Israel continues to pound Gaza
Israel threatens to expand war if Hezbollah truce collapses
GAZA/BEIRUT: Israel has continued to pound Gaza, killing dozens and issuing new evacuation threats.
The Israeli military launched strikes overnight that killed at least 14 people in the north of the enclave, according to reports on Tuesday. Meanwhile, new forced evacuation orders were issued, calling on people to leave areas in the southern city of Khan Younis.
Medics reported that eight people were killed in a series of overnight strikes in Beit Lahiya, while four others were killed in Gaza City. A further two people were killed in attacks in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps in the northern part of the Strip.
Later, the Israeli army ordered residents in the districts of Khan Younis to flee, prompting a westward exodus in the early morning hours.
“For your own safety, you must evacuate the area immediately and move to the humanitarian zone,” the army said a statement on X, citing rocket launches by Palestinian groups.
Research states that there are no “humanitarian zones” in which people can find safety, and that forced evacuation orders do not help those fleeing to find safety or shelter from harm.
Meanwhile, Israel threatened on Tuesday to return to war in Lebanon if its truce with Hezbollah collapses, and said this time its attacks would go deeper and target the Lebanese state itself, after the deadliest day since the ceasefire was agreed last week.
In its strongest threat since the truce was agreed to end 14 months of war with Hezbollah, Israel said it would hold Lebanon responsible for failing to disarm militants who violated the truce.
“If we return to war we will act strongly, we will go deeper, and the most important thing they need to know: that there will be no longer be an exemption for the state of Lebanon,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said.
“If until now we separated the state of Lebanon from Hezbollah… it will no longer be [like this],” he said during a visit to the northern border area.
Despite last week’s truce, Israeli forces have continued strikes in southern Lebanon against what they say are Hezbollah fighters ignoring the agreement to halt attacks and withdraw beyond the Litani River, about 30 km (18 miles) from the frontier.
On Monday, Lebanese authorities said at least 12 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon.
The Beirut government must “authorize the Lebanese army to enforce their part, to keep Hezbollah away beyond the Litani, and to dismantle all the infrastructure,” Katz said. Monitoring Desk
