Israeli Airstrikes in Gaza and Lebanon Claim Lives Amid Escalating Tensions
World | September 16, 2024, Monday // 13:10| viewsIsraeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip killed 16 people early Monday, according to Palestinian officials. The strikes also targeted Hezbollah launchers and military infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon, with the Israel Defense Forces confirming the destruction of 20 launchers.
In Gaza, airstrikes hit a home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, leaving 10 people dead and 13 injured. Another strike in Gaza City killed six people, according to first responders. Among the casualties were four women and two children.
The Israeli military reported that after alarms were triggered in Upper Galilee, two aerial objects from Lebanon crossed into Israeli territory, falling near the northern Golan Heights. Israeli forces responded by striking Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon that posed immediate threats to Israeli civilians.
Earlier on Sunday, around 40 projectiles were fired from Lebanon towards northern Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared the situation along the Israel-Lebanon border, where many have been displaced, untenable and promised to restore security for residents.
Meanwhile, Israeli police shot and killed a man who stabbed a border officer at the entrance to Jerusalem's Old City. The officer was treated for his injuries, and authorities described the incident as a terror attack.
On Sunday, tensions escalated further when a missile launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen landed in central Israel, triggering air raid sirens near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport. Netanyahu warned of retaliation, noting that the Houthis have launched multiple attacks since the start of the Israeli-Hamas conflict in October. Though most Houthi missiles and drones have been intercepted, the latest missile reportedly targeted Jaffa, part of Tel Aviv.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed group, are one of several factions involved in the wider conflict, which was triggered by Hamas’ attack on southern Israel last October. That attack killed 1,200 people and resulted in the capture of 250 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military response in Gaza has resulted in over 41,000 Palestinian deaths, including a significant number of militant fighters, according to Israeli reports. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by several Western countries, including the US, UK, and EU.
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