Israeli Airstrikes in Lebanon and Gaza: A Surge in Violence

An Israeli airstrike devastated a residential home in northern Lebanon on Monday, resulting in the tragic loss of at least eight lives and injuring 14 others, as reported by Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Rescue teams were seen urgently working to extract survivors from beneath the debris, with Lebanese state media highlighting the harrowing scenes. Footage that circulated widely on social media depicted the Lebanese Red Cross transporting bodies wrapped in body bags.

The Israeli military has not provided an immediate statement regarding the airstrike, and the specific target remains unclear. The attack struck the village of Ain Yaaqoub, located in the northern Akkar region, which is predominantly home to Greek Orthodox and Sunni Muslim communities. This area is notably distant from Hezbollah’s primary strongholds situated in southern and eastern Lebanon.

Since escalating military actions and a ground invasion against Hezbollah began in late September, Israel’s strikes have increasingly penetrated deeper into Lebanese territory. The first strike in the Akkar region occurred on November 2, targeting a bridge near a Lebanese army checkpoint, effectively severing a crucial route leading to Syria.

On the same day as the Ain Yaaqoub strike, another Israeli airstrike targeted a residential building in southern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals and injuring seven more, according to the Health Ministry. The Israeli military reported that 190 rockets were launched from Lebanon on Monday, with rescue services confirming at least five injuries among those affected.

Ceasefire Talks and Political Developments

On Monday, discussions regarding a potential ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to gain momentum, coinciding with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top strategic advisor meeting with US officials in Washington. Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer engaged in talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as confirmed by the State Department. Additionally, Dermer met with senior White House advisors Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk, and he is expected to confer with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Tuesday. Furthermore, he plans to engage with former Trump administration officials during his stay in the US.

Earlier in the day, Israel’s new Foreign Minister commented on what he described as “certain progress” in efforts to establish a ceasefire with Hezbollah. Dermer, a close ally of Netanyahu, traveled to Russia last week to facilitate ceasefire negotiations, aiming to secure Russian support to prevent Iran from smuggling weapons to Hezbollah via Syria, a nation aligned with Russia.

However, Israel’s newly appointed Defence Minister, Israel Katz, firmly rejected the notion of a ceasefire in a post on social media platform X, asserting that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) “will continue to strike Hezbollah with full force until the war objectives are achieved.” He emphasized, “There will be no ceasefire in Lebanon, and there will be no truce.”

Continued Strikes in Gaza

In the meantime, Palestinian medical officials reported that two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza resulted in the deaths of at least 14 individuals, including two children and a woman, predominantly in an area designated by Israel as a humanitarian zone. One of the strikes late Monday targeted a cafeteria in the Muwasi humanitarian zone, located west of Khan Younis, leading to the fatalities of at least 11 people, including two children, according to officials at Nasser Hospital, where the victims were transported.

Another strike early Tuesday hit a residential structure in the densely populated Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, resulting in three more fatalities, including a woman, and wounding 11 others, as reported by al-Awda Hospital, which received the injured.

Controversial Statements on West Bank Annexation

In a separate development, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich delivered a speech on Monday indicating his intention to advocate for the annexation of portions of the occupied West Bank following the anticipated inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump. Smotrich invoked biblical terminology for the territory, proclaiming that “2025 will be the year […] of sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.”

Israel seized control of the West Bank during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war and has since established numerous settlements to consolidate its authority over the region. However, a formal annexation of the territory has never occurred, and it remains home to approximately 3 million Palestinians living under military governance. The Palestinians aspire for the West Bank, along with East Jerusalem and Gaza, to constitute an independent Palestinian state.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell unequivocally condemned Smotrich’s statements on social media platform X, labeling them as illegal. The international community largely views the settlements, which house around 500,000 Israelis, as illegal and significant impediments to the peace process. Smotrich and other settler leaders are banking on a return to Trump’s pro-settlement policies from his initial term in office. During that administration, Washington reversed its longstanding stance, asserting that the settlements do not contravene international law. Notably, Trump’s Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unprecedented visit to a Jewish settlement during that time.