Israel persists with military operations in Gaza following clashes with Hezbollah
In the Gaza Strip, AFP reporters and eyewitnesses reported destructive attacks and shelling on Gaza City and other locations on Monday night. Concerning the airstrike in Gaza City, an ambulance driver mentioned finding " casualties and body fragments" beneath the debris of a building in the Al-Rimal district.
Israeli military sources claimed that "many" Palestinian combatants were killed in attacks on Khan Yunis, Rafah in the south, and Deir al-Balah in the center of Gaza Strip. Moreover, a Hamas rocket launcher was destroyed in Khan Yunis earlier. Previously, the Islamic Palestinian group had fired a rocket at Tel Aviv, which landed in uninhabited areas south of the metropolis, according to Israeli sources.
Initial dispensations of polio vaccine doses reached the Gaza Strip, as per Israeli authorities. These vaccines arrived in the Palestinian territory on Sunday. The virus had been detected in wastewater samples from the southern city of Khan Yunis and the central region of Gaza Strip in July, according to both Israeli and Palestinian reports. At the beginning of August, the WHO announced that it would dispatch over a million polio vaccine doses to Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, Hamas militants, labeled as a terrorist organization by the US and EU, along with other Palestinian militant groups, have been attacking Israel. As a result, Israel has engaged in extensive military operations in the Gaza Strip. As per recent Hamas statements, which remain unverified, more than 40,430 casualties have occurred since then.
The Iranian government hailed Sunday's attack by its Lebanese Hezbollah militia on Israel. The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Nasser Kanani, stated on Monday that the Hezbollah attack had "fundamentally" altered the "strategic balance" to Israel's disadvantage.
Hezbollah fired around 340 rockets and numerous drones at Israeli territory on Sunday, according to its own statements. In response, Israeli fighter jets reportedly destroyed "thousands" of Hezbollah rocket launchers, whereas Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah mentioned only "dozens" being destroyed. According to the militia, this was retaliation for the death of its military chief Fuad Shukr, who was killed in an Israeli air strike in Beirut at the end of July.
According to Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, the primary target of the attack was the Glilot military base near Tel Aviv, which reportedly houses the "main base of the Israeli military intelligence service." However, a spokesperson for the Israeli army informed AFP news agency that the Glilot base was not hit.
The German government called for all parties to exercise caution. A Foreign Office spokesperson was content that no "major escalation" had occurred yet, mentioning that Israel was exercising its right to self-defense by targeting Hezbollah rocket launchers. He also suggested that, given the tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, it was crucial to reach a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, which would also influence the overall regional security situation.
Several rounds of ceasefire negotiations are currently taking place in Cairo involving Hamas representatives. Hamas spokesperson Issat al-Rishk reportedly attended a meeting with Egyptian and Qatari mediators on Sunday, discussed the negotiations' progress, and then departed from Cairo. Israel and Hamas are not engaging in direct negotiations; rather, the U.S., Qatar, and Egypt are serving as intermediaries in these indirect talks.
The polio virus was detected in wastewater samples from Khan Yunis and the central region of Gaza Strip in July, leading to the distribution of polio vaccine doses to the Gaza Strip. Despite the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip, the presence of the virus underscores the need for public health measures to protect the population.
Despite the destructive attacks and shelling in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian health authorities are working to prevent the spread of diseases, including the polio virus, amidst the ongoing crisis.
