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BARJA, Lebanon — On Wednesday, Lebanon’s Civil Defense service confirmed that rescuers had retrieved 30 bodies from the debris of an apartment building following a late-night Israeli airstrike in the town of Barja. This incident comes amidst an ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which shows no signs of resolution.
The late Tuesday night strike occurred unexpectedly, and the fate of potential survivors or others trapped beneath the rubble remains uncertain. There has been no clarification from the Israeli military regarding the target of the strike or the underlying reasons for the attack.
Barja, located just north of the port city of Sidon, previously had not been a frequent target within this escalating conflict. Local resident Moussa Zahran described his experience, stating that he felt a strong pull before the explosion, and after a frantic search, he managed to locate his injured wife and son. Both are currently being treated in a hospital.
Another resident, Muhyiddin Al-Qalaaji, was alerted about the airstrike while at work, receiving distressing news from his wife. As he worked to recover what belongings he could salvage, he lamented the considerable loss of life and injuries due to the bombing.
civil defense representative Mostafa Danaj noted that reports from neighbors indicate that some individuals are still unaccounted for. Intensified clashes have occurred between Israeli forces and the Hezbollah militant group over the past year. These hostilities escalated significantly following the violent Hamas-led attacks on Israel in early October 2023 that initiated the current war in Gaza.
Since mid-September, combat on the Lebanese front has dramatically increased, highlighted by substantial aerial bombardments and ground assaults by Israeli forces. Amidst increasing military pressure, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently made headlines by abruptly dismissing his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, leading to widespread protests across the nation. Gallant has been succeeded by longtime Netanyahu supporter, Foreign Minister Israel Katz.
Netanyahu advocates maintaining aggressive military actions against Hamas, while Gallant suggested that such force might pave the way for a potentially temporary diplomatic solution to secure the release of hostages held by the militant group. The conflict exploded after armed militants breached Israeli territory on October 7, resulting in the deaths of about 1,200 individuals, predominantly civilians, and the abduction of 250 more into Gaza.
The ongoing military response by Israel has claimed over 43,000 lives in Gaza, according to Palestinian health officials, who note that their figures include both civilians and combatants, emphasizing that women and children represent a significant portion of the casualties. The conflict with Hezbollah has resulted in a reported toll of at least 3,000 deaths and approximately 13,500 injuries in Lebanon, affecting many women and children, based on the Health Ministry’s data.
A report from Lebanon’s crisis response body indicates that upwards of 361,300 Syrians and over 177,800 Lebanese have fled into Syria from September 23 to November 1 to escape the ongoing violence. Despite this, Hezbollah has been relentless in its offensive actions, firing numerous rockets and drones into Israel, which have resulted in 72 fatalities, including 30 soldiers, as reported by Netanyahu’s office.
Recently, rocket sirens could be heard across northern and central Israel, including the bustling metropolitan area of Tel Aviv, following Hezbollah’s launch of a series of 10 rockets. Fortunately, Israeli emergency services reported no injuries from these incidents. During this period, a rocket damaged a parked vehicle in Raanana, and others hit near the country’s main airport, though flight operations remained unaffected.
The Israeli police reported 40 arrests during demonstrations on Tuesday night when protestors obstructed a major highway in Tel Aviv. Another night of protests has been planned across Israel in response to Gallant’s firing, as public discontent grows.
Tensions between Netanyahu and Gallant regarding the Gaza war have been palpable, although the prime minister had refrained from this decisive action prior to the U.S. presidential election on Tuesday. By midday Wednesday in the Middle East, Donald Trump was declared the winner of the election, marking a notable political resurgence.
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