A Region on Fire - Issue 59
A Region on Fire
Issue 59 - November 24, 2024
The Iranian-Israeli tensions escalated, leading to a crisis in Lebanon.
Israel accused Iran of orchestrating the murder of the Moldovan Jewish rabbi in the UAE through a cell linked to Tehran. In response, Iran, through statements from Larijani, declared its readiness for a strong retaliation against Israel. Moreover, the heightened tension between Iran and Europe, following the decision by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was among the reasons behind Josep Borrell's visit to Lebanon.
The Lebanese army faced bombardment, and there was intense escalation targeting the southern suburbs and Beirut, with threats to Lebanese assets accusing the Lebanese government of “leaving the field open to Hezbollah”, which launched more than 350 rockets into Israel on Sunday. Netanyahu held a security consultation on Sunday evening to discuss potential responses to Lebanon, even as Israeli media continues to report progress in negotiations with Lebanon based on the American proposal.
Meanwhile, internal political tensions are growing in Israel, as Hamas announced the killing of an Israeli detainee two days ago. Additionally, the Israeli judiciary has called for Netanyahu to appear before the court to continue his trial on corruption charges, a move he is attempting to delay.
Battlefield Developments in Lebanon
The Israeli army used artillery and tanks to shell a Lebanese Armed Forces center in the Al-Amriya area along the coastal road between Naqoura and Tyre, resulting in the killing of one soldier, 18 wounded, and significant damage to the site. This is the fourth attack targeting the Lebanese army, but it is the most severe, delivering a clear message to the Lebanese authorities and indicating Israel's intention to clear the coastal road between Naqoura and Tyre of any potential obstacles. The attack is part of ongoing attempts by the Israeli military to seize control of Al-Biyada, a strategic town that provides control over the coastal route, where heavy clashes with Hezbollah fighters are still underway.
The Israeli army warned residents in five villages in southern Lebanon to evacuate in preparation for bombardment, instructing them to move north of the Al-Awali River. Similar evacuation orders were issued for neighborhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs ahead of strikes. Israeli airstrikes continued to hit towns and villages in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley. The Israeli army announced strikes on military infrastructure near the Jousieh border crossing in northern Bekaa, alleging it is used by Hezbollah to transfer weapons. Meanwhile, the Israeli ground forces attempted incursions along multiple fronts, reportedly demolishing homes in the Khiyam village.
The Ministry of Public Health's Emergency Operations Center released its daily report on the casualties and repercussions of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon. As of Saturday, November 23, 2024, Israeli airstrikes resulted in 84 deaths and 213 wounded, with the attack on Basta Al-Fawqa in Beirut leaving 29 deaths and 67 injured. Rescue operations are still ongoing. The total toll since the beginning of the aggression reached 3,754 deaths and 15,626 wounded.
Israeli media reported that more than 340 rockets were fired from Lebanon into northern and central Israel, including the Tel Aviv area, causing casualties. Hezbollah announced, for the first time, the deployment of suicide drones targeting the Ashdod naval base 150 km from the Lebanese border, as well as Haifa naval base and Palmachim airbase south of Tel Aviv with precision missiles. Additionally, Hezbollah launched rockets targeting Israeli military forces at the Metula site in northern Israel, eastern Khiyam in southern Lebanon, Deirmimas, and Al-Biyada. Israeli settlements, including Amir, Sa’sa’, Miron, and Yesod HaMa’ala, were also targeted.
Hezbollah also confirmed ongoing clashes with Israeli forces along several southern fronts, particularly on the Shamaa-Al-Biyada axis, and announced the destruction of six Merkava tanks on Sunday.
Political Developments in Lebanon
Prime Minister Najib Mikati met with Josep Borrell, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. After the meeting, Borrell emphasized that the international community cannot remain passive in light of the ongoing situation. He stressed that the cost of the absence of peace in the Middle East has become unacceptably high and warned that Lebanon is on the brink of collapse, with catastrophic human losses. Borrell reiterated the European Union’s unwavering support for UNRWA, describing it as essential in Gaza and Lebanon. He also announced the EU’s readiness to provide €200 million to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and affirmed that restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty across its land, sea, and airspace is a shared priority. He further expressed the EU’s solidarity with the United States and France in their efforts to implement UN Resolution 1701 and secure a ceasefire in Lebanon.
In response to questions from the press, Borrell stated that the Speaker of Parliament is prioritizing a ceasefire, followed by preparations for presidential elections. He highlighted the importance of electing a president as soon as possible. On broader governance issues, Borrell noted that Lebanon must recalibrate its policies both domestically and in its international engagements.
