Hezbollah Appoints New Leader as Gaza Conflict Escalates

Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group has appointed Naim Kassem as its new leader following the death of its former head, Hassan Nasrallah, who was reportedly killed last month in an Israeli airstrike.

Kassem, who served for years as Nasrallah’s deputy, had been acting as the group’s leader since the incident, with his official appointment confirmed on Tuesday.

In parallel developments, an Israeli airstrike in northern Gaza hit a five-story building in Beit Lahiya, a densely populated area near the Israeli border that had been sheltering displaced Palestinians.

The strike, which took place amid ongoing military operations in Gaza, killed at least 34 people, including a significant number of women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Emergency services reported that at least 20 additional individuals sustained injuries in the attack.

The Israeli military has been conducting intensified operations in northern Gaza for over three weeks, primarily focused on targeting Hamas militants they claim are regrouping in the area.

However, the latest strike has drawn attention to the severe toll on civilians, with the casualties reportedly including a mother and her five children, as well as another mother and her six children. Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, described the facility as overwhelmed by the influx of casualties, following what he called one of the deadliest incidents in the current wave of strikes.

In a separate development over the weekend, Israeli forces raided Kamal Adwan Hospital, detaining several medics. The Israeli military maintains that it aims to conduct precise strikes to minimize civilian casualties, though many recent attacks have resulted in significant loss of life among non-combatants, including women and children.

In addition to the hospital raid, Israeli forces detained suspected Hamas members at the facility as part of their ongoing operations.

The military operations have been particularly intense in areas such as the Jabaliya refugee camp, leading to widespread displacement and hundreds of civilian deaths.

The situation has raised international concerns, with the United States issuing a warning to Israel about potential limitations on military aid if humanitarian conditions in Gaza are not improved.

As these tensions escalate, fears are rising among Palestinians about a potential evacuation plan for Gaza’s north, although Israel’s military has denied any intention to implement such a strategy. The Israeli government has yet to make a definitive statement on the issue, adding to the uncertainty.

In a related move, Israel’s parliament passed new legislation on Monday that could restrict the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which provides aid to Palestinian refugees.

The legislation comes amid accusations from Israeli authorities that UNRWA has connections to Hamas, a claim that UNRWA firmly denies.

The conflict initially erupted on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an unprecedented attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the abduction of around 250 others. Since then, Palestinian sources report that the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 43,000, with 90% of the territory’s population displaced amid relentless Israeli military actions.

— AP/Reuters/NAN