Dozens of people have been reportedly killed in two Israeli strikes on refugee camps in northern and central Gaza. Elsewhere, a drone was launched at Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s house from Lebanon this morning – although the premier was not in the vicinity at the time.
Saturday 19 October 2024 11:03, UK
At least 42,519 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza since 7 October last year, the Hamas-run health ministry has said.
A further 99,637 people have been injured, it added.
The ministry’s figures do not differentiate between Hamas fighters and civilians.
For context: While Israeli officials have cast doubt on the numbers killed in Gaza, several independent groups say the ministry’s figures have proved to be largely reliable and broadly in line with those later produced by the UN and Israel itself.
Examination of data from previous Gaza conflicts, comparing the ministry’s counts with the post-war United Nations analysis, shows the initial data is largely accurate with, at most, a 10-12% discrepancy.
The Israeli military told Sky News earlier this month that 20,000 Hamas militants had been killed, but this remains unverified.
We reported early this morning on an overnight Israeli attack on the refugee camp of Jabalia in northern Gaza.
At least 33 Palestinians were killed in the attack, according to the WAFA news agency.
Israeli tanks pushed deep into the camp yesterday, according to witnesses – the most serious development in the two weeks the IDF has most recently been operating there – but why has the fighting intensified?
Why is it being targeted?
The area lies to the very north of the Palestinian territory and is the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps.
The area was hit hard in the months after the 7 October attacks by Israeli forces, with the IDF focusing initially on the north before sweeping through central and southern parts of the enclave.
Once much of Gaza was deemed secure by Israeli commanders, soldiers began being reassigned or given leave.
As troops were moved out of Gaza, parts of the territory – including Jabalia – were left devoid of an Israeli military presence.
That has left the possibility of Hamas reinforcing the area with fresh fighters.
Anticipating this risk, the Israeli military launched an operation two weeks ago in the camp, intended to stop Hamas fighters regrouping.
What’s happening there?
Israel is attempting to carry out what is known militarily as “clearing operations” – meaning the systematic removal of enemy forces from an area.
The Israeli army has been destroying dozens of houses daily, according to witnesses, including from the air.
Ground forces too are placing bombs in buildings then detonating them remotely.
The IDF 84th Infantry Brigade was brought in in the last few days in attempt to reinforce Israeli forces already there, with Hamas fighters launching multiple attacks daily.
Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have fired small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, and thermobaric rockets targeting Israeli forces operating in Jabalia, according to reports.
Israel’s military has said 55 projectiles were fired in two separate barrages at northern Israel from Lebanon this morning.
Some were intercepted, the IDF said, and there were no immediate reports of any casualties.
It comes after Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson said a drone was fired at the prime minister’s holiday home in Caesarea – although neither he nor his wife were in the vicinity and no one was hurt.
Israel also claimed to have killed Hezbollah’s deputy commander in the southern town of Bint Jbeil in an attack carried out yesterday.
The army said Nasser Rashid supervised attacks against Israel, but shared no further details.
Dozens of people have been killed in separate Israeli airstrikes across Gaza and Lebanon over the past 24 hours, according to medical officials and reports.
At least 21 people have been killed in Gaza in strikes this morning alone, with journalists from the Associated Press counting the bodies of 10 people in Zawayda, central Gaza, and a further 11 in the Maghazi refugee camp.
At least two people were killed in Lebanon this morning when a strike hit a car north of Beirut, according to the Lebanese health ministry.
It comes after a reported 33 people were killed in Jabalia last night, after an Israeli strike hit the refugee camp, according to the Palestinian WAFA news agency.
If you want to read more, here’s the latest from our correspondents in the region…
The body of killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could be used as a “bargaining chip” to secure the release of hostages from Gaza, CNN reports.
The American outlet cites two Israeli sources as saying the body of Sinwar, who was killed on Wednesday, may be “the key” to securing the return of hostages.
According to the report, Israeli authorities are still discussing how to leverage Sinwar’s remains.
Iran’s foreign minister has warned the US that any Israeli allies with knowledge of a looming attack against Tehran “should be held accountable”.
The region has been bracing for an Israeli response to Iran’s massive missile attack on Israel at the start of the month.
Abbas Araqchi said this morning: “Anybody with knowledge or understanding of ‘how and when Israel was going to attack Iran’, and/or providing the means and backing for such folly, should logically be held accountable for any possible causality.”
He appeared to be responding to Joe Biden’s comments yesterday in Berlin, where he said he had an understanding of how and when Israel was going to retaliate.
Two people have been killed after an Israeli strike hit a car in Jounieh, Lebanon, according to the country’s health ministry .
The area lies to the north of Beirut.
If confirmed, this would mark the first Israeli attack on the area.
Israel has not commented on the strike.
A drone launched this morning from Lebanon into Israeli territory was aimed at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s house, his spokesman has said.
The Israeli leader was not in the house or in the vicinity at the time of the attack, and no one was injured.
Three drones entered Israeli airspace this morning, the IDF reported earlier, with two shot down.
“One additional UAV hit a structure in the area of Caesarea. No injuries were reported,” the IDF said.
Benjamin Netanyahu owns a holiday home in Caesarea, which is an affluent resort town in the centre of the country.
The Palestinian WAFA news agency claims at least 11 people have been killed by an Israeli strike in central Gaza.
“Medical sources reported that 11 civilians were killed and others were injured, and a number of people were missing under the rubble, as a result of the occupation bombing of a house belonging to the Shana’a family in the Maghazi camp,” WAFA said.
Neither Israel nor official medical authorities have commented on the claims reported by WAFA.
This comes after at least 33 people were killed in a strike on the Jabalia refugee camp late last night.
If the figures reported are confirmed, 44 people have therefore been killed by Israeli strikes on refugee camps in the past 12 hours.
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