Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Gaza claim dozens of lives

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said an Israeli airstrike hit guesthouses where journalists were staying in southeast Lebanon, killing three media workers from two different news outlets on Friday. An Israeli attack killed 38 people in the southern Gaza Strip.

Several journalists have been killed since an almost daily exchange of fire along the Lebanese-Israeli border began on October 8, 2023.

According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, the total number of casualties last year was over 2,600 dead and 12,200 wounded. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, fighting in Lebanon has forced 1.2 million people from their homes, including more than 400,000 children. Israeli strikes have killed much of Hezbollah’s top leadership since fighting broke out in September.

The Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to local health authorities, who make no distinction between fighters and civilians. The war between Israel and Hamas began after Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel’s security fence and stormed in on October 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people – mostly civilians – and kidnapping 250 others.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in London on Friday, where the Arab leader accused Israel of engaging in ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip. Safadi minced no words when describing Israel’s role in the conflicts, saying mediators in the ceasefire negotiations were trying to “overcome the nightmare in which the region continues to live.”

News.Az