Ah, the Middle East – where the weather is hot, and, unfortunately, the conflict is hotter! Grab your popcorn, folks, because this story really escalated from zero to sixty faster than my mum’s old Vauxhall Astra. Yes, as I launch into this piece, we have Lebanese Hezbollah flexing their muscles and threatening Israel to stop their “little holiday” of airstrikes, or else they might have to ruin the party with some of their own drone-fueled fun!
Now, if you thought last year’s world events were a wild ride, just you wait! The latest installment of “As the Conflict Turns” involves a drone strike in Haifa. I suppose we can safely say that drone delivery services in Israel are proving to be rather… lethal. If you thought returning an Amazon parcel was scary, try participating in a swap where four Israeli soldiers don’t make it back – yikes!
And speaking of school trips, it seems like families in Gaza weren’t just getting an education – they were paying the price for seeking shelter in what was once a school! The irony here could fill an entire sitcom season – “The Best Place to Hide Turns Out to Be Not So Safe.” An Israeli bombardment there led to at least 15 casualties, including women and children. And some might say, “Well, Hamas hid there.” Truly, this is like trying to find a peaceful sanctuary in a rock concert – you’re always at the mercy of a mosh pit!
The Lebanese Health Ministry chimed in to say over 1,300 lives have been lost since Hezbollah and Israel decided to go into open warfare. Maybe a group chat with some conflict resolution experts could help? Or perhaps just a game of “Rock, Paper, Scissors”? I mean, it worked in kindergarten, right?
Meanwhile, the United Nations Interim Force – bless their hearts – are trying to mediate while facing retaliation. They really should add “hostage situation” to their job description. But let’s not be too harsh; they’re just trying to keep the peace while navigating what feels like a minefield of politics and disagreements, not to mention the setback of sometimes being mistaken for a military target!
With Netanyahu calling for an “immediate withdrawal” of UNIFIL troops because apparently being peacekeepers in a war zone is “too risky,” you can’t help but think of him as that friend who says, “If you can’t handle the heat, stay out of the kitchen!” Except instead of retrieving your sandwich, the kitchen is on fire, and everyone’s throwing hands.
And wrapping it all up in a lovely little bow, the Gaza Health Ministry reported staggering death tolls – over 42,000 Palestinians killed since the offensive began. At that point, calling it a “conflict” feels almost unnecessarily polite. It’s like saying my cousin’s karaoke performance was a “musical showcase.” Let’s be honest; it’s more like a public service announcement on why some people should stick to the shower.
So there you have it – just another week in the Middle East filled with threats, bombings, and a tragic lack of diplomacy. It’s more chaotic than a family reunion where everyone is arguing over who gets to be first in line for Aunt Gladys’ famous casserole. Peace talks? What are those? It’s a conflict buffet, but sadly, this is no feast. Let’s just hope someone finds a way to leave the table without throwing a punch – we could really use it.
Conflict in the Middle East
In progress
Lebanese Hezbollah on Monday threatened Israel with further attacks if its offensive in Lebanon continues, after a drone strike targeting a military position in Haifa on Sunday killed at least four Israeli soldiers and injured more than 60 people. More than 15 people were killed and dozens of others injured Sunday evening in an Israeli bombardment on a school transformed into a shelter for displaced Palestinians in central Gaza. Follow our live stream.
Published on: 10/14/2024 – 01:22 Modified on: 10/14/2024 – 01:54
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Israeli soldiers fold stretchers at the Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, after a drone attack from Lebanon, October 13, 2024. © Violeta Santos Moura, Reuters
The essentials
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Hezbollah threatened Israel on Monday, October 14, with further attacks if its offensive in Lebanon continued, after claiming responsibility for a drone attack on a military base in northern Israel the day before, which killed four Israeli soldiers and injured more than 60 people in the sector.
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A joint mission of the WHO and the Palestinian Red Cross succeeded on Saturday in evacuating patients and supplying two hospitals in the north of the Gaza Strip, the head of the WHO said on Sunday evening.
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More than 15 people were killed and dozens injured Sunday evening in an Israeli bombardment on a school transformed into a shelter for displaced Palestinians, in the Nuseirat camp, in the center of the Gaza Strip, Civil Defense said local
Read alsoBetween the Israeli army and Hezbollah, UNIFIL caught in the crossfire in southern Lebanon?
14/10/2024 – 01:38
Two hospitals in northern Gaza supplied by a WHO/Palestinian Red Cross mission
A joint mission of the WHO and the Palestinian Red Cross succeeded on Saturday in evacuating patients and supplying two hospitals in the north of the Gaza Strip, the head of the WHO said on the social network X on Sunday evening.
14/10/2024 – 01:36
At least 15 people killed in Israeli bombing of school transformed into shelter (rescuers)
At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured Sunday evening in an Israeli bombardment on a school transformed into a shelter for displaced Palestinians, in the Nuseirat camp, in the center of the Gaza Strip, Civil Defense said local.
The Israeli army regularly accuses Hamas of hiding in school buildings where thousands of Gazans have sought refuge, an accusation denied by the Palestinian Islamist movement.
“The school was bombarded by a large salvo of Israeli artillery, leaving 15 dead, including children, women and entire families, and 50 injured,” said Mahmud Bassal, spokesperson for the organization. The Israeli military said it was “reviewing information” on the matter.
14/10/2024 – 01:21
Hezbollah threatens Israel with further attacks if its offensive in Lebanon continues
Lebanese Hezbollah on Monday threatened Israel with further attacks if its offensive in Lebanon continues, after a drone strike targeting a military position in Haifa killed four Israeli soldiers and injured more than 60 people.
In a statement, Hezbollah affirmed that “the resistance (…) promises the enemy” that the attack “south of Haifa is only a foretaste of what awaits it if it decides to continue its attacks against our people.” It was the deadliest strike in Israel since Hezbollah and the Israeli army entered into open war on September 23.
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Israeli emergency services reported on Sunday October 13 more than 60 injured in the area where Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a drone attack.
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The Lebanese Health Ministry announced Sunday that 51 people had been killed the day before in Israeli strikes, bringing the deaths in Lebanon to more than 1,300 since Hezbollah and Israel entered into open war on September 23, according to a tally of the AFP.
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The United Nations Interim Force deployed in southern Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Sunday accused the Israeli army of having blocked one of its movements on Saturday, demanding “explanations” after “shocking violations”. It also denounced the “forceful” entry of two Israeli tanks into one of its positions on Sunday.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the “immediate” withdrawal of UNIFIL from “the danger zone” in southern Lebanon, saying the refusal to evacuate “turns them hostages to Hezbollah.”
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“Attacks” against UN peacekeepers may constitute “war crimes”, the spokesperson for the Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres warned on Sunday, after a new clash with the Israeli army in Lebanon.
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The Red Cross said a strike injured several of its rescuers during a rescue mission to a house in southern Lebanon where an earlier attack had taken place.
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Israel is facing strong international criticism as several UNIFIL peacekeepers were injured by gunfire near the UN mission’s positions in southern Lebanon. At least 40 countries gave their “full” support to UNIFIL on Saturday and called to protect the peacekeepers, five of whom were injured in 48 hours.
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More than 42,227 Palestinians have been killed and 98,464 injured during the Israeli military offensive on Gaza since October 7, 2023, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
Namely: the death toll in Gaza is given by the Hamas-led Ministry of Health
The ministry collects information provided by hospitals in the enclave and by the Palestinian Red Crescent. To find out more, Click here.
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