Israel’s military carries out strikes in Lebanon and Gaza, killing dozens of people

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon have intensified, with the military launching a series of attacks Wednesday on what it described as Hezbollah weapons storage facilities. The strikes follow a drone attack earlier in the day that killed one person and wounded 11 others, including students on a passing school bus in the Lebanese village of Tiri.

This escalation comes just one day after an Israeli airstrike killed 13 people in Lebanon’s Ein el-Hilweh Palestinian refugee camp—the deadliest attack in the region since the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah was established last year.

Israel’s military issued warnings for residents to evacuate several villages in southern Lebanon before commencing strikes on what it called Hezbollah infrastructure in the villages of Shehour and Deir Kifa. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claims that Hezbollah is attempting to reestablish itself and rebuild its military capabilities in violation of the ceasefire agreement, which required Lebanon to prevent Hezbollah activity in the area.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, health officials reported that Israeli strikes killed at least 25 Palestinians and injured 77 others on Wednesday, marking one of the deadliest days since the October 10 ceasefire. The strikes reportedly hit areas on both sides of the established boundary line that divides the Gaza Strip. Hospital officials in al-Ahli, Shifa, Nasser and Kuwaiti hospitals confirmed receiving bodies from Gaza City, Khan Younis, and the Muwasi displacement camp.

The IDF stated these strikes were in response to militants who had allegedly opened fire on Israeli forces in Khan Younis, though Hamas denied these claims in a statement condemning what it called a “shocking massacre.”

In Ein el-Hilweh, paramedics continued searching for human remains around a blood-stained wall at the strike site. Several vehicles were destroyed, with broken glass and debris scattered across the area. The IDF claimed it targeted a Hamas training compound being used to prepare attacks against Israel, but Hamas denied this, stating the affected area was a sports playground.

The conflict dynamics in Lebanon have shifted in recent months. Palestinian factions in Lebanon’s 12 refugee camps began surrendering their weapons to the Lebanese government earlier this year as part of a disarmament process. However, Hezbollah has refused to disarm as long as Israel occupies hills along the border and continues military operations in Lebanese territory.

The United States has recently increased pressure on Lebanon to take stronger action against Hezbollah, even canceling a planned trip to Washington by Lebanese army commander General Rudolph Haikal. According to an anonymous senior Lebanese army officer, U.S. officials were displeased with an army statement that blamed Israel for destabilizing Lebanon and blocking Lebanese military deployment in the south.

The Israel-Hezbollah conflict, which began on October 8, 2023, has resulted in more than 4,000 deaths in Lebanon—including hundreds of civilians—and caused approximately $11 billion in damage according to World Bank estimates. In Israel, 127 people have died, including 80 soldiers.

In a separate development, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited a buffer zone in Syrian territory that Israel seized following the fall of President Bashar Assad’s government last year. “We attach immense importance to our defensive and offensive capability here,” Netanyahu said during the visit. “This is a mission that can develop at any moment.”

This provocative move has drawn criticism from Syria and neighboring countries. Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned the visit as “a grave violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” describing it as an attempt to entrench Israeli control over the area.

Israeli military activities in southern Syria have intensified in recent months, with local residents reporting forest destruction, agricultural land seizures, and the establishment of Israeli military checkpoints. The buffer zone, which extends from the Golan Heights (territory Israel captured and annexed in 1967), has also attracted interest from Israeli settlers despite international non-recognition of Israel’s claims to the area.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that the death toll since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack has exceeded 69,000 Palestinians. The ceasefire agreement’s terms, which include increasing humanitarian aid into Gaza and returning hostages to Israel, continue to be contested by both sides amid ongoing accusations of violations.