Gaza, Lebanon Battered by Renewed Israeli Airstrikes Amidst Humanitarian Crisis
A wave of Israeli airstrikes on Tuesday targeted both Gaza and Lebanon, killing at least 14 people in Gaza and shaking Beirut’s southern suburbs, The Associated Press reports.
The strikes come as the United States is set to impose restrictions on US military funding if Israel fails to dramatically increase humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza.
In Gaza, a makeshift cafeteria used by displaced Palestinians in Muwasi, a designated “humanitarian zone,” was hit, killing at least 11 people, including two children. A separate airstrike on a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza killed three people, including a woman.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Israeli warplanes struck Beirut’s southern suburbs, an area known for its Hezbollah presence, following evacuation orders issued for 11 houses deemed to contain Hezbollah installations. Though the claim was not independently confirmed, large explosions rocked the area after the strikes.
This follows a strike on the village of Ain Yaacoub in northern Lebanon on Monday night, which killed at least 16 people, including four Syrian refugees.
Israel has been carrying out intensified bombardment of Lebanon since late September, vowing to cripple Hezbollah and end its cross-border attacks on northern Israel. The current conflict in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, after Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel.
The airstrikes come on the verge of a deadline set by the United States for Israel to allow a minimum of 350 truckloads of goods to enter Gaza each day, or face potential restrictions on U.S. military funding. A report by eight international aid agencies on Tuesday highlighted Israel’s failure to meet these demands.
Despite announcing a flurry of measures to increase aid, including opening a new crossing into central Gaza, the impact remains unclear.
While Israel has permitted some food and water packages into Jabaliya and Beit Hanoun, two besieged areas in the north of Gaza, the limited access has raised fears of famine among tens of thousands of Palestinians still sheltering there.
The situation in Gaza is further complicated by the Israeli military’s ongoing siege of the northernmost part of Gaza, where they are battling Hamas fighters. The siege has forced evacuations, with reports of Israeli troops encircling schools and forcing displaced Palestinians to leave their shelters.
Witnesses in Beit Hanoun described drones demanding residents move south to Gaza City, with tanks deployed outside and the sound of gunfire. Many fear Israel aims to permanently depopulate the area.
The war in Gaza has already claimed the lives of over 43,000 Palestinians, with more than half being women and children.
While Israel insists its actions are targeted at Hamas militants, the heavy toll on civilian lives has drawn widespread condemnation.
