Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Golani military base where a drone killed Israeli soldiers yesterday
Palestinians inspect destroyed tents at a camp for internally displaced people at Al-Aqsa Hospital, after an Israeli airstrike in Deir al Balah, central Gaza Strip
AITO, Lebanon (AP).— An Israeli airstrike against an apartment building in northern Lebanon killed at least 21 people yesterday, the Lebanese Red Cross reported.
At the moment there has been no comment from the Israeli army and it is not clear what the objective was.
The attack hit a small apartment building in the town of Aito, with a Christian majority, far from the main areas of influence of the political-paramilitary group Hezbollah in the south and east of the country.
First responders searched for victims in the rubble of the building while ambulances surrounded the scene, ready to receive the bodies. Several nearby buildings and vehicles were also damaged during the attack.
The attack came a day after Hezbollah launched drones at a military base in northern Israel, killing four soldiers — all aged 19 — and seriously wounding seven others, in the most recent attack. lebanese group since Israel launched its ground invasion of Lebanon almost two weeks ago.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday visited the army base and the soldiers wounded in the attack, and promised that “we will continue to attack Hezbollah without mercy anywhere in Lebanon, including in Beirut.”
Sunday’s attack left 61 injured. Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets, missiles and drones into Israel over the past year, killing more than 60 people, although Israel says most of the projectiles have been intercepted by its anti-aircraft batteries or have landed in unpopulated areas.
In Lebanon, Israeli attacks have claimed around 2,300 victims since October last year, according to the country’s Health Ministry.
More than 75% of the deaths have occurred in the last month.
Hamas ally Hezbollah has vowed to continue attacks on Israel until a ceasefire is reached in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has said its campaign against Hezbollah aims to end these attacks so that displaced Israelis can safely return to their homes near the Lebanese border.
Hours earlier yesterday, at least four people were killed by an Israeli airstrike on a hospital courtyard in the Gaza Strip.
The bombing caused huge flames in a crowded camp of people displaced by the war and caused serious burns to more than two dozen of them.
The Israeli army claimed, without presenting evidence, that it had attacked fighters hiding among civilians.
In recent months it has repeatedly attacked camps and shelters full of people, arguing that Hamas members were using them to prepare attacks.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central city of Deir al Balah was already struggling to care for the large number of wounded from another attack on a nearby school used as a shelter, in which at least 20 people were killed when an Israeli bombing He set fire to many of the tents in the early morning.
Several secondary explosions were heard after the first blast, but it was initially unclear whether they were caused by weapons or fuel.
Images from The Associated Press showed children among the injured. A man cried as he carried a small child with his head bandaged. Another little boy with his leg bandaged was receiving a blood transfusion on the floor of the crowded hospital.
Four people died and 40 were injured, according to hospital records.
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He Lebanese authorities. The ongoing conflict has escalated tensions in the region, with both sides engaging in a cycle of retaliation that has resulted in significant casualties and destruction.
In the aftermath of the recent Israeli airstrikes, Prime Minister Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s intention to intensify its military operations against Hezbollah, emphasizing a commitment to pursue the group throughout Lebanon, including in its capital, Beirut. This marked an escalation in rhetoric and military posture, reflecting Israel’s determination to counter the threats posed by Hezbollah, which has remained a formidable adversary.
The situation remains fluid, with both sides poised for further exchanges of fire. The humanitarian impact of these conflicts is dire, with both civilians in Lebanon and Israel experiencing the brunt of the violence. The international community continues to call for restraint and a ceasefire to prevent further loss of life and to seek a durable solution to the ongoing tensions in the region.
