Lebanon crises takes eyes off Israel’s war on Gaza
Palestinians fear the crisis in Lebanon is diverting the world’s attention from Gaza where Israeli attacks killed dozens more this week and diminished already dim prospects for a ceasefire.
“The focus is on Lebanon, which means the war in Gaza isn’t ending anytime soon,” said Hussam Ali, 45, a Gaza City resident.
With attention swinging to Lebanon, the war on Gaza risks being prolonged, said Ashraf Abouelhoul, managing editor of state-owned newspaper Al-Ahram in Egypt.
“The most dangerous thing isn’t that the media attention is going elsewhere. It is the fact that no one in the world is now talking about a deal or a ceasefire, and that frees Israel’s hand to continue its military offensive and plans in Gaza.”
Relatives of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks, carry their beloved one as the bodies are brought to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, Gaza, Thursday
Gaza death toll rises
At least 41,788 people have been killed and 96,794 wounded in Israeli military attacks on Gaza since October 7, the enclave’s Health Ministry says.
Of those, 99 Palestinians were killed and 169 wounded in the latest 24-hour reporting period, the ministry added.
Attack on Gaza’s Shati refugee camp
We are receiving reports of an Israeli raid on a house in the Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City. Civil defence teams are working to rescue the injured and retrieve bodies from under the rubble, according to footage verified by Al Jazeera.
One killed in Nuseirat amid central Gaza attacks
Our correspondents report one person has been killed and another wounded in a raid on the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The attack occurred in Deir el-Balah where an Israeli helicopter fired on a tent housing displaced people inside a school near the government clinic.
Intense artillery shelling was also reported in the Maghazi refugee camp, also in central Gaza.
‘No end in sight to the fighting in Gaza’
There has been less attention on Gaza because of the rapidly moving situation in Lebanon as Israel attacks. But the reality is, fighting is deepening day by day in Gaza – there’s been no significant change in fact.
The death toll among civilians continues to soar. People here believe the Israeli army is focusing on attacking evacuation centres. Since the beginning of October, at least three have been targeted and 27 Palestinians killed so far.
Fighting continues to rage in southern Rafah. This shattered city has seen heavy combat for more than four months. The military wing of Hamas yesterday released videos of fierce street battles ongoing there.
People have been trapped in a tiny patch of land called al-Mawasi that has seen all sorts of Israeli bombardment. The Israeli military is effectively operating on two fronts, indicating there’s no end in sight to the fighting.
