Palestinian casualties were treated at Kamal Adwan Hospital following an Israeli airstrike in Beit Lahia, located in the northern Gaza Strip, on October 19, 2024. — AFP
On Sunday, intense fighting continued on two fronts as Israel targeted what it claimed was a Hezbollah 'command center' in Beirut, Lebanon, while in Gaza, rescuers reported 73 fatalities from a single air strike. These strikes in Hezbollah's stronghold in southern Beirut occurred after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the Iran-backed group of attempting to assassinate him by targeting his residence. This incident coincided with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, which last year witnessed the October 7 Hamas attack that ignited the Gaza conflict.
Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israel's strikes in Beirut hit a residential building in Haret Hreik, near a mosque and a hospital. The Israeli military confirmed hitting a Hezbollah 'command center' and an underground weapons facility in Beirut, and claimed to have killed three Hezbollah militants in other strikes. They later reported intercepting about 70 projectiles fired from Lebanon that crossed into Israel within minutes.
In Gaza, the civil defence agency stated that an Israeli air strike on a residential area led to the death of at least 73 Palestinians in Beit Lahia. The Israeli military, however, disputed the toll figures provided by Gaza authorities, stating that they did not align with their information. The military continued its offensive in both Gaza and Lebanon, striking approximately 175 terror targets.
In southern Lebanon, NNA reported that Israeli strikes targeted numerous locations, including the city of Nabatiyeh for the third time that week. The military claimed to have eliminated over 65 Hezbollah terrorists and struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon. Netanyahu's office announced that a drone was launched towards his residence in Caesarea, but he and his wife were absent, resulting in no casualties.
The ongoing conflict has claimed at least 1,454 lives in Lebanon, according to an AFP tally of Lebanese health ministry figures. Hamas, Hezbollah, and allied Iran-backed groups have vowed to continue fighting after Israeli troops killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi emphasized that Hamas is a significant presence in Palestine that cannot be ignored or destroyed.
Israel has vowed to respond to Iran's October 1 attack, which Tehran claimed involved firing 200 missiles at Israel in retaliation for the killing of an Iranian general and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. The war was sparked by the unprecedented Hamas attack last year, resulting in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to official Israeli figures. Israel's campaign against Hamas has led to the deaths of 42,519 people in Gaza, predominantly civilians, according to Hamas-run health ministry data considered reliable by the UN.
Israel launched a major air and ground assault on October 6, tightening its siege on Gaza and forcing tens of thousands to flee. Civil defence spokesman Bassal reported the recovery of more than 400 martyrs from various targeted areas in the northern Gaza Strip since the operation began. The Israeli military is investigating reports from Gaza, including an overnight air raid on Jabalia that allegedly killed 33 people.
Displaced Gazan Nasser Shaqura expressed despair, stating, 'More than a year has passed, and every day our blood is shed. Every day, every hour, there is a massacre. This is what our lives have become.'
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