Israeli Airstrikes in West Bank and Lebanon Leave Dozens Dead

An Israeli airstrike in the West Bank resulted in the deaths of at least 18 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-controlled health ministry. The strike took place on Thursday in the Tulkarm refugee camp. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa condemned the event, describing it as a "massacre" on social media, and accused Israel of disregarding international calls for justice.

The Israeli military confirmed the attack, stating that Zahi Yaser Abd al-Razeq Oufi, a key Hamas figure in Tulkarm, was among those killed. Oufi had reportedly been supplying weapons to militants and was allegedly planning an imminent terror attack. The Israel Defence Forces also reported that several other significant terrorist operatives were eliminated in the same operation.

Meanwhile, in Lebanon, Israeli airstrikes continued, with health officials reporting 27 fatalities and 151 injuries on Thursday alone. Since mid-September, more than 1,200 people have reportedly died as a result of the strikes. Israel claimed to have targeted 200 locations and ordered the evacuation of residents from about 20 additional towns as it focused on Hezbollah fighters, supported by Iran.

Most of the airstrikes in Lebanon have been concentrated in the southern region, where local authorities report that 1.2 million people have been displaced. However, on Thursday evening, explosions were also reported in Dahieh, a southern suburb of Beirut, near the international airport. Witnesses cited by Reuters reported that some of the blasts were close to the airport's vicinity.

Hezbollah, designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries, claimed responsibility for launching rockets at military installations in Haifa Bay, northern Israel. Israel's military stated that the rockets were either intercepted or landed in uninhabited areas. In total, 230 projectiles have been fired from Lebanon in recent days. Hezbollah further claimed to have killed 17 Israeli personnel on Thursday, a claim not acknowledged by Israel, which confirmed only one military death that day.

The conflict has intensified following a series of explosions involving Hezbollah's booby-trapped communication devices two weeks ago, an attack widely attributed to Israel. Since then, Israeli airstrikes have killed several high-ranking Hezbollah commanders, including their leader, Hassan Nasrallah. On Tuesday, Iran retaliated by launching approximately 200 missiles at Israel, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as a "major mistake."

US President Joe Biden, in a statement on Thursday, acknowledged that Washington was discussing potential support for an Israeli retaliatory strike against Iran's oil industry. However, he expressed hope that a larger conflict could be avoided. Biden also clarified that the United States would not endorse any attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, emphasizing that no final decisions regarding the next steps had been made by Israel. An American official stated that Washington did not believe Israel had yet determined how to proceed.