Israel strikes Lebanon, Syria as Gaza death toll surpasses 58,000; UN flags civilian killings

BEIRUT(Lebanon): Israeli air raids struck eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and Syria’s southern Suwayda region, as Israeli forces continued heavy bombardment across Gaza, Al Jazeera reported on Monday.

According to Al Jazeera, Syria’s national news agency confirmed that Israeli airstrikes had hit areas in Suwayda, while the Israeli military said it targeted the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon.

The escalation follows intensified Israeli operations in Gaza, where at least 78 Palestinians were killed on Sunday alone, Al Jazeera reported. Israeli attacks across multiple locations have continued with deadly force, adding to the already mounting death toll in the besieged territory.

Al Jazeera cited figures from Gaza’s Health Ministry, reporting that Israel’s war on Gaza has now killed at least 58,386 people and wounded 139,077 since October 7, 2023. In Israel, approximately 1,139 people were killed during the Hamas-led attacks that day, and over 200 were taken captive.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers reportedly set fire to Palestinian property in the village of Burqa, torching land and vehicles. Al Jazeera noted the attack came just hours after church leaders and diplomats from over 20 countries gathered in Taybeh to appeal for an end to the violence.

Meanwhile, the UN human rights office has documented at least 875 killings over the past six weeks at aid distribution points and convoy routes in Gaza. Al Jazeera, citing the UN, said most of the deaths occurred near sites operated by the US- and Israel-backed GHF, with 201 others killed along other humanitarian convoy routes.

Al Jazeera reported that the rising civilian death toll and continuing strikes across multiple fronts are drawing fresh international concern, as conditions for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank grow increasingly dire.

Amid the intensifying military campaign, seven senior Hamas terrorists who were released in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange and deported to Gaza were killed in an Israeli airstrike last week, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) and Israel Defence Forces announced Monday.

The targeted operatives, all members of Hamas’s Judea and Samaria “headquarters,” were involved in recruiting terrorists and coordinating attacks from Gaza into Judea and Samaria.

Among those killed were Riyad Asila and Bassem Abu Sanina, who carried out the 1998 stabbing murder of Israeli civilian Haim Kerman in Jerusalem.

Both were sentenced to lengthy prison terms but were released as part of the deal in which Israel freed 1,027 security prisoners in exchange for captured IDF soldier Gilad Shalit.

After their exile to Gaza, the two resumed operational roles in Hamas, with Asila later joining the group’s “Jerusalem Department,” responsible for recruiting terrorists in eastern Jerusalem. According to the Shin Bet, Asila helped direct terrorist activity from Gaza back into Israel, continuing “to promote terrorist operations against the State of Israel.”

Another key operative eliminated in the strike was Mahmoud Saria, who was convicted of killing IDF Staff Sgt. Ehud (Udi) Tal was in a stabbing attack at the Dotan Civil Administration centre in 1996. Like the others, Saria returned to terrorist activity after his release and exile to Gaza.

The Shin Bet confirmed that all seven operatives killed had been convicted of involvement in deadly attacks during the Second Intifada and were serving life sentences before their release.

“After their deportation to Gaza, they joined Hamas’s West Bank Headquarters, operating in regional committees responsible for promoting attacks in Judea and Samaria, including by transferring weapons and funds to terrorists,” the agency said.

“The terrorists who were eliminated had a long record of murderous activity and had continued operating from Gaza, using their experience and connections to support Hamas’s war efforts,” the statement added.

The airstrike also reportedly killed Muhammad Adin, commander of Hamas’s Daraj Tuffah battalion, in an IDF strike northeast of Gaza City. Adin was said to be accompanied by other senior commanders.

His death follows the recent elimination of three other top Hamas leaders, including Muhammad Sinwar, brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Rafah Brigade commander Muhammad Shabana, and Hakam al-Issa, who the IDF described as one of Hamas’s founding figures and its head of combat support operations.

At least 1,180 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 50 remaining hostages, around 30 are believed to be dead. (ANI)