Israel strikes Lebanon, Gaza as Hezbollah steps up rocket fire
- At least 33 Palestinians are killed in Israeli attacks throughout the Gaza Strip since dawn, medical sources say, including 18 in Jabalia refugee camp as the forced expulsion by troops in the north continues.
- Medical sources tell Al Jazeera that at least 640 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began its military operation in northern Gaza 17 days ago.
Lebanon calls on international community to support UNIFIL
The Lebanese Foreign Ministry has called on the international community to take a “firm stance” on supporting UN peacekeepers on the Lebanon-Israel border to guarantee “the continuity of its work as well as its safety and security”.
It urged the international community to condemn Israel’s “hostile acts” on the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission, Lebanese National News Agency reported.
“Following consultations with the House Speaker and the Prime Minister, the Foreign Ministry expresses its utter gratitude to the UNIFIL and deep appreciation of the role it has been assuming since its establishment in 1978.”
Israel has launched a series of attacks against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon as it expands its bombardment and ground attacks.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Araghchi to travel to Bahrain and Kuwait
Abbas Araghchi will travel to Bahrain and Kuwait on Monday.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei announced the Gulf trip at a weekly news conference during heightened tensions between arch-foes Israel and Iran.
Israel is preparing to retaliate for an Iranian missile barrage earlier this month, though Washington has pressed it not to strike Iranian energy facilities or nuclear sites.
Baghaei also said Tehran warned the UN nuclear watchdog about Israel’s threats against its nuclear sites.
Israeli army arrests 18 Palestinians in occupied West Bank
The Palestinians arrested by the Israeli forces overnight include two children and former prisoners, according to a statement by the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs.
The raids were accompanied by threats and attacks against West Bank residents in addition to vandalism and destruction of homes, a statement said.
More than 11,400 Palestinians have been arrested in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem since October 7, 2023.
Civil defence says crews recovered bodies in southern Rafah
Three bodies have been recovered in the areas of Khirbet al-Adas and Moraj in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah.
A brief statement on Telegram did not mention how the three were killed, but Israeli forces have been operating in Rafah with clashes reported between troops and Palestinian fighters.
Israel has continued its relentless attacks on Rafah since May, despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering it to put an end to the military operation there.
‘Genocide is unfolding on the ground’
About an hour ago, rescue workers recovered the bodies of five Palestinians killed in southern Rafah city in an Israeli raid. There is also artillery fire in Nuseirat refugee camp.
But the concentration of Israeli army attacks remains in northern Gaza, particularly Jabalia. Witnesses say the camp is still under heavy bombardment for a 17th day.
Civilians are trapped in their houses and there’s a mass blackout. Food, water, and medicine have run out. Genocide is unfolding on the ground.
Palestinians in central Gaza are afraid they’ll meet the same fate as those in the besieged north. They’re scared of the expansion of the conflict there.
