October 5th 2024.
On Saturday, Israel carried out a series of airstrikes in Lebanon, targeting both Beirut's southern suburbs and a Palestinian refugee camp in the north. This marked the first time that a camp in the northern city of Tripoli had been hit. The attack on the Beddawi camp resulted in the deaths of an official from Hamas' military wing, along with his wife and two young daughters. Another member of Hamas' military wing was also killed in a separate strike in Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley.
Israel's military stated that the airstrikes were targeting Hezbollah commanders and equipment, with the goal of pushing the militant group away from the shared borders. This is part of an ongoing conflict that has been escalating in recent weeks, resulting in the deaths of over 1400 Lebanese, including civilians and fighters, and the displacement of 1.2 million people.
Hezbollah, who is backed by Iran and is considered the strongest armed force in Lebanon, has been firing rockets into Israel in support of the Palestinians since October 7th. This has led to daily exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and the Israeli military, forcing many people on both sides of the border to flee their homes. Last week, Israel launched a limited ground operation in southern Lebanon, in addition to intensifying airstrikes in the region.
Overnight and into Saturday, at least six people were killed in more Israeli airstrikes, according to the National News Agency. The Israeli military reported carrying out targeted ground raids against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, destroying missiles, launchpads, watchtowers, and weapons storage facilities. They also dismantled tunnel shafts used by Hezbollah to approach the Israeli border.
In response to the airstrikes, almost 375,000 people have fled from Lebanon into Syria in less than two weeks. This has been confirmed by a Lebanese government committee, with many more crossing the Masnaa Border Crossing on foot, despite the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, Palestinian medical officials reported that Israeli strikes had killed at least nine people in the northern and central regions. One strike hit a group of people in the town of Beit Hanoun, resulting in the deaths of five people, including two children. Another strike hit a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least four people.
The Israeli military has accused Hamas of operating from within civilian areas, but has not yet commented on these specific strikes. They have also warned Palestinians living along the Netzarim corridor in central Gaza to evacuate, as this area was a major obstacle in previous cease-fire negotiations. Evacuation orders have also been issued for parts of the Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps, with the military designating an area along Gaza's shore as a humanitarian zone.
It is estimated that almost 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the ongoing conflict, with almost 90% of the population now displaced due to widespread destruction. The Health Ministry does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths in their casualty count.
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