"Israel Strikes Lebanon: Families Flee as Bombs Hit, No Safe Haven"
Tens of thousands are fleeing southern Lebanon amid heavy Israeli bombardment, with at least 569 people, including 50 children, killed according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry. Hezbollah confirmed the death of senior leader Ibrahim Muhammad Qubaisi on Tuesday, shortly after Israel reported killing a top commander in Beirut’s southern suburbs in a strike that left six dead.
Meanwhile, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, a claim echoed by several world leaders during their UN General Assembly addresses. So far, Israel's war on Gaza has claimed at least 41,467 lives and injured 95,921, while the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel killed at least 1,139 people, with more than 200 taken captive.
Al Jazeera is reporting from outside Israel, having been banned by the Israeli government. Within Israeli society, reactions are mixed.
In the north, many residents have been frustrated with the government’s lack of a military strategy to return them to their homes after nearly a year. Meanwhile, another portion of the population fears a full-scale war with Hezbollah, which could pull in other countries or groups from the Middle East. This concern has grown alongside the fear that a prolonged conflict would prevent a ceasefire in Gaza and halt any potential prisoner-exchange deals.
Families of Israeli captives are particularly worried, and tensions on both sides of the border are mounting over the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion into southern Lebanon. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has been touring the north, meeting with army troops who have been preparing for such an invasion for months.
The recent escalation between Israel and Hezbollah began when hundreds of communication devices exploded across Lebanon, an attack widely condemned as a violation of international law. Intelligence expert Colin Clarke, director of research at the Soufan Center, spoke to Al Jazeera from Pennsylvania to discuss Israel’s strategy and what to expect from Hezbollah.
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