Israel declared on Wednesday that its forces were engaged in “offensive action” in Lebanon
following the commencement of cross-border raids on Hezbollah, an ally of Hamas, while
Israeli tanks and aircraft bombarded the Gaza Strip.
Fears of a bigger confrontation erupting have increased since the Israel-Hamas war broke
out on October 7. Israel and the powerful Hezbollah group in Lebanon, which is backed by
Iran, have been exchanging fire almost daily.
Rising tensions
Concern regarding Israeli intentions to attack Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where 1.5
million people have sought shelter—many of them in improvised encampments—has grown
in war-torn Gaza. Relief organizations caution that an invasion would leave residents in terrible circumstances. Israel is “moving ahead” with its offensive in Rafah, which Israeli authorities have described as the “last” significant Hamas bastion where terrorists may be holding hostages, according to government spokesperson David Mencer In the meantime, Hamas unveiled a film featuring an Israeli American man who was among the 129 hostages who Israel believes are still in Gaza, 34 of whom are thought to be dead .Additionally on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden authorized $13 billion in military assistance to Israel, a close ally.
image source: news18
Humanitarian concern
$1 billion in humanitarian aid for Gaza was also included in the package; Biden insisted that
Israel permits the material to reach the Palestinians “without delay.”
While Hezbollah has increased rocket fire and drone attacks on Israeli military facilities
across the border, Israel has been invading Lebanon more deeply.
Gallant stated, “IDF (military) forces are currently carrying out offensive action throughout
southern Lebanon,” though he did not say if ground forces had crossed over
International response
UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force, said in a statement to AFP that “we didn’t detect any
ground crossing today.”The Lebanese government media reported at least 13 strikes on multiple communities, whereas the Israeli army had earlier claimed that its forces had targeted about 40 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon.
Israeli airstrikes were reported earlier on Wednesday in Rafah and the main Nuseirat
refugee camp, according to hospital and security sources in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently stated that the attack on Rafah will go, in spite of loud protests from nations, including the US, and humanitarian organizations. Without giving a timeframe, government spokesman Mencer stated, “Israel is moving ahead with our operation to target Hamas in Rafah.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, which cited Egyptian officials briefed on Israeli
preparations, Israel intended to relocate civilians to Khan Yunis, which is nearby, over the
course of two to three weeks before progressively deploying troops .At a temporary camp close to Gaza’s border with Egypt, displaced Palestinian man Samer Felfel told AFP, “There is no safe place in all of Gaza except for this area here. ” There will be no safe place left” if Israeli troops take over Rafah, he continued .According to an AFP count of Israeli official estimates, the war started on October 7 with an extraordinary Hamas offensive that claimed about 1,170 lives.
According to the health ministry of the Hamas-run enclave, Israel launched a military
onslaught in retaliation that has killed at least 34,262 individuals in Gaza, the majority of
them were women and children. The 23-year-old Israeli American hostage in the Hamas-released video identified himself as Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who was kidnapped on October 7 from the Nova music festival. Goldberg-Polin was missing a hand in the video, which AFP was unable to independently confirm was legitimate. This wound occurred during his apprehension.
