Israel’s war on Gaza: Attack on Nuseirat kills at least 9

Here are some of the recent developments:

• Israeli attacks continue in northern Gaza, killing two people in Gaza City and Beit Hanoon, adding to a toll of dozens killed in the past day.
• Israeli forces bomb a car in Syria travelling towards Damascus airport, killing a “senior figure”, according to Syrian state media.
• Lebanon’s health minister says this week’s coordinated explosions across the country have not “undermined the will” of the people.
• Palestinian officials express outrage at footage showing Israeli soldiers kicking bodies of Palestinians off a West Bank rooftop. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the act exposes the Israeli army’s “brutality”.
  

  Lebanon’s health minister says attacks won’t ‘undermine will of people’

  Lebanon’s health minister says morale remains high even among victims and their families after a series of lethal explosions across the country this week.

  “I want to send a message to anyone who thinks that these attacks will undermine the will and determination of this people. I say to them that your plan has failed,” Firass Abiad said in comments carried by Lebanon’s National News Agency.

  The minister also said the best way to avert further civilian casualties would be an “immediate ceasefire in Gaza”.

  Hezbollah, whose electronic devices were targeted in this week’s explosions, has repeatedly promised to continue striking at Israel until it ends its war in Gaza.

  UN peacekeeping force urges immediate de-escalation on Israel-Lebanon border

  The UN peacekeeping force in south Lebanon has urged de-escalation after a rise in hostilities at the Lebanon-Israel border, where Israel and Hezbollah fighters have been trading fire for almost a year.

  Spokesperson Andrea Tenenti told the Reuters news agency that UNIFIL witnessed “a heavy intensification of the hostilities across the Blue Line” and throughout its area of operations.

  “We are concerned at the increased escalation across the Blue Line and urge all actors to immediately de-escalate,” he said, referring to the frontier between Lebanon and Israel.

  We just got confirmation from al-Awda Hospital in Nuseirat that one more person has died after sustaining critical injuries from an Israeli attack on Nuseirat camp this morning. Doctors could not really do anything to save their life.

  This brings the total number of people killed from the attack on a family home in western Nuseirat camp to nine.

  Doctors say an acute shortage of medical supplies is making it very difficult for them to treat patients’ immense trauma and blood loss and save lives.

  ‘Rising violence undermining health system in West Bank’

  The International Rescue Committee (IRC) warns that escalating violence in the occupied West Bank threatens to collapse the health system as humanitarian organisations suspend their activities.

  The West Bank is facing the worst violence since the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) began keeping records in 2005, the IRC said.

  “Rising violence is undermining the health system in the West Bank, as hospitals are not prepared to handle mass casualty incidents, nor withstand continued attacks on facilities and personnel,” Bart Witteveen, the IRC’s country director for the occupied Palestinian territory, said in a statement.

  The organisation added: “Israel must uphold its obligations to ensure immediate and active protection of civilians and health care services in the West Bank.”

  War seems to be moving from Gaza to Lebanon

  Every indication points to this week being the time Israelis see the major front of this war moving from Gaza to the border with Lebanon.

  There are some very clear signs. Just earlier today, Israel’s reserve forces commander said: “It is time for Lebanon to suffer as well, … the power plants, bridges, airports and seaports as well.”

  We’ve also seen videos from Israeli government media sources showing the destruction of their own minefields on the border. They’re clearing those minefields to make way for what most likely will be a movement of ground forces into southern Lebanon.

  That’s what every indication seems to point to at this stage.

  Israeli strike in Beit Hanoon kills 1

  One person has been killed in an Israeli air raid on Beit Hanoon, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reports.

  Northern Gaza has been under relentless attack from Israeli forces.

  On Thursday, six people from the same family were killed in one attack when Israeli forces bombed a home in Jabalia. Three children were also wounded.

  Lebanon anticipates another round of escalation

  We are in the middle of a very complicated and multilayered conflict.

  Hezbollah’s secretary-general spoke yesterday about the path of this confrontation.

  Israel, according to Nasrallah, wants to link the southern Lebanon frontier to Gaza. So Israel is now dealing with the Lebanese front as a priority, and we are seeing a demonstration of this escalation.

  We’ve seen reports from Israel that the number of daily strikes will increase threefold. We are probably on the verge of another round of huge escalation but likely still under the ceiling of a war.

  Palestinians not surprised by rooftop video as raids continue across West Bank

  The footage we’ve seen is horrific, and it’s making the rounds here in Palestine. But ultimately, Palestinians are not surprised. Israel has a track record of disrespecting the bodies of the Palestinians they kill.

  Several Israeli raids have also taken place across the occupied West Bank. There are raids taking place in Jenin, and one person has been critically wounded at the Qalandiya checkpoint.

  A raid took place in Kafr Laqif, where the Israeli military occupied a Palestinian home and turned it into a field investigation centre.

  Middle East ‘on the brink’: Norway’s foreign minister

  Norway’s foreign minister is the latest Western official to call for calm as Israel and Hezbollah spiral deeper into conflict, warning the Middle East is “on the brink”.

  “I extend my heartfelt sympathy with civilians in Lebanon and across the region who now live in fear,” Espen Barth Eide said as Lebanon continues to reel from a series of deadly, coordinated explosions earlier this week. “I call on all parties to show maximum restraint.”