By Associated Press
Israel’s bombardment of central and northern Gaza has killed dozens of people and trapped thousands in their homes, Palestinian officials said Wednesday, as the death toll in the yearlong war passed 42,000.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said it recovered 40 bodies from Jabaliya from Sunday until Tuesday, and another 14 from communities farther north. The toll is likely higher as there are bodies buried under the rubble and in areas that can’t be accessed, it said.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the military spokesperson, said that Israeli forces were operating in Jabaliya to prevent Hamas from regrouping and had killed about 100 militants, without providing evidence. Israel says it only targets militants and blames civilian deaths on Hamas because it fights in residential areas.
A year ago, Hamas-led militants blew holes in Israel’s security fence and stormed into army bases and farming communities, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. They are still holding about 100 captives inside Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel is now at war with Hamas in Gaza and its ally Hezbollah in Lebanon, which began firing rockets at Israel on Oct. 8, 2023.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Wednesday that an Israeli strike on Iran in response to its recent missile attack would be “lethal” and “surprising.”
“Our attack will be lethal, precise and above all surprising. They will not understand what happened and how it happened,” Gallant said during a speech to Israeli troops.
Iran fired dozens of missiles at Israel last week in an escalation of the conflict between the two countries.
Israel has vowed to respond to the missile attack but has not outlined what this retaliation would entail.
The ballistic missile attack came weeks after Israel’s military intensified its airstrikes across Lebanon wiping out the majority of Hezbollah’s high ranking commanders including its leader, Hassan Nasrallah. In July, a strike in Tehran assassinated Hamas’ political leader, Ismael Haniyeh, and Iran blamed Israel. Israel has not confirmed or denied it was behind his killing.
Iran is the main sponsor of the Lebanese militant group and Hamas in Gaza.
Brazil’s third repatriation plane left Beirut for Brazil on Wednesday, carrying 218 passengers including 11 infants, as well as five pets, according to a statement from Brazil’s foreign ministry. The flight is set to land in Sao Paulo on Thursday morning local time after a stop to refuel in Lisbon.
The Brazilian government has evacuated 674 people and 11 pets from Lebanon in five days, the foreign ministry said.
The aircraft also delivered Brazil’s second donation of health supplies to Lebanon.
About 21,000 Brazilians live in Lebanon, which is home to the largest community of Brazilians in the Middle East. Two Brazilian adolescents have been killed by Israeli bombardments in Lebanon.
AP
