however it’s not highly effective sufficient to impose its will on Hezbollah or defend the nation from an Israeli invasion.
On Saturday (19 October 2024), a drone attacked the house of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, inflicting no casualties, as a part of a barrage of projectiles crossing the nation’s northern border. It was unclear if the home was hit.
In the meantime, Israel has intensified assaults on southern Beirut neighborhoods referred to as Dahiyeh, an overcrowded residential space. Hezbollah has a powerful presence there, however additionally it is residence to giant numbers of civilians and other people not affiliated with the militant group.
US Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin referred to as civilian casualties in Lebanon “too excessive” within the struggle between Israel and Hezbollah and urged Israel to cut back some assaults, particularly in and round Beirut.
Amongst these killed within the assaults in Beit Lahiya have been two mother and father and their 4 kids, and a girl, her son and daughter-in-law and her 4 kids, in response to Raheem Kheder, a health care provider. He mentioned the impression toppled a multi-story constructing and at the very least 4 neighboring houses.
There was no rapid touch upon the Israeli military assaults.
Mounir al-Bursh, director common of the Ministry of Well being, mentioned in a put up on
Medical doctors With out Borders, the worldwide charity recognized by its French acronym MSF, referred to as on Israeli forces “to right away cease their assaults on hospitals in northern Gaza” after the Well being Ministry mentioned Israeli troops had shot two hospitals over the weekend.
The navy mentioned it was working close to one of many hospitals however had not fired instantly at it and was investigating the opposite incident.
“The worsening escalation of violence and relentless Israeli navy operations that we’ve witnessed over the previous two weeks in northern Gaza have horrific penalties,” mentioned Anna Halford, MSF emergency coordinator.
“When hospitals are attacked, their infrastructure destroyed and electrical energy minimize, the lives of sufferers and medical employees are threatened.”
Web connectivity was minimize in northern Gaza on Saturday evening and had not but been restored as of noon Sunday (October 20, 2024), making it tough to assemble details about the assaults and complicating rescue efforts. .
Israel has been finishing up a significant operation in Jabaliya, additionally in northern Gaza, for the previous two weeks. The navy says it launched the operation towards Hamas militants who had regrouped there.
Over the course of the struggle, Israeli forces have repeatedly returned to Jabaliya, a densely populated city refugee camp that dates again to the 1948 struggle surrounding the creation of Israel.
The north has already suffered the best destruction of the struggle and has been surrounded by Israeli forces since late final yr, following Hamas’ lethal assault on Israel.
Israel ordered all the inhabitants of the northern third of Gaza, together with Gaza Metropolis, to evacuate south within the first weeks of the struggle and reiterated these directions earlier this month. Many of the inhabitants fled final yr, however round 400,000 persons are believed to have remained within the north.
Palestinians who fled the north in the beginning of the struggle haven’t been allowed to return.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas-led militants punched holes in Israel’s safety fence and breached it, killing about 1,200 individuals, principally civilians, and kidnapping one other 250. About 100 captives are nonetheless held in Gaza, a 3rd of whom are believed to be lifeless.
Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed greater than 42,000 Palestinians, in response to native well being authorities, who don’t distinguish between combatants and civilians. The struggle has destroyed giant areas of Gaza and displaced round 90% of its inhabitants of two.3 million individuals.
Printed – October 20, 2024 07:25 pm IST