Prime Minister Mikati condemned the Israeli military’s direct targeting of a Lebanese Armed Forces center in the south, which resulted in casualties and injuries. He described this as a deliberate and violent rejection of efforts to secure a ceasefire, enhance the army’s role in the south, and implement UN Resolution 1701.
Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi stated that without the election of a president, both Parliament and the government would lose their constitutional legitimacy, rendering their actions incomplete and lacking national consensus.
Greek Orthodox Metropolitan Elias Aoude of Beirut called for an end to what he described as reckless actions undertaken for purposes unrelated to Lebanon’s national interests. He called for halting the cycle of death and destruction.
Free Patriotic Movement leader Gebran Bassil asserted, “There can be no republic without a president,” stating that the resistance ought to be serving the country's interest rather than dominate it. He stressed the need to separate Lebanon’s national interests from external agendas, asking, “If the war does not end, will we remain without a president?”
Gaza: Hospitals as Declared Targets by Israel
As the Gaza war enters its 415th day, Israeli forces targeted the Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, injuring its director, Dr. Hossam Abu Safia, who refused to evacuate the hospital despite Israeli threats and attacks. This comes as the Israeli army continues its ground invasion of northern Gaza since October 5, alongside relentless airstrikes. Meanwhile, hundreds of Palestinians were forcibly displaced from the Shuja’iyya neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, moving south and toward central Gaza on foot, leaving their homes behind and carrying only a few belongings and blankets. The displacement followed Israeli warnings to evacuate, citing rocket launches from the area toward Israel.
The Government Media Office reported that the Israeli army has killed 1,000 doctors and nurses in Gaza and detained 310 medical staff, subjecting them to torture and execution in detention. It also highlighted that Israel has blocked the entry of medical supplies, international health delegations, and medical personnel into the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza announced that 35 dead and 94 injured people were brought to hospitals in the last 24 hours following four massacres committed by the Israeli army against families. It reported that the death toll in Gaza has risen to 44,211, with 104,567 injured since October 7, 2023.
Additionally, the Civil Defense Service in the besieged Gaza Strip stated that Palestinian refugees’ tents sustained severe damage due to rain, flooding many shelters and exacerbating their suffering.
UNRWA reported that approximately 70,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza are struggling to access clean water, warning that Gaza’s residents face the risk of dehydration due to fuel shortages and the suspension of water wells.
The West Bank
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club confirmed in a press statement that Israeli forces arrested at least 12 Palestinians from the West Bank this Sunday morning, including former prisoners. These arrests were carried out across the governorates of Tulkarem, Hebron, Nablus, Jenin, and Jericho, accompanied by assaults and threats against detainees and their families, as well as the destruction of citizens' homes.
Israeli incursions into the village of Al-Mughayir, east of Ramallah, continued, with field interrogations conducted on dozens of residents. Field interrogations have sharply increased in recent months across all West Bank governorates, targeting hundreds of young men. Simultaneously, the Old City of Hebron in the southern West Bank has turned into a site of settler attacks and assaults under the guise of Jewish holiday celebrations.
The New York Times reported testimonies from Palestinians in the West Bank, indicating that Israeli forces have begun using tactics in the West Bank similar to those employed in Gaza, including devastating airstrikes and the use of Palestinians as human shields. Before the war on Gaza, Israeli air raids in the West Bank were rare, according to experts. However, during operations carried out by the occupation army in Jenin and other areas since August, approximately 50 airstrikes have been documented. Over the past year, more than 180 people have been killed in airstrikes on the West Bank, including dozens of children, according to the United Nations and the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq.
International Developments
- The spokesperson for the International Criminal Court told Al Jazeera Mubashar that the Prosecutor-General is pursuing additional avenues of investigation that may lead to new arrest warrants concerning the conflict in Palestine.
- The United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Janine Hennis-Plasschaert, began a visit to Israel today. She is scheduled to meet with senior Israeli officials to discuss the current crisis, the importance of achieving a ceasefire, and the comprehensive implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
- Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei announced a meeting scheduled for Friday, December 9, between deputy foreign ministers of Iran, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom to discuss bilateral, regional, and international issues.
- Ali Larijani, advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, affirmed that Iran plans a "serious response" to the Israeli occupation, aiming to "shift Israeli calculations and achieve full deterrence."
- Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri stated that Hamas would not accept any agreements or ideas that would alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
- Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding security consultations regarding reaching a agreement in Lebanon.
- Former Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said that the Lebanese government is giving Hezbollah free rein, adding that it is time to take strong action against its assets.
- The mayor of Metula told Israeli Army Radio that around 30% of the town’s residents will not return to live there.
