Live updates: Hezbollah leader emphasizes the group's necessity to retaliate against Israel following the strike in Beirut.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared in a televised address on Friday that the Iran-backed militant group and political party must retaliate against Israel for the killing of Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri in a Beirut airstrike on Tuesday. Nasrallah emphasized that remaining silent about such a serious violation is not an option. While Israel is widely blamed for the attack, no party has officially claimed responsibility.
Al-Arouri, who had a $5 million U.S. information bounty on him, was believed by Israeli and U.S. national security officials to be involved in funding and training Hamas militants responsible for the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, resulting in 1,200 casualties, mostly civilians. Another 240 individuals were taken to the Gaza Strip and held hostage.
The air, ground, and sea offensive by Israel on Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 22,400 individuals, with two-thirds of the casualties being women and children, as reported by the territory's health ministry.
A statement attributed to Hezbollah earlier in the week declared a commitment to ensuring that the death of Saleh al-Arouri does not go unanswered. The group framed his demise as a "dangerous development in the course of the war between the enemy and the axis of resistance."
Nasrallah stated that Hezbollah has conducted approximately 670 operations along the Israel-Lebanon border since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. He claimed that these operations resulted in the destruction of numerous Israeli vehicles and tanks, as well as the death of a significant number of Israeli troops. However, he did not provide specific figures. The Israeli military has reported at least nine of its soldiers killed in the clashes along the northern border of the country.
Current happenings:
∎ The Israeli military reported hitting more than 100 targets across Gaza on Friday, resulting in the death of an unspecified number of "operatives" and the destruction of multiple "operational command centers and military sites."
∎ The Palestinian Red Crescent, an independent humanitarian aid organization, disclosed that its headquarters in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis was struck by an Israeli airstrike. Additionally, the group stated that Israeli forces targeted one of its ambulances in Central Gaza, with the crew inside reportedly surviving the gunfire.
∎ An apparent Israeli airstrike on a home in Rafah overnight resulted in at least six casualties, as reported by the Associated Press. Rafah, situated in the southernmost region of Gaza, has become a refuge for over a million Palestinians who fled their homes. The ongoing war has led to approximately 85% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents being displaced.
∎ France, in collaboration with Jordan, announced a joint operation to airdrop 7.7 tons of medical aid to a Gaza field hospital. French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the critical humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating on X (formerly Twitter), "In a challenging context, France and Jordan have delivered aid to the population and those assisting them."
∎ On Friday, former Vice President Mike Pence announced his visit to Israel's Northern Command, where he met with soldiers in proximity to the Lebanon border. Pence expressed admiration for the courage of these Israelis, noting that many are also American citizens, and commended their commitment to standing strong for Israel since October 7th. "God Bless Them All," Pence remarked.
UN: 'Humanitarian Crisis and Suffering' in Gaza
On Friday, the United Nations' relief chief urged the international community to leverage its influence to bring an end to the ongoing war. Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, depicted a grim situation of "death and despair" in Gaza since October 7.
In a statement, Griffiths emphasized that Gaza has reached a point of being uninhabitable, with its residents facing daily threats to their very survival while the global community observes. He highlighted the alarming conditions, including the highest recorded levels of food insecurity, families enduring open-air sleeping in dropping temperatures, once-declared safe areas coming under bombardment, and the region grappling with a health crisis.
He noted that tens of thousands of individuals, predominantly women and children, have suffered casualties or lost their lives.
Griffiths emphasized, "We have observed that violence fails to resolve disparities; instead, it only intensifies emotions and nurtures new generations of peril and uncertainty."
A watchdog organization cautions about unauthorized Israeli settlements emerging amid the ongoing conflict.
Since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war, a record number of unauthorized outposts by Israeli settlers have appeared in the occupied West Bank, as reported by the Israeli watchdog group Peace Now. Nine outposts and 18 roads have been established since Oct. 7, marking the highest count for any three-month period since the 1990s when settlements began. The report also highlights the construction of roadblocks, restricting the movement of Palestinians.
These settlements are located in parts of the West Bank under full Israeli control, based on 1990s accords. While Israel considers the territory disputed and asserts that settlement fate should be negotiated, the international community deems the settlements illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of a civilian population into occupied territory by an occupying power.
More than half a million Israelis reside in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories that Palestinians aspire to include in a future state.
The recent outposts consist of tents or simple structures, but many similar ones have evolved into permanent settlements over the years.
Peace Now reported, "They persist in constructing outposts on private Palestinian lands, defining open areas, and restricting Palestinian movement in the West Bank."
According to the United Nations, 2023 marked the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank, with 507 casualties recorded since the agency began tracking casualties nearly two decades ago. It also set a record for the number of Israelis killed in the West Bank and Israel due to attacks by Palestinians, with 36 fatalities recorded.
Since October 7, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that 314 Palestinians, including 80 children, have been killed in the West Bank. Israeli forces have injured 3,949 others, including 593 children.
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