BEIRUT: Israeli strikes on Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley overnight killed more than 60 people across a dozen towns, the district governor said on Tuesday, the deadliest day yet in the area in more than a year of hostilities.
Rescue workers were still pulling bodies out of the rubble on Tuesday morning.
Israel has ramped up its air strikes across Lebanon over the last month, saying it is targeting Lebanese armed group Hezbollah. Lebanese officials, rights groups and residents of affected towns say the strikes are indiscriminate.
No evacuation orders were given for any of the towns struck overnight. District governor Bachir Khodor said 67 people had been killed and more than 120 wounded and the death toll was expected to rise.
“That’s only the people who’ve been removed from under the rubble and we still don’t have the final toll. This is the most violent day for Baalbek in the last year,” Khodor told Reuters.
The toll included nine people killed in Ram, its mayor Nazih Noun said, including a woman and her four children.
“It’s quiet now, but we don’t know how we can carry on with the funerals given the security situation,” Noun told Reuters.
Large swathes of the Bekaa Valley are Hezbollah strongholds.
There was no immediate comment from Israel on the attacks.
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NDMA dispatches 17th relief consignment for Palestine, Lebanon
On the directives of the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) continues to provide humanitarian aid to the affected people of Palestine (Gaza) and Lebanon.
On Tuesday, the 17th consignment of aid was dispatched from Karachi to Lebanon. This aid shipment, sent by NDMA in collaboration with Al-Khidmat Foundation, comprised approximately 17 tonnes of supplies, including tents, food tins, dry milk, rice, clothes, hygiene kits and medicines.
NDMA send relief for Palestine and Lebanon. — Supplied The aid was dispatched via chartered flight from Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, to Beirut, Lebanon.
Iraq opens arms to Lebanese fleeing Israeli attacks
Israeli bombardment of Lebanon forced Mohammed Fawaz and his family to flee so often that they finally moved many kilometres (miles) away to find respite in central Iraq.
“Wherever we went, danger followed,” the 62-year-old white-haired Lebanese man told AFP in the small town of Al-Qassem, sitting with his wife and daughter.
“That’s when I thought of Iraq. It was the only way I could see to escape the danger after we saw death with our own eyes.”
UNRWA chief says Israeli ban ‘will only deepen suffering of Palestinians’
UN relief agency UNRWA’s chief Philippe Lazzarini said on Monday that Israel’s ban of the organisation’s operation inside the country “will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza.”
Palestinians work to remove an UNRWA-labelled vehicle after it was hit in an Israeli strike, according to Palestinian officials, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, October 23, 2024. — Reuters US warns Iran at UN of ‘severe consequences’ if further attacks
The United States warned Iran at the United Nations on Monday that if it undertakes any further aggressive acts against Israel or US personnel in the region “there will be severe consequences.”
“We will not hesitate to act in self defence. Let there be no confusion. The United States does not want to see further escalation. We believe this should be the end of the direct exchange of fire between Israel and Iran,” US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the council.
Iranian envoy at UNSC: Iran retains right to respond to Israel attacks
Iran envoy Amir Saeid Iravani denounced Israel’s military operations, labelling them as “aggression” that warrants immediate intervention from the UNSC.
He warned that ignoring Israel’s actions would compromise the council’s authority and responsibilities. Iravani stated that Iran retained the right to respond to Israel attacks at a time of its choosing.
Global leaders condemn Israel bill banning UNRWA
A UNRWA sign lies on the ground at the Karem Abu Salem crossing in southern Israel, May 30, 2024.— Reuters Global condemnation have followed Israel’s decision to ban UNRWA operations in the Gaza strip, Al Jazeera reported.
Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressed opposition, noting that UNRWA performs “life-saving work” and urging Israel to comply with ICJ rulings to allow humanitarian support in Gaza. WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus called the move “intolerable,” adding that it could “threaten the lives and health” of Palestinians who rely on UNRWA services.
Jordan’s Foreign Ministry labelled the ban “illegal and invalid,” warning of “catastrophic consequences” as Israel aims to “assassinate UNRWA politically.” A joint statement from Ireland, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain argued that the ban “sets a very serious precedent” for UN multilateral work.
Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, denounced the bill, with a spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency in Ramallah calling it reflective of Israel’s “transformation into a fascist state.”
At the UN, China’s ambassador called the ban “a very bad decision,” while Russia’s representative deemed it “terrible.” UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward also condemned the decision within the Security Council chamber.
Israeli parliament passes bill to ban UNRWA
A damaged sign is pictured at the headquarters of UNRWA, following an Israeli raid, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City, July 12, 2024. — Reuters The Israeli parliament has passed a contentious bill to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from operating in Israeli-controlled areas, including the occupied Palestinian territories, Al Jazeera reported.
UNRWA is a critical provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza, where the situation is worsening amid a growing humanitarian crisis and pressure on Israel to allow aid access.
The ban, which does not take effect immediately, would lead to the closure of UNRWA’s offices across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in Gaza, effectively stalling its mission as mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1949.
UNRWA’s operations have faced immense challenges, with hundreds of its staff killed amid recent conflicts, making this one of the deadliest periods for UN aid workers. The bill, which passed 92-10, followed a heated debate with significant opposition from Arab parliamentary members.
UNRWA’s head, Philippe Lazzarini, condemned the decision, saying it set “a dangerous precedent” and would “only deepen the suffering of Palestinians.” A second bill severing diplomatic ties with UNRWA was also set for a vote on Monday.
Death toll reaches 60 in Lebanon’s Baalbek following Israeli strikes
The Lebanese Health Ministry reports that at least 60 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes in Baalbek, located in the eastern Bekaa Valley. The toll spans 12 areas in the Bekaa region and includes at least two children, with an additional 58 people wounded.
Rescue operations are ongoing, meaning the numbers may rise. Of those killed, 16 deaths were reported in al-Alaq, west of Baalbek city.
Netanyahu’s office says no ceasefire offer received from Egypt
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office clarified that no proposal had been made for a 48-hour ceasefire in Gaza in exchange for the release of four captives.
“If such a proposal were made, the prime minister would accept it on the spot,” read the official statement. Egypt’s President el-Sisi had indicated on Sunday that he proposed a two-day truce, which he hoped could lead to a broader, long-term ceasefire in Gaza
