Intense fighting in parts of Gaza as regional tensions escalate.
Fierce fighting is raging in parts of Gaza including the southern city of Khan Younis, according to Israel's military and sources in the strip, even as several areas have quietened following the withdrawal of some Israeli units.
The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 22,300 people since October 7, according to the Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza.
Meanwhile, fears over the potential for a wider regional conflict were underscored after Iranian officials blamed Israel for deadly twin blasts in Iran and threatened revenge.
The blasts near the burial site of slain military commander Qasem Soleimani came on the fourth anniversary of his death in a US airstrike, threatening to accelerate tensions in the region that have spiked since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Here's what you need to know:
- Hezbollah warning: The leader of Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed Islamist militant group based in Lebanon, warned that if Israel wages war with Lebanon, the response would be "limitless." Hassan Nasrallah also said the killing of a senior Hamas leader in Beirut on Tuesday "won't go unpunished." The strike that killed Hamas official Saleh Al-Arouri was carried out by Israel, a US official said. Israel did not claim responsibility for the attack.
- Cross-border fire: The Israel Defense Forces said it responded Wednesday to attacks from inside Lebanon. Meanwhile, Lebanon's foreign minister told the government is working to convince Hezbollah not to wage war against Israel
. On the ground: A unspecified number of people were killed Wednesday following artillery strikes near a hospital in southern Gaza, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, which runs the facility. In northern Gaza, video from the Jabalya refugee camp showed the aftermath of a substantial explosion which resulted in several civilian casualties. The Hamas-controlled Health Ministry in Gaza said "tens" were "killed and injured" when a family home in Jabalya was targeted.
- Pipe fixed: Water has been restored in some parts of central Gaza, the municipality of Deir al Balah said, after a key pipeline had been out of service for several days, resulting “in the overflow of sewage in the streets.” UN agencies and NGOs have warned that the lack of clean water in many areas of Gaza risks spreading skin diseases and other illnesses such as diarrhea.
- Hague hearing: The International Court of Justice said it will hold public hearings next week on South Africa's allegations of genocide against Israel in its war against Hamas. An Israeli government spokesperson said Tuesday that Israel will appear before the ICJ "to dispel South Africa's absurd blood libel."
- Tunnel video: Israel’s military released a video that it claims shows the dismantlement of a tunnel route it accuses Hamas of excavating under Al-Shifa Hospital, Gaza's largest medical complex. Israel has accused Hamas of developing the tunnel system beneath the hospital to carry out "terrorist operations," which Hamas has repeatedly denied.
What's Your Reaction?
