Israel’s security cabinet has given Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister the authority to decide on the response to a rocket attack from Lebanon that killed 12 people, most of them teenagers and children, in the village of Majdal Shams. Global diplomats are urging restraint to prevent further escalation. Israel’s military struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon, but Netanyahu’s promised fierce retaliation has not yet been carried out.
Hezbollah, supported by Iran, denied involvement in the attack, which came after months of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah. In response to Turkish President Erdogan’s vague comments suggesting Turkish intervention in Israel, Israel’s foreign minister hit back. Lebanon’s main airline rescheduled flights to and from Beirut due to “technical reasons related to the distribution of insurance risks.” Lufthansa also suspended flights to Beirut for a period.
In Gaza, the war has resulted in over 39,000 deaths and nearly 91,000 injuries, with the majority being women and children according to the Gaza Health Ministry, under Hamas. Israel estimates over 1,200 deaths in Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, including more than 300 soldiers. Israel reports 329 soldiers killed since the start of their military operation in Gaza. The situation remains tense as Israel weighs its response to the attack from Lebanon and global powers seek to prevent the conflict from escalating further.
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