CAIRO/BEIRUT. Hopes for a ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah dimmed on Friday as Israeli airstrikes claimed the lives of at least 68 individuals in Gaza, according to medical officials in the Palestinian enclave. Israel also launched strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, escalating tensions and raising concerns over further regional destabilization.
The Israeli military announced it had killed Izz al-Din Kassab, a senior Hamas leader, in an airstrike in Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza. Kassab was reportedly one of the last senior officials in Hamas coordinating efforts with other groups in Gaza.
Efforts by U.S. envoys to broker ceasefires on both the Gaza and Lebanon fronts have faced obstacles. American diplomats have been negotiating as the U.S. presidential election approaches on Tuesday, though these talks have reportedly faltered. According to Hamas’s Al-Aqsa television on Friday, Hamas rejected a temporary ceasefire, insisting any agreement must end the year-long war in Gaza and include a full withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel’s stance on security, stating he would uphold it “despite any pressure or constraints.” This message was conveyed to U.S. envoys Amos Hochstein and Brett McGurk during their visit to Israel on Thursday. Meanwhile, Israel continued its military operations in Gaza and against Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.
The human toll of the strikes has mounted. Medical sources in Gaza reported at least 68 fatalities from Israeli strikes on Deir Al-Balah, the Nuseirat refugee camp, and the town of Al-Zawayda in Gaza’s central and southern areas. In a particularly devastating strike, 14 people lost their lives at the entrance of a school sheltering displaced Palestinians in Nuseirat, as reported by medics at Al-Awda Hospital. In Khan Younis, 10 people were reportedly killed in a car.
Reports also emerged of Israeli tanks advancing on Nuseirat’s northern and eastern perimeters, with airstrikes later killing four individuals, including three children. The Israeli military claimed it had targeted what it described as “armed terrorists” in central Gaza and the Jabalia region but has not commented on the reported school strike, often denying deliberate attacks on civilians.
The U.N. warned of catastrophic conditions in Gaza, with its humanitarian agency leaders describing the situation in northern Gaza as “apocalyptic.” The entire population in the area, they cautioned, faces an “imminent risk of dying from disease, famine, and violence” as Israel presses forward with its offensive.
In Lebanon, Israel carried out at least 10 airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, marking the first assault on the area in nearly a week. The strikes followed Israel’s evacuation orders for 10 neighborhoods within the Lebanese capital.
“This is a brutal war, and Israel does not have the right to do this,” remarked Hassan Saad, a Beirut resident. “There must be a limit put for Israel because it does not abide by any of the laws or human morality.”
Another local, Ali Ramadan, believed that the airstrikes were intended to exert pressure on Lebanon in the ongoing ceasefire negotiations.
The heightened hostilities have further diminished the possibility of a ceasefire before the U.S. election on Tuesday. According to a source cited by Hamas television, the ceasefire proposals do not satisfy the group’s conditions for permanent peace, an Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, the return of displaced persons, and the full reopening of Gaza’s border crossings.
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met on Friday to discuss potential diplomatic solutions in Lebanon, addressing Gaza’s dire humanitarian crisis, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
