Tensions in the Middle East have escalated as Israel conducted extensive strikes against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. The Israeli military urged villagers near these areas to evacuate, as they believed Hezbollah was preparing to fire towards Israeli territory. This follows Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on northern Israel and an Israeli airstrike in Beirut that killed one of the group’s leaders. The exchanges of fire have raised concerns of turning Lebanon into another Gaza.
Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, have emphasized that operations will continue until it is safe for evacuated residents to return. Israel’s civil defense agency has also ordered schools in the north to close. Meanwhile, Israel is considering using siege tactics against Hamas in northern Gaza.
The situation has also led to a crackdown on media, with Israeli forces raiding Al Jazeera’s office in the West Bank and issuing a closure order. Additionally, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have arrested 12 people for collaborating with Israel and planning acts against Iran’s security.
In Gaza, at least 41,431 Palestinians have been killed and 95,818 injured in Israeli strikes since October. An Israeli airstrike in Gaza City killed at least seven people at a school sheltering displaced families. The UN secretary general has warned of the danger of further escalation and transformation of the region into a war zone. Israel’s chief of the general staff has stated that the military is prepared for the next stages of fighting, indicating a potential ground incursion into Lebanon.
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