Israel bombs Beirut, kills 21 Palestinians in attack on Gaza mosque
- Israel’s military unleashes a new wave of attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut, causing “massive explosions”, with “flames reaching up to the sky and the sound reverberating” around the Lebanese capital, according to our correspondent.
- Israeli forces also bomb a mosque in central Gaza, killing at least 21 Palestinians and wounding dozens more.
Gaza healthcare workers ‘constantly scared they’ll be the next target’
Dr Jeremy Hickey, speaking to Al Jazeera from al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah, says when he worked there in July the health facility was at 300 percent capacity but the situation is even more desperate now.
“The place is flooded with people and this is the daily situation,” said Hickey.
Medical facilities have been repeatedly attacked by Israeli forces since the beginning of the war and the doctor noted local healthcare workers are “constantly scared they’ll be the next target”.
“There’s some level of safety being a foreigner but at the same time we don’t know who or when will be struck. For those reasons, we’ve been instructed very particularly we’re not to leave the hospital grounds. But even last night there was an attack literally across the road to the hospital entrance, and any one of us could’ve been struck.”
Israel army encircles northern Gaza’s Jabalia camp
Israeli forces have surrounded the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Gaza civil defence agency spokesman Mahmud Bassal said multiple strikes rocked Jabalia through the night and there were many casualties. Israeli forces have bombarded Jabalia regularly since the war on Gaza started, displacing almost all of its residents.
“The troops of the 401st Brigade and the 460th Brigade have successfully encircled the area and are currently continuing to operate in the area,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
Intelligence indicates the “presence of terrorists and terror infrastructure in the area of Jabalia … as well as efforts by Hamas to rebuild its operational capabilities in the area”.
“Prior to and during the operation, the [air force] struck dozens of military targets in the area to assist ground troops.
Iran’s oil minister visits key terminal during Israel strike fears
Iran’s Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad landed on Kharg island as concerns swirl that Israel could target Iran’s largest oil terminal there.
“Paknejad arrived this morning in order to visit the oil facilities and meet operational staff located on Kharg island,” the oil ministry’s news website Shana reported
The oil terminal has the capacity to store 23 million barrels of crude, it said.
China, which does not recognise US sanctions, is Tehran’s main client and according to analysts imported 1.2 to 1.4 million barrels per day from Iran in the first half of 2024.
Hezbollah repels Israeli incursion in southern Lebanon
We heard a barrage of rocket fire and then almost immediately afterwards we got an alert from the Israeli army saying it intercepted surface-to-surface missiles. So Hezbollah is still very much in the fight.
In the last few moments we heard an Israeli air strike, a very loud explosion in the Bekaa Valley in the east of Lebanon. Fighting has been going on all night.
Hezbollah said it fired artillery along the border to repel an Israeli incursion into its territory. Also in Manara, in northern Israel, the group says it attacked Israeli soldiers as they evacuated their dead and wounded.
There is also fighting going on in Lebanon’s Yaroun and Odaisseh. In Odaisseh, Israeli forces have been trying to capture the municipal building for a few days now. These are the only two areas along the 120km (50 mile) border area where the Israelis have gained some kind of foothold after being beaten back by Hezbollah.
Netanyahu says French call to stop weapons sales ‘a disgrace’
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has once again presented his war on Palestinians in Gaza as “defending civilisation against barbarism”.
This time, he was condemning France’s President Emmanuel Macron who called for an end to the sale of weapons to Israel that will be used in Gaza and Lebanon.
What Russia wants from an Israel-Iran escalation
Russia’s foreign policy under President Vladimir Putin has revolved around a “multipolar world,” an alternative to the US-led world order.
With heightened prospects of a direct confrontation between Israel and Iran, and the war also expanding decisively into Lebanon, what does this latest crisis mean for Russia’s interests as a global power?
“The ongoing escalation of the Arab-Israeli conflict is of serious concern to Russia,” said Alexey Malinin, founder of the Center for International Interaction and Cooperation and member of the Digoria Expert Club think tank, noting Russia’s repeated calls for a diplomatic solution.
“However, these efforts are constantly encountering opposition, which is expressed in the desire of the United States to support Israel in almost any situation, primarily in military terms. And this support, which is subsequently used to turn Lebanon into a battlefield, nullifies all statements about the US desire to ensure peace in this region.”
