By Victoria Kim, Hiba Yazbek and Rawan Sheikh Ahmad
An Israeli assault on a residential structure in northern Gaza early Tuesday resulted in numerous fatalities, according to the territory’s emergency services, marking yet another incident of mass casualties since Israel intensified its campaign against Hamas in that region.
The Palestinian Civil Defense reported that a minimum of 55 individuals lost their lives due to the strike in Beit Lahia. Gaza’s health ministry confirmed at least 93 deaths, including the loss of 25 children. In a statement, the Israeli military acknowledged reports of civilian casualties in the town and indicated it was investigating the circumstances.
This month, Israeli forces renewed their campaign in northern Gaza, citing efforts to disrupt Hamas’s regrouping following the group’s assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The attack occurred just days after an earlier Israeli strike on a residential area in Beit Lahia that resulted in multiple casualties, according to the Palestinian Civil Defense. The Israeli military confirmed the airstrike on Sunday, claiming it was a “precise strike” aimed at Hamas combatants.
An Israeli airstrike overnight on Oct. 20 targeted another residential building in the town, leading to numerous casualties, as reported by Palestinian officials and emergency responders.
Approximately 400,000 residents remain in northern Gaza, as per United Nations estimates, with many trapped in devastated neighborhoods.
Here’s more information to consider:
— New Hezbollah Leadership: Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group, announced the appointment of Naim Qassem, the long-standing deputy, as its new secretary-general on Tuesday, following the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah in Israeli airstrikes south of Beirut last month.
— Attacks in Lebanon: Israeli airstrikes on Monday resulted in at least 60 fatalities in the Bekaa Valley, eastern Lebanon, as confirmed by Lebanese officials, marking what seemed to be the most devastating series of strikes in that area since the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah last month.
— Israel and UNRWA: Israel’s parliament enacted two laws on Monday that could jeopardize the functions of UNRWA, the primary U.N. agency providing aid to Palestinians, by prohibiting its operations within the country. This move defied warnings from the Biden administration, which cautioned that such legislation could escalate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
— Israel vs. Iran: In a recent session of the U.N. Security Council on Monday, Israel and Iran, both having conducted significant military actions against one another in recent weeks, exchanged threats and condemnations. Iran’s ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, stated that “Iran reserves its inherent right to respond at a time of its choosing to this act of aggression.”
