Five people were killed in northern Israel on Thursday by projectiles fired from Lebanon, including four foreign workers, authorities said. Meanwhile, the Israeli military warned people to evacuate from more areas of southern Lebanon as airstrikes across the country killed at least eight people.
The developments come as mediators are ramping up efforts to halt the wars in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, circulating new proposals to wind down the regional conflict. However, Hezbollah’s newly named leader, Naim Kassem, said the militant group will keep fighting in its war with Israel until it is offered ceasefire terms it deems acceptable.
Palestinian officials also reported that an Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank killed three people. The Israeli military said its forces were targeting militants in the area of the Nur Shams refugee camp.
The death toll from more than a year of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has passed 43,000, Palestinian officials reported, without distinguishing between civilians and combatants. The war began after Hamas-led militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others.
Israel’s military also said it struck Hezbollah weapons depots and bases in Syria, claiming the group has been attempting to smuggle arms into Lebanon along the border. The airstrikes have intensified an already severe humanitarian crisis by blocking key routes for supplies and impeding access for those fleeing to safety.
