Gaza faces humanitarian crisis amid Israel-Hezbollah conflict
The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has resulted in a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where a significant portion of the 2.3 million residents now find themselves homeless and facing severe food shortages amid the destruction of hospitals and schools, as reported by Reuters..
This crisis was precipitated by Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which transformed Gaza into a war zone.
In Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes have intensified in southern Beirut since Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, the Israeli military announced that it had targeted Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters and an underground weapons manufacturing facility. During these attacks, three senior Hezbollah commanders, including Alhaj Abbas Salameh, a key figure in the group's southern command, were killed.
Hezbollah has not made any immediate comments regarding the Israeli strikes but confirmed its retaliation by launching rockets at Israeli forces and a military base in northern Israel. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah escalated last year when the Iran-backed group began launching rockets in support of Hamas.
Since the beginning of October, Israel has initiated a ground offensive in Lebanon, aimed at stabilising the border region and safeguarding its citizens, many of whom have been forced to flee northern Israel due to ongoing rocket attacks. According to Lebanon's Ministry of Health, over 2,400 individuals have lost their lives in Lebanon over the past year, with more than 1.2 million people displaced, primarily in recent weeks.
In Israel, 59 fatalities have been reported in the northern region and the Golan Heights, according to Israeli authorities. The attacks by Hamas militants on Israel, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the capture of 250 hostages, triggered a massive military response from Israel in Gaza, leading to over 42,500 Palestinian deaths, as reported by local officials.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
