On Sunday, Israel continued its operations in Lebanon and Gaza, conducting multiple lethal strikes while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the northern border of his country. Netanyahu's visit followed an air strike that killed at least three people near the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, according to the Lebanese health ministry, and as more bombs hit the eastern part of the country.
"I want to be clear: with or without an agreement, the key to restoring peace and security in the north... is first and foremost to push Hezbollah back beyond the Litani River, secondly to target any attempt to rearm, and thirdly to respond firmly to any action taken against us," Netanyahu told troops at the border, as per a statement from his office. This visit occurred as Israel's military reported that over 100 projectiles were fired from Lebanon into Israeli territory on Sunday, with several being intercepted and some landing in unpopulated areas.
Hezbollah later claimed to have fired a barrage of missiles at an Israeli air force "technical base" in the northern coastal city of Haifa. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon escalated on September 23, with Israel intensifying cross-border air raids after a year of reciprocal fire exchanges. A week later, ground troops were deployed for "targeted raids." Hezbollah stated it was supporting Hamas.
The Israeli enemy's raid on Haret Saida resulted in an initial death toll of three people killed and nine others injured, according to Lebanon's health ministry, referring to a densely populated area near Sidon. Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported another Israeli strike south of Sidon, in the town of Ghaziyeh, where a child was rescued from the rubble of a residential building. NNA also reported Israeli strikes near a hospital in Tebnine, causing severe damage and wounding seven people.
Neither the Haret Saida strike nor those in southern Lebanon were preceded by warnings to evacuate. Additionally, a strike near Tyre killed two rescue workers from the Islamic Health Committee. Israel's military issued a warning for Lebanon's eastern Baalbek area, threatening to attack Hezbollah-linked facilities. An AFP correspondent reported at least three strikes in the Baalbek area, which has seen heavy air raids in recent days.
On Sunday, NNA reported the recovery of five out of 21 bodies buried under the rubble for about a week in the southern town of Khiam. Hezbollah published an undated video of an underground facility dubbed "Imad 5," showing a missile pointing skywards and fighters moving through an underground tunnel. The war has claimed more than 1,940 lives in Lebanon since September 23, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures. Israel's military reports 38 soldiers killed since ground operations began in Lebanon.
Iran and Israel have also engaged in direct attacks, raising concerns of broader conflict. However, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that a potential ceasefire with allies Hamas and Hezbollah "could affect the intensity and type of our response." Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel and the United States of a "tooth-breaking response." Israel has cautioned Iran against responding to its October 26 attack.
Israeli strikes in Gaza on Sunday killed at least 30 people across the territory, according to Gaza rescuers and medics. Israel's military reported "dozens" of militants killed in the northern Jabalia area, where a major air and ground assault has been ongoing since October 6. In central Gaza, people gathered to receive sacks of flour from a UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) distribution point in Deir el-Balah.
Last Monday, Israel's parliament banned UNRWA, the main aid agency in Gaza, from operating in Israel and annexed east Jerusalem, despite international objections. If enforced, this ban could impact humanitarian efforts in Gaza, experts say. This decision followed the United States' warning on October 15 that it could withhold some of its billions in military aid to Israel unless it improves aid delivery to Gaza within 30 days.
In Deir el-Balah on Sunday, relatives mourned a father and son killed during Israeli bombardment at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. Israel's military response against Hamas has resulted in 43,341 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza's health ministry figures, which the United Nations considers reliable. Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel led to 1,206 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
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